The Faithful Ones

Part 1- Chapter 1

A little girl sat near the water's edge, watching a woman draw water from the small lake, the sun shining through the wispy clouds. The woman stood and walked home, leaving the girl to listen to the insects. A ripple echoed off the stony shore, rebounding into a hundred more tiny ripples, and then came a gurgling splash and a quiet voice.
"Come child," came the call, and the girl looked around, confused, "Come to the water's edge." She moved closer the the lake and crouched on the rocks. The Water Spirit was there, her heather-coloured hair melding with the reflected blue of the lake.
"What's your name?" the naiad asked.
"Raine," answered the child nervously. The naiad was a mystical creature, and Raine was a bit scared of her.

"Few know my name, but I shall tell you: Nimue. Do you know what your name means?" Nimue asked.
"No," Raine shook her head.
"Rain brings hope, and through that hope it brings life," the Water Spirit smiled, and Raine returned the smile. "Raine, you are special." Nimue raised a translucent hand and tucked Raine's wispy brown hair behind her ear, gently holding the child's wrist. Everywhere the Water Spirit touched was marked with something the villagers called Spirit's glitter. Raine looked at her hair and wrist, marvelling at its wonder. It was as though a rainbow had become part of her hair and skin.
"It's beautiful," Raine breathed.
"And it proves how special you are, because I've never seen my glitter have colour before," curiosity had filled Nimue's eyes and voice as both starred at the glitter. Then, with a splash and a ripple, the Water spirit swam back beneath the surface and disappeared.

Raine couldn't sleep that night. Her aunt had tried to remove the Spirit's glitter and failed, and now where the glitter was ached from scrubbing and scrubbing. As the moon peeked through the window, shifting the thin curtains, Raine stole through the house and down to the pool. She dipped her fingers into the water and absent-mindedly swirled them around. The Water Spirit came to her.
"Can't you sleep?" sighed Nimue kindly.
"No," replied Raine.
"Have you ever heard that one who brings hope will be chosen?" Nimue asked after a moment.
"My mother used to talk about it all the time. But my family died in a fire while I was visiting my aunt. I live with her now."
"I"m sorry to hear that. But Raine, it must be you. You're named after something that brings hope, and my mark is different on you. I didn't choose, but the magic has, and there's no going back. You are a special one," the Water Spirit breathed. Raine frowned, because she thought he was no-one special or different, and she shivered but not with cold. She looked at her right hand where the glitter was and when she looked back at the lake Nimue had gone.

The sun rose, and Raine's aunt discovered Raine had slept by the water.
"What are you doing out here worrying me to death?" Raine's aunt scolded.
"I couldn't sleep," murmured the child, barely audible.
"That Spirit's glitter still hasn't come out," the aunt said despairingly.
"Why should it?" asked Raine, now fully awake. "Everyone knows it can't be gotten out, and the glitter brings luck and protection."
"I don't believe any of that. Besides, it must be a bad omen, because it's rainbow and not clear. You must cover it."
"I won't," argued Raine. He fear of being chosen had vanished with the night as though dawn had chased it away, and the glitter meant so much to her now. She would bring hope, and that was a feat only ever talked about in stories. So she kept her knowledge that she was chosen in the back of her mind as she grew, and often talked to the Water Spirit.

~~~

The Water Spirit called Raine to the lake, her voice familiar after a year. The glitter had never faded or worn away, and Raine was proud of it. It was a reminder that she was chosen, special, somehow different. There were six other children at the water's edge, each with special glitter.
"Magic has spoken, and I'm sure you will all be life-long friends. You each have a different mark, and I'm not sure I understand it. But you must understand this: you're all different and this is marked by your glitter. Go on and introduce yourselves," said the Water Spirit.

"Hi, I'm Rose. When I met the Water Spirit she said roses are symbols of love." Her glitter was pink.
"I'm Sunny and I'm always cheerful. The sun can be a symbol of joy," smiled a child with almost-gold glitter.
"Hello, my name's Salma, and my name means peace." Salma had silver glitter, the closest colour to Nimue's normal markings out of anyone there.
"I'm Freya and I'm patient." She had blue Spirit's glitter.
"Hi, I'm Matthew. The Water Spirit said I'm always good, kind, and gentle," said a boy with green Spirit's glitter. He was a distant relation of Raine's, and the only one she really knew.
"I'm Blaze, but my name doesn't match because I have great self-control," the last child said. He had orange hair and glitter to match.
"And I'm Raine. The Water Spirit said that rain brings hope." The naiad instructed the seven to get to know each other, and said that if they needed a leader to look to Raine or herself. It was strange meeting others because the Water Spirit had asked it, and strange to think that they would really need a leader. Regardless, meeting the others had been a good thing, because Raine was a quiet girl who was mostly kept in her house, and previously had had no friends.

Two years had passed and strong friendships formed. The Water Spirit called them all together early in the morning a a late spring day.
"You haven't realised yet, but you're all trapped. There are four things you must do to win freedom, and they will be hard but you will be able to make it through. At the end of each you will receive a message that tells you what the next task is. The first of these is to go to the cliff near the old lighthouse, which is south of the Coastal Mountains," the Water Spirit said.
"How are we trapped?"
"Are we just leaving and going somewhere we've never been?"
"I don't understand."
"You are trapped by this world, this life, everyone is. It's difficult to explain. Yes, you're leaving the village. You'll understand with time, and I can't teach you enough. Each of you has the courage and strength needed. Good luck," answered the naiad. The seven children obliged, going off to pack things they might need, and left just after midday. Raine felt as though she felt the heaviest load, because she was their leader. How could she keep them safe and lead them when she was so young and had so little experience?