Healer of the Water Monster: Chapters 12–22

by Brian Young
Nathan, an eleven-year-old Navajo boy, sets out on a journey to find a cure for a sick water monster that he discovers in a desert.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 6, Chapters 7–11, Chapters 12–22, Chapter 23–November
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. plumage
    the covering of feathers on a bird
    The white speckles that dotted her feathers, which rose to the ceiling, made her plumage look like a snow-covered pine tree forest.
  2. noble
    having high or elevated character
    Who would do such an evil act to a noble Holy Being?
  3. credibility
    the quality of being believable or trustworthy
    First Turkey slowly turned her head toward Darkness and said, “Darkness, you have tested young Nathan. Would you weigh in on Nathan’s credibility?”
  4. dormant
    inactive but capable of becoming active
    “I have tested Nathan and can say he has vast amounts of kindness as well as the grandest of courage. He has within him the dormant abilities of a talented medicine man.”
  5. vouch
    give personal assurance; guarantee
    “Why are you vouching for this evil five-fingered?” Seed Collector asked.
  6. strenuous
    characterized by or performed with much energy or force
    Nathan rushed over to Pond’s side and wrapped his arms around Pond’s massive chest. Each step was strenuous and cumbersome, but they made it to the fireplace.
  7. cumbersome
    difficult to handle or use, especially because of size or weight
    Nathan rushed over to Pond’s side and wrapped his arms around Pond’s massive chest. Each step was strenuous and cumbersome, but they made it to the fireplace.
  8. malicious
    having the nature of threatening evil
    This sickness is in his entire body. This is not the work of ill will or the use of malicious medicine.
  9. downtrodden
    abused or oppressed by people in power
    The Ash Being was the reason for Uncle Jet’s behavior and also must have been why Nathan had been so downtrodden these past few days.
  10. turmoil
    violent agitation
    “From then on, it warped your thoughts and your emotions. You must have been feeling so much turmoil.”
  11. reverberate
    be reflected as heat, sound, or light or shock waves
    The greenish-yellow hue. The unnatural warmth that reverberated through his skin to his bone. The nausea. He had seen all these when he was researching his science project last year. “He has been poisoned by radiation.”
  12. discern
    perceive, recognize, or detect
    Nathan looked at Darkness and was unable to discern any facial features.
  13. petrify
    change into stone
    “The rocks that humans named uranium,” Darkness said, “are actually the petrified blood of the Enemies felled by the Hero Twins. Even in death, the Enemies of old manage to disrupt the harmony we have created in the Fourth World.”
  14. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    His cheeks flushed, his forehead flashed hot, and he got dizzy from holding his breath.
  15. daunting
    discouraging through fear
    This task is proving to be most important and daunting. Once you have been blessed with moon sand, and after learning some of the Water Monster’s songs, you will journey to the Third World to meet Mother Water Monster.
  16. emanate
    proceed or issue forth, as from a source
    “But as I’ve said, you defy expectations. The mere fact that I can touch you and physically interact with you”—First Turkey wrapped her large wing around him, and he felt an amazing warmth emanating from her bosom—“shows how special you are.”
  17. mantra
    a commonly repeated word or phrase
    She had this whole mantra of “facts and nothing but the facts.”
  18. attribute
    a quality belonging to or characteristic of an entity
    Much like the pollen from corn, her sands contain holy attributes that will: one, help you learn the water monster songs; two, protect you from the immensity of gravity; and three, be a most appropriate gift to Mother Water Monster.
  19. prod
    poke or thrust abruptly
    Nathan’s guilt pushed and prodded his heart.
  20. aptitude
    inherent ability
    “She does have aptitude to communicate with us, but she doesn’t always see and connect with us,” Darkness said. “She is already losing her ability to see us.”
  21. ail
    be unwell
    Bless him in a good, positive, holy way so that he will be successful and bring back medicine for this ailing water monster.
  22. manipulate
    influence or control shrewdly or deviously
    Should a human ever sing these songs, she or he will manipulate the water inside their body, causing great harm to their internal organs.
  23. protrude
    extend out or project in space
    His claws protruded out of his fingertips as he reached and reached above his head and kicked his leg back.
  24. spire
    a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building
    The water collected into a giant spire beneath Pond and Nathan.
  25. plush
    characterized by extravagance and softness
    The carpet he walked on was so plush that his feet sank half an inch into the floor with every step.
  26. vexed
    troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
    “I’m vexed. There are enough mosquitoes and other bugs for me to live comfortably but not enough for webbing for our expedition.”
  27. waning
    of the period when the visible surface of the moon decreases
    He closed the front door and then looked at the moon, which was three-fourths full and waning.
  28. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    The other man was lying on the earth, a huge purple welt growing on his forehead.
  29. unbecoming
    not in keeping with accepted standards of what is proper
    “You lost it? This is very unbecoming of you.”
  30. brunt
    the main part, especially of a force or shock
    Her right hand shot out and took the brunt of the fall.
  31. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    Nathan remembered the man’s agonizing scream and how his body writhed.
  32. spiteful
    showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt
    You have such a tremendous amount of kindness; that allowed me to create the stone. But if I were to take more from your heart, you’d grow into a spiteful, hateful man.
  33. inflection
    the modification of pitch, tone, or volume when speaking
    By the tone of inflection, Nathan guessed that Pond was asking him a question.
  34. detention
    a state of being confined (usually for a short time)
    “Can you do a quick computer check for a John Doe at the adult detention center?” the officer asked.
  35. misdemeanor
    a crime less serious than a felony
    Your son has been charged with simple battery and a petty misdemeanor.
Created on Mon Aug 29 11:31:02 EDT 2022 (updated Tue Oct 04 13:23:33 EDT 2022)

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