IRON GOD | 1: Peripeteia

[7] Kolo: Marvelous Image

            "No way you can break these all in one hit, Lalek." Channei stacked four slabs of glistening black stone on top of each other between two chairs.

Lalek grinned. "Wanna bet? I can beat Yayaba in an arm wrestle no problem."

Kolo raised an eyebrow. "Yayaba?"

"Lightningfishers don't have arms, Lalek." Channei shook her head.

"All right, an arm and wing wrestle!" Lalek paced back and forth. "You really think I can't do it, huh?"

"Breaking Rizval's crystal's not like splitting a plank, remember?" said Channei.

Kolo muttered under her breath. "Bet I could do it easy."

They stared at her. Lalek glanced at Channei and then back at Kolo. "What was that?"

Kolo smiled. "I bet I could do it easy."

Lalek laughed. "All right, you got me there, I never would've...wait, are you serious?"

Kolo nodded. "Totally."

"So, Lalek, are you doing it or not?" Channei asked.

"Oh, no way. I wanna see this." Lalek stepped aside and gestured to the black crystal slabs. "All yours, little devil."

Kolo nudged past the muscular woman. She eyed the challenge. The slabs were thicker than they had looked from far away. She had a split second of second thoughts, but when she looked over her shoulder, Lalek and Channei were both watching. Kolo glared at the stones. Now she had a point to prove.

"Wait, hold on." Channei interrupted. "What's the bet?"

"Oh, I've got one, I've got one." Lalek bounced on her toes. "If Kolo can't break those stones with one hit, she has to wash all of our socks."

Channei shook her head. "Boring."

Kolo concentrated all her power in one hand. She raised her arm above her head.

Channei sputtered. "Wait, hold on, we need to...whoa!"

Kolo focused everything into that strike and shattered all four slabs of black crystal. Her head jerked back with the impact and an earsplitting ringing shot through both her ears. She yelled and could barely hear her own voice. The floor rushed toward her. It was scattered with rubble.

Channei grabbed her and steadied her. "You did it. You really did it!"

Her voice snapped Kolo out of the shock. "Huh?"

Lalek clapped her huge hands. "That was amazing!"

Kolo flushed, then laughed so hard it made her belly ache. The other girls cackled right along with her.

Channei elbowed her. "So, Kolo, what's the biggest thing you've broken with that mighty fist?"

"Biggest thing I've broken?" Kolo beamed. "Azvalath."

Channei wheezed.

Lalek snorted and tears spilled down her cheeks. She patted Kolo on the back with a huge hand. "Now that's a badge of honor!"

Kolo almost fell again from the force of Lalek's shove.

"Say, do we get to rough him up too now that he's been demoted?" Channei asked.