IRON GOD | 2: Empyrean

[19] Kolo: The Smallest Damning Slip

 "These fortune-favored descendants of Vraelen rise from what should be their deathbeds to become Ferash Therall – I name them so from Vraelen's own primal tongue, meaning 'Iron God in material or flesh' – the ultimate ideal." Kolo squinted at the page. "Master Qila writes like she's trying too hard to sound smart."

Channei mumbled something across from her. They lay on the rug of their shared room – Kolo reading a book Channei claimed to have borrowed but probably actually stole from Master Qila, and Channei sketching with charcoals.

"I can't hear you." Kolo told her with some bite in her voice.

Channei tore a scrap from her sketchbook and scribbled a note on it. Take what you can get. I can't even read Master Xigon's handwriting. They're both bad writers in different ways.

She chuckled at that.

As Kolo kept reading, she found herself – wonder of wonders – getting used to Master Qila's overly embellished writing, perhaps even enjoying it. Some of the stories she told of the Iron God were genuinely quite beautiful. For such an immense and powerful entity, he looked like such a gentle soul through Qila's words. She must have loved him so deeply.

Her eyes strayed to Channei's sketchbook. Then she giggled. "You're drawing me."

Channei looked up. "What can I say? You're cute."

Kolo cupped a hand behind her ear. "Hm? Could you repeat that?"

"You know exactly what I said." Channei reached over and prodded her.

"Yeah, she said what can I say? You're cute." Valielit's voice changed to Channei's and repeated her words with the same exact intonation. "Kolo, can we go outside?"

Kolo looked up at her cousin who'd just come in to interrupt. "Why would you want to go outside right now? Weather is terrible."

"Never mind." Valielit glanced at the door, then came to crouch next to Kolo. "Do you and Channei like each other?"

Kolo and Channei both grew red in the face. "What?"

Vali giggled.

Channei scowled. "Could you leave us alone?"

"I want to hang out with my cousin," Vali whined. "I want a break from Ami."

Kolo squinted. "What are you doing with Ami, anyhow? She dyes your hair and calls you Magpie like she's trying to hide who you really are, and she's always dragging you around like a pet."

"You can call me Magpie too." Valielit smiled. "And Ami got me here. Is that bad?"

Channei looked mildly disturbed, but laughed it off. "Magpies are funny little birds who could probably get away with murder. Seems like it suits you."

"Who said anything about murder?" She brushed her black-and-white hair back. "Though you know what Ami really wants? I think she wants new friends."

Kolo scoffed.

"Really!" Magpie bounced as she spoke. "She's doing a whole lot of stuff for free that she wouldn't ever."

"Sure." Kolo looked back down at the book. "Aza said she came and said creepy things outside his door last night. What's that all about, anyway?"

"Isn't it better to be creepy but tasty than boring but deadly?" Magpie got up and stretched. "That's what Ami always says."

Before Kolo could ask what she meant, her cousin left the room.

Channei cocked her head. "Your cousin's weird."

Kolo shrugged.

"What happened to you and Aza out there, anyway?" She pushed her sketchbook to the side. "And how do you have a cousin? I thought your whole village died off."