Stress and exhaustion bring out other battles still waiting to be resolved.
— Gepaul Proverb
Kanéko wiped the sweat from her brow with the hand holding her hammer. She peered over the edge of the boiler. Ojinkomàsu and Maris circled Damagar as they peppered him with fire and arrows. Tagon joined them, riding his massive wolf between the legs of the obsidian behemoth and slashing out with knife and bow.
A furlong away, Ruben worked hard to trench out a pattern that Kanéko gave him, seeding it with flowers as he worked. The flowers, in a more perfect situation would have a disrupting effect on magic. Since they weren't near the Tastolian Sea, they were useless.
Damagar hopped toward Ruben, but Ojinkomàsu slammed into him from behind. The creature roared and lashed out at the sun horse. Garèo brought Ojinkomàsu underneath the claws and neatly avoided the killing blow. Mioráshi fired directly into Damagar's belly and left behind arrows that looked like quills before they faded.
Kanéko turned her attention back to the boiler and the last hole she struggled with sealing. She tried to find a plate of metal, but she had picked the entire area clean trying to repair the other holes. She looked at the last one, still steaming from the heat Maris used to seal it into place.
Her father's voice interrupted her. “What are you still doing here?”
“Go away, Papa.”
“I told you that,” came his growl, “but you're still here.”
Kanéko glared at him. “And now I'm telling you the same. I don't have time to explain it.”
“You have everyone running around doing things. Stupid things instead of fighting that… that thing. What are you doing?” His boots crunched on the rocks as he stared at the boiler. He frowned and gestured at it. “And why are you bothering with this? We're in a battle, girl. There isn't time for one of your foolish plans.”
She threw her hammer down. “Listen!” she screamed, “You've been telling me I've been useless since I failed those tests!”
Ronamar stepped back, a surprised look on his face, but Kanéko wasn't done. “I know I can't do magic. I'm a barichirōma! But, I refuse,” she screamed loudly, “to give up because of that.”
“But, you can't—”
“I can do whatever I want! And right now, I'm going to kill Damagar because he threatened my friends and family. Even you, you egotistical bastard!”
He stood there like she gutted him. His massive sword slipped off his shoulders and slammed into the ground.
Kanéko let out a frustrated sigh, and then turned away to find something to repair the last hole.
“Kané?”
“Go away.”
Her father hesitated, and then spoke in a soft growl. “How can I help?”
She turned on her heels to look at him incredulously.
Ronamar slammed his sword into the ground. He gestured to her repairs. “How can I help?”
“Really?” she asked.
He nodded.
She stared at him for a long moment, thinking about her father's abilities and what she needed. She pointed to the hole. “Bury this in rock.”
“What?”
“The boiler. I can't find any metal to fix it, but solid rock would do the job. I want you to bury it. I need a layer at least a yard thick and completely surrounding it. It needs to be heavy and air-tight as possible. But I need the top clear.”
He looked up and Kanéko followed his gaze. In the mouth of the boiler, a large timber continued to stick out. The far end had a ragged end, like a spear.
“You need that out?”
“No, that's my,” she thought of a good lie, “distraction. I need it to look like a spear.”
Ronamar snarled. “I don't have time—”
“Then, go away.”
He stepped back, and then stopped. “This is what… a test?”
“Yes,” Kanéko snapped, “to see if you can take orders from your powerless daughter. And if you cram that ego of yours into your throat and do what you are told, maybe I'll let you work on the real weapon to kill Damagar.”