Orbit by M. L. Wang

Author:M. L. Wang [Wang, M. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-05-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen:

The Color of Power

The exchange of blows was lightning fast and palpably forceful, shaking the hallway with the clash of nyama against nyama. Sadiki had pulled me clear of any real danger, but the heat still hit me in a blunt wave, rushing up my sleeves and blowing my hair back.

Kiita’s movements were hard and ruthless. Every one looked like it would shatter bone if it connected. She was fast, but Daniel was faster. He dodged each blow and came back just as hard with fists, knees, and elbows. Somewhere in the blur of movement, Kiita apparently got tired of taking punches and drew her spear. She swung the weapon in a low arc at Daniel, who jumped just in time to avoid having his legs swept out from under him.

“Shouldn’t we stop him?” I asked, turning to Sadiki.

“I tried,” Sadiki sighed as Daniel dodged another sweep of the spear and grabbed onto the shaft with both hands. “Koronu will be koronu.”

Daniel did some kind of twisty move in an attempt to disarm the girl. She put up muscled resistance and the two fighters ended up with their arms tangled up around the spear, locked together. Daniel found good footing, planted, and pushed her back, back until she slammed into the wall. She hit the glass so hard I was sure she must at least be stunned but she bounced back with a vicious head-butt, ramming her forehead into Daniel’s. His head snapped back and she cranked their locked arms around, flipping him over. The move should have landed Daniel flat on his back but, being Daniel, he twisted in midair and landed on his feet.

There was a crackle of sparks from Kiita’s fingers; she thrust a hand out, and fire exploded from her palm—white, and gold, and hotter than any flame I had ever produced. With Kiita’s fire blazing toward him, Daniel threw his own hand out, countering with his own blast of orange fire. Orange met white and both burst into yellow shreds of flame.

For a moment, I couldn’t figure out how Daniel had stopped fire with fire. Then I remembered: fonya. There had been a gust of wind behind those orange flames. Kiita used the dispersing fire as a cover, thrusting her spear through the smoke at Daniel. He reacted just in time, side-stepping the spear-tip before it could plunge into his leg. Before Kiita got a chance to pull the weapon back, Daniel brought his foot down on the shaft. With her hands still fastened around the spear, Kiita was pulled down too. As she lurched forward, Daniel brought his knee up, directly into her face. The hard thud made me flinch.

“Koronu will be koronu,” Sadiki murmured again.

As Kiita reeled back, dizzied by the impact, Daniel hooked the toe of one shoe under the shaft of the spear and flipped the weapon into his hands.

“Sorry, n’teriyaa,” he said. “Good fight.” With a deft twirl, he brought the shaft of the spear cracking across Kiita’s shoulders. The girl went down.

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