Ellory giggled again, placing her hand over her mouth as if trying not to laugh too loudly. "Did you enjoy it, Brother Axel?" she asked, tilting her head slightly and still hugging her fox close.
Axelius leaned back and rested his chin on his hand, giving a small thoughtful smirk. "It’s okay, but you should’ve taken your ti. Where’s the fun in finishing a battle in just one hit?" he said lazily, glancing up at the sky.
Ellory blinked, then tilted her head more. "Enjoy? Should I enjoy the battle?" she asked, clearly unsure whether that was a good or bad thing.
Before Axelius could say anything else, Owen bounced back onto his shoulder and hit him on the head with his jiggly body. "Don’t teach her to beco a battle maniac!" he shouted, shaking slightly like a jelly pudding. "You know, not all fights are for fun. Sotis, it’s about safety and control!"
Then Owen turned to Ellory and spoke more gently this ti, his voice soft and brotherly. "Don’t listen to Axel too much. What matters most is that you don’t get hurt. It doesn’t matter if the fight ends in one hit or takes a while, as long as you’re safe, that’s what matters most, okay?"
Ellory smiled brightly and nodded many tis, her face full of understanding. "Okay! I’ll rember that, Brother Owen! I’ll be strong but careful too!"
Then, excitedly, she held up her spirit fox right in front of Axelius’s face. The little fox blinked with glowing purple eyes, its white fluffy fur puffing up as it was lifted. "Isn’t she cute?! Her na is Elaris! I couldn’t think of a na, but when I heard what she was called, I thought it was already pretty! Hehe!"
Axelius looked at the fox calmly, raising one brow. But the mont his eyes t Elaris’s, the small fox’s ears twitched nervously, and it suddenly squird in Ellory’s hands and buried its face into her chest, trying to hide.
"Huh?!" Ellory blinked in surprise. "What did you do, Brother?! That’s amazing! Elaris is always cold and serious, she never backs down! She even growled at Cedric once!"
Axelius grinned, satisfied with the reaction, and said, "Guess she knows who’s scarier."
Ellory pouted slightly. "Elaris! Don’t be rude to Brother Axel!"
The fox peeked one eye out from Ellory’s arm but didn’t move from hiding.
While the three continued talking like nothing else mattered, the next battle had already begun. It was Cedric and Cyruz’s group—the trial for their age bracket was starting.
"They’re up next," Owen whispered from Axelius’s shoulder.
Ellory leaned gently against Axelius’s arm, hugging it like it was the most comfortable place in the world. Her eyes were soft and peaceful, her smile sweet as she whispered, "It’s so peaceful with you, Brother."
Elaris had already returned to her spirit space, disappearing in a soft shimr of mana earlier.
Owen, still sitting on Axelius’s shoulder made a sound and clicked his nonexistent tongue. "Tsk. How is he peaceful? You an this grumpy guy?"
Ellory tilted her head and brought a finger to her chin, her eyes looking slightly up like she was thinking deeply. "Hmm... I think... ever since I was born, I could hear mana, and it’s always so loud... it makes my head hurt sotis. Especially Brother Cyruz—hmp, his mana is the noisiest," she said with a small frown. "But Brother Axelius? He’s quiet. Nothing. Like calm water. Hehee."
Owen and Axelius glanced at each other at the sa ti.
"No wonder why you always hang around ," Axelius muttered under his breath with a shrug.
Ellory giggled again and tightened her hold on his arm slightly. "Because Brother Axel is different from the others! They all treat like I’m the Grand Duke’s daughter, but you? You treat as just Ellory! Just plain ! Heheee!"
Owen puffed up like a balloon on Axelius’s shoulder and raised his jelly arms high. "I’m also here, you know! I’ll treat you like my sister too! Not because you’re a Dravenhart, but because you’re Ellory!"
Ellory smiled brightly and reached out to pat Owen’s squishy head. "Thank you, Brother Owen. You’re the best sli ever."
She spoke with so much kindness that Owen’s entire body wobbled like jelly and turned a little pink with happiness.
And as Cedric and Cyruz’s battle started in the distance with loud cheers from the crowd,
Ellory’s eyelids began to flutter slowly. Axelius gently laid her head on his lap.
Owen, still sitting comfortably on Axelius’s shoulder, crossed his little jelly arms and looked at the sleeping girl. He sighed a little, then spoke in a soft, thoughtful tone. "Ellory is really special, you know."
He glanced at Axelius but didn’t expect a reply yet.
"She’s powerful enough to see even though nobody else can... and now I know she can also hear mana? That explains a lot."
Owen chuckled, his voice playful again. "Rember how she always won hide and seek with the maids? They couldn’t ever hide from her because she could sense them. But you? Every ti she played with you, she never found you first. She would run around all flustered, wondering where you were hiding. Hahaha!"
As the afternoon sun started to dip lower in the sky, the warm breeze brushing against their faces, Axelius let out a soft yawn. He looked around at the peaceful clearing, the sound of distant beasts fading as the trial matches slowed down.
Axelius blinked slowly, fighting the weight in his eyes, but the more he tried to stay awake, the heavier they beca. Owen was already curled up near his shoulder like a sli pillow, mumbling sothing about snacks in his sleep.
Axelius leaned back, closed his eyes, and dozed off too — his soft snore joining Owen’s tiny gurgling noises.
Ti passed like a blur.
Ellory eventually stirred and woke up, rubbing her eyes cutely before standing up quietly so she wouldn’t wake her brother. She looked at the food area and skipped off toward it, humming to herself as she went to get sothing sweet.
anwhile, Axelius was deep in sleep, his arms crossed and his head tilted back slightly. He looked like he hadn’t moved at all, and beside him, the Grand Duke, Duchess Eloween, Cedric, and Cyruz were all watching him with different expressions.
Cyruz clicked his tongue in disbelief. "Snoring in the middle of the selection trials... unbelievable."
Then, a voice echoed loudly through the arena grounds. A deep, strong voice—clear and commanding—cut through the noise as people turned toward the center.
"Axelius Dravenhart!" the man called again, a hint of confusion in his voice as no one stepped forward.
"Axelius Dravenhart, please co to the center! You are the final in this trial round!"
People began looking around, searching, murmuring among themselves.
Everyone turned their heads.
There was Axelius, sitting perfectly still, arms still crossed, head leaned back slightly—completely and fully asleep. "Wake him up," The Duke order.
Just then, Owen slowly peeked up from his nap, squinting at the voice calling. "Hmm? Why is soone yelling Axel’s na? Wait..."
He suddenly jumped to Axelius’s shoulder and started shaking him. "Axel! Axel! Wake up! They’re calling you! It’s your turn!"
Axelius let out a sleepy grunt, slowly opening one eye.
"...Who’s shouting like that...?"
Owen panicked. "It’s your na, you’re up next! You’re the last one! Get up before they think you ran away!"
"Nah, He’s awake" Cyruz get back to his seat.
The Grand Duke spoke, "It’s your turn,"
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