"Eyah, hah, yah," Elric grunted as he practiced his swordsmanship with Dorian. Dorian hadn't awakened yet, so he had to practice hard so he could awaken. He was a late bloomer because most people awaken at age 6 to 7, and after age 15 you won't be able to awaken, so that made Dorian anxious. Only 40% of people awaken their mana core, and in the world of nobility, a mana core wasn't a luxury; it was a necessity if you wanted to avoid discrimination or prejudice because you would be seen as a lesser noble, and it would be much worse for Dorian because he wasn't a noble by blood. So every night Dorian and Elric trained to get stronger so Elric could be a great leader and Dorian his knight.
"Time out," Elric said as he collapsed on the floor. He was panting like a dog that just finished running a marathon. "Your turn." The boys were practicing their swings on movable targets. The training was basically someone hitting the other person's shield with a stick while the shielded person was running. This practice was to improve their agility, an important part of being a swordmaster.
Dorian picked up the wooden sword and charged at Elric.
"Elric, about earlier," he said as they dueled, "you know, my problem with Mia, that she like-likes me. You said you would explain it. Now, what does it mean?"
"Ummm... could we postpone the topic? Let's keep practicing." Elric tried to avoid the conversation. He wasn't ready for the awkward feeling of talking about the girl he liked with his brother that she liked. He was already satisfied with his relationship with Dorian and Mia. Why ask for more?
"No," Dorian shouted as he struck the shield harder. He suddenly became increasingly aggressive. "You are hiding something. I know it. I know how you behave when you're hiding something. Your voice goes high and then you just leave so no one will get worried about it. I hate it. I hate it. Stop trying to be strong all the time!" He suddenly stopped attacking and dropped his sword. He stared at his feet. "You know it doesn't stop me from worrying." He looked dead at Elric; he was already sobbing. "It only makes me more worried about you."
This touched Elric a little. He had always portrayed himself and tried to act the role as the brave, indestructible one who never minded anybody's worries.
"You... you wouldn't..." Elric murmured for a little while. "Nah, nothing to worry about."
"I said no," Dorian snapped, and he swayed his hands as he replied. While swinging his arm, a tiny bolt of lightning came out and zapped Elric. Dorian just cast a spell. He had awakened.
"You have, you have awakened!" Elric ran to Dorian and carried him off the ground, running around the yard screaming, "Yeessss!!!" He continued running around in circles. Dorian was still short of words. He looked at his palms that had zapped out electricity and realized he was a mage. No, no, no. I am a mage. Yes, me, a mage. I am a mage. I am a MAGE! I am AWAKENED! YESSS!!!!!"
The boys kept jubilating, running around the yard, yelling their throats out for nothing less than twenty minutes. They got exhausted, and yelling took a toll on their voices. Their throats felt sore and dry, but this couldn't bother them. Dorian was awakened. They collapsed on the field.
Looking at the stars, Elric put his hands upward, trying to get a grip of a star in his hands, but they were too high up in the sky for his hands to reach.
"I always have this dream that one day you and I were up there. We were so high up, people looked like grains of sand, of salt. Mom, Tasha, and Mia were up with us too, and we look down at those people that did bad to us and we... and we stuck our tongues out at them. Let's do our best and make Mom proud of us. Let's be the richest and strongest and most influential in the empire, me and you, side by side forever and ever."
"Yeah," Dorian replied, chuckling, "and stick our tongues out as we do it," he joked.
He rolled closer to Elric. "Why don't you want to tell me about Mia? Don't lie, don't hide it. Me and you are together forever. Don't lie to me. Tell me the truth."
"Sigh, okay," Elric hesitated. "I like Mia. Like, I like-like her." He paused.
"What does like-like mean?" Dorian asked.
"It's when you really like someone, like very much!"
"Which means I like-like you?" Dorian responded. "What's the big fuss?"
"No, you idiot. It's a different type of like. When you look at someone and you get all flustered, you feel very awkward, your heart keeps beating, your stomach feels like there are butterflies in it, and you want to marry them and have babies with them and grow old together. You know, like Mom and Dad."
"Oh, I don't feel that way for her. Why does she feel like that for me?"
"The feeling is not always mutual."
"Ohh, like you," Dorian suggested.
"Thank you very much for the clarification," Elric replied. "Yes, and she doesn't like me back, but I don't care if it's with you."
"We can share her."
"It doesn't work like that," Elric snapped back.
"If you want, I can tell her to like-like you."
"It doesn't work like that also," Elric responded and laid down in awkward silence for a while, and the only things you would hear were the sounds from the beetles.
"Agagagaga," Elric broke the silence. "Let's practice you. Come on, stand up."
"Why?"
"You are a mage now. Let's train so I would be the best swordmaster and you the best mage."
"Okay," Dorian replied, "but I have a question. How do people that like-like each other get the baby from?"
"Story for another day," Elric snapped. "Let's practice."
Elric dragged Dorian up, and they tried continually to bring out the electricity. Most times it didn't come out, but after many trials, Dorian got the hang of it. They continued training, and Viera watched from the window. She didn't want to stop them or tell them to go to bed; that would spoil the mood. She just watched as the two boys tried and tried. She was proud that they were her sons.
***
The next day was a Saturday and also Tasha's birthday, so they didn't need to wake up early.
"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Elric yelled as he jumped on Dorian, who was sound asleep.
"Huh... um... what... lightning... Tasha... puppy," Dorian mumbled. He hugged his pillow and rolled to the other side of the bed.
"Wake uppp!" Elric screamed. The loud voice was enough to wake Dorian from his deep slumber, and he was not happy.
"We have to go to the library. Let's learn some spells," Elric said with a smile.
"You woke me up for that?"
"Yup," Elric replied.
"I will end you."
"Uh huh, wait, you said what now?"
Elric screamed as Dorian pounced on him and started tickling him.
"Stop, hahaha. Stop, please, hahaha. I surrender, haha. Please, please." Elric laughed and cried at the same time. Tickling was Elric's number one weakness, and unfortunately for him, Dorian knew.
"I said I surrender, hahahaha. Please. I'm sorry." Dorian finally stopped. Lying down back on his bed, he was just woken up from a beautiful dream against his own will, and he couldn't go back—argh, the annoying feeling. He looked at Elric, who was just recovering from fatal tickling damage, and what was in his mind was rage. He was the one that disturbed me. Now I can't even go back to sleep.
"Elric," Dorian called.
"What?" Elric replied, panting.
"Round 2."
"What? No, no, nooooo." Dorian pounced on Elric and continued the unfinished business. Elric continually begged for mercy, but Dorian was long deaf, and he was not planning to stop anytime soon. He was on a mission for vengeance, and revenge was a dish best served cold.
"I think he has had enough, Dorian," Viera suggested as she walked into the room. "You know what?" She paused for a moment. "Now that I think about it, he hasn't. Let's break him more."
"Yes, what she sai... huh, wait, Mom, no! This is not fair. You are meant to protect me. No, no. Leave me alone. Don't get any closer. No, nooooo."
After Dorian and Mom were done tormenting Elric, she called them to test out their clothes for the birthday party. Dorian's clothing stood out. It was a red regal uniform with golden ornaments and other flashy designs. Elric saw it and was a bit jealous.
"Mom, why is Dorian's clothes cooler than mine?"
"Because I'm more handsome. Meh, a small price we have to pay for beauty," Dorian mocked.
"Today is a special day for Dorian too. He is going to inherit the Vaelthrone name officially."