TBATE - The Help of a Certain Being

Birthday

**Kingdom of Elenoir**

Tessia Eralith

"Haaaaaaaaaaa...." I let out an exaggerated sigh, looking out the window from my room. My hands were getting numb from leaning my head on it for so long, but I didn't want to move as I only grew more annoyed.

I miss him... Art...

Finally willing myself to get up, I plopped onto my bed.

I had just gotten back from Grandma Rinia's home. It was hard, but I was finally bale to guilt-trip her into letting me spy— I mean, make sure that Art was doing okay.

I'm happy that he's with his family and all, but doesn't he miss me?

He looked too happy! And who are those two people? Especially that girl? He was acting a little too nice to her!

She even got him to teach her how to manipulate mana With the help of that other boy, too! Who was he?

He never taught me that!

"Haa... who am I kidding, I just want to see him." I told myself as I sank just a little bit lower into my bed.

It'd been a few months since he had left but after getting so used to seeing him every day, those months had felt like years.

"Maybe I should've treated him more nicely while he was here," I muttered aloud.

I couldn't help but cringe remembering all of the times I had physically abused him, just as an excuse to touch him.

But that wasn't my fault! It's his fault for being such a thickheaded idiot!

Mama and Papa were quite proud that Feyrith, the noble brat who messed with Art, and his sister were able to place in the top five during the trial competition that they had with the humans, but I couldn't care less. It was just a show to boast our strength to the humans and dwarves anyway.

Grandpa had mentioned that the actual Continental Tournament—which was what the humans decided to call it—would happen every five years from now on. Did that mean I would have to wait five years to see Art? Five whole years?

"Uuu...." This sucked. The only thing that kept my mind off of Art was training. My goal was to become stronger than Arthur. The next time we meet, I wanted to surprise him by how much I'd grown. Maybe then he'd see me in a different light.

"Stupid Arthur," I muttered. Even though he was younger than me, he still treated me like a kid.

Even though I'm the older one...

I held up the water-filled orb that Granny Rinia gave to me as a present. She was able to capture a scene and integrate it into the orb so that it would constantly show an image of Arthur's face.

"Dummy!" I cursed at the bubble, poking the sphere where the image of Arthur's cheek was.

Suddenly, the door flung open. "Young one, I have good—"

"Grandpa! What did I say about knocking?!" I squealed, quickly trying to hide the orb behind me. However, by the sly grin on his face, I knew that he had already noticed.

"I see you're using that orb well," he snickered as his usual, stern expression was replaced by that of a wily fox.

"Stupid Grandpa!" I reached for my pillow nearby and flung it at him before he could see how red my face had turned.

"Don't mind, don't mind! I would rather enjoy having Arthur as a grandson-in-law, anyhow! But isn't it a little too early for that now?" He roared out in laughter as he continued teasing me.