Ocelo and Xio were the only ones unable to finish.
After Ocelo caused the small rock slide in Teo's direction, multiple other boulders had been knocked into Xio's path to create a full slide. The youngest competitor had hidden to preserve his own life, but after it had cleared Xio discovered some of his glyph stones had been destroyed.
Just his luck.
"Sol has finished evaluating your skills." Luna said, standing right in front of the ten competitors. Stepping to the side, she revealed the scoreboard.
Ten stones surrounded a burning sun, seven gold, one jade, one diorite. For a moment after it was revealed, nothing happened to the stones. Then, they moved.
Auristela
Aurelo
Soul
Niya
Xochi
Dezi
Teo
Marino
Xio
Ocelo
"You got third!" Niya smiled brightly as Auristela had her own celebration "Not bad for a newbie."
"Still not as good as Teo and Xio." Soul looked at the other two with a fondness in his eye "You're both doing well, and there is always chance to do even better."
"I wouldn't say that..." Teo hid behind his blue wings- ones Niya had explained meant that Teo's wings had finally conformed with his identity. Though now that they were all relaxed, Teo's wings couldn't seem to stop twitching.
"Take the compliment!" Niya laughed, enjoying he friend's red face.
"Why am I last!?" Ocelo's growl brought the four from conversation, now noticing that they were in last.
"Sol has determined that how you played in this trial was not how a Sunbearer should act." Luna replied in a stern tone.
"You never said anything against messing with competition!" Ocelo snarled, being held back by their parent.
"You're questioning Sol now, aren't you?" Luna's eyes briefly darted passed Soul, as did some others'. "You endangered the lives of several lookout priests and you destroyed another's Glyphs so they could not complete the trial. You would have gone further had you not been stopped."
Now Ocelo's glare was turned to Soul, who did not pay them any mind.
It was clear he was the new target.
***
Everyone was tired after the first trial, but that didn't stop tensions from being thick throughout the room during dinner. Poor Teo with his disobedient wings was sat next to Ocelo, and that already spelled trouble.
It was worse when Teo's wings suddenly shot out and Soul had to duck under one. Ocelo wasn't as lucky, getting them square in the face. As Niya held in a laugh, Ocelo snarled at Teo.
"Watch it!" they growled "Your stupid feathers went up my nose!"
"I can't help it!" Teo snapped back.
Across the table, Auristela spilled water on herself.
"Can someone come fetch their Toddler?" The female seethe, pointing to a miserable Xio that sat to her side. Niya was on Xio's other side, glaring daggers at the daughter of Lumbre. "He's getting his bad luck all over me!" She snatched up the napkin her brother offered, not even thanking him.
