Amaro waited in silence, counting the minutes in his head. Then around the sixth minute,

Groooaaaannn!

He perked up, the door was moving! Vines snaked through the cracks between, prying them open like a wedge.

It was Sancta.

The door began to swing back as she lost steam, but she stopped its momentum. She was so close.

It was the first time Amaro had ever heard the reserved Sancta let out such a gutteral battle cry. The first bell chimed as Sancta dove through the opening. The doors swing back, obliterating the plant life she used to pry open.

Amaro dashed forward, “You did it!”

Sancta was on her hands and knees, utterly exhausted from the trial, but she mustered a smile.

“Well done Sancta. You’ve impressed me today.” Kadmus said with all the enthusiasm of a stone statue.

But even that much praise was high regards from their father.

Amaro helped her stand, letting her lean her weight on him, “Take a rest. I know Tulos will be joining us soon enough.”

The next few minutes passed in silence. Amaro studied Anitus, who looked worried. To Anitus, his full blooded siblings being strong was just as important as him being the heir. He’d already had one of his siblings fail, and if his second failed the final trial again while Amaro’s had succeeded, then he would count it as a loss.

But Amaro was rooting for Tulos to get through just as much as Anitus. Even if he was their annoying little brother, Amaro had seen how hard he’d been working to open this door for the past few months.

Tulos had a wanderlust about him that wouldn’t let him sit still for very long, and he’d long since outgrown the large manor of their estate.

And no one had been more excited to watch the tournament than he was.

Around the eighth minute the doors finally began to creek. Amaro’s heart fluttered in excitement, only for those hopes to be dashed as the doors swung right back.

It’s okay, he still has a minute.

But with each passing second, Amaro got more and more worried. He was counting it down.

Did he give up?

Kadmus turned, “Let’s start heading to the town or we’ll be late. Even if he starts now he won’t make it in the time I’ve allotted for him.

SLAM!

The heavy sound of metal crashing into metal rang out.

SLAM!

The doors budged, and for a moment Amaro could see what was behind them. Toulouse had constructed a massive battering ram with his metal magic by using the trees Sancta had grown to get through.

SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!

He opened it just enough to wedge a pillar of iron between them, dashing out before the iron crumpled and the doors swung neatly back into place.

The iron rod that wedged between them burst into dust as Tulos stopped concentrating on maintaining it.

But before Amaro could step forward to congratulate him, Kadmus was standing over him.

“Do you think yourself clever for what you’ve done, Tulos?”

Tulos could hardly catch his breath, “I… what?”

“You tried to open the doors with your magic before, but you were too weak, am I wrong?”

“But I-”

“Do you think me a fool, Tulos?”

Amaro was confused, “What do you mean, he opened the door! With his magic even if it wasn’t brute force!”

“As far as I’m concerned, that little trick was hardly a proper passing of the trial. However…”

He looked around to the rest of his children, “I will let it pass just this once for a few reasons. The first being that you did manage to open the door on a combination of your own ingenuity and magical prowess. The second being that this is a special occasion. But I will not have you opening the gates like this again, is that clear?”

“Yes father.”

Amaro and Anitus were the first to know what that truly meant.

“Father you can’t be serious!” Anitus said to Tulos’s confusion.

“It is my decision. He can spend the day with us, but when it comes time to return home he will have to figure it out himself.”

“Wait, what?” Tulos said, realizing it now. He might’ve gotten through on a technicality, but unless he mustered the strength he couldn’t get back inside.

“You’ve always wanted to experience the outside world. So live on the streets of Yvian until you’ve built enough strength to live in luxury again. Perhaps then you will understand what it means to be a Xirxus.”

His father left, heading down the steps without another word.

When Amaro became head of the household, he promised that he’d get rid of those damned doors once and for all.

Amaro helped Tulos up. He didn’t really know what to say, so instead he pat his shoulder pointed. Tulos was confused at first until he saw what Amaro was pointing at.

In front of them, scattered below was the city capital of Yvian. Huge circular roads led to a single point, ring after ring of wall separated the city as the sun glared off of their red-orange rooftops. The Kix river ran through it, bridges criss crossing over its stream.

Midway down the mountain stood the homes of lesser noble families and wealthy merchants. Their architecture carved so intricately into the mountain’s face.

Wide limestone steps wound down through the mountain’s path, flanked by dwarf Ingen Trees. Each one in full bloom during this time of year, their pure violet pedals fluttering off into the wind.

The view from up here was breathtaking, and it was something they could only experience when they were outside the gates.

Anitus slapped Tulos’s back, looking away bashfully, “I think this is a chance for you to experience the world you’ve always wanted to see, Tulos. Father is being hard on you, but I know you’ll thrive out here so...” he trailed off.

“That’s so kind of you to say, Anitus!” Amaro teased.

“Shut it! I’m just happy to have my brother here for my birthday okay?”

Amaro smiled. At the end of the day, even if they were at each other’s throats a lot, Anitus was still his family.

“Well let's enjoy ourselves shall we? Me and Anitus can tell you about all the good street food down near the capital! I’m sure father will buy us some if we ask.” Amaro said.

“Speaking of which, we should probably catch up with him before he gets more vexed than he already is.” Sancta added.

Tulos smiled, “Alright! I get to be a free bird now! Let’s go! I’m gonna eat street food until I get fat and die!” He paused, “And when I get back, I’ll bring you guys all sorts of gifts and things from the outside. That way Syno and Raktus aren’t left out.”

Amaro was taken aback a bit. This was not the childish Tulos he usually knew.

“I’m gonna bring enough insects to make Syno have a heart attack, and I’ll get one of those cursed hats that humans make to make Raktus look like a goblin.”

That was more like it.