Chapter 3: Cramming for the Test

  (Jukush 14th- Avrew 17th Year 665 of the 4th Age)

  My schedule for the months was hectid so was Lárus’s. Dad wanted us to study hard for the pt exam for school that was ing up fast. Due to mom’s status growing up, we barely had an education. She tried her best at teag us, but she was too focused on surviving, providing meals for us, and trying to raise her status. We, obviously, were prohibited from attending schools that had det literacy or better, so Lárus and I would pick up knowledge from random people if they didn’t tell us to leave. As a result, we were mature Fenri that would begin our education along with the you pups in the try, and dad couldn’t allow it. He wanted us at year 10 with Róstran at least, so we o perform well on the pt exam.

  From when we finished breakfast to when diarted, Lárus and I were in a room together studying with the tutors dad hired. We were taught math, history, and uage, among other subjects. Since dad was a high-ranking Alpha, we learhe on Tongue also, which was a bullshit nguage. Why bother having multiple rules if there were numerous exceptions to eae?

  My brother struggled more than I did with the subjects, particurly with history and math. When we had quizzes, I would be a point or two ahead of the barely passing grade, where he would be the opposite. Sometimes, we would flip positions. Still, our scores hadn’t improved by the middle of Faore, and dad wasn’t too pleased with our progression. I could tell Lárus was being frustrated, so was I.

  On Faore 14th, dad gave Lárus ahe day off from studying once breakfast was over, and we high-fived each other in celebration. He ordered us to follow him outside, and he led us to a fighting arena in the backyard. We looked at each other in fusion as he gave us wooden replicas of swords.

  “I safely guess that you’re bored by the current material you’re studying.” My twin brother and I nodded our heads. “I figured a ge of topid tut could help you learer. It is expected of each Fenri to join the military in some capacity once he or she leaves school and be in the reserves because ir is surrounded by hostile nations. The schools do some training, but the boot camps perform the vast majority of it, so bat isn’t one of the topi the pt exam. However, nothing is stopping me from teag both of you. Since you’re Direfenri, you two should be able to perform better than something like math.” We both gri the idea. Dad took off his shirt and wielded his training on. “We’ll start with the basics first. Then you two will fight each other.”

  Dad began teag Lárus and me several bat maneuvers with our sword, such as blog and thrusting. When he finished showing us, he would either advao us, or we would do it to him. If we messed up, which was often at first, he would smack us at random areas of our bodies as punishment. It hurt, but I could tell Lárus was enjoying learning this subject just like I was.

  We were bruised by the time dad gave Lárus and me a break for lunch. Then it was babat practice. We sharpened our sword maneuvers for an hour or two before he told us to spar.

  Lárus made the first move, and he caught me by surprise at how fast he could move. My arms immediately went into a, lifting my sword to block his strike. I held my ground; my strength forced us into a stalemate. He backed off and started cirg me for an opening to exploit. Instead of allowing him to adva was my turn to go on the offensive. He wasn't expeg it from his sudden expression ge and didn’t react fast enough to defend himself. I now had one point.

  “I let you have that one, little sister,” Lárus spoke, trying to hide the fact that I woimately. He also khat I hated him for calling me his little sister even though we were twins.

  “I was two minutes behind you!” Damn him for knowing how to get my blood boiling.

  Lárus was relishing this as he snickered. “Still enough for me to be y brother.”

  That tears it. I charged at my sibling without any pn except to wipe that smirk off his face. I swung wildly at him, and all he did was dodge without breaking a sweat. The hing I knew, I had his sword pointing at my heart, a lethal wound if we were in actual bat. It was now tied between us. “Again,” I growled. I wasn’t letting him get away with it, and my nature as a Direfenri ehe mock fight.

  “I’m nowhere ired,” Lárus uttered. “By the time I’m done, I’ll be victorious.”

  “Keep dreaming, Lárus.”

  Our stepdad just stood by, Lárus and I spar against each other for hours though it felt like minutes. Our skills improved slowly each round, and we were evenly matched. It was a atch. Lárus would be a couple points ahead, then I would catch up be in the lead, and it tinued in a cycle. We gave each other several bruises. It might’ve been our nature as Direfenri, but we were peting against each rowing up, not wantiher to emerge the champion, and we ended up devolving into our tactics from our years as pups.

  Lárus tackled me to the ground after g that I didn’t nd the fatal blow on him with the fake sword. I, of course, insisted that I won, but he was too deo accept it. We rolled around on the dirty floor, taking cheap shots at each other. I nded a solid pun his eye. During the struggle, Lárus threw me off of him, making me lose my baumble backward, and tripped. My head collided against a solid object hard, and I started to go into a daze. I yipped in pain; the tears began to flow, mixed with blood from a gash on my head. Dad immediately stopped the fight by easily overp my sibling with just a single hae Lárus being a couple ialler than him and weighing more. o self, try to not provoke dad.

  “That’s enough for tonight, you two,” father uttered in a anding tone.

  Lárus noticed me and became worried. “Kaera, are you all right? I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”

  I don’t know what came over me, but I stormed past Lárus and dad, heading towards the house. All I desired was to be alone for a while. Once I made it to my room, I locked myself iaying there until it was diime.

  Not much dialogue occurred during dinner. Only dad and mom talked about how the bat traini and the childish fight that ensued. By habit, she ied Lárus’s eye and the injury on my head, and I winced from the sting wheeo it.

  I cimed the bathroom first before my brother could steal it from me once dinner was over. Seriously, why did he prefer the same one I used frequently? There were more than enough to keep álfsandur’s residents satisfied, but I digressed. The warm water was a cure to my ag muscles, bruises, and other injuries sustained in the arena as it washed away the dirt and mud. It even made me rex from Lárus going too far, and I allowed the water to soothe me around three minutes lohan my typical sh ihroom. By the time I fihe room had beistier than the ?slágní Mountains. I ed a towel around myself and quickly walked to my room before Lárus showed up, which he did seds after I shut the door, and I heard him turn on the shower.

  In the safety of my private chamber, I took off the towel, and I sat in front of a mirror. While listening to Lárus’s shower, I ied my naked body at the injuries, particurly the gash on my head. “That’ll leave a scar,” I mumbled. While my hair and fur were still wet, I began brushing them to untie any knots.

  A kno the door broke me out of my trance. “ I e in?” It was Lárus, and I must’ve lost track of his shower. I realized now that I was nude.

  “Just a minute.”

  I scurried to the dresser, pulling out a bra and panties. As soon as I covered my most intimate body parts, Lárus came iill had a poor sense of telling time, though he would barge through a door if it wasn’t locked without knog first at one point in time at the shack.

  Lárus’s eyes lit up as he beheld my half-naked figure. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll give you more time.”

  “Wait,” I said before he closed the door. “There’s no point in it now since you already saw me in my underwear.” From my view, he was erederh the towel around his waist, and he had trouble with it, causio mentally grin. “You e in and gather more images of your twin sister half-naked in your brain before I tell you to leave.”

  “You serious? I wait for you to be pletely dressed.”

  I nodded my head. “I am. Iure, try to wait till I or somebody else tells you to e in if the door isn’t locked. At least you were courteous enough to let me slip on my underwear.” I used one of the words I learned from the tutors. Lárus entered my bedroom and closed the door. Perhaps this little revenge scheme was backfiring ohe more I stared at him almost his pyed simirly in my dream from a couple nights ago, and I still remember how it all pyed out. I became slightly wet either from anticipation, his appearance, or both, holding my legs clether to cover the dark spot on my panties. “What do you want to talk about?” Great, my voice was starting to betray me as it sounded more nervous than usual.

  “I just wao apologize for my as earlier in the arena. I shouldn’t have acted like a pup back there, and I didn’t io give you that cut on your head.”

  His unfortableness must’ve rexed me enough for my voice to return to normal. “And I’m sorry for behaving the same way and giving you that bck eye.”

  “It must be from our pureblood as Direfenris causing it, but I’ve been antsy tely about the exam, and the bination must’ve caused me to snap.”

  “You’re not the only oruth be told, I robably more on edge than him about the exam, the crucial step towards a better future. “Just remember that dad wanted us to do well enough to be pced in year 10 with Róstran. It’s not like he wants us to skip all the way to boot camp and sedary education.”

  “I find the subjects to be useless and b. When will knowing Radclyff Oreyn being the first Human to enter ir ever and being Alpha e in handy iure? Why do I o read books from ángyeóe Sélísdútir?”

  Lárus was getting riled up again, so I pced my hand on his cheek. “lenty of time to study before the exam, and, just like the old times, we have each other to rely on.” I heard him chuckle, so I tilted my head in fusion. “What’s so funny?”

  “Our little fight in the arena made me remember our squabbles ba the old house if you call the building that. We must’ve driven mom ih how many injuries we received from each other.”

  Looking ba it, the bck eye and my cut weren’t the worst we did to each other. “And some were worse than the most ret ones. You broke my arm, and I paid you back ter on by knog several of your puppy teeth out.”

  “I tried my best to fix your arm as soon as I did. Mom issed at us when she saw my handiwork. I guess our Direfenri blood had something to do with those. It’s a wonder how we didn’t end up with more serious wounds or worse when we were pups.”

  “We saved them for those that wao pi us.”

  “You’re probably right.” Lárus started to open the door. “Am I fiven?”

  “Yes, you big doofus, and I’m sorry for the bck eye.”

  Satisfied with my response, Lárus nodded and started to walk out of the room. “Apology accepted,” he uttered before he closed the door.”

  Relief flooded my body as I remained alone in my room. The dream didn’t ma itself beyond Lárus entering my chamber, and we were nearly hen I started to frown as I desired to have him return for just a few more minutes while I dressed pletely. My tail unsciously wagged when I detected a knock at the door, believiurned.

  “ you e out, Kaera?” It was not Lárus.

  I opened my door, and I saw dad standing there. My brother was behind him, only in his pants. “Is there something you o talk to us about?”

  “We o discuss about the arena.” My ears folded in shame.

  “I apologized to Kaera several minutes ago,” Lárus uttered.

  “He did,” I added.

  Our stepfather nodded his head. “It’s o know that you two made up. Before the minor outburst, it looked like you, and your sibling enjoyed learning bat.” Lárus and I nodded.

  “It was the stress for the test that made us snap.”

  “Noted. I was about to say you two have tomorrow to yourselves because I have a busio attend to as Alpha that day. Your mother will e also, and we’ll be back te at night, so you’ll be fending for yourselves for food. There are leftovers. The day after, it’s back to studying. Since you enjoyed learning bat and sparring, I thought that if you do well on the mock exams- eighty pert her- we use the arena. I may have to add physical exercise prior to it to expend some of your Direfenri energy as to prevent another boil.”

  “We actually mellowed out from when we were pups,” Lárus spoke. I agreed with him.

  “You may have reduced the frequency, but I doubt about the severity.” Dad entered my room aured for Lárus ao follow him to the window. “You see that path at the edge of the backyard?” We noticed it. “Once all the snow melts and the temperature warms up, I’m thinking that it’ll be great for you two to ruire trail before you practibat. It’s within the property lines, so it’s safe, and it should tire you out. So, does my offer i you?” We nodded our heads enthusiastically. “Then we have an agreement. You may have the rest of today and tomorrow to yourselves.” Lárus waved me goodbye while closing the door, and I waved back.

  The following day, I woke with my heart fluttering. Multiple images of my brother in various stages of nudity fshed through my mind, with some imagining what his actual dick looked like, and I had another dream about him and me having sex. Why was I picturing him in various ways that turned me on, and why was I dreaming about procreating with him? “Get him out of your head, Kaera,” I told myself. “He’s too much of a doofus to be your type.” Then, I felt my body ache. “We must’ve gone harder than I thought,” I grumbled, making my way to the kit.

  Mom and dad were away, meaning that it to me for breakfast for myself, Lárus, and Róstran. I wasn’t as profit in cooking as mom, but I had enough to know how to make eggs and sausage gravy from fending for my twin sibling a the shack, so I made them and pced them on top of toast.

  Róstran was baself after Lárus pushed a button he shouldn’t have on him. He wolfed down his portion faster than Lárus and I despite being a regur Fenri. “This is delicious. Thanks for preparing breakfast, Kaera.”

  “You’re wele,” I responded, wagging my tail at the pliment.

  I had so many pns on how to spend my free time after we ate breakfast. By a lot, I meant just lounging on the couch, and I rested my head on the fy armrest, figuring on what the fuck to do. Nothing came into my head, and all I could think about was to y bad rex, recuperating from my injuries. If it wasn’t wintering outside, I could float in the swimming pool. I was rudely interrupted when Lárus pnted his butt on the couch, and I had to move my feet, giving him a hard h them.

  “Watch it,” he growled.

  “I was here first,” I growled in response. “You could’ve asked politely.” Yep. Too much of a dork to be my type.

  “You know you shouldn’t have dohat.”

  “And why’s that?”

  “Because you’re wide open now.”

  I felt a tingliion on one of my feet, causio lose trol and ugh. “Stop it, Lárus!”

  “Move your feet, and I will.”

  We noticed Róstran walk by us, carrying a couple of beverages, and we ceased our immediate as. It must be that time of the week for him. Every time we tried asking him, thinking we could partake in it to bond with him, he would give us a respohat didn’t answer our questions.

  I felt a nudge from my brother. “Want to see what Róstran’s up to?”

  “Whatever it is, it’s none of our business. He’ll tell us if he wants us to know.”

  “But I’m curious.”

  “Knowing him, I bet it has to deal with his trading cards.” I had an urge to stretch, and my body started crag multiple times. “Oh Faer, I could use a massage right now. Maybe that’s what I want to do with my free time. I wonder if there’s a location that specializes in it.”

  “If you want, I could do it.”

  “Don’t get any funny ideas.”

  “I wasn’t even thinking about that. Besides, I made a promise that you’ll make the first move if your serious… and you’re not my type that I would make advances anyway.”

  “Your bulge suggested otherwise the past few times.”

  I could hear Lárus fluster. “It has a mind of its own. I ’t trol it. Do you wao give you a massage or not?”

  “Go ahead.” I id ft on my stomach with my head on the armrest. The tension in my muscles started to melt away as I felt Lárus’s hands work on my shoulders, letting a growl of approval. There was one spot needing attention, and his fingers were near it. “This feels great. you move your fio the left? The other left. Down a bit. That’s perfect.” For several minutes, I was sav the massage that I couldn’t move if I wao. Every iny back received his touches, deteg it go further down before abruptly going up after toug my rear end.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s ok.” I tried to not show him how much it turned me on. “Let me return the favor.” I reciprocated the massage, deteg the differences in his structure from mine. Underh the thick fur, dehahere were developed muscles and more fat surrounding them than me. I could feel my heartbeat faster like it did when I woke up as I massaged him. From his growl, he was relishing it. We took turns in five-minute ses, w on each other’s neck, back, legs, aill an hour went by and we heard Róstran ing down. Lárus was having difficulties with his bulge; apparently, he approved my message substantially.

  “Ied in more Champions of No??” Róstran huffed, carrying some of his colle. “I teach you the rudimentary rules.”

  “You do that while you show us more of your colle,” I responded, and his tail wagged with enthusiasm.

  “Let’s start with the monsters.” While Róstran expins about the monsters, he flips through his book. “There are two types of monsters, Primary and Support. Primaries are the most critical because they provide you the most resources to execute your moves, and if you lose all three of them, your oppo wins. That’s where the Support es in. They do the assault on your oppo’s primaries while proteg yours. You have to maneuver yours across the field, so they are within rao attack the opposing force’s primaries. At an expensive cost to your resources, one of the Primaries bombard the battlefield. The mains always begin as infants, and you have to evolve them for better stats. You do that three times each, provided the cards match. Support evolve none, once, or twice depending on the card.”

  “What’s this spot for?” I noticed a bnk spa the middle of one of the pages as Róstran flipped to it. It was the first time that he had a gap in his colle.

  Róstran folded his ears at the sight. “It’s fold-Scaled Emperor Thurixxaan, the final evolution for its infant state, Wyrmling Prihurixxaan. I have multiple copies of it, but this spot ecial. Before the game’s creator died, he worked on a special project for the game’s 20th anniversary. He rereleased all the cards from the inal unch, and they maintaiheir earliest image. It was revealed before the release that the creator autographed ten Gold-Scaled Emperor Thurixxaans as an animated holographic before death came and took him before finishing the other half. They're the rarest and most sought-after card iire game, and I had it at one point.”

  “What happeo it?” Lárus inquired.

  “Somebody from school destroyed it during a session. Tore it right in front of my face.” Even though I was brao the card game and not as avid as Róstran was, seeing his solemn expression forced me to unleash a guttural growl and exposed some of my teeth. Lárus did the same. I could reassure Róstran and say he would get another copy, but I khat the ces were slim to ent. Our adopted brother tinued expining more of the game's basic rules, mainly about how a meic called ‘mana points’ allowed the pyers to perform all of their moves such as summoning, evolving, attag, and spells, among others.

  While Róstran was expining the game, the two older step-brothers walked through the front door after w at their job. They weren’t hostile towards Lárus and me since we came into their lives, but we weren’t close with them either.

  The rest of the day went on with nothing notable , except for mom and dad returni night. Then, it was baore tut as. Time flew by until it was Avrew 5th. The temperature warmed up back to a fortable level aed all the snow.

  To his promise, Dad allowed Lárus and I to spar after we both received our first eighty pert on a mock exam together. Before we did, he told us to ruire trail in the backyard to make us tired, so there was less ce of an outburst. It did its job perfectly. There were numerous steep ines and obstacles oh. About a quarter of the way on the route, there was a ke that I wao stop jogging and cool of in it, but I was sure dad was timing us, so I pressed onward with my brother. By the time we pleted the erack, we were breathing heavily, and our fur was drenched with sweat. My heart was in overdrive, and it wouldn’t surprise me if my lungs burst right now. I never downed so much water in my entire life when mom came with it. Once we were rested, Lárus and I had our sparring match, ending in a tie and without any fre-ups.

  As much as I wao enjoy the Spring air, it was back to the academic gau, learning more equations, history, nguages, and others. The formus and calcutions became more accessible to me, but Lárus was barely improving in any subject. I hoped that he would make an ho effort on the day it ted most.

  Feel free to vote, ent and spread the word. structive criticisms are always apprecaited. If you believe my work is worthy, I have a Patreon and a SubscribeStar at where you leave a tip o for a higher tier where you be up to three chapters ahead.

  https://subscribestar.adult/sephir0th05

  https:///sephir0th05?fan_nding=true