They went inside the house into the living room. Sinbad let her lie on the sofa gently, Taiga enters the room following them
T- "Can I help somehow?"
Si- "Yes go get some water, a bowl is fine."
He held Elly's hand. Taiga found a bowl under the sink, filled it with water, grabbed a towel, and rushed back. As he returned, he saw Sinbad doing something familiar to him.
T- "That's how she drew energy from me earlier"
Si- "Exactly" he wet the towel, drain it and put it in Elly's forehead "She drained off herself"
T- "She lost too much energy? But you said that I would feel dizzy and tired— not that I was gonna get animal ears!"
E- "That's mostly on me—" she tries to get up
Si- "Don't move if you can't"
E- "I'm fine, uncle—Aiga, I'm fine, don'tcha worry."
T- "If you say so— I'm going to change clothes then" he says and walks up to their room
E- "—Do you think that… it's a good time to tell him about it?"
Si- "He will stay with us for a while you know — yes, it's better if he knows. Take your time while I cook the lunch"
E- "Gotcha! — need anythin'?"
Si- "No, sit there and get some rest"
Sinbad walked back to the kitchen while Taiga changed into his athletic clothes, and Elly lay on the couch. She gestured with her hand for him to sit next to her, and Taiga sat down.
T- "You feeling better now?"
E- "Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry—ya ain't gonna ask what happened back there?"
T- "I—thought that it could be something—innate. So better not ask. But the truth is, I'm dying to know."
E- "Ya'see, I'm not just a normal kid. My mother was half-beast, so I've got beast blood too."
T- "What are beasts?"
E- "Beasts are a race that lives in the depths of the forest. They worship the beast king and they are like a combination between humans and animals."
T- "Oh, I see that's why you popped ears earlier."
Elly's face turns red. "D—don't mention that, please. I—it's embarrassing. I'm not comfortable with it."
T- "And—"
E- "My beast blood messes with me all the time. When I use a lot of energy, it comes to the surface—and I lose control of myself. My mom was supposed to teach me how to control this, but… wasn't it a little weird?"
T- "What are you talking about?"
E- "Aiga, you live here for a while, and my parents never showed up, never phoned me—because they're… gone."
T- "Don't push yourself, there is no reason to tell anything more."
E- "It's fine," she breathes, though her breathing is shaky. "It was about two years ago. They were goin' for a night walk by themselves in the car. That night, my uncle was taking care of me—the time was passing, getting late. I was tired and still nothin'… until I fell asleep, and yet my parents weren't back. My uncle got worried and went out with me in his hug to search for them. To not make it long, he found their car upside down in the river, and my dad… he had drowned inside."
Si- "I suspect that a monster attacked them and flipped the car, which ended up trapping them inside and killing my brother."
T- "But— your mother? You said only your father was there."
Si- "I heard the next morning that they found the ashes—"
Elly closes her ears upon hearing this, her eyes are almost lifeless and she is trembling.
Si- "Sorry, sorry my bad I— won't say anything else"
T- "That's—ehm—that's cool, Elly! You are literally cool. I mean, all that beast thing in you makes you so—much ehm—I just try to cheer you up… I suck at it, it seems."
She removes her hands from her ears and gazes on him for a moment before her eyes light up
E- "thanks"
Si- "So you two! Get up, we are eating! Rice and fethric on the grill."
T- "Isn't that fat bird you cooked a week ago?"
Si- "No, that's the slim one, the tender one"
T- "Oh, I see! You are okay now, right?"
E- "Yes, don't worry"
T- "By the way, Elly—if beasts are humans and animals combined—what is your animal?"
E- "Eh—it's—it's a—d—d—" Her whole face turns completely red. "You see, my mom was something close to a wolf—I think—so I'm something similar, though not so wild."
T- "Oh! So you are something like a dog?"
E- "Don't say it out loud!"