Both Ashton and Jamil walked out of Master Chen's pavilion trailing slowly behind Marcus and Damien. Their heads hung low as they were reminiscing Master Chen's words.
'One of us will be ousted at last!' Ashton thought to himself biting his lower lip in annoyance. His plans will probably be wrecked if he gets ousted in Jamil's stead.
'Wait a minute!' Ashton turned at Jamil.
Jamil, noticing Ashton's prying eyes on him, turned to face him with a look of confusion on his face.
"What?" Jamil asked, his brows furrowing a little wondering why Ashton suddenly started to stare at him.
'Jamik doesn't have a purpose to be in this academy from the start.' Ashton thought to himself nodding in approval of his new conception, a small smile escaping his lips.'He never wanted to be here, he only helped me and we got tangled in that unfortunate situation with a mutant.'
"What's with this radio silence?" Jamil asked again. "What are you thinking about?"
Aston hung his arm around Jamil's nape. Jamil tried to shrug off trying to stay cautious of what Ashton's new resolution was, but Ashton was not going to let him fall out from his grip.
"What is going on in your head Ashton?"
Ashton snickered, still scooping Jamil under his grip.
"You know Jamil, you were never interested in coming into this academy, so I was thinking maybe you could just quit now instead of joining in for the test."
Damien bursted out in laughter as soon as Ashton had landed. Ashton, surprised by the outburst, pulled away from Jamil. He slid his hands into his trouser pocket and frowned. He totally felt a bit embarrassed by Damien's reaction but he held his mild anger in.
"What's funny?" Ashton asked, sneering to the back of Damien's head.
"Oh boy! You're the dumbest version of dump." Damien laughed, turning at Ashton.
"Huh?"
Damien stopped laughing, thinking for a while whether he should give Ashton a definite answer or not. He finally resolved and continued.
"You think you can make Jamil drop out by himself? Stop deceiving yourself Ashton, it doesn't work like that. Next time, you had better find yourself a way to gain favor in the sight of the elder Mages." Damien said with an arrogant expression. He continued,
"Bet Jamil never told you he has been granted the position of a junior administration Mage already!" He chuckled, glaring at the face Ashton would make at such news.
"What?!" Ashton exclaimed, turning at Jamil sharply. "Is it true? Damien is lying right?"
Within a blur flash, Damien had super speed himself towards Ashton, holding him by his throat, wanting to raise him into the air.
"Don't you dare spell my name with those filthy lips of yours Ashton!"
ACK!
Ashton choked as Damien tightened his fingers around his throat, cutting off his air supply. His face began to lose color as his sight started to close in on him. Ashton tried to wriggle off his grip, but Damien was too strong for him.
ACK!!
"Leave him alone!" Marcus interrupted placing his hand on Damien's hand which was laced around Ashton's throat.
"Stay out of this Marcus! This stupid levelless piece of shit should learn some lessons." Damien declared angrily, his eyes blazing with anger and malicious content.
He tightened his grip the more around Ashton's throat and the poor boy was left reeling with choking sounds as he tried his possible best to wriggle free but it was all vain.
ACK!!!
Jamil tried to step in as well holding onto Damien's hand trying to get it off Ashton but Damien sent a fisted punch into Jamil's chest with a little beam of magic with his left hand which sent Jamil flying backwards and cascading into the ground.
CRASH!!
"Argh!" Jamil groaned in pain.
"I said to leave him alone!" Marcus fumed as he created a magical ball and threw a blow at Damien's face.
Dkruem!
The sudden attack made Damien lose his grip on Ashton and both boys fell to the ground. Ashton coughed hard as he slowly started to regain his breathing.
"Are you okay?" Marcus asked, kneeling on one knee beside Ashton. He squeezed the poor boy's shoulder as he awaited his reply.
Ashton nodded. "I'm okay." He managed to say trying to soothe his throat.
"FUCK!!!" Damien cursed out loudly as he got back on his feet. "Marcus you had better back down protecting this little pest or else you would be next!"
"What are you going to do? Huh?" Marcus challenged not fretting at Damien's words. "Your feats are not comparable to mine Damien, buckle up your fighting boots and prepare a coffin for yourself if you want a fight with me!"
"Oh you are the one to talk? The last fight we had sent you into a painful hibernation that lasted for two fucking weeks! Quit bluffing nincompoop."
Marcus smiled and said, "You had your system ability then remember? Got something else better to boast off?"
"Come with me Jamil!" Damien commanded.
With great annoyance, Damien turned away, grunting so bad as he raged off with Jamil trailing behind him.
"Tch!" Ashton murmured with a smirk. He was happy for a flint of second there was someone else other than him who does not like Damien as well. Someone who was also willing to whoop his arse bad and give him a beating he would never forget for a lifetime.
"Here." Marcus uttered, pointing a Jade plate at Ashton.
Ashton swiftly collected the Jade plate, examining it and wondering what it could be. Some letters were inscribed on it and he read it out.
"G-R-E-E-D?" He looked up at Marcus, his face etching his confusion. "What is this? And what is it for? Ashton eventually asked.
"That's your room tag Ashton. The greed tag."
"Huh?"
"You must not lose it and you must not give it to anyone in this academy okay?"
"Not even you?" Ashton asked again.
"Not even me! It's your key to your own orb. Or you want someone in your personal space as well?" Marcus teased.
Ashton managed to get back on his feet still examining the Jade tag. Marcus followed suit.
'But…How do I wield this? Marcus has a system ability already and I don't.'
"You're prolly wondering how you would wield this Jade tag right? Well, it's simple. Your personal Jade tag has its own magic. You need not possess any elemental power before you can wield one." Marcus explained, now walking away from Ashton.
'Again?'
"You haven't told me what your elemental powers are yet!" Ashton complained trying to clear his suspicious about Marcus' 'mind reading ability'
"And why should I tell you? My powers can come in as a weakness if I reveal too much."
"I wouldn't kill you. I am not your enemy."
"You do not like me Ashton! I know that much."
"Okay okay, you're right, fine!" Ashton smirked, slipping his hand into his pockets then he felt he was forgetting something as his hand touched the paper he had placed in his trouser pocket.
The letter from Ercan! The one Master Chen has handed to him after telling the tale about the examination and three tests to become students with elemental powers at the Mages Training Academy.
He brought the letter out and unfolded it. Greeted by the fresh smell of ink, he smiled as he read the first words on the letter;
Dear Ashton,