The training continued for some couple of hours and Ashton was exhausted already. He had fallen into the ground countless times, been sent into nearby trees and more punches into his face.
He had bruises on his face but he still didn't want to give up yet not when he had someone rooting for him outside the academy and someone he would like to get revenge on for tricking him– Alden.
"I think we should wrap up for today Ashton." Marcus said, folding his arms behind him while stepping backwards and sideways to dodge Ashton's feeble punches.
Ashton stopped, panting heavily as he managed to say, "Not until I have bruised your face like you did to mine."
"Are you taking this personal already?" Marcus chuckled. "I cannot let you punch me in the face so you had better quit now."
"Why? Because you have a pretty face huh? You think I cannot make a punch bruise your face?" Ashton asked with a challenging tone.
"That quest of yours is impossible Ashton!" A voice broke in urgently.
Both Ashton and Jamil turned to see who it was that had intruded their small talk. It was Alden, walking with Ulysses by his side.
"You cannot make it to Marcus' face so give up now and take a befitting rest." Alden continued with a smirk playing on his lips as he walked closer.
Ashton fumed, his brows narrowing in anger. "YOU BASTARD!" He cursed charging earnestly towards Alden with great rage to send a sickening blow into his face.
But before he could execute his plan, Alden had swerved to his right making a clear path which Ashton fell into clumsily.
"Fuck!!!" Ashton cursed again slamming his hand against the grass. He stood up on his feet and faced Alden. "Why did you do that to me?" He demanded grabbing Alden by the collar.
The latter raised his hands up in mock defeat, a big grin still sitting on his face.
"Calm down Ashton."
"Oh please! Would you stay calm if the same had happened to you? I failed my first test because of you Alden! What did I do to you to make you want me to flop so bad?" Ashton asked angrily. "Did Ulysses pay you to block my magic's path?"
"Hey!" Ulysses shouted from behind. "Do not take my name in your business. I've got nothing to do with this."
Ashton's eyes churned as he turned at Ulysses before saying, "Now you tell me, if it wasn't you who had paid Alden to lock my mana core up, who else would have done that? You had this all planned out already didn't you?"
"Planned? What plan?"
"Your plan to kick me out of this academy. Knocking me out yesterday seemed suspicious enough, you both searched me up and read my letter! It was all in your plan wasn't it? This is your way of getting revenge right?"
Ulysses rolled his eyes, slipping his hands into this pocket.
"What are you saying Ashton? You are making no sense at all."
"Feigning ignorance? You…"
"Ulysses knows nothing about this!" Alden cut Ashton's words short. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he continued.
"My cousin told me to lock you up." He finally confessed.
"What?!" Marcus who had been quiet all along exclaimed at the revelation.
Ashton slowly turned back at Alden. "Cousin? Who's your cousin?"
"Well…it's Damien."
"What?!" Both Ulysses and Ashton exclaimed.
***
"Look I regret doing that to you Ashton. I swear to you I like you now and I will do anything to support you in the rest of your tests." Alden declared after explaining how Damien had met with him to execute his plan before Ashton arrived at the room.
"You think I would trust the words of a fucker like you? Both you and Damien are evil!" Ashton spat, struggling to set himself free from Marcus' hold.
"Ashton." Marcus subtly called, still holding Ashton down before he could charge at Alden.
Alden folded his lips, lowering his head a bit as he muttered, "I promise to invest my time in your test Ashton. I will help you pass your other tests…I swear on my life." Alden assured.
"Ahem!" Ulysses cleared his throat before saying what was in his mind. "I will help you too, Ashton."
Ashton loosened up, his hard muscles faltering at Ulysses' words. Marcus noticing the boy was calm so he gently released him.
*Sigh!*
"Why would you want to help me? Are we not supposed to be enemies?" Ashton asked Ulysses glaring at him rudely.
"Yes we are enemies and I do not like you as well. Never did liked you since I knew you from the slum…"
"Get straight to your point!"
Ulysses feigned a punch at Ashton before sneering at him. He continued,
"Alden blocking your magic's path before the test is like a trump card for me to win the test but also, it's cheating on your path. If we had been fair from the beginning, you might have won."
"Yeah, that's right." Alden mouthed.
Everyone turned at Alden subtly glaring at him with fury and irritation in their eyes.
"Shut up Alden!" Marcus nagged and the boy folded his lips again obeying Marcus' command.
"So what do you say?" Ulysses continued. "You need my help or you want to harvest your pride into an empty basket?"
"I will help heal all your wounds too!" Alden volunteered again breaking into the conversation he had been asked to stay out of.
"SHUT UP!!!" the trio yelled at him.
"Sorry." He slowly mumbled.
"My offer is limited Ashton. You had better made a decision fast!" Ulysses warned slipping his hand into his pocket.
Ashton rolled his eyes trying to feign ignorance and boisterity. Marcus smiled at how Ashton's face gave him out. He knew Ashton was not ready to accept help from his roommates as they might portray him as weak and useless in the future…maybe taunt him with their words as well but at the moment, he had no choice than to falten his resolve and get help from them since they had more experience with fighting than he had.
Marcus decided to speak on his behalf. He nudged Ashton's shoulder and said, "It's tiring training him all alone, I would need some help from you both as well. We will start his lessons tomorrow...officially." Marcus announced.
"Argh!" Ashton wailed trying to express a disapproval that was never in existence. "What about Ulysses? He's a newbie like me too. Does he not need to be trained?"
"I am much better than you are, Ashton. Worry about yourself!"
"Tsk!"
"Okay guys, I will go and deal with Damien concerning this issue, a report to the Elder Mages should reprimand him for a while." Marcus said, his tone stern and unwavering.
They trio nodded in agreement and Marcus smiled.
"Why don't we get some sweets before going back to our dorm?"
"About that," Ashton started. "I will take care of the pay…I got a whole lot of gold coin as allowance you see." He boasted.
Suddenly, Alden started to back out of the circle and soon he was running away far from them.
"Why is he running away?" Ashton asked.
Ulysses sighed exasperatedly. "Some fancy boots you've got there." He said, nodding his head at the boots Ashton was wearing.
"They look really cool right? Well, Alden got them for…" he stopped mid sentence as a thought flushed through his mind. "Wait a minute! Are you saying…? My gold.. ? My money…?!!!" Ashton asked, his eyes bulging out of their sockets in disbelief.
"ALDEN!!!!!!!!" Ashton screamed, picking up his pace as he ran after Alden in fury.