Personality

Ashton and Aaron left the office only in each other's company, leaving the count and Darian to sit in their wake.

"Father... I really don't know what has gotten into brother Ashton.. He-"

"He only told me it is time for me to wake up."

[How soft have I grown?] Count albert thought. [Instead of putting my foot on the necks of these insurrectionists, I tried to play it politically because I feared the price I would have to pay... My vassals put together equal the might of my own forces and that fear allowed me to almost take the hand of the devil]

"Kase dear..." Countess Georgia entered the office with worry etched across her face. "Captain Koalt and his men have readied the sparring square in the gardens, something about a duel? What is going on..."

"Mother, brother Ashton's knight issued a challenge against a duchy knight..." 

"Oh my... with everything going on, little Ash is only adding to our worries."

Countess Georgia was already distraught over the rebellion, she had spent the past few days consoling her young daughter. When she heard that Ashton had come to visit, she assumed he would breathe life back into the estate. But with Ashton and Aaron treating her home as their own battleground, her nerves only grew.

"No." Count Albert muttered. "Ashton isn't adding to our worries, he is taking them upon himself. But for why... I don't know."

As the countess walked into her husband's arms, she was confused about his meaning. "What do you mean... has Shaun offered us aide in our troubles?"

"I don't think that is it. I believe Ashton himself if here to offer solution, I don't know what he is planning yet though..." Count Albert paused and took a look at Darian before continuing "I wish our son would take after him."

Count Alberts remark struck Darian in the chest like a mana enveloped sword. He had always been the object of his father's criticism, his lax personality and work ethic created an environment where he was always under the microscope. The expectation of his father which he seemingly could never fill was demotivating. Darian by nature was a slacker, he only ever pushed himself to stay slightly ahead of the curve despite his tall talent. 

Darian would look at people like Ashton whose talent touched the sky, without ever exploring the extent of his own. He couldn't find motivation in others success, he always felt small in comparison and would never reach out for more.

Darian was left behind by his mother and father, they went ahead to their garden for the duel. With his heart weighing heavy Darian took a deep breath, he thought that he was pathetic but still couldn't find the motivation for change.

-

Ashton knocking on the training room door where Titus was brought but was only met with silence. He knocked again and again, until Titus finally opened the door.

Shirtless and drenched in sweat, his body glistened as if he just rose from a bath. 

"Who is it?" He was breathing heavy, and his eyes were red with a wild gaze.

[What is this... what sort of training has he put himself through in such a short amount of time to look like this...] "Why are you so exhausted? How do you plan to fight like this?" 

Ashton's voice initiated a shift in Titus.

Before he was like a beast with sharp claws ready for a hunt, but now his eyes lost all fierceness.

"Master Ashton... What happened? Where am I..." Titus started blinking rapidly and started to feel nauseous.

"You don't remember? You were sent here to prepare yourself..."

"For my duel... yeah I remember now but I must have gone black again." Titus sat down on the floor and grabbed his head as it started to ache.

"Speak clearly. What do you mean you blacked out?"

Titus explained that ever since he was young, whenever he became focused on his training or when he pushed himself in a fight his mind would go black. He could never remember what had happened while his lights were out, but the people around him would tell him stories. 

He became almost feral and exhibited strength far beyond his level.

Whenever he awoke, only his body could remember his effort and his mind would ache.

[Blackouts when he is pushed to his limit that leads to an increase in power, headache when he comes too... Is his mind split?]

"Stand up Titus Magnus, your duel is about to begin."

As Titus rose to his feet, Ashton placed his hand on his chest and told him to remember this feeling.

[I don't know if this will work, I have never heard of such a thing... But it feels like it will work.]

Through the palm of his hand Ashton seeped him mana into Titus' body. It was nothing new, mages had always been able to use their mana to peer into the bodies of other people. But Ashton wasn't examining Titus, he was putting his new theory into practice.

With his own mana inside of Titus body he ordered him to let his mana flow from its circle. 

As Titus's pathways flooded themselves with his mana, Ashton grabbed hold of it with his own.

[Its working...] "Focus Titus Magnus." He demanded.

Ashton forced the free-flowing mana through pathways undiscovered by Titus, and it hurt. The pathways were meant to loosen and deepen over time, but the circuits in his arms and legs exploded open all at the same moment.

Titus fell over and curled on the floor as he screamed from the pain, but Ashton didn't let him rest. He crouched over and made his mana flow through the open pathways.

The energy inside of his body, racing through the newly founded pathways soothed the pain but his mind couldn't focus.

But Ashton remained patient, he kept guiding the mana until Titus could do it on his own.

"Very good..." Ashton stepped back and took a breath while Titus sat in his meditative position and felt his changes.

He could feel his mana flow through every inch of his body, he felt its eagerness to rise to the surface and touch the outside air but he couldn't do it.

Ashton grabbed Titus's sword to start his true training, but there was a knock at the door. Captain Koalt, had come to tell Ashton that Aaron and his knight were already at the square along with a crowd.

Ashton felt no urgency however. He told Koalt to go back and buy as much time as possible as the two still needed time to prepare.

After Koalt left and Ashton closed the door, he threw the sword at Titus feet.

"I think you got a feel for the flow of your energy, now stand strike me."