Chapter 38 - Bloodlust That Runs In The Blood

Meanwhile with Ash and Leal,

The sun was at the top of the head shining brightly as the temperature rose up a bit, The brown carriage stood before the Mansion waiting for its owner,

"Then uncle have a safe return." Ashton said politely as he bowed towards his uncle.

"Yes I will and you too take care of yourself....you have done a lot today." Uncle Leal said as he looked at the 5 years old boy infront of him who had a determined look in his eyes and scratches on his faces.

"Yes I will keep that on mind and.....thanks for not telling Sister Irene about the training..." Ash said.

"Huh, Don't think I did it for you I did it for her....since as you said she is working too hard by herself and already had a lot on her plate. I just don't want her to stress over you too." Leal said as he shrugged.

"Yes I understand!" Ash said as he looked at his uncle who seemed cold but had warm and caring eyes.

"....And you better remember and do what you said today...." Leal said as he went looked the other side trying to avoid contact.

"...Yes I will.....And I hope Uncle Leal will guide me for that..." Ash said as he looked at his uncle with a sweet smile on his cute baby face.

Leal wasn't able to say anything for a second, "You are really dangerous!" Leal said as he went inside his carriage.

"Dangerous me??? But I didn't even do anything??" Ash said with a innocent face.

"You....You should go inside and take a bath now you stink!" Leal said as his carriage started to move. Leaving a confused Ash standing like a rock there.

"I...I..Stink....Is he kidding me??" Ash said as he looked at the carriage maniacally.

Little did he knew, Leal was watching him the whole time.

"As I expected he is really dangerous...He stwiches from cute mode to manic mode in no second. Even today he surprised me...." Leal said to himself as he remembered what happened at the training grounds today.

Flashback~

"Why isn't Ashton here yet?" Leal said as he looked around the training field.

"Uncle..." Ash said from behind,

"Ashton why are so late today..." Leal said as he turned around but stopped in between when he saw Ashton's face and the look in his eyes.

It could give anyone goosebumps.

He seemed furious about something and was having difficulty to keep up with it.

"Ashton what's wrong with you?" Leal Asked.

But Ash didn't reply and he kept looking at the dusty ground.

"Hmm, seems like we need to have some man talk here!" Leal said as he smiled towards Ashton.

"What does that mean?" Ash asked as he looked at Leal. Who threw a wooden sword towards him.

"Pick up that sword and start your training!" Leal commanded.

"Yes!" He said as he picked up the sword and started moving it in the air doing different type of sword moves.

Unlike usual today he was using the sword quite harshly, "Ashton stop!" Leal said.

"Why?" Ash said as he stopped. "Well looks like you mastered this moves so how about moving to the next move." Leal said.

"Next move sure." Ash said with a serious expression on his face.

After 10 minutes, The servants placed a dummy made of hay tied in a wooden block.

"Now Ashton used your sword in to eliminate this dummy." Leal said.

"Okay!" Ash said and charged towards the dummy but everytime his sword would pass through it or he would hit the wooden block.

Ash kept trying and trying his eyes got red with anger and frustration.

"Ahh!! Why isn't it working!!!" Ash said irritatingly.

"That because you aren't focusing." Leal said from behind.

"Focusing...." Ash murmured.

"Yes, no matter how good of a swordman you are rhe moment you lose focus is the day you die!" Leal said in a serious tone.

Ash remained silent and kept looking downward.

Leal looked at him and smiled, "My Dear Nephew what's wrong tell me?" Leal Asked.

"Its Nothi..." Ash said but Leal cut his words in between.

"Don't tell me it's nothing." Leal said seriously.

Ash looked at Leal, his eyes showed too much of frustration and anger, including self pity.

"I....I feel as if I am useless....Even thou I said I want to protect everyone....I said I want to become someone people could rely on....I am still weak and useless, I can't help anyone in anything!!!! Right now mother is in that condition, Father is distressed and sister is working hard to take care of the household....she is doing so much for us....But What Am I doing....I am just hiding behind their back....I am such a coward!!" Ash said as he holded his wooden sword tightly and tears started flowing down his eyes.

".....I can only cry and weep.....Look for a safe place to hide myself.....Its so irritating....Right know I am feeling as if someone is stabbing me right in my heart....I feel so bad...." Ashton said as he looked downwards as he tears falled on the dry ground.

"....This punk....What made you think like this..." Leal said as he looked at Ash with a surprised look on his face.

"...You are still young and to be honest you are far more advance, mature and brave then the kids of your age." Leal said as he shrugged.

"But that's not enough! I.....I want to become more and more stronger!" Ash said as he looked at Leal, he had rage on his eyes.

Leal looked at the kid infrot of him who was giving out a intimidating aura, Leal gulped.

"If that's what you want then, Pratice more harder then ever continuously....until you feel like your bones are going to break down, until you find it hard to breath." Leal said as he looked at the young boy infornt of him.

"Tell me Can you do it!" Leal Asked.

"Yes I can!!" Ash said in a serious tone.

"Then cut that dummies head." Leal said pointing at the dummy.

"But my sword keeps passing through plus this is made of wood so how can it cut that hay down?" Ash asked.

"Its simple focus all your anger into the sword and look for a delicate position on that dummy and just eliminate it with one slash." Leal explained.

"Okay!" Ash said as he took a deep breath closed his eyes for a second and then opened his eyes looked at the dummy and ran towards it and with a *slash* sound.

The dummy head falled on the ground.

Leal who was watching him flinched a bit. Ash looked at his uncle with a smile at his face, "Uce I did it!" Ash said waving his hands.

"Yes Good Job now do the same to the other dummies too." Leal said as he pointed at the other dummies place at a line.

"Sure!" Ash said happily as he ran towards the dummies and started cutting them down like they were a piece of cake.

"Wow this boy is insane." Leal murmured looking at the young boy who happily cutted down the hay dummies.

Flashback end~

"That boy If I am right I saw bloodlust on his eyes and that murderous aura around him...He is just like you Father..." Leal said as he remembered Leonardo Amory Winter (I.e Ash and Irene grandfather)

"....But he is a little maniac too, the way he switches his personality from a cute puppy to a hungry wolf is no joke." Leal said as he thought of Ash face.

"But he told me not to tell Irene about this matter....seemes like he doesn't want His sister to know about this side of him. Hmm, Irene would probably faint from the shock when she knows how much of bloodlust her younger brother has....Hah, this two...I wish they would start being honest with each other..... just because one doesn't want the other to worry they are keeping to many secrets from each other. This might be bad thing but at the same it must be a good thing too...Hmm" Leal talked to himself until he reached the downtown.

"Well Well again it's not like they are like others kid." Leal said as he smiled thinking about both the winter siblings.

Meanwhile with Ash,

"Ouch.." Ash said as he touched his elbow which has turned bluish in colour. "Well this looks bad....but that's not all..." Ash said to himself as he looked at his reflection on the mirror, his hands had scratches which were worse then the ones in his face. His legs had several places which turned blue and purple.

"Hah...I just hope sister won't see all this or else she might worry..." Ash said to himself as he entered the bathroom and took a warm bath.

After bathing he came out and wore a full sleeves shirt with turtle neck and a khaki colored pants with a bow in his neck that had a red stone in between. Then he combed his hair neatly and walked towards his bed and sat on it comfortably.

"Thanks to the clothes my wounds would hide but what about the pain, because of the muscle strain I am having problem to even lift a finger, I bet by tomorrow I won't even be able to walk properly." Ash said as he tossed around his bed.

"No I must stand up and try to walk properly!" Ash said as he jumped from his bed and started to stand straight but within a second he fell on his bed since his legs gave out and furthermore his hands were literally shaking.

"Now this is a problem..." Ash said as he lied down on his bed.

"If sister comes to know about me learning swordmanship in such a extreme way I am 100 % sure she will tear me into 100 of pieces. And she will.....probably start blaming herself for this." He said to himself as he looked at the setting sun.

"*Sigh* Sister Irene, will I ever be able to become a reliable brother to you?" Ash asked looking at the portrait of his family.

"I wish I could become someone who can protect them.." Ash said to himself as he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.