The room Wolfe was led to was a basic one, just a single bed, a small dresser and a bean bag chair to decorate, but it was enough that the room was already close to feeling cramped.
The Inheritance, if that was what the spell that was now etched into his arm for only him to see really was, didn’t tell him much, but the two elders had confirmed that drawing in as much mana as possible should slowly expand his storage capacity, so Wolfe settled into the beanbag chair and closed his eyes.
Once he started the exercise, he found that pulling energy from his surroundings proved to be easier than he had expected, and he could already feel the thread of mana flowing into him.
Once it was in his body, controlling the mana felt like guiding a liquid, so that’s the visualization Wolfe chose for his meditation. Pour the liquid in until the sack was full, then hold and wait while it relaxed. Once the stretching pain subsided, add a little more.
At first, the gland, or whatever that mana pouch should be called, felt no larger than the head of a pin, but it grew quickly as he worked away during the night.
By the time Roman came to get him in the morning, Wolfe had managed to expand it to almost the size of a pea. He really didn’t have a reference for what size he was trying to get it to, but this still felt far from complete.
“I see your night was productive. I can feel the difference in your presence from what it was yesterday. Before we eat, I will first show you how to mask that so that you aren’t discovered by the first Witch you come within two blocks of.” Roman greeted him from the doorway.
The greedy look on Melody’s chubby face came unbidden into Wolfe’s thoughts, and he shuddered a little. Then his stomach grumbled loudly, announcing its displeasure at his change of schedule.
“I can see how that would be important. But I am suddenly starving, so do we have time to stop by the kitchen?” Wolfe asked hopefully.
“That shouldn’t be a problem as long as we keep you mixed in with the other Elders. Most of the family will be assembling for breakfast in the next few minutes. It is much less formal than dinner but much larger since about half the people living in the compound come here to eat.” Roman agreed.
“The compound?” Wolfe asked.
“The main house and the four surrounding buildings are encompassed within a single outer wall as one community. In all, there are about two hundred people in the compound, and they all work for the Family. Think of breakfast like a morning briefing before everyone goes to the office.” Roman explained with a smile.
That sounded like complete chaos to Wolfe. Evenly split between parents and children, that was a hundred adults, with about fifty coming to breakfast.
There was a school only a block away, so it made sense for the kids in the Compound to gather in one spot before class. Wolfe lived further away, so the morning gathering was never part of his routine, but he could imagine that it was actually a nightmare for the less popular kids.
Roman led Wolfe to a small table at the end of the room where a few of the other Elders were sitting, then pulled out a chair for Wolfe between himself and a whip-thin woman with mismatched eyes.
“Wolfe, this is Maria. She is Cassie and Melody’s grandmother. Miss Cassie is her favourite, so I’m sure she is nervous about classes starting next week.” Roman introduced the gray-haired woman.
“I am sure you have nothing to worry about. Cassie seemed like the sort that had the potential to surprise us all.” Wolfe greeted her.
Maria raised a carefully groomed eyebrow at Wolfe’s words. “I believe yesterday was the first time you two had met. What gave you the impression that she had more potential than her sister?” Maria asked.
“It’s always the quiet ones with the most to hide.” Wolfe shrugged.
Really, he couldn’t explain the feeling of inner strength and potential that she gave him, so he just went with the most simple explanation that he could think of.
“You have good eyes, young man. Make sure you find yourself a Witch to pair with so you can watch out for Cassie in the second year.” Maria said with a wink.
Wolfe looked to Roman for an explanation, as he knew very little about the academy they intended to send him to.
“Squires get one year of intensive training to prove themselves. If a Witch chooses them as a potential Guardian, they can continue to the second year. I hear that they are going to change things up this year, though, and the Coven is being super secretive about it. Not even the Commoner Witch families that we do business with know what the plan is going to be for this year.
Most likely, it will still be to have the Guardian Candidates in the second dorms on the campus, but I heard a rumour that they were going to run off all the butlers, toyboys and random attendants that the Nobles like to sneak in, to take care of their girls in various ways.
For the record, we fully support you becoming a Guardian. Choose well, as only the competent Witches retain their right to a proper Guardian. If the one you pick is too weak, you will be reassigned after they finish the year, and not necessarily to a Guardian position. You might end up as a junior traffic guard in the upper levels waiting on a promotion that never comes.” Roman explained.
Wolfe decided that the Witches really did have an annoyingly high number of rules. But they also had all the power and all the spells, so he needed them more than they needed one more Guardian.
At least for now.
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“I did. But like my daughters, I failed to make it through the first year. Unlike them, I can do very basic magic, just not enough to be recognized as even a commoner Witch.” The old woman responded with a hint of restrained pride.
“Maria keeps the lights on around here. It’s a huge cost saving. I am sure you know very well how expensive the power bill can get.” Roman told Wolfe with a smile.
His face soon turned serious, and he looked down at his plate while speaking softly. “If only she hadn’t been injured.”
The man beside him nodded in agreement while Maria pretended to ignore Roman’s comment.
“The academy is a vicious place, full of Nobles doing anything they can to get ahead. Don’t just watch your back. Watch your front as well, because some who pretend to be your friends will openly sabotage you when you least expect it.” She whispered.
