Cassie was holding the amulet with true reverence now. It was the weaker of the two, the one that was intended to be worn openly, but the ability to prevent others from taking it away was exactly what she needed to get through her early days of Witch training.
Now she would be on somewhat equal footing with the other students, who likely all had a similar treasure. For certain, Melody had left with one, though she didn’t return with it, and it wasn’t an amulet for gathering mana or anything nearly as precious.
“Do we need the Candidate here anymore? Madam Ashcroft wants to get to the Academy early, and I would prefer to send the girl with her instead of by car later.” The Countess asked Uncle Ivan.
“Not at all. Let me send for her bags, and they can leave anytime.” The Patriarch replied with a polite bow.
“This year, Candidates will not be allowed outside items other than a maximum of three magical items. There was an incident last year that made us decide we had been too lenient with the students and that some changes needed to be made to the training procedures.
They will be issued uniforms and other necessary items when they arrive. An allowance to purchase all other supplies will be provided for them.” The Countess replied, making Wolfe smirk slightly before turning his look back to neutral.
“Something amusing to you, young man?” The matronly Witch known as Madam Ashcroft asked from her position off to the side, noticing the change in his expression.
“How did they take it? Or will you be informing the students when they arrive?” Wolfe asked, using a polite tone to hide his impertinent attitude.
“Informing every student while they were on break was deemed inefficient. Their belongings will be put in storage when they arrive back at the academy.” Madam Ashcroft replied, and Wolfe could swear he saw her smile for a moment.
Cassie nodded politely to the teacher. “Professor, we shouldn’t keep you from your travels. Patriarch, Noxus Family Elders, thank you for your hospitality.”
She walked over to the large, black armoured vehicle where the Professor was waiting, and the gathering began to break up, signalling that the formalities were finished.
“Forgive my haste, but I should also be going,” Wolfe added, giving Uncle Ivan a meaningful look that the older man returned with a grim smile.
In Ivan’s estimation, his best chance at survival was to leave the area and lay low until the fugitive was caught. But since the Witches had shown up before the regular folk could freely move about the city and had informed them of their intentions after curfew last night, there wasn’t much to do about it in advance.
Wolfe went inside, grabbed his backpack and delivery bag, both loaded with what he hoped would be useful items, and hopped on his electric bike, headed for the lower floors and the exit to the city.
There weren’t many deliveries outside the city walls, but the Patriarch had forged an order from the reagent houses to pick something up from the farm storage compounds just out of sight of the gates. Then Wolfe would either wait there or keep going if it seemed like someone might be looking for him.
Cassie thought that the Academy would have a car sent to ferry students and teachers since the compound was out in the wastelands, but what Madam Ashcroft had shown up in was an Armored monstrosity of an eight-wheeled personnel carrier.
“Professor, are we expecting an attack inside the city?” Cassie asked as they climbed in, and a pair of armed guards locked the door behind them.
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Then once we leave, we will be in the Badlands, where wild monsters roam. Your friend Wolfe looked like the sort to live up to his name and challenge monsters with no formal training or magical weaponry, but the badlands are no place for a young lady.” Madam Ashcroft informed her in a dry voice.
“Why bring him up now? At the soonest, I will see him in a year, and if I live up to grandmother’s expectations, it could be four years, and he could well be married by then.” Cassie sighed.
“Did you perhaps have a thick skin charm cast on you? I don’t recall seeing a candidate so dense in living memory. Or perhaps it is simply sheltered and naive? The Countess identified him as a potential Magi descendant the moment we arrived, and according to my tracking spell, he is currently trying to flee the city.
I will capture him and bring him with us to the Academy, where I will find him a menial job until he has been properly vetted and proven that he is not a threat or a male magic user. It’s the safest course for your little lover boy.” The Professor explained to Cassie, who stared at her in horror.
“No, he is just a regular guy, not a mythical Magi. If he were, surely Grandmother would have noticed.” Cassie replied, failing to hide the blush at her memory of being in his arms as he transferred her the mana to make the Talismans.
“Maria Noxus? Yes, she would have been an amazing Witch. I do hope that her experience hasn’t coloured your views on the academy too negatively.” Professor Ashcroft said softly.
Cassie shook her head, but Professor Ashcroft could see the reluctance to believe that anything but the worst was about to happen to both her and Wolfe if the Professor caught him.
“Things will be different than in the past. The decline in the number of talented Witches is affecting everyone, and too many outstanding Candidates have been lost to treachery and infighting. Without strong Witches, the bloodlines get diluted, and the cities rely on the strongest among us to keep things running. If things keep going that way, it won’t be long before the city can’t keep everything running.” She informed the young candidate.
“A new Witch in the Noxus Family is precious, but another tragedy like what happened to Grandma Maria might be enough for them to keep the rest of their daughters home, as those on the lower floors do.” Cassie agreed.
“There are others with promise?” The Professor asked eagerly.
“Soon. They are still a few years younger than I am, but Grandmother intends to take them in and prepare them for the academy when it is time.” Cassie told her with a smile.
“Good. Despite her misgivings about the academy, she is an excellent teacher. I met her when I first started teaching at the Academy and scouting for future talents. She ran the elementary school on your floor and did an incredible job with the students under her care.”
That was news to Cassie, but it sounded like the sort of thing Maria would enjoy.
“The Male Fugitive is right ahead. Should we intercept?” The driver asked.
“No, just grab him once I finish.” Professor Ashcroft told the driver, with her eyes glowing green.
Wolfe was making great time through the city, and he was only two floors from the exit with a now-verified order for reagents from the Courier App. With that, he could pass through the exit gates without inspection since the orders were always a priority rush, and they could scan the order from his phone screen as he passed by.
His energy seemed to last forever, and he was still holding his rhythm almost thirty minutes into his flat-out race through town. Not even the fastest of traffic was keeping up with him today until he saw a Coven-owned Armored vehicle approaching from his right, then turning down the road behind him.
Wolfe increased his speed and darted down a side street, but suddenly the world was going black, and he fell asleep mid-stride, flying over the sidewalk and crashing through a plate glass window into a Cafe.
When he woke up, he was inside the Armored Carrier, seated next to Cassie, and his bags were in the corner.
“Good, you’re awake. I’m certain that you have a lot of questions, and I’m certain that I don’t intend to answer most of them. First off, have you always lived at the Noxus House?” One of the bodyguards interrogated him.
“Unfortunately not, I was just visiting. I grew up with a small business family on a lower floor than the Noxus Family. Uncle Ivan adopted me when I was orphaned.” Wolfe explained, not seeing a good reason to make this large man beat the easy answers out of him.
“Did they teach you about the world outside the city or just how to fight? Your records show you have thirteen years of regular attendance at a mixed martial arts gym and a Kung Fu Dojo.” The man continued.
“I have had great combat training but not much about the ways of the outside world. They really don’t matter to someone like me.” Wolfe’s answer seemed to please the armed guards in the vehicle for some reason. That wasn’t the response he expected.
It was possible that one of them was the Professor’s Familiar in disguise, or perhaps they worked for the academy. Either way, they weren’t upset with the answer. Wolfe had expected that they would be much more concerned since they clearly suspected that he was a magic user, and he had just confirmed that he knew how to fight. But they didn’t seem to care at all about the threat.
“How is your sword work? Almost all of the Witches’ servants train in fencing from childhood, but most have never been in a fight until they arrive at the Academy and go wild trying to get exiled since they can’t accept that they don’t have noble status anymore.”
If Wolfe understood that right, the men sent to assist the witches were stripped of their Noble ranks on arrival. Now that was a new bit of information to Wolfe. Or perhaps it was temporary, and their ranks were worthless inside the Academy? He could see that causing a riot among the pampered sons of the Nobles.
“I am good with a knife, but swords aren’t used on the lower floors. Can I shoot them instead?” Wolfe joked, starting to understand what they planned for him now that he was captured and his bid to escape the city had failed.
Servant duty, protecting the compound against monster attacks. Or at least that was the only logical punishment in his mind, given their line of questioning. If they found out he could use magic, which they probably already had, he would face life as a closely monitored servant of the Academy or perhaps one of the Witches that lived there. Possibly Professor Ashcroft herself.
“I hope you mean with a sling and not a firearm, which is definitely illegal in both the city and the Academy. But these friendly gentlemen will join the staff to prevent the fights and violence that have previously marred the Academy’s reputation.
That is why I came to collect Miss Cassie. So that she could be aware of the new rules in advance and not get involved in any pointless endeavours, like running off into the wilderness in the middle of a courier order.” Professor Ashcroft informed them.
“She means that even if the students are rude, their fellow candidates are not supposed to beat them too badly or try to cripple their training.
I don’t think we need to worry much about Miss Cassie now that we’ve met her, and most of the Witches prefer snark and bullying, but I can see there being trouble when a few of the worst among them find out about the new rules.
Reporting and stopping such incidents will be part of your job duties, Wolfe.” The Guard clarified.
He was going to be a security guard inside the Academy? That was not what Wolfe had expected at all. Did the Professor perhaps have a soft spot for Magi? Or was it because she regretted what had happened to Elder Maria and saw a chance to make some sort of amends to the Noxus Family?
“Professor, we are reaching the exit to the city now.” The driver called out, bringing everyone’s attention to the windows.