"Did you need something?" Wallace asked as Ellise approached.

He didn't even look up from his task. He seemed to be examining one of the stones with an odd contraption. She could not guess what its purpose might be but he was very concentrated and she was hesitant to interrupt.

"I filled the stone." She forced out, he had asked after all.

His gaze swept up from his task only to pin her like a bug. She found herself wanting to take a step away from his intense stare but she refused to move. He held out his hand expectantly and after a moment's hesitation, she placed the glowing stone in his hand. Suppressing a sigh of relief as his attention was pulled away from her, she watched him inspected the stone. He looked at it for a few seconds before his brow caved into a frown and his eyes snapped back to her face.

"You've never filled a mana stone before?" He demanded.

"No." She replied unsure why he thought otherwise.

"Then how did you fill it so quickly?" He asked his frown deepening.

"Well, the mana was flowing so slowly from the plants so I tried pulling at it and it seemed to go faster." She replied after taking a moment to think.

"How many were you drawing from?" He asked raising one eyebrow.

"Three seemed to be my limit." She replied hoping that she had met his expectations.

"Incredible!" He exclaimed startling her. "No wonder you finished so quickly. Normally it would take a beginner upwards of five hours to do what you just did in two. You have a base mana control that is rarely seen, you will make a splendid apprentice." His eyes seemed to stare through her and his lips curled into a rather sinister smile. "Yes, we will make those fools regret turning you down. With a little hard work, you should be able to outshine any student of theirs."

Ellise couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had always thought her mana abilities would be average at best. Every child is required to have a mana test done when they turn thirteen but only rich families could afford the type of test that told them the child's potential. She had waited five long years to find out whether or not she would be able to become a mage and now he was telling her she would likely be top of her class! If that was true she would have nearly unlimited job options since mages of that power were in high demand. She would never have to worry about money again. She nearly burst into tears just thinking about it but she gulped them down as fast as she could. She hated crying in front of others more than anything and she refused to cry in front of her teacher.

"Oh, it seems to be getting rather late," Wallace stated, startling her out of her thoughts. "I live rather far from town... hmm, perhaps it would be best for you to live here for the duration of your apprenticeship. It would save us a great deal of time."

Ellise couldn't decide whether to feel excited or nervous at his words. On one hand, she would no longer have to worry about finding a safe place to sleep every night but on the other, she would be living with a vampire. She could feel panic creeping up her throat as she considered what she had heard of vampires victims. Yet, even though the man in front of her was labeled a vampire, he had been nothing but nice since she had arrived. Perhaps rumors had made them out to be worse than they actually were.

"If you don't mind, then I certainly have no problems with it." She said knowing that she would never have turned down such a great offer even if he had been rude. She likely would have considered it even if he had threatened to eat her.

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Ellise woke the next morning more refreshed and rested than she had ever remembered being. After the stress and hard work of the day she had collapsed into her bed without so much as a glance at the rest of the room. Now as she stretched the stiffness out of her limbs she took in her surroundings.

The room on the smaller side but still bigger than she expected. It had enough room for a desk, a bed (very comfy), a wardrobe, and enough extra room to move in. It also had two windows facing east and south that afforded her a spectacular view of the sun rising in the distance and a side door that she assumed led to a bathroom. She loved it. But her examination was cut short when her gaze was caught by a mirror hanging next to the wardrobe.

She had not seen a mirror in years and was almost afraid to look in it now. She had seen glimpses of herself in windows and puddles over the years but had paid very little attention. After all, she knew it would be bad. Even the most beautiful woman would be ugly after years of grime and hunger took their toll. Yet Ellise could not deny she was curious what others saw when they looked at her and if she was going to enter into the world of nobles as a mage she would have to look the part. So she walked over to the mirror and examined what she had to work with.

She couldn't help but cringe as she met her dark blue eyes that held a hint of grey and brown around the center. Her eyes were almost as piercing as Wallace's had been. Her high cheekbones and round jaw held the smallest hints of beauty but her attention was drawn to her hair. It was raven black and was tangled into ropes that fell past her shoulders. It was just as she expected, she was covered with dirt and grime to the point she was surprised the butler had even let her in.

She sighed deeply and couldn't stand the lump that formed in her throat when she realized she would have to shave her head. Her hair was tangled beyond recovery, the only way to fix it was to cut it off and start over. The thought was almost unbearable, her hair was the last thing she had left o-... No that was something she could not think about now. She knew she would have to face it eventually but right now she had other things to do. She swallowed thickly and turned to watch the sunrise.

A soft knocking came from the door.

"yes?" She called out steeling herself to face this new world she had walked into.

The door slowly creaked open and a small round face framed by golden locks came into view. Her amber-brown eyes fell to the floor as she started to speak.

"I... I came to help you with the bath a... and bring you some clothes. My... um... my name is Mia." She said so quietly I could barely hear her.

Ellise gestured for her to come in and took the bundle of cloths Mia held as Mia made a beeline for the bathroom. Mia then explained as quickly as possible how to work the bath and which bottles held what before stepping aside to allow Ellise access. As she looked over the contents of the bathroom Ellise caught Mia glancing up at her, only to startle the girl. Mia stuttered out a quick goodbye and practically ran from the room. Ellise couldn't help but chuckle, Mia was a strange one, she seemed harmless if a bit shy.

Ellise got ready as fast as she could, excited to learn more from her new teacher but she couldn't help soaking in the bath for a few minutes after she had refilled it with fresh water. It was heavenly. After getting dressed in dark gray pants and shirt she was faced again with the dilemma of what to do with her hair, she decided to tie it back with a ribbon and leave it at that for now. Facing the mirror once again she rolled back her shoulders back and tilted her chin up ever so slightly. She was confident. She was strong. She had convinced others that she was even if she often was not. Today she would need to be strong and so she would look confident and do her best to match it. One last look and she strode from the room ready to face the day.

She found her way to the kitchen and pushed into a chair and served food by a busy looking cook who barely spared her a look. After she had finished eating she set out to find Wallace. She found him reading a book in the sitting room where she had first met him yesterday. She sat down across from him and waited for him to finish what he was doing. His eyes were still a bit hard to look at but he had been nice enough so she relaxed as she observed the room around her once again. She did not mind waiting but she did wonder if he was so engrossed in the book that he had failed to notice her entry. She dismissed the thought immediately, remembering how quietly he had walked up to her the day before. Any person who managed that level of stealth would be aware of everything around them. She would never be able to get anywhere near him without him noticing.

"I see you already know the value of patience." Wallace stated looking at her as he placed the book beside him.

"I am impatient sometimes but I have no problem sitting still." Ellise replied with a shrug. She had almost always been on the move, moments of stillness had always been valuable to her.

"Well, I suppose we should start with the basics." Wallace said after pausing to examining her face. "To start you must choose a main source to draw from. The source you choose will determine the type of magic you can use. For instance, the plant mana you collected yesterday can only be used to control plants. The sources you are compatible with will be unique to you, you will be able to use all of them but you will have to choose one to focus on. Light and darkness are very popular for their abundance and power but it would be better to find something unique that is closely tied to you. Not only will it be more powerful but it will ensure you stand out and offer something no one else can."

"Why do I have to choose one if I can use others as well?" Ellise asked when he paused.

"You will be able to develop those talents later but you must have a strong base knowledge before you branch out. If you switch between sources without understanding them individually you will not be able to control them properly and will likely hurt yourself. So, I would like to start by finding a source for you. I have found that emotions are very important. The more emotionally attached you are to a source the more power you will derive from it. So examine yourself, what is important to you? What comforts you? Take your time and think about this. Come to the garden when you have some ideas for a potential source." Wallace said before sweeping out the door.