First Day of August, In the Year of the Empire 6777 Continued

When the carriage dropped Cari and me off at the Westcroft Mansion, we were both taken aback. The yard was overgrown, the Mansion still stood and was not half burnt down. It showed it's age though, needing paint and repairs.

As we stood there, just taking it in silently, a City Guard greeted us. "Hello. Do you have business here?"

I turned to face the guard. "Yes. I'm the new Viscount of Westcroft, and unfortunately," I wave to the run-down mansion, "this is mine."

The guard kept a straight face at my words and saluted me, which I promptly returned. "Yes, Sir. We have been keeping an eye on the place for a few years. It will be nice to see it put back in order, Sir."

"Thank you. It may take a day or two before I can get my guards set up here. I would please ask the City Guard to continue your vigilance. It is appreciated."

"Yes, Sir. We'll do that, Sir." He gave me another salute and continued his patrol.

Turning back to the coachman, I paid him well and asked him to return in one hour.

"Well, Cari, let's go see what is inside." So saying, we walked to the front door, which was not locked. It appeared broken. Pushing open the door, we found an empty mansion. The whole place was nothing but bare walls and dusty floors. We discussed what some of the rooms would be for and some furniture that would be needed.

We only waited a few minutes when the coachman returned. Then we dropped Cari off to hire carpenters, maids, and cooks while I went on to the Warrior's Guild.

The Westcroft mansion grounds included a stable and coach barn, which also needed lots of repairs. Thinking about it, I decided to have the stable torn down before building another barracks and stables like those planned at the Barony of Perrin. Each would house twenty men and twenty horses. Most likely, I would be doing the same at the other baronies.

At the Warrior's Guild, my first request was for an experienced stablemaster and two experienced Knights. The three of us went to have lunch together and discuss what was needed. By the end of lunch, my new stablemaster, Winfield Hancock, would be shopping for horses, tack and other needed equipment, a wagon with two draft horses, and a coach with two draft horses for the mansion. The Knights accepted my squad organization with four soldiers to every esquire or knight.

The two Knights would hire a weapons master and quartermaster. They already knew the weapons master they wanted and would find the other. They would also pick up more esquires and soldiers. I had heard from Milbrey that the Knights there had only recruited one esquire and six soldiers, so they Knights here would be filling those empty spots too.

Then I told them to push the numbers to eighty total. Sixty for the barony and twenty for the mansion.

They all would try to get everyone organized and ready to leave for the viscounty in two days. I would leave a junior knight, esquire, and eight soldiers at the mansion. The rest would be going to settle the bandit issues and tour the rest of the viscounty.

Grabbing a coach back to the mansion, I began some other work there.

The mansion had a round wooden tower on one corner. It was four floors high while the rest was only three stories high. The top of the tower is a study with tall rounded bookshelves built into the walls with a rolling ladder. I claimed it for myself.

Cari was already proving to be a great hire. On my way into the mansion, I went through a front door with a working lock. Maids are cleaning rooms, where the carpenters were not making essential repairs. Some furniture is coming in as well, a table, chairs, and bedroom fixtures for the new staff.

When I reached the tower study, I found it repaired and cleaned. New heavy curtains, a desk, and a comfortable chair were waiting for me. The first order of business, unload all of my books.

What attracted me to this room was the access door to the attic. I was small and under the pointed roof on top of the tower, barely a storage space. For me, it was going to be a testing site. I had picked up a small marble cutting board for potion work to use here.

After closing the drapes, I sat at my desk and laid out a new collection rune onto the marble with a bit of ink. Once I was sure it was perfect, I very slowly began carving into the marble surface with my magic. It took over an hour, but I had the carving just as it needed to be. Next, I took a small pouch of very light blue sapphires thinking that if this works, the expense will be worth it as sapphire often used with air magic. Focusing my magic again, one by one, I crush the gems into a fine powder. With the fine powder, I fill the carved lines until they are packed full.

Very carefully, I applied a cleaning spell to the top of the marble. Pushing it aside for a moment, I pull the glass jar of Dragon's Tounge sprouts out of my bag. After setting it on the desk, I proceed to cut the lid off and widen the opening even.

Switching back to the carved marble, I slowly soften the glass lid and pour a thin layer of glass over the entire surface, stopping it just short of touching the desk.

While the glass cools, I place the glass bowl of sprouts into the attic and push them to one side. Carefully I repeat the process with the cooled marble rune.

Climbing into the attic, I proceed to remove several of the floorboards in the center of the floor. Once the cavity between this floor and the ceiling below is open enough, I carefully put the marble rune inside. Once it's in place, I slowly add mana to the rune bringing it to life. The blue sapphire dust begins to glow brighter. Stopping my mana flow, I watch as it continues to remain active. "Perfect."

With great care, I replace the floorboards and repair any damage I did before cleaning the attic of any evidence the floor has been disturbed.

Pushing the sprouts across the floor to where the rune is hidden, I slowly relax. Putting my hand into the air above the little sprouts, I feel the mana slowly collecting. The new rune is pulling mana from the air in a narrow cone that extends above the clouds, drawing from an ever-larger area as it goes upward. But this rune does not store mana. It maintains it's own function and pulls mana down, only to push it back up into the air.

The mana will pass through the Dragon's Tounge in a constant swirl. If this works, it nearly proves that the plant is only collecting mana. At that point, I can test the opposite by starving the plants of mana.

My theory is that this will work, leaving me wondering where mana comes from or how to make it. That I fear is the real mystery.