I woke up inside a sleeping sack. It was very warm for an outside sleeping arrangement, and comfortable too.
Alwyn, the wizard, was already awake and cooking food.
"Good morning, Lin."
Lin? Right... that's me now.
"Good morning..." I yawned.
I crawled out of the sleeping sack and grabbed a plate of food. He'd made eggs and toast, a simple breakfast.
It was one I hadn't had in a long time. I suppose that's magic.
I watched as Alwyn grabbed the camping gear he'd set up the last night and stuffed it inside his hat.
Now that I saw him in the light, and his hat was off, I could get a good look at his face. He was a lot younger than I'd expected him to be, with long raven hair and bright red eyes.
Much cleaner than anyone I'd seen before.
"Your hat is magic? Is that why all wizards wear them?"
"Witches too. It's the most essential thing we own! Well... besides my staff. My robes are magic too, protection magic mostly."
His magenta robes flowed as if he was in water, and next to him floated his staff. When he wasn't touching it, it sat next to him, suspended in the air. Everything was so... magical.
"Will I get a hat?"
"Sooner than you think. We're headed to a large city right now; you need new clothes anyway... so why not get your wizard robes."
I looked down at the rags I wore. I suddenly felt embarrassed.
"I don't even know any magic yet, wearing wizard attire'll be okay?"
"Certainly. Many apprentices don't learn magic in practice for up to a year. It'd probably be worse if I walked around with an apprentice dressed in commoner clothes..."
'Commoner'. They say that wizards, despite often not being from nobility, are treated like nobles. Am I a noble now? The feral boy?
"Will we be using magic to get there?"
"Pffft... you could barely stand going up and down the mountain. We're walking."
We walked for a while and spoke about small things. I felt bad bombarding him with questions, so I avoided them best I could. I was shy I suppose...?
"How much longer until we're there, Teacher?"
"T-teacher?! No... that's what you'd call me..."
Alwyn seemed flustered when I called him that. I guess it's because he was very young, I'm sure he never expected to be called teacher.
He couldn't have been older than his mid-twenties...
"Hello? When will we be there?"
"Oh, well we've been walking for about half an hour, so... twelve more hours?"
We've only been walking for half an hour!? I feel like I'm dying of fatigue...
"Can't we use magic? I'm going to collapse..."
"...I have an idea."
As Alwyn walked, I floated behind him, sat atop his now horizontally floating staff.
"Will I get a staff too?"
"I don't think so. I'd rather you make a nice, high-quality staff, with ingredients you find yourself."
"Make one? Is that what all wizards do?"
"No, but it makes the staff a better conduit for your spells. That's all a staff is good for after all, so it better be good at it."
"Conduit?"
"Know how you cast that spell on that boy without a staff? Wizards don't need staves, just like how witches don't need wands. They just serve as tools to amplify magic. Typically, staffs and wands are enchanted with amplification magic, which multiplies possible mana output by up to 1.5x typically..."
"Wow... I see."
We walked for a long time in silence. It was a peaceful hike; the woods were very calm and quiet.
"How old are you, teacher?"
"I just turned twenty-one."
"That young!? You must've been a student recently then, right?"
"That's right... only a year ago I graduated. Not that I wasn't already a full-fledged wizard by then."
"Where did you study?"
"The magic tower."
"What's that?"
"Hm... you know how you're my apprentice? Wizards and witches, a long time ago, started schools where they could take on many apprentices at one time. Those grew into the many magic schools, with the magic tower being the largest and the first of them. The Grand Thaumaturge was my direct teacher, despite being the dean of the magic tower."
"Wow... so you're more special than I thought?"
"Did I look like a pushover!? Not any wizard could so effortlessly deal with a knight like that."
You didn't really deal with anything though...
"I just didn't think a big shot mage would burn a backwater village to dust."
"You—Haaah... Lin..."
"Teacher, you really mustn't worry about it. I truly felt no attachment to that place."
The boys... they're doing better in heaven now, aren't they? That's how it works, right?
"...If you say so. I suppose that's for the better. You'll have to do sorry things when you become a wizard. Things you don't want to do."
"No, I won't. I'll just become so strong that I can do whatever I want. Isn't that the point?"
"Yes, that's the point. That's exactly the point... but you must become strong. Or else that's all hot air!"
Alwyn snapped his fingers, and a plume of hot smoke puffed into my face. I coughed and swatted it away.
"When we get to the city, will you start teaching me magic? Or will you make me wait like those other apprentices you mentioned?"
"Tsk, what's the rush? I'll teach you magic when I teach you. It's barely been a day since you became my apprentice, learn patience."
"Hmmmm..."
A long while later, when the sun was already setting, we arrived at the city gates.
"State your name and your purpose for visiting."
"Arcane Wizard Alwyn. This is my apprentice. We're here for a place to sleep and stay for a few days."
Seeing the large hat and floating staff, the guard let us in without issue.
"Wow... I've never seen a city so big before. I didn't know there was one so close to the village..."
"This? Big? You really are a bumpkin!"
I trailed behind Alwyn, following him to a small tavern.
"Why such a small one? Aren't wizards like you quite wealthy?"
"You were a street rat until yesterday and you're complaining about the size of the tavern?"
"No! I just didn't expect you to be comfortable in such a place..."
"I'm a wizard, not a noble. And I've stayed at this place before."
Alwyn pushed open the doors, and we entered. The place was alive at this time of night, with songs and dances and drinks and games.
The noise, the warmth... it was surprisingly comforting. I liked the atmosphere.
"The wizard! Welcome back, your usual room is free if you'd like!"
The lady seemed overjoyed to see him. Was he a good customer?
"Nope! I need a double, for me and my apprentice here."
"Hello," I waved.
"Apprentice!? That's surprising, I didn't see you as the type."
"No, I didn't either. But... things happened," he shrugged.
We followed the lady up the stairs and into the halls. She showed us to our room.
It wasn't luxurious or anything, but it was comfortable. A lot nicer than sleeping outside, with or without a sleep sack.
"Lin, you should head to sleep. I'm going out to run some errands, but no one will bother you while I'm gone."
"Can't I get something to eat downstairs?"
"...Sure. Take this money, but don't leave the tavern. And if anyone messes with you, tell the lady. She's indebted to me, so she'll help you."
"Bye."
Alwyn leapt out of the window. I wondered why he couldn't leave through the front door, but alas.
I headed downstairs and to the bar.
"Sorry little man, I don't serve beer to kids."
"That's fine, I'm hungry. What do you have?"
"Here's the menu."
The bartender slapped a menu in front of me. At the same time, a group of men entered the bar, and they'd probably just gotten off work. They sat beside me at the bar.
"I'll have the chicken wings please."
"Ten chits."
"A stub'll do?"
"...Well they're worth the same, ain't they?"
I handed over the coin and waited for my food. The men that entered the bar grew increasingly loud as they drank.
"Oi! Boy! What're you doing here? Your daddy and mommy upstairs?"
"What's it matter to you folk? I'm just trying to eat a meal."
"Ha! Kid's feisty. He might bite!"
I ignored the drunk fool and started to eat my food.
"Boy! Boy! Play with us!"
"Play what?"
"You ever played poker?"
"Is that a card game?"
"He's never played poker! Boy, get over here! We'll teach you!"
We all sat at a table, and one of the men shuffled and gave us the cards.
"This is a game of lying, boy! You need the best hand, or you gotta make everyone else fold. Then you get all the money in the pot!"
"Okay... I bet one chit."
"Oi! What're you? A pussycat!? Ten chits minimum!"
"Fine then, I bet one stub."
"That's more like it!"
We played the round, and I humiliatingly lost my money...
"I think I'm done..."
"Oi! You can't quit yet! We just started! One more game!"
Again, we played, but this time, I miraculously won.
"Wow kid, you really beat us! All the money's yours... if you want to cash out. But I bet ten stubs you don't win again!"
I think I get this game now... there's no real way I lose now, right?
"Then I bet five more stubs!"
We played again. It didn't go as planned...
"Sorry kid! Better luck next time! Unless you're feeling lucky now?"
"Again!"
"Sorry!"
"Again!"
"Whoops!"
"Again!"
"Kid, you've got no more money left!"
"Tch! I wanna keep playing though."
"You're pretty bad at poker, kid. I feel bad, it's like taking candy from a baby. How's go fish sound, boys?"
The table agreed, and we switched to a more wholesome game.
"Do you have a seven?"
"Go fish!"
I thought the men were scumbags at first, and maybe they were for taking all my money when I was new to the game, but I had a lot of fun playing cards, so I forgave them.
I played with the men for hours, they drank beer, and I drank milk. I drank so much milk that I got drowsy and passed out right there at the table.
A long time later, I felt myself being carried back to the room.
I opened my eyes and saw that I was dangling from Alwyn's staff, which gently tossed me into bed...
The next morning, I woke up to the sounds of a rooster. It was a terrible sound that reminded me of my time in the stables.
"Good morning apprentice. Late night?"
Alwyn was already up and ready.
"Go fish..."
"Get washed up! We're off to get your clothes, remember?"
My clothes...! It's been a very long time since I'd gotten a new pair of clothes, and never ones as expensive as wizard robes. Even if I didn't learn magic, this would all be worth it if I could get wizard's robes.
I followed Alwyn through the bustling streets and into a small street. We stopped at a dilapidated looking store that looked older than the wood Alwyn's staff was carved from.
"This is the place?"
"Oh don't worry. I made certain there's no place better."
We stepped inside and were greeted by spider webs and dust bunnies.
"Hello? Anyone home?" Alwyn called out.
From behind, an ancient man shuffled out.
"Welcome to my store! You're here for robes I have it?"
"That's right."
"Wizard's or witch's?"
"It's for my apprentice here."
"Hat too?"
"Yes, the largest one you have."
The old man asked many more questions, and Alwyn gave many more answers. It took a long time before the man was finished.
Finally, the old man dragged out a mannequin in a full outfit to Alwyn's specifications. It was covered in dust despite the in-depth requests.
It was a navy-blue robe that bundled around the neck and flowed down the back, with a leather tunic and linen pants.
The mannequin also wore an expensive looking pair of shoes, leather pouches, and a very large, fantastical brimmed wizard's hat. It looked... incredible.
"That's perfect, I knew coming here was the right decision. Thanks sir, we'll take it."
Alwyn handed over the money, and waved his staff in the air. In a blink, the clothes left the mannequin and were on my body, replacing the rags I wore before.
I looked in the mirror and I looked...
"Now you look like a true wizard."
The navy robes complemented my lavender hair, and despite the amount of coverage and material, I felt both light and perfectly temperate.
I assumed that was due to the enchantments on the clothes.
"Go on, test your hat."
"But I don't know how to use magic?"
"You don't need to. The enchantments on the hat are very complex, anyone capable of magic can use them."
I reached into the hat and sure enough, my entire arm could go inside. There was nothing within, of course, but I was sure to make good use of it in the future.
"Thank you very much, teacher. I'll wear it well."
"Don't thank me! I can't have my apprentice wearing rags, yikes that'd be embarrassing..."
It was an incredible feeling being dressed in such an outfit. It was like a costume, I'm sure there've been many kids who've asked their mothers to sew them a makeshift wizard's outfit to play pretend.
But I wasn't playing pretend... I was an 'apprentice.'