The Apprentices
by Lilsane
First published
"You would never believed what happened!" "Does it involve Orcs, and them dying?" "...yes."
When The Master and Bearded die by slipping on orcs blood and cracking their skulls against each other, it's up to their apprentices to defend the rifts!
Only problem is, one is an idiot who was unteachable. And the other is an arrogant mare.
How will these two foolish apprentices survive defending the rifts?
Let's find out, shall we?
The Hallway
"So, let me get this straight..."
"Your master, with three hundred years of experience of killing orcs. Also known as the oldest living mage in The Order..."
Her partner only nodded his head in agreement so far.
"Slipped on some orc blood...from the bottom of the stairs, correct?"
"Yep, well, actually I think it was kobold's" he said, too excitedly for anyone's taste. And for some reason giving her a thumbs up.
"Right... And at the same time...my master, The Bearded, creator of many different types of magics. Tripped on his own fore hooves on top of the stairs?"
"So far so good! Still, he had such a weird title!"
"And both bashed their heads together, most likely cracking open. Which led to their deaths?"
"Exacto-mundo! My silly light-blue unicorn pony partner!"
Rolling her eyes at his antics, she looked at the scene before her. With what was already said, she couldn't tell if they were really dead or just knocked unconscious. The Master, had some blood on the bottom of his shoe that must have been the cause of his slip, along with a vast amount of blood next to his head. While the Bearded, only seemed to have a larger bump on his head, she wasn't sure if his head was bleeding or not, considering how close both their master's head were and the blood mixing together.
She walked over to where to her master's famously known magician hat and cape fell, and picked up both items using her magic.
"Well, grab your master's crossbow and sword staff. We still have a rift to defend."
Her partner just looked as she began walking off for a few seconds before it registered. Quickly picking up his master's tools and running to catch up to his partner.
"Shouldn't we like...uh... check to see if they're alive or not?"
His partner scoffed at his comment and could only shake her head in disagreement.
"If they are alive, they will come find us, and probably punish us for not checking. But at least this way we can get rid of our Apprentice status. Don't you want the title, War Mage?"
"Ohhh good point, you can also finally be The Magician"
The War Mage chuckled as they left the area.
"It's all up to me now. Rest well crazy old man. First things first, let's see what he left me in this spell book."
"Uh, who are you talking to exactly?"
The Magician turned her head, confused, as her War Mage partner seemed to be just talking to himself. He would do that occasionally, but she could never understand if he really was talking to someone. Or if he just had a screw loose.
"My writer of course! Someone has to write how great and powerful we become!"
Yep, screw loose.
"Aww c'mon. My magic unicorn," leaning into her as he squished his cheek against hers. "Don't you want everyone to remember you, being great and powerful?"
She came to abrupt stop and backed up, making the War Mage lose his balance and land face first into the floor. His antics would always annoy her, and how he thought how close they were.
They were not friends.
Though, the Great and Powerful Magician did seem to have a ring to the title when she finally became just that. She could imagine it now, The Great and Powerful Magician! Vanquisher of all fiends who try to break through the rift!
"Oh neat! They left me a couple of floor traps and a ceiling trap!"
Shaking her head out of her fantasy, she looked at him.
"Wait, so they didn't leave us any wall traps?"
"Nope! Well, there is this one mana well, but I think that's for you."
She facehoofed herself, she couldn't believe how unprepared their masters were in case they died. Did they honestly believe they would live forever?
"I'll see what I can do about unlocking more for us later," she grumbled as she snatched the book with her magic and placed it into the pouch inside her cape. "Let's just setup what we got and get this over with."
The Hallway wasn't that difficult in the long run. In fact, it was the easiest rift to defend. Like the name of the area, it was a single hallway. There were only two elven archers stationed there. After some time setting up what little defenses they had, mainly consisting of tar traps placed in a choking point for the archers to take their sweet time at killing the orcs if they so desired, the ceiling traps were practically useless considering how high the ceiling was. They could soon hear the battle cries of the orcs breaking through the door and into their section of the hallway. There wasn't many waves of orcs, and easily breezed through them. The War Mage using the crossbow easily pierced the orcs head for a quick death. While the Magician, used her magic to hold the blade staff to quickly take care of the left overs. from a distance.
Once it was clear that there would be no more orc's trying to enter the rift, the two did their traditional victory dance.
"I still think it's awesome that the Bearded one convinced the old man to do these!"
"I still am on the side of your master, I do not get the point of these dances."
"It's because we're so awesome is why we have these dances!"
"Right..."
The Magician could only sigh. But before she could make any argument, she felt a wave of energy overflowing through her. The energy felt like she was just slightly stronger. She turned around to see the rift giving off a different glow, as if it was calling to her.
"C'mon, we have to go to The Fork."
Picking up his crossbow and the blade staff that his partner dropped, he soon followed along side her.
"Wait, doesn't the Pega Mage and the Smug Alchemist defend there?"
"Yes, but apparently they were called to a different section and we're replacing them. Knowing them they erased their traps before leaving."
"Always leave your traps after you leave your post, you never know when the enemy will attempt to strike again and it will buy The Order some time to get reinforcements."
Their masters would always tell them that, but it seemed like they were the only group to ever do that. Considering each post they have taken in the past was empty and defenseless.
"Well at least it'll be a change of scenery!"
The Magician only rolled her eyes as she entered through the rift. As the War Mage was about to enter as well, a thought came to his mind.
"...and who calls a slightly bigger hallway The Fork?!"
Author's Notes:
I wanted to post this on my birthday in hopes it will motivate me to write more. Let me know what you guys think!
Current Load:
Weapons: Crossbow, Blade Staff
Floor Traps: Tar Traps, Spike Trap
Wall Traps: Mana Well
Ceiling Traps: Shock Zapper
The Fork
"Still don't know why they call this place The Fork. I mean, just because it has two different entrances! That doesn't make it a fork! Last I checked, a common fork at four tips! Not two!"
The War Mage was still grumbling to himself in annoyance while the Magician was looking through the spell book. She could see just how it worked.
It seems that each rift they defended would grant her more magic power, and with the help of her partner. They could unlock traps, possibly combine and make their own.
She finally decided what items would be best for them.
"Alright, since we're lacking actual wall traps. I suggest we unlock-"
"The Alchemy Bombs!" the War Mage shouted.
"...what?" she deadpanned.
"Yeah! We totally should! Those things explode with green acid like hurties, it's so hilarious to see the skin melt off them and just become bones. Plus I want to show that Smug Alchemist how it's really done!" he said as he gestured his hands as if he was throwing them in the air.
Glaring at the War Mage, her horn began glowing, casting onto a piece of the page as it began to glow the same color. Within seconds the page contained magical letters that The Order used. Once the page was fully covered, a bag containing way too large potions with green liquid popped out.
War Mage squee'd in joy as he grabbed the bag and pulled out one of the glass bottles. "Ooh, it's all green and wavey. I bet tiny ants could totally surf those waves! You know, if they didn't bail and totally drown and melt at the same time. I want to blow up an orc! With, melt-y green liquid."
While he was looking at his new toy, the Magician groaned as she concentrated on the last of her magic on another blank page of the spell book. Once again, the page began glowing with her magic color before the text appeared on the page.
"Because we spent most of our magic on the Alchemy Bombs!" glaring at her partner, feeling frustrated. "I could only afford the cheapest of wall traps. The Arrow ones, its not much but at least it's something."
"Aww c'mon blue butt, don't be mad." not even looking at her as he shook the potion around to watch the liquid stirred around. "Look, next rift we have to defend I promise that you get first dibs on what spell or trap we should get."
"Fine, the futures Great and Powerful Magician will abide to that deal." she grumbled.
"Haha, now that's more like it!" slapping her right on her back, making her face plant into the ground.
"We are The Order's Shield!"
The Magician looked up from the ground and near the rift, seeing as how their was only one guardian stationed in this section. A Paladin Guardian to be precise. They were big and buff, wearing the heaviest armor while carrying around a two handed blade. They were one of the most trusted The Order could ever hope for.
"We are The Order's shield!"
Also pretty much just one liners.
"Seriously, why do they say that?! I mean, it's not like they actually have a shield!"
"Must you complain about everything? It's just a turn of phrase, War Mage. They're just saying that they are The Orders protectors." rolling her eyes at him.
"But they should carry a shield! Even if its one their back. Just so what they say is legit!"
"Let's... just finish up here." she trotted on down to what she believed was a good chocking point.
Placing the last of the traps, almost identical to the placement they used in the hallways. Only the difference was the arrow traps were added next to the tar traps, and would take any of the fiends out that get stuck in the tar.
With nothing left to do, they relaxed themselves close to the rift and waited.
The War Mage happily threw out the Alchemy Bombs to an empty corner and making them explode, looking back into the bag and squee'ing in joy to see that the potions were replaced after the explosion. He tested out the different ways he could use them. One being that as long as he was near the rift that he could summon more then just two at a time. And that a projectile hitting them would cause them to explode. Which he found useful, considering he was no good at actual casting of spells.
Meanwhile, the Magician was just looking through the spell book. Although most of the pages were blank, there were the ones that were filled with the history of The Order. How it came to be, what were the rifts, and how the rifts were used to gather up magic for the human world, and to give the equestrian world a boost in all ponies living there.
It all started with two small rifts, each appearing in front of the rulers of their worlds. It is said that both rulers had the same idea, allow their most trusted magic users to study them. Even though the worlds were separate, both magic wizards studied the rifts in the fashion. After allowing their curiosity to get the best of them, they both touched the rift and got sucked in.
"And that is how our masters met, right?"
The Magician shrieked, jumping high into the air and crash landing.
"Uh, didn't notice I was reading over your shoulder, now did you?"
Blowing her magician hat out of her line of sight to him revealed a very angry mare. "Must you always do that?!"
The War Mage just shrugged at her.
Getting up, she brushed herself off. She was going to give him a piece of her mind.
But before she could, they both heard the crashing sounds of the door being destroyed.
"You got lucky, War Mage," the Magician growled.
"I know, I'm always lucky!
There wasn't much difference as before. With the orcs becoming trapped in the tar, the wall arrows took care of them. The War Mage would throw a couple of the Alchemy Bombs in the middle of the groups before shooting them with his crossbow. He would laugh when the acid would melt their skin off and all that would be left was their bones. The magician just used the blade staff with her magic and would give them cuts around their bodies, which allowed the acid to seep through and kill them faster.
Unfortunately for the Paladin Guardian, they did not get to see any action. The duty of staying near the rift to protect any of the orcs that would get through the traps must of annoyed them. Or at least that is what the War Mage believed.
After their traditional victory dance, along with the War Mage's new patented victory eyebrow waggle. The Magician felt another burst of energy from the rift gather into her body, she smiled at how she was one step closer to becoming great and powerful. She soon noticed that the rift's color changed as well.
The Magician's smile faded when she sensed the rift giving her a message.
"C'mon... we're to report to The Corner."
"We're being transferred again? That's pretty weird considering that Pega Mage and Smug Alchemist were just sent there." he told her as he picked up the blade staff. "What, did the Pega Mage and Smug Alchemist die there or something?"
The magician said nothing, and walked into the rift.
"...oh."
Author's Notes:
Current Load:
Weapons: Crossbow, Blade Staff
Spell Items: Alchemist's Satchel
Floor Traps: Tar Traps, Spike Trap
Wall Traps: Arrow Wall, Mana Well
Ceiling Traps: Shock Zapper