Alen the young apprentice.

Alen was in his master's lab sweeping up the dust from his last experiment. The young apprentice had been studying under the strict tutelage of Enior, a very old and very powerful wizard, for the past eight years. When he first started, like many young boys, he believed that he would spend his early days casting spells, shooting lightning from his fingertips, and levitating stones. Intend his new master made him sweep the floors, clean his pots, and dust his lab equipment. So, he did what many young mages did in their youth: steal their master's spellbook and try out a few spells for himself.

He tried summoning a succubus. Even as a ten-year-old boy, he was a bit of a horn dog. But instead of summoning a sexy demon woman, he summoned several small imps, who proceeded to destroy his master's lab. He tried capturing the little demons, but they were just too fast and were surprisingly strong. When his master finally returned, he found his lab destroyed, his tower full of imps, and his apprentice hanging upside-down from the ceiling viva a small rope tied around his left foot.

After banishing the imps and cutting the young boy down, he scolded him with such ferocity that Alen could have sworn that he felt the earth shaking beneath him. "Foolish horny child!" he shouted, "You are lucky they didn't break out of the lab! If they made it to the basement, where I keep my most potent and dangerous artifacts, then you would have suffered far worse than a simple nose bleed!" Since that day, Alen had been on his best behaver around Enior, though this didn't save him from the occasional scolding after misacting a spell or following up a potion.

Alen had grown into a handsome young man since then. He had fair skin, dark hair, blue eyes, and a toned, slender body, though his chin was still bald and his face was still young and boyish. He knew a few basic spells and a handful of potions but had yet to receive a staff or a wand. However, he was somewhat adept in swordsmanship and knew how to use a bow. A mage has to eat after all.

As the young man swept the last of the dust off the floor, he suddenly caught the sound of hooves clacking against the dirt road. The young man stopped what he was doing and made his way to the window. The lab was situated in a small tower, so Alen had a good view of the Northern Road. It was dark out, with a full pail moon hanging low in the sky, illuminating the Northern approach. Alen could make out the silhouette of a bearded man dressed in withered robes and carrying a long-corked staff in the dim moonlight. He was riding a large, heavily packed horse and accompanied by a smaller figure on foot.

"Master!" Alen called back into the tower.

"I see them," Enior replied from down stars, "Go to the kitchen and make some tea. They will be weary from their travel, and it would be rude not to have something prepared for them."

"Was Enior expecting gest?" Alen, though. "Yes, Master!" He called back, "I'll get right on it!"

"And don't burn the tea leaves this time," Enior called back in a raspy voice, "Do you have any idea how distracting the smell of burnt mint is!"

Alen roiled his eyes before replying with a long sigh, "Yes, Master." As he made his way down to the kitchen, the boy muttered, "I swear at times I'm more his servant than his apprentice."