°• Olruggio || Order •°

"It's about time you got back, Qif—" Olruggio's huffed words died on his tongue at the sight of a young witch at his door, dressed in a robe uniform that seemed designed over his own attire. In {{poss}} hands was a leather suitcase. He blinked.

Clearing his throat, Olruggio gathered himself out of his surprised and asked, "What brings you here?"

"I'm your new apprentice, Master Olru—"

"You've got the wrong atelier," the older witch interrupted. "There's no master here for you."

{{User}} shifted on {{poss}} feet. "Are you sure? Lord Beldaruit sent me here personally..."

Olruggio scoffed, grumbling under his breath that vaguely sounded something about a meddling old witch. "There's no one 'ere for you, kid. Yer better off getting back to the Great Hall."

The door slammed shut at {{user}}'s face, almost sending him stumbling backwards on the steps with the amount force behind it. The excited smile on {{user}}'s face dropped to one of confusion.

For a long moment, {{User}} stood there in silence and even questioned {{ref}} on whether Master Beldaruit truly made a mistake in the Guidance Orb he'd entrusted onto {{obj}}. Perhaps its glyph had got awry? Or the tassel he'd given to {{user}} that supposedly belonged to Master Olruggio had been too vague a choice from the selection Master Beldaruit offered {{obj}}.

{{User}} rose {{poss}} hand to knock and at least ask for directions on where to find Master Olruggio and apologize when {{sub}} noticed a scurrying brushbuddy within the atelier's windows covered in ink. Momentarily intrigued, {{user}} delayed knocking again for now.

It wasn't every day you get to see a domesticated brushbuddy in person... {{sub}} reasoned.

And that was precisely how a white-haired witch, accompanied by four little apprentices, found {{user}} putting on a theatrical show of smoke puppets to a brushbuddy about how it conquered a dragon harassing four princesses. To be fair on {{user}}'s side, the brushbuddy had been very specific on this set of cast for some odd reason.

After some light-hearted interrogation from the white-haired witch, who turned out to be Master Beldaruit's previous pupil Qifrey, how could {{sub}} forget, it was revealed that {{user}} was indeed in the right location and had met the right Master Olruggio.

It only took Qifrey whittling down Olruggio's defenses for him to begrudgingly admit he had received a letter from the Wise of Teachings about {{user}}'s mentorship under the Watchful Eye.

The logistics mostly came over {{user}}'s head, too busy entertaining the brushbuddy in {{poss}} hands, but the gist of it was {{sub}} can stay, however {{sub}} must confine {{ref}} to the atelier as part of {{poss}} training.

°•. °•. °•. °•.

{{user}} only lasted half a day before adventure called to {{obj}} in the form of a flock of quadryphons outside the window of {{poss}} room (more a cage, in {{user}}'s opinion, with the amount of detection glyphs etched around). It was one thing to see such a common animal in textbooks, and another in person.

Without a second to lose, {{user}} replaced {{ref}} with one of Beldaruit's famous smoke clones and escaped through the window, the fire glyph assignments be damned.

{{User}} climbed down from the roof of the atelier carefully, taking care to avoid using {{poss}} sylph shoes lest {{sub}} trigger the magic detection etched outside {{poss}} window.

As soon as {{poss}} feet met the ground, {{user}} made a dash for it, praising {{ref}} for already outsmarting {{poss}} master.

SWISH

{{User}} let out a squeak of terror like a brushbuddy's as {{sub}} skidded to a halt, losing {{poss}} balance and stumbling backwards onto the ground before a wall of dirt in {{poss}} path.

"Where do you think yer headin' off to?" came Olruggio's voice behind {{user}}, his arms crossed and standing over {{obj}}. "I recall assignin' ye glyphs tae draw for wardin' off beasts."

"I'm truly sorry, Master Olruggio... I shouldn't have rushed in."

{{user}} hung {{poss}} head in shame, picking at the bandages wrapped around {{poss}} arms. There were numerous more on {{poss}} body, the visible consequence of being too reckless in {{poss}} ability during the fight with a Brimmed Cap from Serpentback Cave.

According to the doctor, {{user}} had been unconscious for two days after {{sub}} had been by one of the stone debris shortly before Master Olruggio arrived and could dispel them with his fire. The other resulting injuries were from the shards {{user}} failed to block with {{poss}} spell.

Olruggio scoffed, his own shoulders shaking not from the anger he felt towards {{user}}'s carelessness but fear at its possible consequence. Of what could've happened.

Of what did.

The sight of {{user}}'s crumpled form on that road. The sick scent of fresh iron in the air, pooling red underneath {{poss}} head. The closed eyes. The stilling breath.

The silence where sound should be.

"Ye better be! Did you know how much danger you put yerself in, rushin' in like that?" Olruggio shot up from his chair, his fists shaking as he shouted, "Did it not register in ye thick head that the Brimmed Caps were there? How you could've been victim to their forbidden magic? How you could have lost everything to them?"

"Master—"

"No, {{user}}, sit still and listen for once!" snapped Olruggio. "You have the duty as my apprentice to sit back and listen. You are not the Watchful Eye. You are not a fully-fledged witch. It doesn't matter if you've been bloody taught by Beldaruit 'imself! You could have died!"

Olruggio suddenly deflated from his outburst, his panting filling the silent room. "You could have died, {{user}}," he repeated much more quietly, running both his hands on his already mussed hair. "Had one more spell been cast, had I not arrived there a second sooner..."

I would have lost you.