Why do I let that fool have any say in his court magicians? Tirek thought as he finished penning a letter to Scorpan. It seemed that every mage Scorpan hired was trying to kill everyone in the capital city, albeit unintentionally.
The centaur sat emotionless as he looked at the scroll that had been given to him last week. This time, the spell proposed would “materialize an object that was lost in the past” by combining two classes of magic that had no business with one another. The first class was pure heresy, mingling in the concept of time, and the other was a alchemy, the lowest class of magic. The result would have killed everyone in a five-mile radius.
Tirek tapped his finger on the scroll and reduced the spell to ash. He would send the strongly worded letter to Scorpan later in the day, hopefully resulting in the firing of the mage. The moment he stood to stretch his aching legs, Tirek felt a slight pain as his stomach began to rumble. Something else to sour his mood this morning. Spike, being the slothful boy that he was, had yet to wake up and start cooking breakfast.
Normally, Tirek would have dragged him out of bed, however, after looking at the calendar that hung on his wall he decided to leave the whelp be. It was April the 15th, a miserable little date that held no importance to anyone in his family. Even Spike’s mother was around on April 15th eight years ago, so the date had no significance what-so-ever.
It was nothing more than an irresponsible act of kindness. As unfortunate as it was to admit, Tirek was a martyr to his own generosity. It was he took who Spike in, provided for the lad, and devoted his time to teaching him, all because his poor mother asked him to. All Tirek ever asked in return was effort in when the dragon did his chores and studied. The way Spike repaid him was almost a spit in his face. The dragon rewarded himself for turning in pitiful work the previous day, slacked constantly to read fantasy, and the boy had the gall to dictate to his dear uncle what he would eat for dinner.
Tirek climbed the steps and went to his library, putting his reference books in their proper place and the letter on his desk. Before he could turn and leave to get something from the pantry, three powerful knocks echoed through the house. The centaur lifted a brow as he tried to fathom who could be disturbing him. He was not expecting guests today, and if he was not expecting guests then it was likely his mother’s handmaiden, an annoyance if there ever was one.
His mother used the equine as a stick to beat his patience, having her constantly ferry Spike away to the gargoyle's mansion. If there was a silver lining it was that she would be able to get Spike out of bed. The only downside was that he was going to be forced to play the villain once he forbade Spike from leaving the house. That was going to make Spike all the more spiteful when he cooked later tonight.
He made his way towards the door, dragging his hooves every chance he could. Perhaps, if he took long enough, his would be guest would take a hint and leave him be. To his chagrin, the knocks only became more frequent. He quickened his pace, not because he cared for whomever was at the door, but because doing so was the only to cease the infernal tapping.
“What do you want, you blasted equine!?” Tirek shouted as he threw open the door. He blinked twice to make sure that his eyes were not betraying him. Whilst not his mother’s handmaiden, there stood a pony. Not just one pony, but rather three . At least, they looked like ponies. Tirek kept a stolid expression as he eyed each mare. All three wore bright red pendants around their necks, along with bright colored dresses. If he was younger, and foolish, then he might have found their looks tolerable.
One mare had poufy orange hair, yellow fur, and dark pink eyes that whispered of sinful desires. On her back was a brown saddle bag, something that must have been through wars by the look of it. The second mare was light violate, had pigtails, piercing purple eyes and seemed generally disinterested in him, while the third seemed easily distracted, and a bit ditzy. Weather her demeanor was a façade or not was up for debate, but Tirek knew that her innocence would have men of all species hovering over her, waiting for any command to follow. Tirek made a mental note to keep Spike away from the last one.
“Lord Tirek, I presume?” The yellow mare asked, leaning forward. There was an eagerness in her eyes, something that put Tirek off.
“Tis I,” he answered in a huff. “What business do you have with me? If you’re students, look for a teacher elsewhere. I have all the pupils I need.”
“Oh, we do not mean to take up your time with studies,” She said with a laugh. The mare flashed him a curt smile, but there was something darker lingering behind it. Could it just be her excitement? Perhaps. People often acted strangely in his presence. Of course, there were none that were as powerful as he, however ordinary Tirek might seem.
“My name Adagio Dazzle,” she said, bowing her head. “And these are my sisters, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. We’re searching for rare ingredients for a high paying client, and heard a rumor that a dragon lived here-”
Tirek lifted his hand to silence the mare. “What do you want from him?”
“Oh, nothing that won’t grow back. Just some ingredients. You probably heard about the dragon lands, they’re likely to kill us on sight. Might we please talk with your dragon?”
Tirek’s eyes narrowed. “If it is so important to you, you may talk with my nephew.”
“Your nephew? Oh, I deeply apologize! The way that our employer explained it to us, we were led to believe he was a pet. It won’t happen again, I promise. Might we come in and talk with your nephew?”
“You may,” Tirek motioned for the mares to follow him into the house. “The boy is upstairs in his room,” he explained as he led them through his home. “Before I fetch him, allow me to set some ground rules. There will be no humming, singing, or music from any you.” He waved them off, as the two lesser mares looked at each other, worried. “Do not try to bribe me to force him to give you what you want; it is his choice to give you his scales and spines. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.” A small smile grew as Adagio kept pace with the aging centaur. “Might I ask why no singing? It seems to be an odd rule.”
“Music annoys me, the boy will attest to that. I know Equines, the cuter of you have some blasted need to break into song for whatever reason you can think of. I’d blame the blue one, she seems the type to hum to herself. Stay in there,” he said, motioning towards the den, “I’ll send him down shortly, and do not try to cheat the boy, I’ll be watching to make sure any transactions go smoothly.”
“Understood, Master Tirek. And he’s deciding what to sell us, not you, correct?”
“Again, it’s his choice to give you his scales and spines. ”
“Just making sure, my sister’s and I would hate to take a misstep. If you don’t mind my asking, where is your nephew?”
“If any god is looking out for him, he’s likely up in his room, with a book opened and a quill in his claw.”
The sun’s rays finally landed on Spike, stirring the young dragon from his slumber. “Five more minutes,” he moaned, rolling to his side, and putting a pillow over his head. He desperately wished to return to his dream world. There, he wasn’t just Spike, the dragon, he was Spike the Brave, the glorious knight of Arcania. He shifted in bed for a few moments before finally surrendering to the sun. Letting out a loud yawn as he stretched his limbs, he slowly stumbled his way to his desk and took a seat.
“Good morning,” the young dragon mumbled as he looked towards the picture of his mother. His eyes almost closed as he sat back in his chair. “I know. I wish I could sleep like that all the time.” Spike paused. “Yeah, why not ask Uncle Tirek, like he’d agree to that. He never lets me sleep in-” Spike’s eyes snapped open as he quickly turned to his clock. It was almost 10. He’d overslept. He’d overslept at his uncle's. He’d overslept the day after his uncle wanted him to wake up early. He’d overslept the day after he turned in terrible work. His uncle was going to kill him.
“I gotta go, I love you!” Spike said, scrambling out of his seat. He quickly threw off his nightshirt and opened the top most draw of his borough. Grabbing a plain white shirt, he rushed to get his boots. “I’m dead,” he said to himself as he struggled to get dressed. His bed was unmade, he had yet to wash, and he had not made breakfast. It would be a miracle if his uncle didn’t finally hit him. “I don’t have my cloak on, it’s almost ten, and I am dead!”
Spike grabbed an aqua green robe from the many that hung in his closet and rushed to the door. Perhaps if he went down, cooked the choicest cuts of steaks they had in the pantry to perfection, and read three chapters of his magic textbook while doing it, then maybe his uncle would only ground him for a few weeks. Spike threw his door, and dashed forward, only to smack into two sturdy, yet sickly thin legs. Spike looked up to meet his uncle’s gaze, the old centaur waiting for him with his arms crossed and a brow raised.
Spike began to stammer before finally being able to say, “G-good morning, Uncle Tirek.” He swallowed a forming lump in his throat as his uncle’s eyes narrowed. “I-I-I’m sorry for not getting up earlier and cooking, I didn’t mean to oversleep I just-” Spike bit his lower lip the moment Tirek lifted up his hand.
“I don’t wish to hear your empty apologies,” Tirek snorted. “At least you managed to wake up on your own.” He took several steps forward, passing Spike and making his way over to his nephews desk. “I heard chattering. Talking to your ‘mother’ again?” Tirek asked, looking down at the framed picture that rested on Spike’s desk.
“No, I-I was just talking to myself! It’s a habit that I need to break, it’s just hard. You know me uncle, I struggle.”
“I see. So you screamed ‘I love you’ to yourself.”
Spike turned red as he tried to think of some excuse to give. “Well, Uncle, you see I-I-” His face fell as he sighed in defeat, “I said it to mom-the picture of mom, Uncle.”
Tirek shook his head as he continued to look at the picture. “Lying to your uncle. I wonder, if your mother was here, what would she say?”
“She’d be cross with me, Uncle,” Spike said. His mother was always cross with him when he lied. Even the smallest, whitest lie resulted in his desert privileges being taken away and earning him an extra serving of vegetables with his supper.
“Break this habit, Spike, before I make you break it,” Tirek said, never looking away from the picture. The centaur reached his claw out and touched the picture, causing Spike the tense for just a moment. Spike knew that it had to be a threat. All it would take was one small spell and his uncle could reduce the picture to ash in moments. Then again, if he wanted to ruin the picture, his claws would more than suffice.
“Remember, Spike, your mother is coming back,” Tirek said, ripping Spike way from his thoughts. “In the meantime, we have guests downstairs that wish to speak with you. Converse with them and get them out of my home.” Tirek turned to face his nephew, keeping his expression emotionless.
“Are they alchemists?” Spike asked. Potion Makers, better known as Alchemists, were common company for him and his uncle to have. Rumors had it that enough dragon scales, mixed with a multitude of other ingredients could enhance a person’s strength for an hour or two, but in truth the effects lasted but a few minutes. However, this was unknown to most novices, and as such, it was a common prank to send apprentices out to collect such a rare and ‘useful’ ingredient.
“No, they simply work for one. If there’s one positive that we can take away from this setback, it’s that you’re likely to make some coin from this.”
“Of course,” Spike said with a sigh. His uncle never did like guests. Any mail couriers not under his father’s employ were normally sent to his grandmother’s house. Anyone that was with the church were instructed to leave immediately, and those peddling things that his uncle deemed useless, which was most things, were quite literally thrown off of their property. The only exception to the rules were alchemists and those hired by them. There was only one reason that they were even allowed near the house, and that was because they usually offered him and his uncle coin of some sort.
“Do not give me that look,” Tirek sneered. “If horrid, slithering creatures wish to waste our time, the least they could do is pay for it. Nothing in life is free, Nephew. I think it best you learn that now.”
“Right.” Because it’s so wrong to be kind to pranked alchemists. Spike climbed down the stairs and walked towards the living room. He peeked from behind the corner of the wall to catch a glimpse of his guests, only to quickly shot back behind the wall.
Ponies. It had to be ponies. Worse, they were all cute. Spike could already begin to feel his cheeks start to heat up as his heart sped just a bit. He took a deep breath as he took a single step from behind the wall and made his way towards the mares. The mares turned their heads to him, sending a chill up his spine. Two of the mares smiled brightly at Spike as he came into the room, with one of their eyes lighting up, while the last one seemed woefully disinterested. Still, Spike couldn’t help but notice how their eyes sparkled and shimmered, even in the dimly lit room. Slightly trembling as he came to stand in front of the mares, Spike spoke with a clear and strong voice.
“You must be the guests my uncle told me about,” he said with a small bow of his head. “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. My name is Spike, Spike Solaris. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” A bit too formal than he would usually give, however, his Grandmother, her handmaid, and his mother had always taught him to be respectful to guests, especially if said guests were lovely ladies.
“The pleasure is all ours! My Name is Adagio Dazzle,” The first pony, a mare with a yellow coat with an orange mane said. “These are my sisters, Sonata Dusk-” she motioned to the light blue mare that sat to her right. The mare uncontrollably hopped up and down in her seat, biting her lower lip as her gaze focused on Spike. “-and, Aria Blaze, who should show how happy she is that such a busy individual has kindly taken time out of his day to meet with us.” she elbowed the purple mare to her left andjerked her head towards Spike.
“Hi.” Aria mumbled, glaring at the dragon.
“You’re adorable!” Sonata cried, standing from the couch. She quickly scooped Spike up into the her arms and began to assault him with a myriad of nuzzles. “After seeing that mean guy, I was expecting you to be some angry bitter dragon, but you’re so cute! Do you two see this?” she asked, holding out Spike towards her sisters. “He’s adorable and snuggly! Oh, can we keep him? I wanna keep him and care for him and snuggle him all day!” She began to squeeze him once again, rubbing her cheek against his, forcing a fire to ignite in his face.
Spike tried to fight any thoughts that entered his head, but found himself in a losing battle as he sunk into Sonata’s soft coat. His sinuses were assaulted by the fresh smell of the ocean and palm trees, as he found himself enjoying the warmth of the embrace. Spike couldn’t deny that a small part of him enjoyed every moment of it. Cursed ponies, why must they be so cute and adorable, stealing the wits of young, unsuspecting dragons such as he?
“Sonata, he’s a child, not a pet. Put him down, now,” Adagio gently demanded, giving Sonata’s wings a tug.
“No! You don’t mind that I’m snuggling you right?” She asked Spike.
There came a small squeak from the dragon.
“One squeak, that’s a yes!” Sonata paused mid-nuzzle. “Wait, Spike Solaris?” She held the limp dragon out at arm's length. “I thought your last name was ‘the Dragon’. What gives?”
“Sonata, why on Earth would you think that his last name’s the Dragon?” Aria asked. “That’s like a gargoyle thinking that your last name is ‘the Pony’.”
“Solaris was my mom's last name,” Spike explained, his voice barely emerging from a small squeak. He silently prayed that his blush went unnoticed. Unbeknownst to him, his prayers went unanswered. “My dad and uncle said that’s just how dragons are.”
“Okay!” Sonata chirped as she restarted her nuzzles.
A loud smack echoed throughout the house as Spike was dropped to the floor, waking him up from his comatose state. He heard Sonata whimpering as she rubbed the back of her head.
“Meanie!” She shouted to Adagio, as tears began to well up in her eyes. She huffed and turned away from her sister, crossing her arms and turning her head.
“I do apologize for my sister,” Adagio said, smiling at Spike. Her expression flattened as she shot Sonata a cold glare. “She’s an idiot.”
“I-it’s fine,” Spike murmured. “I’ll be right back.”
Spike stepped out of the room, only to re enter and whisper something to Sonata. Gasping, Sonata’s mood instantly improved. She whispered into Spike’s ear, earning herself a nod before Spike rushed out of the room once again.
“What was that?” asked Adagio, who was too nervous and annoyed to keep up her smile. Things were not progressing as she had wanted them to. She’d would have liked them to be on their way by now, parted with some coin but with the ingredient their mistress so desired.
“You’ll see!” Sonata sang, concerned only with what Spike had whispered to her.
Spike scuttled off to put on the kettle, and fetch some treats from the pantry. Sonata had him asked if he had any cakes and other pastries available, something that he and his uncle had in droves. Being the gracious host that he was, he would supply them to her and her party. While part of him wanted to serve Adagio whatever dull tea he drudged up from the back, Sonata had made it clear that the three of them enjoyed blueberry tea, with plenty of sugar and honey. He wrinkled his nose at the choice. While Spike never liked the beverage, he preferred raspberry tea himself when he could not enjoy a cup of juice, he knew that his uncle had boxes of it. Not for them, his uncle hated blueberry tea, but for Spike’s mother. Why, if she wasn’t enjoying a small amount of wine with her dinner, she could normally be found with a cup of blueberry tea. If it would make his guests feel more welcomed, then he would gladly drink it.
Taking a platter, Spike began to carefully stack several pastries, including seed and bundt cakes, before he grabbed a box of blueberry tea with his tail. The kettle let out a whistle just as he finished stacking the last cake. The young dragon hurried to the stove, and placed the platter of cakes on a nearby counter. He prepared a pot, and put in on a second platter along with five tea cups. Not Tirek’s favorite beverage, but his uncle would just have to make due. Spike carefully picked up both platters and carefully made his way towards the den.
“Where’s the boy?” Tirek’s voice sliced through the air, filling Spike with a feeling of dread.
“Here! I’m here, Uncle Tirek!” Spike called. He pattered into the room, holding his tray of goods. “Sorry, I was just getting some food for everyone. Don’t want to be rude, right?”
Tirek lifted a brow as his eyes scanned the young drake standing tall, holding two platters of food and drink. “I suppose we don’t.” Tirek snaked over to his arm chair and sat down, his eyes never leaving his guests.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Spike placed the platter of treats on the small coffee table. His uncle always seemed to to think the worst of their guests. If they showed him affection, they were trying to manipulate him. If they asked for food, they were free loaders, and if he was missing for only a second, they had probably kidnapped him. When he was six, his uncle once broke a gargoyles arm and knocked a few of his teeth out. What did he do? According to his uncle, the aristocrat dared to call Spike a pet, and wanted Tirek to sell him the young dragon. Spike was then told that gargoyle got off lucky.
Starting with Sonata, Spike gave each of his guests a cup of tea. When Spike came to Tirek with a cup, he became still, not of fear or worry, but of habit. Tirek’s face fell flat as he sniffed the beverage, looking to Spike as if expecting an apology.
“They wanted Blueberry tea, what was I supposed to make?” He said in a low whisper.
Tirek rolled his eyes as he reluctantly accepted the cup. He knew that had their guests looked like stallions, Spike would have made white or raspberry tea, or given them a cup of juice, and he would not have been so generous with their food. Nothing too surprising, the boy was Scorpan’s son after all.
Spike knew was going to receive a harsh scolding later in the day, but he didn’t mind. His guests were comfortable, Sonata was happily eating her fill, and Tirek sat quietly in his chair. Taking a small bundt cake for himself, Spike smiled as he took a seat across from his guests.
“Well, I must admit that this is a... lovely spread-” Adagio moved a treat Spike had given her towards Sonata, who happily ate it in a single bite, “-however, at the risk of sounding rude, may we skip the pleasantries and move onto more important matters? We have a long journey back home.”
There was a desperate look in her eyes as she leaned in towards Spike, something that he was well acquainted with. Although his scales and spines were next to worthless, alchemists and alchemic peddlers were always excited to obtain them. Part of the reason Spike didn’t just tell them the truth was because it tended to ruin their mood.
Giving the mare a nod, Spike began to roll up the sleeve of his cloak. Before he could stand though, Tirek coughed, earning the young dragon’s attention. Tirek gave his nephew a stern look as he rubbed his thumb against his index finger.
“Right,” Spike said to himself. “Before you take anything, I might need some… convincing.” There was a lack of emotion as he spoke. Spike couldn’t help but feel a twinge of shame for what he was doing. Who was he to be asking three mares for money after they had travelled from Equestria just to meet him? He wondered what would his mother say to that? She’d be appalled, and even worried at his behavior. Then again, his uncle did not mind him earning money, so what did she know about anything?
Tilting her head to the side, Adagio’s lips curled upwards. There was a sort of darkness in her smile, but not one brought on by malice, rather one of excitement.
“A businessman, are we? Very well, if you want some compensation, I’d be more than happy to oblige.” Adagio was not a stranger to hanglers, however, she was no stranger to haggling either. Spike, as adorable as he was, was still a boy, and one that seemed to enjoy the company of youthful maidens. Adagio strode towards Spike, before turning sideways. She flashed the dragon a devious smile, before gripping the hem of her dress, slowly lifting it up until the entirety of her hind leg was almost visible. Attached to her thigh was a small bag of gold that hung from a strap.
Spike eyes went wide for a moment before he lifted his gaze towards the ceiling. His blood rushed to his cheeks as he held his breath in an effort to wish away the mare that stood before him. His uncle was not as perturbed, and merely rolled his eyes at the shameless display. Surely, there was no other place to put their money, it had to be hung from one of the mare’s garter. The fact that the mare took her time exposing herself to a young boy was purely coincidence.
“Here you go,” Adagio said, placing the sack of gold in front Spike. She quickly trailed a hoof under his chin before returning to her seat, sending a pleasant chill running up the dragon’s spine.
Probably not even enough to buy food for a week, Tirek thought taking note of the sack’s small size. It wouldn’t matter to Spike how much he’d been given. The lad was redder than any centaur, and didn’t even bother to look at the purse. There could very well be only three coins resting inside and Spike would be more than happy with the arrangement.
“Thank you, that should be more than enough,” Spike said, still looking towards the ceiling.
“That’s wonderful to hear! Well, if you’re ready, then we can get started.” Adagio rummaged around in her bag for a bit, searching for something specific.
Spike cautiously brought his gave back down to the mares, relieved to see that Adagio was decent. “Miss Adagio, we have tweezers if you can’t find yours. You don’t need to rummage around in your bag.”
Adagio paused, before looking towards Tirek and then to Spike. She let out a sigh as she took a seat next to Spike, putting an arm around him. “Spike, I feel that I must clarify something. You see, our employer doesn’t have a need for things such as Spines and Scales, she wishes to use more valuable ingredients.”
“Valuable how?”
“Aria, show him how valuable. It should be in the right bag.”
Aria lifted a large sack of coins in her aura that made both Spike and Tirek go wide eyed.
“Th-that’s uh, that’s very generous.” Spike began to breathe heavily as he fought not to rip the bag open and rummage through its contents.
“Well, considering you assumed that we were taking scales, I thought it might be appropriate to up the payment a bit.”
“And just what is it you want to take, really?” Tirek said, looking at the mares questionably.
“Oh, well, we might need to take just the tiniest bit of his... blood,” Adagio said after a brief pause.
“You want my blood? Why would you need my blood?!” Spike covered the bend of his arm and stood from his seat, quickly moving towards his uncle.
“Nothing nefarious Spike, I assure you. We just need it for-” The snapping of fingers echoed in the air silencing the party and turning their attention towards Tirek.
“That’s enough out of you,” Tirek camly said as he glared at the mares. “There’s nothing left to discuss. I want the three of you out of my home, now.”
“Lord Tirek, please, we have more money if-” Adagio let out a gasp Tirek lifted the trio in his aura.
“Hey, what’s the big idea!?” Aria shouted.
“Wait, uncle, let them explain themselves, maybe this is just a misunderstanding!”
“There’s no misunderstanding, Spike,” Tirek said, never raising his voice past a soft tone. “What we have here are three fools working for a heretic, if they’re even telling the truth.”
“We are! besides, you said that it was his choice to give us what we needed,” Aria argued, pointing to Spike. “Why not let your nephew decide?”
“Yeah, Mr Grumpy! Plus, I still have, like, three cakes to finish!”
“Sonata, no one cares about the snacks!”
“I care!”
Tirek flicked his pointer finger towards himself, bring the three mares in close. “You three grow less and less charming with each passing moment. And I said that ‘It will be his choice to give you his scales and spines’. If you wish to get dragon blood, then I suggest that you try your luck in the dragon lands. I hear they love your kind.” He leaned in and gently whispered, “Apparently, siren flesh falls off the bone once charred.”
There was a bit of worry in their faces as the three of them fell silent.
“Uncle, what did you tell them?” Spike asked, seeing the frightened look.
“Nothing that concerns you, just stating facts.”
Tirek led the mares through the house before tossing them out the front door.
The three mares landed with a thud.
“Excuse me, we had a bag!” Instantly, Adagio’s saddle bag appeared before her. “We also left two bags of bits with you!”
“Indeed you did. My nephew and I thank you for such charitable donations. Now get off my property, before I blast you into oblivion.” Tirek slammed the door shut, leaving the trio alone.
Spike flinched when the door slammed shut. “You just threw them out! You could have hurt them!”
“Those wretches should count themselves lucky if all I did was harm them. They asked for your blood. For all I know they were Witches, worse, Blood Mages,” The way his face twisted made Spike uneasy to ask his next question.
“Well, I get that those are bad, but maybe they just wanted to see what would happen if they mixed dragon blood into a potion. What’s so bad about that?”
“Spike, you should know why you should not take that risk. Just last week I told you to read ‘The Laws of Magic’, and ‘The Taboos of the World’.”
“I skimmed them?”
Tirek shook his head as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “‘Skimmed them’, ‘Wanted to see what would happen’. You sound like an old student of mine. He asked question like that relating to the darker side of magic, and so I threw him out. The fool of a jackal is probably off gallivanting who knows where, probably committing every taboo there is and making new laws just so he may break them. I would forget childlike inquiries, Spike,” His uncle balked as he looked out a window to see the mares off.
“There are two truths you need to concern yourself with when it comes to magic. The first is that a lack of any moral code will drag you down to the gates of Hades. Secondly, Alchemists are the lowest grade of all scholars, and deserve about as much respect as that bird we ate last night. If they’re not off trying to create the next shortcut in a flask, then they’re wasting their potential toying around with their transmutation circles. It’s magic for those who have no talent for magic. Heed my words Spike, waste your time with alchemy, and you’re dead to me.”
“Does that mean I get to live with grandma or dad?”
“I wouldn’t know, nor would I care. You’d be dead to me.”
It wouldn’t be too heartbreaking in Spike's opinion, but it wasn't something Tirek was likely to keep to. His uncle often told him that if he did wrong he’d be dead to the centaur, but normally the taboo would result in a grounding. Spike looked towards the bags of coins that rested on the floor. Were they not giving the bags back to the mares? If not, were they his to keep? Some small part of him hoped so. There was something enticing about the gold. He wanted to count how much there was, feel the coin in his claws, and hold it close to his chest. He wanted it to be his. Then a thought planted itself into his head. It is all mine.
Just as Spike began to near the sacks, a blazing orange glow surrounded the bags, before an orange construct formed and lightly hit Spike atop his head, shocking him back into reality. The bags were lifted up into the air and pulled towards his uncle.
“Do not think you get to squander these earnings!” Tirek shouted. “The last thing I need is you spoiling yourself with frivolous luxuries!” He calmed himself before continuing. “I’m going to the bank to deposit your gold. While I’m gone, go to the library and read Basic Magic Chapter 2. You will review how to levitate other objects. Be ready to cast the spell by tomorrow. When you’re done, re-read Taboos of the World and the Laws of Magic. No skimming this time, I’ll be sure to test you soon. Are we clear?”
“Yes Uncle Tirek,” Spike responded.
“Good.” Tirek left, locking the door behind him.
“I’m never going to get this,” Spike said with a whimper. The young dragon despondently shut the textbook as he laid his head on his desk. Through lidded eyes, Spike looked at his book before an idea popped in his head. What if he already had enough knowledge to use the spell? Could he even be that advanced? This was a foolish question of course; Spike was nowhere near ready to perform a spell. Nevertheless, once the little dragon had an idea pop into his head, it was difficult to persuade him not to pursue it.
Spike stood up and focused on the book. He reached out his claw, closed his eyes, and imagined and invisible hand reaching out and grabbing the book, before bringing it back to him. Nothing happened. Letting out a disappointed sigh, Spike took a seat back at his desk.
It was just hard, nothing more, nothing less. He knew it was possible for Dragon's to use levitation, his mother had often entertained him using just that. She would sometimes use it to let him him fly outside, earning countless laughs and cries of joys. Other times she would use her spells to make his stuffed toys come alive and move about, telling him stories of a brave dragon knight saving a beautiful gargoyle from the clutches of a Centaur Warlock.
Tirek was often cross when she would trivialize something as sinister as a warlocks and witches, but his mother tended to ignore him. There were the times she would use his uncle to entertain him. While Spike was not one for romance stories, he often enjoyed when his mother would tell him a story of the Grumpy Centaur, who fell in love with a gargoyle, who disliked grumpy centaurs. For some reason, the story often flustered his uncle quite a bit.
While Spike became lost in the stories his mother told him, there came two loud knocks at the front door, earning his attention.
Who could that be? Spike thought to himself. Perhaps it was a mail courier unfortunate enough to be sent from his father? Or was it Adagio and her sisters, come back to demand their money. Spike could only imagine their rage once they found out that his uncle had taken it. There came another set of two knocks. He quickly made his way down to the and peered through the peephole, only to see nothing. A bit odd, the only ones that were unable to bee seen were normally children Spike’s age, and Equine. Perhaps it was Adagio after all.
“Master Tirek?” A familiar voice called, along with another set of knocks. “Master Tirek, are you home? I need to talk with Spike!”
Spike instantly perked up as he quickly opened the door. There on the stoop stood a snow-white unicorn with deep violet hair, and shimmering sapphire eyes. She wore a gorgeous blue dress and ruby necklace, something that Spike had given the mare for her birthday. Spike felt a heat course throughout his body as his heart began to race upon seeing the unicorn in all her splendor.
“Rarity! Hi! Good afternoon!” He said, perhaps too quickly. His voice cracked for a moment, forcing him to clear his throat. “H-how’s your day going?”
“Spike, just the young, handsome drake I wanted to see!” She quickly picked Spike up and gave him a hug. “Everything is fine darling, what about you? I hope that the master has eased up on you a bit.”
“Everything’s great! I was just in the middle of magic studies. Uncle Tirek really wants me to learn as many advanced spells as I can. You know,” he casually leaned against the door, “powerful mage stuff.”
“I understand,” Rarity nodded. “At least he’s doing something right. You know Spike, if you master enough spells, and you might be able to impress a gargoyle.” She nudged him a bit, forcing a blush to appear.
“I don’t know about that. I mean, I don’t think gargoyles are really my type.”
“Oh and what is your type?” Rarity asked, a part of her already knowing the answer.
“I don’t know, a girl with more legs? What about you? Any type of guys are you interested in? Mages, magicians, or anything magically inclined?”
“Me?” Rarity asked, trying to control her smile. “Well, I’ve never been one for mages; I’ve always been more interested in knights if I’m honest. Strong warriors in gleaming armor, a strong physique, honor and valor, oh! The thought can make a girl blush!” Rarity buried her muzzle in her hoof as a grin broke across her face. Spike’s little advances were still the most adorable things she’d ever seen. She always tried to not lead him on, but the young drake often made things difficult with his countless offers of help.
“You know, I’ve also been asking Uncle Tirek for fencing lessons!” Spike lied. “You can’t let the body grow dull, you know?” She took a quick breathe in an attempt to calm himself. “Why don’t you come in for a little bit? I could get us some tea, maybe a cake if you’re interested.”
“I wish I could, Spike, alas, her lady needs me to complete a few tasks by day’s end, and I am a bit behind. Fortunately, I have her most precious cargo standing right in front of me.”
“Right! You needed to talk with me. Anything important? Need someone to escort you anywhere, like a dance, or a gathering, or one of Grandma’s parties?”
“Nothing like that I’m afraid. Lady Haydon is just feeling a bit lonely today, and she was wondering if you would like to come for dinner. I suppose your uncle could come if he wants, but personally I find things to be more peaceful without him.”
Spike’s ears perked. “I’d love to, but Uncle Tirek says I need to be ready to cast a spell by tomorrow. I don’t even want to think about what will happen if I don’t. Do you think it’ll be a night trip?”
“Oh Spike, I’m almost certain that it would be. You know how she gets when any of you visit. Dinner, bed, large breakfast and little treats throughout the day. Honestly, she spoils you children,” Rarity giggled. “If I were you, I would jump at the chance.”
“I-I don’t know, Rarity.”
“Come now Spike, you act as if Lady Haydon can’t handle that brute. Just leave a note and I assure you, he’ll be taken care of.” She reached out a hoof and gently stroked his cheek. “Besides, I would love it if you could come. It gets a bit lonely with just the two of us.”
His cheeks flushed red as he struggled struggled to string together any form of response. “I-I-I guess I could go. Just let me pack a few things.” Spike quickly closed the door, leaving Rarity to triumphantly smile.
Spike ran up to his room and packed two bags with everything that he would need. He had his textbooks, a few changes of clothes, his notebooks, his other textbooks, the textbooks he was supposed to read anytime he wasn’t studying, and an adventure novel that he would try to sneak amongst the countless textbooks. His Uncle never liked him reading fiction; he found that it led children to live in fantasy worlds when they should be learning skills that might help them in the future.
Closing his bag, Spike went down to join Rarity, who was putting the finishing touches on a letter before pinning it to the door.
“Anything we need to do before going to Grandma’s?” He asked as Rarity quickly lifted up his bags in her magic.
“There is one thing I needed to take care of before coming here, though I must admit, I procrastinated a bit.”
“Does it involve the Butcher Shop?”
“It may involve the Butcher, yes.”
Spike smiled, trying not to snicker at Rarity’s sudden discomfort. He understood completely. When she first started working for his grandmother six years ago, she’d nearly vomited when she saw him eating a juicy steak. Ponies were not meat eaters after all, and a trip to the butcher shop was not one of Rarity’s favorite activities.
“I could help you out if you want,” Spike offered.
“Spike, you are a true gentlecolt.”