Chapter 8: The Apprentice
9700 BC - Dimension X
Kraang Prime looks over the status reports his generals sent him. They were rather difficult to understand due to their odd way of speaking, but there wasn't much he could do about that, brainwashing had the unfortunate side effect of limiting the intelligence of the victim. He had hoped Krang could serve as an intelligent right hand man, but he was an idiot without needing to be brainwashed. The only reason he kept him around is to make sure his plans were idiot-proof. He needed someone intelligent, someone independent, and someone who would willing join his cause.
"Krang" Kraang Prime said "I need you to make a call to your cousin…"
Knight was getting tired of this war, of all the death, and destruction. The worst part was that the Utrom he was fighting were not doing so of their own free will. If they were, they'd be traitors, he can deal with traitors, but no they were victims. He had argued with the rest of the Utrom High Council for countless hours about this, they needed to find a way to either free the Kraang from Kraang Prime's control or to at least safely contain them. Yes, he leads troops in battle and had killed his fellow Utrom when forced to… but this was starting to take a strain on his soul and his fellow Councilmen were not sympathetic. There was even talk of removing him from the Council due to the disagreements and that they'd rather he be under their command, rather than one of their equals
"Hello, Cousin" Krang said stepping out of the shadows
"Krang, you traitor!" Knight said "I may not like killing the Kraang, but you are not under mind control, give me one good reason not to end your miserable life right now"
"Because we're family" Krang said "and besides I want you to join me"
"I may not be happy with the Council, but I am not a traitor" Knight said
"Don't think of it as treason" Krang said "think of it as ending this was and bringing order to Dimension X. A vast majority of Utroms are Kraang now anyways. And look at how the Kraang are when they aren't fighting you. They're peaceful, content. You're tired of the fighting aren't you? If we defeat the remaining Utroms, there will never be another war again. We will all live in harmony under Kraang Prime"
"How can you call universal brainwashing peace?" Knight asked
"Eh, I don't think about it" Krang said "but Kraang Prime has sent me to give you an offer. Join the Kraang and you will be his number two. Think of it Cousin, you only have to answer to Kraang Prime, no one else, no Council, no politicians. And Kraang Prime pretty much lets me do whatever I want as long as it doesn't interfere with his plans. And as a bonus, here" and he hands Knight some paper
"What is this?" Knight asked
"Plans to building your own suit" Krang said
"You stole these from Rook" Knight said looking as them
"True" Krang said "but it shouldn't be difficult for a military genius like you to turn this into a powerful mech suit, with some help from Kraang Prime's files. Think of it cousin, this is everything you ever wanted, power, peace, order, respect, freedom, a mech suit"
"I don't know…" Knight said
"Consider this a favor to me" Krang said "you're the only family I have left"
"And you're the only family I have left" Knight said "… very well… for family"
"For family" Krang said "welcome to the Kraang, Knight"
"Don't call me that" Knight said "that was my Utrom name. I am Kraang Subprime"
9501 BC - Myra - Enchanted Forest - Fairy Tale Realm
A group of young boys are harassing an old man, bald, with a long white beard
"Keep walking baldie!" the lead boy said
"Leave him alone, Arius!" another boy runs up and decks Arius
"Why you little…" Arius said as his gang of boys surround the other boy and the old man "I don't know why you want to help this old man, but you're both going to pay now"
"It was the right thing to do" the boy said
"Maybe I should go easy on you…" Arius said "after all you did just lose your parents and little sister to the plague… nah! Get 'em!"
"Enough!" The old man said and with a twirl of his hand gold smoke twister around him, revealing that he was using a glamour spell and that he actually looked like a young man
"Who… who are you?" Arius asked
"I am the Sorcerer" said the man "I am one of the Original Powers, I have lived hundreds of years and not aged, I have wielded magic that you can only dream of. I am Merlin, now begone!" And Arius and his gang run off and Merlin turns to the remaining boy
"Do you know why I came here, boy?" Merlin asked
"No sir" the boy replied
"I sensed two young boys with a great potential for magic in this small village" Merlin said "one with a dark heart one with one of gold. It's funny, with all my magic I still have problems reading someone's heart, well, short of ripping it out and checking, but that doesn't seem a good way to introduce yourself to someone. You were one of the boys, the other was Arius. I needed to test your hearts and you both showed me exactly who you are"
"A test… for what?" The boy asked
"I need an apprentice" Merlin said "someone who has both a high potential for magic and a heart that can resist the temptation that kind of power can bring. If you agree to be my apprentice I will teach you everything I know. I can't promise immortality but I can ensure you don't die of old age. But I won't mislead you, the first thing you need to understand is that magic always comes with a price. And the great magic I'm going to teach will come with a great price"
"What's the price?" The boy asked
"Excellent question" Merlin said "and that isn't always easy to see ahead of time. I've learned if you use your magic to help people, and not for personal gain, that more times than not is enough to pay the price"
"I don't know…" the boy began "I don't know if I can resist the temptation of power, if I can be what you want me to be"
"And that kind of attitude is exactly why I want you to be my apprentice" Merlin said "you're eager to help people but not to gain power. If you were eager to become my apprentice, that would prove that you weren't ready"
"If you think I'm ready, that I'm worthy" the boy said "than I will become your apprentice" the boy said
"Well you can't become my apprentice until you tell me your name" Merlin said
"Don't you already know it?" The boy asked
"I do" Merlin confirmed "but I've found people don't like it when you address them by their name without being formally told. So, what is your name?"
"Nicholas" the boy said
"Nicholas of Myra"
