[ WP ] You have to understand . That 's the nature of fire .

My apprentice's eyes flicked up, away from the fireball she had summoned. `` No they do n't.'' 
 `` I am telling you, Granddaughter, they do. Every single one. It's a right of passage.'' Settled into my comfy chair, pipe smoke curling around my wizard's hat, I was once again attempting to educate my great, great, great ( ahem. A few more greats ) granddaughter on magic and worldly wizardly wisdom. The magic she had taken to like a duck to orange. The wisdom... not so much. 
 `` They do indeed, Apprentice Mary.'' My one-time apprentice and'colleague', Jack o'Kent piped in. Having heard I had taken on a new apprentice, and one of my bloodline, Jack had decided to pay a visit to ensure any respect for me was short-lived. 
 `` Why, Merlin here still does it. Many times he's turned up to a meeting, holes in his beard and reeking of burnt hair.'' 
 `` Twice, it's happened twice'' I snapped `` and the second time was because one of my apprentices, *Jack*, had set alight half of Monmouth.'' 
 `` Anyway. Mary, everyone does it.'' Turning back to my new apprentice and pointedly ignoring the old one ( now amusing himself with an illusion of a burning beard ), I continued `` Every wizard will set themselves on fire at some point. It's the nature of fire; to spread if not contained.'' She snorted. 
 `` Well it wo n't happen to me, Merlin. I'm being careful.'' 
 `` Oh no? Well I guess that your smouldering sleeve is just an illusion.'' She looked down at where her spell had spread, before flailing about the room in an effort to save her clothing. 
 `` That's what happens when you decide to concentrate on arguing with your Master, rather than on the spell.'' I turned to Jack smiling, who smirked and glanced at my fine facial hair, now burning from fallen ash from my pipe. Joining my apprentice in the dance of the burning man, I paused to set Jack o'Kent's trousers alight. After all, how else is a ( former ) apprentice supposed to learn to respect his master? 
 
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 *A continuation of a tale started* [ here ] ( https: //m.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/4jg2w7/comment/d36gxtg )
