Alcar's life sucks. His days in the poor quarter of the city of Katresburg are long and tough, his parents treat him like garbage, and he doesn't have a silver moon to his name.

But Alcar knows that there is an exciting world of adventure out there. And when he sees a half-orc master sorcerer walking through his neighborhood, he decides to grab his chance. He approaches Master Maluhk to offer his services as an apprentice. And to his shock, the sorcerer agrees to let him come and try his luck along with several other applicants.

Soon though, it is all too clear that Alcar, clumsy and lazy as he is, lacks any natural magical talent. It also becomes apparent that Master Maluhk is only interested in 'apprentices' in order to get someone to do his laundry and tidy up his books. At best, Alcar and the others have signed up to do unpaid labor.

Things go from bad to worse when his fellow applicants for the role of apprentice prove to be reckless in the extreme, and as Master Maluhk's tower catches fire, Alcar soon finds himself being blamed for their misdemeanors.

Can Alcar clear his name, gain another chance, and learn enough to show that he has the potential to be a proper sorcerer's apprentice?

[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]