The Elder Warlock

Chapter 1: A friend

A clear sky,  dry ground, and his mother said he could.

"Now go be careful John. You have out up until the sun stands over your head."

"I know mother." He was too happy to wait.

A door opened and out came the little boy. Out and about in the bigger world, otherwise known to him as the backwoods. 7 years old and ready to venture out. He closed the old wooden door and started running excitedly. His mother finally gave him permission to explore the backwoods. It was always so mysterious. Each time he even went an arm's length in he found something interesting. A bug as vibrant as the rainbow? Yes. A flower that always changed hue? Absolutely breathtaking. A stick that looked like his father's long sword? The best thing ev- Oh wait he forgot it.

John turned and quickly ran the little length he made from leaving the house. He found his stick and then ran off to the backwoods. It wasn't far but it had enough space to see lovely things. Butterflies dancing, birds flying and colourful mushrooms. It got better as he approached the backwoods. It had more trees than the rest of the forest where his village was. Not to mention that they were bigger as well.

He stood at the vague beginning of the backwoods. There was something of a clear path. One he made good use of in the last two times he went in far. He went over the laying log, past the funny branches, under the hanging apples, and through the tree splitting into two. It was a long way between each place. Not long like his father's trails to work but it was still long. The big trees made it so bumpy as well. He could make both his arms straight and maybe make himself as wide as the smallest trees there, but one tree was massive. He had been eyeing it the last time before he had to scurry off before he was late. Thankfully it was a clear road to it after he got through a narrow opening made by two smaller trees next to each other. He was too scared of the thorn bushes on either side to just go around.

Then there it was, the big oak. He ran to it with his little legs and started running to it. While the road wasn't too long, the view of the enormous tree was so unreal. It looked big from back there but it being right in front of him at that moment was otherworldly. Not even his mother, father and him next to each other with their arms out could be as wide as this. Even if he had a longer stick in his hands wit that. He couldn't help but get closer. The bark was rough and there were so many places he could use to climb... but he couldn't. His mother said he was not allowed to climb any trees if he didn't want to fall. And it hurt to fall since he did climb a tree outside their house. His butt was so sore afterwards...

...but then again. It was so tempting. He could imagine himself feeling the grooves and putting his hands and feet there. The feeling of going up and up. And the branches looked so wide. He wanted to see if he could run on them...

... but no. His mother said no climbing trees, and she always had a reason to tell him something. Maybe when he was older he would have come back.

Then out of nowhere he saw a sparkle. No he saw two. No three. No... too many. All these blue lights dancing and flickering in the trees. What were they? He was squinting to try see them but he couldn't make them out. Maybe if he climbed he would... but his mother said no climbing trees.

He stood there. The lights looked so pretty. He just had to get a closer look. But his stomach was collapsing just thinking of what his mother would say. She always knew everything and so did his father, so he could never get away with climbing the big oak... he spent a long time looking up. Maybe, if he could bring it to his mother she wouldn't be so mad. Father brought that shiny rock one time and his mother had such a big smile. So maybe he wouldn't get in trouble then.

John smiled. He finally made up his mind. He was climbing up to get his mother a shiny blue thing, and then he wouldn't get into trouble. He walked up to the large tree and gently put his sword stick on the ground. He put his hands into the grooves of the bark and then his feet.
Hand by hand and foot by foot he made his way up. He only looked at the above canopy of leaves getting closer very slowly. After a little bit he reached his first branch. It was so big he could climb onto it and lay down. He had a little happy attack and flailed his hands around. The sudden break in his adventure made him look at the sky. He gasped, it was nearly midday. He had to be quick and so he went back to the tree trunk of the big oak and made the mistake of looking down.