Rise from the ashes

Chapter 7 - The Warlock

Thomas Green stood in front of his mirror. His new cloak fit his frame perfectly. He was average height, with blonde hair and green eyes, perfect to match his cloak. He shifted his bracelet on his arm; it was the only remaining piece of his parents he had left. It was square pieces of brown topaz, held together with green metal strips, and one of the topaz squares, a tree was carved into it. He didn't let a lot of people see it on him, but he would definitely wear it tonight, even though it clashed with his cloak. He didn't necessarily "hate" the new cloak, but he did hate what it stood for.

There was knocking at his door and his uncle spoke with his gruff voice.

"Hurry up now, you don't want to be late."

Right, he wished he didn't have to go at all, but this day was inevitable. Once a warlock in training came of age, they had to go in front of all the other warlocks and get sworn into their society, a bad society to be blunt. They were the last known surviving warlocks from the war. He didn't like the whole world domination thing, but he just did what he was told. He knew tonight was going to be rough but hey, what could he do? He was just going to accept his new cloak and take it from there.

All the warlocks in training had to wear a drab gray cloak while all the real warlocks got to wear the color cloak that belonged to what magic they specialized in. The air warlocks got to wear silver cloaks with blue swirl patterns, the forge warlocks had their red cloaks that had black dusting all over them, and the most important cloak to have, the solid black with a gold hourglass on the back, the cloak of the very rare time warlocks. We only had three, one of which was my uncle. My aunt, she specialized in history, an important, but boring job. They ran this society and he knew they secretly hoped he would take over for them, but there is only one problem. He wasn't a very good warlock. First off, he was just a common nature warlock and I'm not even good at that. He couldn't draw my first rune until he was ten. They honestly didn't know where to put him, but he felt at home in the woods so they kind of just plopped him there.

My aunt and uncle have raised me from when I was a baby, so they never really expected me to do well and have reminded me of it every day. According to them, my parents dropped me off when I was a baby and have never looked back. I don't believe them, I can't.

The knock on my door came again, louder this time. I took off my new green cloak and tucked it back into my bag; I'd have time to wear it after I become a nature warlock. I hurriedly put on my gray cloak and grabbed my bag. I walked into the main room and saw my aunt and uncle waiting very impatiently.

"I'm ready" he said.

"About time, what was you doing in there, drawing runes, oh, wait" my uncle was cut off when my aunts elbow connected to his ribs.

"Let's just go" she said and turned and walked out the door.

This was going to be fun.

~******~

The walk to the auditorium was a quiet one, but he didn't mind. He looked at all the people that surrounded him. They all looked the same, tan skin, tall, all of them with dark colored hair. Then there was him, the oddball. He often got made fun of as a kid, but that didn't stop him from trying his hardest. Now he was headed to his initiation ceremony, granted everyone who was fifteen had one, but he never thought he would get his very own. He imagined all the people that would be there. Everyone in the whole community was required to welcome in the new recruit to the society. What if he made a fool of himself? Well it wasn't like he didn't do that every day.

He liked his life; despite all the trouble everyone gave him and his quite little village in the middle of nowhere. Everything was a walking distance away and it had a tree house sort of vibe to it. Everything was made out the natural resources around him, and that felt cozy to him.

He walked inside the big dome made out of living trees and went to the back. He knew the drill, he would walk out dressed in his trainee cloak and they would make a big deal with presenting him with his new cloak. Then they took you to the back and gave you this speech and boom, your part of a working society now.

He sat there in silence for what seemed like an eternity, until he heard a voice from the corner in the back.

"Hello?" he said wearily

The rustling became louder and he drew closer. He wasn't necessarily scared, this village was so small, there was never anything new. As he came around the corner he just stood there. Well, he'd be darned, something was new.

"Do you need help?" he asked a very pale man in tattered clothes.

He replied with a voice that slid out of his mouth like butter. "With something you would never be able to help with."

"Try me" I replied

He gave a small laugh. "Ok then, I come from a village pretty far away, I've been hiking this jungle in search of money I can bring back and save my farm from being bought from my family. Would you happen to have some?"

"Oh" he said, silently feeling his bracelet. He knew it was worth a lot of money but there really was nothing of monetary value in this society, so if it went to help someone in need then why not?

He unclasped the bracelet and held it out, earning a gasp from the man. "This belonged to my parents, but if it will help your family, then I think you should have it."

The man's eyes shone with gratitude. "Where are your parents, I would like to thank them personally.

I looked at the floor. "I would like to too." With the look of confusion on the man's face I explained. "My parents left me when I was a baby and I grew up here, it wasn't all bad, I actually kind of like it here.

The man's eyes got wide. "I can't possibly take this gem away from you; I know the meaning of having such an item in your possession, but thank you young man."

I turned to see if someone was waiting for me, and to silently wipe a tear that was forming in my eye, but when I turned back around the man was gone. All that was left was a clear spot in the dust, so at least I knew I wasn't crazy. He jumped when he heard his name being called from the other side of the bamboo curtain and he got up and went to stand next to the ceremony man. As he stood there his hearing became fuzzy and his sight blurry, his movements weren't his own and before he knew it, they were leading him back to the back.

"It's already over?" he asked

"Well yes son, it always go by so fast, doesn't it."

"It really does."

He sat me down and handed me a cup of something warm.
"This will help with your nerves" he said. He was a slightly older man, but he talked like someone who was ancient.

I took a sip and felt my whole body relax. He sat down opposite from me and folded his hands in his lap. He took a deep breath and spoke. "Now let me tell you the story of our ancestors"