Celestial Warlock - short story

The full moon cast long shadows from the mountains across the open plains. The air is bitterly cold and still, awash in the icy grasp of midwinter. The empty vastness of this landscape, devoid of life and sound, gives it an otherworldly quality. Enormous snow-capped mountains frame this bleak landscape, like giant hands hiding something forbidden, keeping it secret from the outside world.

Standing in the middle of this rocky plain is a robed figure. Small puffs of cold air cling to his white beard as he slowly breathes. He wraps his cloak tightly around his frail body, shielding himself from the cold night air. He continues on his journey, searching for a powerful source of energy. He can feel the vibrations of it pulsing through his veins as he gets closer, like a beacon, calling him to come and find it. He stops and looks towards the dark sky, trying hard to find a distant star. Squinting through his bushy brows, he finally spots it; a faint light glowing deep crimson in the vast void of space.

With a quick motion, he flings back one side of his cloak to reveal an old wooden staff. It glimmers with an iridescent light that comes from a pale gemstone embedded in the folds of wood. The light of the gemstone is cold, pale and distant, clinging to the last vestiges of power it has. He holds up his hand, measuring the sky with his thumb and forefinger, looking for something unseen by the naked eye. He nods silent approval to himself as he finds what he has been searching for. Looking down, he scuffs the ground with his foot, bumping a ridge in the earth. He has found it. It looks like a small indentation of ancient stone imbedded in the earth. He lowers his staff into the small stone crater, securing it with a twist. Standing back, he raises his frail arms and begins to chant an ancient spell and with each new word, his voice grows in strength.

Slowly, a bright light appears in the deep void of space, like it was coming from the distant crimson star; a journey long and ageless. The light grows in brightness until it appears to consume the sky with an ethereal and otherworldly glow, illuminating the old warlock. The light suddenly fades as quickly as it came, and slowly a small object appears to be descending from the sky. It slows down as it approaches the warlock, reaching for it, he grasps it in his hand. Smooth and cold, he runs his thumb across the strange stone he has summoned. He can feels its power coursing beneath his fingers, like a living thing, pulsing with an alien energy.

He removes the old stone from his staff and deposits the new one in its place. As soon as the stone is secure, a shockwave of energy vibrates through him. The stones powerful energy hums over the warlock as he is consumed by the cosmic power of the stone. An otherworldly transformation begins as the lines on his face slowly fade, his jaw becomes more defined and sharp, and his hair turns from white to raven black. His body, once frail and hunched over is now tall and standing upright, the thin skin and spidery veins in his hands and arms fade to reveal strong, youthful skin. Then abruptly the vibrant light of the stone begins to fade, revealing a young and powerful warlock. His hair and beard are shiny and lustrous, his eyes gleam with a youthful light and vigour. His connection to the celestial powers have once again unlocked the secret to immortality, allowing him to live another life as a young man with a new source of powerful magic. He will return at the end of this life, to summon a new stone when he needs it, continuing his eternal cycle of life. 

Once again it feels like time stand still as silence cloaks the land. The lone warlock draws his hood around his head and continues on his journey. The slow and rhythmic sound of his feet crunching stone is all that can be heard in this vast expanse of earth. Above the distant crimson star glimmers, its ethereal pale light a reminder of the sacred celestial magic that the mountains witnessed, like silent spectators in the night.