Wanderstone - A Friend of a Friend

"Jack!"

The old man, resting on his knees, prods the laying figure with his cloudbreaker of a staff.

"Wake up boy. I've got a favour to ask from you"

The room was not very well lit. The single candle reflected its light across the shed with shadows in every corner. There lay a single tatched bed made of straw beside a rickety table, probably a foot high and looked like it was going to topple. It had some unbelievable balance though.

"Its time Jack"

Jack grumbles and instantly rolls over towards the old man's side. His eyes remain closed as he mutters some unclear phrase. The old man ignores him.

"I have a task for you. And it is about time you got yourself out of this dump. This low-life of a.... of a life you have here is not going to help any sooner or later. So I suggest you follow me. You have much to do now"

"Cant we just wait for t'morrow? I'll just hang here today, don't feel like it"

"Have you ever had the feeling of going out to save the world from a terribe, terrible evil?"

Jack suddenly jumps off his bed and balances himself on the edge, stabilizing himself. His eyes wide open now as he incorrectly speculates the situation.

"You mean Lumbridge is under attack?!"

The old man smiles for a moment.

"I'd rather hope not. But when evil strikes in the near future. You would want to be the one who saves the world from it now would you? Because you're about to start now if you accept"

"Accept what?"

The old man, with one hand on the floor, forces himself on his feet again. His stick balancing him as he stretchs his arm out to reach for Jack's shoulder.

"You're going to go on an adventure. Into the wild"

Jack lunges his entire body off the bed outwards with incredible speed and faces the old man, while remaining stationary. His lips move abit but no sound is heard.

"You're joking. Pops wouldn't let me go out no matter wh..."

"I spoke to your father earlier this morning. We had a nice long talk about your crave for adventure, how you always dreamt of the outside world as your mini playground. But to turn it into a playground, you must first turn it into a battlefield. Not very long from now, you will triumph in the most legendary of battles against foes of immense might and power that most cities will tremble before their breath. But all that, if you choose to accept."

"You mean, you talked to pops, so. What did he say?"

"I told him how a young man like you should follow their paths they choose from small. If it benefits them in any way, then it probably benefits you more than whatever you are doing now. So he said he would let you go under one condition"

"That is?"

"You don't act stupid and kill yourself while you're out there. And just to make sure that doesnt happen, you'll be going off along with a lad I picked up earlier this week. He's going the same road as you."

"Thats...... great. So when do I meet him?"

"Ah, I have to run some errands at the moment. He'll probably be down at the potato patch if you know where that is. Its beside the cow farm, just accross the river"

"Not bad, not bad. I'll go see him now. Catch ya later old man"

Jack taps the old man on the shoulder and speeds off through the doorway and into the light. The old man stops to think for a moment. A slight wind blew through the open window and extinguishes the lighted candle. With its flame out, there is not very much difference in the lighting though. By now, Jack would have already disappeared from sight as the old man turned towards the doorway and made his way out.