The Sorcerer's Flame

Chapter 1: Ambush

After a night full of dancing and chatting at the tavern, Devon and Roland exited the gates of the town, walking along the road that led into the forest. They had traveled here from the distant kingdom of Aedolon in search of a rare herb. Roland's mother had a cooking fix, and she recently found a new recipe calling for a certain unique spice: saffron. She sent him after it, and Devon insisted on coming with his best friend.

"I could've just 'magiced' a bottle of it, Roland," Devon told him while they were traveling. Devon was a gifted sorcerer, and he had practiced for many years. Now, as a twenty-year-old, he had mastered every spell in his spellbook.

Roland looked over at him. "You know you can't do that, Dev. No-one is supposed to use magic unless they have a dire need to." In this land, magic was a practice that many people tended to steer clear of. It was outlawed unless you had a dire reason to use it. There were many magical creatures that could seek out the source of foreign magic, wherever it might be. This could endanger both the sorcerer who used it and the people around them. All in all, use magic, and a target is put on your back.

Devon didn't care about that. Most gifted sorcerers didn't. They practiced magic in the most private of areas and used it when it was needed. This was why most sorcerers are outlaws. Devon had enough sense to use magic wisely, and he was one of the few "legal" sorcerers.

"But this is dire," he replied. "It'd save us a lot of trouble. Plus, who wants to go hiking all over the countryside just to find one spice?"

"No," Roland said. "As much as I wish you could, you can't. End of story."

Luckily, in this small village, a passing merchant happened to have a bottle of saffron, and the two boys purchased it. To celebrate their success, they spent half of the night in the tavern singing and dancing.

They had tethered their horses to trees at the edge of the forest, and now they untied and mounted them. 

Devon looked up at the night sky, the moon at its peak. There were no clouds visible, and the light of the moon cast shadows on the forest floor. He looked to the place where the path met the woods, instantly swallowed in darkness. Roland seemed to be looking into the ominous blackness as well.

"Are you sure we should go in there right now? We could spend a night at the inn and head out in the morning," he suggested.

Devon grinned at him. "What? Scared of the dark, are we?"

Roland shook his head. "Not of the dark, of the monsters. I don't want to be ambushed by a hoard of goblins and eaten alive." In fact, this was exactly right. Creatures, like goblins, tended to cower during the day, observing travelers as they passed through the forests. But at night, they were on the hunt for food. Because most travelers didn't travel at night, their diet consisted mainly of other forest animals, such as deer or rabbits, but their favorite prey was humans. Because of this, many travelers avoided the forests altogether. 

"Don't you worry, Roland," Devon replied. "I have my magic, and you have your sword. We're both professionals, after all."

"You've got a viable point," Roland replied. "Let's get on with it, then."

They rode into the woods, torches in one hand and the other on their saddle horns. They rode for five minutes, and no sound came from the surrounding trees. They both relaxed a little. Perhaps the creatures were terrorizing another traveler somewhere else. 

"So," Roland began. "Did you find any items that would fetch a high price during this trip?" Devon was the kind of person who made a living by finding somewhat rare items to sell to shopkeepers and other traders. Surprisingly, this trade suited him well, and he earned enough money to maintain a normal life. Some people thought he "magiced" the goods and sold them, but Devon was not stupid enough to do that. 

"Well, I did manage to find some troll warts," he replied. "Nasty things, but they're sold for a pretty high price."

"What do people even use troll warts for?" Roland asked.

"I have no ide-" Devon was cut off by the sound of a twig snapping nearby. The two boys eased their horses to a halt and looked around, trying to pinpoint the origin of the sound, sticking their torches out into the darkness. 

All of a sudden, they were aware of a dozen pairs of eyes glinting in the firelight. "Roland," Devon said, warning evident in his voice. 

"I see them," Roland whispered. 

All of a sudden, twelve, snarling little goblins stepped onto the track, their skin a pale green. They stared up at the two boys, flexing their clawed hands, their rotting teeth clenched tight.

"This isn't good," Devon said.

"Hurry! Run!" Roland screamed. They urged their horses into a gallop as quickly as possible, the trees flying by them as they went. Devon turned and looked back. The goblins were right on their tale, sprinting after them on all fours. 

Then, something unexpected happened. The goblins pulled forward, biting at the horse's ankles. One goblin jumped at Roland's horse and dug it's teeth into its thigh, ripping flesh from bone. This was the breaking point for his horse. It fell awkwardly to the ground, landing on its side, trapping his right leg underneath it. 

"Roland!" Devon screamed. He immediately stopped his horse and leaped off of the saddle, rushing over to his fallen comrade, throwing balls of fire at any goblin that dared to attack. He saw one goblin clinging onto Roland's back. He was trying desperately to get it off, swinging his sword awkwardly at it. Devon hurled another ball of flame at it, feeling the intense heat leaving his palm, and it fell to the ground. 

He helped Roland to his feet. Now, they stood facing the hoard of goblins, the flames of their torches the only things keeping them from certain death. 

"We have to run!" Roland screamed, and he turned to face the woods. Devon eyed the hoard once more, seeing the dead bodies of the three he had killed. He had an idea. Those goblin claws would fetch a high price on the market. He could buy anything he wanted with that money.

Roland urged him on. "What are you gawking at? We need to go!"

"But the claws..." 

Roland shook his head. "For the love of God, man, can't you forget about business just this once? We are going to die!"

Reluctantly, Devon followed Roland into the woods. They had no idea what else might be lurking nearby, but at least they wouldn't have to deal with this hoard of goblins.

(If you enjoy the chapter, feel free to vote or comment! If you enjoy my works, please support me and follow me for updates! )