The Phoenix Ring(35)

Aidan and Timothy fell into their hammocks that night, while Grogg disappeared into the woods. Aidan had given up counting the miles, he knew that he was pushing himself and his friend to their limits already.

Thankfully, the land had continued to slope downwards the entire day, so Aidan had managed to keep a little energy stored somewhere in his body.

As soon as Timothy started snoring Aidan reached into his pack and pulled out his book.

It was a general guide to anything and everything magic, including the spell that made the book look far shorter than it actually was. Aidan’s and Timothy's books had both been magically copied from the same source, so they were completely identical.

There was a section towards the back labeled "Creatures," within which were several subsections. Aidan found what he was looking for under "Humanoids."

The only humanoid races native to Sortiledge were humans, elves, and dwarves, but several other races had found their way to the continent during and before the Great Wars.

The book claimed that gnomes had traits of all three of the "Higher Races." They were said to be as united as dwarves, as reclusive as elves, and were even able to perform magic as well as some warlocks.

They matched the description of Grogg in one way. They were only about two feet tall. Other than that, they seemed to be completely different. They were very reclusive and would run away from any creature that was not another gnome. The groups that gnomes lived in were extremely tight knit, and could consist of anywhere from five to a hundred individuals.

If a gnome was somehow isolated from his group, he would go find another, which would accept him as their own.

There was only one drawing of a gnome, and the moment Aidan saw it he knew that it did not resemble Grogg at all. The gnome had a full brown beard, a little potbelly, and a human-like face, whereas the creature that Aidan was beginning to hate had small white hairs on his head, looked as thin as a stick, and had a face that looked like a lizard more than anything else.

Aidan sighed. Grogg was definitely not a gnome.

So why did Timothy lie to me?

He idly turned the page, feeling hurt and confused.

The creature on the next page had far more written about it than the gnome, due to its infamous reputation.

A goblin.

Aidan's focus snapped onto the drawing. It was the same creature as Grogg, Aidan was sure. It had a long tail, lizard-like teeth and four fingers.

The young mage began to read the description:



Goblins, thought to be the result of some magical experiments between humans and reptiles, are some of the most dangerous creatures that have ever migrated to Sortiledge. In the Nefarious Lands, goblins live in huge groups, coexisting with orcs in the same way as an ant colony. They tunnel under the earth and collect food, while their much larger cousins (orcs) defend the entire structure from any threats.

Unlike an ant colony, when an individual goblin gets separated from its group they can live fairly independently from any of its species. All of the goblins ever spotted in Sortiledge are loners, which actually make them more dangerous to individual humans.

Goblins, while swift and fairly strong for a creature of their stature, are relatively defenseless when they are alone. That is why they use a type of magic commonly found in illegal love potions to make humans be "attracted" to them. The victim will feel a strong need to protect and trust the goblin, and will make rash decisions on the creature's behalf. It is very dangerous to try and break this bond, as a goblin can turn his victim against you with a few words. The best way to deal with a person who has been affected by this type of magic is to make the goblin break the bond. While this may emotionally hurt the human, they will not blame you for whatever happens.

Never tell a person that is being victimized by a goblin that he/she is under possession. This will most likely cause the person extreme pain and anger, after which they will probably attack you.





Aidan stopped reading and looked up into the woods, where he thought he had heard a rustling noise.

Grogg.

The goblin had loped out of the trees, chewing on something, and was slowly making his way towards Timothy's pack in the moonlight.

Aidan leapt out of his hammock and grabbed his obsidian staff. He started to think of spells, but in the end just pressed the button on his staff, releasing the six inch steel blade.

Some things are better done the good old way.

He met Grogg in the middle of the clearing and held the staff a few inches from the creature's throat.

"I know what you are, goblin," Aidan said, "and I know what you're doing to my friend. Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't incinerate you on the spot."

For a moment the creature stared, shocked, at the mage, before Aidan pushed the blade against the side of its neck, causing it to flinch.