Free The Unsuspecting Mage by Brian S. Pratt

the outlaw’s head goes flying. The head hits the ground and rolls like a flaming ball until coming to a sizzling stop.
    Another outlaw lies smoldering on the ground. Still another races through the forest, a pillar of flame in the darkness. The man’s screams echo through the night. Scanning the area for who may have escaped James’ flaming attack; Ceryn finds no sign of the leader. Counting those taken out by the fireballs, he realizes two of the leader’s henchmen remain unaccounted.
    Returning to James, he finds him still breathing but is unable to rouse him. Using one hand, he grabs his shirt and drags him toward the cabin. In his other, he retains the bloody sword which has already taken out two of the outlaws. He doesn’t get far before the man with the tattoo appears from the direction of the river. Behind him walk the remaining two outlaws, only one seeming to have emerged from the attack unscathed.
    “Ceryn,” the tattooed man shouts, “I’m going to gut you and let the animals eat your entrails while you’re still alive to enjoy it. And then I’ll cut the heart out of that demon damned mage.” Covered in burns, clothing charred nearly beyond recognition, he makes a frightening sight. The tattooed man comes for Ceryn while the other two move to flank him.
    Knowing they’ll follow him and ignore James as long as he’s unconscious, Ceryn leaves him on the ground and approaches the outlaws with sword at the ready. Three to one would be bad odds in a normal situation but after what James had done to them, the outlaws will be slowed by the pain.
    Ceryn feints at the one on the right; out of the corner of his eye he sees the one on the left coming in to his exposed flank. When the one on the left slices toward Ceryns’ head, Ceryn drops to the ground and rolls toward him, striking a serious blow to the outlaw’s thigh, opening an artery. The Warden leaps back to his feet as the outlaw gives out with a cry and drops to the ground.
    The leader comes in with a swift thrust aimed at Ceryn’s chest which is deftly blocked, then is forced to jump back when Ceryn counter attacks with a slice to the leader’s leg. Unable to avoid, Ceryn’s sword opens up a shallow cut on his upper thigh.
    Seeing an opening created by Ceryn’s attack on the leader, the remaining henchman leaps in and thrusts. Ceryn twists just in time and manages to receive only a small cut along his shoulder. Ignoring the pain, he feints at the leader and then comes back with a backhanded slice causing the henchman to stumble backward and trip over the outlaw writhing on the ground, doing his best to keep his life’s blood from leaving his body.
    Seeing his chance, Ceryn presses the leader who is becoming weakened from the loss of blood and the trauma of having been burned. Slash, block. Block, slash. He needs to finish the leader before the remaining henchman regains his feet and rejoins the battle.
    Ceryn slices at the leader’s head, at the arm, the head, back and forth. The leader successfully blocks each of Ceryn’s maneuvers.
    “Ceryn, you cannot win. I am the better swordsman!”
    Undaunted by the taunts, Ceryn doubles his efforts.
    Having regained his feet, the henchman moves to rejoin the battle. Ceryn sees him approaching and with a burst of speed and skill, continues his attacks upon the leader.
    The henchman finally rejoins the battle and presses Ceryn hard, giving the leader time to drop out of the battle for a moment to catch his breath. The henchman hammers away. Hack, hack, slash ; his attacks have very little skill, as if he was trying to bull his way through Ceryn’s defense with naught but brute strength.
    Using skill acquired through dozens of conflicts, Ceryn successfully blocks each of the attacks and begins to understand the rhythm of the henchman’s attacks. Hack, hack, slash. Hack, hack, slash. Timing it just right, he blocks the next two hacks and when the henchman comes in with the slash, Ceryn drops under the