The Pumpkin Mage

By Lou Yardley

Meet Nyx Tanner. 

She's a mercenary, a wannabe knight and engaged to be married to the love of her life, Croll.  

On one fateful autumnal morning, Nyx and Croll receive a missive from the Queen that sends them on an adventure full of magic, monsters, mages and pumpkins.  Their journey takes them to the Everlasting Forest of Doom where they stumble into the Pumpkin Mage. 

The Pumpkin Mage asks them one simple question... 

Trick or treat? 

This story is set in the monstrous world of Venari.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Goblin Storybook
• Release date: Oct 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215912300

Book preview

Dedication

To Max and Robyn x

What's all this, then?

The Pumpkin Mage sets the scene for my upcoming Knights of the Green Fire web-novel. This should be hitting your computer and phone screens very soon!

About the Book

Meet Nyx Tanner.

She’s a mercenary, a wannabe knight and engaged to be married to the love of her life, Croll. 

On one fateful autumnal morning, Nyx and Croll receive a missive from the Queen that sends them on an adventure full of magic, monsters, mages and pumpkins.  Their journey takes them to the Everlasting Forest of Doom where they stumble into the Pumpkin Mage.

The Pumpkin Mage asks them one simple question... Trick or treat?

This story is set in the monstrous world of Venari. 

The Missive

It was one of those crisp, clear autumnal mornings where everything felt good. Standing with a blanket wrapped around her slight frame and her gaze fixed on something outside the window, Nyx Tanner wanted to do nothing but drink hot tea and watch the world go by. But, alas, life as a mercenary meant that if there was time to kick back and drink tea, business was a bit shit. So, it was bittersweet when the missive from Queen Elsbeth arrived.

Nyx, we’ve got a job... it could be the one, Croll Rust said as Nyx looked away from the cup of tea she hadn’t even started to drink yet. Built like a brick shithouse, Croll was a fellow mercenary and her future husband. The world was their oyster; they were young and full of plans... they just didn’t have the money to put any of those plans into action. That was where the mercenary gig came in. They had both hoped to join the Queen’s Guard and eventually the Knights of the Green Fire, but the Queen chose those who guarded her carefully. Usually, she sent would-be guards on missions to prove themselves and that was what the whole ‘it could be the one’ thing was about. Nyx’s heart all but leapt to her throat.

Could this be the chance they were waiting for?

What does it say? she asked, hoping it wouldn’t have anything to do with orcs. She’d met a few orcs in her time and, to be fair, some were perfectly nice... but it was wise not to get on the wrong side of them. There were some who could flatten a human skull with one pounding from their fist.

I dunno yet, I haven’t opened it, Croll replied. In his hand was an official-looking scroll. The kind all rolled up and sealed with wax. It even had the royal seal – a dragon wearing a crown – decorating that wax. It didn’t come anymore official than that.

Croll looked to her and she nodded. Taking a deep breath, he broke the seal and unwound the scroll. For such an elaborate document, it didn’t seem to contain many words.

Well? she asked.

After clearing his throat, Croll started to read aloud. By Order of Queen Elsbeth, first of her name, you have been tasked with journeying east to the Everlasting Forest of Doom...

Well, that sounds ominous, Nyx said.

Croll ignored her interruption and continued, ... to collect a pumpkin.

"Wait, what? One pumpkin? Couldn’t she get one from someone in Red Fern? I mean, I know everyone seems to get a craving for the things as soon as the leaves change to brown and orange, but there