The Syntax Sorcerer

11: A Goblin Plot: Barim in Danger

John watched as Barim prepared to depart, a mixture of emotions swirling within him. He had grown fond of the young boy during their short time together, and the thought of parting ways left him feeling slightly melancholic. However, he knew that Barim needed to return to his family, and he had his own journey to embark upon.

As Barim shouldered his pack, John reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. He held it out to Barim, a serious expression on his face. John mentally executing the code in his mind while handing the paper to Barim.

If "Paper" == "Torn: { John.location == Barim.location };

"Take this," John said, pressing the paper into Barim's hand. "It's a gift, of sorts. I've created a custom code, a spell, if you will."

Barim looked at the paper curiously, then back at John. "What does it do?"

John took a deep breath, hoping his explanation would make sense. "If the paper is torn, it will activate the code. The code states that if 'Paper' is equal to 'Torn', then my location will be set to your location. In other words, if you tear the paper, I will immediately teleport to your side, wherever you may be."

Barim's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? That's amazing!"

John nodded, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. "I've never used this kind of code magic before, so I can't be entirely sure it will work. But based on the logic of the code, it should activate and function as intended once the paper is torn."

Barim clutched the paper tightly, a grateful smile spreading across his face. "Thank you, John. This means a lot to me, knowing that you'll be there if I need you."

John returned the smile, clasping Barim's shoulder. "I hope you never have to use it, but if you do, I'll be there in an instant."

With a final nod, Barim turned and began his journey back to his father's house. John watched him go, a sense of pride and protectiveness swelling in his chest.

As Barim's figure disappeared into the distance, John felt a pang of solitude, but he also recognized the opportunity this separation presented. Calm determination washed over him as the need to master his unique form of magic pressed urgently upon his thoughts.

In the back of his mind, a practical thought surfaced; his accommodation—paid in full for six more days, including meals. With a nod to himself, John decided to return to his room. A comfortable, secure place with guaranteed nourishment was a perfect setting to delve into the intricacies of his Syntax Sorcery without interruption.

He made his way back to the tavern, where he'd magically enhanced his lodgings the previous night, greeting the innkeeper with a brief smile and nod as he passed. Once inside his room, he arranged the space to suit his needs—removing distractions, setting out parchment and a quill for notes, and ensuring he had enough natural light.

John settled into a comfortable position on the floor, his mind already racing with the possibilities of his newfound magical abilities. He had witnessed firsthand the power of his code-based spells, but teleportation was a concept he had yet to explore.

Closing his eyes, John focused his thoughts on the logic required to achieve such a feat. He envisioned the room around him, mentally mapping out the coordinates of his current location and his desired destination.

With a deep breath, John began to construct the code in his mind:

if (John.location == "Room.NorthWest") { John.location = "Room.SouthEast"; }

He concentrated intensely, visualizing the code executing line by line. As he mentally triggered the spell, a strange sensation washed over him—a tingling that started at his fingertips and quickly spread throughout his entire body.

In an instant, the world around him blurred and shifted. The familiar surroundings of the northwestern corner of the room vanished, replaced by the southeastern corner. John opened his eyes, his heart pounding with exhilaration as he realized he had successfully teleported across the room.

A grin spread across his face as he marveled at his achievement. The implications of this newfound ability were staggering. With a simple line of code, he could traverse great distances in the blink of an eye.

Eager to test the limits of his teleportation spell, John began to experiment with different locations within the room. He teleported from the bed to the window, from the door to the fireplace, each successful jump fueling his excitement and confidence.

As John continued to practice his teleportation spell within the confines of his room, unbeknownst to him, the Claw of Vengeance had made a significant discovery. The advance tracker, utilizing his information spell, had successfully located Barim, the young boy who had been traveling with John.

The goblins were both pleased and annoyed by this development. On one hand, they now had a lead that could potentially bring them closer to their primary target, John. However, the fact that Barim was currently in a human city presented a new set of challenges.

Grimsnarl, the leader of the Claw of Vengeance, gathered his team on the outskirts of the city. They huddled together, their voices low and menacing as they discussed their plan of action.

"The human boy is our key to finding the sorcerer," Grimsnarl growled, his eyes narrowing. "But getting to him in this city will not be easy."

The other goblins nodded in agreement, their faces twisted with frustration. They knew that infiltrating a human settlement would require a level of stealth and cunning that they were not accustomed to.

"We need to find a way to lure the boy out," one of the goblins suggested, his voice raspy and cruel. "Once we have him, we can make him talk. We'll torture him until he tells us everything he knows about the sorcerer."

Grimsnarl considered this for a moment, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Yes, that could work. We'll need to be careful, though. We can't afford to draw too much attention to ourselves."

The goblins continued to plot and scheme, their minds focused on the singular goal of capturing Barim and using him to get to John. They knew that time was of the essence, and they were determined to succeed, no matter the cost.