Legion of Shadow (30 page)

‘Hmm, I am not familiar with the name. But I’m sure Papa would know.’ Her eyes flash with a sudden excitement. ‘Oh please come with me. You can meet him and I’m
sure he will be more than happy to tell you everything he knows.’

The rain has grown stronger, soaking through your clothes and causing you to shiver. A night in a warm castle has started to sound very appealing. Turn to
284
.

269

You push through the crowds, looking around frantically for the thief. Then you catch sight of him, hurrying down a narrow side-street. As you start towards it, a group of
street children run out in front of you, begging for some food. You try and push past them, but whichever way you turn, their eager faces appear again – distracting you from the escaping
child.

Realising that you have now lost the thief, you angrily jostle your way free of the orphans and head back to the centre of the town. Turn to
348
.

270

The smoke and heat from the fire forces you back out of the cavern. With the giant spider defeated, you decide to leave the caves and return to the villagers at the well. Turn
to
246
.

271

You reach into your backpack and pull out the plain black book. The hooded man snatches it from your grasp the moment it is revealed. Giggling with insane glee he flicks through
the pages.

‘Oh yes, this is it! This is it!’ He snaps it shut and slips it inside his robes. ‘You have done well. We have both done well. Now, a reward for your bravery.’

Fetch unhooks the leather case from his belt and breaks the waxed seals that hold it closed. Lifting up the cover, he reveals its contents – two elegant-looking daggers, resting on a red
velvet cushion. One is black and glows with a soft greenish light, the other is silver, its hilt inlaid with sparkling garnets and rubies.

You may take one of the following:

If you do not wish to take either of these items, Fetch offers you a purse of gold instead, containing 20 gold crowns. After you have made your choice, Fetch closes the case,
turns on his heel and silently walks away down the lane. Within moments, the dark hooded figure has vanished, becoming one with the shadows. Make a note of the words
black book
on your hero
sheet. Then return to the
map
to choose another quest.

272

The markings on the stone table glow with a soft, blue light. Then suddenly, the two triangular panels lift open, accompanied by the whirr and click of hidden gears. Moments
later and you are peering into a velvet-lined cavity, filled with sparkling treasure. Well done, you have solved the puzzle and opened the chest! turn to
522
.

273

At the end of the tunnel is a giant maggot, its bloated body almost filling the passageway. The creature appears to be chomping its way through the earth, using the acid that
drips from its gaping maw to burn through the rock and stone.

As you approach, the maggot suddenly stops its activity and turns round to face you. With a series of squelching noises, the eyeless creature starts to wriggle and squirm in your direction, its
wide mouth hanging open to reveal row upon row of diamond-sharp teeth. Quickly, you prepare to defend yourself:

Special abilities

If you defeat the burrower wurm, turn to
285
.

274

To your surprise, you find that the font bowl is still full of water – holy water. Perhaps it might help you in your fight against the ghouls. Quickly, you dip your
weapons into the sparkling liquid. As the snarling undead bound towards you, you prepare to defend yourself from all three of these powerful foes. This will be a tough battle – but the holy
water may tip the balance.

Special abilities

If you manage to defeat these three deadly adversaries, turn to
106
.

275

You hurry back to your room and quickly gather your belongings. Before you leave, you take the white key that Avian gave you, and use it to unlock the small chest at the foot of
the bed. Inside you find a pouch containing 40 gold crowns and the following items:

With your final preparations complete, you leave the castle, taking a narrow pass through the mountains to emerge in the dark, tangled forest known as Mistwood.

Turn to the Act 2
map
to continue your adventure.

276

Lady Roe looks mildly surprised. ‘The traveller people? I . . . well I believe Papa moved them on. These are his lands you see, extending all the way to that horrid,
smelly swamp. He caught them hunting wolves – and Papa so loves the wolves of the forest.’

You shiver as the cold rain begins to soak through your clothes. Lady Roe pats the seat next to her. ‘Come on, join me. We will be at Papa’s castle in just a few minutes and then you
can warm yourself by a nice fire. I promise you, you will find Castle Crookhollow more hospitable than anything the traveller people have to offer.’