Legion of Shadow (32 page)

286

Bart slaps you on the back. ‘Splendid! Splendid! Follow me, no time like the present, eh?’ You are ushered down a set of stairs and through a door into a small,
stuffy backroom. Here, various fighters are kitting themselves out with weapons and armour.

Bart leads you through the room and into a tunnel. ‘No need for those rusty old hand-me-downs,’ he says, nodding back towards the equipment room. ‘Now, put on a good show and
give the audience what they want – blood, and lots of it! Preferably not your own, of course.’

After another slap on the back, Bart turns and hurries away. ‘Oh I’ll make a killing on this one,’ he chuckles, rubbing his hands together in glee.

You step up to the portcullis – the only thing standing between you and the blood-thirsty roar coming from the pit. Peering through the grill, you see one of the previous combatants being
stretchered off to a side door, to the accompaniment of angry boos and jeers. Several tense minutes later and the announcer’s voice booms into life once again:

‘Ladies and gentlemen – we have a last minute addition to our ranks. A new combatant from the . . . from the . . . well, they are so mysterious we don’t know where they are
from. But please put your hands together as we welcome our new challenger!’

The portcullis clatters open and you step out into the pit, your ears ringing with the deafening applause from the eager spectators.

It is time to face your first opponent. Turn to
320
.

287

You chop the centipede down to size, each blow sending plumes of green gas billowing out into the cave. Finally, the creature lies dead in a smouldering pile of legs and body
parts.

Heading deeper into the mushroom forest, you come across the body of a dead adventurer. It looks as though he tried eating one of the mushrooms and it poisoned him, as several chunks of the
strange fungi lie next to his outstretched fingers. You search the body and find 20 gold crowns. You may also take any/all of the following items:

Determined not to share the same fate, you decide to keep your distance from the strange mushrooms. You quickly cross to the other side of the cave, where you take another
tunnel heading north. Turn to
361
.

288

The coach driver smirks. ‘Look, it’s the count’s orders. He don’t like his guests bringing weapons into the castle. All them dukes and nobles . . . they
each got their petty differences. Would be a blood bath if we let ’em all in one room with weapons to hand.’ He nods to his open palms. ‘So, come on, stranger. We don’t want
any trouble now, do we?’

289

Martha shakes her head in bewilderment. ‘They . . . they just came alive? I always suspected they were magic . . . but I never expected this.’ She glances down at
the squirming babies in her arms. ‘Those turnips were to feed my family. Just think if we had tried to eat them. It’s too horrible to consider!’

290

The hooded man recounts a legend: ‘Two hundred years ago, a crusader came to Tithebury Cross. He had a disease – a terrible affliction; some records say it was the
plague. In his fever, he spoke of a book that he was protecting. The village priest did what he could, but the crusader could not be saved. He passed away . . . but not before he implored the
priest to obey his final, dying wish: to bury him in the old catacombs beneath the church, with all of his belongings. And so the wish was granted.’

Fetch walks over to the rusted gate, placing his pale hands against the iron bars. ‘It was many years before the bad things started to happen. The noises, the whispering . . . the dead
walking. The land itself had become corrupted.’ He turns to look at you, eyes glinting from beneath the hood. ‘The locals keep this place under lock and key. They fear what lurks in the
catacombs beneath their church. The priest put a spell of warding on its door, not to keep the villagers away, but to keep what was inside from getting out. That is where I need you to go. That is
where you will find the book!’

291

You walk over and shake the sleeping man. To your surprise, you discover that he is dead. Blood has congealed on one side of his head, where an ugly gash is visible through his
lank, wet hair. You guess that someone was hoping to knock him unconscious, but did a better job of it than they were probably intending. You search the body for some signs of who the traveller
might have been. Sadly, there is nothing much of interest – just a purse containing 10 gold crowns and the following items:

As the traveller no longer has any use for these items, you may take them if you wish. After you have made your choices, you turn back to view your surroundings.

292

‘My name is Woad,’ says the tree. ‘For fifteen centuries I have been a guardian of this forest, protecting it from those who would bring ill to this land.
Once, there was many of us – brothers and sisters of the wood – sworn to guard these borders and keep the land safe. Now there is only me.’

The tree gives a heavy, rumbling sigh. ‘They are all dead now. Their spirits have flown, leaving bark and branch to wither away. That will be my fate also. My magic wanes and I have not
the strength to battle this blight for much longer.’

293

You enter the arena to face your third opponent. ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ booms the announcer. ‘It’s time to welcome the pride of the western plains
– the one and only, Nalsa the black lion!’

As the portcullis clatters open, you hear a thunderous roar from within the tunnel. You ready your weapons as the black lion steps out into the arena. It is huge, at least a head taller than
yourself, with a thick mane that hangs down over its thickly-muscled shoulders and fore-legs. The beast twists its head, snarling at the jeering crowds. Then, with a roar, the lion bounds towards
you, covering the distance in a matter of seconds. You must now fight for your life!

Special abilities

If you manage to defeat the black lion, turn to
379
.

294

You grudgingly hand over your weapons. (You must remove your main-hand and left-hand items from your hero sheet and make the necessary adjustments to your attributes. Keep a
note of these, as they may be returned to you at a later date.)

The coach driver grins. ‘Why, you are the obedient little cub, ain’t yer.’ He kicks open the lid of a chest and tosses the items inside, with little regard for their worth or
well being. ‘There. They’ll still be waiting for yer if . . .’ He stops mid-sentence to clear his throat. ‘Sorry, when you leave.’ The smirk that settles across his
face does little to put you at ease.

‘Oi, this way,’ calls the guard. He opens the door and gestures to the passageway beyond. ‘Head down there and take the first door on yer left. Understand?’

You glower angrily at the two men. This was hardly the warm welcome you had been expecting. ‘Thank you for your . . . generosity, gentlemen.’ You give them both a steely glare,
before entering the passageway. Turn to
317
.

295

You step over the strands of webbing and approach the wriggling bundle. Taking a knife from your backpack, you carefully slice through the silken cords to reveal the inside of
the web-like cage. Tangled up in the sticky strands is something large and furry . . . with pointed ears and sharp teeth!

Backing away, you watch as the creature struggles free of the webbing. It lands on the ground, shaking its black leathery wings. Then its blood-shot eyes fix on you . . . With a deafening
screech, the freed creature springs into the air, its fangs reaching for your throat:

Special abilities