Legion of Shadow (43 page)

Make a note of your new abilities on your hero sheet. Thanking the children, you head back into the town. Turn to
348
.

370

There is wild applause as the speedy, agile dervish is finally brought down. You may take one of the following items as a reward:

As you exit the tunnel, you find a jostling crowd of people waiting for you, all eager to meet the great warrior of the arena. Some are begging for autographs (the quill and
parchment already in their hands), whilst others pester you to show off your best moves. Soon, you are surrounded on all sides by a deafening crescendo of voices, all asking or demanding something
from you. (If you have a
photograph
in your possession, then you can sign this and hand it over to an eager fan for 50 gold crowns.)

You are relieved when Bart and Knuckles finally put in an appearance. The burly ogre pushes the crowds aside as Bart ushers you into a private room.

‘Well, well. Getting quite a reputation around here,’ he smiles, handing over your latest winnings. (You have gained 80 gold crowns). ‘We’re through to the semi-finals.
Just two more fights and you’ll be crowned the champion!’

When you are ready for your next fight, turn to
391
.

371

‘Yes, yes of course,’ says Totsvig, brightening up suddenly. ‘All donations to the Botany Society will be gratefully appreciated.’ He rummages underneath
one of the benches, then reappears moments later with a case filled with flasks and bottles. You may purchase any of the following for 40 gold crowns each:

‘My assistant, Tanner, is a promising young herbalist,’ says Totsvig, smiling proudly at the small girl. ‘You might find her skills useful, also.’

372

As you get closer, you become aware of an irregular humming sound coming from the black rock. On each hum, a green light pulses along the veins that branch through the rock,
moving from the top of the stone to its jagged, half-buried tip. Warily, you place a hand against the side of the rock – and snap it back quickly, surprised at how deathly cold it is to the
touch.

373

Inside, you find people milling around a row of booths, where gold is being exchanged for coloured tickets. Next to the booths, a large chalk board provides the odds on the
upcoming fight:

Taking a nearby set of stairs, you emerge onto a balcony overlooking a circular pit. The floor of the pit is wet and marshy, littered with skulls, bones and other human (and
half-human) remains. All around this makeshift arena, people are crowding into wooden stalls and booths – pushing and shoving to get the best vantage points.

Then, from out of an archway overlooking the pit, a wizard on a magic carpet swoops out over the assembled crowds. ‘Ladies and gentlemen – it’s that time you’ve all been
waiting for. Yes, it’s the five hundred and eleventh gladiatorial games!’

The crowds cheer and holler as the wizard-announcer soars above their heads. ‘Now, please put your hands together for the first of our brave competitors. On the red side, from the exotic
pirate islands of Barbica, we have the enigmatic . . .’

You miss the rest of the announcement, as you are roughly spun around – to face the leering visage of a fat, bald-headed ogre. Standing next to him is a thin man, dressed in
fine-embroidered clothes.

‘Good day my friend,’ he says, lifting a monocle to his left eye to inspect you better. ‘You look a fine specimen, yes, a fine specimen indeed.’ He offers out his hand,
covered in a plethora of sparkling rings. ‘I am Bart Murkrock and this is my business associate, Knuckles.’ The ogre gives an unsettling growl. ‘I noticed you coming in and I hope
you don’t mind me pointing this out, but you really should be down
there
.’ He points to the pit, where two fighters are now entering the circle. The cries and shouts from the
crowds are almost deafening.

‘Look, I’ll keep this simple. My prize fighter is ill – she’s got the marsh fever. A terrible sickness . . . doubt she’ll make it through. So, if you’re brave
enough to step up to the mark, you could make yourself a household name. Not to mention,’ the man licks his lips greedily, ‘substantially richer. So, what do you say?’

374

The undead jester has been defeated, his body crumbling into a fine black dust. You may now help yourself to one of the following items:

All around you, you see the panicked faces of men, women and children, struggling to defend themselves from the blood-hungry vampires.

A scream draws your attention to the near wall. You see the blacksmith trying to defend himself from two vampires. Behind him, the family that you saw in the entrance hall are huddled against
the wall. It was the mother who screamed, her children’s faces buried in her dress. The blacksmith is trying to protect them but he is wounded and needs help.

Then, over to your right, you see Spink dodging between the slashing claws and biting teeth of a crowd of vampires. He is headed for a big cauldron of soup positioned between two of the tables.
Reaching into his coat pocket, he produces a bottle. Suddenly, two vampires pounce on top of him, knocking him to the ground. The bottle skitters across the floor.

375

The tunnel broadens out, becoming a huge cavernous chamber filled with giant, peak-topped mushrooms. You haven’t travelled far into this peculiar forest, before you become
aware of a drumming, skittering sound coming from up ahead. It sounds like hundreds of fast-moving legs, beating and scuffling against the earth. As you scan your surroundings, your eyes come to
rest on something black and snake-like, zigzagging between the mushrooms.

As it nears, you see that it is a giant centipede – its long, segmented body giving off the same sickly green hue as the black rock and the withered tree roots. With startling speed, the
multi-legged creature is upon you, its serrated mandibles clicking together hungrily:

Special abilities

If you manage to defeat this multi-legged foe turn to
287
.

376

You sit alone in a lattice-walled gazebo, facing one of the dryads’ quiet wooded glades. It has been an hour since you returned with Solandris and the unicorn’s
horn. Since then, you have received no news from the cave. You wonder if, perhaps, you were too late to save the queen and the unicorn after all.

Tired from your journey, you start to close your eyes, your head nodding forward onto your chest. As you shake yourself awake, you catch sight of a silver-gold radiance at the far side of the
glade. In an instant, all your thoughts of sleep are gone as you gaze upon the captivating majesty of the dryad queen and her unicorn.

You rise hurriedly to your feet, suddenly feeling awkward and ungainly as you bow before them. The unicorn bows its head in answer – its spiral horn glittering in the sunlight.

Your attention shifts to the queen, who is walking gracefully towards you, her long gown of leaves sparkling in a dazzling radiance of hues. When she stops next to you, her face is impassive and
unreadable.

‘You have saved my life,’ she whispers. ‘You have protected my sisters and saved our grove. If you wish to become one of our own, then take my hand and the power of nature will
be yours. Otherwise, ask of me what you will, shadow walker, and then be gone from our lands.’

When you wish to end your audience with the queen, turn to
336
.

377

The fire elemental is finally extinguished, its blazing form reduced to a pile of smouldering ash. You may now take one of the following items as a reward:

If you are a mage, turn to
407
. Otherwise, return to the quest
map
to continue your adventure.

378

‘Treasure hunter, eh?’ nods the barman. ‘Everyone around here’s looking for treasure. This marsh used to be full of gold and precious jewels, but
it’s all been picked clean now. You’ve got about as much chance of finding anything out there as I have of becoming the next king of Valeron.’ He gives a snort of amusement.
‘Look, if you’re really serious about finding some treasure, then there’s an old local legend that might give yer some hope. When the original prospectors came here, they spoke of
a cave, out in those mangroves – and inside it, a treasure hoard of gold and jewels; enough to make anyone a king or queen. Only thing is, the explorer who found it never managed to find it a
second time.’ The barman shrugs his shoulders. ‘Never heard of anyone losing a cave before. Sounds like nonsense if you ask me, but doesn’t stop the treasure hunters coming in
their droves. If it’s good for business, it’s all good by me.’