Legion of Shadow (67 page)

You quickly find your feet again, as the beast cracks open its jaws and gives an ear-splitting wail. As if in answer to its cry, four giant pillars of ice burst up out of the lake, glowing with
blue fire. At first you wonder what purpose they could serve, then you notice that the creature appears to be drawing in their energy – the cold fire settling over its frozen body to form a
suit of sparkling, spiked armour. You must now fight this deadly, magical monstrosity:

Special abilities

If you win a combat round against Chilblain, you can choose to apply your damage to Chilblain or an ice pillar. If Chilblain dies, all surviving ice pillars are automatically
destroyed.

If you manage to overcome this frosty foe, turn to
584
.

565

The phoenix consumes itself, adding its ashes to those that already fill the nest. You may now take one of the following items as a reward:

If you have
Lorinwold’s Field Guide to Roots, Herbs and Leaves
then you may pick 1 bramble thorn and 2 fire grass from this area. (Make a note of the herbs on your
hero sheet.)

You cross the island and take the other pathway, which winds through the bubbling, hissing lava. After several minutes you come to another rocky shelf, littered with stone debris. Amongst the
rocks you spot some long, tattered strips of cloth and pieces of scorched wood.

566

‘All eyes are on Talanost,’ whispers Jenlar, blood now coating his lips. ‘The legion is contained there, for now. But . . . the resistance is not seeing the
real danger, the real threat. They are weak . . . exposed. Their true enemy will strike from the rear. They will be crushed. I have seen it!’

The man starts shaking, his hands grasping like claws. ‘A necromancer, a powerful mage with power over the dead, is amassing an army. His name is Zul Ator. He was the traitor who opened
the gate.’

You find yourself picturing the hooded man who you met in your strange dream – the one who took the last piece of the Nexus from you. ‘I know him,’ you mutter, under your
breath.

Jenlar is now gripping you tightly, his fingers digging into your skin – into your mark that now buzzes and tingles with its own unearthly energies. ‘Zul is creating an army that
will march south and crush the last remnants of Talanost’s resistance. The king’s army won’t get there in time . . . the city will fall and then . . .’ The old man becomes
silent. For a moment you fear he has already passed away, then his eyes suddenly flick open, focusing intently on you.

‘You must stop this army. You must warn the resistance, warn them that Zul is the real threat.’ Again he waves away your attempt to ask questions. ‘Listen! Listen to me and
don’t speak. Avian is in grave danger. He thinks he can close the gate. But he can’t . . .’ Jenlar breaks off into a fit of coughing. It is several minutes before he is able to
speak again, his voice hoarse and almost inaudible. ‘In the last war, the mages closed the shadow gate by removing its heart, the Nexus. Avian thinks he can do the same again. But if he does
. . . he will die.’

‘Then how can we close it?’ you ask, your own grip on the frail man tightening. ‘I must know how we can close it!’ Turn to
580
.

567

The weapons and armour are some of the finest you have ever seen. If you wish, you may now take one of the following:

After casting a final, wary glance at the Dour king’s statue, you exit the chamber, taking a wide staircase down into a flooded annex. Turn to
610
.

568

Gouts of whistling steam billow out from between the knight’s armour. Then the giant topples to the ground, his armour falling into disparate pieces as they hit the stone
floor. There is no sign of a body. Instead there is just a cloud of ash hanging in the air.

You may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

If you have
Lorinwold’s Field Guide to Roots, Herbs and Leaves
then you may pick 2 bramble thorn and 1 fire grass from this area. (Make a note of the herbs on your
hero sheet.)

If Hal is with you, turn to
573
. Otherwise turn to
551
.

569

You dive down into the turquoise-blue waters of the lake. With powerful strokes, you are soon passing over the dead city, lying at the bottom of the basin. Most of the ruined
buildings are covered in coral and kelp, making them look almost indistinguishable from their surroundings. Others, like wedge-shaped pyramids, still retain their magnificent grandeur, looking
other-worldly in the dappled, rippling light.

The size of the city is almost overwhelming. As you turn in the water, looking down at the sprawling expanse, you marvel at the scouts and adventurers who have helped map this place for Sahna.
Your thoughts also wander to those who didn’t make it back – for those who gave their lives for Raolin’s cause. The twitch in your stomach reminds you that the next
‘deader’could be you.

Regaining your focus, you swim down towards the building that was marked on Sahna’s map – the treasure house of the king. On the map it was a small square; one amongst hundreds of
other small squares. But here, in reality, it is a huge triangular building, not dissimilar to a shark’s fin. Its sloping side is covered in plates of black metal, which shimmer in rainbow
hues beneath the ever-shifting light.

You make several circuits of the building, looking for an obvious door or entrance. All you find, instead, are two irregular holes with scorched blast marks around the edges. You assume that
your predecessors used some kind of magic or explosive to blow their way inside. One hole is near the base of the building and the other is nearer the top, just below the pointed tip.

570

Searching the necromancer’s body, you find a purse containing 40 gold crowns. You may also take one of the following rewards: