Legion of Shadow (41 page)
If you defeat this mighty opponent, turn to
341
.
358
You barely have a moment to recover before the giant queen is upon you, the thunderous beat of her immense wings whipping up a tornado:
Special abilities
Wing buffet: You must reduce your
speed
by 1 for the duration of this combat.
Venom sting: Once you have taken health damage from the queen, at the end of every combat round you must
automatically lose 2
health
.
If you defeat the hive queen, turn to
314
.
359
The arena echoes with the beast’s final bellow of pain . . . then there is silence. A heartbeat later and the stadium erupts into wild applause.
‘The king is dead!’ cheers the announcer, spinning through the air on his magic carpet. ‘Long live our new champion!’ You may now take one of the following as your
reward:
Winter pelt | | Diamond of the Tundra | | Simian crown |
(cloak) | (necklace) | (head) | ||
+2 speed +2 armour | +1 armour | +1 speed +2 brawn | ||
Ability: | Ability: | Ability: |
Bart is waiting for you at the entrance to the tunnel. ‘You did it! You did it! I never thought I’d see this day! We’re in the final!’ He flings his arms
around you and gives you a big hug. ‘Here! Take this. You deserve every shiny golden penny.’ He places a bulging money pouch in your hand. (You have gained 100 gold crowns.) ‘Now,
let’s get you ready for the final show. I suggest you stock up on some potions – you’re going to need all the help you can get. Trust me!’
When you are ready to take on your final opponent, turn to
386
.
360
You race over to help Spink, pushing your way past the snapping vampires and their frightened, bewildered victims. As you near, you see that two of the vampires have wrestled
the boy to the ground. One of them has bitten deeply into his arm, forcing him to cry out in pain. As you pass a table, you grab a silver platter, tipping the leftover food onto the floor. Raising
it like a club, you hurtle into the two vampires, swinging it with all the force you can muster. There is a satisfying clang, as the platter connects with one of the vampires, knocking it away. The
other suddenly explodes in a ball of fire, sending black ash showering across the hall. Spink leaps to his feet, magic crackling in the palm of his hand.
‘Just a little trick I learned from my master,’ he grins. ‘Come on, cover me. I need to get the holy water.’ He runs over to the bottle, snatching it up into his
hands.
The surviving vampire is groggily getting back to its feet. It is an elderly woman, dressed in a plush black velvet gown. With a hiss, she advances towards you, raising her long, pale fingers.
In horror, you watch as her painted nails begin to stretch – becoming animal-like claws.
You toss the platter aside, and ready the special equipment that Spink gave you. Screeching like a banshee, the woman springs at you, her claws reaching for your throat:
Special abilities
Piercing: This opponent’s attacks ignore your
armour
.
Vampire: You can use your
stake
and
reflect
abilities (if you have them) against this
opponent.
(Note: You cannot heal after this combat. You must continue this quest with the
health
that you have remaining. You may use potions and abilities to heal lost
health
while you are in combat.)
361
The passageway winds through the earth, eventually ending in a wide cavern.
Again, the ceiling is covered in a tangle of withered tree roots, which leak a thick green smoke into the air. You spot several black beetles scuttling amongst them, chewing at what is left of
the rotted wood.
Underneath this smoky canopy, you see a group of grey, hairless humanoids seated around a camp fire. They are licking their lips hungrily as they watch a line of skewered beetles slowly cook
over the flames.
As you enter the cavern, one of them looks up, sniffing the air. Quickly, it grabs a flint-tipped spear and starts towards you, its companions following suit. Although spindly and slow-moving,
the creatures are clearly accomplished hunters. They spread out, cautiously forming a circle around you. Then they attack, jabbing at you with their spears:
If you defeat the trogs, turn to
327
.
362
The elderly woman looks up as you approach. ‘Care to take a look at my wares, young one?’ she asks, gesturing to the bundles of mushrooms and other fungi packed into
the wheelbarrow. ‘All of these are fresh – oh yes. Picked them myself only yesterday.’
You may purchase any of the following for 40 gold crowns each (Note: You can only use one glittercap mushroom and one mottled marshstick per combat):
Glittercap mushroom (1 use) | | Mottled marshstick (1 use) |
(backpack) | (backpack) | |
Use any time in combat to raise your | Use any time in combat to raise your |
When you have made your purchases, you return to the main square. Turn to
348
.
363
‘Cornelius?’ the leader stops, her eyebrows raised. ‘What do you know of Cornelius?’
Suddenly, a foot slams into your back, knocking you forward onto your stomach. ‘Enough!’ snarls the woman behind you. ‘This one must have seen something. Let me get the truth
out of them – my way!’
