Legion of Shadow (49 page)

Congratulations! You have defeated the vampire lord. You may now take one of the following rewards:

‘A good show,’ rasps a voice. ‘Carry on like that and you’ll put me out of business.’

You hurry over to the witchfinder, who is clutching a scrap of black cloth to his wounded neck ‘Don’t worry friend, I’ll be fine. Just a flesh wound.’

You help to support him as he stands.

‘My apprentice has plenty of healing draughts,’ he says, noticing your look of concern. ‘Nothing that can’t be fixed. Let’s head back to the hall and see
what’s left of the place, eh?’ Turn to
515
.

423

Beyond the doorway, a short passageway leads out onto an open plateau of rock, jutting out from the wall of the ravine. The area nearest the wall is covered in a high mound of
broken stone and rock. South of it, along the edge of the plateau are a number of cone-shaped protrusions, belching steam into the air.

‘Oh, what am I going to do?’ says a dispirited voice, from somewhere behind the haze of steam. A moment later, a woman steps into sight – her ginger hair pushed back behind a
pair of smog-stained goggles. She notices you and gives a gasp of surprise.

‘Belinda?’ you ask.

She nods her head. ‘How . . . how did you know?’

Suddenly, there is a deafening explosion. You are thrown to the ground, your ears ringing, as fragments of rock and dust rain down about you. Turning towards the source of the blast, you see
that the pile of rock and stone has gone and in its place is a giant throne fashioned from black marble. Seated on it is an armoured knight. Smoke and flames billow from the holes in his visor and
between the dark plates of his armour.

‘What is it?’ cries Belinda, running over to you. ‘I didn’t do anything – I promise!’

The giant knight gets to his feet, flames flickering beneath his helm. ‘I awaken,’ he booms. ‘The long sleep is over. Your power calls to me!’

Raising his gauntleted hands, the knight summons a sword of blazing fire into each palm, then starts towards you, as more flames ripple across the surface of his armour to coat it in fire.

If you gave Hal the health potion, turn to
578
. Otherwise, turn to
527
.

424

Something warm and syrupy fills your mouth, clogging at the back of your throat and forcing you to gag. All of a sudden you are awake, coughing and spluttering.

‘Why thank you for that,’ grins the black-coated man, kneeling beside you. He produces a handkerchief and proceeds to mop up the syrup from his face. ‘Come on, drink some more.
It is a healing draught.’ He holds a flask to your lips, allowing you to take another gulp of the potion. Slowly, you feel your strength returning. (You may restore your
health
to its
starting value.)

‘You’re probably still dazed and confused,’ says the man, placing his black hat back onto his head. ‘I’m Eldias Falks, one of the king’s witchfinders.’
He rises to his feet. ‘My apprentice Spink is tending to the other wounded. The count has escaped – but I know exactly where he is headed: his personal crypt beneath the castle. Are you
up for joining me?’ He holds out a gloved hand. You grab it and clamber back onto your feet.

‘OK, I’m ready,’ you nod. ‘Just lead the way.’ Turn to
535
.

425

‘The gates were built long ago, as a means of travelling between worlds. The people who crafted them were a heathen race – elves, whose dark magic and infernal
machines once tainted this land.’ The queen is silent for a moment, before continuing. ‘The shadow gate was the last of their great works. When they created it, they had no idea what
they would find on the other side. They dreamed of power and glory and knowledge . . . but what they awakened instead was a vast and deadly evil. When they stepped through the gate, they
didn’t find a land of splendour and riches . . . instead, they found a vast army waiting for them; an army brutally fashioned to fulfil one single purpose – to destroy everything in its
path.’

‘The Legion of Shadow,’ you interject, nervously.

‘Yes. Like a plague of locusts, it turned the land to ash and desert. It was an unstoppable force – for every shadowborn that fell in battle, there were hundreds more to take their
place, pouring through the shadow gate like a relentless tide.’

Your arm tingles as the mark beneath your clothing begins to grow hot. ‘You mentioned the shadowborn. Did they . . . Did all the shadowborn fight for the Legion of Shadow?’

‘The shadowborn
are
the legion. They take their name because they were born in that other place – that place of shadow and death, beyond the gate.’

You look down at your concealed mark, your mind suddenly racing with thoughts and questions.

‘The legion was defeated,’ continues the queen, regarding you impassively. ‘A group of mages managed to close the gate by removing one of its keystones. This device, known as
the Nexus, was separated into four pieces and entrusted to a group of guardians to safeguard with their lives. As for the gate itself, it was moved to Talanost – to the reliquary beneath the
University of Magic – where it could be better protected. Since then, the survivors of the shadow have been searching for the pieces of the keystone, to create the Nexus anew and unlock the
shadow gate.’

Your eyes widen in sudden realisation. ‘The Nexus,’ you gasp. ‘Avian Dale had the final piece and I . . . I . . .’ You look away, the full weight of what you have done
finally hitting home. ‘I stole it . . . I was
made
to steal it! I am the one responsible for the legion returning to this world.’

The queen nods. ‘A charm of submission. All shadowborn have it. It means they can be commanded by a superior – remotely if necessary.’

You find yourself leaning against the bench, suddenly feeling sick and nauseous. ‘Then, if I am one of these . . . shadowborn . . . why does Avian trust me? Why would he ask me to do this
task – to stop the legion’s invasion?’

The queen raises a hand and lightly touches your brow. ‘Perhaps, destiny has granted you a second chance, shadow walker.’

To ask the queen another question, turn to
376
. To end your audience with the queen, turn to
336
.

426

You pass through the opening, to find yourself in a large square chamber chiselled from black rock. A circular pit, filled with smouldering coals, dominates the centre of the
chamber. Beyond it, a set of stairs leads up to rune-bordered doorway.

You start towards the pit, but come to a halt when you see three sparkling balls of light zoom out of a crack in the floor. They spin around the edge of the pit before throwing themselves
against the glowing coals. There is a sudden whoosh of heat as the coals ignite, sending a swirling torrent of flame high into the air.

As the flames die down, you see a woman standing barefoot on the coals. She is clad in a black gown that hangs in scorched tatters over her shimmering, yellow skin.

‘You may not pass,’ she commands, her voice deep and sonorous. ‘This is the domain of Inferno – the master of the eternal flame.’ The woman summons fire into her
hands and then advances towards you. ‘Prepare to have your ashes scattered to the wind!’

Special abilities

If you defeat Cinders, turn to
655
.

427

Sahna furrows her brow. ‘No, don’t think I can place the name. A prophet, you say? Well, we’ve had quite a few crazies down here, it has to be said. Mention
the words treasure and gold, and you got to expect them. People just want to make a fast penny. But when there’s real danger involved,’ she smirks. ‘That soon sorts the wheat from
the chaff.’

Return to
343
to ask Sahna another question.

428

The rough-hewn tunnel slopes downwards, opening out into a small cave. Above you, breaking through the ceiling of the cave, you can see the withered roots of the trees, forming
a natural roof of snaking tentacles. Most of them are split and cracked, their insides glowing with a sickly-green luminescence.

Two tunnels lead out from the cave. One heading north and the other heading east.

429

You hurry along the hallway, towards an open doorway that leads you out into the lashing rain. A flash of lightning illuminates the castle stables, situated at the far side of
the cobbled yard. You can hear the horses whinnying and snorting nervously in their stalls.

Seeing their chance to escape, the family pick up their pace, sprinting towards the stables. You are about to follow when you feel something cold and icy wrapping around your leg.

‘Not so fast,’ crows a voice.

You are thrown off balance, falling to your knees. Twisting around, you see a woman watching you from the shadows. A black thread of mist extends from her outstretched fingers and is now curling
around your leg. You try and tear it away, but your efforts prove futile – the coil of mist simply tightens its grip, biting through your armour and into your flesh.

The woman gives an insane cackle of delight. For a brief moment, a flash of lightning illuminates her gaunt features. She is tall, dressed in a long trailing gown of midnight black. Curtains of
dark hair frame her pale face, shot through with a single lock of white.

To buy the family time to escape, you must fight this powerful undead witch:.