Legion of Shadow (57 page)

If you defeat the swamp giant, turn to
509
.

487

Your final blow sends the count’s golden mask skittering across the floor, revealing his scarred, disfigured face. It begins to wither and age before your very eyes.
‘No! I will not die!’ hisses the vampire. He tries to grab you, but the count’s legs give way beneath him. He collapses to the ground, his body crumbling into a pile of grave
dust.

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

‘A good show,’ says a voice.

You look up to see Eldias Falks watching you with a grim smile. ‘Carry on like that and you’ll put me out of business.’ Removing his hat, the witchfinder walks towards you,
offering out his hand. ‘Well done, my friend. Truth and justice have triumphed this day.’

If you are a rogue and have the
witchfinder’s signet ring
turn to
498
, otherwise turn to
515
.

488

To your surprise, a hairline crack of light appears across the lid of the chest, splitting it in two. The newly-revealed halves slide back with a scraping rumble, revealing a
soft, velvet-lined cavity. You lean over and take a look inside the chest. Turn to
397
.

489

Having being held at knife point and then ordered to obey these strangers, you are feeling more than a little testy. You state that you wish to leave, explaining that you have
your own important matters to attend to.

Bern places a hand on your shoulder. ‘Friend, I may need your help. All will be revealed to you when we get to the grove.’ His eyes stray to your covered arm, where the brand is
burning beneath your skin. ‘I know what you are. You are shadow born. A survivor from the shadow war. The queen will want to meet with you.’

You ask the warrior if he can tell you more about the strange mark. He scowls, stepping away from you. ‘I don’t wish to talk of it here. What your people did . . . what they are
capable of . . .’ He visibly shivers. ‘I should kill you, stranger. I would have every right. And yet,’ he cocks his head to one side, his eyes narrowing, ‘there is
something about you. My instinct tells me that you have no malice in your heart. That I do not understand . . . but the queen will be your judge, not I. Now, come with us. Time is pressing. If you
wish to learn more, then the queen will give you your answers – if you are deserving of them.’

You agree to accompany the warrior. If the queen really can help you to understand more about your former life, then perhaps it will throw light on what happened that fateful night at
Avian’s castle. Turn to
356
.

490

You have barely set foot in the cave before you hear something moving towards you from the fetid darkness. It is impossibly large, its chitinous sides scraping along the walls.
As it nears, you catch a glimpse of spider-like legs and a head of squirming, translucent tentacles. Quickly, you back out of the cave, the stench and the size of the creature overwhelming your
senses. But there is no escape. The mutated insect follows you out onto the ledge, its massive bloated body squeezing out of the hole. Every inch of its skin is covered in thick black plates, each
one giving off a green smoky hue. As it raises its tentacled head, the insect opens its mucus-filled mouth and gives a knee-trembling wail, soaking you in spit and the half-digested remains of its
last meal.

You have no choice but to fight this deadly adversary:

Special abilities

If you defeat Wormwood, turn to
517
. (Special achievement: If you defeat Wormwood in five combat rounds or less then turn to
533
.)

491

You struggle free of the net and clamber back to your feet. Suddenly, there is a whoosh of crackling magic followed by a loud explosion. When you turn, you see that part of the
thorny wall has been blasted apart – and the wreekin leader is now fleeing through it. Before you can give chase, there is another explosion right in front of you, sending torrents of water
and mud high into the air.

You spin round, to see one of the wreekin holding a wand fashioned from strips of bone. It levels the wand at you again, preparing to fire another blast. Quickly, you charge towards it:

Special abilities

If you defeat the mage, turn to
449
.

492

The chest is an extraordinary piece of craftsmanship, sculptured to look like two dragons, entwined in each other’s wings. You settle down onto the ice, wiping the
dripping water from the jewel-encrusted lid. Worryingly, you notice a large keyhole staring back at you. After trying the lid of the chest, you discover that it is locked.

If you have a
rune key,
turn to
777
. Otherwise, no matter how hard you try, you cannot break open the chest. After kicking it several times in frustration (and getting a very sore
foot!), you head back to camp. Return to the quest
map
.

493