Legion of Shadow (71 page)

Special abilities

If you win a combat round against Malcontent, you can choose to apply your damage to Malcontent or the carrion crows. If Malcontent dies, the carrion crows will immediately
scatter and no longer attack, winning you the combat.

If you manage to defeat this deadly opponent, turn to
765
.

596

Anticipating your attack, the old man leaps to the side with a startling agility. Rather than countering you with his trident, he tugs on a silken rope that is hanging from the
ceiling. Before you can react, a weighted net falls on top of you, dragging you to the ground. The more you struggle to free yourself, the tighter and more restrictive the net becomes, until you
are thoroughly caught up in its woven strands. After several minutes of kicking and squirming, you finally lie still, admitting defeat.

The old man scratches his long green beard thoughtfully. ‘Humph. Humans. They just get more and more stupid.’ Raising his trident, the old man brings the heft-end down across your
forehead, knocking you unconscious. Turn to
576
.

597

Inside the tent, every inch of space is covered in pallet beds, laid out in regimented rows. Most are occupied, with young soldiers displaying various ailments and wounds.

Lansbury is perched on a stool at the end of the tent, next to a cabinet filled with bottles, pots and ointments. She has a book open on her lap, using the light from a candle to illuminate the
small writing. She looks up as you approach, removing her spectacles.

‘Can I help you with something?’ she asks with concern.

598

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
.

599

When the light fades, you find yourself standing on a paved square of cracked stones, surrounded on all sides by ruined buildings. A grey pall hangs heavy in the air –
caused, you suspect, by the thick ash that seems to coat everything in sight.

You twist round, expecting to see a portal archway looming above you, but instead there are just two crumbling columns, choked with black thorny roots.

From one of the buildings to your right you hear a commotion. A woman in white robes hurtles out of the dark interior, a staff held aloft in her hands. The tips are glowing with white crackling
flames. Behind her you can see small dark shapes skittering in her wake.

When she reaches the square, she pivots and sends a ball of white fire from her staff towards the doorway. You hear shrieks and cries from inside the building as black smoke drifts out into the
chill, grey air.

Then, to your surprise, she turns and aims her staff directly at you. As your eyes meet each other, you realise – too late – that she has seen you as an enemy. ‘Shadow
spawn!’

She releases a ball of white fire. You try and dodge aside at the last moment, but the magic slams into you, throwing you back against the ruined arch. Crying with pain, you look down at your
smoking armour and charred flesh. There is a flash from your exposed mark and, as if in answer to the pain, you feel a cold calmness wash over you, blocking out the agony.

When you look up again, you see the woman fending off a wave of ghoul-like creatures, with bony arms ending in sharp claws. Behind her, two men have now emerged from the building. One is tall
and pale, armed with two glowing swords. The twin blades move like quicksilver, rapidly cutting a swathe through the ghouls. At the swordsman’s side a shorter, broader-shouldered warrior is
fending off attacks with his shield, while he wrestles with a heavy sack that is dragging in the dirt.

As you watch the battle, you see more and more ghouls pouring out of the building. The endless tide has pinned the two warriors against one of the ruined walls, where they are frantically
dodging and parrying the incoming claws. Meanwhile, the robed woman is struggling to gain ground to reach them – her staff now proving ineffective in knocking away the creatures’
frenzied attacks.

You draw your weapons and rush into the battle, gritting your teeth against the occasional twinge of pain coming from your side. The woman looks up as you approach, her eyes going wide. For a
moment she thinks you are going to strike her – but instead you wade into the ghouls, your weapons rising and falling as they beat back the tide of undead. Turn to
628
.

600

‘You forbid it?’ repeats Redguard, visibly shaking with anger. ‘On what grounds? She is king’s army. She is one of my best soldiers.’

The inquisitor is already turning, to head back down into the camp. ‘I will not have men’s lives wasted. It was an ill decision to send a lone guard out into the fields, chasing
rumours of all things.’ He stops, and looks back towards Redguard. ‘I forbid any member of this garrison to leave their post.’

‘Wait!’ Nyms slides through the assembled guards to reach the inquisitor. For a moment they stare, eyeball-to-eyeball with each other. ‘I’m not army,’ he says
defiantly. ‘And neither are these two.’ He gestures towards Caeleb and yourself. ‘So, you can’t stop us. Your word has no authority over us.’

The inquisitor opens his mouth to protest, but closes it when he sees the assembled crowd nodding with approval. Redguard is smiling to himself as he looks to the three of you. ‘I
can’t authorise this. If you go, it is your own decision.’

‘Look there! There it is again!’ shouts one of the guards, pointing. This time you all see it: a bright arrow of light arching up into the grey twilight.

‘Come on,’ says Nyms. ‘Enough talking, I want some action.’

You and Caeleb follow him down the steps, ignoring the pouting inquisitor who is glaring at everyone with a furious anger. ‘They will not return,’ he growls, raising his voice so
that it carries after you. ‘They are fools to risk the bone fields. No good will come of this!’

As you head out into the grey ash-covered hills, littered with the bones of the dead, you wonder if the inquisitor may have a point. Turn to
605
.

601

It appears that Ravenwing’s forces are making headway into the bone army. You can see their signal flags and pennants nearby, slowly pushing northwards through the masses
of skeletons. Above you, a barrage of explosions light up the sky. A moment later and you are running for cover as a giant bone wyvern smashes into the ground, leaving a smoking crater on impact. A
red blur flashes by overhead. To your surprise you see that it is a red-robed mage, standing astride a magic carpet. He is rapidly followed by a whole squadron of mages, twisting and weaving
through the air as they battle the wyverns.

‘Nevarin.’

The voice forces you to turn. A black-clothed warrior is striding towards you, his body flickering with shadow magic. He is tall and lean, his eyes hidden by a black band of cloth. In either
hand he carries a large runed sword, already bloodied. ‘I see you fight for them,’ he spits – the last word said with loathing.

You realise that this is a shadowstalker, one of the generals of the Legion of Shadow. Weapons raised, you fall into a battle stance, watching your opponent closely as you both circle each
other. Despite the man’s blindfold, it appears that he can see you perfectly.

‘When I kill you,’ hisses the stranger, ‘I will enjoy absorbing every last shred of your pitiful existence.’ His body blazes with dark energy as he speeds towards you,
his swords moving impossibly fast:

Special abilities