Flight from the Dark (15 page)
Read Flight from the Dark Online
Authors: Joe Dever
Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Lone Wolf, #Magnamund
You are lucky, they do not seem to have spotted you. They slowly move on and have soon disappeared along the far side of the ridge. You continue your run.
In the centre of a small clearing you see a group of humans talking excitedly and gesturing wildly with their hands. There are two children, three men, and a woman. Their belongings are wrapped in bundles which they carry slung over their shoulders. Their clothes look well made and expensive but they are dirty and torn.
If you wish to approach them and ask who they are,
turn to 155
.
If you wish to avoid them and continue onwards on your mission,
turn to 70
.
The Doomwolves are soon on you and you must fight them one at a time.
Doomwolf 1:
COMBAT SKILL
13
ENDURANCE
24
Doomwolf 2:
COMBAT SKILL
14
ENDURANCE
23
Doomwolf 3:
COMBAT SKILL
14
ENDURANCE
22
Doomwolf 4:
COMBAT SKILL
15
ENDURANCE
21
If you kill them all in battle,
turn to 278
.
Your Tracking ability tells you that several trails from the right path lead off in the direction of the left path. They have been made by large wolves. The Darklords use such beasts to scout for their armies. They are vicious creatures and are often ridden by Giaks. The left path leads towards Holmgard, and the right path leads off towards the Durncrag Mountains. The choice of route is yours.
If you wish to turn left,
go to 32
.
If you wish to turn right,
go to 146
.
The creature that you now face is a Gourgaz, one of a race of cold-blooded reptilian creatures that dwell deep in the treacherous Maakenmire swamps. Their favourite food is human flesh!
The Prince's Sword lies at your feet. You may pick up and use this weapon if you wish. The Gourgaz is about to strike at you — you must fight him to the death.
Gourgaz:
COMBAT SKILL
20
ENDURANCE
30
This creature is immune to Mindblast.
If you win,
turn to 82
.
You are awoken by the cries of Kraan high above you in the clear morning sky. Rubbing your eyes, you peer upwards through the canopy of branches to see three of the loathsome creatures fly off towards the north.
You are sure you have not been spotted, but perhaps it would be best to leave now — just in case. You mount your horse and ride south along the highway.
You find a stone portal in the east wall, but there does not appear to be any way of opening it.
If you wish to examine the statue,
turn to 133
.
If you wish to sit on the seat,
turn to 161
.
Using your Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter, you untie the ropes binding your hands. You wait for a chance to make a break for it and then sprint as fast as you can into the dense undergrowth. Black arrows whistle past you, but you are soon deep among the trees and safe again. You have lost your Backpack and Weapons but you have your life and limbs intact. You continue to push on into the forest.
The room is getting colder. You gradually notice the smell of sulphur in the air. You can hear chanting in the distance. It sounds as if it is somewhere in another part of this cave. A slit in the stone wall opens, and the end of a black staff begins to appear. Suddenly a bolt of blue lightning leaps from the staff and hits you in the chest.
As your life slowly drains away, the last thing you see is an old man dressed in black robes raising a dagger above your throat.
Your life and your mission end here.
Swimming towards the bank, you can see the ranger spread-eagled at the water's edge. You reach him but only to find that he has broken his neck in the fall and is dead.
Suddenly, two Giaks jump on you from above and you must fight them. You are unarmed and must fight the Giaks with your bare hands. Deduct 4 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
and fight them one at a time.
Giak 1:
COMBAT SKILL
11
ENDURANCE
18
Giak 2:
COMBAT SKILL
12
ENDURANCE
17
If you win,
turn to 156
.
Sweating, and out of breath, you part the dense undergrowth to see a Kraan hovering over the wagon. Three ghoulish Giaks drop from its back, startling the horses. They advance upon the helpless children with their spears.
If you wish to run back to the wagon and defend the children,
turn to 208
.
If you want to run deeper into the forest,
turn to 264
.
The merchant takes your Gold and clicks his fingers. His bodyguard attacks you with his scimitar.
If you wish to fight,
turn to 191
.
If you wish to evade combat, jump clear of the speeding caravan by
turning to 234
.
Carefully, you follow the stream as it makes its way towards the east. Suddenly you notice something in the distance that brings you to a halt.
Lying in the rushing water like a great black dam is a dead Kraan. You creep nearer, under cover of the foliage, until you see three arrows deep in the beast's chest. Trapped beneath the beast is the body of its rider. It is a Giak, a spiteful and malicious servant of the Darklords. Many centuries ago, their ancestors were used by the Darklords to build the infernal city of Helgedad, which lies in the volcanic wastelands beyond the Durncrag range of mountains. The construction of the city was a long and torturous nightmare, and only the strongest Giaks survived the heat and poisonous atmospheres of Helgedad. This creature is a descendant of these Giak slaves. It seems that this one must have drowned. The Giak's pouch contains 3 Gold Crowns. (You may take these if you wish.)
You may continue downstream, by
turning to 70
.
Or you may leave the stream and make your way on foot through the wooded hills to the south by
turning to 157
.
You have not gone far when you hear the sound of battle to the west.
If you wish to follow the sound,
turn to 97
.
If you would rather continue south,
turn to 6
.
You quickly move off into the forest before more Doomwolves or Kraan appear.
You have walked for more than an hour when you reach the top of a rocky hill. The sight that befalls you on the other side is one of hope. But there is also a daunting challenge to be faced.
As the beast writhes in its final death agony on the black stone floor, the portal in the east wall clicks open to reveal a corridor beyond. You quickly dash through the secret door just as it crashes shut.
Covering your nose with your cloak, you cautiously approach the dead beast. The sharp smell of its fetid black blood makes your stomach churn, but you are determined to press on. Then you notice a large saddlebag strapped to its chest. Opening the bag, you find a Message written on an animal skin.
Illustration XV—Opening the bag, you find a message.
Deeper in the bag is a Dagger. You may keep both the Message and the Dagger if you wish.
You leave the body and continue eastwards along the path.
You black out for only a few minutes before you are revived with a measure of strong spirit. Feeling weary but thankful to be alive, you lean on the shoulders of the King's men and you stagger towards the outer defences.
The madman lies dead at your feet. Two soldiers soon appear at the doorway and immediately congratulate you. They tell you that he was an escaped lunatic whom they had been tracking for the last two days. One of the soldiers gives you 10 Gold Crowns reward money and offers to escort you to the citadel.
If you accept his offer,
turn to 314
.
If you would prefer to trust your own sense of direction,
turn to 7
.
You hear the angry cries of the enemy drift across the lake. You must leave here before more Kraan appear. You mount your steed and push on further into the forest.
You feel very weak. The poison of the snake has entered your bloodstream and you can feel the muscles of your body involuntarily tightening and relaxing. Your legs suddenly collapse beneath you and you feel the slimy water of the marsh close over your head.
Your life ends here.
Keeping a watchful eye on the sky above, you move quickly along the track. You recall that this route leads to Fogwood, a small cluster of huts that have been used by a family of charcoal burners for nearly fifty years. After twenty minutes you reach the edge of a clearing where the huts are grouped in a small circle. There is no sign of the usual mist of wood smoke which gives Fogwood its apt name, and the huts are unusually quiet.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Tracking, you may
turn to 134
.
If you do not possess this skill, you prepare your weapon and stealthily approach the huts.
Turn to 305
.
The outer fieldworks of the city can now be seen. Drawn across the river is a line of barges chained together to form a floating barricade. You can also see soldiers running along the log walls of the fieldworks, and you can hear the faint noise of battle drifting from the west.
If you wish to approach the barges,
turn to 179
.
If you wish to take cover in the trees,
turn to 51
.
In your haste to avoid the enemy, you catch your foot in a tree root and you are pitched head over heels in a tumble of dust and leaves. You quickly get to your feet and, crashing through the undergrowth at the base of the hill, you run into the forest. You have been running for nearly ten minutes when you discover that you have lost your Weapon(s). Well, at least you still have your life and your Backpack. Wiping the grime from your face, you push on through the trees ahead.