Read Online Legion of Shadow by Michael J. Ward - Free Book Online Page A

time in combat to restore your health to full
    One by one, the men return from the forest, relieved that the creature is dead. After tending to the wounded, the men offer you a day’s work, digging at the site. You
agree to help and earn yourself 20 gold crowns.
    Thanking the archaeologists, you take the track that leads back to Tithebury Cross. You may now return to the map to continue your adventure.
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    The wizard heads into another room and emerges a few minutes later with a plain-looking staff in his hands. ‘This one will do,’ he says. ‘But it’s no
good until we have a new water spirit to put inside. It’s the water spirit that gives the rainmaker its power. Follow me.’
    The old man leads you out of the tower and back down the stone steps. ‘There is a lake just over here,’ he says, striding purposefully over the crest of a hill. ‘See, down
there. That will do just nicely.’ He heads down the hill, towards a small lake of still water, its surface shimmering in the bright sunlight.
    At the edge of the lake, the wizard takes his staff and pushes it into the ground, twisting it deep into the earth. Then he raises his hands above his head. ‘When the spirit
appears,’ he says, ‘it will try and attack me. I want you to keep it busy – so it doesn’t interrupt my spell. It will take me a few minutes to bind it to the staff.
Understand?’
    You nod, readying yourself for combat as the wizard begins chanting his spell. A couple of minutes pass, before you spot a disturbance on the surface of the lake. It starts out as a series of
slow circular ripples, which soon become a swirling whirlpool of churning water. As it gains momentum, the water whooshes up into the air, forming a glittering column of spray. With a thunderous
roar, the column curls into a wave, rushing towards the wizard at tremendous speed. Two powerful-looking arms spring out from its sides, forming themselves into watery fists. Quickly, you dash in
front of the wizard, to protect him for as long as you can:

    If you survive to the end of 5 combat rounds, turn to 234 .
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    The next morning, the girl is quiet and sullen. You eat a cheerless breakfast together then head back into the woods, following the trail back to her father’s house. The
girl walks in silence, huddled in her tattered red shawl.
    Back at the cabin, the woodsman is overjoyed to see his daughter again. He asks what happened, and you take him aside to explain the sequence of events. The woodsman shakes his head.
    ‘My daughter should have known better than to trust that witch. Been nothing but trouble since that old crone came to these lands.’ Thanking you once again, the woodsman offers you
his prized sword as a reward for returning his daughter safely:
    Goblinhewer
    (main hand: sword)
    +1 speed +1 armour
    You may now return to the map to continue your journey.
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    You climb through the window and out onto the sloping roof. As you slide towards the edge, your foot dislodges a tile, sending it skating off the roof to smash onto the ground
below. You wince, cursing yourself for being so clumsy. A moment later you hear a voice from somewhere below.
    ‘Who’s there? Who . . . wait! Boss! Boss! We got a live one here!’ You spot the man from the roadside, sprinting towards the farmhouse.
    Will you:
    Immediately take chase? — 144
    Let him go and leave the farm? — Return to the map
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    The barman raises an eyebrow. ‘Yer want to pay Avian a visit do yer?’ He grins, revealing two rows of rotted, yellow teeth. ‘Good luck with that. The man keeps
himself to himself – lives right across the gorge, south of ’ere. Only ways across is a bridge, and I hears that a troll moved in now, made it his own. Unless you pay the toll,
it’s lights out for yer . . .’ The barman slams his fist on the counter, making you jump. His face cracks into another grin. ‘Truth is, I think Avian likes the troll –
otherwise he would have done something about it. Keeps