Free Legion of Shadow by Michael J. Ward Page A

archway, turn to 154 . Otherwise, if you defeat the tree roots turn to 167 .

94
    The elemental crackles and hisses, then is extinguished, becoming little more than a wisp of cloudy smoke. As you waft it away, your eyes settle on a door at the far side of the
room. It swings open and the weather wizard emerges, tugging nervously at his white beard. After quickly scanning the room, he gives a hoot of laughter.
    ‘At last! At last! You did it!’ He rushes over and grabs you by the hand, shaking it so hard, you fear it may come off. ‘Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!’ he cries.
    You ask the wizard to explain what happened. ‘It was my rainmaker,’ he says, rummaging through a pile of scorched papers. ‘A-ha, here it is.’ He picks up two pieces of
charred wood. ‘It got struck by lightning, right here in my tower. Broke in two, and released the water spirit that was trapped inside. The dratted thing went crazy – it was
uncontrollable, so I had no choice but to shut myself away, in my upper rooms. Been stuck there for weeks now, living off magic bread. Have you ever tasted magic bread?’ He sticks out his
tongue, pulling a disgusted face. ‘Horrible! Horrible!’
    You tell the wizard that the local farms have been suffering because of the heat. The wizard nods. ‘Yes, yes. I have been observing the weather – my speciality you see.’ He
taps his nose in a knowing fashion. ‘That weather isn’t normal . . . some magic behind it I’m guessing, although why anyone would want to cause a drought, I just can’t
fathom.’ He eyes the two broken ends of his staff thoughtfully. ‘Hmm. I need a new rainmaker. Well, no time like the present. Come on, let’s get cracking!’ Turn to 81 .
    95
    Ignoring the girl’s protests, you race into the trees, in pursuit of the goblin. It isn’t long before you realise the foolishness of your decision. The undergrowth
is thick and knotted, pulling and clawing at your clothes. Floundering onwards, you try your best to keep up with the fleeing goblin but it is soon lost from sight.
    Scratched and bleeding, you head back to the clearing. When you re-emerge from the trees, you see the girl watching you with an amused expression.
    ‘Well that was very brave of you, wasn’t it?’ she says in a mocking tone. ‘Leave a poor defenceless girl behind while you go playing off in the woods. Now, do something
smart for once and get me down. NOW!’ Turn to 21 .
    96
    You approach the door to the farmhouse, stepping over the straggly weeds and vines that snake across the cracked stone path. Trying the handle, you discover that it is locked.
To break down the door, you must pass a brawn challenge.

    If you are successful, turn to 119 . If you fail, you are left with no choice but to leave the farm and return to the road. Return to the quest map .
    97
    Boss: Bridge troll
    At the southern edge of Tithebury, the quiet woods and meadows give way to dusty, boulder-strewn slopes and craggy cliffs. After several tiring hours of navigating the maze-like
valleys, you finally arrive at a wide ravine. You walk up to the edge and tentatively peer over the side of the vertiginous drop. Below there is nothing but clouds and water vapour, thrown up from
the numerous waterfalls, which spill into the sheer precipice.
    The only way across the ravine is by way of a rickety old rope bridge. With no other choice, you cautiously step out onto the bridge, clutching the sides for support as it sways alarmingly.
After taking a deep breath, you begin to cross.
    You have just passed the halfway point when you spot something clambering up the far side of the ravine. It moves quickly, using its long, muscled arms to pull itself onto the bridge.
    You realise that this must be the troll the locals told you about; the one that guards the pass. It advances towards you, the bridge creaking and swaying with each heavy footstep. Standing a
head taller than a man, the creature’s leathery skin is brown and mottled,