Free Legion of Shadow by Michael J. Ward Page B

its face little more than an enormous snout, protruding between two yellowed tusks. As the troll nears, your
attention focuses on the large, mean-looking club it is now tugging free from its belt.
    ‘Oi you,’ says the troll, stopping several paces in front of you. ‘To cross da bridge ya gotta give me forty of those shiny fings or I gonna clobber ya. What’s it to
be?’
    Will you:
    Pay gold to cross the bridge? — 135
    Attack the troll? — 156
    98
    You push aside the lid – the chamber echoing with the sound of grating stone. As you lean over the tomb to look inside, a rotted, skeletal hand suddenly shoots out of the
darkness, grabbing you around the throat. Gasping for breath, you jerk backwards – your sudden movement snapping the hand from its limb. There is a wheezing cry from inside the tomb as
something bangs and rattles to get free.
    You rip the still-twitching hand from your throat, throwing it away with disgust. As you ready for battle, you watch as a mould-covered skeleton lurches out of the tomb. In its remaining hand it
grips a mighty, rune-etched sword, its glowing blade untarnished by the rot and mould that seems to permeate every other surface of this room.
    Clad in little more than a tattered cloak and some mildewed rags, the ancient warrior stumbles towards you, its mouldy bones creaking in their sockets. You must now fight:

    Special abilities
    Body of bone: The knight is immune to bleed and venom .
    If you are victorious, turn to 222 .
    99
    This is your opportunity to choose the path you wish to follow – the warrior, the mage or the rogue. The warrior is a master of weapons and armour. Although slow in
combat, the warrior compensates for this with a hardy endurance and mighty strength. If you have a high brawn or armour score, then the path of the warrior could be for you. If, on
the other hand, you have a high magic score, then you may favour the path of the mage – mastering arcane magics to smite your foes or impede their abilities. Finally, the rogue is the
master of speed and deception. Whilst weak and vulnerable in longer fights, the rogue excels in exploiting weaknesses and avoiding damage. If you have a high speed and brawn score,
then the path of the rogue may be a wise choice.
    Will you:
    The path of the warrior? — 214
    The path of the mage? — 256
    The path of the rogue? — 250
    100
    You quickly search through your pack, rooting around for the scroll. Just as you are about to tug it free, the ghouls are upon you, jabbering and howling with glee. You have no
choice but to battle these three deadly opponents:

    Special abilities
    Piercing claws: The ghouls’ attacks ignore armour.
    If you manage to defeat the ghouls, turn to 127 .
    101
    You grab the last of the witch’s spell books and place them inside the open sack. She looks at you in surprise, then offers you a smile. ‘Thank you,’ she says.
‘You have a kind heart.’ After tying up the sack, you help the witch to load her belongings onto the horse. In the distance you can hear the jeering crowd, advancing through the
woods.
    ‘I must go,’ says the witch, hoisting herself into the saddle. ‘My time here is at an end.’ She leans over to you, beckoning you closer. ‘Listen to me. The Speaker
is a changeling. He is the one responsible for the villagers’ woes. He is the one that has brought the goblins here – and the dark things of the underworld. It has taken me many years
to track down that demon-spawn. Now that I know the true nature of its form, it wants me dead.’ She reaches into the pocket of her dress and pulls out a small phial. Inside the glass casing
is a clear, blue liquid. ‘If this potion comes into contact with its skin, it will reveal the changeling for what it truly is.’
    You take the vial and thank the witch. She places a hand on your shoulder and whispers something – a blessing perhaps – then she kicks the flanks of her gelding and gallops away. As
the angry mob descend on