Free The Cauldron of Fear by Joe Dever Page A

into the city when you catch a glimpse of a shadowy figure moving furtively among the ruins of an edifice to your left.
    If you have completed the Lore-circle of the Spirit, turn to 281 .
    If you have yet to complete this Lore-circle, you can investigate the shadow; turn to 122 .
    Or you can ignore it and continue along the avenue; turn to 61 .

176
    ‘Follow me!’ shouts Banedon, as he jumps his horse over the bodies of your slain attackers and gallops along the highway. He has survived the fight unscathed: by casting a magical net of sticky strands over a dozen rangers and their horses, he ensnared them all before they had a chance to level their lances at him.
    The sergeant and the remnants of his company pursue you as you speed north along the highway. But you soon outdistance them, and the sergeant orders off the chase, returning to the standing stones to free his netted men.
    Only when he and his men are beyond the horizon do you rein in your horses and slacken the pace.
    Turn to 213 .

177
    You scoop the strongroom key from the guard's belt and hurry towards the gates while Sogh retrieves his silver. Once you are both safely inside the strongroom, you lock the heavy doors and begin to search for your equipment. The room is stacked to the ceiling with all manner of goods and articles that have been confiscated by the gatehouse guards. Contraband, stolen goods, and illegal cargoes impounded at the South Gate are stored here before being either destroyed or sold at auction. It is rumoured that the gatehouse guards cream off the best booty for themselves, and it is no secret that the post of gatehouse commander is the most coveted of all in the Anarian army.
    You discover all your Special and Backpack Items, but your Weapons are nowhere to be seen. However, there are several fine weapons lying on the shelves and you may rearm yourself with any of the following:
Sword
Axe
Bow
Quiver
6 Arrows
Broadsword
Warhammer
    Sogh is busily sifting through a mound of silver and antique jewellery, pocketing the choicest items and tossing aside the rest. He comes across a diamond and obsidian signet ring, and beams with delight. ‘Ah! I knew it was here,’ he says, and slips it inside his codpiece for safekeeping.
    ‘Come, we've both got what we want; we'd best leave now before they discover the dead guards.’ He beckons you to help him drag a table away from the wall and then proceeds to tap at the brickwork with the hilt of a dagger. Two minutes later he is becoming agitated, having tapped every brick over six square feet of wall without any result. You cast your eye over the surface and your Kai sense draws your attention to a brick in a different part of the wall. You tap it casually with the toe of your boot and a panel slides aside to reveal the secret passage.
    ‘How did you … ’ gasps Sogh, his eyes open wide with amazement.
    ‘A lucky guess,’ you reply, modestly, and enter the dark tunnel. Sogh follows and the panel slides closed just as a patrol of angry guards force open the strongroom door.
    Erase the ‘x’ marks from your Action Chart to restore your rediscovered Special Items 9 and Backpack Items, and remember to alter your Weapons List accordingly.
    Turn to 197 .
    [9] You do not find any weapon-like Special Items. Keep them marked with an ‘x’ on your Action Chart since you may still be able to retrieve them.

178
    ‘For one gifted in the ways of magic, you have a surprisingly poor sense of direction,’ says the commander in a mocking voice. He signals to his men on the parapet and you raise your hands in surrender; to resist would be suicidal.
    Turn to 312 .

179
    You reach the West Gate and climb the body-strewn stairs to the battlements. On this side of the city the mist is less dense and you can see regiments of Drakkarim warriors advancing in lines towards the great moat. Behind them are trundled huge machines of war designed to fire canisters of boiling oil and red-hot liquid metal over the city