### 285

Odel replenishes a quiver of bolts that he carries on his hip and checks that the crossbow he wears strapped to his forearm is functioning properly. Satisfied, he folds away its hinged bow arms, then slips a brace of throwing knives into the tops of his boots. 'Are you ready?' he asks, as you finish adjusting your equipment. 'Yes,' you reply, confidently. 'Let's go.'

You leave the encampment by slipping over the perimeter wall, and quickly merge like shadows into the thick forest beyond. The giant trunks support a canopy of dense foliage that blocks out most of the light and keeps the forest floor bathed in a perpetual twilight. A carpet of moss muffles your footfalls and the only foliage that grows in abundance is a bushy velvet lichen patterned with orange-headed, tooth-sized growths.

If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Curing, turn to 36.

If you do not possess this skill, turn to 163.

Text copyright © 1987 Joe Dever.
Illustrations copyright © 1987 Brian Williams.