### 134

Your punch knocks the Elder off his feet and leaves him slumped unconscious against the gunwale. A deathly silence descends on the deck and all eyes turn to stare in disbelief at what you have done.

'Seize him!' bellows another Elder, and a score of acolytes spring from the benches to obey the command. You draw your weapon and fight them with breathtaking skill and valour, but eventually you are overcome by the sheer weight of numbers. By the time they have disarmed you and pinned you to the deck, more than thirty of them lie slain or seriously injured in a heaped circle around where you lie.

You stare back defiantly at the ring of grim faces that loom over you. Then the face of an Elder comes into view and he sneers with disdain when he sees that you are a Sommlending. He places the tip of his glowing wand to your forehead and suddenly there is an explosion of white light. Sadly, it is the last sensation you will ever experience.

Your life and your quest end here.

Text copyright © 1991 Joe Dever.
Illustrations copyright © 1991 Brian Williams.