17

You fix your eyes on the speeding arrow and incant the words of the Brotherhood Spell Halt Missile. For a few seconds the shaft freezes in mid-air; then it resumes flight and passes harmlessly across the rear of the boat. You hear gasps of astonishment from the Drakkarim, and more than one utters the word ‘Ziran’—the Giak for ‘Wizard’. As you disappear rapidly downstream, you see the renegades scrambling up the muddy bank in a desperate attempt to get away, having convinced themselves that you are a powerful sorcerer!

Your voyage continues without further interruption until, later in the afternoon, you catch sight of a town on the horizon. You check your map and discover it to be Konozod, a fortified Drakkarim stronghold. As the river carries you closer, you magnify your vision and see that it is built upon the left bank of the Shug. A huge stone bridge spans the river, and beneath this you see that the waterway is blocked by a barrier of chained logs.

If you wish to allow your boat to drift towards this barrier, turn to 314.

If you wish to avoid the barrier, you can put ashore and continue on foot by turning to 231.