### 248

Crouching in the shadows beneath the staircase, you look to the end of a torchlit corridor, where a soldier stands guard at a pair of solid iron gates. ‘Your weapons and equipment are on the other side of that gate, my friend,’ whispers Sogh. ‘It’s the tower strongroom, although it’s not as strong as they’d like to think. They caught me inside once, but they never found out how I managed to get in. There’s a secret passage that leads through the wall to the stables outside. If we can get past that guard and into the strongroom, you can get your equipment back, I can get what I came here for, and we can both get out through the stables.’

‘But what about my friend?’ you reply, worried about Banedon’s safety.

‘He’s not here. I overheard the guards say they were taking him to the Eastgate Barracks. I’d worry about his neck after you’ve saved your own if I were you.’

You stare at the guard, a plan slowly forming in your mind. ‘Give me that purse of silver,’ you say, holding out your hand.

‘Now, wait a minute, I … ’ replies Sogh, in a fluster.

‘Don’t argue,’ you retort. ‘You’ll get it back. I just need the right sort of bait to hook us this fish.’

Reluctantly he hands over the purse. Silently you leave the shadows and creep along the corridor, taking care to avoid the pools of flickering torchlight. When you are within ten feet of the guard, you begin to lay a trail of silver Lune all the way back to the staircase. The guard notices the glint of silver and cannot resist the temptation; he leaves his post to collect the coins. You wait tensely, sword in hand, as he approaches slowly. He is within a few feet of your hiding place when suddenly he sees you and begins to shout for help.

You must act quickly or his cries will summon every guard in the tower.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge and have reached the rank of Principalin, turn to 84.

If you wish to attack him with your sword, turn to 3.

If you wish to throw your dagger at him, turn to 215.