### 31

You rush headlong through the trees and dense undergrowth, the dreadful howls of the Akataz growing ever louder in your ears. The pine trees appear to be thinning out and, as you break through a mass of waist-high foliage, you discover that the forest ends abruptly at the edge of a steep gorge. You skid to a halt and stare down at a raging river over 100 feet below.

A snarl, dangerously close, makes you spin on your heel and stare back into the forest. Your gaze is met by a score of hungry war-dogs as they creep closer for the kill.

If you wish to stand and fight the Akataz, turn to 81.

If you choose to evade them by jumping into the gorge, turn to 340.