### 74

‘The people of Hikas are living in fear of their lives,’ says the innkeeper, as he draws up a chair and sits with you at your table. ‘For the past month there’s been a creature stalking our streets at night. It’s killed more than fifty poor souls, and in terrible fashion. Ripped ’em to pieces. There ain’t anyone who’s lived to tell what it looks like but everyone’s got their own ideas. Some say it’s a shape-changer that goes about at day in the guise of a man and changes into a beast at night. Others say it’s come from Gorgoron, seeking revenge on the Old Kingdom for the death of its master—Agarash the Damned. I … I don’t know what to think. All I know is that it stalks the streets, and every night someone dies a ghastly death by its hand.’

Suddenly the door to the tavern opens and in strides a Vakeros soldier with a sword wavering in his hand. He is wearing the uniform of a lieutenant of the city’s militia, and beside him is a small boy—the innkeeper’s son. ‘That’s him!’ shouts the boy, pointing his finger accusingly at you.

The innkeeper vouches to the nervous lieutenant that you are a journeyman and not the creature that has paralysed Hikas with a reign of terror. The lieutenant relaxes a little and sheathes his sword. He shouts to a unit of his guardsmen who are grouped outside to form into a column and get ready to march, and then he turns to you and asks you to accompany him.

Turn to 20.