279

After what seems like an eternity, you reach the icy cold waters of the Gourneni and hurriedly launch your boat. Prarg scrambles over the stern, but as the aft drips beneath his weight, the rudder embeds itself in the mud and the boat is held fast.

‘Hurry Prarg! Break out the oars!’ you shout. ‘I’ll push!’

The Gorodons are gaining ground; you can hear the rasping rush of their breathing as they close in for the kill. Desperately you press your shoulder to the stern timbers and push with all your might. There is a shudder; then suddenly the boat lurches forwards and you fall face first into the freezing water. You surface almost immediately and blink the muddy water from your eyes to see the boat drifting away towards the middle of the river. Prarg is leaning over the gunwale with his arms outstretched:

‘Quickly, Lone Wolf!’ he screams. ‘They’re nearly upon you!’

Sensing that it would be quicker to swim than wade towards the boat, you bring your hands together in readiness to dive. But before you can launch yourself forwards, you feel something sharp graze your shoulders. An instant later, you are lifted out of the river and hurled backwards through the air to land, with a thick splash, in the mud at the water’s edge. One of the Gorodons caught your cloak upon its bull-like horns and, with a flick of its powerful neck muscles, it has tossed you all the way back to the shoreline.

Cold, stunned, and covered with mud, you struggle to find your feet and unsheathe your weapon as the three Gorodons come lumbering through the shallows, eager to kill and consume.

If you possess Kai-surge and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, turn to 190.

If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you have yet to reach this level of Kai rank, turn to 44.