text: > Go down
  "So, what happened up there?" Vasilii asks. For a moment, you can think only of the wonderful Pearl, and your eyes glaze a bit. Then you notice your brother getting impatient, and you relate the news about Katschei, the egg, and the horde of knights with whom you will have to do battle.
  "Battle, eh? Horde of knights, eh?" Vasilii looks thoughtful.
  "Sounds like you'll need help. Except I won't be much use right now -- I ditched all my kitchen knives... I know! There are some guys I worked with who'll be perfect! You'll see! I'll have them here by the time you get back with that egg!"
  With that, he sprints off and is gone before you can say another
  word. You wonder who he could possibly have in mind -- Vasilii never worked with any of your father's knights, and while Flo's sarcasm can be withering, you doubt she'd be much good in a fight.
  
  > go west
  You trip over your clawed feet and tumble to the ground for the sixth time today.
  
  > go west
  You've left the forest and rivers behind you to the west. The wilderness of the Russian steppe spreads out in all directions ahead of you. White winter wheat waves gracefully as the wind sweeps over the open land. A dirt road wends its way from east to west. At the east end of the road you see a mountain.
  Your eyes discern a faint animal trail to the north.
  
  > go to the north
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. Trails lead north, south, west, and northwest. [3]
  
  > Go northwest
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. Trails lead south, west, southwest, southeast, and northeast. [3]
  
  > go to the north-east
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. Trails lead north, south, east, west, northeast, and southwest. [3]
  
  > go northeast
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. Trails lead north, south, northwest, and southwest. [3]
  
  > Go north
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. Trails lead south, west, northwest, and southwest. [3]
  
  > Go northwest
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. Trails lead south, northeast, and southeast. [3]
  
  > Go northeast
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. The trail leads southwest. It smells salty here. [3]
  
  > read the trails
  You study the trail for a moment. It says, "Always take the trails in a northerly direction to find the ocean, a southerly direction to find the steppe. If you find yourself in a place where the air smells salty and the only exit is southeast, go se, s, e, n, and nw to find the ocean. If you're in a salty-smelling place and the only exit is southwest, go sw, s, w, n, nw to find the ocean." Yes, you read trails VERY well.
  
  > Go northwest
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. Trails lead south, northeast, and southeast. [3]
  
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. Trails lead north, south, east, west, and southeast.
  [3]
  
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. Trails lead north, east, west, and southeast. [3]
  
  You are wandering in the wilderness, having only faint animal trails
  to guide you. Trails lead south and northwest. [3]
  
  Waves crash on the beach. The surf rolls over your feet. A short distance offshore to the north you see an island. A trail back into the wilderness is to the southeast.
  
  > go north
  You plunge into the ocean. The salt water stings your eyes and grains of sand rub your skin raw. The discomfort barely registers on your consciousness as you swim straight toward the island. You let the waves wash you right onto the shore of...
  
  Here is a small, thickly forested island, perhaps the island Bouyan.
  A barrier of tall rocks impede your progress around the beach to the northeast and the northwest. To the south is the ocean. Explore the forest to the north.
  
  > Go north
  It's another forest locale. Explore deeper into the forest to the north or find the ocean to the south.
  You see a bear here.
  His paw is caught underneath a fallen tree, and he is crying out in pain.
  
  > examine the bear
  He's furry and brown and HUGE!
  
  > move the tree
  Which tree do you mean, the fallen tree, or the forest?
  
  > pull it
  Pulling the fallen tree doesn't have any effect. In desperation, the bear gnaws off his paw. He takes his bloody stump of a paw and drags himself back into the dense forest.
  
  > look at what you're carrying with you
  You have a bow, a quiver, a mask, a comfy blanket, a mysteriously transformed fork, a shovel, a shield, a bucket, a sword, a message from your father, a sledgehammer, a list, a corned beef sandwich, a flicker sandwich, a white flask, a black flask, a matchbook, four iron claws, a censer, a bunch of turnip greens, a feather (providing light), a length of silver chain, and some medicinal herbs. The quiver seems to contain an arrow.
  
  > cut the fallen tree with the sword
  You take to the fallen tree with your sword, thinking to yourself, "What a great sword! It cuts through anything." You hack at the rotting wood near the bear's paw, splitting the tree in two and freeing the bear. He shakes his paw out a bit to get the blood going. With a grateful grunt, he lumbers back into the forest.
  
  *** Your score just went up by 3 points. ***
  
  > Go north
  It's another forest locale. Explore deeper into the forest to the north or find the ocean to the south.
  You see an otter here.
  The poor animal has somehow been stranded on dry land. His fur is matted and dry, and he weakly mews for food, water, and protection.
  
  > look at the otter
  There is nothing cuter than an otter. Nothing. Period.
  
  > give the sandwich to the otter
  Which sandwich do you mean, the corned beef sandwich, or the flicker sandwich?
  
  > Corned
  The otter happily gulps down the corned beef sandwich. The meal strengthens him somewhat, but he is still not strong enough to return to his natural habitat himself.
  
  > put the blanket on the otter
  There's no good surface on the otter.
  The otter has been without food and water for too long. He expires from dehydration.
  
  > examine ocean
  It's wet, it's salty, it's the ocean all right.
  
  > put the bucket in the ocean
  The bucket drifts out of sight on the next wave.
  
  > get the otter
  You can't bear to leave the little guy alone in his weakened condition. Gosh, he's cute. Taken.
  
  > go north
  It's another forest locale. Explore deeper into the forest to the north or find the ocean to the south.
  You see a hawk here.
  The hawk has flown into a thicket of vines and has become imprisoned
  in the tangle of foliage.
  
  > Sword
  You think to yourself, "I have faith in this sword, I really do." You begin your attack on the vines, but soon discover that as easily entangled as the hawk has become in the vines, your sword get tangled in the thicket as well. You extricate it before the thicket swallows it whole.
  
  > Inventory
  You have a bow, a quiver, a mask, a comfy blanket, a mysteriously transformed fork, a shovel, a shield, a bucket, a sword, a message from your father, a sledgehammer, a list, a corned beef sandwich, a flicker sandwich, a white flask, a black flask, a matchbook, four iron claws, a censer, a bunch of turnip greens, a feather (providing light), a length of silver chain, some medicinal herbs, and an otter. The quiver seems to contain an arrow.
  
  > pour the black flask on the vines
  You sprinkle a bit of the water of death on the thicket. Nothing happens.
  
  > Light match
  (taking a match from the matchbook first)
  The match starts burning brightly. The poor panicked bird has finally exhausted himself. He draws his wings close to his body and dies.
  
  > untangle the vines
  You set to work methodically, patiently removing the vines from around the hawk. You are somewhat surprised that the panicked hawk is allowing you to come so close to him. Sometimes you even must touch him to get at the vines. As you work, you notice that the bird has calmed. As the last vine is removed, the hawk bursts out of the thicket into flight. His thankful call is the last evidence of the hawk as he disappears into the skies.
  
  *** Your score just went up by 3 points. ***
  
  > go to the north
  You have come upon a pond nestled in a forest clearing. The air is still. The water makes no sound. The trees lining the pond are particularly large, their massive roots plunging into the pond at the water's edge. You can walk around the pond by going northeast or northwest.
  The pond seems to contain a log.
  
  > put the otter in the pond
  You toss the otter into the pond. The poor otter jumps a foot out of the pond, lets out a shriek, and lands back in your arms. You test the water with your finger and find that the water is highly acidic. Just acidic, no, that's an understatement. It BURNS! Sorry, otter friend.
  
  > pour the water of the life in the the pond
  The water of life quickly sinks out of sight. Boy, this pond is deep!
  
  A drop of rain splatters on your arm, soon followed by another.
  
  > look at the log
  It's a large branchless section of tree trunk, about eight feet long.
  
  A drop of rain splatters on your arm, soon followed by another.
  
  > go to the north-east
  The pond is unremarkable here, but you see a break in the trees to
  the northeast. Travel around the pond to the southwest or the northwest.
  The pond seems to contain a log.
  
  It is raining harder and harder. The level of the pond is beginning to rise.
  
  > look at the log
  It's a large branchless section of tree trunk, about eight feet long.
  
  It is raining harder and harder. The level of the pond is beginning to rise.
  
  > give the sandwich to the otter
  Which sandwich do you mean, the corned beef sandwich, or the flicker sandwich?
  
  > Corned
  The otter happily gulps down the corned beef sandwich. The meal strengthens him somewhat, but he is still not strong enough to return to his natural habitat himself.
  
  The rain is coming down in buckets.
  
  > touch the pond
  It feels just like a pond.
  
  The rain seems to be letting up.
  
  > put the otter in the pond
  You toss the otter into the pond. The poor otter jumps a foot out of the pond, lets out a shriek, and lands back in your arms. You test the water with your finger and find that the water is highly acidic. Just acidic, no, that's an understatement. It BURNS! Sorry, otter friend.
  
  The rain seems to be letting up.
  
  > put the otter in the bucket
  The otter squirms away from you and spoils your aim. He lands at your feet.
  
  The rain seems to be letting up.
  
  > drop bucket
  Dropped.
  
  The rain is coming down in buckets.
  
  > examine the bucket
  There's nothing in the bucket.
  
  The rain seems to be letting up.
  
  > wait
  Time passes...
  
  The storm is over as quickly as it came.
  
  > give the turnip to the otter
  The otter happily gulps down the bunch of turnip greens. The meal strengthens him somewhat, but he is still not strong enough to return to his natural habitat himself.
  
  The rain is coming down in buckets.
  
  > Flicker
  The otter happily gulps down the flicker sandwich. The meal strengthens him somewhat, but he is still not strong enough to return to his natural habitat himself.
  
  The rain seems to be letting up.
  
  > give the beef sandwich to the otter
  The otter happily gulps down the corned beef sandwich. The meal strengthens him somewhat, but he is still not strong enough to return to his natural habitat himself.
  
  The storm is over as quickly as it came.
  
  > go to the north-west
  You walk to the opposite side of the pond.
  
  the pond. Travel around the pond to the southeast or the northeast.
  The pond seems to contain a log.
  
  > look at the tree
  Which tree do you mean, the ancient tree, or the forest?
  
  > Ancient
  It's a huge specimen with large low branches that extend out over the surface of the pond.
  
  > climb it
  By now well practiced in climbing trees, you easily scramble out toward the end of one of the low branches.
  
  You are sitting on a branch that hangs over the pond. The log is floating right under the branch. You dangle your arm down and find that it brushes against your fingertips.
  The pond seems to contain a log.
  
  > examine log
  It's a large branchless section of tree trunk, about eight feet long.