Page 53

"Alright, if you insist, he's all yours, Renn," Merlyn concedes.

You gulp nervously. What am I, crazy? you ask yourself. But you step forward to face the fireshrew.

You and the giant rodent circle each other. It snarls and you wince. Sensing its superiority, the shrew jumps at you. You try to dodge, but you're too slow, and it sinks its claws into your shoulder.

You scream in pain, and, calling up every last bit of your strength, you manage to throw the animal off of you before its teeth can find your neck.

As it scrambles back to its feet you run in the other direction, putting as much distance between it and yourself as possible. At the same time you cry to Deke and Merlyn, "Help! I've changed my mind. Get rid of it, please!"

You're a bit irked to hear Merlyn's quiet laughter as she and Deke surround the fireshrew. You rub your throbbing shoulder, shamed by your defeat...but at least you are alive, and you're thankful that you've got a couple friends you can count on.

You lose 5 strength points.
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