War of the Wizards (11 page)

With a relieved sigh, both you and Tanith turn to resume your journey east. Night has almost fallen. In the faint light, you see a glimmer in the distance. It is a river. You break into a run and do not stop until you have reached the banks of its fast-flowing waters. Hurriedly, you scoop handfuls of water into your mouth, and do not stop until your parched throat is soothed and your thirst quenched. With a satisfied expression, Tanith sits up on her haunches, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

‘This is the River Dolani,’ she says. ‘It leads south, to fill the great Lake Dolani thirty miles downstream. Upstream, to the northeast, is its source in the Kashima Mountains.’

To continue your journey east you will have to cross this river. It is too wide and deep to be waded, and the current is too fast for you to be able to swim across. You ponder your next course of action, lost in thought.

Turn to 201
.

Like his comrades, the Masbaté warrior stands well over seven feet tall. Clad in a corselet of worn, padded leather, his body ripples with taut muscle beneath skin as black as ebony. His hair is long and his eyes still burn with the raging fire of battle. He stares at you curiously. ‘Who are you?’ he asks.

‘Greetings men of the Masbaté,’ you reply. ‘I am Grey Star, Wizard of the Shianti, bound upon a quest in their service, and sworn to the destruction of the Wytch-king, Shasarak.’

‘Can this be?’ the warrior gasps, shaking his head in amazement. ‘We will talk of this later in a safer place. My name is Dioka, chief of this warrior band. Come with us to the mountain lair of the Masbaté in the Kashima Mountains. The demons may return in greater numbers. The King must hear of your return.’

You agree to his request and soon you are struggling to keep pace with the rapid march of the Masbaté warrior as he heads towards the mountains and the secret lair of the last of a proud and mighty race.

Turn to 260
.

You urge your steed to one last great effort and head straight for the forest. At the forest's edge the plain is dotted with bushes and trees, making it difficult for the Winged Demons to attack and, with a joyful cry, you enter the sheltered sanctuary of the woods. You dismount and lead the stallion along the curving trail that runs through the heart of the forest. Both you and the beast are exhausted and you search for a place to rest. Finding a concealed glade, you stop for a few moments and plan the next course of action.

Turn to 170
.

Your indecision has granted the demons time to close in and they are now almost at arm's length: you must ready yourself for close combat. The razor-sharp pincer of a hunched creature with the body of a huge beetle rakes at your shoulder: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

Turn to 264
.

You continue at a gentle canter, the afternoon sun beating down on you from a clear sky. Periodically you look over your shoulder but there is still no sign of the demon plague. The Flying Snakes keep pace with you for a while, and then abruptly climb high in to the sky and disappear from view, heading east.

Turn to 247
.

You are surrounded by hundreds of creatures. They close in with evil expressions on their ruined faces and a giant, wingless bat slashes out at you with its claws. However, you are able to hold your ground unflinchingly, for you feel nothing. Soon a great crowd of demons is slashing and gouging at you but still you remain unharmed and slowly you beat a path toward the portal. As you progress, the light of invulnerability that once enfolded you begins to fade and you begin to feel some pain at fresh blows. You field a brilliant defence, however, taking full advantage of being mounted. More and more demons back away in fear of this indestructible warrior who wields a Staff of burning death.

You use 2
WILLPOWER
points
¹⁴
and lose 1
ENDURANCE
point in your fight to reach the portal. Now, at last, it is at hand. There is a lull in the fighting. The demon pack forms a large circle around you and they stand contemplating another charge. You pray that they do not, for your magical invulnerability has faded. You must act swiftly. You draw out the Moonstone and focus your energy upon it. The demon horde wavers.

Turn to 112
.

Bravely you stride forward, shouting curses and threats at the foul beasts. They shrink back in horror, unable to endure the touch of the Moonstone's light. Suddenly they break into a run. They do not stop until they reach the slope that slants away from the rise, when they turn to shriek and howl at you in one last act of defiance before simply vanishing. You relax your guard and, when you are sure that they will not return, you release the spell of protection from the Moonstone. Its light fades. You notice that now the demons have gone, the Moonstone has returned to the swirling grey state it possessed when you first arrived on the plain.

Turn to 140
.

Suddenly you wheel, giving the line of demons a wide birth. They also change direction but the speed of your Simar steed is great and you are able to avoid them easily. Soon they have become nothing more than blurs on the horizon.

For a while the journey continues without further interruption, the steady, rolling gait of your Simar mount eating up the miles. Suddenly you hear the flap of leathery wings beating above your head. You look up to see a large, winged reptile bearing rows of razor-edged teeth flying towards you. It gives a terrible scream that echoes all around the open plain.

If you wish to fire a long-range blast at the creature with your Wizard's Staff,
turn to 149
.

If you wish to increase the speed of your Simar steed and head towards the beast to engage it in close combat,
turn to 161
.

Taking Tanith by the hand you pursue the demons, who offer no resistance. All their efforts are concentrated on keeping outside the range of your Staff, which you use to prod any demons that remain too close, herding them like a flock of sheep. Soon, you reach the top of the stairs that lead directly to the hall. You step onto the first stair and nod to yourself in satisfaction as they part in haste before you, scattering in all directions. A grisly corridor of malformed creatures forms before you, leading to the entrance of the tomb. Then, their timid moans and cries change alarmingly to an undulating rhythm of crowing pleasure and sneering gloats, and you see a winged form silhouetted by the sunlight that streams through the tomb's entrance.

Turn to 270
.

At the cost of 1
WILLPOWER
point, you weave a web of Enchantment about yourself, creating the illusion that you are a Shadakine warrior. You stand and reveal yourself to the rider, waving and calling him to you.

Turn to 186
.

After a rapid flurry of strokes from your Staff you deliver a killing blow. The slain demon's fellow attackers are all around, anxious to strike, and in the corner of your eye you glimpse the demon horde sprinting towards you. The attack of these small ape beasts is probably intended only to delay you. You vault into the saddle and the stallion springs away.

Turn to 147
.

Standing before you is a squat, malformed creature. Its features are grotesque and distorted; its back is bent at an impossible angle; its limbs twist like a gnarled tree. The eyes stare out of a knuckled face at odd angles above a raw gash of a mouth that snarls and spits as you approach. The creature crouches low and then leaps at you. You raise your Staff in readiness but the attack does not materialize: the creature has disappeared! The creature is nowhere to be seen. You look at Tanith, a question half-formed on your lips.

‘Some creature of Shasarak's,’ she states coolly. ‘Demons rule this land now, though once it was a place of untamed beauty. At his command it has become a realm of fear.’

You wonder if the creature has gone to warn others of its kind, or whether it simply fled in fear. Whatever the answer, one thing is certain: you must keep moving. You still have not located any food or water, and evening is drawing in.

If you wish to go east,
turn to 14
.

If you wish to go south,
turn to 36
.

Taking careful aim, you release a searing ball of fire and hurl it at the Flying Snake. The demon falls, screaming. The cost of your attack has been 2
WILLPOWER
points. An apish beast drifts forward, and then dives.

Winged Demon:
COMBAT SKILL
 20   
ENDURANCE
 20

Combat lasts one round only as the demon wings past. If your enemy loses more
ENDURANCE
points than you, ignore any
ENDURANCE
points loss you incur in this combat.

If you are still alive,
turn to 306
.

You hold the Moonstone above your head as it fills slowly with power and light. A chorus of inhuman moans ripples across the valley and your horse snorts and paws the ground nervously. The rays from the Moonstone play upon the burning archway, and it suddenly bursts into flames. You have used 1
WILLPOWER
point
¹⁵
in your attempt to close the portal. Now it seems imbued with a new force: a power strong enough to resist even the might of the Moonstone of the Shianti. Your Simar steed rears and you are almost thrown. The demon horde are paralysed, cowering and whimpering pathetically. Your heart almost stops when a pair of large eyes appears within the flames of the demon portal.

Turn to 158
.

Holding the Moonstone above your head you begin the incantation of protection. You notice that the Moonstone is filled with an absolute blackness: it is reflecting the evil presence of the demons. As the spell takes effect, the Moonstone shines forth anew with a white, radiant light that banishes the shadows of the tomb. The use of this Magical Power has cost you 2
WILLPOWER
points. A babble of discontent breaks out from the creatures below. The light of the Moonstone has revealed your position. A scuffle of webbed and clawed feet tells you that the demon horde is rushing up the stairway towards you. The only way down to the hall is by the stairway and the only exit from the tomb is through the entrance to the hall.

If you wish to release a long-range attack at the demon horde with your Wizard's Staff,
turn to 174
.

If you wish to head towards them,
turn to 215
.

At the cost of 2
WILLPOWER
points, you take careful aim and release a bolt of magical energy at an indistinct figure in the demon line. With an anguished cry it falls to the ground. But still the demons approach relentlessly.

If you wish to charge,
turn to 98
.

If you wish to try to evade the demons,
turn to 106
.

Although you have discovered the location of the triggering mechanism, it cannot be activated without using the Powers of Sorcery or Thaumaturgy. You will, therefore, have to force open the door. It is very strong and the use of force against it may use up many
WILLPOWER
points.

If you have the Magical Power of Elementalism and wish to summon elemental aid,
turn to 289
.

If you have learnt the Higher Magick of Physiurgy and wish to use it,
turn to 181
.

If you do not possess these Powers, or if you wish to take up your journey to Lake Dolani once more,
turn to 234
.