War of the Wizards (23 page)

Only one hundred feet lie between you and the Masbaté, who are spreading out into battle formation, preparing to charge the demon horde. You will never know the outcome of the battle. Only one hundred feet from salvation the pack of evil beasts falls upon you, dragging you to the ground.

Your life and your quest end here.

The entire day passes without any sign of the Shadakine. The army are well ensconced in defensive positions around the edges of the forest. Your sleep that night proves extremely restful, restoring 4
ENDURANCE
and 3
WILLPOWER
points. The following day there is still no sign of the Shadakine Army. A tense, uneasy silence descends on the men: they are anxious to fight. That night you are awakened by the crooning call of voices that beckon you.

Unable to resist, you rise and follow the sound deep into the forest. As you walk among the impenetrable shadows, you hear, mingled with the calls, the mournful creak of trees, whose branches have been stirred by a newly-risen wind. You become aware of a sickly yellow glow deeper in the wood. You walk towards it, treading a path that leads up a steep hill of craggy, moss-covered stone. At the top of the hill are seven hulking shapes, tall as trees, wreathed in yellow light. The light reminds you of the yellow light of the Kazim Stones, instruments of truth and torture, power and possession, belonging to the Shadakine Wytches. A wave of panic grows inside you. The crooning is emanating from the tall forms within the halos of light, only now the words of the song are distinct:

We are the Kazim, masters of truth,
Wielders of power, steadfast in sooth,
Lost are our stone hearts to the evil of the night,
Clutched by the dark one, stealer of light,
We wait for the Grey One, foe of the dark,
Heralding battle, to regain our hearts.

If you wish to charge up the hill and attack the tall shapes there,
turn to 339
.

If you wish to go to the top of the hill and investigate the tall shapes,
turn to 254
.

You defeat the Shadakine officer with a deceptive, sweeping blow aimed at his body. You then charge at the backs of the Shadakine, taking them by surprise. Their attack falters, and the men of the Freedom Guild surge forward, driving the Shadakine before them. You hear Sado shouting to his men, attempting to rally them to him. You and the men of the Freedom Guild follow the sound of his voice.

Turn to 242
.

You come to an abrupt halt, wheeling your Staff around like a scythe. The crazed beasts are taken completely by surprise and you press home your advantage, hacking and slashing at them ferociously. You must fight them as one enemy.

Three Reptile Demons:
COMBAT SKILL
 24   
ENDURANCE
 25

If you win the combat in three rounds or less,
turn to 56
.

If you win the the in four rounds or more,
turn to 319
.

Using 2
WILLPOWER
points you fire at the chariot, aiming for one of the wheels. The wheel explodes into flames and the chariot collapses in a great cloud of dust. The men inside are hurled screaming into the air. With a satisfied nod, you turn and follow Sado and his men. Back at the camp, you see that the Guildsmen, while well ordered and ready to depart, are delaying moving to the forest. Sado shrugs. ‘They are afraid of the forest,’ he says.

Turn to 343
.

At the cost of 2
WILLPOWER
points you hurl a ball of flame into the sky. But the nervous prancing of the stallion spoils your aim and the attack is wasted.

Turn to 235
.

Using 2
WILLPOWER
points you fill the Moonstone with power. As its swirling mists part, you are confronted by the haggard face of an old woman. You give an involuntary shudder; Mother Magri is staring straight at you.

‘Seek and ye shall find,’ the old crone jeers. ‘And find her I have. Won't you come now, little one? There's plenty of room for you, my sweet.’

Abruptly the image disappears. Tanith must have been drawn back to Suhn already. There is nothing you can do for her now. You can only hope that she can survive Mother Magri's clutches until you can find a way of saving her.

Turn to 282
.

While another Winged Demon is ascending to a height from which it can dive, you turn and urge your steed to one last great effort towards the forest. At the forest's edge the plain is dotted with bushes and trees, preventing the Winged Demons from attacking. With a happy sigh you enter the leafy sanctuary of the woods. You dismount and lead the stallion along the curving trail that runs through the heart of the forest. You find a well hidden clearing, where you can rest for a few moments and plan the last stage of your task.

Turn to 170
.

He brings down his Staff, aimed to split your skull with a crushing blow. You bring up the Moonstone to meet it and the blow is deflected. Shasarak cries out with frustration. Although the Moonstone has absorbed the attack, its light is now extinguished and Shasarak turns to attack once more.

Turn to 345
.

You raise your Staff but Samu, a veteran warrior, swerves the falling arc of his blow into a side swipe that slices around the line of your defence. Only when you are slain does Samu realize the tragedy of what he has done, destroying the last hope of the Freedom Guild with one fatal blow.

Your life and your quest end here.

As the winged forms circle overhead, you trace a zigzag pattern on the ground as you run. They swoop and dive and circle once again, but your mind is quicker. A huge, winged ape plummets towards you. Its claws find your flesh and inflict a livid wound in your shoulder. You lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

If you are still alive,
turn to 62
.

A keening howl echoes round the hall, filling your ears, skull, chest, and limbs and grinding the essence of your being to dust. Shasarak's might floods along the Staff, battling against your power, but you do not let go —
will
not let go — as your body trembles and shudders as though it will burst.

Add together your current
WILLPOWER
and
ENDURANCE
totals. Subtract Shasarak's score of 10 from this. (Do not adjust your
Action Chart
.)

If your score totals more than 0,
turn to 5
.

If it totals 0 or less,
turn to 2
.

You stand at the edge of the forest, waving your arms to attract the rider's attention. He turns and heads towards you. At first he moves at a trot but, as he comes closer, he spurs his mount into a gallop, lowering his spear and pointing it at you.

If you wish to attack the horseman at long range with your Staff,
turn to 318
.

If you wish to stand and receive the attack,
turn to 269
.

‘Will no one follow?’ you implore with searching eyes. There is a long, brooding silence, broken only by the occasional ring of armour as the Guildsmen shuffle uneasily.

‘Will none listen to the wisdom of the Shianti?’ you shout into the silence. There is the sound of movement to your left. With relief you see King Samu striding towards you, leading a long line of his own warriors.

‘We of the Masbaté will heed the words of the Shianti,’ he booms. ‘We at least do not fear to tread beneath the trees of Fernmost, not while a wizard of the Shianti leads us.’

You hope that Samu's words will shame the Guildsmen into entering the forest. You are well aware of the legends that scare them. The Forest of Fernmost was once part of the ancient nation of Taklakot. Beyond the western edge of Fernmost lie the Mountains of Morn, which overlook the infamous ‘deadlands’. There stands the forbidden city of Gyanima and the blasted wasteland of Desolation Valley, which was the heart of the kingdom. Centuries ago, Shasarak came to the people of Taklakot as a wise Shianti, though he had turned from the path of goodness long before, refusing the exile that the goddess Ishir had demanded of his people. Because of the forbidden secrets that he unlocked for the race of Taklakot, a great calamity befell them. Great fires rushed through the kingdom and destroyed an entire civilization in a day. Only Shasarak survived, though he was horribly crippled and burnt. Many say that the dead spirits of Taklakot roam the Forest of Fernmost to this day, seeking vengeance and taking it upon any who enter the forest.

Samu's words and example seem to work. Gradually the Guildsmen move forward towards the forest. At last all are following the broad trail west, deep into the gloom of the forest. You lead the army into the deepening shadow. The forest shelters an eerie feeling of malice. A grey mist lingers upon the ground and the branches and leaves above form a sombre, green canopy that blots out the sky. There is a strange musty smell in the air. The army are ordered into various positions along the forest's edge to watch for the advance of the Shadakine host you left at the River Dosar. They are completely hidden by the tangled woods and thick undergrowth. Sado tells you he is grateful that you did not ask the army to journey any further into Fernmost, for, as you draw closer to its heart, a strange, watchful presence can be felt.

With a delighted cry you notice clumps of Laumspur, a healing herb, growing in abundance. You chew on the herb and its goodness restores 4
ENDURANCE
points. You may store another clump of Laumspur in your Backpack: it will restore 4
ENDURANCE
points when chewed.

If you have the Magical Power of Alchemy,
turn to 336
.

If you have the Magical Power of Theurgy,
turn to 331
.

If you do not have either of these Magical Powers,
turn to 300
.

You are coming to realize the impossible situation you have placed yourself in. You must try another tactic if you are to see the sun set on this day.

Turn to 226
.

Using 1
WILLPOWER
point you call on the elementals for their aid. After a few moments, a huge wave rushes along the river. You and the Masbaté turn and run from the bridge. You look back to see the gigantic wave engulf the bridge, smashing its stones into pebbles and washing the bridge downstream.

Turn to 75
.

You try to increase your speed but you are almost breathless with exhaustion already. The three howling reptile creatures reach out and drag you to the ground. You manage to beat them off but it is to no avail, for the demonic pack has now reached you. They tear you to pieces.

Your adventure ends here.

You look upon Shasarak's broken features for the last time. The wall of fire is a portal to Agarash's realm. His bargain is to take Agarash's place, to be named ever after as Shasarak the Damned, and to set the demon free. The Wytch-king prefers eternal torment to the peace of death at your hands. Shasarak disappears through the wall and you hurl the shining luminescence of the Moonstone at the portal. A huge shoulder and a splayed, clawed foot emerge as you assault the wall.

Illustration XVII
—Shasarak steps through the flaming portal to a realm of eternal torment.

‘No, you cannot … ’ the Demonlord splutters in fury.

You battle with the power of the demon as it struggles to escape, and throw the last of your
WILLPOWER
and
ENDURANCE
at the flames. You must close the portal! Flames rage around the hall, struggling against the purity of the Moonstone's light. A great, yawning blackness threatens to engulf you as a hurricane of might whirls from the Moonstone and assaults the portal. You drop to your knees. You look up once more into the raging war of incandescence before slipping into unconscious oblivion.

Turn to 360
.