Castle Death (19 page)

An escort of armoured guards forces you along a steel passageway lined by a crowd of jeering minions. They punch and spit as you pass between them, and their foul curses ring in your ears. The guards halt before a huge door of iron and unlock the manacles that encase your bruised and bloodied wrists. The points of their spears never wander far from your throat, discouraging any attempt at escape. The door rumbles open, and a cheer goes up as you are pushed head-first into a foul-smelling pit.

‘Welcome to the maze,’ sneers the chilling voice of Lord Zahda from somewhere high above your head. You struggle to your feet and peer up at a ceiling of swirling mist. A faint glow is gradually taking shape, condensing and forming into the likeness of a human skull. Baleful green eyes stare down at you from bony sockets, and a powdered wig, like that of a high court judge, sits squarely upon its fleshless head.

‘You came here to kill but your plans have been foiled and now you must face the consequence,’ echoes a voice in the skull. ‘You have been sentenced to enter the Maze of Zahda. If you escape, your life may be spared; if you fail then you will surely die — a fitting end for one who came here in search of death.’

The skull retreats into the mist, and a deathly silence fills the pit. A semicircular shadow forms on the wall ahead; it grows larger and darker until it resembles the mouth of a cave or tunnel. Suddenly a gust of chill air whistles from out of this darkness, and you realize that you are staring at the entrance to the maze.

‘Enter!’ orders the voice. ‘Enter or die where you stand!’ It is no idle threat. A crossbow bolt slams into the sand barely inches from your feet, and the
click
of a steel drawstring warns that another could follow if you disobey the command. Reluctantly, you step forward and enter the Maze of Zahda.

Turn to 111
.

Mustering all your reserves of strength, you spring along the passage, spurred on by the sound of gnashing fangs. There is a dead end ahead, but a passage leads off to the right. You turn the corner as fast as you can, scraping the wall painfully with your shoulder as you fight to keep on your feet, but you are soon forced to a halt — the passage is blocked. Glinting in the dim light is a cluster of huge bubbles, floating languidly up and down between the misty ceiling and the polished floor. A slight breeze lifts them and they bounce towards you.

A snarl and the scraping of claws on stone tell you that the wolf is at the corner.

If you wish to push through the bubbles and continue along the passage beyond,
turn to 84
.

If you wish to stand and fight the wolf,
turn to 245
.

If you decide to cut your way through the bubbles with your sword,
turn to 218
.

Vivid green flashes of forked lightning and the rumble of distant thunder add menace to the towers and sheer stone walls of Kazan-Oud. Many of the roofs and turrets are in ruin; their twisted beams and floors lie open to the sky, giving the fortress a burnt-out and deserted appearance.

As you approach the tiny bay, which is tucked inside the shelter of a horseshoe reef of jagged black rocks, your eye is caught by the glow of tiny red lights, moving in the shadows at the base of the fortress wall. You notice a dry hollow among a group of rocks close to the shore that offers an ideal hiding place for your little boat. Silently, you disembark and drag the coracle up the beach towards the rocks. Seconds later you are halted dead in your tracks by the sound of muffled squealing. Sweat breaks out on your brow when a flash of lightning reveals scores of small red eyes close to the sand. A seething flood of rats, each as large as a puppy but gaunt and half-starved, is scurrying down the beach towards you like a torrent of black water.

With pounding heart, you search for some means of escape from this ravenous horde of squealing, snapping rodents.

If you wish to climb over the rocks and escape across a deserted beach,
turn to 336
.

If you wish to drag your little boat back into the lake and paddle away from the bay,
turn to 117
.

If you prefer to stand and fight the onrushing flood of giant rats,
turn to 45
.

Your light flares brightly in the moist gloom of the passage. A cavern lies immediately ahead, its high-arched roof a mass of dripping stalactites, hanging like thick spears of pearly white stone. Cautiously you step across the cavern floor, your skin prickling, as peculiar sounds emanate from the shadows.

You wind your way through a labyrinth of tunnels, slipping on moss-covered rocks, grazing your head on low ceilings and scrambling up and down steep ridges and rockfalls until you arrive at a smooth-walled chamber carved with precision from the hard black rock. A staircase ascends through an archway to your left, and directly ahead stands a massive stone door.

If you wish to examine the stone door,
turn to 274
.

If you wish to ascend the stairs,
turn to 193
.

You follow him to the end of the cell block corridor, the angry shouts of Zahda's gaolers ringing in your ears. A staircase looms ahead, descending to a lower level, but it is guarded by a grim-faced Beastman, armed with an axe. Double all
ENDURANCE
points lost by your enemy during this combat, for the Beastman is also being attacked by your newfound partner.

Beastman Gaoler:
COMBAT SKILL
 17   
ENDURANCE
 22

If you win the combat,
turn to 220
.

A terrible moan shakes the tunnel as your blows sever a finger from the monstrous hand. The others instantly spring open, dropping Tavig, bloodied and dishevelled, in a heap on the gore-stained floor. As the hand withdraws into the gloom, you kneel by Tavig's side and try to aid him as best you can. His injuries are severe; he is on the very brink of death.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing,
turn to 133
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 125
.

The air becomes thinner, and slowly, painfully, you weaken and collapse. Consciousness soon fades and you are spared the agonies of death by suffocation.

Your life and your quest end here.

Stealthily, you cross the cracked, flagstoned floor of the Great Hall, your muscles and nerves tensed for the sounds of danger. The constant sound of dripping water and the howl of the storm add to the utter desolation of the chamber. A thorny jungle of briars climbs the walls with greedy claws, coiling around the rotten frames of paintings and weaving through damp and mouldering tapestries.

Suspended above the fireplace is a great Anarian broadsword, its pitted steel blade pointing to one side. Your eyes travel along the blade to the shadows of the fireplace, and you notice something lying in the grate. Moving nearer, you see that it is the body of a dead man. Behind it is a panel, wedged open by the corpse, and, peering into the gloomy opening, you can just make out some stairs disappearing down into the darkness.

Illustration XVII
—The body of a dead man is lying in the fireplace; behind him, a panel is wedged open and you can just make out some stairs disappearing into the darkness.

If you wish to examine the dead body,
turn to 146
.

If you wish to explore the secret passage,
turn to 11
.

As you pull yourself onto the cold iron platform, you see the maze spread out below you like the surface of a massive brain, each chamber a cell populated with perils created by the devilish imagination of Lord Zahda. A criss-cross of interconnecting walkways is suspended above the maze by gigantic chains that vanish into blackness. You hurry along the iron path towards a staircase that descends to an arch beyond the boundary wall of the maze. As you run through it, you can hear an alarm bell echoing in the vastness above: your escape has not gone unnoticed.

A vaulted corridor lies beyond the arch, which leads to a junction with two exits.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship,
turn to 330
.

If you wish to take the passage to your right,
turn to 92
.

If you wish to take the passage to your left,
turn to 20
.

The creatures are so engrossed in their discussion that they do not notice you enter the chamber.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 276
.

If you wish to attack them with a hand weapon,
turn to 31
.

Your killing blow severs the Lekhor's head, sending it spinning into the cold black waters below. A wave of shock ripples through its body, and suddenly you are falling, its limp torso still gripped between your feet. Seconds later you hit the lake with a loud splash and sink like a stone.

Turn to 158
.

The relentless attack begins to take its toll (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points). You know that you cannot resist this psychic battering for much longer — you must do something to stop it.

If you have a Fireseed and wish to throw it at the plinth,
turn to 157
.

If you wish to run forward and physically attack the hand,
turn to 116
.

If you wish to run between the two green pillars and escape into the passage beyond,
turn to 103
.

After a few hundred yards, the passage turns abruptly to the right. Glinting in the dim light is a cluster of huge bubbles floating languidly up and down in the passage ahead. A slight breeze lifts them, and slowly they bounce towards you.

If you wish to push your way past them and continue on your way along the passage,
turn to 107
.

If you have a sword and wish to strike out at them,
turn to 151
.

If you decide to return to the vault and take the right tunnel,
turn to 322
.

The warrior leaps to safety as you draw your weapon and face the snarling enemy. ‘Brave fool!’ you hear him cry, his footfalls fading into the tunnel.

Snickering with delight, like cruel and hungry predators that have trapped themselves a feast, the creatures slink forward. Talons spring from the tips of their webbed fingers, and their eyes blaze with wild red fire as they get ready to pounce.

Dhax:
COMBAT SKILL
 27   
ENDURANCE
 35

With a trap at your back, you cannot evade combat and must fight these creatures to the death.

If you win the fight,
turn to 339
.

You fight and claw your way up the crowded staircase and run headlong into the prison complex. Chunks of stone and iron drop from the ceiling as wave upon wave of explosions rock the foundation of the fortress. You cross the complex, cutting down anything that impedes your path, and race along the one corridor that has not been blocked by a rockfall or chasm.

You are halfway up a winding staircase, when there is an enormous groan, followed by a cracking of iron. The creatures around you shriek in terror, but their voices are lost as the entire stairway collapses and falls, crumbling and roaring, into a hollow, lava-filled chasm five hundred feet below.

Tragically, your life and your quest end here in the ruins of Kazan-Oud.

The snake reveals its fangs. Like great curved broadswords glistening with venom, they shine coldly in the light that pours down through the grating high above. You grip your weapon, bracing your back against the wet stone wall and waiting for the right moment to strike. As the monstrous head sways awkwardly from side to side, you catch sight of a small tunnel cut out of the far wall, which was previously hidden from view by the snake and its nest. Your spirits are raised by the possibility of escaping from this nightmare, but first you must fight this hideous creature.
¹²

Unless you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing, double all
ENDURANCE
points you lose during this combat due to the venomous bite of the monster.

Giant Hactaraton:
COMBAT SKILL
 22   
ENDURANCE
 60

After four rounds of combat you can attempt to evade the creature by crawling into the tunnel;
turn to 91
.

If you win the combat,
turn to 21
.