Castle Death (22 page)
The chamber is well lit by a row of torches lining all four walls, and there is very little furniture to hide behind.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 7 or less,
turn to 69
.
If it is 8 or more,
turn to 197
.
Your hand strikes something invisible set close to the edge of the pit — the beginning of a magically hidden bridge. Your fingers tell you that it is a plank, for it feels very thin and narrow. Suddenly the footsteps halt. There is a piercing crack, like that of a whip, and an angry red weal opens across the back of your hand (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points). You sense his presence, but you cannot see the enemy who dealt you this wound.
If you wish to step onto the invisible bridge,
turn to 166
.
If you wish to try to fight your unseen enemy,
turn to 257
.
The warrior makes no attempt to parry your attack, and your blow rips deeply into his unguarded chest. He stares at you in disbelief as he clutches at his wound and drops heavily to his knees. ‘Why?’ he croaks, as his eyelids flicker and close.
A howl of maniacal glee arises from the black creatures. As the warrior falls into the smoky abyss, they slink towards you with long, loping strides.
If you wish to stand and fight these creatures,
turn to 249
.
If you decide to evade them by escaping into the archway opposite,
turn to 241
.
Desperately you tap the wall with the hilt of your weapon, praying for the dull, tell-tale thud of a thin or hollow partition through which you might effect an escape. The walls yield no such sound, but in the roof you discover an old trap-door hatch sealed off with bricks and mortar. The faint glimmer of light seeping through a hairline crack fills you with renewed hope.
With a flurry of blows the mortar crumbles and the bricks split and fall. Without waiting for the dust to settle, you climb through the jagged hole and emerge into a hall that is filled with a damp and earthy smell. Two rows of great stone pillars support the roof and a huge, granite sarcophagus stands in the centre of the floor. From within a black tunnel to your right, you hear the clanking of armour and the sound of approaching footsteps.
If you wish to hide behind one of the pillars,
turn to 110
.
If you wish to leave the hall by a tunnel to your left,
turn to 201
.
If you wish to lie in ambush for whatever is approaching the hall,
turn to 319
.
You snatch the Whistle to your lips and blow. Instantly, the slimy creature rears up, its short rubbery legs scrabbling the air in agony as the ultra high-pitched sound destroys its sensitive nervous system.
As it twists back on itself, its head disappears into the misty ceiling. There is an ear-splitting crack and blue lightning engulfs the creature, crackling snake-like around its neck, and filling the corridor with the stench of burning meat. The creature thrashes wildly for several minutes, and when its gruesome dance finally ends the canopy of mist is no longer there. In the darkness above, you see a walkway and an observation platform.
If you wish to climb the body of the dead worm and pull yourself onto the platform,
turn to 294
.
If you prefer to climb over the carcass and continue along the corridor,
turn to 46
.
Shortly you arrive at another stone staircase. This one is intact, however, and ascends to a cave-like entrance in the sheer rock wall. You cannot follow the beach any further, for a salient of the wall blocks your way. Moreover, the weather is getting worse with every passing minute and you need to seek shelter from the coming storm.
By the time you have climbed all the way to the cave, the storm has broken. As you stand in the entrance, the rain-filled wind lashes you mercilessly and the ground shudders with every clap of thunder. The faint green glow of the power-shield is the only source of light, and you enter cautiously. You are soon swallowed up by darkness and your progress becomes painfully slow.
If you have a Kalte Firesphere, a Lantern, or a Torch and Tinderbox,
turn to 49
.
If you have none of these items,
turn to 277
.
As soon as you step into the ruby corridor, the horseshoe arch turns completely opaque. You try to go back, but the milky-white barrier will not let you pass. Soon, the skull appears once more, but this time its message chills you to the core:
‘The path you have chosen leads to the heart of the maze,
And there you are doomed to eke out your days.’
It is a prophecy that will be fulfilled. You have ventured too deep into Zahda's maze, and the exits are now closed off forever. It may interest you to learn that you survived at the core of the maze for three weeks, a feat that earned you the respect of Lord Zahda, but one that did not persuade him to spare you your life.
Your life and your quest end here.
As soon as you have passed through the power-shield, you are greeted like a hero by a huge flotilla of fishing vessels and trading barges. An hour ago, upon seeing the eruption of Kazan-Oud, every boat in Herdos set sail for the shield, for the eruption signalled the end of the bane that had haunted Dessi for hundreds of years. Now they cheer the Sommlending warrior who has delivered them from Dessi's evil shadow. Eager hands pull you aboard Lord Ardan's caravel, and a fanfare salute is sounded by the trumpeters of his Vakeros guards.
‘We are forever in your debt, Lone Wolf,’ says Lord Ardan, as he shakes your hand warmly in gratitude and friendship. ‘You have achieved what we feared to be impossible, and you live to tell the tale. Your bravery is an inspiration to us all.’ His words are reinforced by the delirious cheers of his people. He asks of your own quest, and, when you remove the Lorestone of Herdos from the pocket of your tattered and scorched tunic, his eyes widen with amazement.
Illustration XX—‘We are forever in your debt, Lone Wolf,’ says Lord Ardan, as he shakes your hand warmly.
He bows his head and says in a solemn and respectful voice, ‘My lord, you stand upon the threshold of greatness. Your purpose and your destiny are known to the Elder Magi, for we have awaited your coming for many thousands of years. Our survival and the survival of all we cherish rests on the success of your Magnakai quest. The time has come, Lone Wolf, for you to learn our wisdom, for we are of the same blood, you and I, and our fate is bound together. We will prepare you for your next quest, for the Lorestone you must find next exists in the land that was once our home, in the temple that was once our most sacred place of worship, in the chamber where our master first appeared to us.’
Your quest has succeeded, for the strength and wisdom of the Lorestone of Herdos is now a part of your body and spirit. But there is much for you to learn from the Elder Magi as they prepare you for the most challenging of the Magnakai quests you have yet to attempt, a quest that will take you deep into the hostile swamps of the Danarg, where the evil creatures of Agarash the Damned still thrive and dominate the land.
If you have the courage of a true Kai Master, the secrets of the Elder Magi and the perils of the Danarg await you in Book 8 of the
Lone Wolf
series entitled:
The Jungle of Horrors
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