Beyond the Nightmare Gate (20 page)

You take up the Key. As you go to place it in the lock, a terrifying sound freezes you to the spot. First, you hear the rattling of wings, and then you see a looming shadow of huge proportions; it is a dragon of old! Green and scaly, the monstrous winged reptile hurtles towards you, its razor-like teeth bared to the sunless sky. A bright plume of flame trails from its mouth and the heat of the flame sears your face. In moments the dragon will be upon you. Bravely, you step forward and prepare to meet this terrifying challenge. ‘Wait!’ screams Tanith. ‘Let me deal with this!’

If you wish to ignore Tanith and engage the dragon in close combat,
turn to 272
.

If you decide to follow Tanith's advice,
turn to 153
.

You are back in the Neverness; the bleak, sunless sky and the unending plain of grey cloud stretches away from you.
²⁷
Soon you sight the familiar shape of the Crystal Tower and land the craft close to its door. ‘Spittlethrift!’ you shout. ‘I have returned. Come, take your prize.’ A window in the tower opens and the face of Spittlethrift appears. He is ashen-grey and trembling with fear.

‘Go away!’ he calls. ‘We've nothing else to give you. The girl … she was not ours to give in the first place.’

‘It is I, Grey Star,’ you shout. ‘Open up. I have brought the Threnogem as I promised.’

The little man stares down at you, shocked and afraid. ‘But … but,’ he stammers, ‘you have only just left, you … you were changed, so full of darkness and … this is not possible!’

‘Let me in,’ you demand, ‘or it will be the worse for you.’

The window slams shut and after a short wait, Spittlethrift throws open the door. ‘Is it really you?’ he asks, incredulous.

‘What has happened?’ you demand, growing angry. ‘Where is Tanith? Return her to me!’

‘She is gone. You … or, should I say, someone like you was here but a short while ago. We could not understand the change in you, you had so much more power. We were afraid. We gave up the girl, even though the Threnogem had not been brought back to us.’

After more questioning, you are able to piece together what happened while you were in the Realm of the Singing City. It seems that someone who looked exactly like you, clad in a black robe, came to the Crystal Tower. He had an evil countenance and was able to master the Academicians easily. They gave up Tanith to the Black Wizard and he left. He had been asking questions about the Realm of Paradox and one named Oz-na-Mun, the man with the mighty hand. It appears that he was on his way there. The Academicians say that he had no craft but was able to travel the realms at will.

If your Gyronome has been blessed by the Guardian of the Screaming God,
turn to 303
.

If it has not,
turn to 314
.

You seem to be attracting a great deal of attention. Many Elessin are watching you and some have even started to follow you along the street. A few Elessin children are pulling at your robe and some of the adults come forward to question you. They receive a helpless shrug in reply.

Turn to 238
.

You make a complete circuit of the beautiful city. There is no other gateway, although you notice a section of city wall, sheltered by an arch and covered with thick, blue foliage.

If you wish to try to climb the city wall,
turn to 48
.

If you wish to enter the city through the city gate,
turn to 274
.

If you possess a Mind Gem and wish to use it,
turn to 301
.

If you possess the Magical Power of Enchantment and wish to try to pass the guard undetected,
turn to 294
.

The Chaos-birds are circling the becalmed Ethetron as Tanith chants over the Key. They draw together, ready to attack, but then suddenly break into shrieks of alarm. Like you they can hear the rustle and flap of leathery wings beating the air. The birds are thrown into a panic as the howling dragon falls upon them. The Ethetron is buffeted as the dragon and the Chaos-birds battle in mid-air.

Turn to 290
.

‘I must refuse,’ you say to Spittlethrift. ‘Mine is an urgent quest. The needs of many weigh heavily upon my shoulders.’

‘Ah now,’ Spittlethrift replies. ‘This is unfortunate.’ Suddenly, the many Academicians in the room rise as one and, before you can act, you and Tanith are held firmly by many hands and your Staff is snatched away.

‘Crabkey,’ calls Spittlethrift to the spindly man who now holds Tanith, his dagger at her heart, ‘take the girl away.’

You struggle against the restraining grip of the Academicians. ‘If you so much as harm her … ’

‘Yes, yes,’ says Spittlethrift, smoothly. ‘Fear not.’ Tanith is led from the room. ‘Our intention is merely to persuade you of the importance of our quest. She will be quite safe if you comply with our wishes.’

You cast Spittlethrift a scowl. ‘Very well. Since you offer me no choice … ’

‘Indeed, indeed. I thought you would see things our way. Now, come along — to the laboratory. I will show you the wondrous craft that will take you to the Singing City.’

You are led to a high-ceilinged chamber, lit with a curious, pulsating light and containing many strange and ornate machines of gleaming metal. Having attended to the imprisonment of Tanith, Crabkey enters the laboratory.

‘Allow me to introduce you properly to Mr Crabkey,’ says Spittlethrift. In the lurid glow of the laboratory his shadowed, bulging eyes make him look more sinister than before. ‘Mr Crabkey is the inventor of the machine that will enable you to make your journey, aren't you Crabkey, old chap?’ Crabkey stares at you with his large, baleful eyes. With a slow blink, he makes an unintelligible sound in the back of his throat and nods.

‘Here,’ says Crabkey, ‘is the Ethetron.’ Mounted on a small dais in the centre of the laboratory is a most unusual machine.

Turn to 116
.

You lack the strength to carry the heavy statue and struggle to bear its weight. Suddenly the Elessin cry out in alarm and rush to take the Statue from you, but before they reach you, the statue slips from your grasp and falls to the ground with a
crash
. The Threnogem rolls from the mouth of the statue and the Elessin throw themselves to the ground in abject terror.

Turn to 270
.

Your head is filled with the shrieking agony of the Elessi's pipe. You lose 6
ENDURANCE
points. Suddenly, the Elessi turns and runs back towards the city.

If you are still alive,
turn to 305
.

With Tanith at your side, you walk over and investigate one of the strange holes in the cloud. Peering in you see an absolute blackness, silent and still.

If you wish to put your hand into the hole,
turn to 329
.

If you wish to enter the hole,
turn to 269
.

Your final blow fells the Jahksa. He falls to the ground, a smile frozen on his lips, the Moonstone clenched in his hand. ‘You think you have beaten me,’ his voice echoes. ‘But I am you. You have slain yourself.’

With the Moonstone, an instrument of truth, Shasarak's mockery of you has become truth. You have killed yourself.

You have failed in your quest.

Tanith's ringing cry comes to your rescue. Her mastery over animals, taught to her by Mother Magri the Shadakine Wytch, saves you from the wolf. At her command, it shies away and lopes into the darkness.

If you wish to keep the Wolf Key, mark it as a Special Item on your
Action Chart
.

You now have the choice of the remaining Keys; only one will let you into the Crystal Tower.
²⁸

If you choose the Spider key,
turn to 252
.

If you choose the Eagle Key,
turn to 227
.

If you choose the Dragon Key,
turn to 277
.

If you choose the Serpent Key,
turn to 240
.

You have now used 2
WILLPOWER
points in your use of the Power of Prophecy. You soon come to the dwelling of Oz-na-Mun. He lives in a rough wooden shack within a circle of withered trees. Nearby, there is a vast pit of blood-red soil. You land the Ethetron and call out his name.

Turn to 12
.

You show the guard the Parchment. He glares back at you and swiftly pulls the hood from your head, exposing your dark hair. He cries out and grabs your arm. Within seconds, a large group of Elessin emerges from a blue glass building by the gate. You are quickly surrounded.

If you wish to try to fight your way out,
turn to 313
.

If you wish to surrender,
turn to 342
.

The corpse of a slain Chaos-bird collides with the Ethetron and sends it spiralling through the air. You grab for the rail as the flying machine spins towards the Trianon and collides with it, throwing debris and machinery in all directions.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. Add that number to your current
WILLPOWER
points total.

If the total is 9 or more,
turn to 304
.

If the total is less than 9,
turn to 83
.

The creature facing you is called a Jahksa. It is a creation of Shasarak: an apparition in the likeness of a living spirit, in this case, yours. ‘Are you afraid, Grey Star?’ taunts the Jahksa. ‘There is nothing to fear but yourself,’ he sniggers.

Tanith appears at the door of the shack and looks at the two of you in bewilderment. She sways as if about to faint and you rush to her side. The Jahksa snorts derisively. ‘How weak you are, Grey Star. Petty friendships, loyalties, and your honourable quest for the Shianti stone — how can you expect to defeat the Wytch-king, he who possesses the might of the Shianti and freedom from their foolish teachings, with such weaknesses?’

‘They are my strengths as well, Jahksa,’ you reply, coolly.

The Jahksa spits on the ground at your feet. ‘That for your strength, Wizardling.’ He turns his back to you, and then suddenly spins back, wielding a black staff in a wide arc. But you were expecting a trick and lift your Staff in time to block his blow. As the staves collide, their magical fire crackles and splits the air.

If you wish to fight the Jahksa,
turn to 123
.

If you wish to evade combat,
turn to 131
.

The tower wall is smooth and sheer, and the climb extremely difficult. Your progress is further hampered by the illusory nature of the tower: crevices and projections that appear to ornament the tower disappear from view when approached from a different angle.

Just as you reach for a projection, you slip and plummet to the ground. The impact kills you immediately.

Your life and your quest are over.

Tanith points nearby to a clump of Laumspur, a healing herb. Chew on a clump of the fresh Laumspur to restore 4
ENDURANCE
points.

When evening comes you are still high on the sides of the valley. Far below, you can see a settlement, but rather than stumble in the dark, you decide to stay where you are and sleep in the warm, dry air.

Turn to 324
.