Beyond the Nightmare Gate (23 page)

You show him the Gold Coin. He shakes his head and frowns as he speaks to you. He is becoming very suspicious. Once more he holds out his hand.

If you wish to show him the Glass Rod,
turn to 267
.

If you wish to show him the Parchment,
turn to 289
.

If you wish to show him the Silver Coin,
turn to 348
.

If you wish to show him the Copper Coin,
turn to 90
.

You raise your Staff and, with deadly accuracy, hurl a bolt of force at the golden-haired man. He is thrown to the ground, engulfed by a cloak of magical flame. Your attack has cost you 2
WILLPOWER
points. His Elessin guards cry out in horror. There are ten of them.

If you wish to take the Threnogem from the statue's mouth,
turn to 71
.

If you wish to attack the Elessin guards and possess more than 10
WILLPOWER
points,
turn to 80
.

If you wish to grab the statue,
turn to 92
.

The lawn is bordered by a high wall of transparent glass: you have come to a dead end. Before you can take further evasive action, the Elessin surround and capture you. You are forced to surrender and they march you to a gigantic palace in the centre of the city.

Turn to 191
.

The statues are disturbingly life-like. Each one is characterized by a tortured expression or pose.

If you wish to continue,
turn to 298
.

If you have the Magical Power of Psychomancy and wish to use it,
turn to 224
.

You close your eyes and search the future with the power of your thought. Your Power of Prophecy tells you that the black gap in the clouds contains a fathomless void but reveals no more. The use of this Power has cost you 1
WILLPOWER
point.

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

If you wish to put your hand into the hole,
turn to 323
.

If you prefer to continue towards the Crystal Tower,
turn to 302
.

You spend another day and night with these happy, simple people. The beauty of the vibrant valley is a welcome relief from the hardships of your quest, however worthy the cause. The time spent with the people of the Vale has a beneficial effect, restoring 4
ENDURANCE
points and 2
WILLPOWER
points. Tanith radiates a happiness and gaiety that you have seldom seen before. You ask about the Gate that leads to the Realm of the Moonstone, and the elders tell you of the Silver Lake.

That night, you and Tanith are led up into the mountains to a large lake. They tell you to board the Ethetron and fly above the beautiful lake. Then, when the moon has climbed to its highest point in the sky you must fly into the water, for the lake is the Gateway to the Realm of the Moonstone and the light and power of the moon its key. You do as they instruct, and with a wave, you dive towards the Silver Lake, but as you break the surface, it is not water that washes over you but awe and wonder.

Turn to 247
.

Summoning the might of your Wizard's Staff, you hurl its power at the sheer, crystal surface of the tower wall. An arc of magical fire hurtles towards the wall but is deflected. The wall remains unharmed. You have expended 1
WILLPOWER
point in your futile assault.

If you wish to use another 2
WILLPOWER
points in a more concentrated attack against the wall,
turn to 112
.

If you wish to try to climb the tower,
turn to 264
.

If you wish to examine one of the many black gaps in the cloud plain,
turn to 285
.

With amazing agility, you catch the Staff as it flies towards you and, in one swift, fluid movement, you whirl the Staff above your head and unleash a fiery bolt of magical flame at the Elessi. The blast throws him up in the air to fall to the ground beneath a plume of smoke. Your attack has cost you 2
WILLPOWER
points.

Turn to 107
.

You are standing at the start of a long corridor. There are more than a hundred doorways leading from this passage.

If you wish to explore the corridor,
turn to 47
.

If you do not,
turn to 128
.

Outnumbered by more than ten to one, you decide to surrender. Restrained by the Elessin guards, you are taken to a huge palace at the very heart of the city.

Turn to 191
.

Amazingly, before you can unleash the final, killing blow, the Jahksa's body begins to fade, becoming more and more transparent.

‘Farewell, Wizardling. I will await you in the next realm,’ he says, and disappears.

Turn to 330
.

You wonder if all the Elessin are fair-haired. Fortunately, one of them is wearing a kind of hood that you can use to disguise your own black hair. You don the loose-fitting toga of one of the Elessi and make sure that you have all the items they carried. Unfortunately, you will have to leave your Backpack behind, but you decide to keep your Staff in spite of the suspicion it may arouse.
³⁰
Satisfied that your disguise is as convincing as you can possibly make it, you set out for the Singing City.

It is a beautiful sight: a dazzling display of glass and crystal, twinkling in the sun like a rainbow. Delicate spires and towers reaching for the sky in perfect symmetry. Then the music of the city reaches your ears: the faint ringing of a million tiny bells and a warm, resonant humming that changes pitch at various intervals to the accompaniment of pure harmonies as delicate as a spring breeze. You are awestruck by the magnificent splendour of the city. The Academicians told you that the Elessin are cruel creatures but this place suggests a civilization that appreciates beauty.

At length, you arrive at the gate to the city. An Elessi stands beneath a large curving arch of crystal, dressed in similar clothes to yourself. He is probably a guard, although he carries no weapons.

If you wish to enter the city through this gate,
turn to 307
.

If you wish to try to find another way into the city,
turn to 331
.

You enter a trance state and try to discover a future vision of Tanith, but you can find no trace of her. Your vision urges you on another course: to seek the one called Oz-na-Mun, he of the mighty hand. Your destiny is somehow linked with that of this man and he will help you to find Tanith and leave this realm.

If you wish to exert one more
WILLPOWER
point you may use your vision to guide you to the place where Oz-na-Mun dwells.

If you wish to continue with your use of the Power of Prophecy,
turn to 288
.

If you do not,
turn to 327
.

Since you are unable to take the Threnogem from the statue's mouth, the only solution is to steal the whole statue. You approach the grotesque figure but, before you can attempt to lift it, you hear a voice echo urgently in your mind:
Stop!
it cries. Instinctively you spin round to see a tall figure draped in white. He holds a jewelled crozier high in his hands. He has the power of telepathy, and with it he is ordering you to remain where you are. A number of Elessin guards crowd close behind him.

If you wish to attack the man,
turn to 334
.

If you wish to do as the man says,
turn to 316
.

If you prefer to ignore him and pick up the statue,
turn to 209
.

Closing your eyes, you send the power of your thought into the future in search of a clue that will help you find the door. The image that forms in your mind is identical to that of the plate bearing the inscription:

‘From south of here, to west, and north,
Then east and south once more,
A circle's motion rings the charm
That finds the Vanishing Door.’

Your Power of Prophecy is usually of more use than this, your visions of the future far clearer. You conclude that the door is masked by magic and that the inscription is the only clue that can help you find it.

Frustrated, you read the inscription again. You have expended 1
WILLPOWER
point; adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

If you wish to search for a door on the right side of the tower,
turn to 206
.

If you wish to search for a door on the left side of the tower,
turn to 56
.

If you wish to climb the tower,
turn to 264
.

If you wish to examine the wall immediately below the metal plate that bears the inscription,
turn to 223
.

If you have the Magical Power of Psychomancy and wish to use it,
turn to 70
.

You take out the Silver Coin and show it to the guard. He makes an angry-sounding remark and slaps your hand away before repeating his demand.

If you wish to show him the Glass Rod,
turn to 267
.

If you wish to show him the Parchment,
turn to 289
.

If you wish to show him the Gold Coin,
turn to 333
.

If you wish to show him the Copper Coin,
turn to 90
.

Gently, you move forward, but as your foot steps onto the flagstone, a great broadsword falls from the ceiling, killing you instantly.

Your life and your quest end here.

Triumphantly, the Jahksa deals a killing blow. You feel a searing pain tear through your body, but miraculously you are not slain. The Moonstone, instrument of judgement and truth, has made a reality of Shasarak's mockery of you. In killing you the Jahksa has killed itself. With a howl, the Jahksa dissolves into black shadows and returns to the spirit realm from whence it came.

With a thrill of anticipation, you take up the Moonstone. It flares, as if in recognition, at the touch of your hand. It glows with a warm, familiar feeling as it nestles in the palm of your hand. Tanith's eyes are wild and shining with triumph. You have fulfilled your pledge and completed the quest … almost. Armed with the might of the Moonstone, you now possess the only known power that could throw down the evil Wytch-king, Shasarak. But that is another story, and the day is yet to come.

The final conflict in your fight against the Shadakine Empire is concluded in Book 4 of the Grey Star saga, entitled:

War of the Wizards