Trail of the Wolf (8 page)

After several minutes of intense effort, the lock opens with a loud
click
. Carefully you push open the door and enter a broad hall constructed entirely from black marble slabs. A strange amber light illuminates the upper walls and domed ceiling, cast by a dozen gold cressets fixed into the walls. Two large pedestals stand near the centre of the hall, each one topped by a horned skull. As you approach these pedestals, you hear the door slam shut behind you. Instinctively you spin around and you see that there is no lockplate on the inside of the door. Its black surface is entirely smooth, blending seamlessly with the sombre marble walls.

To continue,
turn to 250
.

You drag the slain Drakkarim to the side of the hall and hide their bodies in a shadowy recess behind one of the encircling pillars. Then you go to the main door and draw the bolt shut before exploring any further.

You cross the hall and enter the archway where cautiously you ascend the steps to a landing located on a level above.

Turn to 6
.

You draw upon your Kai tracking and fieldcraft skills to help you traverse the gully, but the dust gets progressively deeper. Rapidly you sink into the yellow powder until it rises above your waist and you are no longer able to move your legs. Desperately you claw at the surface in an effort to dig yourself out, but the more you struggle to get free the faster you sink.

A fear of being swallowed by the dust suddenly takes hold of you and frantically you look for some way to escape from this terrible fate. Then you note that the walls of the steep-sided gully are pitted with rocks and boulders. If you can reach the gully wall you will be able to save yourself from drowning in this dry morass.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 270
.

If you possess a Rope and wish to use it,
turn to 133
.

If you do not possess Kai-alchemy, nor a Rope, or if you should decide to use neither of them,
turn instead to 52
.

Suddenly you hear the monotonous
clang
of an alarm bell echoing in some distant part of the citadel, and your Kai senses warn you that Xaol's corpse has now been discovered. Some of his minions are searching the necromancer's hall, and you are gripped by a fear that they will discover your trail and catch you before you can make good your escape. You take hold of Lone Wolf and lift him across your shoulder; then you pull open the wooden door and leave Xaol's chambers as fast as you are able.

You pass along a tunnel that is lined with iron hooks and sputtering torches. Most of the hooks are bare, but some are festooned with weapons and clothing. Among the items are the following weapons and equipment:

• Quiver
  
• Rope
  
• 3 Arrows
  
• Bow
  
• Sword
  
• Axe
  
• Spear
  
• Leather Tunic
  
• Blanket (this item occupies 2 places in a Backpack)
  

If you wish to keep any of the above Weapons and equipment, adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly before continuing.

Turn to 240
.

Quickly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Lightning Hand
and extend your right arm towards the swooping Kraan. You feel the familiar rush of energy shoot from your shoulder to your hand, and then a crackling bolt of blue energy leaps from your open palm. Desperately the Kraan attempts to avoid the sparkling ball of power, but the bolt hits its wing and tears a ragged hole in the scaly skin.

Cawing with pain and anger, the wounded beast circles around the chamber and then hurls itself upon you in a desperate, vengeful attack.

Kraan (wounded):
COMBAT SKILL
 32   
ENDURANCE
 38

If you win this combat,
turn to 157
.

The coast is still clear, so you leave the locked doors and hurry towards the stairs which ascend to a first-floor balcony.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–6,
turn to 91
.

If it is 7–9,
turn to 256
.

You shout out the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Lightning Hand
and take aim with your right hand at the smoking orb. A crackling bolt of energy leaps from your palm and strikes the deadly device. The impact splits the orb asunder and ignites the explosive fluid contained within. The Kraan and its rider are caught by the ensuing blast, and they are consumed in a roaring ball of flame. With grim satisfaction you watch as they spiral down into an avenue that is crowded with Hammerland bandits, enticed from their barracks by the spectacle of your dramatic air escape.

Turn to 50
.

Your Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship warns you of an impending ambush, but you cannot determine the direction of the threat. You are peering into the curtain of webs, in search of the source of the movement that you detected moments ago, when suddenly you hear a noise. It comes from behind you.

Swiftly, you spin around to see that a large section of the ground has opened up like a great trapdoor. From its subterranean lair, a colossal black spider hoists itself out of the ground and perches on the lip of the dark aperture. Swivelling on jointed legs, this titanic arachnid clacks its fanged maw as it fixes you with a cluster of crimson eyes that rotate and pulsate hypnotically.

Illustration III
—A colossal black spider emerges from its subterranean lair.

An unexpected wave of fatigue washes over your body, making you feel weak and sleepy. You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to counter the seductive effect of the spider's hypnotic power, and at once the creature senses your resistance. Fearing that you may escape its clutches, it raises its great hairy forelegs and squirts forth a jet of clear fluid from a vent below its maw. Desperately you attempt to dive aside as this stream of sticky liquid comes gushing towards your chest.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Kai-screen, add 4 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2.

If your total score is 5 or lower,
turn to 346
.

If it is 6 or higher,
turn to 224
.

You overhear the bandits talking and realize that your lost Backpack Items have aroused their suspicions that there is an intruder in the citadel. They avoid touching the dargorse buds, but they take the other two items and then walk towards the tunnel by which you entered the citadel. As soon as they have disappeared from view, you leave the statue and hurry around the gallery to the staircase opposite.

A short flight of iron steps ascends to a long, low-ceilinged hall. Its plastered walls are decorated with frescoes that depict enslaved humans, bedecked with chains and heads bowed in defeat, parading in a line before a triumphant group of Drakkarim warlords. At the far end of this hall you discover three identical doors recessed into the painted wall.

If you possess Telegnosis,
turn to 107
.

If you do not,
turn to 174
.

Your swift and timely reflexes save you from sustaining serious injuries to your face, legs, and torso: lose only 1
ENDURANCE
point.

To continue,
turn to 84
.

The rough-hewn blocks of the inner wall offer many handholds to help you climb, but the dry stone and mortar crumble under stress. Your first attempt to scale the wall comes to an abrupt end when a toehold collapses and you fall backwards to the ground: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.

If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 78
.

If you do not,
turn to 329
.

Quickly you recite the words of the Old Kingdom Spell
Shield
and circle your right palm before your face.
¹²
The spell has only just materialised when the speeding bolt strikes and penetrates your magical barrier, ripping through it with a splash of livid green sparks. The bolt is deflected away from your face, but it strikes you in the shoulder and you are knocked back by the force of its impact: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

If you have survived this wounding,
turn to 287
.

Your speedy use of your Magnakai skill convinces the malevolent young dog that you are a fearsome enemy. Its nerve breaks, and its menacing growl transforms into a pathetic whimper as it takes off along the street at a run.

As it disappears from view, you climb the stairs to the first floor where you discover a wooden door banded with criss-crossing strips of enamelled iron. At its centre there is a polished black handle and a dial which is ringed with numbers. You examine the dial closely and determine that it controls a combination lock. By turning the dial to its correct numerical setting, you will cause the lock to disengage and the door will open.

Using your Kai Sixth Sense, you discover that the correct setting is the same as the distance in miles that you travelled aboard the
Cloud-dancer
, from the Kai Monastery to the Shezar Hills, divided by the 50 miles that you travelled on foot from the Shezar Hills to Gazad Helkona.

If you think you know the solution to this question,
turn to the section of this book
that is the same as your answer.
¹³

If you cannot answer the question, or if your answer turns out to be incorrect,
turn instead to 195
.

Hurriedly you reach into the pocket of your tunic and grasp the glowing Black Amulet. As soon as your fingers close around its red-hot surface, the evil object explodes with a tremendous flash. You are hurled sideways through the air by the force of the explosion, and you suffer terrible wounds to your legs and body: lose 15
ENDURANCE
points.

If you have survived this catastrophic explosion,
turn to 140
.

As the bandits and the wolfhound approach, you use your Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility to mask your body scent. This precaution prevents the wolfhound from detecting your presence, and the group pass by your hiding place unawares. You watch them enter the tunnel that leads to the exterior platform, and as soon as they disappear from view, you leave the statue and hurry around the gallery to the staircase opposite.

A short flight of iron steps ascends to a long, low-ceilinged hall. Its plastered walls are decorated with frescoes that depict enslaved humans, bedecked with chains and heads bowed in defeat, parading in a line before a triumphant group of Drakkarim warlords. At the far end of this hall you discover three doors recessed into the wall.

If you possess Telegnosis,
turn to 107
.

If you do not,
turn to 174
.