War of the Wizards (16 page)

With a whirl of colour, you find yourself in a long, grey hall. You guess that you are close to Shasarak for at the far end of the hall you see a door engraved with a large Shianti rune representing Shasarak's name. Guarding that door is a grotesque creature, a servant of Shasarak. It is a demon, summoned from some ghastly netherworld that only the dark sorceries of Shasarak could reach. The demon has a high, humped back and a square, flat face that bears two blank, emotionless eyes, colourless and entirely lacking in any warmth or feeling, like pebbles by an unknown sea.

‘Hail, enemy of my master,’ it breathes. ‘I have waited for you. My master told me you would come.’

You step closer. With some concern you see that the demon has affected the shape of a man, with blonde, gilded hair. You tell yourself that this is no man, but a demon in human guise. The demon stands tall; it mocks. ‘Why have you delayed? What are your reasons? I have waited so long … so long to meet your challenge. I am powerful; I am mighty! Know you, that I am the Ipagé, greatest of all demons under my master's command. My power is that of hate, for indeed I hate you, free and unstained as you are, unheeding of the powers that I and my master hold most dear.’

The creature's tirade of scorn is unrelenting and, to you, quite meaningless. It does not hate you, but what you represent: the wild, free, unrestrained wisdom of the Shianti. Shasarak has taught it that this wisdom is meaningless. You know that this is a wisdom, not born of knowledge, but of the freedom of the spirit, of the soul to follow its own way, sure that a mind without hate or resentment can do no harm. The Ipagé hisses like a serpent as you approach. You notice that its body is transparent and shimmers with an eerie light. The door to Shasarak's chamber lies directly behind this evil guardian. So far it has made no attack.

If you wish to attack this creature of hell,
turn to 296
.

If you wish to ignore it and head straight for Shasarak's door
turn to 39
.

You struggle desperately, but you fight a creature with the power of a god: you cannot hope to master it. Your will snaps and Agarash draws you towards the portal. You move like an automaton, a mindless zombie. To the sound of Agarash's cackling laughter, you step through the portal into eternal doom and damnation, a realm of nameless horrors.

You have failed; your quest is over.

You rain a torrent of blows onto the heads of your attackers at the cost of 2
WILLPOWER
points
¹⁸
and a wide space around you is soon filled with the dead bodies of your assailants. Before the survivors are able to close once again, you dig your heels into the stallion's flanks and it starts away like an arrow from a bow. The demons try to pursue but the fleet-footed Simar steed is too fast for them and they soon disappear from view.

Turn to 142
.

You close your eyes and send the power of your thought into the stone. Eventually you locate a system of weighted pulleys on the left-hand side of the doors. Now that you know where the mechanism is, you will be able to use another of your Magical Powers to open the doors. The use of this Magical Power has cost you 1
WILLPOWER
point.

If you have the Magical Power of Sorcery and wish to use it to trigger the mechanism,
turn to 83
.

If you have learnt the Higher Magick of Thaumaturgy and wish to use it,
turn to 122
.

If you do not possess either of these Powers, or if you do not wish to use them,
turn to 115
.

You close your eyes and concentrate your mind on the far bank of the river where you can see King Samu urging his brave soldiers on. At the cost of 2
WILLPOWER
points you teleport, experiencing the sickening feeling that always accompanies teleportation. You appear on the other side of the river and at Samu's side. He looks round and sees you.

‘By the gods!’ he shouts, raising his sword to strike you.

You remember that you are still wearing the Shadakine uniform.

If you wish to pull off the Shadakine helm and show Samu who you are,
turn to 280
.

If you wish to raise your Staff to defend yourself from Samu's blow,
turn to 308
.

Using the Power of Sorcery, you will be able to create a wall of energy that will act as a barrier or force field. However, the shield will only be as strong as the amount of
WILLPOWER
you put into it and it cannot be moved like a conventional shield. Remember, if you wish to use your Wizard's Staff, you will have to drop the shield.

If you wish to use 1
WILLPOWER
point to create the shield,
turn to 278
.

If you wish to use 2
WILLPOWER
points,
turn to 291
.

If you decide not to use the Magical Power of Sorcery for protection after all,
turn to 102
.

The hovering Spiderfly drops from the air as your final, fatal blow slips past the eight-legged screen of the creature's defence. But there is no time to celebrate your victory. A large number of the horde have reached the top of the valley and are now only a few hundred paces further along the ridge. You have very little time in which to attempt to close the portal before the demons, who number more than twenty, reach you.

Turn to 139
.

You summon your mental energy and focus it on the half-running, half-hopping leading demon. There is no time for hesitation: you throw your thought at the creature. With a startled yell, it floats into the air, limbs waving uselessly. Stunned, the demons that follow come to an abrupt halt, gibbering insanely and pointing at their hideous companion as he drifts above their heads. With an easy motion, you fling him down. He lands with a sickening thud on top of his fellows, sending them sprawling to the ground.

They scramble to their feet, cowering and backing away in fear. You step forward with a threatening gesture, but they do not wait to see your next move. Faster than an eye-blink, they vanish into thin air. You are safe. The use of this Magical Power has cost you 2
WILLPOWER
points.

Turn to 99
.

With split-second timing you dodge aside, avoiding the oncoming chariot. It thunders past, and then turns into a skid and crashes. The men inside are thrown screaming into the air. With a grim smile of satisfaction, you return to the army camp. There you see that the Guildsmen, while ready to leave, hesitate before the forest. Sado shrugs with resignation. ‘They are afraid to tread within the eaves of the forest,’ he says.

Turn to 343
.

The night passes without incident but you are wakened at dawn by the sounds of scratching and scrabbling from below. The sinister murmuring of distant voices echoes ominously throughout the vast hall and the hair on the back of your neck prickles with fear at the sound of a low, bestial moan, alien and chilling. Tanith wakes with a nervous start. Sensibly she says nothing, but her dagger is in her hands in a moment, her eyes flashing dangerously, her body taut. Slowly you edge out of the chamber and peer through the supporting columns of the balcony. In the golden glow of the dawn light that creeps through the shafts of the roof, you are confronted by a nightmarish vision.

The floor of the ziggurat is a heaving carpet of horror. A swarm of hideous creatures lurks there, gibbering insanely. Each wears a different and equally misshapen guise: toad beasts, their green hides glistening, crawl beside stunted anthropoids with matted fur and scabby flesh; creeping reptiles with human heads vie with many-limbed crustaceans; lurching serpents slither upon the backs of hulking beetles. Never before have you seen such a ghastly horde of evil deformity.

‘The demon plague,’ hisses Tanith, horrified. ‘Such was the evil that defeated the brave Masbaté. Who could stand against such fearful monstrosity?’

The shuffling column reaches the foot of the stairs. With every passing moment more are entering the ziggurat through the gateway that you yourself opened but could not close. Now it is you that must attempt to stand against the demon plague. Five floors below, a terrifying doom approaches. The demons advance, slowly, cautiously, unsure of their new environment. Certainly, they are unaware of your presence in the highest gallery of the ancient Masbaté tomb. You have little time in which to plan an escape.

If you are versed in the Higher Magick of Necromancy and wish to use it to begin an incantation to ward off evil,
turn to 113
.

If you wish to attack the demonic horde with your Staff at long range,
turn to 137
.

If you prefer to try to hide,
turn to 151
.

A faint splash startles you into awareness. In the darkness you can make out the dim outline of a boat heading towards you. ‘Hail the shore,’ a voice whispers out of the darkness.

Illustration XI
—‘Hail the Shore!’ a voice whispers out of the darkness.

You stand, Staff held aloft, ready for combat. ‘Who calls?’ you call into the darkness. There is no answer but soon you are able to discern a tall figure, standing upright in a large, wooden rowing boat. He draws closer and, to your amazement, you find yourself looking upon a giant of a man, perhaps seven or more feet tall with long, flowing hair and skin as black as ebony. You realize that this man is a Masbaté warrior, member of the tribe believed by all to be extinct.

‘I witnessed your struggle with the demons from the shore,’ he says. ‘Come, more are sure to return soon, and in greater numbers. You must come with me. You are not safe on this side of the river.’

You and Tanith clamber aboard the boat and, with strong strokes, the warrior rows you to the other side of the river. There, a great host of Masbaté warriors waits. You can hardly believe your good fortune at this timely rescue or that members of the great Masbaté people still exist. You have only ever known one Masbaté: Samu, a noble and fearless warrior, who accompanied you on your search for the Moonstone. Once he was king of the Masbaté nomads but he thought himself the only survivor of his people. Everyone believed that the Wytch-king, Shasarak, hounded them into extinction, sealing their doom with the unleashing of the demon plague.

‘I am Dioka,’ says the man who has rowed you ashore. ‘I am leader of the warrior band that patrols the banks of the river in the defence of the Masbaté. Who are you?’

You regard the Masbaté host with a joyful expression. ‘Greetings, men of the Masbaté,’ you call, ensuring that all can hear. ‘I am the Wizard, Grey Star, bound upon a quest in the service of the Shianti and sworn to the destruction of the Wytch-king, Shasarak.’

Wide-eyed, the Masbaté regard you with stunned expressions. ‘Can this be?’ Dioka gasps, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘If this is true, then you must tell the king. Will you accompany us to the Kashima Mountains, where we of the Masbaté now dwell?’

You nod your agreement. ‘Then come.’

Soon you are struggling to keep pace with the fleet-footed warriors, heading through the dark shadows of night towards the mountains: the secret lair of the last of a proud and mighty race.

Turn to 260
.