9

‘Wait here,’ you instruct Tanith.

‘Wait?’ she retorts, defiantly. ‘Have I not stood by you in the face of terror, fought at your side, matched you, courage for courage, deed for deed?’ She sniffs derisively. ‘I’ll not stand back now like some feeble girl afraid of her own shadow!’

You know there is no point in arguing with her, especially when so much of what she says is true. The two of you stride forward, prepared to meet whatever danger awaits you together.

You have travelled for two miles when Tanith stops, peering into the shimmering heat haze and shielding her eyes against the sun with her hand. ‘They come,’ she says, dispassionately.

Following the direction of her gaze, you see something stirring in the distance. You notice a low dust haze hanging in the air, a running cloud drifting against the flat expanse of the plain. There are four runners and they are heading straight towards you. As they come closer, you are able to see that they are ghastly, malformed creatures, each deformed in a different way. These are demons, summoned long ago by the Wytch-king, Shasarak, to plague the tribe of the Masbaté, the warrior people that ruled here before Shasarak unleashed the demonic horde that destroyed them. When the demons had fulfilled their purpose, Shasarak left them to roam these plains at will, instead of returning them to the deep hell from which he summoned them. The leading creature has green, shining skin and a tail. Its neckless head bears the features of a toad. With a feral scream it charges towards you. The others follow.

If you have the Magical Power of Sorcery and wish to use it to aid you in the battle, turn to 196.

If you have the Magical Power of Thaumaturgy and wish to use this Higher Magick to aid you, turn to 203.

If you have the Magical Power of Enchantment and wish to use it, turn to 211.

If you are versed in the Higher Magick of Telergy and wish to use it, turn to 217.

If you wish to attempt a long-range attack with your Wizard’s Staff, turn to 69.

If you wish to wait for them to approach, so that you can engage them in close combat, turn to 187.