291

Your third Arrow only grazes the creature’s neck and fails to inflict any damage to its nervous system. You begin to feel the effects of your Levitation spell wearing off and, in a moment of regrettable haste, you fire off all of your remaining Arrows at the creature in rapid succession.

Your final shaft finds its mark, causing the beast to emit a high-pitched squeal. As you descend, it rears up with its forelegs scrabbling the air in a last futile effort to get at you. Then it surrenders to death and comes crashing down upon the canoe.

You land on the muddy shore and struggle towards the bank. Once you are free from the mire, you set off across the clearing towards the distant perimeter of jungle where you happen upon the remnants of a track. You follow this overgrown trail for nearly a mile until you come to the edge of another clearing. This expanse of level ground is devoid of foliage yet it is littered with strange fruits that resemble gigantic grey pineapples. Beyond these curious fruits you can see the ruins of a settlement partially overgrown with moss. Warily you leave the jungle, make your way around the fruits, and hurry across the clearing towards a statue which is crouching among the ruins. It is constructed of a smooth, lustrous black mineral and is fashioned in the likeness of some evil beast of prey. It reminds you of a hyena, but one with a massive lower jaw set with a pair of sabre-toothed fangs. Between its forelegs is a flight of rubble-strewn steps leading down to an open door. You detect waves of power emanating from somewhere beyond this darkened doorway, but you are unable to determine just how deep below the ground the source of this energy is located.

If you possess Telegnosis and wish to use this skill to spirit-walk through the doorway to investigate what lies beyond, turn to 76.

If you do not possess this skill or choose not to use it, turn to 177.