### 211

The flame-creature seems to swell and contract, as if it is inhaling and exhaling a huge lungful of air; then suddenly a wall of blinding white light erupts before your eyes as a blast of psychic energy comes crashing into your mind. You reel from the unexpected shock of its impact, but instantly your Kai senses react by erecting defences to shield you from the onslaught: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

An unholy screech, full of fear and frustration, echoes loudly in your ears. The flame-thing has detected that you are capable of defending yourself and this realization is far from its liking. For a few fleeting seconds it whirls around your head, and then, with a final howl of anguish, it dives away into the gloomy depths of the stairwell and is gone.

Disappointedly, the caged creatures watch the flame-thing depart before they shuffle dejectedly to the rear of their cells and settle themselves down once more. Shaken, but relatively unharmed by your psychic encounter, you stare down the stone staircase into the gloom below. Tentatively you put one foot forward, but your Kai skills and your common sense tell you that to go any further in this direction would be sheer foolhardiness. With reluctance you turn and leave this landing and retrace your steps all the way back to the junction where you continue instead by way of the north tunnel.

Turn to 85.