### 224

The warrior raises his black sword and releases a crackling surge of electrical energy from its tip. It passes over your head and earths itself to the end of the stone beam, at the place where it joins the chasm wall. You feel a jolt beneath your feet as the beam cracks and breaks away from the wall and, to your amazement, you watch as this solid spar of rock curls up and slowly rolls in towards you, like a snake’s tongue returning to its mouth.

The coiled beam retracts towards the mouth of the dragon-gate, forcing you nearer and nearer to the fearsome black warrior. As he watches your reluctant approach he swings his mighty sword above his head, slicing and stabbing at the air with it in eager anticipation of the coming fight. When you are pushed to within ten yards of the gate itself, you reach for your own weapon and brace yourself for a fight that now seems unavoidable.

If you possess the Sommerswerd or Skarn-Ska, turn to 254.

If you possess neither of these Special Items, turn to 147.