### 90

You feel a sudden movement in the air, and you shiver with dread when your Kai senses alert you to an evil presence. A crackling sound makes you look to the black marble throne where a strange manifestation is taking place. The seat is filled by a ball of shimmering energy that slowly grows and transforms into a living creature. You gasp with shock when this nightmarish entity raises itself out of the throne and comes stalking towards you on two muscular legs.

Despite its crouching gait, the creature stands an arm’s length taller than you. Its shiny crimson hide is thickly veined, and its snake-like head is studded with hundreds of razor-sharp barbs that sparkle like diamonds when they catch the light. It fixes you with a hungry stare and slashes at the air with its claw-tipped forearms. You retreat before its steady advance and tug your Kai Weapon from its scabbard in readiness to defend yourself against this monstrous entity. As you raise your blade, the creature utters a sound that resembles a deep, bubbling laugh. It opens its soot-blackened jaw and a gout of flame comes shooting towards your face. You react in an instant, your lightning-fast reflexes saving you from being incinerated by the beast’s fiery breath. You dive and roll across the floor towards the chamber wall, and then you spring back onto your feet and launch a furious attack at the creature before it can spit a second blast of white-hot fire.

Fydakzh: COMBAT SKILL 52 ENDURANCE 58

If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Firefall’ you may add the bonus gained from its unique properties during this combat.

If you win the combat, turn to 53.