Mydnight's Hero (19 page)
You tell Karvas that it is time to leave and he follows as you thread your way through the trees to the far side of the hillock. As soon as you are clear, you race away together as fast as your horses will carry you.
You are more than 2 miles from the hillock when you bring your panting steeds to a halt and look back. You see the fanji herd have been scattered by the hunters and they are running in all directions. The two hunters who came after you seem to have lost interest in pursuing you; their only concern appears to be the slaying of as many fanji as possible. The sight of this wanton slaughter raises your ire, but you quell your anger and ride on with Karvas through the tall grass, back towards the trail.
Your warning brings Acraban to an immediate halt at the edge of the concealed pit. Cautiously you approach this second trap and, using your Kai Weapon, you lift away some of the covering branches. Beneath you discover a deep hole lined with sharpened stakes. Acraban breathes a sigh of relief. Had he taken one more step he could well have ended his days impaled upon those deadly wooden spikes.
Carefully you both move away from the pit and skirt around it before continuing along the track towards the clearing.
You draw an Arrow and fire it at the gem in Sadanzo's hand. The speed of your bowshot is so swift that the Baron does not have time in which to dodge your Arrow. The steel tip of the shaft grazes his fingers and hits the centre of the gem, smashing it to dust.
You take the key from your tunic pocket and read the inscription on its shank: THIS KEY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TEHDA STABLES.
‘With luck this scrap of iron will net us two horses,’ you say, clasping it tightly. Karvas smiles and gets ready to move from behind the cart, but you tell him to stay here and wait for your signal. ‘Better I should go alone, my lord,’ you say. ‘It will halve the risk of being seen by the guards at the main gate. Wait here for my signal and be ready to act quickly when you see it.’ The Prince nods his agreement and he wishes you good luck before you go.
Aided by your Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, you leave the cart and scurry across the square to the unguarded stables' door. When you are sure that you have not been seen, you pull back the bolts and insert the key into the lock. With a prayer to Ishir on your lips that this is the correct key, you turn it in the keyhole. Your prayer is answered: the key unlocks the door. You push open the heavy portal and hurry through it into a courtyard beyond.
Using your Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, you order the lancers' horses to slow their frantic pace. Instantly, the two young colts obey your mental commands and rapidly they slow from a gallop to a gentle canter, despite the kicks and slaps they receive from their angry riders. Suddenly the lancers are gripped by an overwhelming fear that you and Karvas are sorcerers. They glance at each other and then their nerve breaks. As their mounts slow their pace to a walk, they cast aside their lances and leap down from their saddles. Pale-faced with fear, they run off along the alleyway with the taunts and jibes of angry citizens ringing loudly in their ears.
You call upon your mastery of Old Kingdom magic and utter the ancient power-word
Gloar!
at the nearest shrine-bearer. The concessive force of the word strikes the man in the chest and knocks him to the ground. As his grip is torn from the platform, it tilts over and the tiger-head idol tumbles from its wooden base. It hits the cobblestones with a mighty crash, shatters in two, and releases a whirling cone of red flame from its hollow core that engulfs the remaining bearers. In the blink of an eye the three men are transformed into smouldering heaps of ash.
Cries of fear and outrage echo along the street as the Bakhasian soldiers witness the deaths of their comrades and the destruction of their unholy symbol. Before they can gather themselves and give chase, you and Karvas rush across the street and make a hasty escape along the dark alleyway beyond.
You follow the trail until the sun is no more than an orange glow across the western horizon; then you halt to make camp for the night beneath a solitary oak tree. A dull-witted rabbit provides you with an evening meal, after which you and Karvas take it in turns to sit watch as darkness enshrouds the plain.
The warm night passes peacefully and you strike camp shortly after dawn. With only twelve days remaining to Harvestmas, you keep your horses to a swift pace as you ride the trail northwards. During the afternoon you are treated to the majestic sight of a herd of migrating fanji. These wild, fleet-footed beasts are native to this region and are much prized for their horns and supple hides.
Illustration VIII—You see a herd of migrating fanji.
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Animal Mastery,
turn to 208
.
If you do not,
turn to 298
.
Coolly the Knight Bachelor stares into your eyes. When he gets no reaction from you, he turns his head and fixes the Prince with the same cold, unblinking gaze. The clothes you are wearing support your story but he appears not to be entirely convinced. Your horses are Bhanarian steeds and he recognizes them to be so by the distinctive embellishments that adorn their bridles and saddles.
Your Kai Sixth Sense informs you that this Knight Bachelor is a greedy and ambitious young man who is hungry for promotion. He is thinking of arresting you and Prince Karvas on the suspicion that you are spies. You know that you must act swiftly if you are to avoid this.
If you wish to offer the Knight Bachelor a bribe in the hope that he will allow you and Karvas to go on your way,
turn to 161
.
If you choose not to attempt to bribe him,
turn instead to 95
.
In a burst of sudden rage, the blacksmith slaps the Gold Crowns from out of your hand and scatters them across the floor. Before you can retrieve them he orders his son to chase you out of their workshop. Rather than resist and risk slaying them both in a fight, you turn and run towards the door. (Erase from your Belt Pouch the number of Gold Crowns that you have lost here in the blacksmith's shop.)
Hurriedly you return to the quayside where you stop to catch your breath. After a while you resolve to explore the tangle of alleyways that make up the city's eastern quarter in the hope of finding someone more willing to talk about the Prince. Unfortunately, your efforts garner no useful information. As the sun begins to settle on the horizon, you finally abandon your search and hurry back through the darkening passageways towards the market square.
Wizard Acraban and Lord Zinair are already waiting aboard the
Starstrider
by the time you reach the market square. The magician orders the boarding cage to be lowered and you are winched up to the skyship. They are disappointed to hear that your search for information has been in vain. Fortunately, Lord Zinair's efforts have been more fruitful.
‘Prince Karvas is not here,’ he says. ‘He lived here when he first came to Sheasu some ten years ago, but a young woman called Amarelda arrived soon after and they were married, here, in the harbour. They left Mydnight the day after their wedding and settled somewhere on the northern coastline. It has been more than a year since they last visited the city.’
Turning to Acraban, Zinair says: ‘I propose we travel north at first light and commence a search of the northern shoreline. I suspect it will be easier to espy their retreat from the air than to attempt any search by land.’
Acraban nods in agreement. Then he passes word to his young crew to prepare the
Starstrider
for a voyage north at first light.
You take a seat at a taproom table and enjoy your ale and Karvas' company while you wait for your food. After a short while, the tavern-keeper's daughter arrives from the kitchens carrying two plates that are stacked with slices of roasted beef and green vegetables.
‘Are you two gentlemen bound for the crowning in Seroa?’ she enquires, as she places your food on the table. Karvas nods his head in answer to her question. ‘Then you be jus' like those other gentlemen over there,’ she replies, pointing to a group of men seated in an alcove on the far side of the room. You had not noticed them before, and when you magnify your vision to get a better look at their faces, your appetite rapidly dies. Your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that these six men are part of the band of Cavalian crossbowmen who ambushed you at Baron Jayde's chateau.
If you wish to leave the taproom immediately,
turn to 284
.
If you wish to confront these Cavalians here in the taproom,
turn to 34
.
You are both still seated in the saddle at the end of your first pass. Quickly you bring your horse around to face your enemy and you steel yourself as you spur him forward once more. On the second pass you are wounded in your left calf (lose 3
ENDURANCE
points), but your enemy is unhorsed. Your blow sends him crashing into the trees that border the trail. With the angry cries of his men echoing in your ears, you gallop back towards Karvas. In the distance you can see that the tree is burning less fiercely now and, as you approach the Prince, you call for him to follow as you race towards the flaming pine.
Bravely your horse makes a tremendous leap across the tree to land surefootedly on the trail beyond. As you bring him to a halt, you pat his neck in praise for his courageous action. Moments later, you see Karvas come leaping over the trunk and you cheer his masterful display of horsemanship. With a wave of your Kai Weapon you beckon him to follow as you make good your escape into the foothills of the Dammerdon Mountains.
As the hunters gallop off across the plain towards the distant horizon, you use your Magnakai Curing skills to revive Prince Karvas fully before you continue your ride east towards Varedo.
You call upon your Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control to calm the horse as you creep towards her. Taking care to keep the mare between yourself and her rider, in case he should happen to glance in your direction, you quickly unbuckle the saddlebag and peer inside. It contains mostly personal items — a Blanket, enough food for 2 Meals, a Dagger, and a Tinderbox.
You are about to return to your hiding place when you chance upon a concealed pocket at the base of the bag. It contains an iron key that bears an inscription on its shank, and your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills enable you to decipher its meaning: THIS KEY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TEHDA STABLES. You slip the key into your pocket and rebuckle the saddlebag before you take cover.
(Remember to record this Tehda Key on your
Action Chart
. It is a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic. You need not discard another item in its favour if you are already carrying the maximum number of Special Items permissible.)
Once you are hidden from view, you watch as the horseman stops to stare out across endless rows of tree stumps. Slowly he shakes his head, and then he looks up at the darkening sky and you hear him curse the failing light. In the distance, one of his comrades shouts his name and beckons him to rejoin the wagons. Begrudgingly he acknowledges the call. He slams his sabre back into its steel scabbard and returns to his horse. Patiently you watch him climb into the saddle and ride away before you rise from your hiding place and call for Prince Karvas to show himself.