Mydnight's Hero (29 page)
Sadanzo clutches his injured hand to his chest and falls to his knees exhausted. You sense that the destruction of his gem has greatly weakened him. It has also freed the Siyenese nobles from his evil influence, an influence that robbed them of their free will.
If you possess Sadanzo's Scroll,
turn to 61
.
If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 296
.
You follow this ancient trail for more than an hour as it ascends, by tortuous twist and turn, towards the forbidding granite peaks of the Dammerdon Mountains. The air is now much cooler than when you first entered the foothills, and the starlight that has illuminated your way so far is fading fast. Your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills warn you that the time has come to seek shelter for you sense a storm approaching.
You reach a plateau strewn with boulders where a smaller track branches away from the main trail. It leads to a large stone hut that stands perched upon a spur of granite. Further along the trail you can see a ledge of rock that overhangs a narrow gully.
If you wish to seek shelter in the stone hut,
turn to 84
.
If you choose to shelter beneath the rocky ledge,
turn to 53
.
Hurriedly you retrieve the seal from your Backpack and thrust it before the Inquisitor-major's face. The man blanches when he recognizes the object you hold and immediately he stops blowing his horn.
‘Please, please accept my apology,’ he begs, his voice suddenly dripping with fear. ‘I did not know that you were travelling with the Baron's Seal. Your mission must be of great importance. I … I trust I have not caused you too great a discomfort. I am truly sorry.’
Without saying a word, you return the seal to your Backpack and watch as the Inquisitor-major and his hunting party make a hasty departure. As they gallop away across the plain towards the distant foothills, you use your Magnakai Curing skills to revive Prince Karvas fully before you continue your ride east towards Varedo.
‘Hail, Prince Karvas,’ you call, trying hard to make your voice sound as unthreatening as you can. ‘You have no need to fear us — we come as friends. We have journeyed far to find you and we bring important news from Siyen. Please, sire, put down your bow and let us talk.’
The blond-haired man hesitates, and then he lowers his crossbow just enough for you to be able to see his face clearly. Now you are sure that he is the man you seek.
‘Who are you?’ he shouts. ‘And what do you want from me?’
With a sneer on his face, the man snatches his hand away. He then raises his empty pipe and waves it in the air above his head. He is signalling to someone behind you, and when you turn to look, you see eight grim-faced mercenary knights emerging from hiding places at the entrance to the bridge. They unsheathe their weapons as they swagger towards the middle of the bridge.
Illustration XIV—Eight mercenary Knights swagger towards the middle of the bridge.
‘We've got ourselves a pair of troublemakers,’ shouts the man with the pipe to his confederates as they draw closer. ‘They say they won't pay us the toll.’ You sense that these robber knights cannot be reasoned with. All they are interested in is taking your money and your horses. Karvas draws his sword and you unsheathe your Kai Weapon in readiness to do battle as these ruthless robbers quicken their pace.
Robber Knights of Voshno:
COMBAT SKILL
47
ENDURANCE
50
You cannot evade this combat. However, you may add 5 points to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this combat for support given by Prince Karvas, who is fighting by your side.
If you win the fight,
turn to 77
.
You pull hard on the reins and twist in the saddle to avoid the onrushing shaft. Your swift reactions save you from being struck in the body, yet the arrow gouges your leg before it shatters into the ground: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.
Karvas leaps into the saddle and you toss him the reins of his horse. With a cry of elation, you wheel your stallion about and spur him towards an avenue on the west side of the square. You and the Prince gallop side by side along this broad thoroughfare as fast as your horses will carry you, trampling any Bakhasian who is foolish enough to stand in your way. The road leads directly to the city's east gate where a bell is tolling loudly. A crowd of militiamen have gathered at the gate, summoned from their beds by the alarm, but they are without their officer and in the chaos and confusion they have forgotten to close the gate. They scatter in all directions as you thunder along the avenue towards them and you are able to escape through the open archway without challenge.
Whooping with excitement, you race away from Bakhasa along a dusty trail that heads towards the foothills of the Dammerdon Mountains. You glance to your side and see Prince Karvas punch the air victoriously. Clearly he is as excited by this daring escape as you are, for he has a grin fixed to his sweat-streaked face that stretches from ear to ear.
Your strong Bhanarian stallions carry you swiftly into the foothills and never once do they falter in their stride nor slacken their impressive pace. Only when you can no longer see the lights of Bakhasa do you let them slow to a canter. For more than an hour you travel the trail as it meanders through pine-covered hills and shallow valleys. The night sky is clear and the way ahead is illuminated by bright starlight. When you come to a shallow ford that crosses a fast-flowing stream, you stop awhile to let your horses drink their fill.
Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 323
.
You leave the jetty and hurry to the tavern. This riverside inn is in urgent need of some paint and repair, yet for all its shabby outward appearance, its taproom is filled to overflowing with customers. The sound of lyre and pipe music mingles with the chatter and raucous laughter of its patrons, many of whom are river travellers bound for Seroa within the hour. You push your way through the noisy crowd and climb a flight of stairs that gives access to rooms on the upper floor. From the top of the stairs you are able to get a better view of the crowded bar room. Karvas points out two men who are standing at the tavern counter. They are dressed in dandified court costumes and they wear Sadanzo's eagle's-head emblem pinned to velvet berets that are resting on their coiffured heads.
Illustration XV—Karvas points out two men standing at the tavern counter.
‘I'd wager those two dandies have tickets for the riverboat,’ says Karvas, conspiratorially. You focus your concentration on the two men and your Kai Sixth Sense confirms that the Prince's assumption is correct.
If you wish to approach them and offer to buy their riverboat tickets,
turn to 17
.
If you wish to wait outside the tavern and approach the men when they leave,
turn to 111
.
Beyond the arch there is a narrow brick walkway which borders on the river. You hurry along this unlit footpath until you come to a flight of stone steps. You are about to climb the steps when suddenly an armed soldier appears from out of the shadows. He raises his spear and commands you to halt.
If you wish to attack this soldier,
turn to 115
.
If you decide to obey his command,
turn to 132
.
You back away from the safe and hurry to leave this evil library. As you approach the arch which leads to the adjoining chamber, you suddenly hear a noise which makes you stop dead in your tracks.
It is plain from the sight and evil smell of the haunch that this meat is rotten to the bone. Yet, by drawing upon your advanced knowledge of Herbmastery, you are able to cause a seemingly miraculous change to take place. You pull from your pocket some roots and grasses that you have gathered during your ride to Jaroc, and you rub them vigorously into the offending meat. Within a matter of seconds the meat is transformed into a condition fit for human consumption.
The nomad looks at the haunch and his jaw drops open in disbelief. The trader, grinning with delight, promptly tells the nomad to stop complaining and go away. As he does so, the trader steps from behind his stall and approaches you. Impressed by your skills, he offers you the pick of any one item of food that is laid out on his stall.
If you choose to accept his offer, you may add 1 Meal to your
Action Chart
.
To continue,
turn to 47
.
‘I mean the Prince no harm,’ you say. ‘I have word of his homeland that is of vital importance. I must find him and speak with him as quickly as I am able.’
The blacksmith glances over his shoulder and looks at you with undisguised suspicion. He takes note of the cut and style of your tunic and cloak, and his eyes linger momentarily when he sees your Belt Pouch. The thought occurs to you that perhaps the blacksmith might be persuaded to talk in exchange for some gold.
If you wish to offer some Gold Crowns to the blacksmith in return for what he knows about Prince Karvas,
turn to 209
.
If you choose not to offer him a bribe,
turn to 31
.
Your speedy reactions save the Prince from being struck by a crossbow bolt, but in so doing, you place yourself in the line of fire. An iron bolt strikes your leg, gouging a furrow of skin and muscle from your left thigh: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 159
.
Mentally you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Mind Charm
and attempt to use its power to command the Knight Bachelor to let you go on your way. As the waves of your psychic energy reach his mind, you are shocked to see that a green gemstone ring on the index finger of his right hand is beginning to radiate bright pulses of light. Your Sixth Sense warns you that this ring has the power to protect its wearer from the effects of charms and illusions. It also alerts him to the fact that you are attempting to use such magic on him.
The Knight Bachelor looks at the pulsating ring and then he glares at you. With a cry of rage he unsheathes his sword and attempts to strike out for your head, but you pull away and the point of the blade flashes past to gash your shoulder: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.
‘You sorcerous spy!’ he exclaims. You glance at Karvas and shout for him to follow your lead. The Prince nods in acknowledgement and you dig your heels into your horse's flank, causing him to rear up and scrabble at the air with his forelegs. The Knight Bachelor pulls back on his reins and turns his steed aside to avoid being struck by the flailing hooves. At this moment, you press yourself flat against your horse's neck and urge him forwards. The knight's men bring their mounts together to block your escape, but your horse is quick to the gallop. He surges forwards and forces himself between two troopers, barging them from the saddle as he pushes through their stationary ranks. As you break from the circle, you hear Karvas cry out and the sound sends a shiver racing down your spine. When you glance back you see that he has been unsaddled and he is now lying on the ground, helpless before the stamping steel-shod hooves of the Knight Bachelor's warhorse.
‘Surrender yourself, you trickster!’ commands the arrogant Cavalian knight. ‘Or your journeyman companion dies!’
Reluctantly you rein in your horse and raise your hands. Better to surrender and live to fight another day than permit Prince Karvas to be crushed beneath the hooves of this arrogant knight's horse.