Mydnight's Hero (34 page)
As you are leaping through the portal, the projectile whistles past within inches of your head and slams into the brick wall of an alleyway running alongside the warehouse. With the Bakhasians close on your heels, you signal to Karvas to follow your lead as you make a hurried escape along the passage towards an adjoining torchlit street.
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. Both are anxious to hear your news of Prince Karvas' whereabouts for their own enquiries have yielded little useful information. You inform them of what you have learned — that the Prince has a wife and they are living somewhere on the island's northern coastline. Lord Zinair has discovered that Amarelda is the name of Karvas' wife, and Acraban has learned that they last visited Mydnight a year ago.
‘You have done well, Grand Master,’ says Lord Zinair. ‘The citizens of this city are a secretive breed, yet you may have prised enough from them to help us find our reclusive Siyenese Prince.’ Turning to Acraban, he says: ‘I propose we travel north at first light and commence a search of the northern shoreline. It will be easier to espy his retreat from the air than to attempt a search by land.’
Acraban nods in agreement and passes word to his young crew to prepare the
Starstrider
for a voyage north at first light.
Quietly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Mind Charm
and focus the power of this spell upon the two Cavalians. For all their pomp and grandeur they are both weak-willed wastrels at heart, and instantly they become compliant to your mental command. You ask them to give their riverboat tickets to you and Prince Karvas and dumbly they comply. (Record the Riverboat Ticket on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item which you keep in the pocket of your breeches. You need not discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number of Special Items permissible.)
Having obtained what you require, you mentally command the two fops to forget that they have ever set eyes on you and Karvas. As they resume their conversation, you and the Prince slip away through the crowd.
On reaching the fortress ruins, you dismount and lead your horses through its rubble-strewn main gate. Within its crumbling walls there stands a keep, a cylindrical structure of time-worn masonry. The upper parts have collapsed leaving huge chunks of broken stone heaped around its base. Where once stood a gate of gleaming bronze, now only a blackened hole remains. It provides access to the inner hall and hurriedly you enter to escape from the torrential rain.
Engravings in the ceiling and walls of this derelict hall tell you that this fortress was once occupied by the Elder Magi. Both you and Karvas are fascinated by the intricate carvings and you decide to split up and explore this hall further. In an alcove at its north side you discover a shrine dedicated to the God Kai. Clumps of wild laumspur are growing around its base and you find that there is enough here for 3 potions. (Each Potion of Laumspur is a Backpack Item. It will restore 4
ENDURANCE
points when swallowed after combat)
Illustration XIX—In an alcove you discover a shrine dedicated to the God Kai.
You are examining the shrine more closely when suddenly you hear Karvas scream out in alarm.
You approach to within 100 feet of the west gate by means of a drainage ditch that runs parallel to the rutted road. The heavy iron gate is open but the way through to the city beyond is blocked by four soldiers, each clad in a suit of shiny armour made from lacquered steel scales and hardened leather. They are armed with spears and maces, and their shields display the head of a tiger-like creature with ferocious fangs. It is the emblem of Autarch Sejanoz — the ruler of Bhanar.
Two of the soldiers stand rigidly to attention in the middle of the road with the hafts of their spears crossed to bar entry. Their comrades are seated beside them on benches set into alcoves on either side of the open gateway. A ragged white line appears to have been drawn along the threshold of the gate, but when you magnify your vision you realize that this line is nothing more than a trail of bird droppings. On a tiled ledge above the arch of the gateway you can see a long line of roosting crows. They appear almost invisible against the jet-black stonework of the parapet.
After watching the guards for several minutes you are sure that they are all alert and observant. It would be difficult to get past these men without their knowledge. If you are to gain entry to the city by this route, first you will have to create a diversion to draw away these vigilant guards.
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Elementalism,
turn to 182
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you choose not to use it,
turn to 206
.
An arrow, fired from the drawbridge, glances your shoulder and gouges a furrow of skin from your back: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
If you have survived this wounding, you can continue by
turning to 342
.
Hurriedly the archer takes aim at Karvas and releases his straining bowstring. The arrow whistles through the air, yet the trajectory is too high for the missile to hit the Prince. It arcs over him and you gasp aloud when suddenly you see the arrow is falling towards your chest.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 255
.
If it is 5–9,
turn to 33
.
You draw upon your psychic Kai Disciplines to block the insidious effect that Sadanzo's gem is having upon the minds of the Siyenese noblemen. Your attempt to disrupt its power requires a great effort that drains you of mental and physical strength.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If the number you have picked is odd (i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9), the effort costs you 4
ENDURANCE
points. If the number is even (i.e. 0, 2, 4, 6, 8), you are drained of 7
ENDURANCE
points. If you possess Kai-screen, you may reduce your
ENDURANCE
point loss by 2.
By creating a psychic block, you divert the energy of the gem and turn it back on itself with a dramatic consequence. Sadanzo screams with shock as the gem in his hand suddenly crumbles and disintegrates to dust.
You are moving along the trail when suddenly your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills alert you to danger. Immediately you halt and scan the surrounding woods, fearing an ambush. Seconds later you detect the danger; it is a concealed pit which bisects the track a few yards ahead. It has been covered with pine branches and camouflaged by a thin layer of earth and stones, so as to make it indistinguishable from the rest of the trail. You warn Acraban of its position and motion him to leave the trail and skirt around this hidden trap. He obeys, but within moments you detect a second pit hidden amongst the undergrowth. You hiss a warning to Acraban to halt just as he is about to step upon it.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–3,
turn to 57
.
If it is 4–9,
turn to 134
.
You hide the guard's body among some long grasses at the base of the perimeter wall and then hurry across the field to a courtyard located near to the main entrance. This flagstoned yard abuts the entrance gates and is bounded on the other three sides by paddocks, tack rooms, and the training fields. There are only two guards on duty here, the others having been called upon to assist the patrols that are out searching the city. They are both asleep at their posts and you have no difficulty tiptoeing past them and entering the paddocks where the horses are stabled.
You search the stalls and soon discover two black Bhanarian stallions of magnificent quality and breeding. They will make ideal mounts for you and Prince Karvas. These intelligent animals respond readily to your Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control and they remain calm and composed as you hurriedly fix their saddles and bridles. As you are leading them out into the courtyard, you stop to unbuckle a sword belt from the belly of a sleeping guard. Prince Karvas is unarmed and you are sure he will appreciate this weapon more than its present owner.
You lead the horses across the courtyard and as you approach the stables' main doors, you mount one of them and fix the reins of the other to your stirrup. Then you kick open one of the double doors and urge your horse forward at the gallop.
The guards outside are taken completely by surprise. As they fumble to unsheathe their swords, you race across the square and wave to Karvas who his waiting patiently for your signal. The Prince leaps up from behind the cart and comes running towards the spare horse. He is getting ready to leap into its saddle when a gruff cry alerts you to danger. A patrol has entered the square and their officer is commanding his sergeant to fire at you with his bow.
If you possess Kai-surge,
turn to 172
.
If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 313
.
Baron Lodamos asks that you and Karvas accompany him to the citadel's main hall.
‘If you are to reach Seroa in time to foil Sadanzo, you must set off without delay. The ascendance ceremony will take place one week from today, and you still have many miles to travel. Time is against you, my lords, but I will do all I can to help your vital mission.’
‘Please forgive me, sir,’ you say, ‘but my companion and I are just simple journeymen from Sommerlund. We are not spies. Please, we did not mean to insult you with our silence. We are not familiar with your customs. In our land, it is not permitted for men of our lowly rank to speak to a Knight until he gives his permission. Please, kind sir, let us go on our way.’
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. He knows nothing of Sommlending custom but he does know that the clothes you are wearing support your story. Yet he appears to be not 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 charge that you are spies in order to impress his peers in Cavalia. 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 decide not to attempt to bribe him,
turn instead to 95
.
You are less than 10 yards from the blazing trunk when suddenly your horse refuses to jump. He dips his head and veers away, sending you somersaulting from the saddle to crash head-first against the burning trunk. The force of the impact snaps your neck and, in a terrifying instant, you are swallowed up by total darkness.
Tragically, your life and your mission end here.
You cross the narrow village street and approach the two Cavalian lordlings as they stroll leisurely towards the jetty. ‘Good evening, my lords. We meet again,’ says Karvas, in a deep and menacing tone. ‘My friend and I still wish to acquire your tickets. Kindly hand them over.’ The Prince pulls his sword a few inches from its scabbard to reinforce his demand.
15
Normally these two fops would blanch and faint in the face of such a threat, but a night spent drinking at the tavern has filled them with liquid courage. The taller man stares Karvas defiantly in the eye and then he begins to shout at the top of his voice: ‘Robbers! Footpads! Cut-throats!’
Karvas reacts instinctively. He punches the dandy squarely on the jaw and leaves him sprawled unconscious on the ground. His stout companion freezes and his mouth opens wide with shock. Before he, too, can scream out in alarm, you knock him out with a sharp blow to the nape of his neck.
Quickly you drag their bodies into the alleyway and rifle their pockets in a search for their tickets. Karvas finds both of them in the jacket pocket of the stout lordling, and he hands one to you. (Record the Riverboat Ticket on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item which you keep in the pocket of your breeches. You need not discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number of Special Items permissible.)
Having now obtained what you need, you leave the alleyway and hurry back to the jetty.
[15] Ignore the Prince's comments in the first paragraph if you have not spoken with these men before (cf. the route from
Section 256
through
Section 111
).