Mydnight's Hero

by Joe Dever

  The sound of horses galloping to a halt outside the bakery alerts you to the fact that you and the Prince are still in great danger. The baker bolts the door and then urges you and Karvas to follow him as he hurries out of the shop, past his baking ovens, and through a rear door that leads to a walled yard scattered with chickens. He pulls open the door of an outbuilding and he offers you and Karvas the two young horses that are stabled inside. They are his most valuable animals and Karvas is impressed by the man's generosity.

  ‘I'll not forget this, Barwick,’ says Karvas, as you and he quickly saddle the two colts. The baker pulls open one of a pair of gates at the rear of his yard. Proudly he salutes you as you steer your horses through the gap and gallop away along a passageway that leads to one of Cavalia's city streets.

  Turn to 67.

  31

  ‘We don't welcome spies here,’ growls the blacksmith. He nods to his son and the brawny young man snatches an iron from the furnace. Menacingly he levels this glowing rod at your face and very slowly he moves towards you. Hurriedly you apologize to the blacksmith and leave the smithy.

  On returning to the quayside you resolve to explore the tangle of alleyways that make up the city's eastern quarter in the hope of finding someone who is 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.

  Turn to 187.

  32

  The farmer seems bemused by your refusal. His fee is very reasonable, especially when compared to the charge you would be expected to pay for crossing the river at the Voshno Bridge. When he tells you that there are no other river crossings for 30 miles in either direction, you ask if he would accept something other than cash in return for the use of his raft. After a few moments' thought, he says that he would accept either 1 Weapon or 1 Backpack Item.

  If you possess sufficient cash, you can still pay the farmer a fee of 8 Lune, or 2 Gold Crowns. If you do not have enough money, you must give him either 1 Weapon or 1 Backpack Item of your choice. (Make the appropriate changes to your Action Chart.)

  The farmer ferries you and your horse across the river, and then he goes back to collect Karvas and his mount. Once the Prince is safely across, you bid the cheerful man farewell and ride away from the river, heading east. You notice that Prince Karvas is smiling as he rides across this lush river valley and you ask him why he is so happy. He explains that the Ioma is the political boundary between the realms of Lunarlia and Siyen, and having crossed the river you are now on Siyenese soil. After ten years in exile he has, at last, returned to his homeland.

  Dusk is turning to darkness when you come to a road that traverses the plain to the east of Voshno. Your horses are tired and so you decide to camp for the night in a small wood that borders this road. Before you rest, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points (unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery).

  To continue, turn to 125.

  33

  You tug on the reins and swivel in the saddle to avoid the onrushing shaft. Your speedy reactions save you from being struck in the body, yet the arrow tears a strip of skin and muscle from your shoulder before it shatters into the ground: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  Karvas leaps onto his horse and you toss him the reins. 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 there is 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 across a fast-flowing stream, you stop here 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.

  34

  You break the bad news to Karvas and he explodes with rage. Immediately he kicks back his chair and unsheathes his sword. ‘You, there, skulking in the shadows,’ he bellows, pointing with his sword at the Cavalians on the far side of the taproom. ‘You're the cowards who murdered Baron Jayde. Step out of the shadows and face your accuser, if you dare!’

  The Cavalians laugh and sneer at Prince Karvas' accusation. ‘Watch your tongue, journeyman,’ retorts their leader, a scar-faced sergeant with a shaved head. ‘We Siyenese don't take kindly to Northland troublemakers.’ Another of the group calls out to the tavern-keeper, demanding that he come and throw you out. Sheepishly the tavern-keeper approaches and he asks that you both leave. You sense that he has no liking for the Cavalians, but Karvas' outburst has unsettled his other guests, some of whom are already hurrying out of the door.

  You take hold of the Prince's arm and pull him along as you move towards the tavern door. The Cavalians fix you with murderous stares as you leave, but they do not attempt to follow you. Once you are outside, you hurry across to the stables to fetch your horses.

  You are about to enter when suddenly you notice the body of a young boy lying partially buried beneath a heap of straw. By the colour and cut of his clothing, you recognize the body to be that of the stable boy who took charge of your horses when you first arrived here. Swiftly you unsheathe your Kai Weapon as you enter the stables. Your caution is justified, for as soon as you pass through the stable door, you are attacked by six Cavalian bandits who have been lying in wait for you and Karvas to appear.

  Illustration II—As soon as you pass through the stable door, you are attacked by six Cavalian bandits.

  Cavalian Bandits: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 36

  You may add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of this combat, for Prince Karvas is helping you to fight these murdering bandits.

  If you win the combat in three rounds or less, turn to 215.

&n
bsp; If it takes you four rounds or more to win this combat, turn to 103.

  35

  The rolling plain to the west of Bakhasa is a bleak and barren steppe, devoid of flora yet studded with countless thousands of sawn-off tree stumps. Once this region was part of the Great Forest of Kelderwood, but in recent times the ruler of Bhanar, Autarch Sejanoz, has commanded the Bakhasians to harvest the forest's valuable hardwood and dispatch it downstream to feed the insatiable needs of the imperial shipyards of Otavai. Travelling on foot, the stumps do not obstruct your progress and you are able to press on until late in the afternoon. As you are cresting a ridge of high ground, you spot a troop of horsemen escorting a line of wagons laden with timber. They are less than a mile distant and they appear to be heading towards a settlement on the banks of the River Tehda. You wait and watch them until they are dots on the horizon before continuing your trek towards the city of Bakhasa.

  You are within 20 miles of Bakhasa when dusk begins to darken the gloomy sky. Karvas requests that you stop to rest awhile before making a final push for the city. You are feeling hungry after your long day's march and you agree readily. (Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.) You are about to resume your trek when your Kai Sixth Sense alerts you to the sound of approaching horses and wagons. You are scanning the surrounding hills when suddenly a dozen riders appear from behind a ridge to the north. They are escorting two wagons filled with sleepy timber workers returning to their settlement after a day's labour. You signal to Karvas to hide himself as they approach along a cleared trail which passes within 20 yards of your position. The horsemen canter past ahead of the wagons, but one of the riders who is following behind suddenly leaves the track and steers his horse through the stumps towards your position. Fearing that you may have been spotted, you signal to Prince Karvas to split up and find a new hiding place. Silently you watch as the horseman is slowed to a halt by a dense cluster of tree stumps. He dismounts and abandons his mare in order to continue his search on foot. He draws his sword as he passes close to where you are hiding, but he does not see you. As he moves away, you see that his horse does not follow. She stays to crop some sickly weeds at the base of a tree stump barely 10 yards from where you are lying. Hanging from her saddle are a bulging leather satchel, an axe, and a coil of rope.

  If you wish to attempt to look inside the horse's saddlebag, turn to 145.

  If you decide to remain hidden among the tree stumps, turn to 287.

  36

  The Marshal of the Guard orders his men to confiscate all of your Weapons and equipment. Then he marches you and Karvas under close escort to the cells below the main hall, where you are shackled to the wall in irons. Karvas is shocked by this brutal treatment and he cannot fathom a reason why Lodamos would treat you both this way.

  An hour passes before the door to the cell is thrown open and in strides Baron Lodamos, escorted by a bodyguard of his toughest men-at-arms. Prince Karvas pleads for your immediate release, but his pleas fall on deaf ears.

  ‘Do you not recognize me, my lord?’ he asks. ‘Do you not remember the days we spent hunting wild boar in the Ioma Forest?’

  ‘The resemblance is uncanny, I grant you that,’ replies Lodamos, ‘but you are another impostor, another of Sadanzo's sorcerous creations sent here to assassinate me.’

  The Baron holds up the Stone Dagger that was found in your Backpack. ‘You have a persuasive tongue,’ he says, ‘but here I hold proof that you are assassins. This evil blade is the instrument with which you intended to slay me. See, it is already stained with the blood of those you have slain before. No goodly men would carry such a weapon for their own defence.’

  Desperately you try to explain how the Stone Dagger came into your possession, how you discovered it in the hut in the Dammerdon Mountains. Unfortunately your hurried explanation does little to help. Baron Lodamos has already made up his mind that you are assassins in the pay of Baron Sadanzo, sent here to murder him, and he will not be convinced otherwise.

  The Baron turns to the sergeant of his bodyguard and orders him to have his men prepare their weapons. A cold shiver runs down your spine when you see that these men-at-arms are equipped with crossbows that are cocked and loaded, ready to fire. The sergeant gives the order. The guards raise their bows and take aim. Prince Karvas begs the Baron to reconsider but it is now too late. Lodamos hurls the Stone Dagger to the floor, smashing it to pieces, and then he spins on his heel and strides out of the cell without looking back. With a grunt, his sergeant gives the order to fire and his men release their volley of deadly missiles. Death is mercifully swift.

  Tragically, your life and your mission end here in the dungeons of the Varedo Citadel.

  37

  The tavern-keeper looks at the 2 Gold Crowns and smiles. ‘Ah, Northland coinage,’ he says, as he examines them with an appraising eye, ‘and cast from pure gold, unlike some that pass across this counter. Rarely do I see coinage of this quality.’

  The tavern-keeper is so impressed by the quality of your Crowns that he offers you 5 Lune for every 1 Gold Crown you are willing to give him. If you wish to exchange some of your Gold Crowns for Lune on these favourable terms, make the appropriate adjustments to your Action Chart.

  To continue, turn to 272.

  38

  The lightning bolt strikes the skyship's hull directly below the helm, rendering you unconscious as the concussive force of the blast was transmitted through the deck (lose 5 ENDURANCE points).

  On regaining consciousness you discover that the Starstrider is now more than 5 miles clear of the fissures. As your vision slowly clears you see that Acraban has taken control of the wheel. He smiles when he sees that you are still alive. You notice that he looks gaunt and exhausted, and his ginger hair is matted with grime and sweat. Clearly his efforts to repair the ailing skyship have severely drained his magical energies. As you stagger to the helm you sense that the steering has become more erratic. The Starstrider has lost altitude and her deck is starting to tilt alarmingly to starboard. Soon it becomes almost impossible to stand upright.

  ‘We have lost one stabilizer and the other is badly damaged,’ says Acraban, grimly. ‘I have done all I can to repair it but I fear it will fail us at any moment. Without stabilizers we cannot stay airborne.’

  Acraban orders his crew to prepare for a crash landing. Some of the young men tie themselves to the ship's mainmast, while others brace themselves against the rails and place their fate in the hands of the Goddess Ishir. Prince Karvas has found refuge in a rope locker which is bolted to the main deck. He lifts the lid and calls out to you to join him for there is sufficient space for two inside.

  If you wish to climb into the rope locker alongside Prince Karvas, turn to 79.

  If you choose to stay with Acraban at the ship's helm, turn to 199.

  39

  You and Karvas step across the lifeless bodies of the knight and his escort, and then hurry out into the corridor beyond. You slam the cell door shut behind you and, with a powerful kick of your heel, you cleave away the dial of the lock to prevent the door from being opened easily.

  Across the corridor you see the door to the cell that contains your Weapons and equipment, and you pause for a few moments to work on its tumbler lock. Your efforts are quickly rewarded and you discover all of your confiscated equipment lying here on the floor. (You may erase the asterisks [*] from your Action Chart to indicate that your arms and equipment have been restored.)

  In addition to your equipment you also discover Prince Karvas' sword and belt, together with the following:

  Bow

  6 Arrows

  Enough food for 1 Meal

  Spear

  Axe

  Karvas buckles on his sword belt and, before you leave, he unhooks a coil of rope from the wall and slings it over his shoulder. On returning to the corridor, you hurry to the end to where a circular stone staircase ascends to the levels above. With Kai Weapo
n in hand you begin to climb the steps, retracing the route that you committed to memory when you were dragged to the cell more than an hour ago.

  Turn to 169.

  40

  The tip of your enemy's lance glances your shoulder and spins you out of the saddle to crash heavily on the rocky trail (lose 2 ENDURANCE points). The Bakhasians cheer their leader as he brings his horse around, and they urge him to trample you into the ground with his next pass. Hurriedly you retrieve your Kai Weapon and steel yourself to face him as he levels his lance and comes thundering down the trail.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Weaponmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2. If you possess Assimilance, add 1.

  If your total score is now 3 or less, turn to 343.

  If it is 4–7, turn to 117.

  If it is 8 or higher, turn to 263.

  41

  You bid goodnight to the tavern-keeper and wearily you climb the stairs to a first-floor corridor that leads to your rooms. You are standing in this corridor, arranging with Karvas to meet in the stables at dawn, when you happen to glance out of a window that overlooks the tavern's courtyard. Six shadowy figures are creeping towards the stables and, when you magnify your vision to get a better look at their faces, your blood runs cold. They are wearing the armour and emblems of Cavalia, and your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that they are part of the band of mounted crossbowmen who ambushed you at Baron Jayde's chateau.

  You tell Karvas what you have seen and he unsheathes his sword. ‘Quick, Grand Master,’ he says, as he turns to run back towards the stairs. ‘We must protect our horses or all is lost!’