Mydnight's Hero
Page 25
If you wish to attempt to jump your horse over this blazing pine trunk, turn to 204.
If you decide to rein in your horse and turn to face your pursuers, turn to 60.
[16] The reason that the Prince is unarmed remains unexplained. He is armed in Section 170, and no explicit statement since then explains why he has lost or forsaken his short sword.
324
You and Karvas step over the lifeless bodies of the knight and his escort, and 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.
Once outside, you notice the door to another cell directly opposite and instantly your Kai Sixth Sense alerts you to the presence of your Weapons and equipment. They are being stored in this adjacent cell and you pause for a few moments to work on its tumbler lock. This time your efforts are rewarded. The lock disengages and, when you pull open the door, you discover all of your confiscated equipment lying on the floor of this cell. (You may erase the asterisks [*] from your Action Chart now 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
3 Arrows
Enough food for 1 Meal
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 your Kai Weapon back in your hand once more, you begin to climb the steps, retracing the route that you committed to your memory when you were dragged to your cell more than an hour ago.
Turn to 169.
325
As the soldier approaches you realize that he is only aware of Prince Karvas. You have not been seen; the darkness and your innate Kai camouflage skills have kept you hidden from sight. Silently you sidestep into the shallow archway of an adjacent house and unsheathe your Kai Weapon. Karvas stands in the avenue, his eyes fixed on the approaching guard so as not to betray your presence. Nervously the soldier approaches the Prince with his spear levelled at his chest. He commands Karvas to state the name of his regiment, and when he refuses to reply, your Sixth Sense suddenly warns you that the guard is about to raise the alarm.
Like an attacking panther, you leap from the shadowy arch and strike the guard at the base of the neck with the hilt of your weapon. Without uttering a sound he crumples at the knees and falls unconscious to the ground. Quickly you and Karvas drag his body away from the avenue and hide it in an alleyway. Before you leave, you make a quick search of the soldier's pockets and backpack and discover the following items:
30 Ren (equivalent to 3 Gold Crowns)
Spear
Sword
Dagger
Bottle of Rice Wine
1 Meal
Ivory Comb
If you wish to keep any of these items, adjust your Action Chart accordingly.
You hurry away from the alley and continue along the avenue, past grimy two-storey houses of carved hardwood that are silent behind their bolts and shutters. It leads to a stone bridge that traverses the River Tehda and then continues into the heart of the east quarter. Here you almost collide with a patrol of armed guards which is marching towards the river, and hurriedly you are forced to take cover in a timber yard to avoid being seen. You observe the ten-strong patrol as it marches past. These men are clad in black quilted tunics and wide silk leggings, and they are armed with curved swords and hand-axes. All are almond-eyed and they have shiny black hair tied in a knot at the nape of their necks. Their leader, a stocky bull-necked sergeant, wears the emblem of Sejanoz emblazoned upon a scarlet armband. Patiently you wait for them to reach the bridge but, as they do so, another patrol comes marching along the avenue from the opposite direction. The east quarter of Bakhasa is a busy place even at this late hour. Rather than risk being seen and captured, you decide to remain hidden in the timber yard and attempt to get a few hours' sleep before dawn.
Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 340.
326
You unbuckle your tunic belt and lie flat on your stomach with your arms dangling over the edge of the hole. You extend your right hand as far as you are able, offering the end of your belt to the Prince, but he is just out of reach and he is unable to grab it with his free hand. You see his fingers slipping and you know that this perilous situation calls for drastic action. If you are to save Karvas from falling to his doom, you will have to climb down into the hole and get him.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 0, turn to 225.
If it is 1–5, turn to 333.
If it is 6 or higher, turn to 219.
327
The air temperature begins to rise and you sense a benign aura of tranquillity radiating from this spirit. The ghostly knight lowers his broadsword and bows at the waist; you have passed a great test and clearly you have won its respect. Your Sixth Sense tells you that it has looked into the depths of your soul and it approves of what it has discovered there.
As the temperature approaches normal, the apparition shrinks and its vapours are drawn back into the tomb. You hear the bolts being pulled on the chapel door, and then it bursts open and in rushes Baron Lodamos with his Marshal and a dozen of his armed guards. He sees Karvas lying on the floor and he pulls to a halt. ‘Aha! Just as I thought. Another of Sadanzo's assassins.’ Then he notices you standing before the tomb and a look of puzzlement creases his noble brow. The Marshal of the Guard kneels beside Karvas and touches his fingers to the side of his neck, seeking a pulse. ‘He's alive, my liege,’ he says, incredulously.
‘Then it's true,’ retorts the Baron. ‘He really is our Prince returned from exile. Quickly, Guntor, take him to my chambers at once.’
To continue, turn to 131.
328
As you tumble across the decking, you rely on your advanced Kai agility and Sixth Sense to avoid hitting the many obstacles that are strewn in your path. Unfortunately, you are unable to avoid them all and you come to a sudden halt when you collide with a crewman on the middle deck: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 295.
329
You climb out of the chamber and slam the trapdoor shut. Then, using your Kai Weapon, you cleave the iron ring from the stone so that the trapdoor cannot easily be opened. Karvas is having difficulty staying awake and you volunteer to sit the first watch so that he can rest. You spend your watch listening to the rain beating on the slate roof and the desolate sound of the wind whistling through the mountains. When Karvas takes over, you pull your warm cloak close around your shoulders and settle down on the floor to sleep. Karvas wakes you shortly after daybreak. You have slept for only three hours yet you open your eyes feeling refreshed and alert (you may restore 3 ENDURANCE points).
Before you leave the hut and resume your journey along the trail, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points (unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery).
To continue, turn to 292.
330
Karvas suggests that you use the rope he found in the dungeon cell below. Taking one end, you tie a slip knot and make it into a lasso. Then you cast the loop of rope at the lever it the hope of catching it and pulling it down. Your aim is true. Yet, upon the instant that the rope touches the lever there is a tremendous flash of yellow light, and a searing wave of energy hits you in the chest and knocks you backwards down the stairs.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If the number you have picked is even (i.e. 0, 2, 4, 6, 8), deduct 1 ENDURANCE point from your current total. If the number is odd (i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9), deduct 3 ENDURANCE points.
&nb
sp; To continue, turn to 69.
331
You pass the hours before daybreak in a restless, semi-conscious state. You cannot sleep properly for your mind is tormented by the gnawing fear that your mission has come to an early and tragic end. You rise before dawn and try to overcome your melancholic mood by tending to the three wounded crew members. Through the use of your Magnakai Curing skills you are able to accelerate their own natural healing processes so that, when daybreak finally arrives, they are no longer incapacitated by the injuries they received in the crash.
As the grey morning light filters down through the canopy of the forest, it reveals a corridor of smashed and flattened trees lying in the wake of the crippled Starstrider. Acraban and his bo'sun make a lengthy inspection of the craft and then report their findings.
‘The glad news is that she's repairable,’ pipes Bo'sun Gora, confidently. ‘She looks bad but her engine's as sound as a bell. We've the materials and tools aboard to fix 'er stabilizers, and there's mor'n enough timber 'round here to patch up the decks and hull.’ Acraban nods his agreement yet, unlike his bo'sun, his face remains dour.
‘Aye, she'll fly again,’ confirms Acraban, ‘but it'll take us close to a month to craft the parts we need to repair the stabilizers.’ He turns to Prince Karvas and says: ‘Alas, my lord, by then it will be too late to reach Seroa in time for your crowning.’
‘What if we were to seek aid from the craftsmen of Bakhasa?’ you say, knowing by instinct and a brief study of your map that this city can be no further than 100 miles away to the east. ‘Could the repairs be made any sooner with their help?’
‘Expect no help from that quarter,’ replies Karvas, coolly. ‘During my time in Mydnight I heard many stories about Bakhasa and its ruler — the Imperial Autarch Sejanoz. They were all chilling tales. They say it's a cruel and evil place — a city without a soul where human life counts for little. If you wish to live to see your homeland again, Master Acraban, you should not seek the help of the Bakhasians. Better by far to keep your work hidden from their eyes.’
‘But, my lord,’ replies Acraban, ‘what of your kingdom? Are you prepared to surrender your birthright to Baron Sadanzo?’
‘No, never!’ retorts Karvas, suddenly angered by the wizard's suggestion. ‘There are twenty-one days yet before the feast of Harvestmas. With the blessing of the gods, I vow I shall be in Seroa on that day to claim my ascendance.’
The Prince proposes to set off for Seroa on foot. He says that he will go alone and that you should stay here to help Acraban restore the Starstrider, returning with him to Sommerlund once the repairs are complete. Politely you refuse his proposal. You have vowed to Lone Wolf that you will carry out your mission and, despite adversity, you will not abandon your duty. It is a matter of Kai honour that you should escort him to Seroa.
Turn to 124.
332
When consciousness returns and you prise open your eyes, to your dismay you discover that you are lying upon the straw-covered floor of a prison cell. Prince Karvas is lying unconscious at your feet. Carefully you raise his head and, by the use of your innate Kai healing skills, you are able to coax him back to full consciousness.
Through the bars of a high cell window you can see that night has fallen. The noise of raucous celebration is being carried on the evening breeze, and it is a sound that strikes a chill into your heart, for it tells you that your mission has failed. Sadanzo has been crowned King of Siyen, and in every tavern throughout this capital his robber knights are celebrating their leader's rise to power.
The iron door clangs as its bolt is pulled. It creaks open and a grim-faced gaoler throws your Weapons and equipment into the cell. ‘You're free to go,’ he growls, ‘not that you're likely to be free for long now that Sadanzo rules the roost.’ The gaoler turns you and Karvas out onto the street, and as you walk dejectedly away from the gaol, you witness a band of Sadanzo's robber knights looting houses and shops. They pillage the homes and livelihoods of the innocent in defiance of the city guard who are now powerless to stop them.
The sight makes Prince Karvas' blood boil and he resolves to do something about it. ‘Come, Grand Master,’ he says, excitedly. ‘We may still have one chance left to triumph over Sadanzo. We must seek out Phedros — the Marshal of the Realm.’
Turn to 118.
333
Confident in your natural agility, you descend the rough stone wall until you are able to lower the buckle-end of your belt to within reach of the Prince's free hand. The instant he grabs the buckle, you assist him to climb back to the surface. Gasping for breath, you drag yourselves over the lip of the cavity and collapse onto the cold stone floor of the hall. When Karvas reaches over to shake you by the hand, you happen by chance to notice that he has a crescent-shaped birthmark on his right wrist. Between gasps of breath, he thanks you earnestly for your timely help. Had you not acted when you did he feels certain that he would have lost his grip and fallen into the raging river.
It is only later, when you are re-threading your belt through the loops in your tunic, that you discover you have lost one item from your Backpack. It fell out during the rescue and was carried away by the underground river. You may erase any one item of your choice from your list of Backpack Items.
To continue, turn to 200.
334
You queue for over three hours before eventually you reach the clerk's window. When you ask the mousey-looking man if he knows where you can find Prince Karvas of Siyen he shakes his head. Irritably he stabs an ink-stained finger in the direction of the reeve-sergeant's table, over on the far side of the hall.
‘You should ask Sergeant Hozla that question. I only change money here. If you have nothing to exchange then move on and let the next man step forward to the window.’
If you wish to take the clerk's advice, you may join the queue for the reeve-sergeant's table by turning to 127.
If you choose to exchange some of your Gold Crowns for Torqs, the linen currency of Sheasu, turn instead to 74.
335
You call upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to protect your mind from this psychic attack. The pain in your head lessens, yet your protection does not extend to Prince Karvas who is now on the verge of unconsciousness. You sense that a psychic assault this powerful, and at such close quarters, could permanently paralyse or kill him outright within a matter of seconds.
If you possess Bardsmanship and a Flute and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Sentinel, turn to 81.
If you possess Kai-surge and wish to use it, turn to 344.
If you do not possess these skills, or if you have yet to attain the required level of Kai Mastery, turn to 25.
336
Using the Brotherhood Spell Levitation you rise effortlessly to the top of the wall. You then counter the effects of the spell and step between the spikes. You are getting ready to leap down into the training field that lies beyond the wall when suddenly you see a guard standing directly below you. Instinctively you leap onto his back and force him to the ground. He tries to shout out but a swift blow to the base of his skull renders him unconscious before his cry has left his lips. Immediately you scan the perimeter of the field and the buildings beyond in case you have been seen, but there appears to be no other guards on duty.
If you wish to search the guard's pockets, turn to 246.
If you do not, turn to 16.
337
Quickly you intone the words of the Old Kingdom Battle-spell Shield and circle your right hand behind your head. The spell materialises barely a second before a speeding crossbow bolt hits it and is deflected away from your back. Its buckled tip trails a line of sparks as it skims across the flagstones and embeds itself in the courtyard wall.
Turn to 174.
338
The searing flash of the lightning strike burns the skin on your face and hands (lose 4 ENDURANCE points), and leaves you blinded for a few fearful minutes. When your vision returns, you muster all of your Kai senses an
d focus them on the narrow strip of land which separates the fissures. Bolts of searing energy leap out of these chasms and soar past the skyship on either side to explode with thunderous cacophony among the roiling clouds. The crew cower with terror, but you maintain your nerve and let your Kai skills take full control of the wheel. After several nerve-racking miles the fissures eventually taper off and then disappear completely.
As the Starstrider emerges from the gauntlet of deadly white fire, the crew gives a loud cheer in appreciation of your skilful helmsmanship. Gladly you acknowledge their praise, but you keep a grip on the helm for your Kai senses are screaming a warning that the danger is not yet over.
Turn to 302.
339