Mydnight's Hero (10 page)
Your silence angers the Knight Bachelor.
‘Perhaps you are spies?’ he exclaims. ‘I command you to throw down your weapons. By the power vested in my rank, and for the security of Cavalia, I arrest you both.’
If you wish to offer an apology to the Knight Bachelor in the hope that he will accept it and let you go on your way,
turn to 318
.
If you wish to attempt to escape from this arrogant young knight and his troop of cavalry,
turn to 62
.
The Inquisitor-major snatches up a hunting horn that hangs from a cord strung around his neck, and he blows into it with great force. The discordant note rises in pitch until it passes beyond the normal range of the human ear. Moments later, a terrific pain shoots through your head that makes you grasp your skull with both hands.
If you possess Sadanzo's Seal,
turn to 252
.
If you do not possess this item,
turn to 335
.
Beyond the arch is a narrow brick walkway which borders the river. You hurry along this unlit footpath until you come to a flight of steps that leads to a flagstoned loading area crowded with soldiers and wagons. By keeping low and moving from one wagon to the next, you and Karvas are able to cross this busy concourse undetected.
Soon you come to a stone bridge that traverses the River Tehda. You hurry across it and enter a wide avenue which leads to the city's east quarter. Grimy two-storey houses of carved hardwood pass by on either side, silent behind their bolts and shutters. At the end of the avenue 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 watch the ten-strong patrol as it marches past, and note that these men are clad in black quilted tunics with wide silk leggings, and they are armed with curved swords and hand-axes. They are almond-eyed and they all 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 river but, when they do, you see another patrol come marching along the avenue from the opposite direction. The east quarter of Bakhasa is a bustling place, even at this late hour. Rather than risk being seen and captured, you decide to remain hidden here 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
.
It is early morning when you awaken. Your sleep has revived your strength (restore 3
ENDURANCE
points) and left you feeling in good spirits. You wake Karvas and then you both go up on deck to enjoy the warm sunshine and watch the passing countryside. To the west, the left bank is backed by farmsteads and orchards; to the east, the ground gently rises to low, rolling, vine-clad hills. The Sero is deep, and its fast-flowing current helps propel the boat downstream at a quicker rate than could be maintained by a horse. On reflection, you are glad that you decided to travel to Seroa by this route.
The riverboat is crowded with passengers bound for the capital. From snatches of conversations that you overhear on deck, you learn that most of them are going there to see the crowning of Sadanzo. Many of your fellow travellers stand to gain in some way from his ascendance, and when you discover this fact, you and Karvas take care to avoid them as much as possible.
As darkness falls, the passengers congregate on a lower deck of the boat which serves as a gambling hall. You and Karvas remain at the rail and enjoy the sight of a waxing moon that dominates the clear night sky. ‘Tomorrow will be Harvestmas Day and the moon will be at its fullest,’ says Karvas, wistfully.
‘Yes,’ you reply, ‘and you, my lord, shall by then be rightful king of this realm.’
You leave the rail and retire to sleep, waking early the following morning with mixed feelings of excitement and apprehension. The riverboat comes within sight of Seroa by mid-morning and docks at the city's wharf one hour before noon. You and Karvas are jostled by the other passengers as you wait on deck, for everyone is eager to disembark and hurry to Palace Square in time to see the crowning ceremony. When your turn comes to leave the riverboat, you see that the passengers ahead of you are being stopped at the end of the gangplank by two Seroan City Guardsmen. They are collecting their riverboat tickets.
Illustration III—Two Seroan City Guardsmen stop passengers at the end of the gangplank to collect their riverboat tickets.
If you possess a Riverboat Ticket,
turn to 153
.
If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 27
.
The town of Jaroc has little to entice you to stay here any longer. The weather has steadily improved since you left the Dammerdon Mountains and so you resolve to try to make up for the time that was lost to the storm.
You leave the town and for the next two days you ride in a northeasterly direction, across a rich expanse of rolling prairie. The riding is easy and the fine weather helps you make good progress. By noon of the third day you have covered nearly 200 miles and you are feeling in good spirits. The prairie gradually gives way to a region of hilly uplands that lie sandwiched between two mountain ranges. Here you happen upon a rutted track that leaves the prairie and winds through the hills through a high pass. There are no signposts on this road, but Karvas is familiar with this region and he tells you that it leads to an outpost town called Battle Pass. You are in the land of Lunarlia and for centuries this realm has been the enemy of Siyen — Prince Karvas' homeland. Many wars have been waged between the two kingdoms and this region has seen countless battles. Karvas pledges to end these wars. When he is crowned King of Siyen he vows that he will seek a lasting peace with the kingdom of Lunarlia.
It is noon and a warm sun is beating down on the fortified town of Battle Pass as you approach its west gate. Karvas is grateful that he is wearing the clothes of a Sommlending journeyman, for the inhabitants of this tough frontier post are notoriously hostile to the Siyenese. To your surprise, the guards at the gate pay you scant attention and you are allowed to enter the town with little more than a cursory glance. You ask Karvas why this is so and he tells you that riders approaching from the west, the Lunarlian side, are allowed to pass freely. Riders from the east, the Siyenese side, are subjected to far greater scrutiny.
Beyond the west gate a broad avenue opens out into a main square that is bordered by a trading post, a barracks, and a tavern. Both you and Karvas are especially thirsty after your ride through the dry, dusty hills, and you are eager to seek out some refreshment.
If you wish to visit the tavern,
turn to 266
.
If you prefer to visit the trading post,
turn to 120
.
Having decided the places where each of you will search for the whereabouts of Price Karvas, you follow Acraban to the rear deck and enter the skyship's boarding cage. Swiftly it is winched down to the market square where you are met unexpectedly by a pressing crowd of grimy-faced street urchins. They have been gathering here since dawn to stare in wonderment at the
Starstrider
hovering motionless in the cloudless sky above. Acraban scatters a handful of copper coins across the cobblestones and the children scramble to retrieve them. This creates enough space to allow Zinair to open the cage door and the three of you to step out. After agreeing to return to the skyship no later than sunset, you split up and go in search of your chosen destinations.
Unlike the urchins, the adult population of Mydnight appears less than fascinated by the imposing sight of the
Starstrider
hovering above their city. Few give it a second glance. This seeming lack of interest does not surprise you. For centuries this port has been a refuge for exiles from the many nations of Magnamund who, for their own individual reasons, have chosen to forsake their native lands. They are, by nature, a secretive community. Any overt interest in the affairs of another is often viewed with suspicion and distrust. You retrace the route you took last night and soon find yourself at the harbour.
The Azaktana
is still moored at the quayside and you give the crew a friendly wave as you stride along the harbour wall towards the city's south quarter.
You have no difficulty finding Grosta's Warehouse; this weather-beaten emporium occupies most of the waterfront. Its main entrance is guarded by two muscular, sallow-faced Mythenians who wear long, silky black moustaches. Reluctantly they move aside to allow you into the warehouse. Inside you are greeted by a bald, pot-bellied man with a thin smile. He wipes his hands on his striped apron and enquires how he may be of service. When you ask if he knows where you can find Prince Karvas of Siyen his smile quickly transforms into a scowl of suspicion and he takes a few shuffling steps backwards. Your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that he suspects you to be an assassin who has come here to Mydnight to find and murder the Prince. Nervously he glances at the two Mythenians guarding the door. You realize you must act quickly if you wish to allay his fears and avoid a confrontation with his men.
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Kai-alchemy,
turn to 192
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you choose not to use it,
turn to 243
.
The instant you touch the lever, there is a tremendous flash of yellow light and a searing pain runs along your arm and through your body: lose 10
ENDURANCE
points.
If you have survived this grievous wounding,
turn to 69
.
Sadanzo gasps as your killing blow pierces his heart. He drops to his knees and the gem in his hand suddenly crumbles and disintegrates to dust. With his last ounce of strength he lunges at you with his sword, but you sidestep his last, desperate thrust, and he crashes lifelessly to the floor.
The destruction of Sadanzo's gem frees the Siyenese nobles from its evil influence, an influence that had robbed them of their free will. Marshal Phedros immediately orders that the city gates be sealed, and then he commands the Royal Guardsmen and the Court Cavalry to hunt down Sadanzo's robber knights in every quarter of Seroa and bring them to justice. As these noble troopers eagerly set about their task, Phedros turns to Prince Karvas and hugs him to his chest. ‘Welcome home at last, my boy,’ he says, his voice wavering with emotion. ‘Welcome home … King Karvas.’
Acraban repeats his order to Kuo the helmsman to reverse the descent and change course, thirty degrees to port. The bow of the
Starstrider
rises up and the deck banks gently over to the left. But then another deafening
Crack!
explodes from somewhere below the stern, and you are thrown onto your hands and knees when a violent shock wave ripples along the decking. Acraban calls for a damage report and each crewman shouts his response in turn. The
Starstrider
has sustained a glancing blow from an energy bolt. It has torn away part of the hull plating and damaged one of the ship's two internal stabilizers, upon which it relies for level flight. The craft ceases to gain height and begins drifting to starboard. This change of course is accompanied by a jarring vibration that runs through the deck and superstructure.
The surrounding sky is now a seething mass of billowing black clouds lit up by lethal blue-white bolts of lightning. The ship passes through a dark cloud and the metallic stench of ozone fills your nostrils. This harsh-smelling gas does you no harm, protected as you are by your innate Magnakai skill of Nexus. Likewise, Acraban suffers no ill effects from the gas for his magic is sufficient to counter it. But for Prince Karvas and the crew its effects are immediate and devastating. Clutching at their throats they lose their balance and fall to the deck, choking and spluttering as they fight for breath. Acraban instructs you to take the helm while he goes below to work on the damaged stabilizer. You follow his command and take control of the wheel from a barely-conscious Kuo. As the cloud passes the crew slowly recover, but you glimpse a fresh danger ahead. The
Starstrider
is drifting towards two large active fissures running parallel to each other, and a little over 100 feet apart. Sweat streaks your face as you struggle to steer a straight course between these fissures and so avoid the crackling bolts of energy that are hurtling out of their fiery depths.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery or Elementalism, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If you total score is now 0–2,
turn to 201
.
If it is 3–7,
turn to 179
.
If it is 8 or higher,
turn to 42
.
