The Buccaneers of Shadaki (19 page)

Soon the longboat abandons its search and returns to
The Triasus
. You watch as both ships unfurl their sails and depart from the coast,
The Triasus
heading north and the
Seasprite
sailing south. Sesketera must be satisfied that you perished during your encounter with the terrible Nigumu-sa. Your only regret is that Captain Radyard and his crew probably believe this to be true as well.

When you can no longer see the two ships, you take out your
map
and unfold it on the sand. Aided by your Kai tracking skills, you determine that you have come ashore at the tip of a mainland peninsula, at a point close to the Isle of Kobra. The nearest city is Masama. It lies over 300 miles away to the southwest, beyond a wide expanse of dense jungle and hills. The thought of traversing this uncharted territory, alone and on foot, is one that fills you with dread. But you take comfort in the knowledge that you survived your battle in the sea and that you still possess the Moonstone.

You are tired and hungry after your ordeal. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

Turn to 209
.

Your request for assistance is greeted with suspicion by the hard-faced guardsmen. Your northern features and travel-stained clothes clearly do not impress them, for they ignore your requests and begin asking some questions of their own. They ask you to show them what you are carrying in your satchel, and they ask why you are carrying weapons in a public marketplace contrary to the law of Suhn. When you hesitate to answer, they immediately place you under arrest. For a moment you consider making a run for it, but then you notice that each guard is armed with a crossbow and you decide that it would be suicidal to try to escape.

Turn to 221
.

You rise from your seat and take a step towards the Eldenoran captain, but his crew are quick to react to your move. They reach to the hilts of their swords and several hurry to block your path to their leader. You sense that this ugly incident could easily get out of hand and lead to a murderously uneven combat between the heavily armed Eldenorans and Jenkshi's crewmen, none of whom are carrying weapons. A brawl between the two crews would jeopardize the success of your quest and it could also cost many innocent men their lives. Mindful of these facts, you know you must try to avoid a fight breaking out at all costs.

If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Kai-surge and wish to use it,
turn to 327
.

If you possess Bardsmanship and wish to use it,
turn to 14
.

If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them,
turn to 56
.

Melchar's nakedness draws cries of laughter and outrage as you scurry through the maze of passages that lead away from the racetrack. The young journeyman needs some new breeches and he needs them soon, for you are sorely aware that the cries are making it very easy for Wrok's henchmen to follow your trail.

Illustration X
—Melchar's nakedness draws cries of laughter and outrage as you scurry through the maze of passages.

If you possess a Blanket,
turn to 216
.

If you do not,
turn to 298
.

After nearly an hour your efforts are rewarded and you are able to pull open the door to your cell. You enter the corridor beyond and make your way silently towards the guardroom. You are determined to retrieve your Kai Weapon and equipment, but you are also aware that you must avoid alerting the guards if you are to preserve your hopes of escaping from this gaol alive.

Peering around the door to the guardroom you discover that it is occupied by three gaolers. They are playing cards, and they are using the crate which contains your equipment as a makeshift table. In order to get at your equipment you must first lure the gaolers out of the room.

If you possess Assimilance and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Master Superior,
turn to 234
.

If you possess the Discipline of Grand Nexus and wish to use it,
turn to 302
.

If you do not possess these skills, have yet to attain the required level of Kai Mastery, or choose not to use your skills,
turn instead to 130
.

You unsheathe your weapon and aim your first blow at the creature's head.

Zhürc:
COMBAT SKILL
 51   
ENDURANCE
 39

Due to the advantage of your first strike, ignore any
ENDURANCE
point losses you sustain in the first round of this fight.

If you win the fight,
turn to 338
.

You are awoken in the middle of the night by a hideous cry. Your horse is startled and terrified by this gruesome sound and he tugs frantically against his reins. Seconds later you are up on your feet, your keen eyes scouring your surroundings for some sign of the threat. Your Kai skills are alerting you to an imminent and deadly danger, a hidden enemy who possesses a strong magical aura.

You unsheathe your Kai Weapon and crouch behind a boulder. Suddenly the air before you shimmers and takes form, causing you to gasp in disbelief. Something is growing out of the very darkness itself! You glimpse its misshapen head and hunched body; then its outline seems to waver. It flickers and sparkles, as if it is caught between two planes of existence. Suddenly there is a brilliant flash and a sparkling arc of energy leaps from the shimmering mirage to come speeding towards your face.

If you possess the Discipline of Grand Nexus,
turn to 41
.

If you do not,
turn to 90
.

Tolshi arrives unexpectedly at Grooja's hut. He asks you to return to the ship at once for the captain needs you to help with the repairs. It is as if your silent prayers for rescue have been answered. You thank the elder and his wife for their hospitality, and then you leave quickly with the helmsman.

‘The captain doesn't really need your help,’ says a grinning Tolshi, as you make your way hurriedly through the hovels of Dlash-da Ralzuha towards its torchlit harbour. ‘He just thought you'd welcome an excuse for not having to stay all night at Grooja's flea-ridden shack!’

On your return to the ship you thank the captain for sending Tolshi to rescue you and, to show your appreciation, you help him and the crew to patch the damaged hull. By first light the repairs have been completed and the cargo is reloaded into the hold. Jenkshi gives Grooja and the natives some copper ingots as payment for their help, and then the crew weigh anchor and prepare to catch the morning tide.

For two days
The Azan
hugs the coastline as it sails a southerly course to Ghol-Tabras. The weather is kind and the ship makes good progress, enabling you to enter port shortly before dusk.

Turn to 200
.

The crowd gets denser as you approach the main exit and the increased numbers slow down the speed of your escape. Wrok communicates by means of hand signals with two of his henchmen who occupy a platform beside the main gate. As you pass below this platform they leap into the crowd and attempt to block your escape.

If you possess Elementalism,
turn to 318
.

If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 89
.

You enter the crowded emporium and marvel at the sheer variety of goods that are for sale — Lencian silverware, spices from Mhytan, animal hides from southern Karnali, to name but a few. There is even pottery and ironware from your homeland, all stacked side by side upon the shelves and counters that fill this busy store.

You make your way to a counter and ask a moon-faced youth in a leather apron if he knows the whereabouts of Radyard, the master of the
Seasprite
. He has never heard of the captain, but he is eager to help and he does not want to lose your custom. He invites you to look around the emporium while he goes and asks his employer.

You browse along the shelves and, although you find many of the items fascinating, there are only six that you would consider purchasing: a hammer, a coil of rope, a silver-backed mirror, a blanket, a steel flask, and a pewter goblet.

The youth returns shortly and you see him shaking his head. He is unable to help you find Radyard and his crew.

If you wish to enquire about the prices of the items you have noticed,
turn to 57
.

If you do not wish to purchase anything here,
turn to 278
.

The creature stalks its chosen target. Gemulkin frees himself from the wheel but, before he can get away, the beast is upon him like a hungry lion. It grabs him by the throat and lifts him off the deck. You race across the slippery decking and unsheathe your Kai Weapon to strike the creature in the side. Callously the beast hurls Gemulkin into the sea and then spins around to face you. Your first blow opens a wound across its chest, making it shriek loudly. But it recovers in an instant and it lashes out at you to connect with your shoulder. The force of the blow knocks you sideways and sends you sliding across the slick deck to fall headlong through an open cargo hatch.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 307
.

If it is 5–9,
turn to 266
.

Calling upon your Grand Mastery, you focus upon the section of stone door jamb into which the bolt is secured, and you cause it to vibrate. It is a slow and tiring process (lose 3
ENDURANCE
points) but eventually the stonework cracks under this persistent pressure. When the strength of the stone has been sufficiently undermined, you are then able to wrench open the cell door.

Turn to 24
.

You clear the pit with a single bound and land safely on the far side. Arrows thud into the ground and whistle past your head as you hurriedly dive for the cover of the jungle trees.

Turn to 38
.

Fair weather returns and
The Azan
makes good speed as it crosses the jade-green waters of the Gulf of Tentarium. It is shortly before noon of the following day when the first glimpse of Zharloum is sighted by the lookout, and less than an hour later you find yourself sailing into the harbour of this grand city. Emerald pennants flutter from the towers and roofs of its sun-bleached houses, and crowds of industrious citizens throng its paved avenues and alleyways. This old Shadakine port has a long history of free and fair trading. It is many miles from the cities of Shadakine political power which lie to the south and, due to this fortunate fact, it has been spared much of the damage wrought upon this troubled land by a succession of ruthless and tyrannical rulers.

The ship enters and docks at the harbour wall, close to the jetty of a warehouse which contains the iron and copper ingots that it will carry to Suhn. As the crew begin the task of loading the cargo aboard, you decide to go and explore this thriving city. But after little more than an hour the heat, hustle, and noise of the crowded streets becomes oppressive and you find yourself yearning for somewhere quiet to rest before you return to the ship. Looking around, you notice two places which offer the promise of some respite from the teeming crowds. The first is a public park which stands upon a cliff that looms above the city to the east of the harbour wall. The second is a narrow, deserted alley that wends its way into the city's Old Quarter.

If you wish to visit the park,
turn to 291
.

If you choose to explore the city's Old Quarter,
turn to 126
.