The Hunger of Sejanoz (14 page)

You hurry to the carriage and discover Princess Mitzu consoling her young son who is shivering with fright. Chan is nearby, holding a dead serpent by the tail. You swallow hard when you see that it is a scarlet viper, a notoriously poisonous snake. One of Chan's troopers is being restrained by two of his comrades, and he is pleading his innocence.

‘What is going on?’ you ask.

Chan explains that the Prince disturbed the viper which was asleep under the covers of his cot.

‘He is lucky to be alive,’ says Mitzu, hugging him close. ‘His cries alerted Captain Chan and me, and when we arrived, we found Trooper Yankin inside the carriage. I suspect he is an enemy agent, one of the Autarch's spies.’

‘I'm not, I swear it!’ retorts the accused man. ‘I was nearby when I heard the Prince scream. I rushed into the carriage to save him. I thought he was being attacked.’

You stare directly into the accused man's eyes and your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that he may be speaking the truth.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 152
.

If you possess Kai-surge and wish to use it,
turn to 230
.

If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them,
turn to 244
.

You retrieve your Kai Weapon from the hand of a dead tomb robber, and wipe its blade clean before sheathing it in your scabbard. (You may now restore the details of your Kai Weapon to your
list of Special Items
.)

A brief search of this room reveals a large amount of stolen graveyard booty, but there is nothing here of any practical value to you. To one side of the room's brick fireplace you discover a bolted door, and you sense that someone is being held captive in the room beyond. Cautiously you draw back the bolt and tug on the door handle. As it creaks open, you are assailed by a revolting smell that even your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus cannot counter. Burying your mouth and nose in the sleeve of your tunic, you take your first tentative step into the gloomy chamber beyond.

Turn to 240
.

As the prisoner is led away, you ask Captain Chan what he intends to do with the man.

‘He's our hostage now, our guarantee of a trouble-free journey past the forest tomorrow. I'd wager Captain Kronar will stay his hand when he sees that we have his little brother prisoner.’

You sleep well and rise shortly before dawn to help prepare the horses for the road ahead. A mount is assigned to the prisoner, and he rides with you and Captain Chan at the head of the caravan column. The highway skirts the perimeter of the Javai Forest, and within an hour of leaving the ford, you catch sight of something in the distance that makes your senses tingle. To your right you see a wooded rise that runs parallel to the highway. You question the prisoner and he confirms that this is where his brother Kronar has prepared the ambush.

Chan orders the caravan drivers to halt and await his further signal, and then together the three of you ride ahead. Xango's hands are tied behind his back and a noose is slipped over his head. This is attached to a trailing rope which is fastened to the horn of the captain's saddle. If Xango should attempt to escape, he will either strangle himself or break his neck when the rope is pulled taut.

Suddenly you see two riders appear on the crest of the rise. They dismount and then disappear among the folds of the woodland. Minutes later they reappear atop a hillock, now no more than 30 yards distant. Instantly Chan recognizes that one of them, a tall man dressed in a padded tunic of scarlet and black silk, is Captain Kronar. You watch with growing trepidation as Kronar unslings a bow from his shoulder, draws an arrow, and takes aim in your direction. Moments later his companion copies his leader's actions.

‘Let my brother go free, Chan!’ commands Kronar. ‘Free him now, or you and your comrade are dead men.’ A cold shiver runs the length of your spine when your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that this is no idle threat. Kronar is an expert archer.

If you wish to urge Chan to comply with Kronar's command,
turn to 92
.

If you choose to insist that he ignore Kronar's command,
turn to 277
.

The mood among the troopers and entourage is subdued after the harrowing events that befell you in the Vale of Nahba. It is not until you reach the River Tkukoma, and see the famous Vulkin Bridge that spans this mighty waterway, that their spirits begin to rise. Chan informs you that the bridge was named after an ancient Khea-khan of Chai, one of Xo-lin's illustrious ancestors. The caravan halts on the bridge and the Khea-khan makes a rare appearance. Briefly, he leaves the confines of his carriage to pay tribute at a shrine dedicated to his famous ancestor.

Beyond the bridge lies the realm of Lissan. You enter this friendly territory and late in the afternoon you see riders approaching on the highway ahead. They are mounted on sturdy black ponies and they bear the scarlet wolf's head flag of Bazan — a famous Lissanian nomad chief. Their leader greets you warmly and he warns Captain Chan that Bhanarian scouts have been sighted in this region. He and his men volunteer to escort the caravan to Rakholi, and Captain Chan gratefully accepts their offer.

Illustration IX
—Three riders approach on sturdy black ponies.

To continue,
turn to 229
.

The fall leaves you with a deeply gashed scalp and a badly bruised shoulder: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 200
.

You raise your left arm and clench your fist, taking aim with it like a lance as you gallop towards the Princess's carriage. Then you speak the words of the Old Kingdom Spell
Invisible Fist
, and a concussive burst of energy leaps from your hand to strike one of the beasts in the stomach. The power of its impact doubles the creature over and sends it tumbling headlong onto the highway. Moments later, its body is crushed by the pounding hooves of the following horses.

Turn to 243
.

As Chan descends the steps towards the main gate, he urges you to follow him. He says that the enemy's missiles are hitting the battlements with such frequency now that it would be suicidal to stay there a moment longer.

‘But I can observe the enemy better from here,’ you reply, bravely. ‘Go, Captain, I will join you later.’ Chan leaps down the final few steps and rushes towards the gate. As you turn back to look along the enemy lines, there is a loud explosion and you are blinded by a vivid flash of yellow flame.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 3 or lower,
turn to 226
.

If it is 4–6,
turn to 21
.

If it is 7–9,
turn to 218
.

Unnerved by your discovery of the dead hunter, you press on in silence. The temperature drops steadily as you ride deeper into the pines, until frost dusts the branches and frozen puddles appear on the track ahead. Soon the track ends abruptly and you are forced to make a wide detour to the south. After traversing two miles of difficult terrain, you happen upon the highway that bisects this nameless forest. Reluctantly you follow the highway eastwards for one mile until your Kai senses detect that evil magic is at work in this frigid timberland. When you tell Chan that it would be wise to go no further, he is only too willing to heed your advice and you rein your horses to a halt. But as you are turning them about, you are shocked to see that something is now blocking the highway behind you.

Turn to 235
.

You are about to warn Sergeant Yeng of what you can sense, when the threat of danger becomes a stark reality. Suddenly a guttural cry shatters the stillness, making you twist in your saddle to face your hidden enemies. But to your horror you discover that these enemies are not bandits at all — they are something different, something wholly inhuman.

From out of the tall grasses come loping three long-limbed monstrosities with scaly green hides and dripping fangs. The leader of the trio leaps through the air like a pouncing cheetah, making your horse rear up in sheer terror. You tug your Kai Weapon from its scabbard and struggle to strike your first blow as your horse shies away from this hungry attacker.

Chagarashi Leader:
COMBAT SKILL
 42   
ENDURANCE
 38

If you win this combat,
turn to 9
.

You draw upon your Discipline to create a fog that billows up in the midst of the robbers. As soon as you hear their screams of panic, you kick open the door and attack them. You catch them completely by surprise, but to your dismay you soon discover that one of your adversaries is armed with your Kai Weapon which he uses against you.
¹³

Tomb Robbers
(with Kai Weapon)
:
COMBAT SKILL
 48   
ENDURANCE
 48

If you win this combat,
turn to 12
.

You roll away from the dead Bhanarian officer and spring to your feet, eager to confront Autarch Sejanoz. To your horror, you see that he is holding young Prince Kamada. Bravely, Princess Mitzu attempts to wrest her son from the tyrant's grasp, but she is sent crashing to the floor with one swipe of his cadaverous hand.

With a cruel laugh Autarch Sejanoz bids you farewell and turns to make his escape along an adjoining tunnel, the young Kamada held captive under his arm.

‘Save him!’ pleads Mitzu. ‘Please save my son!’

If you wish to chase after the Autarch,
turn to 208
.

If you wish to attempt to stop him with a Bow,
turn to 65
.

You carefully insert the blade of your Kai Weapon beneath the lip of the trapdoor and push down on it with all your might. At first the portal refuses to budge. You persist, and then you feel a slight movement. Unfortunately, this movement triggers a booby trap that was placed here by a sorcerer, hundreds of years ago, to keep this portal secure. You are momentarily blinded by an explosion of hissing sparks, and you suffer flash burns to your face and hands: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

(If you possess Deliverance, you may reduce the damage you have suffered to 1
ENDURANCE
point.)

To continue,
turn to 265
.

You stagger to your feet in time to see the other tomb robbers escaping on horseback. They are heading east towards the distant ruins of Zanaza, and they have abandoned their wagon and their confederate in their hurry to escape. You look around for your Kai Weapon and suddenly the shock of realization hits you — the tomb robbers have stolen it! Cursing them at the top of your voice, you vow that you will hunt them down and get it back.

(You must now erase your Kai Weapon from your
list of Special Items
.)

To continue,
turn to 260
.

Among the serried ranks of enemy spearmen you catch sight of a scarlet flag emblazoned with a gold tiger's head. This is Sejanoz's personal flag and it signifies that the Autarch is on the battlefield in person. You are stunned by the sight of this pennant, and you fear that the tyrant is aware that the Imperial Family of Chai is hiding here.

The advancing Bhanarian soldiers halt 300 yards from the wall of Fort Vlau, just beyond the range of Kasarian's archers. Their steam-cannon is brought up by teams of oxen to within 50 yards, and is shielded all the while from arrow fire by an armoured wagon. Kasarian fears that the enemy are getting ready to bombard the main gate and he orders everyone clear.

If you wish to obey Kasarian's command,
turn to 37
.

If you choose to ignore his command,
turn to 184
.