Voyage of the Moonstone (17 page)

You muster the elemental powers of your Kai Mastery to create a counter-current from out of the thermal updraughts, and you pray that it will be strong enough to blow the balloon away from the jagged outcrop.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If your present
ENDURANCE
points score is 20 or higher, add 2 to the number you have picked.

If your total score is now 4 or less,
turn to 218
.

If it is 5 or higher,
turn to 307
.

Carefully you intone the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Sense Evil
. The moment you utter the final spell-word you suddenly realize that the shadowy creatures, whom you glimpsed lurking among the ruins of Kita Cove, are wholly evil. They possess a malicious power which could be directed against the ship. Immediately you inform Captain Raker of your discovery and urge him to steer the ship away from Kita Cove as swiftly as he can. The captain heeds your warning and commands his crew to unfurl every square inch of canvas to catch the prevailing winds which will carry you away from this sinister place.

Turn to 287
.

Over a delicious supper of fish roe and steamed vegetables (restore 2
ENDURANCE
points), you learn that the old man's name is Yranai and that he is a native of Hikas. He was on his way home from Bisutan aboard his flying craft when it developed a mechanical problem, and he was forced to make an unscheduled landing in the hills just a few miles to the south of this town. He is staying overnight at the tavern while the blacksmith repairs the convexor, the device that accidentally snagged your cloak. When you tell Yranai that you are bound for Elzian, he offers to transport you there aboard
Simoom
 — his flying craft. To travel the last leg of your journey to Elzian by air would save you many days, especially as you have yet to cross the Great Masourn Mountain Range. Gladly you accept Yranai's offer, and you agree to meet him in the taproom at dawn so that he can take you to the place in the hills where his craft
Simoom
is grounded.

Turn to 179
.

Beyond its encircling wall the deserted streets of Khor lend it the aspect of a ghost town. You magnify your vision and you are able to count more than a hundred freshly-dug graves within fifty paces of the town gates. The gates themselves hang open and unguarded, and when you pass through them, the hooves of your horses make a hollow echo along the empty streets beyond. You hear a distant bell tolling and you follow the sound to a mount which overlooks the town harbour. Here you see some of the inhabitants for the first time and you are shocked by how pale and gaunt they all appear.

A funeral is in progress and the bereaved are walking in line behind a hearse which bears a casket draped with black silk. The procession halts when it reaches the top of the mount and then the casket is quickly interred and sealed inside a marble tomb. A dignified-looking man addresses the mourners. He praises the qualities of the man they have laid to rest and then, in his official capacity as the Mayor of Khor, he declares that a state of quarantine will exist in the town from midnight onwards.

‘This quarantine will be strictly enforced,’ he says with a stern voice, ‘until the scourge of Bita Fever has been eradicated from our midst!’

Illustration X
—‘The quarantine will be strictly enforced until the scourge of Bita Fever has been eradicated from our midst!’

If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Deliverance,
turn to 265
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 178
.

The men standing at the counter move away at your approach, and one of them, a bilious rogue with close-set eyes and a cleft chin, casts you a murderous glance. You ignore him and ask the innkeeper for a room and stabling for the night. He says the tavern is full and he suggests that you look elsewhere. Chalked on a board above the counter is the message ‘Rooms — 2 Gold Crowns nightly’, and hanging on a line of brass hooks behind the innkeeper's back are seven room keys. The man is lying: every boarding room in this tavern is unoccupied.

If you wish to ask the innkeeper why he is lying,
turn to 131
.

If you decide to place 2 Gold Crowns on the counter,
turn to 191
.

You swing aside in a desperate attempt to avoid being drenched by the deluge of sticky web-fluid. Your swift action saves you from sustaining a direct hit, but some of the gluey strands splash your legs and hold you fast. As you fight to cut yourself free, the giant spider shuffles about upon its perch and then descends towards you.

Otokh:
COMBAT SKILL
 40   
ENDURANCE
 40

This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack except Kai-surge. Due to your restricted movement, reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 3 for the duration of this fight.

If you win the combat,
turn to 315
.

Consciousness returns through a kaleidoscopic swirl of colour and pain (lose 8
ENDURANCE
points). Bruised and aching, you pull yourself into a sitting position and see the wreckage of the balloon hanging among the trees and scattered across the rocks nearby. A few feet away lies Yranai; he is still unconscious and you see at once that his left leg is badly broken. Gingerly you pull yourself over to his side and you are about to examine his injured leg when you hear voices calling you from among the trees. Three Vakeros natives appear from out of the pines and come hurrying over the rocks towards you. You examine the old magician and discover that he has stopped breathing: he is near to death. It is only through the use of your Kai curing skills that you are able to make him breathe again and bring him back from the edge of the abyss. You set his fractured leg but, despite your best efforts, you cannot return him to consciousness.

The three Vakeros tell you that they know Yranai and they offer to take care of him. They construct a makeshift stretcher from their coats and carry him to their settlement which is less than a mile distant. You stay here this night and use your healing skills to save the old man's leg before you eventually settle down to a few hours' sleep. At dawn you awake to find him still unconscious. You are anxious to continue your journey, and yet you feel compelled to help Yranai regain his health. You talk with the Vakeros and tell them that you must leave and they assure you that Yranai is safe with them. They promise to take good care of him. They also offer to give you one of their sturdy mountain horses, an old mare called Jhani, to help speed your journey southwards. Gratefully you accept their generous offer and then you bid them farewell before you leave their settlement by way of a mountain track.

It is around noon of the following day when the track finally emerges from the foothills of the Great Masourn Mountains and joins the coast road some 30 miles from Hikas. In the distance you see a village and you ride towards it. At first the villagers seem as friendly and as peaceable as the mountain dwellers who gave you your horse, but the moment they see you approaching they immediately freeze in their tracks. Some drop the items they are carrying and others begin to tremble with fear.

If you wish to stop and talk to these anxious natives,
turn to 171
.

If you decide to ignore them, you can continue riding the road to Hikas by
turning to 273
.

The young ticket seller is sad to see the look of disappointment on your face when you discover that you do not have enough money for the caravan fare to Bavari. She whispers in the ear of her father, one of the owners, and with a shrug of his shoulders he consents to his daughter's request. The young girl beckons you to approach her table and she offers to accept one of your Weapons or two of your Backpack Items in exchange for a place aboard a passenger wagon. (Erase either 1 Weapon or 2 Backpack Items from your
Action Chart
.)

The young girl smiles as she paints a dot of indelible crimson ink upon the back of your right hand to indicate that you have paid your fare. A few minutes later, an outrider comes cantering down the line of parked wagons announcing to everyone that the caravan will depart in five minutes' time. With mixed feelings of trepidation and excitement, you take a seat aboard one of the spacious passenger wagons and make yourself as comfortable as you can for the long journey ahead.

Turn to 180
.

From the cover of the distant isles there emerges a fearsome warship. You magnify your vision and focus upon the oncoming vessel to see that it is rigged with a scarlet mainsail emblazoned with a strange design — a serpent entwined about the blade of a silver curved sword. You relay these details to Fernant, and Oriah gasps with fright.

‘It's the symbol of Ghol-Tabras,’ Fernant says, ‘the city-state ruled by Sesketera.’ The merest mention of her evil suitor's name is enough to make Oriah faint with shock. You catch her as she falls, and then Fernant lifts her into his arms and carries her below to her cabin. Once they have left the deck, you turn your full attention to the oncoming vessel for now it is clear by its course that it intends to ram
The Pride of Sommerlund
.

Captain Raker sounds the battle alarm and his crew attempts desperately to bring the ship out of the enemy's path. Sergeant Dryan's marines hastily load their cannons and get ready to fire upon his command. The enemy vessel alters course to maintain its attacking line and, as it closes to within two hundred yards, you see that it is a formidable fighting craft. Plates of iron protect its prow and lines of warriors, clad in scarlet and silver armour, man its decks and forecastle. Then you notice a dark shape perched upon the ship's ram which protrudes from below its bowsprit. You focus upon this strange shape, but before you can determine its nature your senses are assailed by a wave of powerful psychic energy.

If you possess Kai-screen,
turn to 202
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 319
.

You toss some Crowns to the children (delete from your
Action Chart
however many you wish to donate — minimum donation = 3 Gold Crowns) and your generosity immediately attracts a much larger crowd. When you refuse to give them any more money, they become aggressive and you are forced to escape at a gallop to avoid being dragged from your horse. Upon reaching the road, you continue your ride east towards Hikas.

Turn to 89
.

The east road threads a lazy path through miles of arid hills which border upon the wild blue ocean. Soon the oppressive arid heat of the Dry Main is tempered by fresh salty winds that sweep inland from the wave-smashed shoreline. These cooling breezes make the journey far easier and, as you ride, you are able to relax and enjoy the ruggedly beautiful scenery. As dusk draws its shadow across the sky you find yourselves approaching a village which lies sheltered in an emerald bay.

If you wish to enter the village and seek shelter for the night,
turn to 172
.

If you decide instead to camp out under the stars,
turn to 65
.

You command the leader to break off his attack and he immediately obeys your mental suggestion. Yranai cheers but his triumphant cry is premature. You watch aghast as the following Itikars collide with the balloon and stab their talons into the canopy, shredding its cloth to ribbons before they fly away.

The impact of the birds hitting the canopy knocks you off your feet. Yranai falls on top of you and, for a few nerve-racking seconds, you lie entangled at the bottom of the basket as the balloon rapidly loses altitude. When you pull yourself up and peer over the rim, you see the trees of the lower mountain slopes rising towards you at a dizzying speed. Yranai looks up to see shreds of cloth trailing from the punctured canopy above and the sight proves too much for him: he faints. Hurriedly you haul his frail body over your shoulder. Then you place one foot on the rim of the basket and get ready to make a desperate leap away from this doomed balloon as the tops of the mountain pines come into view.

If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 107
.

If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 115
.

Your advanced healing skills neutralize the snake's deadly venom within seconds. Oriah and the others express their amazement at your apparent invulnerability, for it is well known that the bite of a Jubai will kill its unfortunate victim within one minute.

Turn to 90
.