Mydnight's Hero (15 page)
You make your approach to within 40 yards of the gate by means of a road that runs parallel to the fast-flowing river. At this point you leave the road and scurry to take cover behind a pile of logs that are stacked at the river's edge, ready to be loaded aboard a barge which is moored close by. You can see a dozen soldiers patrolling the parapet above the river gate, and each one is clad in a suit of shiny armour made from lacquered steel scales and hardened leather. They are armed with bows, spears, and maces, and their shields display the head of a tiger-like creature baring ferocious fangs. Karvas whispers that it is the emblem of Autarch Sejanoz — the ruler of Bhanar.
For several minutes you observe the guards as they march back and forth with their spears couched on their shoulders. During your watch you discover that the guardsmen are not the only ones who occupy this span. On a tiled ledge running beneath the parapet is a long line of roosting crows. They are resting shoulder-to-shoulder and are almost invisible against the jet-black stonework of the arch. Your careful observations tell you that the guards are alert and observant. It will be difficult to get past these men without being seen. If you are to gain entry to the city by this river route, first you will have to create a diversion to draw away the watchful guards.
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Elementalism and wish to use it,
turn to 213
.
If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it,
turn to 71
.
If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them,
turn to 109
.
The Knight Bachelor glares at you. He attempts to say something but he cannot seem to muster his words. Red-faced, he unsheathes his sword and levels it at you in his trembling hand. ‘You … you are spies!’ he exclaims. ‘Throw down your weapons. By the power of my rank and … and for the security of Cavalia, I am arresting you both.’
The surrounding troopers draw their sabres and begin to edge their horses towards you, closing the circle. You see Karvas inching his hand towards his sword but you dissuade him from drawing it with a terse shake of your head. Better to surrender and live to fight another day than be slaughtered by such an overwhelming number of trained and disciplined soldiers.
Instinctively you shield your face with your forearm as the cloud of spikes comes whistling towards you. Your swift reactions save your eyes, but you are hit by several of these painful darts and knocked backwards to the ground: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 10
.
You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Lightning Hand
and point your right arm towards the gem that Sadanzo is holding. You feel a tingling sensation run the length of your outstretched arm, and then a crackling burst of energy leaps from your index finger to connect with the evil gem. Sadanzo screams with fear as this gem crumbles and disintegrates to dust.
‘With respect, Grand Master, I've more experience of sky-sailing than you,’ retorts Acraban, ‘and my experience tells me that it is better to avoid rogue storm clouds, such as this one, by cutting below them rather than — ’
Acraban's words are suddenly drowned out by a crackling explosion that stuns you with its raw ferocity. From his nest atop the mainmast, the lookout shouts out a warning and frantically he points towards the ground. You rush to the rail and peer over the side, your stomach churning with fearful anticipation of what you will see. Deep within the fathomless reaches of the fissures and chasms passing below, you glimpse flashes of blue-white energy. These bolts are growing brighter and louder as they streak towards the surface. One bolt escapes from a vent in the middle distance and rips open the sky. It skewers a cluster of steam clouds and blows them apart in a spectacular explosion of gas and flame. Once again you urge Acraban to order his helmsman to ascend, this time to avoid the new and deadly danger that is striking from below.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–3,
turn to 119
.
If it is 4–9,
turn to 20
.
The Holtor lunges at you as you speed past him and the tip of his spear gouges your thigh: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points. You grit your teeth against the stinging pain and gallop out of Jaroc to escape across the open plain which lies beyond.
The Bakhasian soldiers have undergone a dramatic transformation. Before they entered the temple their skin had the yellowy hue of tallow and their hair was silky black. Now their faces and hands are ghostly white, their hair has turned steely grey, and the pupils of their red-rimmed eyes have changed to a pale translucent amber. The sight of their gaunt faces chills your heart; they look more like animated corpses than living men.
The procession leaves the temple at a funereal pace. At the rear of the column you can see four Bakhasians carrying a platform on their shoulders on which rests an elaborate shrine. It is fashioned from gold and jewels and has been crafted into the likeness of a tiger's head. Two huge ivory fangs protrude from its jaw and its jewelled eyes glow with a flickering scarlet fire. You notice that the tiger-like shrine resembles the emblem of Sejanoz which is embroidered upon the sleeves of the soldiers' padded black tunics. As the platform-bearers draw level with the warehouse doorway, the head of the tiger shrine slowly rotates in your direction and two pencil-thin beams of red light shoot from its eyes. You duck back behind the doorway but you know that it is too late — the shrine has detected your presence and it is alerting the cadaverous soldiers to your hiding place. Your Sixth Sense informs you that it is the goodly aura of your Kai Weapon that has activated the shrine and betrayed your position.
Illustration VII—Four Bakhasians carry a platform on which rests an elaborate shrine crafted into the likeness of a tiger's head.
When you hear one of the platform-bearers shouting an order, you tell Karvas to get ready to run. You chance a glance around the doorway and your worst fears are confirmed when you see three Bakhasians advancing swiftly towards the warehouse. They are carrying what appear to be hollow, stubby spears that are connected by metallic piping to cylindrical backpacks. One of the advancing soldiers sees you and a puff of bubbling steam gushes from the tip of his spear. In the next instant, a solid projectile smashes through the warehouse wall, leaving a ragged hole in the brickwork less than a hand's breadth from your head.
You and Karvas scramble across the rubble-strewn floor towards an open portal on the far side of the derelict warehouse. As you reach this exit, you hear the hiss and thump of another projectile being launched at your fleeing backs.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Assimilance, add 2. If your current
ENDURANCE
score is 20 or higher, add 1.
If your total score is now 0–4,
turn to 24
.
If it is 5–7,
turn to 223
.
If it is 8 or higher,
turn to 307
.
For several minutes you remain crouched in the darkness as the crashed
Starstrider
shifts and settles into the ground. When all movement ceases, Karvas tentatively shoulders open the buckled lid of the locker and you heave yourselves out onto a smoke-wreathed deck. Through the pall you hear the groans of wounded crewmen and the crackling
buzz
of electrical arcing. Steam rises from a gaping hole in the stern deck and a fire rages around the base of the mainmast. Fear chills your heart when you see that the fire is licking at the sides of a barrel of lantern oil which is lashed to the deck.
If you possess the Discipline of Grand Nexus,
turn to 265
.
If you possess the Discipline of Elementalism,
turn to 11
.
If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them,
turn to 239
.
You draw an Arrow to your Bow and send it speeding towards the creature's torso. The shaft buries itself in its rib cage and the beast shrieks with pain, yet it does not deter it from continuing its hungry advance towards your horses. As it stalks closer, you see that it is drawing in great gulps of air to inflate its chest. Its rib cage expands and suddenly there is a sharp popping sound. You gasp with fear as dozens of horned spikes shoot out of its skin and come hurtling towards you like a volley of deadly darts.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is 4 or less,
turn to 96
.
If it is 5 or more,
turn to 269
.
The last Cavalian shudders as you land your killing blow. He shrieks his death-cry and twists away from your blade to fall limply across the heaped bodies of his confederates. As the echo of his plaintive cry fades, you hear another sound that makes you spin on your heel and face the stables door; it is the sound of running footsteps, and they are getting louder by the second. The sound of combat has alerted another group of Cavalians who were waiting inside the tavern. Now they are rushing across the courtyard towards the stables.
Karvas hides himself beside the door and he fells the first Cavalian to enter with a scything swipe to the midriff. As he doubles over and falls, another four come bursting through the doorway and throw themselves upon you, hacking and slicing with swords and axes. You make short work of these clumsy warriors. You dispatch three of their number while Karvas skilfully defeats the fourth. You are about to mount your horses and leave when another Cavalian suddenly appears, silhouetted in the doorway. He is attired from head to toe in crafted leather armour, and in his right hand he clasps a sword that radiates a sickly evil. Its razor-sharp blade is wreathed with green flame and a fiery red jewel pulsates at its hilt. With a cry of vengeance upon his lips, this fearsome warrior-mage launches a ferocious attack.
Peutrimax (with magical sword):
COMBAT SKILL
53
ENDURANCE
38
This enemy is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge). You may add 5 points to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this fight for Prince Karvas is helping you to defend yourself against this foe. (If the Kai Weapon you possess is either ‘Kaistar’ or ‘Valiance’, you will benefit from its additional
COMBAT SKILL
bonus.)
If you win this combat,
turn to 176
.