The Kingdoms of Terror (14 page)
Read The Kingdoms of Terror Online
Authors: Joe Dever
Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Lone Wolf, #Magnamund
You decline the offer and go in search of some other means of finding Cyrilus. The village stables are locked and guarded, but at the rear of the blacksmithy you discover just what you are looking for. A young stallion is pacing the paddock, its saddle and blanket slung over the gate. At first he is wary of your approach, but he soon senses that you mean no harm and you have no difficulty in preparing him for the ride. Once clear of the paddock, you canter around the blacksmithy and onto the highway.
‘Ah! You're in luck, stranger. The dice favour you tonight.’ The man staggers drunkenly to his feet and points to an alley in the middle distance where a doorway is just visible in the shadows. ‘The city criers live there. They'll tell you the way to Brass Street.’
You nod your thanks and spur your horse along the street towards the darkened doorway.
The warrior gallops off, his cloak billowing from his shoulders like huge black wings as his horse speeds across the bridge. You draw an Arrow to your lips and take careful aim — you will have no second chance.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery with Bow, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 7 or below,
turn to 296
.
If your total score is now 8 or above,
turn to 303
.
They will not let you touch any of the pontoons. If any go missing they will each receive 100 lashes as punishment for their negligence. They keep a watchful eye on you until you leave the camp. As it is now impossible to take one of the pontoons, you resign yourself to a long, cold swim.
Trembling with pain and fury, the wounded lordling staggers back towards the door. ‘I shall have your life for this — mark my words,’ he cries.
The mocking cheers of the crowd echo in his wake as he turns and disappears into the night.
You learn that the man's name is Redbeard and that he hails from Soren, a town to the west of Varetta. He is sergeant-at-arms to a captain of mercenaries and has recently returned from battle against the Magadorians. He offers to take you to meet his captain who, he says, is the best soldier he has ever had the good fortune to serve under.
If you wish to accept his offer,
turn to 256
.
If you decide to decline his offer, bid him farewell and continue along the street,
turn to 279
.
You duck and weave as you race through the undergrowth. A charge of crackling power strikes a branch above your head; it narrowly misses you as it falls in a blazing heap by your side. You sidestep in time to avoid another charge which tears a hole in a tree trunk large enough to rest your head. You reach your horse and take off along the highway at a gallop, thankful to be alive. You have witnessed a secret ritual of the Cener Druids and survived the encounter — few can boast as much!
A loud cheer shatters the silence as Altan's winning arrow hits the target. The villagers are thrilled to have witnessed such an exciting tournament and surge across the field, eager to offer Altan their praise and congratulations. As the tall woodsman disappears from view amid the teeming crowd, you take the opportunity to slip away unnoticed.
If you have used a borrowed bow for the tournament, you must return it to the tent before making your way back to Cyrilus.
The dagger shaves a lock of hair from your head before sinking inches deep into the wooden parapet rail. The shock of your swift move unnerves the pirate, and he is off balance when you leap to your feet and attack. Before he knows what has hit him, he is tumbling over the side into the cold deep waters of the Storn.
Having hitched your horse to a rail, you climb the crooked steps leading to the door of the ale hut. Cyrilus is announcing his arrival by rapping on the Denka Gate with his staff and shouting for his brother to open up. You smile at his growing impatience as he hammers at the gate; if his brother is anything like Cyrilus, he is probably fast asleep.
Inside, the hut looks deserted, but as you approach the bar you find a man slouched on a low stool, half-asleep with a tankard in his hand.
If you wish to wake him,
turn to 93
.
If you wish to draw some ale from a cask on the bar,
turn to 266
.
You concentrate your Magnakai Discipline on agitating the particles of dirt that wedge the door shut. Gradually the stone begins to vibrate, and cracks appear around the jamb as the dirt begins to crumble.
Twisting aside at the last moment, you manage to avoid one deadly pike head but cannot dodge the other. It rips into your tunic and scrapes your flesh (lose 3
ENDURANCE
points). Your anger rises and you fight to free your weapon, which has become entangled in the straps of your saddle. The guards see that you are trapped and push forward before you have a chance to retaliate.
Your immediate peril stops you dwelling too much on the reason why these riders should try to abduct Cyrilus. However, it does occur to you that he is neither wealthy nor powerful and so a poor prospect for a rich ransom.
Illustration XII—On a charger as black as midnight sits a scar-faced young man.
As you reach the bottom of the wooded crag, a stone church and graveyard loom into view at a point where the highway turns sharply to the west. Blocking the road, on a charger as black as midnight, sits a scar-faced young man. His eyes, set in a white and disfigured face, burn with a cold dark glow. You recognize him immediately. It is Roark, the lordling you defeated at the Barrel Bridge Tavern.
If you possess a Silver Brooch,
turn to 31
.
If you do not have this Special Item,
turn to 14
.
The thin-faced merchant bids you sit at his table, his shrewd eyes narrowing at the thought of a new and profitable deal. You tell him that you require some information and may be willing to pay for it if the price is right. He asks the nature of this information, but when you ask for the directions to Brass Street, his business-like mood suddenly changes.
Crazed with hatred and rage, the Yawshath springs from the top of the mound of rubble and dives straight for you. Its frenzy has made it blind to the peril of the precipice and, as you leap aside, it hurtles past and disappears into the void. Seconds later you hear a shriek as it crashes into the rocks hundreds of feet below.
Shaken, but thankful to be alive, you return to the chapel and fill your glass jar with Taunor Water (there is enough spa water to restore 6
ENDURANCE
points). You may drink the Water now or place it in your Backpack for future use.
If you wish to make a search of the chapel,
turn to 24
.
If you decide to return to Cyrilus,
turn to 338
.
You are tired after your long night's ride, but you know you must press on if you are to reach the town of Soren by nightfall. You come to a shallow stream, which crosses the highway, and here you stop briefly at a ford to wash and rest. You must also now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points. Beside the ford stands a signpost pointing to the west:
Splashing through ankle-deep slime, you suddenly catch sight of two glowing pinpoints of red light in the darkness ahead. They grow larger and brighter and suddenly you realize the awful truth — there are two Yawshaths. Their hideous laughter builds to a deafening climax as they close in for the kill. Unwittingly, you have entered their lair and now they have you trapped.
You fight valiantly but the creatures finally overwhelm you in the dark and fetid confines of the passage. You are torn limb from limb, with no one to hear your cries for help.
Your quest and your life end here in the dungeons of Castle Taunor.
The Kloon begins to wail as you dispatch his vicious watchdog. With scarlet tears streaming from his crimson eyes, he scampers out of the room and bolts the door. After wiping the blood from your hands, you pick up a Map of Varetta and hurry out of the room.
The howling mob scream like men possessed as they hack and slash at your unarmoured legs. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, you may add 2 to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this fight, for it enables you to command your horse to attack with its hooves.
Acolytes of Vashna:
COMBAT SKILL
22
ENDURANCE
48
If you wish to evade combat at any time,
turn to 289
.
If you win the combat,
turn to 145
.
Suddenly, you sense that you are in grave peril, and you listen carefully at the keyhole to determine what is being said by the preacher.
‘… and so I beseech you, my brothers, do not listen to Gwynian's foolish and dangerous theory. The star that shone in the night is a warning to us to guard our knowledge, to keep safe the secret of the Lorestone. We must stop all those who would use its power for their own wicked ends.’
The preacher's words are answered by loud chanting: ‘Keep the secret, keep the secret, keep the secret!’
The sound of a key in the lock makes you start. The meeting has come to an end, and the congregation are preparing to leave. Quickly, you sprint away and take cover in a darkened doorway. The brown-robed men pour out of the temple and disperse, but a small group are heading towards your hiding place; if you stay where you are you will be seen for sure. Without a second thought, you push open the door and enter.
It is only a matter of minutes before the riders appear. They ride in single file with the unconscious wizard in tow behind the last man's horse.
If you have a Bow and want to ambush them as they ride past your hiding place,
turn to 20
.
If you wish to attack the last rider and try to recapture Cyrilus,
turn to 203
.
If you wish to let them pass and then follow them,
turn to 227
.
You are almost out of bowshot when an arrow gashes your calf (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points) and thuds into the side of the pontoon. You bite your lip and stifle your urge to scream, for you are now within range of the city's archers. As soon as the pontoon grounds on the bank, you slip ashore and creep across the rocks towards the sewer outfall.
There is only enough time for you to fire one shot before the monster is upon you; you cannot afford to miss. To stop the creature dead in its tracks, you need to hit a vital organ, but in the gloom of this ruined chapel it is difficult to see your target clearly.
If you wish to take aim at the creature's eyes,
turn to 268
.
If you wish to take aim at its heart,
turn to 243
.
If you wish to take aim at its legs,
turn to 95
.
Having removed a bunch of flowers from the ear of a startled merchant and a clucking hen from the petticoat of the merchant's wife, the flamboyantly dressed conjurer calls for silence from his cheering audience before announcing his next trick. Two children shuffle onto the stage, their bodies and faces completely hidden by long black gowns that are tied at their foreheads. Only their hair, blond and black is visible.
‘I'm a boy,’ says the one with black hair.
‘I'm a girl,’ says the one with blond hair, the voice identical to the first.
The conjurer steps forward and says that they are a boy and a girl but at least one of them is lying. He asks which is which and invites the audience to bet on the answer.
If you wish to bet on this conundrum,
turn to 245
.
If you do not wish to gamble and would rather approach the bar and enquire about a room for the night,
turn to 253
.