Mydnight's Hero (31 page)
You urge your horse to the gallop and steer him across the grassy plain towards a distant farmstead. But soon your young mount begins to tire and lose speed. Karvas, too, is having difficulty with his horse and he cannot keep up the pace. Steadily the hunters close the gap between you. When they are less than 100 yards distant, you see their leader place a horn to his mouth and you hear a shrill and piercing tone echoing across the plain. Pressure builds in your head and sharp stabbing pains burn at your temples. You glance over your shoulder and see that Prince Karvas and his horse are both suffering badly from the insidious sound of the hunter's horn.
If you possess a Golden Hunting Horn,
turn to 164
.
If you do not possess this item,
turn to 9
.
You draw an Arrow from your Quiver, take aim, and fire in one smooth movement. Your shaft speeds towards the leading hunter and burrows deep into his chest, knocking him clean out of his saddle. Upon seeing his comrade fall, the other hunter tugs hard on his horse's reins and turns him around to gallop back to the others. Rather than risk having to face them all, you decide that now would be a good time to leave. You motion to Karvas and he follows as you thread your way through the trees to the far side of the hillock. As soon as you are clear, you race away together as fast as your horses will carry you.
You are more than two miles from the hillock when you bring your panting steeds to a halt and look back. You see the fanji herd have been scattered by the hunters and they are running in all directions. The hunters show no interest in pursuing you; their only concern appears to be slaying as many fanji as possible. The sight of this wanton slaughter raises your ire, but you quell your anger and ride on with Karvas through the tall grass, back towards the trail.
Your skill and persistence pay off when you hear the dull
click
that tells you that you have successfully picked the lock. You twist the iron door handle and push it open to reveal a circular stone staircase which leads all the way to the bell chamber at the top of the tower. Here you are treated to a spectacular view of the city. Aided by your night vision, you locate stables less than a mile to the north of the tower. You commit their location to memory and then hurriedly you descend the stairs to the antechamber below.
On your return to the warehouse, Prince Karvas is delighted to hear that there are stables in the city and he insists that you set off for them at once. He is leading the way out of the ruins when suddenly the tower bell begins to toll once more. Moments later, the temple doors swing open and the procession of black-clad figures file out into the street. Instinctively you take hold of Karvas by the arm and pull him back into the ruins to avoid being seen by the emerging soldiers. As they pass by, you peer around the edge of the crumbling warehouse doorway to watch them. A strange feeling of unease makes the skin on the back of your neck prickle, and immediately you sense that all is not what it seems. When you magnify your vision to take a closer look at the passing figures, you gasp with shock at what you see.
The city of Oberra is still mourning the death of King Oridon. Its scarlet-and-yellow flags hang at half-mast, and many of its citizens wear black armbands and shawls as visible marks of their respect for the memory of Prince Karvas' father. As you ride along its paved streets, you see that many of its shops and public buildings bear proclamations announcing the forthcoming crowning of Baron Sadanzo on Harvestmas Day. Most of these notices have either been torn or defaced with black paint, and this cheers Karvas, for it shows that the citizens of this wealthy city do not welcome the prospect of having Baron Sadanzo as their future king.
It is nearing darkness when you find the residence of Florin Sainus. It is a well-appointed townhouse built on three levels with its own walled garden and stables. You dismount and pull a bell rope that hangs beside its arched door. The Prince's aged tutor is overwhelmed with surprise and delight when he opens the door and sees his former pupil standing on the steps before him. The old man ushers you both inside and orders his servants to attend to your horses. Over a reviving meal of steamed fish and oatmeal bread, Karvas recounts the perilous events of the past few weeks which have brought you here to seek his help. Gladly he pledges his assistance, but he cautions you that your time has nearly run out. Carefully he considers the ways by which you could still reach Seroa in time for the crowning, and at length he tells you of two routes. Both offer an equal chance of success.
The first is the most direct route: the King's Highway from Oberra to Seroa. Normally this road would take four days to travel, but there are now only three full days left before Harvestmas, and so you would have to ride hard to make up for the missing day. The second route is partly by road and partly by river. Seventy-five miles due east of Oberra is the hamlet of Xaia. It lies on a bend of the River Seroa and is a boarding point for the boats that carry cargo and travellers along this major waterway. By this route the journey to Seroa can be completed in three days, ‘assuming that the riverboats are running to schedule,’ warns Sainus. ‘They are the swiftest means of reaching the capital, yet they can be unreliable during spells of bad weather.’
Karvas proposes that you decide which route to take and then leave Oberra at once. ‘If we commence our journey this night, we may gain a few precious hours that could ensure our success.’ You agree with the Prince that you should go at once, but Sainus informs you that it will not be possible for you to leave Oberra until dawn. He tells you that the city council have imposed a curfew during the hours of darkness, following an outbreak of thefts and murders among its prominent citizens. Sainus believes that Baron Sadanzo's robber knights are responsible for the crimes, for many have become residents of the city since King Oridon passed away. He fears that they are plotting to overthrow the council and will act as soon as Sadanzo is crowned king.
In light of the situation, you decide to stay here and rest, and then leave the city at first light. Before you retire, Karvas asks you to decide which route you should use to travel to Seroa.
If you wish to travel the King's Highway, the road that leads directly from Oberra to Seroa,
turn to 227
.
If you decide to travel to Seroa by way of road and riverboat,
turn instead to 59
.
The Holtor lunges at you as you speed past him. The tip of his spear rips a strip of cloth from the knee of your breeches, yet it fails to draw blood. Without looking back, the two of you gallop out of Jaroc and escape across the open plain that lies beyond.
As you near the clearing, you leave the trail and take cover among some bushes that fringe the tree-line. For a few minutes you wait here and observe the settlement for signs of life. You can see a log cabin with a veranda, three small sheds, and a picket-fenced enclosure containing goats and chickens. When your senses detect no human presence, you enter the clearing and signal to Acraban to follow as you make your approach towards the cabin.
From the veranda you can see a second track which descends steeply towards a sandy cove. You intensify your vision and catch sight of a man on the beach who is kneeling beside a stone-covered mound. He has blond shoulder-length hair and he is dressed in breeches and a jerkin made from tanned goat hides. From the descriptions given to you by Lord Zinair, you feel sure that he must be Prince Karvas.
Illustration XVI—A man is kneeling beside a stone-covered mound.
Elated by your discovery, you motion Acraban to follow as you leave the cabin and hurry down the steep path towards the beach. You are within 100 feet of the kneeling man when he hears you approaching. He turns to face you and, in an instant, he grabs a loaded crossbow that is lying beside him on the sand and he aims it at your chest.
If you wish to raise your hands to show the man that you mean him no harm,
turn to 253
.
If you decide to dive for cover among the boulders that lie on either side of the path,
turn to 85
.
You rise at dawn and, after a hearty breakfast in the tavern kitchen, you and Karvas collect your horses from the stables. The tavern-keeper and his wife bid you a cheery farewell, and you set off from Voshno along a road that crosses the plain to the east.
The morning sky is clear and sunny, and the air is filled with butterflies and the sound of bird song. Having now entered Siyen, and with ten days remaining to Harvestmas, you are feeling quietly confident that you will reach Seroa in time for Karvas to be crowned King. To your surprise you find that the Prince is a little less optimistic. He tells you that you are now approaching the western province of Cavalia, a region which shares its name with its principal city. The province and city are ruled by Sadanzo, the evil Baron who seeks to usurp the throne of Siyen. Karvas cautions you to remain vigilant until you are safely beyond the borders of his enemy's province.
It is nearing noon when you first glimpse the towers and spires of Cavalia glinting on the horizon. The plains road leads directly to its fortified gatehouse, but Karvas is anxious to avoid entering the city. He proposes that you leave the road and use a smaller trail which threads through several villages and settlements that ring the city. You are approaching the first of these villages when you see a troop of thirty horsemen riding towards you on the trail ahead. They wear chainmail armour and they each have the emblem of a black eagle's head emblazoned upon their white surcoats and shields. A golden crown surmounts these eagle's heads and Karvas gasps when he sees them. He signals to you to rein in your horse and, as you come to a halt, he tells you that the approaching horsemen are wearing the livery of Baron Sadanzo. The black eagle's head is his mark, but it is the addition of a golden crown that has shocked Karvas. It is the sign of royal ascendance. Karvas is fearful that Baron Sadanzo has already been crowned King of Siyen.
As they ride nearer, the leader of the troop — a Knight Bachelor — motions his horsemen to leave the trail and encircle you and the Prince. As they obey his command, the Knight Bachelor brings his snorting steed to a halt alongside your horse.
‘Hail, fellow riders,’ he says, with forced politeness. He raises the steel visor of his helmet and his dark, suspicious eyes scrutinise you from head to toe.
‘You are Northlanders, are you not? What business do you pursue here in the province of Cavalia?’
If you wish to answer that you are journeymen from Sommerlund who are travelling across Southern Magnamund to learn about its peoples and customs,
turn to 140
.
If you wish to answer that you are on your way to Seroa for the Harvestmas Day festival,
turn to 173
.
If you choose not to answer the Knight Bachelor's questions,
turn to 43
.
You tell Karvas the bad news and quietly you both slip away from the taproom by a rear door. Beyond this door is a corridor which passes through the tavern's kitchen and out into the courtyard. Once you are outside, you hurry across to the stables to fetch your horses. You are about to enter when suddenly you notice the body of a young boy lying partially buried beneath a heap of straw. By the colour and cut of his clothing, you recognize the body to be that of the stable boy who took charge of your horses when you first arrived here. Swiftly you unsheathe your Kai Weapon as you enter the stables. Your caution is justified, for as soon as you pass through the stable door, you are attacked by six Cavalian bandits who are lying in wait for you and Karvas.
Cavalian Bandits:
COMBAT SKILL
40
ENDURANCE
36
You may add 5 points to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this combat, for Prince Karvas is helping you to fight these murdering bandits.
If you win the combat in four rounds or less,
turn to 215
.
If it takes five rounds or more to win this combat,
turn to 103
.
Your leap across the burning tree has created a temporary gap in the flames. Karvas is able to exploit this by jumping his stallion at exactly the same place. As they emerge from the flames, you cheer his masterful display of horsemanship and beckon him to follow as you gallop along the trail. Your pursuers are not so daring. When they reach the burning tree they halt and give up the chase, allowing you and Karvas to make good your escape into the foothills of the Dammerdon Mountains.
