Read The Buccaneers of Shadaki Online
Authors: Joe Dever
Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Lone Wolf, #Magnamund
The Buccaneers of Shadaki (20 page)
You summon a Mindblast and project it into the depths of the cave. The creatures lurking there are susceptible to your powerful psychic charge and it makes them howl in pain and frustration. In a state of blind panic, two wolf-like animals suddenly rush past you to disappear into the rain-swept jungle. Confident that they will not return, you settle yourself down upon a bed of soft mosses and drift off to sleep.
Zinair has made preparations for your journey by boat to the Isle of Lorn. This fabled home of the Shianti lies 120 miles from the Port of Suhn, and has been protected for thousands of years from the attentions of man by enchantments, magical mists, and mage winds.
‘Only by virtue of your possession of the Moonstone can this voyage be undertaken with any hope of success,’ he says. ‘I have been in mind-contact with the Shianti, and they are ready to receive you.’
You sense that Zinair is proud of your successes and achievements during the quest so far, but you also sense that he is ill at ease and you ask him what is wrong.
‘The Moonstone will facilitate your passage through the Sea of Dreams to the Isle of Lorn, Grand Master. But you should know that this journey could still prove perilous. The Shianti no longer have control over the forces that exist within this enchanted region. Until you reach the shores of Lorn, your fate will be entirely in your own hands.’
It is a daunting message but you do not allow it to weaken your resolve. You stare Lord Zinair confidently in the eye as you reply: ‘It need be no other way, my lord. I am ready.’
Zinair smiles. ‘So be it, Grand Master. But now you must sleep, for you sail at dawn.’
You leap swiftly over the bodies of the slain gaolers and rush into the guardroom to retrieve your confiscated equipment (you may now erase the asterisks from your
Action Chart
).
As you are sheathing your Kai Weapon into your belt, you hear the sound of footsteps descending a flight of stone steps at the far end of the corridor. More gaolers are approaching; they have been drawn to investigate by the dying cries of their brother guards.
Desperately you scan the walls of the guardroom for some means of escape and suddenly you see that there is one other exit from this room — a heavy oak door which is banded with strips of black iron.
You hand over your money to the ferryman and take a place at the bow. As you wait for the vessel to cast off, you look around at your fellow travellers and notice that most are merchants with wagons and handcarts loaded with goods destined for the markets of Tiklu. It is a short voyage of 20 miles across the strait. When the ferry approaches the landing jetty, your fellow passengers get ready to leave. As they disembark, one merchant's small cart is overturned and his cargo is spilled onto the shore. The other merchants push past him, but you feel sorry for his plight and you help to calm his carthorse and retrieve his goods. He is very grateful for your assistance and he offers you a ride to Tiklu aboard his cart which you willingly accept.
Suddenly your Kai Sixth Sense alerts you to danger located somewhere above. You look to the canopy of branches and see the outline of a man lying in the boughs of a nearby tree. His limbs and torso are daubed with forest colours that keep him hidden. You hear a faint noise, and then you freeze with fear when you recognize it to be the sound of a blowpipe.
Illustration XI—You hear a faint noise, and freeze with fear when you recognize it to be the sound of a blowpipe.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 4 or less,
turn to 133
.
If it is 5 or higher,
turn to 87
.
‘Very well,’ says the guildsman, abruptly. ‘If that is how you wish to proceed, so be it. You may return here in the morning and we'll discuss a deal then. Goodnight.’
Hurriedly the warden ushers you and your companions out of the hall and you hear a great bolt reverberate as it slams shut behind you. Night is fast approaching and, being mindful of the city's curfew, you are anxious to be off the streets as soon as you can.
If you wish to return to
The Azan
,
turn to 157
.
If you decide instead to go to the Flying Fish Tavern,
turn to 319
.
Using the Brotherhood Spell
Sense Evil
you are able to detect that this is no ordinary storm — it is the result of an evil elemental sorcery. You urge Gemulkin to turn his ship about for the fury of this unnatural storm is churning the sea, making it boil and seethe. Fearing for the safety of his cargo and crew the captain readily agrees and he orders his helmsman to bring the ship around. But as the
Vargas
returns towards Shuri Point, Gemulkin suddenly sees something on the horizon that makes him change his mind.
You intone the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Silence
and direct its energies at the sniper. He blows his horn but no sound emerges. Thinking that it is blocked he tries instead to shout a warning, but again without effect. Suddenly he panics when he sees you approaching. He loses his footing and tumbles backwards from his perch to land heavily upon the exposed roots of the tree. You hurry to his body and discover that his neck has snapped. To your disappointment, you also discover his blowpipe and horn are both useless, having been damaged in the fall.
Quickly you hide his body in the undergrowth, and then you move deeper into the jungle, guided and drawn by the strange noise.
As you leap from the parapet of the harbour bridge, you utter the words of the Old Kingdom Spell
Shield
to help protect yourself from the arrows that are whistling past on all sides. It is a precaution that undoubtedly saves your life, for one of the arrows shatters against this invisible barrier as it comes speeding towards the side of your head.
You walk along the busy avenue, past an endless procession of warehouses and storage shacks, until you come to a tavern called The Inn of the Laughing Moon. Here the avenue turns sharply to the right and meanders away into a noisy slum district.
If you wish to enter the tavern,
turn to 23
.
If you choose to continue along the avenue,
turn to 98
.
Your Kai senses scream a warning that you are in great danger as you draw steadily closer to the burning wreck. You tell Jenkshi, but he is greatly sceptical of your seamanship and he ignores your advice. He is more concerned about finding survivors than listening to your vague warnings of danger. Unfortunately, he soon has cause to regret his decision when suddenly a Shadakine man o'war breaks cover from between two rocky islets and comes surging towards
The Azan
. Jenkshi immediately orders his crew to unfurl every last inch of canvas and take evasive action, but the wind is now beginning to change and this greatly hampers them as they struggle to carry out his orders.
You magnify your vision and scour the prow and foredecks of the approaching ship. It is dressed with the scarlet sails of a Shadaki buccaneer vessel and it is sitting very low in the water. You hazard a guess that it must be fully laden with booty stolen from the hold of the burning trader. With the wind going against him, Jenkshi takes a calculated gamble. He orders his helmsman to steer towards a narrow channel between two nearby islets. He is hoping that his lighter craft will be able to pass through the shallows here and gain precious time while the heavier enemy ship will be forced to go around the isles to avoid running aground. It is a bold manoeuvre, and one that is made all the more dangerous when the enemy captain suddenly turns his vessel and runs it parallel to
The Azan
. To your horror you see that the Shadakine man o'war is armed with deck cannons. As it gains on your ship you see clouds of white smoke and flame erupt all along its hull. Then, seconds later, you hear the rumbling roar of its cannons, followed closely by the terrifying shriek of its deadly ball and chain shot as it comes hurtling through the air towards your vulnerable ship.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–3,
turn to 218
.
If it is 4–9,
turn to 91
.
A little way past the fork, the trail passes around a rocky escarpment and ascends through dense jungle to a forested ridge. Beyond the ridge lies a deep gorge, spanned by a sturdy rope bridge. The floor of the bridge is laid with shorn timbers that are wide enough to allow a wagon to pass. You ride onto the bridge and you are halfway across when its timber floor begins to sway violently. Quickly you dismount and use your Kai Discipline of Animal Control to calm your startled horse. There seems to be no reason for the bridge to be pitching back and forth, but when you look over the side you catch sight of a rope that is attached to its underside. This line descends to a crevice in the wall of the gorge and it is being repeatedly pulled taut and then released. From out of the crevice there issues a commanding voice: ‘
Throw your money and possessions into the gorge!
’ When you hesitate to obey, the voice says: ‘
Do it now, or you'll never get off the bridge alive!
’
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 332
.
If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it,
turn to 251
.
If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it,
turn to 34
.
If you possess none of these skills, or if you choose not to use any of them,
turn to 140
.
During the journey to Tiklu you learn much from Tzai — your talkative companion. He tells you tales about the local history of this region, its ancient legends and heroes, and about the dark days not so long ago when it was ruled by Shasarak, the infamous Wytch-king of Shadaki.
The journey passes swiftly in his good company and you arrive at Tiklu during the afternoon. It is a bustling port which stands at the edge of the Sea of Winds, and is second only in size and importance to the City of Shadaki itself. Tzai is welcomed by the guards on watch at the gate who wave as you pass beneath its mighty arch. It is clear from their reaction that your companion is a popular man. As you travel along a paved avenue towards the heart of Tiklu, Tzai asks where you are going to stay during your visit. When you cannot readily answer his question, he invites you to stay at his house tonight. Gratefully you accept his generous invitation.
