The Hunger of Sejanoz (23 page)

Chan keeps lookout while you dismount and examine the body. You discover that the man is dead and, judging by his clothes and weapons, you are sure that he was a hunter. You estimate that he has been dead for more than a month yet his body is unusually well preserved, despite the warm summer temperatures. When you peel open his fur jacket, you are shocked to discover that his skin is ice cold to the touch.

‘What killed him?’ asks Chan.

‘You won't believe me,’ you reply, incredulously, ‘but this man froze to death more than a month ago.’

To continue,
turn to 134
.

The threat to the caravan ends abruptly when you deal the last monster a mighty blow to the base of its deformed head. As it falls from the carriage, you grab the reins and bring the wagon smoothly to a halt. Captain Chan tries to calm the alarmed members of the Khea-khan's entourage by telling them that the threat has now passed. As their panic subsides, he and his men report to the Khea-khan's carriage and tell Kau-Doshin that order has been restored. He is greatly reassured to hear that his Imperial Majesty is no longer in any immediate danger.

You walk back cautiously along the highway and inspect the bodies of the slain enemy. You are quickly able to determine that all three are of Agarashi descent. They have probably come down from the Hyunsei foothills in a desperate search for prey, for their corpses are badly emaciated by hunger. Sergeant Yeng rides up and confirms your belief. He tells you that long ago, during the Age of Eternal Night, this land was stalked by Agarashi — the hellish creations of Agarash the Damned. When Agarash was destroyed by the Elder Magi, his creations were scattered across the wilderness and plains of Chai. The descendants of these beasts are still alive today, hiding in hills, burrows, forests, and caves.

‘They do not usually attack travellers,’ says Chan, ‘unless driven to do so by disease … or hunger.’

Using your tracking skills, you quickly determine that there are no other Agarashi like these in this vicinity. Only then do you remount your horse and ride with Chan to the head of the column. As you pass by the Khea-khan's carriage, Kau-Doshin calls you to halt. With a respectful bow of his greying head, he praises you for the skill and bravery you displayed while countering the unexpected attack.

‘The Khea-khan and I will not forget your act of courage, my lord,’ he says. ‘We shall ensure that you are duly rewarded upon our safe arrival in Tazhan.’

To continue,
turn to 66
.

You stagger to your feet and join Chan at the main gate. Peering through an arrow slit, you suddenly see something that makes your blood run cold.

Turn to 140
.

Soon the densely-packed trees confound your hulking pursuers and you are able to outdistance them. When you sense that it is safe to halt, you throw yourself down upon the cool earth and fight to catch your breath. Chan throws himself down close by, and you can tell that he is shocked and saddened by the ferocity of the encounter and the loss of his favourite stallion. But he proves himself to be resilient, and within the space of a few short minutes, he is back on his feet and ready to go.

‘Come, my lord,’ he says, resolutely. ‘We must press on. Let us flee this accursed place.’

Turn to 121
.

Captain Chan informs Bazan that he has something confidential to impart. The nomad chief gives him a knowing look, and then he claps his hands three times. Instantly his troupe of entertainers cease their activities and file out of the tent. When you are alone, Chan tells the nomad that the Khea-khan and his family are sitting in the carriages outside. Bazan is both surprised and delighted to hear this revelation, and he assures you that Xo-lin's safety will be of paramount concern while the ruler is here as his guest.

Bazan summons his bodyguard and commands them to prepare tents and a feast for his honoured guests. He spares no expense, and the entertainments he provides for the Khea-khan's courtiers are as breathtaking as they are inventive. During these festivities, you are approached by Bazan's younger brother, Kumal. Politely, he asks if you have anything you wish to trade.

If you wish to trade with Kumal,
turn to 192
.

If you choose to decline his offer,
turn to 53
.

You ride in an arc towards the west to avoid running foul of the withdrawing enemy cavalry, and then you circle back towards Fort Vlau and rejoin the caravan as it enters the beleaguered stronghold. Your arrival is greeted by Captain Kasarian, the Lissanian garrison commander, a wide-shouldered man with a ruddy complexion and a large, red-veined nose. Chan informs him of who is travelling aboard the caravan and Kasarian blanches. He and his men are grateful that you have drawn the enemy off, but he is daunted by the presence of the Chai ruler and his imperial entourage.

‘The Khea-khan and his family will need a place which affords them secure protection until we are able to leave your fort,’ says Chan.

Kasarian nods enthusiastically. ‘We have such a place, Captain,’ he says. ‘Please, follow me.’

Turn to 171
.

You gasp aloud as you are struck by one of the speeding missiles. The tip of the barbed arrow rips through the padded upper sleeve of your tunic and scrapes a furrow of flesh from your shoulder blade. The sudden pain makes you feel nauseous, but you quickly recover and use your Kai healing skills to staunch the flow of blood: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.

To continue,
turn to 112
.

You return Prince Kamada to his mother and help carry the Khea-khan from out of these perilous catacombs. You are met by Captain Chan at the portal entrance, and he is greatly relieved to see that the Imperial Family are still alive. But when you tell him that Sejanoz is dead he can hardly believe his ears. ‘Ishir be praised! At last, after 3,000 years, our continent is free of that accursed tyrant!’

Turn to 300
.

As the ceiling clears the surface, you thrust your head out of the water and gulp great lungfuls of the dank, stale air. The ceiling rises all the way to the top of the shaft, and you begin a climb towards the doorway. The walls of the shaft are deeply ridged and you have no difficulty in reaching the door before the great wooden floor rises up and locks into position.

Beyond the door you discover a dark corridor. As you explore this dingy tunnel, you hear the sound of voices getting steadily louder. You recognize them to be the voices of the tomb robbers who stole your Kai Weapon. They are gloating over your blade, and you hear one man say that it must be worth more than all the treasures of the graveyard put together. At the end of the corridor you see an arched wooden door, banded with strips of black iron. You peer carefully through its keyhole and see the robbers in the room beyond, silhouetted against the flames of a log fire. With grim determination, you resolve to attack them and recapture your stolen blade.

If you possess Kai-surge and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian,
turn to 254
.

If you possess Assimilance and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian,
turn to 136
.

If you possess neither of these skills, have not attained the required rank, or if you should choose not to use them,
turn to 71
.

You are awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of a fearful scream. You unsheathe your Kai Weapon and leap to your feet, and as your night vision adjusts to the darkness, you see movement out of the corner of your eye. One of the troopers standing guard duty at the edge of the camp is struggling with a large worm-like creature that has emerged from one of the bore holes. His desperate cries have alerted the other guards, and they are picking their way slowly across the treacherous ground to go to his aid. You also respond to his cries, but as you are skirting around the rim of one large fissure, suddenly another of the worm-like monstrosities rears up from this hole and spits at you. Your skin crawls when your Kai senses detect that this creature's saliva is a highly corrosive alkaline.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 156
.

If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it,
turn to 142
.

If you possess a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 73
.

If you do not possess these skills, nor a Bow, or if you choose not to use any of them,
turn instead to 262
.

When you tell Chan about your Kai Mastery of Astrology, he and his men plead with you to read their fortunes. However, it is a cloudy night and the stars are hidden from view. You try to explain that you are unable to see the sky and read the stellar configurations, but Chan and the others simply refuse to take no for an answer.

From the pocket of his tunic, Chan produces a pair of ornate ivory dice. ‘These are Xi-die,’ he says, and hands them to you. They feel weighty and their intricate gold designs invite your closer inspection.

If you have attained the rank of Kai Grand Defender or higher,
turn to 85
.

If you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 104
.

You return to the junction and then follow the left passageway until you arrive at a chamber that was once an alchemist's workshop. The walls and floor are covered with symbols and glyphs which indicate the many elements, gases, and metals of the universe. Benches and worktables line the walls and some show signs of recent use. On the far side of this chamber you can see a darkened archway and the beginnings of a corridor leading off towards the north.

If you wish to search this workshop,
turn to 87
.

If you choose to explore the distant archway,
turn to 38
.

On hitting the ground, you roll over to lessen the shock of impact. Your swift action saves you from sustaining serious injury and you escape with cuts and grazes to your head and shoulders: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 200
.

‘Help! Help!’ cries the rider. ‘Captain Chan and Trooper Saolin are in trouble!’

You respond at once to his plea and urge your horse off the highway. Soon you are galloping headlong across the grassland towards the copse, with the anxious trooper following close on your tail.

You dismount as soon as you reach the tree-line and race through the pines on foot towards a clearing at the centre of the copse. Here you are confronted by a shocking scene. Chan and the other trooper are locked in a desperate battle against two hulking creatures. Although hunched over, you can tell that these beasts are both more than 10 feet tall. They have muscular truncated legs that end in fearsomely twisted claws, and their bony orange heads have slitted eyes that pulse unnervingly. From between their alien eyes protrude beak-like noses, jagged-edged and wickedly sharp, with which they are attempting to stab and slash the Chai guardsmen.

Around their feet lie strewn the mutilated carcasses of many fanji — a breed of swift-footed ruminants native to the plains of Southern Magnamund. You are in no doubt that it was these remains that attracted the plains ravens to this area. Swallowing your fears, you tug your Kai Weapon from its sheath and give vent to your battle-cry: ‘For Sommerlund and the Kai!’ as you race to the guardsmen's aid.

Krakalla:
COMBAT SKILL
 50   
ENDURANCE
 48

If you win this combat,
turn to 241
.

You lift the canvas cover and peer into the back of the wagon. It contains an assortment of shovels, picks, and a few battered oil lanterns. They appear to belong to a gang of tomb robbers who have come here to loot this ancient burial site.

Beyond the gate you can see an open crypt door. As you approach it you hear the sound of distant voices. This sound makes you dive for cover among the gravestones. As you peer around one of these grey headstones, you see six saddled horses standing at the rear of the crypt. They are nibbling at the pale tufts of grass that grow on the graves.

If you wish to approach the open crypt door,
turn to 274
.

If you choose to stay where you are and observe the crypt,
turn to 183
.

You draw upon your powerful mental defences to repel this sudden psychic attack, and swiftly the pain retreats from your skull: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.

To continue,
turn to 147
.