Flight from the Dark (7 page)
Read Flight from the Dark Online
Authors: Joe Dever
Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Lone Wolf, #Magnamund
The Gem feels very hot and burns your hand. Lose 2
ENDURANCE
points. You quickly grab it with the edge of your cloak and slip this Vordak Gem into your Backpack. A Gem that size must be worth hundreds of Crowns! You smile at your good fortune, mount your horse, and ride off along the south track.
The Mountain Giaks are unaccustomed to pursuing their prey through forests and you soon outdistance them, until finally the sound of their grunts and curses disappears completely.
When you are satisfied that they have given up the chase, you stop for a few minutes to catch your breath and check your equipment. With the memory of your ruined monastery still blazing in your mind, you gather up your meagre belongings and push on.
As the caravan careers past, you leap for the tailboard and manage to hold fast. Pulling yourself upright, you find that you are standing on the bottom rung of a ladder leading to the rear door of the wagon. Suddenly the top half of the door flies open and you are confronted by the angry face of a bodyguard.
If you decide to inform him that you are a Kai Lord with an urgent message for the King,
turn to 132
.
If you decide to offer him Gold Crowns for safe passage to the capital,
turn to 12
.
If you decide to attack the guard with your weapon,
turn to 220
.
You come to a small footbridge across a fast-flowing stream. On the other side of the bridge the path turns south. You cross the bridge and follow the path.
You stumble backwards through the front door, clutching your burnt chest with both hands. Smoke is billowing from the shop and you must run — before the Sage or his robber son catch you.
You make it back to the main street and lose yourself in the rush of the crowds.
After nearly an hour, the Kraan and their cruel riders vanish towards the west. As the shocked refugees start to emerge from the woods, you can hear the sound of horses in the distance galloping nearer. You stay hidden and wait as the riders come closer. They are the cavalry of the King's Guard wearing the white uniforms of His Majesty's army.
If you wish to call to them,
turn to 183
.
If you would rather continue along the forest edge towards the south,
turn to 200
.
The giant Gourgaz lies dead at your feet. His evil followers hiss at you and then fall back from the bridge. The Prince's soldiers form a protective wall around you and their dying leader with their shields. Black arrows whistle past your head.
The dying Prince looks up into your eyes and says, ‘Kai Lord, you must take a message to my father. The enemy is too strong, we cannot hold him. The King must seek that which is in Durenor or all is lost. Take my horse and ride for the capital. May the luck of the gods ride with you.’
You bid a sad farewell to the Prince, mount his white steed, and head south along the forest path. The battle still rages behind you as the Prince's men fight off another assault on the bridge.
You have run about a mile when three soldiers appear from beneath a small footbridge. They demand that you halt and drop your weapons and equipment.
They are bloodstained and unshaven. Their leader is wearing the tunic of a soldier of the Toran garrison.
If you possess the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 45
.
If you wish to do as they say,
turn to 205
.
If you wish to prepare to fight them,
turn to 180
.
If you demand to know what they want,
turn to 232
.
Just as you feel the air beating on your back, you slip free of your horse and roll over — landing with a splash in a muddy ditch by the side of the highway.
You are uninjured, and you quickly scramble to your feet and make a dash for the cover of the trees — but with thirty yards left to run, you see the Kraan circling above for another dive.
The path is wide and leads straight into thick undergrowth. The trees are tall here and unusually quiet. You walk for over a mile when suddenly you hear the beating of large wings directly above you. Looking up, you are shocked to see the sinister black outline of a Kraan diving to attack you.
If you draw your weapon and prepare to fight,
turn to 229
.
If you evade the attack by running south, deeper into the forest,
turn to 99
.
You soon reach another crossroads.
If you wish to journey east,
turn to 6
.
If you wish to head north,
turn to 35
.
If you prefer to go south,
turn to 167
.
Or if you wish to turn west,
turn to 42
.
Focusing your powers on the lock, you try to visualize the inner mechanism. Gradually its image appears in your mind's eye. It is old and corroded but it still functions. You are in danger of losing your concentration when a subtle
click
confirms that your effort has not been in vain.
The pin is an easier task. Slowly it rises out of the lock and falls to the floor. The granite door swings towards you on hidden hinges and the grey half-light of the Graveyard floods into the tomb. The exit is overgrown with graveweed and you suffer many small cuts to your face and hands as you fight your way through to the surface. You are startled by a sudden noise. You turn to see the disembodied head of a corpse laughing at you.
In blind panic, you race through the eerie necropolis towards the southern gate.
You cautiously peer around the rock to see a soldier lying on his back. By his side is a Spear and shield. On the shield is the painting of a white pegasus — the Prince of Sommerlund's emblem. He is one of the Prince's soldiers, and he is only just conscious. His uniform is badly torn, and you can see that he has a deep wound in his left arm. As you move nearer, his eyes flicker open. ‘Heal me, my lord,’ he begs. ‘I can barely feel my arm.’
If you possess and wish to use the Kai Discipline of Healing on this man,
turn to 216
.
If you do not possess the skill, or if you do not want to use it, then
turn to 31
.
In a cloud of dust and loose rocks you career down the steep hillside. The Kraan is still circling above as if waiting to direct the Giaks after you.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If you have picked 0–1,
turn to 53
.
If it is 2–4,
turn to 274
.
If it is 5–9,
turn to 316
.
Night falls and you are soon engulfed in total darkness. To press on would be useless, for you would be sure to lose your way. Tethering your horse to a tree, you pull your green Kai cloak about you and fall into a restless sleep.
The small shop is dark and musty. Books and bottles of every size and colour fill the many shelves. As you close the door, a small black dog begins to yap at you. A bald man appears from behind a large screen and bids you welcome. He politely enquires as to the nature of your visit and offers you a choice of his wares from the glass counter.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 198
.
If you wish to look at his wares,
turn to 152
.
If you would rather decline his offer and return to the street,
turn to 7
.
You dive for cover not a moment too soon, for a hail of black arrows scream out of the woods and bombard the area where you were standing seconds before. Pulling your cloak around you to blend into the dense bracken, you dash through the forest and away from the hidden ambushers as fast as possible. This entire area is infested by Giaks and you must escape as quickly as you can. You run without rest for over an hour until you happen to fall upon a straight forest path heading towards the east. You follow the path, taking care to keep watch for signs of the enemy.
You turn and run for the stairs just as a large block falls with a crash behind you. The room you were in has been completely sealed off. As you escape into the daylight, you glimpse behind you the crooked figure of an old druid as he raises his staff. A second later, a bolt of lightning explodes at your feet. You do not stop but run headlong down the hill, cursing the delay but thankful for your Sixth Sense.
The Sage, seeing that you have killed his son, turns and runs from the shop by a back door.
You find 12 Gold Crowns in the robber's purse and another 4 Gold Crowns in a wooden box under the counter. Carefully examining the potions and the wand you soon realize that they are all cheap counterfeits. In fact the entire shop is full of imitations. You shake your head and return to the main street.
You soon stumble upon a narrow forest track running from north to south.
If you wish to set off along the track towards the north,
turn to 240
.
If you wish to go south instead,
turn to 5
.
Holding your breath, you tighten your grip on your weapon and prepare to strike. The tension is unbearable — the Giaks are so close that the foul stench of their unwashed bodies fills your nostrils. You hear them curse in their strange alien tongue and then leave the ledge and start to scramble towards the peak. When you are sure they have gone, you finally exhale and wipe the sweat from your eyes.
If you wish to explore the cave further,
turn to 33
.
If you wish to leave the cave and descend the hill in case the Giaks return,
turn to 248
.
Ahead of you, you can see a fierce battle raging across a stone bridge. The clash of steel and the cries of men and beasts echo through the forest. In the midst of the fighting, you see Prince Pelathar, the King's son. He is in combat with a large grey Gourgaz who is wielding a black axe above his scaly head. Suddenly, the Prince falls wounded — a black arrow in his side.
Illustration VII—The clash of steel and the cries of men and beasts echo through the forest.
If you wish to defend the fallen Prince,
turn to 255
.
If you wish to run into the forest,
turn to 306
.