Mydnight's Hero (18 page)

You strike camp at dawn and set off along the plains road 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. But the Prince is a little less optimistic. He tells you that you are now in 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 advocates that you both 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 small 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 eagles' 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 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 show Lodamos the scroll that you found in Sadanzo's library, and his face turns red with rage when he reads its damning contents. ‘The murdering traitor!’ he exclaims. ‘By Ishir, he'll be made to pay for this treachery with his life, mark my words.’

Struggling hard to suppress his anger and sense of outrage, Lodamos hands back the scroll and then asks that you and Karvas accompany him to the citadel's main hall. ‘If you are to reach Seroa in time to foil Sadanzo, you must set off without delay. The ascendance ceremony will take place one week from today, and you still have far to travel. Time is against you, my lords, but I will do all I can to help your vital mission.’

Turn to 70
.

After an interminable wait you arrive at the front of the slow-moving queue. Without looking up from the books and papers spread around him, the reeve-sergeant motions you to sit down on the bench before his table. With a tone of bored indifference he asks you to state the reason for your visit to the Judicars' Hall. You tell him that you are looking for Prince Karvas of Siyen, and that you have come here with urgent news of events in his homeland that you must impart to him. The officer rubs his stubbly chin and stares unblinkingly into your eyes. You sense that he doubts your word and is contemplating whether or not he should have you arrested. When you insist that it is vital that you find the Prince he gives a gruff laugh and shrugs his shoulders.

‘Karvas is not here,’ he grunts. ‘Lived here when he first came to Sheasu, maybe ten years ago now, but when his bride arrived he took her up north. They live up there on the coast someplace … not sure where. Rarely visits Mydnight nowadays. That's all I know.’

You thank the reeve-sergeant for his help and leave. On returning to the street outside the hall you notice that the sun is low on the western horizon. Having spent nearly all day queueing in the Hall of the Judicars for such scant information, you pray that your companions have fared better as you hurry back through the darkening streets towards the eastern quarter of the city.

Turn to 308
.

You rush down the stairs and out through the tavern door. The courtyard appears to be deserted, but as you approach the stables, you suddenly 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 to appear.

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 five rounds or less,
turn to 215
.

If it takes six rounds or more to win this combat,
turn to 103
.

You strike the killing blow and the creature collapses to the ground, foul ichor oozing from its wounds. The stench of its dark, unnatural blood disturbs the horses, so you and Karvas drag its tattered carcass away and roll it into a nearby ravine. By the time you return to the shelter of the ledge, Karvas is exhausted. He is having difficulty staying awake, and so you volunteer to sit out the rest of the night watch. You spend the early hours of the morning listening to rain beating on the ledge, and the desolate sound of the wind whistling through the mountains. The watch passes uneventfully and you wake Karvas shortly after daybreak. Before you strike camp and resume your journey along the trail, you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points (unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery).

To continue,
turn to 292
.

The knight's men confiscate your Weapons, your Kai Weapon, your Backpack, and all of your Special Items. (They leave only your Belt Pouch and its contents. On your
Action Chart
mark each of the confiscated items with an asterisk [*] to indicate that they are no longer in your possession, but do not erase them at this time.)

They are searching Karvas when one of the men discovers the crescent-shaped birthmark on his wrist and he gasps with shock. ‘By the gods!’ he exclaims. ‘He bears the mark of Crown Prince Karvas!’

Instantly the Knight Bachelor leaps down from his saddle. Roughly he grabs the Prince's arm and pulls back the sleeve of his tunic to inspect the birthmark for himself.

‘So, our exiled Prince has returned from Sheasu,’ he says, with a haughty, mocking tone. ‘Perhaps you've grown tired of the city of Mydnight, eh? A little homesick? Or have you come back to try to claim the crown that you forfeited a decade ago?’

The knight utters a mocking laugh and then he steps away from Karvas to strut like a peacock before his men.

‘Mydnight's hero has come home to us at last!’ he bellows. ‘Well, let us take our hero Prince back to Cavalia and provide him with a royal chamber. We have many … in the dungeons of the citadel! When King Sadanzo returns, he will be greatly pleased with us. And he will be generous too. Most generous.’

To continue,
turn to 184
.

With care, Baron Lodamos' men lift and carry Prince Karvas out of the chapel. You follow in the company of the Baron and his Marshal as they bear him along the corridors of the citadel and up a grand staircase to Lodamos' personal chamber. Here they rest the Prince upon a divan and the Baron's physician comes to examine him.

Lodamos offers you his sincere apologies for the harsh treatment you have endured since your arrival at his citadel. He explains that Sadanzo has made several attempts to murder him during the past year and he dare not lower his guard. The Baron is impressed that you survived your encounter in the chapel with the ghost of his ancestor — the paladin knight Ranald. ‘No mortal creature born of evil has ever survived the judgement of Ranald,’ he says, ‘and no goodly mortals have ever maintained their consciousness in his presence. I judge you to be no ordinary man. Pray tell, sir, who are you?’ You confide in the Baron that you are a Kai Grand Master and you tell him of your purpose here in Siyen. When you recount the events that have led you to his citadel, the Baron praises your courage and determination. You learn that he is a great admirer of the Kai and it is his ambition, one day, to journey to the monastery and meet with your illustrious leader, Lone Wolf.

Lodamos orders his Marshal to return your confiscated Weapons and equipment (you may erase the asterisks from your
Action Chart
). He also sends to the kitchens for food and wine. While the physician is attending to the Prince, you enjoy a reviving meal (you may restore 3
ENDURANCE
points).

To continue,
turn to 293
.

As the soldier approaches you suddenly realize that he is only aware of Prince Karvas. He has not seen you; the darkness and your innate Kai camouflage skills have kept you hidden from sight. Silently you sidestep into the shadows and unsheathe your Kai Weapon. Karvas stands immobile on the footpath and stares fixedly at the approaching guard so as not to betray your presence. Nervously the soldier reproaches the Prince and levels his spear at his chest. He commands Karvas to state the name of his commanding officer, and when he fails to reply, your Kai Sixth Sense suddenly warns you that this guard is about to raise the alarm.

With the speed and grace of a pouncing panther, you leap from the shadows and strike the guard on the side of the head with the hilt of your weapon. Without uttering a sound he crumples at the knees and falls unconscious on the path. Quickly you and Karvas drag his body away and hide it beneath the steps. Before you go, you make a quick search of the soldier's pockets and backpack and discover the following items:

• 30 Ren (equivalent to 3 Gold Crowns)
  
• Spear
  
• Dagger
  
• 1 Meal
  

You also discover an iron key that bears an inscription on its shank. Your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills enable you to decipher its meaning: THIS KEY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TEHDA STABLES.

If you wish to keep this Tehda Key, record it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic. You need not discard another item in its favour if you are already carrying the maximum number of Special Items permissible.)

Stealthily you climb the steps to a flagstoned loading area that is crowded with soldiers and wagons. By keeping low and moving from one wagon to the next, you and Karvas are able to cross this concourse undetected. On the far side you discover a stone bridge that traverses the River Tehda. You hurry across it and enter a wide avenue which leads to the city's east quarter. Grimy two-storey houses of carved hardwood pass by on either side, silent behind their bolts and shutters. At the end of the avenue you almost collide with a patrol of armed guards which is marching towards the river, and hurriedly you are forced to take cover in a timber yard to avoid being seen. You watch the ten-strong patrol as it marches past, and note that these men are clad in black quilted tunics with wide silk leggings, and they are armed with curved swords and hand-axes. They are almond-eyed and they all have shiny black hair tied in a knot at the nape of their necks. Their leader, a stocky bull-necked sergeant, wears the emblem of Sejanoz emblazoned upon a scarlet armband. Patiently you wait for them to reach the river but, when they do, you see another patrol come marching along the avenue from the opposite direction. The east quarter of Bakhasa is a busy place, even at this late hour. Rather than risk being seen and captured, you decide to remain hidden here in the timber yard and attempt to get a few hours' sleep before dawn.

Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 340
.