Vampirium (27 page)
You sleep poorly and wake feeling drained and disheartened: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points. Shortly after dawn, you break camp and set off across the marshlands, heading east. At first the spongy ground comes as a welcome relief after the jagged rocks and twisted roots that litter the floor of the Angfeng Forest. Then the marshy soil degenerates into a treacherous swamp, and soon you are forced to head south in search of firmer terrain.
For two days and nights you trek across wetlands, living as best you can off the flora and fauna of this inhospitable region. By noon of the third day you catch sight of a stone bridge across the River Heng, on the outskirts of a town called Zuda. The rangers are excited at the prospect of escaping at last from the mosquito-infested wetlands, but their enthusiasm is dampened when you magnify your vision and take a closer look at this Chai border town.
As you reach the crest of the ridge, you rein in your horse and halt to look back at the trap you have set. After several minutes, you see your enemy entering the valley and come galloping along the trail. You magnify your vision in order to observe them as they approach the pillars. Suddenly there is a vivid flash of blue-white light when one of the Imperial Guards brushes past the column of stone in the middle of the track. You let out a cheer when you see the leading riders tumble from their saddles, and your companions echo your cry when you tell them what you have witnessed.
Seizing the advantage, you urge your stallion to the gallop and speed away from the ridge with your ranger companions following closely on your heels.
The old man is deeply hurt by your refusal to take bread and wine with him. It is considered a grave insult in Bhanar to refuse such basic hospitality. Some of the young men who have gathered outside the tent to watch you now begin to reach for their daggers. Anxious to avoid any needless bloodshed, Captain Gildas intervenes and accepts the old man's offer on your behalf. ‘He's a Northlander,’ he says, by way of an apology on your behalf. ‘He knows nothing of your customs.’
The old man smiles and nods his head, and then he invites you all to come into his tent. You dismount, and the children look after your horses while you file into his spacious dwelling. He gives each of you a glass of mulled wine and a piece of unleavened bread, and while you are enjoying this plain fare, he invites you to examine the wares and trinkets which lie strewn about his tent.
Gildas nudges you and points to a rickety table that is heaped with simple straw-coloured robes, much favoured by Bhanarian plainsmen. ‘These may be a wise investment, Sir Kai?’ he mutters. ‘I fear our tunics may arouse suspicion the further south we venture.’
You nod in agreement and ask the old man how much he wants for four of his robes.
‘One hundred and sixty Ren, kind sir,’ he replies, cheerfully.
The old man's price is equivalent to 16 Gold Crowns. The rangers do not have any money, so if you wish to purchase these garments you must pay the full price.
If you can afford to pay the man's price,
turn to 286
.
If you do not have sufficient Gold Crowns to pay for the robes,
turn to 45
.
Sejanoz approaches the fire and stoops to retrieve the Claw, but then he hesitates. His skeletal hand trembles and he seems powerless to control it. You sense that he is afraid of the flames: it is his one vital weakness.
You rush towards him and land a kick to his side, toppling him over. Before he can rise again, you grab the haft of the Claw and tug it from the fire. A burning log is skewered upon its tip. It flares brightly when you thrust it at the Autarch's helm and he rolls away, towards the shattered window. You follow up and jab it at his hands, and he shrieks with fear. Then he tries to stand, and as he is levering himself up from the floor, you leap into the air and land a two-footed kick to his chest that sends him somersaulting backwards. With a wailing cry, he tumbles out of the window and plummets into the courtyard below.
‘Stay here, Captain,’ you whisper. ‘I will return soon.’
With these words, you slip away from your hiding place and make your way back to the rocky mouth of the pass, using your Kai camouflage skills to keep yourself hidden from the enemy. As you approach the ravine, you hear the sounds of fierce fighting and see intermittent flashes of magical energy piercing the gloom. The winged horde are making a determined attack upon the grounded skyship, but Lord Rimoah and his young crewmen are putting up a spirited defence.
When you reach the edge of the ravine, you are confronted by the unexpected sight of
Cloud-dancer
rising rapidly into the darkening sky. A bloody battle is raging along her decks as the winged beasts attempt to wrest control of the skyship from the crew. You magnify your vision and catch sight of Lord Rimoah standing at the craft's stern, near to the boarding cage. For a few moments your eyes meet and you make a telepathic link. He hurls a metallic tube in your direction and you hear his voice in your mind, urging you to retrieve it. Then the link is broken when he is forced to defend himself from a determined attacker. You watch the tube strike a rock at the edge of the ravine, and then it disappears from sight. With fear running cold in your veins, you watch helplessly as the beleaguered skyship powers away towards the east, pursued by the flying swarm of ravening beasts.
If you wish to stay hidden among the rocks at the edge of the ravine,
turn to 203
.
If you wish to attempt to retrieve the metallic tube,
turn to 243
.
You steer your horse through the trees that border the clearing, and follow an easterly bearing that soon brings you to the edge of the forest. Without daring to look back, you leave the Vanchou and set off across the vast, open plains.
Once you are safely outside the barracks, you hurry away along a cobblestoned street that is crowded with parked wagons, anxious troops, and irate drivers. The barracks' alarm bell continues to toll, and you sense that the theft of the Claw has now been discovered.
As you turn a corner, you see a mounted patrol of four guardsmen come cantering along the street towards you. The officer regards you with suspicion and he orders you and your companions to halt.
If you wish to obey his command,
turn to 139
.
If you wish to try to evade this patrol,
turn to 306
.
As you rush into the ill-lit alleyway, one of the City Guard's arrows ricochets off the wall and gouges a furrow of skin from your calf: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.
To continue,
turn to 174
.
You tell the rangers what you have discovered, and suggest that they rest awhile under the wooden bridge while you attempt to lure a distant group of stallions towards the stream. By the use of your Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, you are able to entice four horses to approach the bridge. At first they are nervous, for they can detect the vile stench of the Doomlands' dust which impregnates the rangers' tunics, but they are also thirsty and they cannot resist for too long the temptation of the sparkling stream.
You allow them to drink at the stream for several minutes and, as they settle, you slowly approach the leading stallion. You are reaching out to take hold of his mane when he suddenly rises up on his hind legs and flails at you with his hooves.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Assimilance, add 1.
If your total score is now 3 or lower,
turn to 234
.
If it is 4 or higher,
turn to 99
.
You see the unmistakable shape of
Cloud-dancer
silhouetted against the rising sun. It hovers above the central keep of Fort Jhung, and with the wind in your hair and a cry of victory on your lips, you bank your sky-chariot towards it.
Lord Rimoah and Lord Ghadra are among the many on deck who are anxiously watching and praying for you to appear, though no one is expecting your arrival will be by air. The crew can hardly believe their eyes when you bring the sky-chariot down to land upon the deck. Within seconds of touching down, you are surrounded by a mass of cheering countrymen.
Lord Rimoah appears among the excited throng. With tears of joy in his eyes, he embraces you and then offers up a prayer of thanksgiving to Goddess Ishir for your safe return. You deliver to him the Claw of Naar and he vows that this accursed artefact will be destroyed by the Elder Magi to prevent it from ever falling into the hands of Autarch Sejanoz.
Congratulations, Grand Master. You have met this difficult challenge and you have triumphed. Your brave and daring exploits will long be remembered in the legends of the New Order Kai. Yet the fight against Evil goes on. Soon your courage and Kai skills will be tested anew. The nature of the quest and the dangers that await you will be revealed in the next exciting
Lone Wolf New Order
adventure entitled:
The Hunger of Sejanoz
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