Dawn of the Dragons (22 page)
The dragon growls with disdain as you threaten him with your weapon. He raises a claw-tipped forepaw and lashes out in an attempt to swat it from your grasp, but you duck the blow and thrust it into his side. He roars with pain, but then he leaps at you with frightening speed.
Vaxagore:
COMBAT SKILL
52
ENDURANCE
50
This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.
If you win the fight,
turn to 288
.
At close quarters, the city of Amory gives off an odour of disease and decay. Its flagstoned streets are cracked and broken open by plants, the roofs of its once-fine houses have long since caved in, and every surface is damp and mildewed. It is also completely deserted; even the rats have left.
You seek shelter in one of the few buildings with a roof still intact. The furnishings that you discover here are made of the finest Durenese oak and Salonese leather, but none withstand your weight. Everything has rotted and falls to shreds at a touch. You are clearing debris from the floor to make a place to sleep when suddenly you hear hoofbeats in the street outside. You rush to the open door and see, to your shocked surprise, a ghostly rider astride a black horse come galloping down the narrow avenue. Tongues of red flame shoot from the horse's nostrils and it leaves in its wake a trail of green mist.
Illustration XIV—Tongues of red flame shoot from the horse's nostrils as it gallops, trailing a wake of green mist.
If you have ever visited the town of Quarlen or the Isle of Ghosts in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure,
turn to 279
.
If you have visited neither of these places,
turn to 205
.
Expertly you guide your horse through the densely packed trees at the centre of this copse. The brigands attempt to follow, but they are poor riders by comparison and they find it impossible to penetrate this wood on horseback.
After a few minutes you hear their leader command them to return to the road. He has lost patience with his men and cannot be bothered to pursue the chase any further. You remain hidden at the middle of the copse and do not emerge until the dust of their horses' hooves has disappeared beyond the horizon.
During your wait, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 340
.
Your Arrow penetrates the dragon's skull, but the only effect it has is to make him angrier than he already is. He stomps his massive forefoot down onto the black soil and sends a splash of molten mud and flame into the air.
You shoulder your Bow and reach for your weapon as the great beast comes lumbering slowly towards you with his jaw agape.
Unless you possess a Platinum Amulet, a Talisman of Ishir, or the Discipline of Grand Nexus, you must now deduct 3
ENDURANCE
points due to the debilitating effects of the heat and atmosphere.
Swiftly you unshoulder your Bow and draw an Arrow to your lips. You take aim at the thug's head and let fly your shaft but in an instant before it strikes, he twists around and the arrows tip merely scratches a crimson line across his cheek.
Unfortunately, this wound does not make him loose his grip; it simply makes him more frightened and murderous than before. You are forced to shoulder your Bow and unsheathe a hand weapon as you rush towards him in a desperate attempt to prevent him from wounding his innocent captive's child.
You ride out of Rhem by its east gate and head off along a wide road that is bordered by hovels and farmsteads. Shortly you come to a signpost where the road ends and a track begins. It marks the entrance to the Forest of Salony, and indicates the distances to two Salonese towns:
Amory — 100 miles
You follow the track deep into the forest and spend your first night in Salony here, surrounded by the leafy comfort of this rich timberland. At dawn, you resume your ride and, by nightfall, you find yourself approaching the outskirts of the forest town of Ellio.
During your long day's ride through the forest, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
You have found the body of a Kai Master. His torn and crushed remains are clothed in the grey cloak and tunic that denotes his rank within the New Order. He has been dead for two or three days.
At first you can hardly bear to look at his face, but when you do, you recognize him at once: it is Swift Fire. He was the fastest runner of all the Kai, and you suspect he may have volunteered to use his speed to try to break through the enemy lines. Sadly, it seems, he could not outrun his fate.
Respectfully you cover his face with his cloak and say a short prayer to the God Kai to watch over his spirit. Then you return to the regiment and continue the ride along the trail.
In the warm comfort of the inn, you use your Kai healing skills to mend the Lord Constable's injuries. He is carefully testing his weight on his newly-mended ankle when suddenly there is a commotion outside in the street. An angry mob of hard-faced men, many clutching torches, staves, and coils of rope, are marching down the cobbled avenue towards the inn.
‘Hang the Talestrian thieves!’ they shout. ‘String up the murdering swine!’
‘What's going on? Who are these men?’ asks Nathor. The innkeeper's face turns white and he begins to tremble with fear.
‘I … I don't rightly know,’ he stammers. ‘I ain't never seen 'em before. They's not from these parts. We've never had no quarrel with Talestria. You've always been our friends.’
Suddenly a chunk of cobblestone smashes through a window and an angry cry arises from the mob:
‘Come out, you Talestrian dogs. Come out or we'll burn you out!’
Nathor calls everyone to the rear of the inn where a passage leads directly to the stables.
‘I fear this is some kind of crude ploy to murder you, Grand Master,’ he says. ‘If you are to stand any chance of reaching your homeland, you must continue your journey at once. I and my men will do what we can to hold this mob at bay, but you must leave now and you must go alone.’
Another window shatters and a burning brand is hurled into the inn.
‘Very well,’ you reply, uneasily. ‘I shall leave at once.’
The instant you pass through the Shadow Gate, you are assailed by howling gales and winds. Yet, despite the freezing coldness of this abyss, you feel no pain. Your body is protected, cocooned and shielded by your advanced mastery of the Discipline of Nexus.
You feel as if both you and the Lavas are whirling downwards in ever-decreasing circles into the core of a vortex, and rapidly you lose all track of time. Then, as abruptly as it began, the whirling ceases and the frigidity of the abyss is transformed into a harsh and blistering heat. Shielded as you are, this extreme temperature feels pleasantly warm. Nevertheless, with fearful apprehension, you force open your eyes to look upon the nightmare realm that now surrounds you.
The druid suddenly detects you in hiding at the water's edge. He shouts a hurried order to a group of Eldenoran crossbowmen in the trench beside him and immediately they open fire, sending a volley of deadly bolts whistling about your ears.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Assimilance, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 4 or less,
turn to 332
.
If it is 5 or more,
turn to 27
.
Through the foliage you see six well-armed horsemen riding two abreast. They are followed by a carriage, behind which there are another two horsemen guarding the rear. The coach is quite small, suitable for no more than two passengers at most, and its lacquered black wood looks dull. It is covered with the dust of a long journey. It has curtained windows and a crest adorns its doors.
As they draw closer, you see one of the leading horsemen raise his hand to bring the column to a halt. Your heart sinks when you realize that he has seen your horse. Rather than take the risk of losing your mount, you call out to the horseman, commanding him to continue on his way.
‘Show y'self,’ he shouts in reply, and draws his sabre. ‘Unless you be a brigand, you have no need to fear us.’
You remain hidden for a few moments longer, using your Kai skills to determine their purpose. When you can detect no aura of evil about them, you rise from behind the bush so that you can be seen. A pale hand parts the carriage curtains and you glimpse the face of a handsome young woman with jet-black hair. Judging by the finery of her dress and the elegance of her demeanour, you assess her to be of noble birth.
‘You, Sir!’ she calls, with a refined Palmyrion accent. ‘I … I know you. Please, won't you approach my coach so that I can be sure?’
If you wish to do as she requests,
turn to 201
.
If you decide to ignore her request and stay where you are,
turn to 123
.
You crest the ridge and your spirits soar when you see the Kai Monastery two miles distant. The chequered battle-banner of the Kai flutters atop the Tower of the Sun, proudly defiant in the face of the hordes of winged Lavas circling overhead. The monastery is largely intact, though much of its surrounding wall has been damaged and plumes of smoke rise from the inner keep and training park. Yet, even at this distance, you sense that it is still being held secure from Naar's loathsome minions.
Illustration XV—The chequered battle-banner of the Kai flutters proudly atop the Tower of the Sun.
The New Order have indeed proved themselves worthy in your absence. However, the pride you feel for your young acolytes is tempered by the price that has been paid. At the base of the Tower of the Sun you can see the blackened wreckage of the
Skyrider
, Banedon's skyship, twisted and gutted where it fell to earth. There are bodies strewn about it, but at this distance, even with your magnified vision, you cannot tell if they are friend or foe.
Dusk is already upon the land and darkness will be total within the hour. Mindful of the circling Lavas who command the skies, you decide to abandon your horse and continue from here on foot. It will be harder for the enemy to spot you moving through the forest on foot than if you were to continue on horseback.
If you possess Kai-screen and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher,
turn to 96
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 328
.