The Masters of Darkness (23 page)

The speed and ferocity of your attack take the Drakkarim gunners by surprise. Frantically they fumble to draw their short swords as you leap amongst them and strike your first blows.

Drakkarim Gunners:
COMBAT SKILL
 21   
ENDURANCE
 30

Owing to the speed of your attack, ignore any
ENDURANCE
point losses you may sustain in the first two rounds of combat.

If you win the combat,
turn to 272
.

‘Be on your guard at all times,’ he says, solemnly. ‘The lesser creatures of Helgedad are a ruthlessly treacherous breed, forever preoccupied with their complex political intrigues. You will need to be doubly cunning if you are not to fall foul of their wilful machinations. The robe you wear marks you as one of Darklord Ghanesh's minions. He is far away at present, leading his horde in distant Lencia, but his absence will be of little help to you. Avoid all who wear robes of green and scarlet, for they are followers of Xog and Taktaal, Ghanesh's closest rivals. But above all, avoid those who wear silver-grey, the same colour as yourself, for they know their own kind and are sure to see through your disguise.’

He walks across the chamber and picks up a curious-looking device by which he is able to tell the time of day. ‘Come, follow me. Now you will learn how you are to breach the defences of Helgedad.’

Turn to 260
.

The Kirlundin close the gaps and the Drakkarim are soon repulsed, enabling your command to catch their breath and retrieve their wounded. Yet the lull in the fighting is but a brief respite before the enemy surge forward once more, this time with even greater fury and determination. The crash and screech of combat is carried on an ever rising wind that causes the linked vessels to roll and pitch violently.

If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Divination,
turn to 89
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 172
.

The harbour and neighbouring wharves are filled with noise and furious industry. An army of slaves and Drakkarim overseers are at work servicing the ironclad fleet, their lanterns flickering along the rows of shiny black decks as they toil to maintain the vessels in fighting trim.

As you enter the harbour square, you pass a line of wagons laden with heavy machinery, which are queueing to enter a dry dock. There, illuminated by the glare of huge oil lamps, is the largest ship you have ever seen — a monstrous ironclad juggernaut bristling with awesome weaponry. You stop to stare at this terrifying vessel, and overhear two Drakkarim engineers talking about their work. Your blood runs cold when you hear one of them reveal why this juggernaut is being built. It is to be used to destroy Holmgard, your country's capital city.

Illustration XVII
—Inside the harbour square you stop and stare at a monstrous ironclad juggernaut.

If you wish to enter the dry dock and attempt to sabotage the juggernaut,
turn to 76
.

If you decide to ride on and continue your search for some means of transportation to Aarnak,
turn to 97
.

Less than a mile along the rock shore, you catch sight of something moving in the shadows. You use your advanced Kai skill to magnify your vision and are able to see a patrol of Giaks, searching the water's edge for survivors of the battle. Some they help, carrying them on stretchers to their encampment perched high on a overhanging cliff; others, presumably crew from the
Intrepid
, they stab repeatedly with their spears and leave for the sharks to claim. Forewarned by your skill, you begin to paddle away from the patrol, keen to avoid their chilling welcome.

Turn to 174
.

Having satisfied yourself that you have overlooked no items of use, you decide to make your way to the heart of Aarnak. Your trek takes you into a maze of garbage-choked streets lined with rusting tenements and squalid huts. Hordes of slaves move to and fro, their backs bent by years of heavy labour. As you turn a corner you are confronted by a procession of these sad creatures, led by a squad of Giaks.

The leader, a squat Giak sergeant wearing a doomwolf pelt, commands you to halt. Drakkarim are rare visitors to Aarnak, the human constitution being ill-suited to the hostile atmosphere, so the sight of you walking unescorted through the city streets, clad in Drakkarim armour, stirs his deepest suspicions. You continue walking, and immediately he raises his clawed hand — it is a signal to his squad to advance and surround you. You turn to run, but when you see that all the Giak soldiers are armed with bows, discretion prompts you to try a different tactic. Boldly you demand that the sergeant take you to the Slavemaster and, to your relief, he agrees.

The sergeant, and a handful of his troops, take you towards the centre of the city, to a solitary tower standing in the middle of an open square. It is a curious building, tall and unbent, its surface free from any sign of decay. The sergeant speaks with another who guards its open entrance and immediately he stands aside, allowing you to enter the tower's gloomy ground floor.

Turn to 346
.

Your Kai skill enables you to detect that the creature outside your cabin door possesses magical abilities. You also sense that he, or she, is not emitting an aura of hostility.

If you wish to open your cabin door,
turn to 85
.

If you decide to ignore the knock,
turn to 144
.

You strike your killing blow, laying open the great beast's throat. It rears up, shuddering, its green eyes rolling wildly in their sockets. Then it gives vent to a hideous, gurgling scream that grows louder until, with a mighty splash, the Xargath topples backwards into the fog-wreathed sea.

Turn to 217
.

Dawn arrives, its hazy light barely brightening the banks of grey cloud that swirl above this bleak and desolate land. The rain has ceased but the cold wind still blows strongly, bringing patches of frost that whiten the stony soil. You check your equipment and take stock of your provisions before setting off towards a distant line of hills. You are aware that the dawn light has increased the chances of your being found by a Giak patrol should you stay too long in any one place, especially so near to the shore.

It is nearly noon when finally you reach the top of the ridge and stare down at the valley that lies beyond. It is a barren landscape of endless pits and crags, jagged boulders, and scree. A rough, foot-worn track follows a stream that winds its way back to its source, deep among a towering range of mountains that dominates the horizon. Using your
map
and your Kai tracking and hunting skills, you conclude that the mountains are the northwestern tip of the Durncrag Range. Beyond them must lie the Gulf of Helenag and the Darklord naval base of Argazad. A feeling of dread overwhelms you as you realize that more than 300 miles of hostile terrain lie between you and Aarnak, the stronghold where you are to rendezvous with the Slavemaster. Silently you stare at the forbidding mountains and rack your brains for a solution to your predicament. At length, you formulate a new plan of action.

Turn to 196
.

As you scour the city below, you spot two possible landing sites. One is an open patch of ground near an iron foundry; the other is the flat roof of a building situated on the bank of the estuary.

If you wish to land near the foundry,
turn to 162
.

If you decide to land the Zlanbeast on the roof of the building,
turn to 221
.

You draw the seed from your pocket and hurl it down into the darkness. It strikes steel and explodes with a blinding flash, illuminating for an instant the cramped control cabin and the startled faces of the Drakkarim crew. You see that they outnumber you many times over, but at least the flash buys you precious seconds in which to make your escape to the deck above.

Turn to 169
.

Further along the tunnel lies a cavern, empty save for a mass of squeaking bats hanging from the stalactites in the roof. At your approach they begin to panic. They swarm and encircle the rough-hewn walls before diving into a dark crevasse that splits the floor in two. The only exit, other than the tunnel by which you entered, is a passage on the far side of the crevasse. Foul air rises from the dark abyss, laden with a heavy odour that reminds you of maggoty meat.

If you have completed the Lore-circle of the Spirit and the Lore-circle of Solaris,
turn to 315
.

If you wish to approach the crevasse and look for a way to get across,
turn to 44
.

If you decide to abandon the chamber and attempt to retrace your route back to the Giak outpost,
turn to 206
.

You squeeze into a space between the rocks and listen to the grind of the wagon's wheels on the rough stone trail as it draws steadily nearer. Then a Drakkarim voice cries out:
‘Koga! Okim dag nadulheza!’
The sound stops abruptly. You strain your ears for an indication of what the enemy are doing, but all you can hear are muffled voices and the jingle of bridles and bits. Then you hear the Drakkarim escorts leave the trail and dismount close to where you are hiding. Your pulse quickens as you realize that they are preparing to strike camp here overnight.

Fortunately, because they are deep inside their own territory, the Drakkarim do not bother to inspect their surroundings and your presence goes undetected. You listen intently to their conversations but discover little useful information except that they are from Argazad and are on their way to the outpost at the mouth of the Durncrag Pass. After eating, they settle down to a session of gambling. They have been playing for only a few minutes when one of the Drakkarim is accused of cheating. A violent argument breaks out and bloodshed is averted only when their commander, a sergeant, steps in to break it up. He finds a fistful of cards wedged up the accused Drakkar's sleeve. Angrily, he denounces the cheat and orders him to return to Argazad at first light. The game is brought to a close, and, as the disgruntled Drakkarim get ready to sleep, a bold plan springs into your mind that could make your journey through the Darklands and your entry into Argazad much easier.

Turn to 284
.

The still water is set to boiling by the shoal of glistening fish, as they swarm around the
Intrepid
. They have been drawn here by the warmth of the ship's hull, and as you stare down into the seething turmoil, you estimate that there must be hundreds of thousands of fish directly beneath the keel. You watch with fascination until you recall something about the sea carp that you learned when you were a novice at the Kai Monastery, something that sends a tingle of premonition down your spine.

The tales and legends of the northern seas tell of the Xargath, a fearsome breed of giant reptilian sea creature that inhabits the black depths of the Kaltersee. Once, a century ago, the fishermen of Sommerlund trawled these waters and grew rich on the fruits of their labours, for the sea carp were plentiful and the markets of Sommerlund and Durenor paid highly for their catch. Trade thrived until the Xargath appeared and began to attack their boats. So devastating were the attacks, and so terrifying were the descriptions of the Xargath by those fortunate few who survived them, that all fishing in these waters was abandoned and has never been resumed.

A swarm of sea carp, as huge as that which now surrounds the
Intrepid
, is sure to attract a hungry Xargath. You turn to look for the captain, to warn him of the danger his ship is in, when suddenly the shoal cease their thrashing and fall silent and still.

Turn to 60
.