Free The Kingdoms of Terror by Joe Dever Page A

The tavern crowd view the scene with relish, like spectators at a Vassagonian arena, for the lordling clearly intends to kill the old man.
    If you possess a Bow, turn to 301 .
    If you do not possess a Bow, turn to 78 .

221
    The soldier removes a sputtering torch from a bracket on the wall and returns to your side. Holding the torch high, he casts his eye over you and your horse and rubs his stubbly chin.
    ‘You come from Varetta or Soren? Long ride either way you must be tired. In you go, but in the future be sure to get a cess — some o' my brother-guards ain't so understanding.’
    You thank the guard and ride in through the town gate.
    Turn to 129 .

222
    The monster dives straight for you from the top of the stairs. You hold your ground and land a well-timed and deadly accurate blow, which opens a gaping wound in the creature's neck, killing it instantly. However, the strength of your blow is not enough to turn its heavy body aside and you cannot avoid being crushed beneath the Yawshath as it hits the flagstones. You lose 12 ENDURANCE points.
    If you are still alive, turn to 106 .

224
    ‘Hell's teeth!’ cries the captain. ‘Have we run aground?’
    As the words leave his lips, a grapnel and rope drop from the sky and bite into the ship's rail. More follow and, through the mist, you can make out the shapes of longboats approaching.
    ‘River pirates!’ shouts the helmsman. ‘Prepare to repel boarders.’
    Further along the deck, one of the captain's men is felled by a thrown knife. His comrades rush to his aid, but by now the river pirates are pouring over the side and he is trampled underfoot.
    ‘Battle order!’ bellows the captain and immediately his men respond, linking shields and holding their ground. A swarm of grim-faced pirates are boarding close by. One of their number, a lean man with only one ear and a split nose, smiles at you with anticipation, his lips drawn back from his teeth and his eyes wide with excitement. He is obviously relishing the thought of ending your life.
    If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 170 .
    If you wish to prepare for combat by other means, turn to 92 .
    If you wish to evade combat, turn to 286 .

229
    The Ogrons are poor archers, and in the gathering gloom they fail to drop an arrow within ten feet of you. You paddle across to the far side and as soon as the pontoon grounds on the bank, you slip ashore and creep across the rocks to the sewer outfall.
    Turn to 249 .

230
    ‘A toast to our gallant friend,’ cries the soldier with the pock-marked face. ‘Honour in battle!’ shouts the red-haired man to his left. ‘And a rich purse for the victor,’ retorts the other. They laugh heartily and raise the flagons to their lips. Their smiling faces are completely hidden by the jugs as they drink their fill. A full minute of silence passes before the three jugs are slammed to the table, emptied of ale.
    The strong beer soon dissolves any guardedness, and they become very talkative about themselves. You take this opportunity to ask them what they know of the Lorestone of Varetta.
    ‘Legend,’ belches the red-head, ‘myth or legend.’ ‘Not so,’ interrupts Pock-face. ‘It's real enough, but it was lost years ago. The Lorestone is magical — it holds a power that can turn an ordinary man into a king.’

    On hearing this, the other soldiers snigger, but Pock-face ignores them and continues. ‘The Lorestone was once set into the throne of Lyris, at the Tower of the King in Varetta. Hundreds of years ago, during the War of the Lorestone, it was stolen by a Salonese prince called Kaskor. He set the stone upon a gold sceptre and used it in battle to inspire his followers. He believed that it made him invulnerable, but it was not so. He was killed in a battle on board his royal barge at Rhem, and the Lorestone was lost when it fell from his hand into the depths of the River Storn. However, that is not the end of the story. There are many tales about the sceptre