Free Dawn of the Dragons by Joe Dever Page A

swine!’
    ‘What's going on? Who are these men?’ says 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.’
    Turn to 161 .

87
    You are part-way across the ford when alarm bells sound on both sides of the river.
    ‘Deserter at the ford!’ goes the cry from the Eldenoran fort. ‘Enemy spy approaching!’ shout the Slovian guards.
    Moments later, a hissing cloud of arrows and bolts descends on you from both sides and several missiles graze your back and thighs: lose 5 ENDURANCE points. But the speed of your surprise crossing and your Kai camouflage skills enable you to reach the Slovian side intact, and you disappear swiftly into the darkness of the plains beyond.
    Turn to 92 .

88
    The instant you pass through the Shadow Gate, you are assailed by howling gales and icy winds that freeze you to the bone: lose 3 ENDURANCE points. You feel as if both you and the Lavas are whirling downwards in ever-decreasing circles into the core of the 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. With fearful apprehension, you force open your eyes to look upon the nightmare realm that surrounds you.
    Turn to 64 .

90
    You enter Quill Street and ride along this narrow avenue, which is flanked by aromatic jala houses and perfumeries, until it turns abruptly right into a wider thoroughfare called Brass Street. Here you see the courtyard entrance to a grand building whose brick and marble façade is adorned with the words ‘Halls of Learning’. Suddenly you feel inexplicably drawn towards this building; it is as if it possesses the solution to all your problems.
    You enter and ride along a gravelled path which leads to a building where a sign, hanging over its richly-carved oak door, simply says ‘Library’. You feel compelled to stop here and, without quite knowing why, you dismount from your horse and tie his reins to a ring which is set into the wall. Then you push open the door and enter the library's cool interior.
    Countless thousands of books and parchments crowd the stone shelves of this magnificent library. Your eyes travel along them until they reach another door at the far end of the hall. There, standing framed in its archway, is an old man clad in plain brown robes. He looks at you and smiles knowingly.
    ‘Welcome, Grand Master,’ he says. ‘I have been expecting you.’
    If you have ever visited a hut on Raider's Road, the city of Tahou, or Lake Vorndarol (in previous
Lone Wolf
adventures), turn to 348 .
    If you have never visited any of these places, turn to 184 .

91
    You grab Dorst by the wrist and shake a dozen cards from his sleeve. A deathly silence descends on the group as all eyes look first at the cards, and then at you. Simultaneously, the men start to laugh like hyenas until tears are soon streaming down their faces. One by one, they jiggle their hands over the blanket and hidden cards cascade from all their sleeves.
    Turn to 15 .

92
    After the dangers of Eldenora, the plains of peaceful Slovia