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<p>The Prince smiles when you refuse to let him attempt the long journey to Seroa alone.</p>
- <p><quote>Very well, Grand Master,</quote> he says, <ch.apos/>so be it. In truth, I could not hope for a more worthy companion on the road ahead. Come, let us plan our way as best we can.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>Very well, Grand Master,</quote> he says, <quote>so be it. In truth, I could not hope for a more worthy companion on the road ahead. Come, let us plan our way as best we can.</quote></p>
<p>Acraban has one of his men fetch his compass and charts from the skyship to help you to determine the swiftest route overland to Seroa. You quickly establish your present location and suddenly you realize how difficult the journey ahead will be. Seroa lies over 1,200 kilometres to the east, beyond mountains, plains and uncharted wilderness. You calculate that in order to reach the city in time you must cover no less than 60 kilometres every day.</p>
<p><quote>On foot, across such harsh terrain<ch.ellips/> it is impossible,</quote> says Acraban, shaking his head. <quote>Perhaps so,</quote> replies Karvas, <quote>but if we had horses then it could be done.</quote></p>
<p>You scan the surrounding forest and let your Kai senses wander afar. <quote>There are no horses in this timberland, my lord,</quote> you say, certain in the knowledge that your judgement is correct. Karvas acknowledges your skill with a wry smile.</p>
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<p>You spend the evening aboard the <cite>Starstrider</cite> in the company of your two companions. In the comfort of Acraban<ch.apos/>s quarters, you study charts and maps of the Isle of Sheasu in preparation for tomorrow<ch.apos/>s voyage. The northern coastline stretches for more than 200 miles and it is indented with hundreds of bays and tiny inlets. Searching this territory for Prince Karvas<ch.apos/>s home will be a difficult task, yet, thanks to the <cite>Starstrider</cite>, not an impossible one.</p>
<p>Lord Zinair gives Acraban a small seeing-stone, one of a pair that he possesses. It will enable him to stay in contact with the elder magician and inform him when the Prince has been found. Lord Zinair has decided it is best that he go back to Suhn aboard The Azaktara. He has fulfilled his promise to Lone Wolf that he would escort you swiftly and safely here to Mydnight, and the time has now come for him to return to his ambassadorial duties. Before he leaves for his ship moored in the harbour, he wishes you both a swift, sure, and successful voyage.</p>
- <p><quote>I look forward to the day we shall meet again, my lords,</quote> he says. Though I shall not be with you in body, my spirit will travel with you all the way to Seroa. Good luck and godspeed.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>I look forward to the day we shall meet again, my lords,</quote> he says. <quote>Though I shall not be with you in body, my spirit will travel with you all the way to Seroa. Good luck and godspeed.</quote></p>
<p>You rise before daybreak and as the first rays of the morning sun creep over the horizon, you hear Acraban giving the order to commence the voyage north. From the forward deck rail you watch in fascination as the hovels and harbour of Mydnight slide gently away beneath the keel. The hum of the skyship<ch.apos/>s engine increases in pitch as it steady gains speed and altitude, until soon all you can see are the hills and valleys of Sheasu whirling past far below.</p>
<p>The flight to the north coast takes a day to complete. Upon arriving in this remote region you soon realize that the shoreline will prove more challenging to explore than had been expected. Much of the coast is forested, and there are countless miles of undercut cliffs and steep ravines that could keep entire villages hidden from the air. For two days the <cite>Starstrider</cite> follows the coastline with all hands on look-out duty, yet no human habitation is sighted. It is not until the afternoon of the fourth day of your voyage that your luck changes for the better. An eagle-eyed crewman on the forward deck spots a tiny clearing on a wooded peak overlooking a crescent-shaped bay. You magnify your vision and see, in the centre of this clearing, a single-storey house with a split log roof, surrounded by animal pens and shelters. You feel sure that you have found the prince<ch.apos/>s retreat and you ask Acraban to bring the skyship down within a mile of the settlement so as to avoid the risk of frightening him away. He complies, and within a matter of minutes the <cite>Starstrider</cite> is hovering above the treeline less than a mile from the clearing. Acraban hands over command of the skyship to Gora, his bo<ch.apos/>sun, and then you and he are lowered to the ground in the boarding cage.</p>
<p>After landing, you quickly discover a narrow trail that wends its way through this thickly wooded headland. You volunteer to take the lead and you follow this track as it meanders towards the clearing. Wind whistles through the surrounding pines but the timberland itself is strangely silent; you can hear no sound from the beasts and birds that dwell herein.</p>
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<p>You pass the hours before daybreak in a restless, semi-conscious state. You cannot sleep properly for your mind is tormented by the gnawing fear that your mission has come to an early and tragic end. You rise before dawn and try to overcome your melancholic mood by tending to the three wounded crew members. Through the use of your Kai curing skills you are able to accelerate their own natural healing processes so that, when daybreak finally arrives, they are no longer incapacitated by the injuries they received in the crash.</p>
<p>As the grey morning light filters down through the canopy of the forest, it reveals a corridor of smashed and flattened trees lying in the wake of the crippled <cite>Starstrider</cite>. Acraban and his bo<ch.apos/>sun make a lengthy inspection of the craft and then report their findings.</p>
- <p><quote>The glad news is that she<ch.apos/>s repairable,</quote> pipes bo<ch.apos/>sun Gora, confidently. <quote>She looks bad but her engine<ch.apos/>s as sound as a bell. We<ch.apos/>ve the materials and tools aboard to fix <quote>er stabilizers, and there<ch.apos/>s mor<ch.apos/>n enough timber <quote>round here to patch up the decks and hull.</quote> Acraban nods his agreement yet, unlike his bo<ch.apos/>sun, his face remains dour.</p>
+ <p><quote>The glad news is that she<ch.apos/>s repairable,</quote> pipes bo<ch.apos/>sun Gora, confidently. <quote>She looks bad but her engine<ch.apos/>s as sound as a bell. We<ch.apos/>ve the materials and tools aboard to fix <ch.apos/>er stabilizers, and there<ch.apos/>s mor<ch.apos/>n enough timber <ch.apos/>round here to patch up the decks and hull.</quote> Acraban nods his agreement yet, unlike his bo<ch.apos/>sun, his face remains dour.</p>
<p><quote>Aye, she<ch.apos/>ll fly again,</quote> confirms Acraban, <quote>but it<ch.apos/>ll take us close to a month to craft the parts we need to repair the stabilizers.</quote> He turns to Prince Karvas and says: <quote>Alas, my lord, by then it will be too late to reach Seroa in time for your crowning.</quote></p>
<p><quote>What if we were to seek aid from the craftsmen of Bakhasa?</quote> you say, knowing by instinct and a brief study of your <a idref="map">map</a> that this city can be no further than 100 kilometres away to the east. <quote>Could the repairs be made any sooner with their help?</quote></p>
<p><quote>Expect no help from that quarter,</quote> replies Karvas, coolly. <quote>During my time in Mydnight I heard many stories about Bakhasa and its ruler<ch.emdash/>the Imperial Autarch Sejanoz. They were all chilling tales. They say it<ch.apos/>s a cruel and evil place<ch.emdash/>a city without a soul where human life counts for little. If you wish to live to see your homeland again, master Acraban, you should not seek the help of the Bakhasians. Better by far to keep your work hidden from their eyes.</quote></p>
<meta><title>346</title></meta>
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- <p>You hand over all of your money (erase everything from the belt pouch section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>) and the ticket seller pockets the coins with glee. <quote>Where are our tickets?</quote> demands Karvas, but the thin man merely waves his hand disdainfully and retorts: <quote>I told you, all tickets are sold. Just go aboard and lie low with the cargo <quote>til tomorrow. Once she<ch.apos/>s underway, you<ch.apos/>ll not be needing tickets. It<ch.apos/>s a straight voyage down the river to Seroa. She<ch.apos/>ll not be stoppin<ch.apos/> along the way.</quote></p>
+ <p>You hand over all of your money (erase everything from the belt pouch section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>) and the ticket seller pockets the coins with glee. <quote>Where are our tickets?</quote> demands Karvas, but the thin man merely waves his hand disdainfully and retorts: <quote>I told you, all tickets are sold. Just go aboard and lie low with the cargo <ch.apos/>til tomorrow. Once she<ch.apos/>s underway, you<ch.apos/>ll not be needing tickets. It<ch.apos/>s a straight voyage down the river to Seroa. She<ch.apos/>ll not be stoppin<ch.apos/> along the way.</quote></p>
<p>You hurry aboard and make your way to the cargo hold in the belly of the boat. You make yourselves as comfortable as you can among the bales of linen and flax stored here. After a short while you hear the clang of the riverboat<ch.apos/>s bell. It is a signal that she is about to set off for Seroa in fifteen minutes<ch.apos/> time, and a last call for passengers who are still in Xaia. Once everyone is aboard, the gangplank is raised and the riverboat<ch.apos/>s waterwheel begins to turn. As you feel the boat getting underway, you settle yourself down among the bales and quickly drift off to sleep.</p>
<choice idref="sect46">To continue, <link-text>turn to 46</link-text>.</choice>
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