The Heart of Fire

by Michael J. Ward

  211

  ‘My mother used to practise alchemy,’ explains Benin. ‘I know something of the art, enough for me to know where to look for answers.’ He glances over at the manticore nervously. ‘The church at Carvel has an extensive library; I was able to find a match for the charm in a dwarven tome. When the healers at the church couldn’t save the bishop, I knew then I’d have to fall back on the old ways.’

  He looks at you imploringly. ‘The spell can only be broken by using the same reagents. And one of those is the blood of a manticore.’

  The beast snorts, flapping its wings lazily. ‘Now, aren’t we a popular bunch?’

  ‘Please,’ begs the priest. ‘We must find out who did this. The bishop will know more, once we cure him of this curse!’

  Will you:

  Let Benin take the blood he needs? — 343

  Argue that you need the blood instead? — 259

  Convince Benin to help you defeat the manticore? — 280

  212

  ‘We tried,’ replies Damaris, a remembered pain furrowing her brow. ‘We went south, where the grasslands turn to dust. A hard land. The soil would not take our crops and the hunting was poor. We were starving, homeless. The creatures there, dust devils and sand goblins, preyed on our weak, harrowing us at every turn. In the end we had no choice but to return to the homeland, Gilglaiden. We are ready now – to do what we must to win it back.’

  Turn to 126 to ask Damaris another question.

  213

  ‘To learn the path of the mage, you need to be tested – we need to know that you have the mental strength to control the magic, to stave off the temptations that will come your way.’

  ‘What temptation?’ you ask with interest.

  ‘Our most powerful magics come from the essence of demons,’ explains Malak. He reaches inside his coat and pulls out a pulsing blue orb. As he holds it aloft, lightning begins to flicker around it. ‘This is my kha. It belonged to a demon once . . . but now I use it to draw power; to strengthen my magic. One day I will need to break my bond with it or else I will become the very demon I defeated to obtain it. Tell me,’ Malak’s lips curl into a scowl. ‘Do you really think you can master such power?’

  If you have the prince’s seal, turn to 288. Otherwise, you may question Malak further (turn to 139) or return to upper town (turn to 77).

  214

  After a tense wait, Surl and the mage return to deliver their report. As with the rest of the camp, the cabins have all been ransacked. Anything of value, including food, has been taken. Turn to 220.

  215

  The fog has thickened once again, obscuring your surroundings. Picking a direction at random, you press on through the barrows, looking for tombs that might offer up their riches.

  You haven’t travelled far before you become aware of something following you. There is the sound of padded feet. And a low, guttural growl.

  You spin around with weapons drawn, hoping to catch your pursuer. But there is nothing there, only a ghostly white mist. Another growl forces you to turn again. Your breath catches in your throat as you spot a dark shape moving towards you. The reek of damp earth and stagnant water grow stronger as the creature approaches, clawed feet crunching through the straggly grass.

  Then the fog parts and you see it. A black-haired wolf of immense size, its gangly shoulders almost as tall as your own. For a moment, you are held by its glittering yellow eyes . . .

  . . . and then you run.

  Frantically, you sprint across the uneven ground, with no sense of where you are headed. The beast is following, close on your heels, its wet snarling the only sound in the grim silence.

  Your foot catches on something – a root or a stone – and you find yourself flying forwards over the side of a steep hill. Unable to break your momentum, you tumble and slide through the damp grass, finally crashing down onto stony soil.

  You barely have time to clamber to your feet before the wolf is upon you. The stench of death is almost overpowering as a shaggy head, full of glittering fangs, fills your vision. Somehow, you are able to push the beast away, dodging a swipe from its curved claws. Desperately you back away, hands shaking as you grip your weapons. Then your heel hits against something hard. You can feel stone and earth pressing against your rear.

  Grimly, you realise you are trapped against one of the mounds.

  The dire wolf knows there is no escape. With frothy saliva dripping from its hairy jowls, the enormous beast rears back on its haunches and prepares to pounce. Turn to 11.

  216

  (If you have the word raven on your hero sheet, then turn to 199.)

  They call it the Pilgrim’s Road: a grand name for what is little more than a rutted dirt track, winding like a grimy smear through bleak hills and fenland. In places, it has become flooded with stagnant water, forcing you to splash through miles of weed-choked marsh, with only the occasional marker to signify that a road lies somewhere beneath.

  The cold of the land seeps into your boots – into your bones. After a tiring trek through the cloying mud, you are grateful when the track finally begins to rise, taking you into hills crowned with straggly trees and black gorse. In the distance you see a ribbon of lights shining through the pale mist. A sign by the roadside reads: ‘Raven’s Rest – 1 mile’.

  Before you can breathe a sigh a relief, you hear the snap of a twig to your left. There is a muffled curse.

  Quickly, you draw your weapons, as the first of the robbers comes hurtling out of the trees – a bone-thin man wielding a rake. Behind him you see two others, similarly armed with make-shift weapons – one holding a wooden club and the other a rust-bladed hoe.

  Will you:

  Make them pay for their foolishness? — 241

  Try and reason with them? — 37

  217

  Quest: The temple of Boom

  You hack angrily at the wall of creepers, snarling and spitting like some enraged demon. It has taken only half a day for the jungle to reduce you to this. The searing humidity is unbearable, soaking you in sweat and grime. It pastes your hair to your forehead, running into your eyes, down your back, tickling your neck and arms. Then there is the noise – a chirruping, shrieking, jabbering crescendo. It comes at you from all angles, battering you with unfamiliar sounds. You’ve learnt to ignore it, concentrating instead on the wildlife you can see. Snakes and spiders have now become commonplace, as well as the multi-legged bugs crawling through the leaf litter, some disguised to look like twigs or rocks, barely distinguishable from their surroundings.

  As you push on through the trees, your anger continues to build – anger at Virgil for sending you out here on this foolish mission, and anger at yourself for agreeing to it. To hunt a demon, of all things.

  ‘How do you hunt a demon?’ you growl crossly at no one in particular. It’s not even as if there are footprints to follow or a path of burning devastation to mark the way – anything that would give a clue. Instead, you feel utterly alone and lost, hemmed in on all sides by the thick forest.

  You stop at the banks of a sluggish river, its low-water level exposing tangled tree roots. Warily, you slide down to the muddy water and fill your canteen, taking thirsty gulps of the brackish water before tipping the rest over your head.

  A flash of light. A grinning skull leers at you through a putrid green mist.

  You stumble, blinking and gasping.

  A pillar of stone. A courtyard, littered with bones. The winged demon strides past ruined buildings. He is staggering – wounded. One side of his body is burnt, the skin blackened and scarred. A runed-iron box is cradled against his chest and from it you can feel an intense heat – blazing like a sun.

  When you open your eyes, you give a startled cry, seeing a grinning skull staring straight back at you. Your first instinct is to draw your weapons. Then you relax. The skull is simply a carving on the opposite bank of the river – part of a circular marker stone.

  The demon is here.

  Your hear
t beats faster. From your scars you feel a sudden, burning pain, which slowly grows in intensity, finally becoming an unbearable agony. You pull at your clothes, exposing your scarred shoulder. The blackened bruises have now spread, covering more of your skin in glittering dark scales. They give off a sickly-black smoke, reeking of brimstone.

  For an instant your rage subsides, replaced by a creeping, unsettling horror. Virgil was right – you are becoming a demon. Your body is now infected by some dark magic and unless you defeat Cernos, you will become more like him; more like a monster.

  The thought spurs you back into action, driving you into the murky waters of the river. You wade across to the opposite bank, your eyes fixed on the unsettling visage of the grinning skull. This is your first clue – your first step on the path to locating Cernos. Turn to 249.

  218

  The reverend falls to his knees, his life force ebbing away. ‘No! No! You will never have my secrets!’ He turns and, with the last of his strength, hurls a ball of green fire at the books on the altar. The fireball smashes into the stone, the books bursting into flame. He then slumps to the ground, his flesh withering away before your eyes. Within seconds, all that is left of the priest is a pile of bones.

  Searching his remains, you find 20 gold crowns. You may also choose one of the following rewards:

  Repentance

  Signet of sorrow

  Spectral shawl

  (left hand: staff)

  (ring)

  (cloak)

  +1 speed

  +1 brawn +1 magic

  +1 brawn

  Ability: channel

  Ability: suppress

  Ability: vanish

  When you have made your decision, turn to 275.

  219

  Somehow you are able to anticipate the monster’s blows, allowing you to twist and dodge the buzzing blades and swinging chains. It quickly becomes obvious that the demon is indiscriminate in its attacks, swiping its saws through the air in a blind frenzy. Using this to your advantage, you weave between the wooden soldiers, blocking and parrying their clumsy sword thrusts, whilst the giant shreds them to pieces.

  At last, after a gruelling battle, the demon lies dead – its whirring saws finally coming to a silent rest. Searching through the debris you find one of the following rewards:

  Iron stompers

  Lock jaw

  Buzz saw

  (feet)

  (head)

  (main hand: fist weapon)

  +1 speed +1 armour

  +1 brawn +1 armour

  +1 speed

  Ability: knockdown

  Ability: slam

  Ability: cleave

  You also find a collection of nuts and bolts, glowing with some residue of magic. (If you wish to take the nuts and bolts make a note of these on your hero sheet, they don’t take up backpack space.) When you have updated your sheet, turn to 412.

  220

  The captain chews thoughtfully on his roll of tobacco. ‘I expected the goblins to have holed up here; that’s what they normally do.’

  Vas, the shaven-headed warrior, returns to the group. ‘Snow’s making it difficult but I found goblin tracks coming down from the mountains. An equal number of tracks are headed away south. They didn’t stay here; must have moved on.’ The woman thrusts her knives back into her belt. ‘We gonna follow ’em? I didn’t come all this way just to eyeball the scenery.’

  The captain is silent for a moment, peering at the mountains through the thickening snow. ‘We go north.’

  There are gasps of surprise from the party. Surl voices what everyone is thinking. ‘But the gobboes went south . . .’ he says.

  The captain leans forward, spitting a stream of juice into the muddy snow. ‘They were in a hurry, fleeing from something – perhaps just a raiding party. Either way, our problem lies in that direction.’ He lifts his burly arm, pointing a finger towards the grey mountains. ‘I ain’t running after a few goblins. There’s gotta be more of ’em up there. You want to stop a flood, you go straight to the source.’

  The captain trudges off through the camp. Surl and Vas exchange looks, then grudgingly fall into step behind him, leaving the rest of you to bring up the rear. Turn to 183.

  221

  You spot the three farmers that had tried to rob you, sitting along one of the benches at the far end of the taproom. At first your eyes had passed over them, assuming they were just a group of gaudily-dressed nobles from some far flung city. But then you recognised the two boys; it is surely them, resplendent in tailored clothing, surrounded by a veritable feast of suckling pig and spiced potatoes. The boys are tucking into their food with gusto, whilst sharing jokes with some pilgrims on the next table. The father is supping his ale, his eyes fixed on a scabbarded sword resting on the table top.

  ‘Well, your fortunes have certainly changed,’ you smile, walking over to the table and gesturing to the succulent array of food.

  The boys smile up at you, mouths full. The father stands, awkwardly rearranging his ill-fitting doublet. ‘Me good friend, a pleasure to see yer.’ He grins, sporting a gold tooth. ‘Turns out me youngest was a better gambler than I thought. Please, will yer join us and share our food?’ He gestures to the bench opposite.

  You hesitate, reminded of your recent battle at the farmstead. Reaching into your pack, you lift out the locket that you found on Dagona’s body.

  The father gasps, his eyes widening. The two boys stop their eating as their attention shifts to the glittering chain and the broken-heart locket. ‘Is that . . . Mother’s?’ asks the youngest, forcing his words around a mouthful of food.

  ‘She is at rest,’ you add gravely, handing the chain over to the father.

  He takes it, his hands trembling as he lifts it up to his teary eyes. ‘This . . . this is hers, yes.’ He touches a similar chain that hangs around his neck, where you see the other half of the locket glittering in the lantern light. ‘It is good to know that she won’t suffer no more. Thank you.’ (Remove Dagona’s locket from your hero sheet.)

  The man reaches for the scabbarded sword. ‘I bought this . . . with half a mind to return to that cursed farm and do what . . .’ He stops, shaking his head. ‘I were a fool. I have not your courage. Take it. The blade is yours and good riddance to it.’

  You may now take the following special reward:

  Duty

  (main hand: sword)

  +1 speed +1 brawn

  Ability: charm, faith and duty set

  If you wish to decline the farmer’s kind offer, he offers you 30 gold crowns instead. After sharing food and conversation with the family, you take your leave and head back towards the bar. Turn to 172.

  222

  You are able to prise open the lid, revealing the gooey white paste held inside. (If you wish to take the extra-sticky glue simply make a note of it on your hero sheet, it doesn’t take up backpack space.)

  As you pocket your item, you notice that the portal is starting to fade. Not wishing to become trapped in the attic, you push through the remaining junk and step into the white light. Turn to 440.

  223

  Both travellers speak at the same time.

  ‘Nothing,’ snaps the man darkly.

  ‘Supplies,’ says the woman, talking over him. She flinches, realising her error. ‘Sorry,’ she says bashfully.

  You glance at the wooden crates, piled up in the back of the wagon. Most are plain, but you notice a couple carry the stamp of a white rose. The mark seems familiar – then you remember the crates that you saw being unloaded in the prince’s courtyard in Carvel. ‘The white rose,’ you comment, nodding to the crates. ‘That’s the symbol of the cardinals from the White Abbey.’

  The man shifts uneasily. ‘I had you down as a traveller, not a scholar. Perhaps you best move on now – stick to the travelling part, not the nosing around part, eh?’

  Will you:

  Ask what happened to the wagon? — 274

  Ask where they are travelling to? —
178

  Ask if you can help? — 141

  224

  The herbalist’s cottage is not difficult to find. It is lies on the edge of the village, a little way from the other buildings. The garden outside is overgrown with weeds, the building itself a burnt-out ruin. Clearly, when the villagers discovered that Rorus Satch was a vampire, they didn’t hesitate to put his home to the flame.

  You doubt you will find anything in the house, but the garden might still have some herbs growing in it. If you have the Handy Herbalist’s Spotter’s Guide then turn to 351. Otherwise, you realise that your paltry knowledge of herbs is not going to be enough to identify what you need. Frustrated, you turn your attention back to the village. You may now investigate the wishing well (turn to 13) or search the reverend’s home (turn to 210).

  225

  A short tunnel leads you through into a circular rock basin, open to the sky. The floor is littered with half-chewed bones and ragged scraps of cloth. Ahead of you, on a stone ledge, lounges an immense leonine creature. It is at least ten metres long from head to tail, its powerful white-skinned body rippling with muscle.

  The manticore.

  It is just like the stories you were told as a child: a savage predator with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle. The beast’s tail is scaled, tapering back into a barbed tip that drips with a deadly venom.

  Your heart sinks when you see it, knowing that you could never defeat such a beast. From the skeletons lying around you, it seems many others have tried – and failed.