The Heart of Fire (112 page)

If you are
hexed
then you have gained an extra reward, turn to
838
. Otherwise, return to the quest
map
to continue your journey.

724

Avian blasts the troll off its feet. As it scrabbles through the bones, struggling to right itself, you leap onto its ribcage and bring your weapons down – slicing
through the growth-like club. The grisly appendage goes sailing away in a sickening spray of foul pestilence.

‘No!’ hisses the troll, raising the severed stump to its hollow eye-sockets.

‘My pretty! My treasure! My shiny fing!’

You swing your weapons again, watching with a grim satisfaction as the troll’s skull leaves its shoulders, rattling away to join the rest of the bones littering the passageway. The body
gives an agonised spasm, the legs kicking in the slimy dirt, then it lies still – dust motes swirling like carrion flies over its tattered remains.

For defeating Nergal, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

When you have made your decision, turn to
635
.

725

You place the bird tablet into the hole. There is a sharp click as it slots into place, followed by a scraping rumble as the final tier of the pyramid rises up. Resting on top
of it is a small bronze urn. If you wish, you may take:

If you haven’t already, you can search the main chamber (turn to
508
) or leave and continue your journey (turn to
563
).

726

You scoop up a rock and charge at the rogue. For a split second Murlic’s eyes widen in surprise, then his familiar scowl returns. He swipes his daggers through the air,
cutting angry red trails towards your chest. The blow would have hit you, and possibly ended your life there and then, but a blast of black magic slams into his side, blowing him back into the
opposite wall.

As his smoking body slides to the ground, he fixes you with a contemptuous glare. ‘Foolish cur . . . it’s the witch . . .’

Suddenly your surroundings start to blur, sweeping into ribbons of ochre light. You hear a woman’s laughter – cold and shrill – reverberating all around you. Then you lurch
forwards, as if pushed by some invisible hand, to find yourself standing in a ruined building. A female tigris lies sprawled at your feet, blood pooling around her broken body. It is Scowler. Turn
to
435
.

727

Legendary monster: Ixion, the wheel of pain

The tortured screams carry across the churning waves of the lava sea. You spin around, eyes roving across the floating fragments of rock. At first, you don’t see anything
untoward – then, between the banks of steaming mist, you catch what looks like a giant wheel, bouncing and lurching through the lava. As it circles around your island, you realise that your
eyes are not deceiving you – it is a wheel, one made of metal, with serrated spikes protruding from its outside edge.

The screams are coming from some poor victim, bound to the wheel’s spokes. His arms and legs are manacled, his head held back by a cruel metal collar. He writhes and squirms in pain, his
skin already blackened and charred, stretched taut over thin bone. By all reason he should be dead, fried to cinders – and yet some dark magic is keeping him alive, his tormented visage
emitting an endless stream of wails and curses.

You glance at Virgil, his gem-studded eyepatch gleaming in the heat.

The witchfinder slides his pistols from his coat. ‘Let’s put this devil out of his misery.’

The wheel flips up on a viscous wave, spinning through the air towards your island. You scramble aside as it comes crashing down, its jagged spikes ripping deep furrows into the black rock.

‘Fools!’ The charred man leans forward, pulling against his restraints. ‘There is no escape. No escaping the pain!’ From his mouth comes a rippling torrent of flame, its
edges flickering with ghostly skulls. You cover your face from the heat as the wheel screeches past, missing you by a hair’s breadth. As it circles around to make its next pass, you draw your
weapons and prepare to take on this hellish wheel of pain. It is time to fight:

Special abilities

In this combat you roll against the wheel’s speed. If you win a combat round, you can choose to apply your damage to the wheel or Ixion. Once the wheel is reduced to zero
health
, Ixion is also automatically defeated.

If you manage to destroy this tumbling torture-chamber, turn to
888
.

728

You search through the grisly remains of the golem, wondering if there is anything of value that can be salvaged. Amongst the charred bones and magic-imbued flesh, you find one
of the following special rewards:

When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to
877
.

729

With the mighty black panther defeated, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

You also take
Gheira’s paw
, as proof of your victory (make a note of this on your hero sheet, it does not take up backpack space). If you have the
glaive of souls
equipped,
turn to
663
. Otherwise, return to the quest
map
to continue your adventure.

730

Blood and gore spatter in all directions as your weapons cleave through the demon’s body. Unable to reform itself, the creature gives a gurgling screech before collapsing
into a thick pool of steaming slime. Wafting away the noxious vapours, you spy a number of valuable treasures bobbing on the surface.

You have gained 200 gold crowns and one of the following rewards:

With the demon defeated, you help Virgil to destroy the gate. Once the runes have been broken and the portal closed, the witchfinder turns on you angrily.

‘Demons!’ he spits. ‘Next time, I suggest you listen to my counsel. Their art is murder and deceit.’ He glowers at your scaled flesh. ‘Just be grateful I do not
choose to judge you, demon.’

He spins on his heel and marches away, his boots squelching through the slime. You glance back at the gate, wondering if there is a ring of truth to the witchfinder’s words – the
demon blood courses through your veins. With every hour, you feel yourself changing . . . becoming more like them.