The Heart of Fire (122 page)

785

You stumble through the battle, eyes stinging from the smoke. It is difficult to make out who is winning, if anyone – bodies of both tigris and hunters litter the
ground.

Ahead of you is a line of iron cages. Their captives are snorting and bellowing, battering against the bars to free themselves. In one you can see a squat four-legged beast, with a thickly
armoured hide and a cluster of horns for a face. In another is a winged reptile, shrieking as it throws itself against the sides of the cage, desperate to escape.

Suddenly the body of a tigris goes streaking past in a tumble of arms and legs. It is closely followed by another, howling in pain. You spin around to see a giant stomping through the smoke,
wielding a tree-sized club.

Will you:

786

‘This is the work of elves, not dwarves,’ says Virgil, lifting up a loose cog from the ground and brushing the dust from its surface.‘Fascinating. Avian would
have liked to have seen this.’

‘Elves?’ you frown. ‘How is that possible?’

The witchfinder shrugs. ‘The shroud here is thin, riven. The elven navigators could travel through it – perhaps one of their number ended up here after the city was deserted. Access
to a rune forge would have been a great boon for them – particularly in their fight against the legion. ’ He follows the system of cogs to a row of metal levers that appear to operate a
switch mechanism.

‘The lava is feeding the forge fires, look.’ He leans back, pointing to the rivers of molten rock, bubbling sluggishly along their grooved channels. ‘If we close them off, we
can lower the heat.’

For a moment, you struggle to grasp his meaning, then you spot the stone plugs, hanging over each of the outlets. You assume they can be lowered, to shut off each individual flow of lava.

‘The sprites will use the forge to heal,’ says Virgil. ‘I suggest we give them a little surprise.’

Will you:

787

For defeating Nephele, you may now help yourself to one of the following special items:

If you are
hexed
then you have gained an extra reward, turn to
708
. Otherwise, return to the quest
map
to continue your journey.

788

Back in the reading room, you may now investigate the crystal door in the north wall (turn to
809
), leave via the south exit, where the echoing
rumble can still be heard (turn to
854
), or head east, back into the maze of aisle ways (turn to
839
).

789

Thick flakes of ash rain down from the sky, glowing like embers as they burn against your weapons. You breathe in the stench of brimstone and allow yourself a smile. Whatever
it was, the wind demon has now been defeated.

Amongst the deepening piles of ash, you spot a glimmer of treasure. You assume it must have been caught up inside the demon’s body, but somehow managed to survive its deadly crushing
forces.

If you wish, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to
825
.

790

Your weapons carve a blazing trail through the tight press of shrieking creatures, blood and severed limbs flying in all directions. The onslaught seems endless – as soon
as one monster falls, there is another to take its place. Back-to-back with Avian, your attacks blur into an angered frenzy, chopping and blasting at the buzzing, shrieking swarm.

You are still swinging your weapons, snarling with anger, long after the last fury has fallen. It isn’t until you hear the crack of gunfire, tearing through the silence, that you snap out
of your reverie, blinking past the sweat and blood stinging your eyes.

Virgil spins his pistols, a boot resting on the corpse of the last hound. He watches you with a mix of admiration and uncertainty. ‘Demons against demons,’ he sniffs, holstering his
guns. ‘Now there’s a pretty sight . . .’

For your victory over the furies, you may now choose one of the following rewards:

When you have made your decision, turn to
798
.

791

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
.

792

The last sprite is extinguished in a cloud of fizzing steam. Victorious, you advance towards the cauldron, its runed pot still shaking and bucking with violent force. Suddenly
its blazing contents erupt into the air, forming a cascading column of molten fire. It sweeps up high into the shimmering haze, then comes crashing down like an angry wave. You dive for cover,
shielding your face, as the sizzling droplets coalesce into an immense giant of flame, its head crowned with spines of rippling smoke.

The fiend reaches for a black-iron hammer, resting next to the hearth. With its other hand, it grabs the black anvil and rips it from its foundations. Stone and dust cascade from its underside,
as the giant lifts its newfound weapons into the smoky air.

Virgil fires his pistols. The giant twists around, deflecting the shots with the iron anvil.

‘It’s using the anvil as a shield!’ shouts Virgil, springing back as the hammer comes crashing down.

You roll under the next swing, getting as close to the fiend as you dare. Its body is a raging bonfire, scorching your scaled skin and filling your lungs with blistering-hot smoke. Virgil
staggers back, the heat too much for him to bear.

‘
Burn!
’ snarls the demon. ‘
Your mortal flesh will feed my forge
!’

The demon raises its hammer once again. With an answering roar of your own, you hurl your weapons and magic against its blazing form. It is time to fight:

Special abilities