The Heart of Fire (48 page)

‘What am I becoming?’ You drop to your knees, looking down at trembling hands caked in blood and dust. For a brief moment, you wonder if they are still your own . . . if this body is
still your own, or whether it has become something else. An instrument of another power.

Then you hear a mournful wail, echoing through the mist. All around you the bones are starting to tremble and shake, as if still possessed of some dark life. You rise to your feet, turning
slowly on the spot as you see the fragments start to lift up like marionettes, scraping and sliding against each other as they re-arrange themselves back into skeletal shapes.

Another screeching wail. You turn, to see more of the undead spilling out of the fog, their hollow eyes bereft of care or compassion. In desperation, you try and call on the strange power that
aided you previously – struggling to find that core of fiery rage. But there is nothing there, save a dispiriting exhaustion. The skeletons close in once again. You raise your weapons and
resign yourself to your fate, knowing that when you fall in battle you will become just like them – another undead warrior, haunting this remote and forgotten place. Turn to
146
.

315

‘Traitor!’ Benin levels his staff at you. A bolt of white flame sizzles through the air, slamming into your chest and lifting you into the air. You crash down in
the muddy water, gasping for breath. From behind you, there is a thunderous explosion. For several moments your ears are ringing with white noise, then you hear horses whinnying and raised
cries.

‘Get the Sanchen,’ shouts the feathered woman, from somewhere nearby. ‘We’re leaving this place.’

You struggle to move but your limbs are not responding. The last thing you remember is the rain, spearing down from the black skies, beating against your pain-wracked body. Then the light fades
and a feverish darkness takes you. Turn to
423
.

316

The monk raises his glowing hands, his round face breaking into a gap-toothed smile. ‘I’ve waited years for my sanctifying. It’s not often a white abbot comes
here – I’m the last of my brothers to receive the blessing.’ He proudly studies the inscriptions, emblazoned into his skin. ‘Now I can complete my warrior training –
so I can finally fight for the One God.’

‘You choose not to use weapons?’ you ask, patting those that hang at your side.

The monk smiles again. ‘We follow the way of Saint Allam. He commanded his men to forsake their blades and trust in the One God. He gave them fists of light, to smite their foes with holy
vengeance. That faith is what we keep alive, here at the monastery.’ He clenches his fists, watching with delight as they spark and crackle with magic. ‘Swords can be untrustworthy,
they can dull and rust, be turned against you. But having faith in yourself . . . to be one with the power inside,’ he glances up at you, a zealous pride brightening his eyes,
‘that’s something no one can take away.’

You glance past his shoulder, to the door of ivory and gold. You assume that the white abbot, who gave this monk his inscriptions, must be taking residence inside the building.

317

Eldias frowns as he listens to your accusation. ‘Yes,’ he nods, tilting his head to one side as he looks you up and down. ‘I remember you. You look different:
thinner, leaner. Less meat.’

‘Is that all you have to say?’ You glower angrily. ‘I was made a prisoner of the inquisition. You know what happened to that child was an accident. I’m no
murderer!’

Eldias waves at you dismissively. ‘I was doing my job, what do you expect? I didn’t hand you over because of what you did – I gave you to the inquisition because of what you
are.’

‘Then what am I?’ you snap, glaring at him intently. ‘Enlighten me.’

Eldias looks about to say something, then checks himself – choosing his words carefully. ‘You were lost to some kind of vision when you attacked the boy. He was trying to help you;
he was trying to give you water. He didn’t know any better. You were not accountable for your actions. I know that.’

‘You didn’t answer the question.’

Eldias shrugs his shoulders. ‘You could be many things. But I think you might be a prophet; someone who sees future events, glimpses possible destinies. It’s a fine gift, but one
that is also dangerous. You need to control it – you need to know how to use it.’

‘Were you hoping the inquisition would teach me?’ you reply petulantly. ‘They had me chained in a cell while some clown filled me full of Elysium – they questioned me
again and again and . . .’ You stop, aware that the banging outside has intensified. From somewhere close by you hear glass breaking. A window.

Eldias drops a hand to one of his swords. ‘Well, you can either take your anger out on me or them,’ he says. ‘But I reckon your chances of survival are going to be considerably
better with me at your side.’

Turn to
347
to ask Eldias another question. When you are ready to continue, turn to
340
.

318

You pass beneath the archway, entering a circular room filled with rubble. Part of the ceiling and a wall have toppled inwards, offering an unnerving glimpse of the black
nothingness beyond.

A number of glowing wisps are floating above the loose stones. If you have a potion in your backpack, you could tip out its contents and fill the empty bottle with some of these strange balls of
light. This will replace your potion with the following item:

If you do not have a potion in your pack, then you have no way of capturing the wisps of magic – they simply slip through your fingers each time you try and catch one.

Turning back to the room, you see that the only other exit is another archway in the north wall, where a set of metal stairs wind away into the tower.

319

‘It can be a rough place,’ the leader grunts disparagingly. ‘Never used to be the case, but now too many mercenary types around. The travellers need
’em, for the protection. The roads ain’t . . . safe.’ He falls to silence, looking down at his feet.

‘Yes, I had noticed,’ you add tersely. ‘Perhaps Raven’s Rest will be more agreeable.’

The leader scowls, bristling. ‘Yer gotta understand,’ he glares. ‘We lost everything. I saws you was alone . . . I thought . . . .’ He shakes his head. ‘It makes no
matter, does it. We’re just as bad as those Wiccans. Judge all you like.’

320

You put your hands to the wheel and push. For the first few seconds you find yourself grunting with exertion, your boots sliding across the metal floor as you struggle to move
it. Then it gives a teeth-grating screech as it slowly begins to turn, grinding against the rust and grime that has gathered around its axle. After pushing it round a full turn, you hear a rumbling
coming from your left, followed by a loud clunk. Glancing around, you see that a glowing portal has now appeared against the west wall. It looks similar to the doorway that you used to escape from
the fire demon.

321

You chop up the leaves and root and add these to the potion base. The flowers are then crushed and mixed into the liquid, turning it from white to a light-shade of green. The
mixture has started to bubble and fizz. What ingredient will you add next?

322

‘That’s it! That’s it!’ You hear a childish peal of laughter, followed seconds later by a grating rumble. As you hurry towards the sound, you find
yourself turning a corner to see one of the wall panels sliding open to reveal a secret room.

The interior is dark and dusty, the metal walls blackened with streaks of soot. Thick black ash covers most of the floor, dotted with debris. Against the opposite wall a ladder leads up to a
metal gantry that circumvents the chamber, where a magic portal glows with a faint glimmering light.

You search through the ash, assuming there will be some reward hidden here. But all you find are the charred remains of wooden dolls, some broken tools and a rusted saw blade. Frustrated, you
kick at a mound of ash in anger – and give a cry of pain as your foot hits something very hard.

Dropping to your knees, you scrape the ash away to reveal a soot-blackened box. Flipping open the lid you discover two compartments inside. One contains 20 gold crowns, the other a set of
stonecutter’s tools – a wooden mallet, a hammer, and a set of metal chisels. (If you wish to take the
stonecutter’s tools
then simply make a note of them on your hero
sheet, they do not take up backpack space.)

You climb up to the gantry and step through the portal. There is a bright flash of white light, accompanied by the dizzying sensation of movement, then you find yourself stumbling out into a
small square room. A quick scan of your surroundings confirms you are back where you started, with the trapdoor opening in the floor ahead of you. You step around it, eager now to explore the noisy
workshop below. Turn to
398
.

323

One book immediately stands out from the others – a great thick tome bound in black leather. You reach up and take it off the shelf. Despite its considerable size, the
book is peculiarly light. Cracking open the cover, you flick through its yellowed pages. Each one is covered in strange glowing runes, which seem to dance before your eyes. If you have a
magic
score of 5 or more turn to
81
. Otherwise, you cannot make sense of the arcane glyphs. Closing the book, you place it back on the shelf before contemplating
your next action.

324

‘Yes, I’m afraid my intention to chart the entire jungle has proved a trifle optimistic.’ He taps his finger in the middle of the large blank circle that
blemishes his map. ‘This is what happens when you have to rely on others.’

‘You haven’t been into the jungle yourself?’ you enquire.

‘Cripes no!’ he bristles with affront. ‘I’m a man of learning. I’m far too important to risk on some dangerous and poorly-financed expedition. Could you imagine the
heat with
my
boils?’

You grimace at the thought. ‘Well, you’ve not done a bad job of it so far,’ you smile weakly, changing the subject.

The scholar nods, looking over the rest of the map. ‘Yes, I suppose the explorers from the university haven’t been a complete waste. Shame I keep losing the little blighters. It
really makes my work so much harder.’

Turn to
386
to ask the scholar another question or turn to
548
if you wish to leave and continue your journey.