The Heart of Fire (55 page)

‘I ain’t leaving you here,’ he growls. ‘Come on, Vas. Lift!’

Together, they place their hands under his arms and hoist the burly warrior to his feet. The captain looks haggard, sagging in their arms. ‘You should leave me,’ he rasps.

‘It’s not fatal,’ says Surl, wincing as he looks down at the wound. ‘We’ll get you out of here.’

As they move away, the captain glances in your direction. ‘To stop the flood . . . go straight to the source. Find out . . . what is causing this . . .’

‘Hey, enough crazy talk,’ snaps Vas. ‘We’re done here. We’re out!’

As they start back across the cave, you find yourself hesitating. Vas looks back, frowning. ‘Tell me you aren’t gonna play the hero?’ She shakes her head. ‘Well,
you’re on your own, fool.’

You wave them away, then turn back to the heaped mound of beetle bodies. The captain is right – there must be something deeper in this cavern network that is producing these strange
creatures. Turn to
355
.

371

Legendary monster: Kaala

Night-time is never a pleasant experience in the jungle. Even with a makeshift shelter to escape the worst of the rain, there are still the bugs to contend with. Every inch of
your body feels like it is under assault – driving you to the edge of insanity with the constant scratching, itching, chewing . . .

And so, after a hard day’s travel, when the last thing you want to do is to spend another night in this rain-sodden, bug-infested place, a bright welcoming light is hard to ignore. You
approach warily, having learnt that most things in the Terral Jungle are designed to lure and then eat you, but when you finally break from the trees, angrily brushing away yet another bug intent
on chewing your neck, you see that the glow is coming from a set of crystal pillars, lining the walls of a narrow gully. Passing between them, you are led to the opening of a cave where more
crystals grow out of the grey rock, bathing it in the same phosphorescent glow.

Shelter and light. It is almost too good to be true.

The cave turns out to be a tunnel, descending further into the rock. Following it, you are brought to the banks of an underground pool, its perfectly-still surface mirroring the hundreds of
crystals protruding from the ceiling and the cavern walls. Removing your pack, you prepare to strip off and take a dip in the inviting waters – eager to wash away the stink of the jungle.

As you unbutton your shirt, your hands brush against the demon scars, and the scales now growing around them. In the crystal light they appear like gemstones, coating your skin in the same blue
glow as the rest of the cave. It is almost mesmerising, as you stroke the hard ridges, wondering how long it will be before your entire body is covered in this strange demonic armour.

A splash from the pool drags you from your reverie. You step closer to its edge, peering out across the sparkling water. Something is moving beneath the surface, its own body glittering like a
trail of diamonds. At first, you are not sure if it is a trick of the light; this whole cave seems to have an hypnotic quality to it, the blue crystals bouncing light off hundreds of surfaces. But
no, you are sure this is no trick – there is something down there in the pool, winding through its turquoise depths. You blink in an attempt to refocus. When you look again, it is gone.

You rub your eyes, wondering if tiredness is to blame.

Then the waters of the pool explode outward, drenching you from head to foot. You slip on the wet stones, crashing down onto your back as a set of fangs snap closed inches from your face.
Shaking with shock, you scramble across the ground, eyes locked on the serpentine head rocking back and forth. The creature is huge – you can dimly see the coils of its enormous body winding
in and out of the water, the white scales spotted with glowing sigils of magic.

The serpent gives a rattling hiss, its head continuing to rock from side to side. You find yourself gazing into bright white eyes that seem to grow larger and more intense, capturing the
reflection of the blue crystals and dazzling you with their brilliance. It takes a supreme effort to break that entrancing gaze, as you reach for your weapons and prepare to take on:

Special abilities

If you manage to defeat Kaala, turn to
537
.

372

It is only a few hours until dawn. Your skin tingles with the cold, frost sparkling in the moonlight. When you reach the church, Eldias has his eyes closed, his head slumped
forward onto his chest. You fear that you might already be too late to save him. However as you approach, picking your way between the corpses of the ghouls, he lifts his head, giving a low
groan.

You move to his side, kneeling to offer him the potion. His eyes flick open as you hold the mouth of the bottle to his fanged lips. There is a flicker of surprise on his face, then he greedily
accepts the strange brew, gulping it down thirstily. Within seconds, there is nothing left – he has drunk the entire contents. (Remove the
unknown elixir
from your backpack.)

You lean back, watching him with concern, wondering if the concoction you created was indeed a cure, or something that might have done more harm. Eldias remains silent, his breathing still
laboured, forming bright clouds in the chill air. Then, as the sky turns a blood red, brightening towards the dawn, you see him transform before your very eyes. His skin flushes with colour, the
fangs sliding back beneath his gums. A blink of his eyelids reveals blue-grey eyes, filled with a sudden vigour.

Eldias forces out a wheezing laugh. ‘I feel . . . I feel . . .’

He grips your arm, using it to regain his feet. As he lets go, he takes a moment to settle his balance, clenching and unclenching his fists. ‘It can’t be . . .’ He shakes his
head. ‘I feel it. . . I feel it gone.’

It appears that the potion worked. The witchfinder has been cured of his vampirism. Together you leave the blighted village, as the rising sun finally breaks through the clouds.

‘Thank you, my friend,’ smiles Eldias, clasping your hand. ‘I do not know how I can thank you; how to repay you. Perhaps . . .’ He reaches inside his coat, producing a
double-barrelled pistol and a thin silver dagger. ‘I was given these when I completed my apprenticeship. Here, I think it’s time they served a new master now.’

You may choose one of the following rewards: