The Heart of Fire (73 page)

You hesitate, distracted by the ranger’s words. But the iron golem is now charging in, spiked fists raking the air. ‘Me Maximus. Maximus gives death.’ It is time to fight:

Special abilities

If you are able to defeat this mighty warrior, turn to
498
. If you are defeated, turn to
464
.

485

Eva leads you into a vast cavern. A fire burns at the centre, its thick columns of black smoke spiralling up through the holes and fissures in the high ceiling. Amongst the
shifting firelight you see dozens of Wiccans. Some are basking in the warmth of the fire, singing or humming along to a musician who is eking out a sad tune on a fiddle. Others are attending to
various chores about the cave – tanning hides, sharpening weapons, mending clothing. It seems that this is part of a thriving community. Side tunnels snake off into other sections of the cave
system.

As you glance around the cavern, you see the rogue who saved you from Durnhollow. He is teaching a young child to fight, offering advice as he watches them thrust and pivot with wooden stumps
for weapons. Elsewhere, a line of warriors are having their bodies painted with coloured dyes. Eva takes your hand and points to a set of carved stairs, leading up to a shelf of rock.

‘Damaris waits for you there.’ Bowing her head, the woman leaves your side, joining a group of women who are daubing paint on the wall of the cave, adding to a long frieze of
colourful scenes.

486

‘This is Baba,’ smiles the girl, raising her arm so that you can get a better look at the purple-scaled serpent. ‘Look Baba, we have a customer.’ The
serpent’s wedge-shaped head twists around, regarding you with black, glassy eyes. Then it lunges forward with a sharp hiss, its fanged jaws stretched wide. You step away, hands raised
defensively.

‘Oh, don’t be frightened,’ giggles the girl. ‘I think she likes you.’

‘Really?’ you splutter, maintaining your distance.

‘Well, she’s been a little bad-tempered today; she gets that from her mother.’ The girl kneels beside one of the larger baskets, carefully lowering the agitated snake back
inside. ‘Perhaps one of the others will be more to your liking.’ She pauses, studying you thoughtfully. ‘Yes, the fer-de-lance – or even the monarch. Hmm, we’ve got
some options to play with. If you have the time, that is.’

If you are a venommancer turn to
467
. Otherwise, you swiftly decline the offer and resume your journey. Turn to
571
.

487

‘Everyone is born with an inner kha – a soul,’ explains the priest, tapping the centre of your chest. ‘But very few know how to truly open up to their
kha and draw on its power. Judah taught us this – that the holy light is a gift from the One God; a gift inside each and every one of us.’

With Benin’s help you discover that you can concentrate on this point of force within yourself, carefully nurturing it from the faintest embers into a steady white flame.

‘Good. An impressive start . . .’ Benin removes a silver necklace from around his neck and hands it to you. ‘Here, this will help you to channel that energy – to do the
work that the One God wills.’

You may now take:

Using the talisman, you discover that you are able to summon the flame more easily. With practice the flame quickly becomes a fire, which finally bursts into a raging torrent of white heat,
flowing through your body and filling it with power.

The acolyte has the following abilities:

Bless (mo)
: This ability can be cast at any time on yourself or an ally to heal 6
health
and increase one attribute (
magic
or
brawn
) by 1 for the remainder of the
combat.
Bless
can only be used once per combat.

Last rites (pa)
: Once an opponent has 15 or less
health
, you can instantly cast this spell to lower your opponent’s
speed
and
armour
by 1 for the remainder of
the combat.
Last rites
can only be used once per combat.

Thanking Benin, you leave the chapel and return to the courtyard. Turn to
260
.

488

‘I brought you south – to the Saskat prairies,’ explains Virgil. ‘Not an easy journey with the roads such as they are.’ He scratches at his chin
with a gloved hand. ‘I had to get you to Modoc as quickly as possible in order to,’ he pauses, his eyes studying your impressive scars, ‘preserve you.’

‘Preserve me?’ You glower, trying once again to push yourself up. ‘You make me sound like a museum exhibit.’

The witchfinder chuckles. ‘Well, you are a rarity and incredibly precious to us – be grateful that makes you worth the effort. Besides, we have need of your powers.’

Turn to
494
to ask another question, or turn to
433
to continue.

489

You leave the horses and continue on foot, clambering up the sheer slope to reach the causeway. Damaris leads the way, a feathered staff held out before her, its pale light
helping to push back the lingering shadows of dawn. Behind her towers the giant, Conall, his twin axes crossed at his back. You and Murlic bring up the rear, the rogue hissing curses beneath his
breath.

‘We should not have come here,’ he growls, casting scathing glances at his surroundings. ‘Duerdoun is cursed. A place of evil.’

As you pull yourself up onto the stone causeway, you get a glimpse of the place known as Duerdoun. Your first impression is one of jagged black teeth, stabbing through the morning mist. The
teeth are actually needles of rock, lining both sides of the causeway – some still intact, others broken and crumbling. They stretch away into the curling mist, to where you can dimly make
out a temple-like building, carved into the side of a dark mountain.

‘What was it used for?’ you croak, choking on the black dust thrown up by the wind.

‘It was an entrance way to a dwarf city,’ explains Damaris, looking back over her shoulder. ‘A place overrun with goblins and demons. It was sealed long ago, like most of their
great holdings.’

The giant makes a rumbling sound, deep in his chest. You note his concern, as the needle-like pillars either side of you start to glow with silvery-white runes. The warrior draws his axes,
falling into a crouch as their own runes flash into being.

‘This is not good,’ sighs Murlic, his narrowed eyes scanning the swirling mist. ‘This place does not want us here.’ Turn to
392
.

490

Anse frowns when he finds you standing at his side.

‘You have a thing for numbers,’ you remark, thinking back to the conversation in the taproom. ‘I’m guessing two are better than one, right?’

The fire giant rears up before you, revealing the many wounds that scour its molten skin. Anse has clearly been busy – his previous attacks have seriously weakened the monster. Perhaps you
have a chance to defeat it after all. It is time to fight:

Special abilities