The Heart of Fire

by Michael J. Ward

  The beast is watching you through heavy-lidded eyes.

  ‘Did you have a plan?’ whispers Benin, his voice shaking. ‘I assume you’re an accomplished hunter, come to gain another trophy?’

  You are about to answer, when the beast rises onto its forelegs, its immense wings snapping back from its broad shoulders. After giving a long yawn, displaying the largest set of canines you have ever seen, it shakes its shaggy mane from side-to-side, its neck bones clicking.

  Then it speaks.

  ‘Why are you here?’ it asks, in a deep and sonorous voice – magnified a hundred-fold from the high stone walls.

  Your shocked expressions draw a smile from the beast. ‘I see you had been expecting a fight, not a conversation.’ Its barbed tail flicks lazily from side-to-side. ‘Sometimes, I do like to approach matters in a more . . . civilised way. Now speak – or a fight is what you’ll get!’

  Benin steps forward, bowing awkwardly. ‘The . . . the bishop of Carvel has been the victim of a . . . a sinister attack,’ he stammers. ‘I know how to break the spell, but I need . . .’ He pauses, nervously licking his lips. ‘I need your blood to break the curse.’

  It takes a moment for the priest’s words to sink in.

  ‘You as well?’ you frown. ‘I should have guessed . . .’

  ‘What!’ Benin exclaims in surprise. ‘You’re not a hunter?’

  ‘I need the blood. I made a promise to someone.’

  ‘To who?’ he demands, his face suddenly flushed with anger. ‘It’s the thief, isn’t it? The one who stole the relic!’

  ‘Wait, I don’t know . . .’ you implore.

  ‘The bishop is dying!’ Benin shakes a clenched fist. ‘He needs this cure.’

  ‘And I’m helping a man who was attacked in your church,’ you snap, losing your patience. ‘A charm was used on him – and I need the blood or he will die.’

  Laughter booms from the canyon walls. ‘And do I have a say in this matter?’ asks the manticore, flexing one of its enormous paws.

  Its words bring you both up short.

  ‘Then speak, great one,’ says Benin, bowing once again.

  ‘I know who made the charm,’ snarls the manticore, ‘and they are stronger than anything I have previously encountered.’ The creature turns to display its left flank, where a jagged wound cuts across its white flesh. ‘They took my blood for a ritual and I was powerless to stop them.’ The beast settles back onto the stone ledge. ‘But you two do not have such power, so I will offer you a choice instead.’ The creature’s mouth twists into a cruel smile. ‘Decide who is most worthy to take a single drop of my blood – and you will have it.’

  You are about to protest, when Benin spins to face you. ‘I must have it!’ he demands. ‘The bishop must live!’

  Will you:

  Argue that you need the blood? — 259

  Challenge Benin to defend his claim? — 240

  Convince Benin to help you defeat the manticore? — 280

  226

  ‘Ah, excuse me clumsiness,’ says the bearded man. ‘Not used to the confines of civilisation. I prefer more . . . open spaces, if you know what I mean.’ He quickly adjusts his balance as someone else nudges past him, nearly upsetting his mugs once again. ‘Ugh, would yer look at me. Could shoot a marsh rat at a thousand paces, but here I am struggling to hold a few cups of beer.’

  You try and move past – only to find the burly man in your way again, his eyes fondly appraising your gear.

  ‘Say, would you be looking for some work?’ he asks hopefully. ‘It’d help me out of a real pickle. Here, follow me – we got a private booth away from the crowd.’ He raises a mug, gesturing towards the far wall where a tattered velvet curtain is drawn across an alcove.

  Will you:

  Follow the man (this starts a red quest)? — 119

  Decline the man’s offer? — 283

  227

  Desperately, you scrabble up the side of the building, putting your foot on the nearest windowsill and then jumping onto the sloping slate tiles above the door. A zombie makes a grab for you, screeching at the top of its lungs. You kick it away, watching as the body tumbles back into the crowd of snarling villagers. Then, after finding your balance on the sloping roof, you grab the edge of an upper-storey window and pull yourself up. To your relief you see that the window is slightly ajar. Gritting your teeth, you haul yourself up the rest of the way, wrenching your body through the opening.

  You land in a heap on the dusty floor of a bedroom. It is dark and cold, your breath gasping out frosty clouds in the gloom. The deafening screams and shouts of the undead still ring in your ears. From below you hear banging – fists hitting against stone and wood. They are trying to break in.

  You scramble to your feet and hurry through the door opposite. It leads on to a landing, with another room across from you and a set of stairs leading down to the ground floor. You notice a glimmer of light spilling into the hall. It is coming from one of the rooms below you.

  Will you:

  Inspect the other bedroom? — 195

  Descend the stairs to investigate the light? — 55

  228

  You have defeated all three of the golems. The portal flashes into being and a chest appears, waddling forward on a series of spider-like legs. It trundles over to you then lowers to the ground, flipping open its lid to allow you to view the treasures inside.

  You find 20 gold crowns and may help yourself to one of the following rewards:

  Patchwork gloves

  Torque of iron

  Rock shoulders

  (gloves)

  (necklace)

  (cloak)

  +1 magic +1 armour

  +1 brawn +1 magic

  +1 armour

  Ability: charm

  Ability: rust

  Ability: might of stone

  The portal shimmers and then fades to nothingness. The only other exit from the room is the balcony. Thankfully, the remains of the metal warrior lie slumped in a heap underneath it. Using the warrior as a make-shift set of stairs, you sprint up its iron body and then make a jump for the bottom of the balcony. You manage to grab one of the rails, swinging a leg up to hook around another. Steadily, you raise yourself up over the side to land in a panting heap on the balcony floor. After brushing yourself down, you draw your weapons and head through the arch at the balcony’s rear, determined to hunt down this elusive child. Turn to 289.

  229

  You have barely entered the cave before you sense that something is wrong – a cold tingle races up your spine. The others seem less perturbed, briskly marching forward, eyes scanning their new surroundings. As with the previous areas, the cave is lit by phosphorescent fungi, growing in clusters around a series of stone pillars. These pillars form a dense forest, obscuring the other side of the cave.

  ‘Are we looking for ants or gobboes?’ growls Surl, his fingers clenching and unclenching around his broadsword.

  ‘Both, you idiot,’ snaps Vas, spinning her daggers in her hands. ‘Shut up and keep watching.’

  The party advances through the cave, taking a snaking path between the pillars of rock. You still can’t shake your sense of dread – your sense that something very bad is about to—

  There is a scream from behind you.

  One of your party members grips their chest, looking down at a blossoming wound. You see green venom bubbling between their fingers. With a gargling cry, they drop to the ground dead. There is no sign of a weapon or even an attacker.

  ‘What’s happening?’ growls the captain, turning on the spot. ‘Spread out – talk to me. What you see?’

  ‘I don’t see nothing!’ cries Surl, a hint of fear in his voice.

  There is another squeal. You spin around to see someone else from your group toppling to the floor, venom pouring from a puncture wound. Then you catch it – from the corner of your eye. Some kind of green mist, moving fast. You hurry towards it, but in the poor light it is impossible to keep a track
of.

  ‘You see anything?’ shouts Vas, backing up against a pillar. ‘I thought I . . . there!’

  You follow her gaze, to where the party’s last surviving mage is standing. A green-skinned ant-man is looming behind them, its human arms mutated into sharp blades. With a single, precise movement, the ant drives one of its blades through the chest of its victim. You see a spray of venom, then the mage keels over, dead before they hit the ground.

  In the blink of an eye, the ant-man has vanished.

  ‘It’s just picking us off,’ whimpers Surl. ‘It ain’t fair!’

  You sense something behind you, a subtle movement of the air. Your skin prickles . . . In a flash, you whirl around to find yourself face-to-face with the giant bug. It lunges forward, its venom-laced blades looking to run you through. It is time to fight:

  Special abilities

  Venom: Once you take health damage from the assassin ant, you must lose 2 health at the end of every combat round.

  If you manage to defeat this elusive predator, turn to 198.

  230

  You return to the armourer. ‘Good timing,’ he grins. ‘These little beauties won’t be around for ever.’ He places a shield, a helm and a longsword onto his work surface. ‘Had more scales than I thought,’ he adds. ‘So, I was able to craft this nice helm and blade too.’

  You may purchase any of the following for 200 gold crowns each:

  Dark-scale warhelm

  Black heart

  Midnight’s edge

  (head)

  (left hand: shield)

  (main hand: sword)

  +1 speed +1 armour

  +1 speed +2 armour

  +1 speed +2 brawn

  Ability: deflect

  Ability: deflect

  Ability: dominate

  (requirement: warrior)

  When you have made your decision, return to your previous entry number or turn to 36 to explore Carvel’s lower town.

  231

  The beast’s claws whip through the air, its yellowed fangs snapping at your body. It is a miracle that you are able to dodge the relentless assault and press your own attack. Finally, after a tiring battle, the hound’s body slumps back into the fen water, marsh flies buzzing around its smoking muzzle. It isn’t until you inspect the corpse and see the many scars that crisscross its massive body that you are reminded of the legend of the ancient hound that stalks these western fenlands. The locals call it the black shuck.

  You may now help yourself to one of the following special rewards:

  Hound master’s tunic

  Shaggy mukluks

  Wildfire weave

  (chest)

  (feet)

  (cloak)

  +1 speed +1 brawn

  +1 speed +1 armour

  +1 magic +1 armour

  Ability: sideswipe

  Ability: haste

  Ability: backdraft

  As this is a creature of legend, there is a chance that someone might be willing to pay good money for a trophy. You set about acquiring the creature’s head, which you place into a sack. (Make a note of the Hound’s head on your hero sheet, it doesn’t take up backpack space.) With your grim task complete, you head back into the forest, eager to leave this rank marsh to the flies. Return to the quest map to continue your adventure.

  232

  Amongst the putrid mould and clumps of animal hair, you spy a number of interesting items. Some appear to be from previous adventurers. As well as a pouch containing 20 gold crowns, you also find one of the following rewards:

  Lice-ridden pelt

  Lycanth’s teeth

  Rusted bracers

  (cloak)

  (ring)

  (gloves)

  +1 speed +1 brawn

  +1 brawn

  +1 brawn +1 armour

  Ability: parasite

  Ability: bleed

  Ability: counter

  When you have made your decision, you return to the courtyard. Turn to 510.

  233

  You hand settles around something large and smooth. Excitedly, you withdraw your hand to find that you have discovered a trinket box, shaped to resemble a love heart.

  Opening it up, you are a little disappointed to find it empty. (If you wish to keep the heart-shaped box then make a note of it on your hero sheet, it doesn’t take up backpack space.) As you turn back to the tree, you hear a grumbling, creaking sound coming from within. Stepping away, you see that the other holes have now closed up, locking away their treasures.

  You may now try and climb the tree (turn to 96) or leave via the magic portal (turn to 46).

  234

  The undead behemoth topples backwards, crashing to the ground with a sickening crunch. After disentangling yourself from its gooey innards, you begin a hasty search for anything of value.

  You find 10 gold crowns and one of the following rewards:

  Cruel cleaver

  Doorman

  Giant bones

  (left hand: cleaver)

  (left hand: shield)

  (backpack)

  +2 brawn

  +1 armour

  These might prove valuable to the right person

  Ability: slam

  Once you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 262.

  235

  ‘So you must be Edgar,’ you state, approaching the counter. The man gives you a fierce look, his thick brows knitting together with annoyance.

  ‘Change of management,’ he growls. ‘Me name’s Kam. Last owner squealed and ran.’ He flips the dagger into the air, catching it deftly. ‘I’m waiting on fresh supplies, so not got much in that would interest the likes of you, sell-sword. I guess you didn’t come here for a fresh pair of boots or a rain hat, eh?’

  You shrug your shoulders, staring past him to the empty shelves. ‘Do you have anything at all?’ you ask, in all seriousness.

  With a grunt, the man turns in his chair. ‘Margrit! Margrit!’

  ‘Yes dear!’ calls a woman’s voice from a back room.

  ‘Bring out the special deals; whatever we got left.’

  You hear some banging and scraping, then the sound of creaking floorboards. A few moments later a short woman appears, carrying a jumble of objects in her arms. Unlike Kam, she is well turned out, her silver-grey hair tied back in a bun. She drops the items onto the counter, nods her head quickly in greeting, and then scuttles away into the backroom.

  ‘So,’ smiles Kam, his dirty fingers rummaging through the goods as if they were a pirate’s treasure hoard. ‘Do any of these beauties take your fancy?’

  You may purchase any of the following for 80 gold crowns each:

  Pilgrim’s progress

  Walking stick

  Wolf’s paw

  (feet)

  (main hand: staff)

  (talisman)

  +1 speed +1 armour

  +1 speed +1 magic

  +1 speed

  Ability: surefooted

  Ability: safe path

  When you have made your decision, you may ask Kam about his hunting trophies (turn to 12) or leave the shop and explore the rest of town (turn to 199).

  236

  A well-aimed blow sends the spirit screeching backwards into the murky junk-filled waters. When its body finally bobs to the surface, you discover that the fight is over – and the creature’s floating corpse is now visible to the naked eye. It is a pitiful sight and one that makes you step away, grimacing with disgust. From the charred and blistered remains, you assume it was once a man, but some magic or fire has flayed most of the skin from his bones. Holding your breath, you search the corpse and find one of the following items, which you may take:

  Grounded boots

  Janitor’s safety gloves

  (feet)

  (gloves)

  +1 speed +1 magic

  +1 brawn + 1 armour

  Ability: insulated

  When you have made your decision, turn to 2.

  237

  ‘Thi
s place is cursed!’ cries Benin, spinning his staff around to grip it with both hands. He glances at Ventus, his eyes narrowed to points of rage. ‘We were fools to come here. All we have found are demons and corruption!’

  Ventus drops into a battle stance, magic rippling across his fists. ‘Faith hold your tongue, priest – we were brought here for a purpose and that purpose is clear. To end this evil once and for all!’

  Bea draws her twin swords, the magic woven into their blades blazing with blue fire. ‘The relic,’ she shouts, swiping at one of the giant’s enormous legs. Her blows send splinters of wood and slimy ichor spraying through the whirling snow. ‘Use its magic!’

  You raise the relic and charge forward, hoping to drive it into the creature’s twisted body. But mud spatters into your eyes as one of its fists slams into the sodden earth. You stumble back, temporarily blinded – and fail to see the other fist whipping in behind you. Barbed tendrils strike your arm, sending the relic spiralling away into the marsh. By luck rather than the quickness of your reflexes, you are able to avoid the full force of the blow, tumbling over onto your back. Benin is less fortunate, however – the priest is picked up in the beast’s barbed fist and carried high into the air. His screams are deafening, chilling you to the bone, as his body is crushed within the prison of thorns.

  ‘No!’ Tears blur your vision as you lurch back to your feet. Frantically, you scan the marsh for signs of the relic, but the muddy banks offer up no clues – clearly the relic’s headpiece must have closed, hiding its bright light and making it impossible to see. Angrily, you turn back to the battle. Bea and Ventus continue to press their attack, but their blows seem ineffectual, the bewitched roots moving quickly to reseal any wounds. Grimly, you realise there is no escape – and worse, the thorn giant appears to have no obvious weakness.