The Heart of Fire (28 page)

You hear a gibbering, chattering sound coming from outside. It grows in volume, joined by the scrape of claws on stone. Fearful of what you will discover, you run over to one of the broken
windows. At first you are met by an impenetrable dark, then a flicker of lightning illuminates the sea of bodies hurtling up the stairs to the church. They look like animals, running on all fours,
but their faces are almost human – twisted into bestial shapes.

‘Ghouls!’ you cry out in horror.

Eldias draws his pistols, springing onto the back of the pew. ‘Take out the reverend,’ he orders, fixing his gaze on the doors of the church. ‘I’ll hold back this
filth.’

You charge towards the undead priest, as the first of the ghoulish horde pour into the church:

Special abilities

If you manage to defeat the reverend, then any remaining ghouls are automatically destroyed. Turn to
218
.

169

The journey becomes an exhausting climb over jumbled boulders and loose, skittering rock. With your map forgotten, you rely on Benin to lead the way through the makeshift
valleys and channels, ascending ever higher into the cloud-tipped mountains.

At last, after clambering up yet another treacherous slope, you spy Crow Rock. It is an unmistakable landmark – a huge outcropping of grey limestone that has been weathered by the elements
to take on the hunched shape of a brooding crow. Silhouetted against the sky it looks almost lifelike, as if at any moment it might take to the air, cawing and screeching across the plains.

‘Now, do you see?’ asks Benin grimly. ‘This place has long been revered by the Wiccan. As children, we believed that the crow was real – that it came alive at night and
hunted for prey.’ He shivers, gripping his staff tighter. ‘I suppose the legend does have a hint of truth.’

You follow Benin towards the rock. Beneath it, you can see the land falling away into a hollow canyon. It is then that the stench hits you.

‘A monster has made its home here. But it is no stone crow.’ Benin grimaces with disgust. ‘And I suspect that’s why you’ve come to Crow Rock. As have I.’

You cover your nose as the pair of you scrabble down the rubble into the basin-like depression. The ground is covered in gravel and dirt – and a graveyard of bones. Flies buzz over the
carcasses of animals, while crows peck at the half-eaten remains. The stench is almost overpowering.

‘The manticore,’ you gasp, choking on the rancid air.

Benin points to a cave opening with his staff. ‘That is its lair.’

‘You don’t seem afraid,’ you croak, stepping over the shattered ribcage of some unknown creature. ‘Manticores are savage – ferocious.’

Benin starts towards the cave. ‘The errand I mentioned earlier – it ends here.’ He looks back over his shoulder. ‘Now, I suggest we work together or else it will be our
corpses rotting out here in the cold.’ Turn to
225
.

170

You push aside the pillow, only to discover that the strap is actually a leather cord, attached to a small silver whistle. If you wish, you may now take the following item:

Outside, you hear the captain’s gruff voice, barking orders once again. Not wishing to be on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing, you quickly leave the cabin. Turn to
220
.

171

You slice off the bulb and remove the outer leaves. You then take the main stalk and chop it into thin slices, adding these to the potion base. They spit and hiss as they sink
into the milky liquid, releasing a pleasant lemony smell. What ingredient will you add next?

172

As you pass through the tightly-packed crowds, you see that most of the tables and benches are taken, filled with an odd mix of traveller, from pilgrims and young families to
gruff-looking mercenaries and sell-swords.

If you have the word
Joseph
written on your hero sheet, then turn to
332
. If you have
Dagona’s locket
, then turn to
221
. Otherwise, your brief scan of the room turns up little of interest. You now contemplate heading over to the bar (turn to
248
) or leaving (turn to
199
).

173

Your choice was a bad one. The paper monster cannot be harmed by your soldier, for its thin body simply folds or crumples around the attacks, taking no damage. (Remove your
soldier from your hero sheet. Then return to
444
to fight this monster yourself.)

174

‘I hope I managed to teach you something back there,’ grins Lazlo, sliding his sword back onto the rack. ‘Else my bruises will have been for
naught.’

If you have a high
magic
score and wish to learn the path of the mage, turn to
3
. If you have a high
brawn
score and wish to learn the path of the
warrior or the rogue, turn to
97
.

175

‘Ah yes, that little problem.’ Virgil begins pacing up and down, his boots clicking against the panelled floor. ‘Cernos is a demon from ancient times –
a demon prince, to be precise.’

‘What’s the difference?’ you ask hoarsely, coughing to clear your throat.

Virgil continues pacing, the pistols and rifles bouncing at his back. ‘He was an ordinary man, once – if the legends are to be believed – before he was gifted extraordinary
powers by an Archdemon, transforming him into. . . what you saw in the forest.’ His boot heels snap together as he comes to a halt. His gaze drifts to your wounds. ‘Demons can pass
their powers on to others, if they so wish.’

‘How do you know this?’ You frown suspiciously. ‘How did you know we would be there – in the forest?’

The witchfinder tilts his head, gold glittering in his smile. ‘Do you hold me accountable for all that has happened? Masterminding a prison break, before hounding your steps and driving
you into the arms of your companions? Do you suspect that I remained in the shadows, putting the pieces in play and then watching and waiting for my perfect moment to pounce and save the
day?’ Virgil pauses, grinning through the expectant silence.