The Heart of Fire (37 page)

242

‘If it avoids bloodshed, then I will go with you,’ you reply, taking a step towards the Wiccans. ‘But I ask that you let these people go unharmed.’ You
gesture to the three travellers.

‘No.’ The feathered woman shakes her head. ‘We want that one – and we won’t leave without him. Conall . . .’

The giant grunts and starts towards the elderly man, who is now humming to himself quietly. Ventus moves quickly to intercept the warrior. ‘Lay one hand on him and . . .’

Suddenly, the loud blare of a horn reverberates across the moorland. It is followed by a hooting call from one of the Wiccans. Some kind of warning. They all turn as one, weapons leaping from
scabbards and belts, as the first bright explosion rips into their ranks. Turn to
442
.

243

Your final blow sends the sniper toppling over the tower rail, his wailing screech cut off seconds later by an eye-wincing thud.

If you have a
brawn
of 12 or more you may rip the repeating crossbow from its moorings and use it as a weapon – gaining the following item:

At the foot of the tower, you search through the hunter’s grisly remains. You find a purse containing 30 gold crowns, and one of the following rewards:

With the sniper defeated, you turn your attention back to the battle. Turn to
785
.

244

You wake to find yourself lying face down in a muddy puddle. A loud and insistent pain is pounding inside your head, reminding you of the blow that you took – a second
before everything went black. With a grimace, you roll onto your side, wiping the grit and mud from your face.

‘Pick a fight, did we?’

You painfully jerk your head around, squinting in the grey light. It appears you have been dumped in an alleyway, with only a stray cat and a vagrant for company. The latter is clad in a thick
riding cloak, the hood pulled down low over their face. A hip flask is clutched in their grimy fingers, which you suspect is filled with a stronger beverage than just plain water. You can smell
filth and beer, and leftover food.

‘Yeah, something like that,’ you wince, pushing yourself back to your feet. It is then that you notice your backpack, lying in the dirt right next to the stranger’s feet. The
cat is sniffing it with interest.

‘Don’t worry, I think they just took some gold,’ says the vagrant, nodding to your pouch lying in another puddle of muck. You stoop down to retrieve it, annoyed that you have
lost half of your gold. (Remember to update your hero sheet.) ‘It could have gone worse, mind,’ he remarks, noting your annoyance. ‘I managed to save your pack.’ He reaches
over and takes one of the straps, then tosses it over to you. As his cloak shifts open, you catch a glimpse of a silver breastplate and the hilt of a sword.

‘Shouldn’t you be supping in more comfortable surroundings?’ you ask with a frown. The cat gives a forlorn meow, as if in agreement.

The man snorts, then takes another gulp from his flask. ‘I prefer my own company to that of thieves and scoundrels. And that’s all you’ll find in this town, save for the
pilgrims – and they ain’t much better.’ He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘Fools, the lot of ’em.’

245

You enter the chapel, your footfalls echoing back from the high stone walls. As you approach the kneeling priest, he turns and lifts back his hood to reveal a young, handsome
face, framed by blond curls of hair. It is Benin.

If you have the keywords
hallowed
or
prevail
on your hero sheet, turn to
166
. Otherwise turn to
197
.

246

On the banks of the swamp you discover the remains of several unfortunate adventurers – their grey corpulent flesh bloated with swamp water. Quickly, you rifle through
their belongings to see if there is anything worth salvaging.

You find a mouldy bag containing 20 gold crowns and one of the following items:

With your grim task complete, you return to the courtyard. Turn to
510
.

247

You drop the bark shavings into the mixture and stir it around with one of the spoons. To your surprise, the bark quickly dissolves into the liquid, giving off a
pungent-smelling steam. What ingredient will you add next?

248

You push through the smoky crowds, making towards the counter. As you near, your attention becomes fixated on the half-giant barman who is serving ale to the patrons. You
wonder how one of his kind ended up working behind a bar in a backwater place such as this. Giants are renowned for their strength and endurance – and clearly this half-giant is missing none
of those traits. He would be prized stock for the king’s army or some mercenary outfit.

Your thoughts are suddenly interrupted as one of the patrons knocks straight into you, slopping ale down your front. It is a burly, middle-aged man dressed in brown tanned leathers. He shrugs
his shoulders as way of apology, grinning through his thatch of beard. If you have the word
tower
on your hero sheet, turn to
263
. Otherwise, turn to
226
.

249

Only metres from the bank you discover a second marker, tangled in foliage. You pull away the creepers and leaves to reveal the sculpture of a fanged arachnid. Behind it, a
cracked stone pathway winds away through the trees, leading further into the steaming jungle. You follow it without a second thought, relieved to finally have something solid underfoot instead of
cloying mud and twisted roots.

After an hour, the path descends into a steep-sided ravine, its walls carpeted with moss and creepers. You advance warily, conscious of the green mist rolling in between the huddled trees,
bringing with it a brooding, heavy silence.

As the fog starts to thicken, you are forced to feel your way forwards, gagging on the rotten air. Eventually the walls of the ravine drop away and you stagger out into an open clearing. Through
the green haze, you see tall shapes stretching back into the distance – some peaked and angular, others smooth and curved. Buildings, you quickly surmise. This must be some kind of
settlement.

Then you hear the scrape and clatter of feet on stone. From out of the fog a line of figures is advancing towards you. For a moment you are hopeful it might be a welcome party, but then you
notice the staggering, jerking movements and the bone-thin bodies.

Undead.

They continue to advance at a lumbering pace, giving you chance to size up the threat. The majority appear to be warriors, armed with spears and shields, whilst a smaller number are clad in
tattered robes, their bodies crackling with magic. At the rear of the band a rotted corpse in a feathered headdress marches alone, wielding a staff carved in the likeness of a hooded cobra.

It is clear that you are hopelessly outnumbered, but with no other option than to flee back into the jungle, you decide to stand and fight:

Special abilities