The Heart of Fire (95 page)

607

Quest: The Abussos

(
NOTE
: You must have completed the green quest
The bridge of screams
before you can start this quest.)

You lead the way through the opening, emerging in a smooth-lined passageway of black rock. It climbs steeply, curving around into a tight spiral. Virgil draws his inscribed swords, their blades
flaring into bands of white light. You flinch back from the sudden glare – your eyes more attuned to the darkness.

He gives an apologetic shrug. ‘We don’t all have demon blood,’ he says dryly.

You sense he didn’t mean it as a compliment.

The tunnel continues to climb. Only a few cracks and fissures mar the perfectly smooth stone. Eventually it levels off, widening into a more-spacious corridor.

‘How did the dwarves do this?’ you ask, running a hand along the flat, even walls.

‘Geomancy,’ he replies, scowling around the word. ‘Old magic. The dwarves could shape rock and stone, as easily as working clay. The king’s architects have been known to
use it, on occasion.’

You glance back, raising an eyebrow. ‘It can’t be all bad, then?’

The witchfinder glares at you intently. ‘The rock is sanctified afterwards, inscribed with holy script. The architects are warded from any demon taint. There is a difference . .
.’

As you continue along the corridor you pass a number of side passages and vertical shafts, all blocked by fallen rock. Several have solid webs netted across them, as if the stone had been drawn
out of the walls and woven together, forming an impenetrable barrier.

‘Someone wanted to cut off their escape,’ states Virgil, peering down one of the closed-off shafts.

‘Or stop someone getting in,’ you reply with uncertainty.

After another hundred metres, the main corridor becomes blocked by sharp-edged boulders. You give one of the slabs a tentative push, but it doesn’t give, weighted down by the debris
snagged on top of it. Admitting defeat, you turn back to Virgil. ‘Looks like the main bridge was the only way in . . .’

‘Not the only way. Here.’ Virgil has his swords raised, their light illuminating a dwarven rune, etched into the stone. ‘Touch it.’

‘Why me?’

Virgil rolls his eyes, then taps it with the hilt of one of his inscribed swords. It gives an angry hiss, sending sparks trailing into the dusty air. ‘I don’t think it likes
me.’ He gestures impatiently towards the rune.

You reach out with a scaled hand, your claws clinking against the stone as you press your palm into the rune. Its angular lines glow with a sickly-looking yellow light. A second later, a
scraping and groaning comes from the wall behind you. You swing around to see a rectangular slab sliding backwards, its edges tracking through the dust and dirt.

‘You’re right, we don’t all have demon blood,’ you grin.

Ignoring the witchfinder’s glare, you step into the newly-discovered tunnel. It rises sharply towards a narrow doorway, smooth walls reflecting the shifting light from the chamber beyond.
Turn to
801
.

608

You search through the grisly remains of the golem, wondering if there is anything of value that can be salvaged. Amongst the charred bones and magic-imbued flesh, you find one
of the following special rewards:

When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to
877
.

609

The hat and gloves float off towards the back of the shop. They disappear through a small doorway, returning a few minutes later with two large leather cases. The ghost places
them on the dusty counter, then flips them open. Secured inside are a number of jars and bottles.

You may purchase any of the following for 40 gold crowns each:

(*) If
hexed
is removed, you will be unable to use or equip any items that have a
hexed
requirement. Any items already equipped must be removed from your hero sheet.

If you wish to make further purchases, return to
557
. Otherwise, you thank the ghostly proprietor and resume your journey.

610

A blazing comet of purple light streaks overhead. It slams into the giant’s chest, sending fire and shadow rippling across the island. You blink, trying to adjust your
eyes to the glaring inferno. There is something at its centre – the silhouette of a man. Weapons flash and spark, runes igniting in angry ribbons of light. Then the stranger is back-flipping
away, moving with a startling grace and poise, the air swelling and flowing around his body.

He lands next to you, his cloak and armour still steaming with sulphur. Purple sigils flash along his arm, forming an intricate pattern of entwined serpents. The sudden glow illuminates the
stranger’s face. Lorcan. The thin, bald-headed librarian from Durnhollow.

‘You really did grow a pair,’ he grins, peering over your shoulders.

Before you can reply a dark shadow passes overhead – the rock giant lurches forward, its massive feet crunching through the stone. Lorcan narrows his eyes, seemingly unfazed by the size of
his opponent.

‘Time to dance, my friend.’ He springs forward, matching the giant’s roar with one of his own. You must now fight the following team battle alongside a hero from
The Legion
of Shadow
:

Special abilities

If you manage to reduce Krakatoa to zero
health
, then you may enter phase two of this combat. Keep a note of your remaining
health
and abilities, then turn to
793
.

611

The room’s features are relatively intact, the only signs of damage being some smashed stone tablets lying across the ground. The main feature of the room is a marble
slab, with square depressions carved into its surface. Hanging above the marble is a metal cross-piece, supporting a row of grooved shelves. A simple chain system allows the cross to be lowered
onto the marble.

‘Strange looking torture device,’ you comment grimly.

Virgil has moved over to a small table, covered in blank sheets of parchment. ‘Hardly. It’s a printing press.’ He holds up a sheet of paper, turning it over in the light from
one of his blades. ‘Dwarves recorded their lore onto stone or clay. The Lamuri must have taught them this craft.’

You notice a set of shelves, stacked with rectangular plates of bronze. You pull one out, seeing that its surface is covered in raised dwarven script. Bottles of ink are lined up along one of
the lower shelves.

Virgil opens his hand, letting the paper flutter to the ground. ‘Alas, we’re not here to print books. We should keep moving.’ He crosses the room to a pair of black iron doors.
They stand open, revealing a plain corridor leading through into another chamber.

If you have the
mind’s eye
equipped, turn to
895
. Otherwise, you find little of interest in the room, so decide to leave. Turn to
866
.

612

Yootha crouches down beside the chest. Removing a pin from her hair, she places it inside the lock. After a series of quick prods and twists, the chains fall away onto the
floor. ‘Come round and have a look, lovey,’ she says, flipping open the lid. ‘These aren’t the fakes you’d pay a fortune for back home; these are straight from the
Lamuri city itself. Means you can pay me a fortune instead.’ She titters to herself, then playfully flicks her wrist at you. ‘Just a little Yootha joke. I said I’d do you a deal.
Three hundred gold each – and that’s just giving them away.’