The Heart of Fire by Michael J. Ward Page B

and settles down on a blanket, acting as if nothing untoward is happening.
‘You can join me if you like,’ he says, raising a cup of steaming tea to his lips. ‘No sense in parting company when there is a good meal to share.’
     
Will you:
Join him by the fire? — 187
Ask about the disturbance? — 156
    31
    The cobbled lane bends back on itself as it winds crookedly up the face of the grey rock. Exposed to the elements, a fierce wind sweeps in from the rolling highlands to batter
the awnings and signs hanging outside the buildings. These, you notice, have been cut into the rock itself, their interiors lit by flickering lantern light.
    Most of the buildings appear to be hostels or homes, but there are also a few stores. One catches your eye; an apothecary, with an image of a potion bottle painted on its wooden door.
     
Will you:
Visit the apothecary? — 120
Keep heading to upper town? — 77
Descend to lower town? — 36
    32
    You find yourself stumbling forward into a dusty attic, its sloping ceiling forcing you to stoop. Thankfully the tremors have now subsided, but their aftermath is still evident
to see – boxes of junk have been thrown around and upended, spilling their contents across the floor. Of the child there is no sign, although you notice another glowing doorway at the other
side of the attic.
     
Will you:
Stop and search the room? — 108
Hurry through the portal? — 440
    33
    Quest: Bullets over Blight Haven
    You hurry across the barren moors, a chill wind at your back. With night fast approaching and the black clouds promising a storm, you are desperate not to spend another
freezing night without adequate shelter. From the ridge you had spied a village, nestled at the foot of the valley. There had been none of the usual signs of life: no smoke from chimneys or
flickering lights at windows. Nevertheless it had been a lucky find, offering a welcome alternative to a bed of hard ground and a damp cloak for warmth.
    As you near the village, you pass through a copse of dark gnarly trees. A weather-beaten length of parchment has been nailed to one of the trunks. You immediately walk over, grabbing its edge to
stop it flapping in the wind. The paper carries the seal of the king, a crown and a crook, marking it as an official document of the realm. The neat-flowing script has been inscribed in holy runes,
making it impervious to the elements. The message reads:
     
    Blight Haven
    On Mindas Day, Beltaine, in the year 1385 of the Ascendant The Holy Protectors, King Leonidas and Lord and Lady Justice hereby decree that the village formerly known as
Andor’s Haven is fated for termination and cleansing. Any person found on said land will be considered a trespasser and punished in accordance with The Seventh Holy Writ.
     
    Cold rain starts to fall, spattering off the rocks and leaves. A distant crack of thunder sends a nearby crow to flight, cawing and screeching as it hurries away between the spidery branches.
The storm is coming – and it makes your decision an easy one.
    You rip the paper from its nail and toss it away into the mud. Fixing your gaze on the village, you continue down the wooded slope into the valley. No king’s document is going to stop you
from finding food and warmth this night. Turn to 100 .
    34
    You fling open the chest and root through its contents, finding a number of war trophies and pieces of jewellery wrapped in linen. With your only exit closing rapidly behind
you, there is no time to waste.
    You may grab any two of the following items:
     
    Blood iron knot
Troll’s bones
Chieftain’s guard
(necklace)
(backpack)
(head)
+1 armour
These might prove valuable to the right person
+1 brawn
Ability: charm
Ability: might of stone
     
    When you have made your choices, turn to 95 .
    35
    Anna grabs the curtain and tugs it along the rail, covering up the crates. ‘They are much needed supplies,’ she explains hurriedly, looking slightly flustered for
the first time. ‘I’m