The Eye of Winter's Fury (114 page)

Once Jormungdar is reduced to zero
health
, you have won the combat (even if other opponents still have
health
).

If you manage to defeat this monstrous demon of the underworld, turn to
722
.

778

The creatures are surefooted across the ice, unlike yourselves. Sadly, your fumbling efforts only serve to increase their lead. Determined not to give up, you follow the svardkin into a winding maze.

The pathways are tight and narrow, twisting and crossing back on themselves in an infuriating manner. Soon you have lost all sense of direction. Of the Svardkin there is no sign, save for the distant ticking and scraping of their claws, the echoes giving no bearing to their course.

‘We should go back,’ pants Anise. ‘Whatever they took isn’t worth breaking our necks over.’

You raise a hand for silence, straining to detect the fading echoes.

‘This way.’ You choose a side-passage – and immediately stumble upon a bundle of discarded cloth lying on the ice. Scooping it up, you unravel the cloth to discover that it is a hooded set of robes with an insignia of a red eye stitched onto the chest. You assume the Svardkin dropped it, believing the cloth was of little worth.

‘That’s the sign of the witch,’ says Skoll, gesturing at the red eye. ‘All of her coven wear them.’

(If you wish to take the
coven robes
simply make a note of them on your hero sheet, they do not take up backpack space.)

You are about to turn away when a sudden movement catches your eye – a ball of yellow light is hovering in the passageway, darting quickly from side to side. It almost looks like an eye. Before you can alert the others the wisp zips away, heading down an adjoining tunnel.

779

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

When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to
514
.

780

The men avert their eyes as you scan their line looking for a sparring partner. Since besting Rutus, few have wanted to match themselves against you – partly out of loyalty to Rutus, and partly out of fear. The trainer grins when he sees you standing alone, shunned by the others.

‘A soldier can work a long time to get your kind of rep.’ He points the end of his riding crop towards the training dummies. ‘Don’t let success get to your head. Those maids need some lovin’. So get to it, eh?’

You glare at the mock faces painted onto the straw heads. Somehow they seem more insulting than the glares and smirks from the soldiers.

‘What’s the matter, too good for sack-cloth and straw now?’ The trainer folds his arms, his brow creased in a heavy and disapproving frown.

‘I have no taste for it today.’ You turn and leave, wincing at the jibes and sniggers that follow in your wake. Return to
113
to continue your exploration of the keep.

Epilogue

L
ight whipped across the dark space. Threads of silver unravelling at breakneck speed. Each tear, each split drew more blinding pain. The spinner covered her face, fingernails raking back and forth.
Make it stop! Gabriel, I beg you. Make it stop!
The symphony of the plan, the great work, had come undone. Its sharp crashing notes cut like murderous knives, growing louder and more insistent as the silver tracery writhed in chaos. Lives. Millions of fates were suddenly cast adrift without purpose or end.

The spinner could not weave the web. She could only give it life. Gabriel had been the weaver. The one who knew the purpose of the plan, as it had always been since the beginning of creation. He had decided the fate of every being. Every destiny had been known. But Aisa had ended all that. For she was the changer. She was death.

The music stopped. Silence.

An absence more deafening than the previous cacophony.

Then the threads began to move again, tangling together in knotted patterns, forming a bright maze across the starlit ether. A new pattern was quickly taking shape, the matrix of the weave striking up a different melody.

The spinner heard its song.

Crawling between the laced threads, her eyes scanned each shivering beam of light. The symphony was still discordant. The harmonies were straining against the confusion. A few chords lifted in sonorous rhythm only to be drowned by the drumming din of chaos.

Gabriel. What have you done?

The spinner lifted her arms to touch the brightest thread. It was
warm, unlike the others, its heat radiating a sad and lonely refrain.
Gabriel . . .

The spinner arched her neck, following the pattern of light as it speared to the centre of the weave. Only one light such as this had come before. Gabriel had sacrificed himself to the weave. His essence, his being, was now part of every thread, seeking to bring together the plan – to put destiny in the hands of those who were bound to it. Some threads had only the merest hint of that greatness, others were shadows – barely discernible against the void. Those threads sowed disorder, and there were many now. Too many. But this one . . . this one lonely thread, beating with the light of hope . . . outshone them all.

A great prophet. A teacher. A messiah.

Who is this, burning bright as Judah? Do you send them another messenger, Gabriel?

The spinner put her ear to the thread and listened.

*  *  *

The stone walls dripped with shadows, their malign forms seeming to feed on the man’s torment. A ring of metal. The hammer came down a second time, striking the nail deeper into the blackened hand. A burning, acrid stench filled the room.

Caeleb watched, silent and grim as the shadows.

The torturer stepped away from the table, his naked torso glistening with sweat. He looked to Caeleb for approval, but the warrior’s eyes were focused solely on their captive.

The man’s broken face was already healing. The shadow magic bound into the brands that wound about his left arm had not been entirely spent.

Caeleb took a step closer, scrutinising the man’s features. They were sharp and hard, accentuated by the half-light. His eyes, dark and inscrutable, reminded Caeleb of the one he hunted. The Nevarin.

‘Tell me where he is. The betrayer.’ Caeleb worked to keep the anger out of his voice – to keep himself under control. It was an effort. It was always an effort when he was faced with a horror such as this. A shadow spawn. An affront to everything he now believed in.

His shaking hand settled on the knife at his belt. He wanted to use it. To see how far he could go before this monster’s healing gave out.

‘He’s gone, I told you!’ The prisoner snapped with defiance, his body straining back from the nails driven through his hands. Their holy magic hissed as they continued to burn at his flesh. ‘Lorcan. It’s Lorcan now.’

Caeleb ground his teeth. His left eye twitched. ‘My patience is wearing thin. Tell me where I can find this . . . Lorcan.’

‘And if I tell you?’ The prisoner’s eyes flicked to the open leather case spread out on the table before him. Knives and needles glinted in the torchlight. ‘You won’t release me, I know it. You won’t pardon me for my sins. What good is your god if he cannot forgive?’

Caeleb sprang forward, his fists coming down hard on the nails, grinding them deeper. The vaulted chamber rang with the man’s deafening cries.

Caeleb breathed in the pain, like the scent of some half-remembered summer’s day. ‘I can do this for as long as it takes. You think yourself immortal. You can heal. But know this. Here, in the dungeons of the inquisition, we can make such a gift a curse.’

Caeleb leaned forward, the muscles of his neck standing rigid like cords of iron. When he spoke it was barely a whisper. The prisoner flinched all the same.

‘Show me his face.’

The prisoner trembled, shaking his head.

‘I know you can do it. Your kind all share that power, I have seen it.’

‘Please, I don’t have the strength.’ The prisoner licked his lips, looking down at the nails driven into his hands. ‘Perhaps, if you’d release me I’ll . . .’

‘SHOW ME!’

Caeleb raised a fist, the fresh inscriptions burnt into his knuckles flaring into life. He pulled back his arm, ready to strike – the white light illuminating his own tormented visage. ‘Show me,’ he breathed.

From the branded sigils on the prisoner’s arm an answering glow washed along the winding brands. Then his body started to change, shifting and remoulding itself. The chest and arms grew thinner, more gaunt, the spine bent, shoulders rounding, the once tangled mane of hair receding into clumps of coarse white bristles. Within a matter of seconds the man seated at the table had aged fifty years, his once handsome features now those of a scarred, hunchbacked old man.

‘This is Lorcan,’ gasped the prisoner, his head slumping forward with exhaustion. ‘This is the one you seek.’

Caeleb straightened, nodding thoughtfully. ‘Yes, he is the one.’ His glowing hand moved to the scarlet rose pinned to his white cloak. ‘Where will I find him?’

The prisoner struggled to raise his head. ‘The sands. You should seek the desert sands.’

Caeleb snorted. ‘That’s your answer?

The prisoner was silent.

‘Not good enough.’ Caleb shot a glance to his companion. ‘He’s all yours.’

The torturer cracked his knuckles. ‘As you say, brother. There’ll be no pardon for this one?’

Caeleb had turned to leave. He looked back, his gaze piercing. ‘He is a shadow spawn. The One God does not pardon such evil.’

The torturer twisted his mouth, forming a semblance of a smile. ‘Then I’ll put him to the question.’ He stepped up to the open case, his stubby fingers playing across the grisly instruments. Back and forth they ran, until finally stopping on a bone-handled saw. ‘I’ll do my duty, brother Caeleb. For the One God. For Valeron.’

‘For Glory,’ recited Caeleb. He gave the prisoner a last, disdainful scowl, then swept from the chamber.

*  *  *

Black sand whirled across the hellish plain, forming rippling clouds against the blood-stained skies. The demon crouched at the edge of the burnt, bone-scattered canyon, his blazing eyes fixed on the structure before him. A vast edifice of twisted metal, its innards thrumming with dark energies.

Slowly his wings spread back, their silver veins painting a bright afterimage through the dusty air. His muscles tensed, ready to spring. For him, the hunt was over.

The edifice was rising now, each fiery blast shaking the rocks and sending fresh cracks snaking through the parched earth.

Yet the demon paused, his eyes shifting – heightened senses warning him of another presence. Here in the shroud, that could mean only one thing . . .

He spun round, snarling, his clawed hands summoning balls of
deadly magic. But the figure striding towards him, impervious to the whirling maelstrom of dust and sand, was no monstrous fiend. It was a man.

‘How did you find me?’ The demon closed his fists, snatching away the magic before it could fully form. ‘Your powers have grown.’

The man laughed, halting some metres away. Beneath the brim of an iron helm his green eyes shone with a pale brilliance. ‘The heart of a demon has many powers,’ he jibed. ‘Jormungdar and I are still getting to know each other.’

The demon scowled. ‘I didn’t ask for your aid.’

‘I’m not giving it.’ The man tilted his head to view the metallic structure. It was rising faster into the sky, its vast immensity throwing a mountain of shadow across the bleak landscape. ‘Is that where you’ll find him? The Lorcan that you seek?’

The demon straightened, his wings folding back across his shoulders. ‘My visions have led me here. What you see, Arran, is the herald of our end. Melusine, Jormungdar, I knew such evils would be overcome. But this future . . . this web spells our ultimate doom.’

Arran moved to the demon’s side, absorbed by the sight before him. ‘You still speak in riddles, prophet. Tell me true. What is this . . . thing?’

Green lightning was flickering about the structure, illuminating the glowing rods that spiked across the metal plates. From its underside the thrumming blasts of heat had grown in intensity, punching through the air in roiling explosions of noise. Sand rose and fell in angry waves, the dry rock beneath splintering into chaotic mosaics.

‘This,’ roared the demon, raising his voice above the sudden din, ‘is the true ending of the nine worlds, Arran.

‘This is Ragnarok.’

Glossary:
Special Abilities

T
he following is a list of all the abilities associated with special items. The letters in brackets after each name refers to the type of ability – speed (sp), combat (co), modifier (mo), passive (pa). Unless otherwise stated in the text, each ability can only be used
once
during a combat – even if you have multiple items with the same ability (i.e. if you have two items with the
piercing
ability, you can still only use
piercing
once per combat).

Acid (mo):
Add 1 to the result of each die you roll for your damage score for the duration of the combat. (Note: if you have multiple items with
acid
, you can still only add 1 to the result.)

Aftershock (co):
Use instead of rolling for a damage score to inflict 1 damage die to two opponents (they must be next to each other on the combat list), ignoring
armour
. Roll separately for each. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Agility (mo):
Use to change a
result to a
when rolling for attack speed. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Anguish (pa):
Allows you to play
curse
and
fear
twice in the same combat.

Arcane feast (co):
Use instead of rolling for a damage score to lower your opponent’s
magic
by 2 and raise your own
magic
by 2 for the remainder of the combat. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Armour plating (pa):
For every 2 points of
toughness
that your transport has remaining (rounding down), you may increase your hero’s
armour
by 1 for the duration of a combat. (If your transport had a
toughness
of 9, you could increase your
armour
by 4.)

Barbs (pa):
You automatically inflict 1 damage to all of your opponents at the end of every combat round. This ability ignores
armour
.

Best laid plans (pa):
(see entry
547
for full description.) This ability can only be used once per combat.

Bleed (pa):
If your damage dice/damage score causes health damage to your opponent, they continue to take a further point of damage at the end of each combat round. This damage ignores
armour
.

Blind (sp):
(see
webbed
). You can only use
blind
once per combat.

Blind strike (co):
If you play a
blind
,
immobilise
,
knockdown
,
stun
or
webbed
ability, you can immediately inflict 2 damage dice to the affected opponent, ignoring
armour
. If you have won the round, you can still roll for a damage score as normal. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Blizzard (co):
Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can cast
blizzard
. This causes 2 damage dice to two opponents, ignoring
armour
(they must be next to each other on the combat list). Roll separately for each. At the end of the next combat round, each opponent also suffers an extra die of damage, ignoring
armour
.

Blood frenzy (pa):
If a
bleed
effect is in play then you may raise your
speed
by 1.

Blood oath (mo):
Sacrifice 4
health
to roll an extra die for your damage score. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Bloody maiden (mo):
You may add 2 to each die you roll for damage for one combat round. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Boneshaker (mo):
Use this ability to reroll all of your opponent’s speed dice. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Brittle edge (pa):
Each time an opponent wins a combat round and rolls for a damage score, your opponent immediately takes 2 damage, ignoring
armour
(whether they cause health damage or not).

Chaotic catalyst (co):
(see entry
484
for full description.) This ability can only be used once per combat.

Charge (sp):
In the first round of combat, you may increase your
speed
by 2.

Charm (mo):
You may reroll one of your hero’s dice any time during a combat. You must accept the result of the second roll. If you have multiple items with the
charm
ability, each one gives you a reroll.

Choke hold (mo):
If you play a combat ability and cause health damage to an opponent, you can immediately use
choke hold
. This inflicts 2 damage dice to your opponent (in the case of multiple opponents, you can choose your victim) and also lowers their
speed
by 1 for the next combat round. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Cleave (co):
Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can use
cleave
. Roll 1 damage die and apply the result to each of your opponents, ignoring their
armour
. You can only use
cleave
once per combat.

Cold snap (mo):
Reroll any die for damage, adding 2 to the result. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Command (co):
When an opponent wins a combat round, use
command
to instantly halt their attack, allowing you to roll for damage instead as if you had won the combat round. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Corrode (co):
(see
rust
). You can only use
corrode
once per combat.

Corruption (co):
If your damage score causes health damage to an opponent you can inflict
corruption
on them, lowering their
brawn
or
magic
score by 2 for the remainder of the combat. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Counter (co):
If your opponent wins a combat round, you can use
counter
to lower your opponent’s damage score by 2 and inflict 1 damage die back to them, ignoring
armour
. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Coup de grace (pa):
When an opponent is reduced to 10
health
or less, you can immediately use
coup de grace
to reduce them to zero
health
. You can only use
coup de grace
once per combat.

Crawlers (sp):
Cover your opponent in creepy-crawlies, forcing them to itch and scratch their way through the combat. This lowers their
speed
by 1 for two combat rounds.
Crawlers
can only be used once per combat.

Creeping cold (co + pa):
Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can cast
creeping cold
on one opponent. This does 1 damage at the end of every combat round. For each
result you roll for any subsequent damage scores,
creeping cold
increases its damage by 1. This ability can only be used once.

Critical strike (mo):
Change the result of all dice you have rolled for damage to a
. You can only use this ability once per combat.

Cruel twist (mo):
If you get a
result when rolling for your damage score, you can use
cruel twist
to roll an extra die for damage. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Crystal armour (mo):
(see entry
431
for full description.) This ability can only be used once per combat.

Cunning (mo):
You may raise your
brawn
score by 3 for one combat round. You can only use
cunning
once per combat.

Cure (-):
Use at any time to remove two defeats from your hero sheet.

Curse (sp):
(see
webbed
). You can only use
curse
once per combat.

Dark pact (co):
Sacrifice 4
health
to charge your strike with shadow energy, increasing your damage score by 4. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Darksilver (mo):
Sacrifice 2
health
to raise your
speed
by 3 for one combat round. This ability can only be used once per combat.

Deadly dance (sp):
Goad your opponent with a series of dodges and feints. This automatically lowers their
speed
by 2 for one combat round, but raises their
brawn
/
magic
by 1 for the remainder of the combat. This ability can be used twice in the same combat, but each time it is used your opponent’s
brawn
/
magic
is increased.

Decay (pa):
You automatically inflict 1 damage to all of your opponents at the end of every combat round. This ability ignores
armour
.

Deceive (mo):
(see trickster). You can only use
deceive
once per combat.

Deep wound (co):
You can use this ability to roll an extra die when determining your damage score. You can only use this ability once per combat.

Deflect (co):
(see
overpower
). You can only use
deflect
once per combat.

Disease (pa):
If your damage dice/damage score causes health damage to your opponent, they continue to take 2 points of damage at the end of each subsequent combat round. This damage ignores
armour
.