by Steve Barlow
Contents
How to be a hero
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
I HERO Quiz
About the 2Steves
About the illustrator: Judit Tondora
Copyright
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How to be a hero
This book is not like others you have read. This is a choose-your-own-destiny book where YOU are the hero of this adventure.
Each section of this book is numbered. At the end of most sections, you will have to make a choice. Each choice will take you to a different section of the book.
If you choose correctly, you will succeed. But be careful. If you make a bad choice, you may have to start the adventure again. If this happens, make sure you learn from your mistake!
Go to the next page to start your adventure. And remember, don’t be a zero, be a hero!
You are an apprentice witch at the Academy for Modern Witches.
You have been training for several years and hope to become a fully qualified member of the Circle of Witches. This is a secret society that uses magic for good to help protect the world against the dark forces that are out there.
You spend hours every day learning complicated spells and potions.
Recently you decided to use your magical powers to help an old lady find her lost cat. You know that you shouldn’t have done this without permission and now Mistress Weathervane, the Head Teacher of the Academy, has summoned you to her office.
You stand outside her door, feeling very nervous…
Go to 1.
1
The door swings open and a voice rings out.
“Enter!”
You walk in. The door slams shut behind you.
You see Mistress Weathervane floating above her chair.
“Did you use magic to open the door?” you ask.
“Of course not,” she replies. “I used electricity. It’s an automatic door. This is the 21st century and there’s no point using up magic when we can use technology!”
She floats down back into her chair.
“Do you know why I have summoned you here?”
To pretend that you don’t, go to 26.
To admit that you do, go to 45.
2
You point your wand at the banshee. “Destroy!” you order. Nothing happens.
The banshee cackles. “I warned you, witch. Old magic will not work against me!”
She raises her hand and you are lifted into the air. “Now, join your sisters in The Dark Realm forever!”
She sends you hurtling towards the glass. You only have a split second to act!
Go to 23.
3
“Avoid!” you order. The skateboard banks to the right at incredible speed.
But the genies also speed up. One moves to your right and the other to your left. They are outflanking you. You will have to use magic!
To let the wand decide which spell to cast, go to 28.
To cast a destruction spell, go to 32.
4
You recall Mistress Weathervane’s warning about using magic without permission. “I’m sorry,” you say. “I’m already in trouble for helping you…”
“You must listen to me,” she replies. “I’m not who you think I am.”
Go to 22.
5
You dive behind a table as the door opens.
As you stare at the lift, you feel something grasping at your leg. You look back and see a half-dissolved gingerbread man enveloping your body! Before you can react, a gingery arm grabs your wand, pulling it into its soggy mush!
You are trapped.
Go to 23.
6
You realise that these flowers are hexed to resist magical intruders! If you cast any more spells with the wand you will set off more explosions.
You decide to head to the front entrance.
Go to 20.
7
“What is this task?” you ask.
Mother Oak takes out a crystal ball from her bag.
“Is that a real one?” you say. “I’ve never seen one before. We just use the Crystal Ball app.”
“Hmmm…” Mother Oak shakes her head. “Look into it…”
You do and see your classmates and teachers — they seem to be in a trance-like state behind a dark glass.
“I believe they have been imprisoned in The Dark Realm by Elias Midnight. I think he is a warlock.
The trip to Tempest Towers was a trap. I tried to warn Mistress Weathervane, but she wouldn’t listen to an old witch like me. You are the only witch left who can defeat Elias Midnight and rescue your sisters.”
“But what about you?” you ask.
“I am too old and frail. It needs a young witch like you. Will you accept this task?”
To accept the task, go to 49.
To ask more questions about your task, go to 42.
8
“Turn!” you cry. The broomstick spins to the left, but the cloud simply mirrors your movement and continues closing in on you.
Again you try to manoeuvre out of the way, but the cloud changes course. You decide to head straight for it!
Go to 47.
9
“Destroy!” you cry. But your wand just transforms into a bunch of flowers!
“What are you doing?” says Elias Midnight.
Without your wand you are at Elias’s mercy! You turn to Miss Devine.
“Help me!”
“I can’t,” she says.
There’s only one way out of this situation!
Go to 23.
10
“It’s not fair to punish me when I…”
But before you can finish, Mistress Weathervane flicks her hand and a small rainbow appears in the air. It wraps itself around your mouth, stifling your protests.
“I decide what is fair,” she snaps. “Is that understood?”
“Mmm… mmm,” you mumble.
“Good.” She drops her hand and the rainbow disappears.
Go to 35.
11
You know there is no time to waste so you ignore the table of goodies. As you step past it there is a crash of thunder and a roar of wind. When it subsides, you are amazed to see an army of giant gingerbread people crunching towards you!
Before you can move away, one topples down on you and you crash to the floor, unconscious.
Go to 29.
12
“Invisible,” you say. You feel a tingling in your body and look down at your hands — you can’t see them!
You step forward past the guards and dogs, but as you do you hear a low growl. You are amazed as the dogs begin to transform into creatures from your worst nightmares!
They have the head of a human, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. You recognise these supernatural beasts. Manticores! They cannot be fooled by invisibility spells. They move, leading the guards towards you.
To run to the entrance, go to 16.
To use magic against the manticores, go to 41.
13
You head to the academy’s broom cupboard and choose an old broomstick.
Sitting astride it, you order the broomstick to go to Tempest Towers. You shoot out of the window and zoom across rooftops. As you get nearer to Elias Midnight’s headquarters, you see a dark cloud ahead of you. You are amazed — it is speeding straight towards you!
To take evasive action, go to 8.
To carry on, go to 47.
14
“You’re going to swap places with my sisters,” you say. The phones and wand burst into life and their combined magical forces send the banshee hurtling towards the dark glass.
There is a shattering noise and the room is suddenly full of witches! Then the glass re-forms and behind it you see the banshee mouthing curses at you.
Mistress Weathervane stares at you in astonishment. “What’s been going on here?” she asks.
You smile. “It’s a long story!”
Go to 50.
15
“Skywards,” you command, and the skateboard obeys, shooting up into the air. In seconds you are zigzagging through skyscrapers at top speed, heading for Elias Midnight’s HQ.
Ahead you see a large black cloud. You are surprised to see it moving towards you.
To use your wand to investigate the cloud, go to 40.
To carry on, go to 47.
16
You race towards the entrance, but the manticores are too quick. With a huge leap, one of the supernatural creatures smashes into your back and you crash to the ground.
Your wand spins out of your hand. The other manticores move in, tails raised, ready to strike. You have to act quickly!
Go to 23.
17
The next day, you watch the other witches and teachers heading off to Tempest Towers. With a sigh, you begin to clean the classrooms. You can’t even use magic to help you as your phone has been taken away.
The day progresses and as the sun sets, you finish mopping the hall floor. At that moment, the doors fling open with a crash and an old woman dressed in black stands in the doorway. It is the old lady you helped to find her cat.
“I need your magical powers again,” she says.
To tell her to go away, go to 4.
To talk to her, go to 22.
18
“Fire flames!” you command.
Flames shoot from the wand and hit a gingerbread person. It sets alight, filling the air with the smell of burning biscuit.
Again you point your wand and a further gingerbread person is cooked to a crisp!
You point your wand at another, but as you do so, a huge gingerbread man crashes down on top of you.
You drop to the floor, unconscious.
Go to 29.
19
You head along the streets, skating through the crowds and the traffic.
But you soon realise that you are taking too long. Speed is essential if you are going to save your sisters.
To order the skateboard to go faster, go to 34.
To go skywards, go to 15.
20
You head to the front door, where you see several security officers with fierce-looking guard dogs patrolling the entrance.
You will have to use magic to get inside the building.
To make yourself invisible, go to 12.
To make the guards unable to move, go to 25.
21
“Yes, I’ll help,” you say.
“He is in his penthouse. We’ll head there now.” You follow Miss Devine into the lift and you are soon heading up to meet Elias Midnight.
You hold your wand ready for whatever may come.
Go to 27.
22
“I’m not sure I can help you, but come in,” you say. “Who are you?”
The old lady steps forward.
“I am Mother Oak.”
You gasp. “Not the Mother Oak? The most famous leader of all witches?”
Mother Oak smiles. “I was once, but now I am old and frail. The new witches like Mistress Weathervane don’t want me and my old magic — they want new magic — smartphones with apps and SpellBook, and the like.”
You are confused.
“But if you have magical powers, why did you want my help to find your cat?”
“It was a test. I wanted to see what sort of witch you are. I have a task for you, if you wish to accept it.”
To refuse the task, go to 38.
To find out more, go to 7.
23
You grasp the pentacle and cry, “Old magic, help me!”
There is a roar of air and a burst of light as you pass through time and space.
You find yourself back in the hall. Mother Oak looks stern. “You were unwise in your choice. Begin your task again.”
To fly to Tempest Towers on a broomstick, go to 13.
To use your magic skateboard, go to 30.
24
You move through the lobby past a table laden with drinks and plates of biscuits. There are two signs on the table:
It’s been some time since you’ve eaten
and you’re feeling hungry.
To stop for refreshments, go to 31.
To continue your search for your sisters, go to 11.
25
“Immobilise,” you command. The wand’s magic works immediately, rendering the guards motionless.
You step off the skateboard and walk towards the doors. However, the spell has only made the guards immobile — they can still speak.
“Intruder!” they cry as one. “Destroy!”
You are amazed as the dogs suddenly begin to transform.
Within seconds several fearsome creatures stand growling before you. They all have human heads, the bodies of lions and the tails of scorpions.
You recognise these nightmarish beasts. Manticores! They start moving towards you.
To run to the entrance, go to 16.
To use magic against the manticores, go to 41.
26
“I have no idea,” you say.
Mistress Weathervane looks stern.
“Do not lie to me! You know very well that I can tell if someone is lying!”
“Sorry, Mistress Weathervane,” you reply, ashamed.
Go to 45.
27
The lift door opens and you step into a huge office.
“We don’t want to be disturbed. Put your phone there,” says Miss Devine. She points at a table that is covered in mobile phones. You realise they have been taken from your sisters. You are also amazed to see yours.
“I don’t have one with me,” you reply truthfully. “Where is Elias Midnight?”
The chair behind a huge desk suddenly spins around to reveal a man dressed in black. “I am here. Who are you?”
To attack Elias with magic, go to 9.
To talk to him, go to 39.
28
“Wand, choose a spell and choose it well,” you say.
The skateboard comes to a sudden halt as the genies close in from either side, heading directly for you.
A word begins to form in your mind. You wonder what will happen, but shout it nevertheless. “Combine!”
Just as the genies are about to slam into you, the skateboard suddenly shoots forward. The genies cannot stop and hit each other with such incredible force, their bodies join together.
They struggle to break free but the spell is
too strong! You speed off laughing.
To head for the front entrance of Tempest Towers, go to 20.
To try to find another way in, go to 44.
29
You wake up to find yourself in the clutch of a gingerbread man. Its mouth is wide open and you’re heading towards it! You’re about to be eaten by a biscuit!
Go to 23.
30
You decide that using a broomstick is a little old-fashioned, so you head to your locker and take out your magic skateboard.
It’s lucky Mistress Weathervane didn’t know about this, you think as you stand on the board.
“Go!” you order and the skateboard obeys, shooting along the corridors and out of the front gates.
To head to Tempest Towers at street level, go to 19.
To order the skateboard to fly above the city buildings, go to 15.
31
You pick up a biscuit and go to put it in your mouth.
“DON’T YOU DARE!” the biscuit screams, and you drop it. There is a crack of thunder and the biscuits begin to grow! Seconds later there is an army of giant gingerbread people crunching towards you.
You need a spell to deal with these not-so-sweet beings!
To cast a spell of water, go to 48.
