by Steve Barlow
Go to 32.
25
You move your dagger away from the elf’s throat. “You are not my enemy,” you tell him, “except that you stand in my way. Can’t we work together? Can you help me find the Dragon Princess?”
The elf shakes his head. “The Dragon Lord is too powerful. You will fail.”
“Then I will slay him first,” you say. You reach into the pouch around your neck and take out the Ruby of Power. “With this, I can defeat the Dragon Lord, then I’ll find the Dragon Princess.”
The elf regards you with respect. “I know what that ruby is, but I don’t know where the Dragon Princess is held — I have never seen her. But I am the captain of the Dragon Lord’s guard. I will tell you where to find him. The rest is up to you.”
You nod your thanks. “That is all I ask.”
You step towards the door of the keep, but the elf puts a hand on your arm. “Before you go to fight the Dragon Lord, there is a legend concerning him that I think you should know.”
If you want to hear the legend, go to 49.
If you simply want him to tell you how to find the Dragon Lord, go to 2.
26
You step up close to the dragon’s body. You prise apart the scales covering its heart with the tip of your sword. You thrust with all your might. The blade slides home. The Dragon Lord shudders and dies.
You draw out your sword and watch in astonishment as the dragon’s body evaporates into thin air. Where the dragon lay, there is now the body of a beautiful young woman. It is the Dragon Princess!
You realise that she was not the Dragon Lord’s captive, but the Dragon Lord himself, transformed by the Red Queen’s spell.
And now she is dead. When you killed the dragon, you slew the Dragon Princess as well. Only she could tell you how to find the Ruby of Seeing — but she can tell you nothing now.
Your quest is over. To begin again, go back to 1.
27
You begin your descent into the valley.
Suddenly, the air is filled with harsh cries. Dragons pour from every cave and fissure in the rocks, and from the ledges where they have been perched, camouflaged as rock pinnacles.
They dive to attack. You shoot arrows at them, but these have no effect. Filling their lungs to belch fire, the dragons close in.
Go to 32.
28
You pause in the shadow of the stone steps that lead to the door into the keep. You watch the windows above where lamps are lit inside.
After a few minutes, you see the silhouette of a slim figure pass in front of the light. An elf! You might have guessed that the Dragon Lord would not want the violent and stupid grobblins guarding his inner defences.
Elves are highly intelligent, and formidable fighters. It is clear you must pass them to get inside the keep.
If you decide to try to trick the elves, go to 23.
If you want to attack the elves, go to 42.
If you want to try to capture one of the elves, go to 15.
29
The gap is too narrow, so you push at one of the doors to widen it — but the hinges are old and stiff. The hinges make a loud creaking noise that echoes through the chamber, and the sleeping Dragon Lord awakes!
This dragon is ten times greater than the ones you have encountered so far. It uncurls itself and raises its wings until it fills the room. Its red eyes stare at you. Three other dragons slink from the shadowy corners of the chamber, hissing a challenge. You turn to flee, but even more dragons appear at the gap in the iron doors behind you.
Go to 32.
30
“Princess,” you say quietly, “forgive me, I do not understand. Why will you not give me the ruby?”
The Dragon Princess looks steadily into your eyes. “I may only reveal the Ruby of Seeing to one who has shown his worth.”
“But have I not already shown my worth,” you protest, “by slaying the dragon and breaking the Red Queen’s spell?”
The Princess shakes her head. “There is more to worth than fighting skill. The keeper of the rubies must also possess wisdom and judgement. Are you as wise as you are strong?”
You do not know what to say to this, so you say nothing.
“Well, we shall see. Follow me.” The princess leads you to a small door in a corner of the chamber. You climb a spiral staircase, and eventually emerge into a circular room with a small window. In the centre of the room is a table. Laid out on it are three rubies. They seem to be identical.
The princess points at the stones. “One of these is the Ruby of Seeing. All you have to do is choose.”
If you rescued the old woman from the flying spiders, go to 36.
If you didn’t, go to 22.
31
You land behind a small pine forest.
You leave Hergal and walk through the trees towards the village. You need to get information about how you can find the Dragon Princess, so you decide to head for the tavern. However, as you walk through the darkening streets, you hear the sound of footsteps behind you. You slip into the shadows and wait. The footsteps halt.
If you want to ignore the footsteps and continue on your way, go to 6.
If you want to hide and find out who or what is following you, go to 37.
32
You raise your sword. But a sword is no use against dragon fire. Flames engulf you and the air around you ripples with fire. Your agony is unspeakable, but mercifully short.
Your quest has failed. To begin again, go to 1.
33
The elves bind your arms and march you up a flight of stone stairs. You find yourself in a great chamber. At one end of the room stands a pillar from which chains hang down.
The elves chain you to the pillar and leave. You look up to see a set of huge iron doors at the other end of the room. From behind these comes a deep rumbling noise. Smoke pours from gaps around and between the doors.
The doors creak slowly open and from the smoke slithers a monstrous dragon. You struggle against your chains, but in vain. It is the Dragon Lord!
The Dragon Lord takes a deep breath and opens its mouth. A vast stream of flame belches out, turning the air around you into an inferno.
You’ve been barbecued! To begin again, go to 1.
34
You snatch a burning torch from the nearest wall. The death wraith holding the Ruby of Power steps forward, raising its sword. You thrust the torch towards it and the creature’s rotten clothing instantly bursts into flame. The wraith shrieks and drops the ruby. It staggers back into the other wraiths, and in turn they too are set alight.
You grab hold of the ruby and head for the village tavern, leaving your enemies to their grisly fate.
Go to 3.
35
You shoot arrow after arrow at the dragon. The Ruby of Power seems to guide your aim — not a single arrow misses its mark. But the dragon’s scaly hide is too tough for your arrows to penetrate. They bounce harmlessly away.
Now, the dragon is angry. It roars a challenge and swoops down towards you.
If you want to continue shooting as fast as you can, go to 8.
If you decide to hold your fire, go to 40.
36
You remember what the old woman said.
“The higher the climb, the greater the fall,
And right is wrong beyond recall;
Choose wrongly, and a fool is left.
Of wisdom robbed, of hope bereft.”
You stand over the rubies and think about the words.
“You must choose,” says the princess.
To choose the ruby on the right, go to 10.
To choose the ruby on the left, go to 18.
To choose the ruby in the centre, go to 50.
37
You stride on, and reach a place where the street opens out into the village square. Flaming torches light up the night sky.
You hide behind a water barrel.
Moments later, half a dozen dark-robed figures appear in the stree
t. Decaying skin shrinks from their skulls and bones stick through their rotten flesh. These are death wraiths, murderous creatures of the Red Queen.
You can hardly breathe from their stink as they pass by your hiding place, and head out of the square.
If you want to attack the death wraiths, go to 41.
If you want to head back the way you came, go to 6.
38
“If you will not talk, then die!”
Even as the elf slumps to the floor, you regret your bloodthirsty action. You need to know how to find the Dragon Princess, and with the guard’s death, you are no closer to her. Your captive can no longer tell you anything. You realise that he will soon be missed, and the other elves will come looking for him — and for you.
You no longer have any options. You must attack the guards at once!
Go to 42.
39
You snatch the shield from the wall, but as soon as you do, you realise your mistake. The shield is old. The wood and leather from which it is made are rotten, and the metal is paper thin.
The Dragon Lord breathes a flood of fire at you. You crouch behind the shield, but it is useless. The red-hot flames wash over you, sending you to fiery death.
You are dead! To begin again, go to 1.
40
You keep your bow drawn, but hold your fire, waiting for an opportunity to do the dragon some real damage.
The creature opens its mouth wide to belch fire. As it does so, you loose your arrow. The shaft flies straight and true. Its steel point bites into the roof of the dragon’s mouth and into the creature’s brain. The dragon drops from the sky like a stone.
You collect the arrows you shot earlier, before continuing on your way.
Some hours later you are heading along a narrow path, when you hear a noise from below you. You peer over the edge of the cliff and see a figure dressed in furs below you. She is under attack by winged creatures too small to be dragons. You realise that the person is an old woman and her attackers are giant flying spiders!
If you decide that your quest is too urgent to help the woman, go to 14.
If you wish to fight the spiders in an attempt to save the woman, go to 48.
41
You know that the Ruby of Power will help you defeat the death wraiths. You charge at your enemies.
You despatch two of them, but another wraith slashes at you with its sword. You jump back, but the pouch holding the Ruby of Power slips from under your jerkin. The death wraith’s blade slices through its drawstring. The pouch opens and the ruby falls to the street, bouncing on the cobbles.
You feel your super strength draining away as the death wraith grabs the ruby. The creature laughs manically and the other wraiths move in for the kill.
To fight on with your sword, go to 13.
To make a grab for the nearest flaming torch, go to 34.
42
You rush into the great hall of the keep, shooting arrows as you go. The elvish guards are surprised by the speed of the attack and several fall to your arrows. However, more quickly appear.
You fight on, but as you plunge your sword into the body of one of the elves, he twists and pulls your sword from your hand.
You look up to see a dozen elvish archers, bows drawn, ready to shoot their arrows. You are weaponless. Your only hope is surrender.
Go to 33.
43
You remember the words of the elf captain and raise your sword. You strike at the Dragon Lord’s neck, hacking its head from its body.
You step back and watch in astonishment as the dragon’s body crumbles and evaporates into thin air. Where the dragon lay, there is now a beautiful young woman. It is the Dragon Princess! You realise that she was not the Dragon Lord’s captive, but the Dragon Lord himself, transformed by the Red Queen’s spell.
The Dragon Princess gasps, and opens her eyes. She smiles. “Thank you, stranger. You have rescued me from a terrible enchantment.”
You help her up. “I was told to come here by the Blind Man of the Lost Temple of the Desert,” you tell her. “I am on a quest from the Queen of Alba to find the Ruby of Seeing. Will you give it to me?”
The Dragon Princess looks down and shakes her head.
If you want to threaten the Dragon Princess and demand that she gives you the Ruby of Seeing, go to 7.
If you want to ask the Dragon Princess to explain why she won’t give the ruby to you, go to 30.
44
You realise that the dwarves know this country better than you. You will have to head to the castle on foot.
“Would one of you act as my guide?” you ask.
The dwarves laugh and shake their heads. “We value our lives too much!”
However, they give you directions, telling you to search for a dragon-shaped rock, which points the way to the castle.
You spend the night in the tavern. At first light you make sure Hergal is safe and then set off for the castle.
The climb is long and hard. For two days you toil up the mountain as the snow gets deeper and the going becomes harder.
After another freezing night you set off again. Eventually, you spot what the dwarves told you to find — a rock shaped like a dragon. You are congratulating yourself on reaching the landmark, when the whole rock comes to life! The rock-shaped head moves, and wings stretch out. It is a grey-coloured dragon!
It spots you and dives towards you. You reach for your bow and notch an arrow to the string, but the creature turns tail and begins to fly away.
If you wish to shoot at the dragon, go to 35.
If you decide to let the dragon go, turn to 24.
45
The Dragon Lord breathes a stream of fire at you, and you dodge the flames. The timbers in the roof crackle with the heat. You look around and see that the walls of the chamber are hung with weapons, no doubt from knights and warriors that the dragon has killed. Next to you there is a spear and a shield, but you only have time to grab one.
To take the shield, go to 39.
To take the spear, go to 12.
46
You decide to attack immediately.
You leap up, shooting arrows as fast as you can. Three grobblins fall while the rest stare blankly about, wondering what is happening.
But even grobblins aren’t stupid enough to stand still and wait to be shot at forever. The others charge at you.
You draw your sword and more grobblins fall, but there are too many, even for the Ruby of Power to be of help. A huge grobblin swings a gigantic war hammer at you and you feel your sword arm break. Your sword clatters to the ground.
As the grobblins close in, you remember what the creatures feed on — human flesh!
The grobblins have found something for their stew pot. To begin again, go to 1.
47
Hergal screams with agony and writhes in mid-air as the feathers of her great eagle wings catch fire and burn. The flames turn you into a human torch. You share the gryphon’s agony as you fall together from the sky, blazing like a shooting star before you plunge onto the unyielding rocks far below.
Your adventure is over. To start again, go back to 1.
48
You race towards the old woman, shooting arrows as you run. Several of the spiders fall to your arrows. The others turn and fly away.
“Thank you,” says the woman. “You are kind and brave. What are you doing so high in the mountains?”
“I seek the Dragon Princess,” you say.
“Then you must be careful,” she warns. “You have helped me and so I will help you. As you near the end of your quest, remember these words.” In a soft voice, she begins to chant,
“The higher the climb, the greater the fall,
And right is wrong beyond recall;
Choose wrongly, and a fool is left.
Of wisdom robbed, of hope bereft.”
The woman raises her right arm. The cry of an eagle echoes around the mountains. You look up, searching for it. When you look down
again, the old woman is no longer there.
You go on your way, deep in thought. Was the woman mad? Or will you find that her words have some meaning?
Go to 14.
49
“Tell me this legend,” you say.
“It says that the Dragon Lord is not a true dragon,” the elf tells you, “but a human that the Red Queen has placed under a curse. The curse can only be lifted if a mighty warrior cuts off the creature’s head. In that case, the victim of the spell will live. But if the dragon is killed in any other way, the victim of the curse will die.”
Go to 2.
50
You take the ruby. Instantly, the walls of the tower room and the princess seem to fly away.
A man stands before you, and you gasp. It is Olderon!
“Olderon! How can this be? You are dead!”
He smiles. “The Ruby of Seeing gives you the power to see beyond the world of the living. I am here to tell you that to find the Ruby of Magic, you must head to the Sea of Oblivion. There you will find the Old Man of the Sea. He is the guardian of the Ruby of Magic.”
The image of Olderon begins to fade.
“Will I see you again, my friend?” you ask.
But before Olderon can reply, he disappears and you find yourself back in the tower with the Dragon Princess.
She gives you a smile of approval. “You have shown your worth. You have won the Ruby of Seeing, but the greatest and most dangerous part of your quest still lies ahead of you — facing and defeating the Red Queen and her husband.”
You nod in agreement. Then you call on the power of the ruby again. You see Hergal dozing under a tree. You give a piercing whistle. The gryphon looks up, startled. Then she unfolds her great eagle wings, and takes to the air.
Shortly afterwards, with the two precious Blood Crown rubies safely stowed, you rise on Hergal’s back into the sky above the Dragon Princess’s castle. You set your face to the west, and fly towards the Sea of Oblivion and the next part of your quest for the Blood Crown…
About the 2Steves
“The 2Steves” are Britain’s most popular writing double act for young people, specialising in comedy and adventure. They perform regularly in schools and libraries, and at festivals, taking the power of words and story to audiences of all ages.
Together they have written many books, including the Crime Team and iHorror series.
