You walk across the rocky plateau to the far side. The view there is even more incredible – and quite bewildering. The land here appears to somehow be divided between scorching summer and bitter winter.
To the west is harsh, barren desert. To the east is an icy snowscape. In the distance on the desert side is a towering city of rock formations. It shimmers with flames as red dragons circle above it. The corresponding city is made up of towering ice formations. It glitters with reflected light as blue and white dragons fly in the sky.
How is a place like this even possible?
In between the two lands is a massive lake, half of it frozen into a sheet of ice, the other half flickering with flames. And in the middle of the lake is a gleaming ball of light. You wonder what it is.
Your little dragon purrs in your ear. Portal. Home. You go.
Could this weird light sphere be your way back? How can you get to it? Fly, perhaps? Your little dragon is definitely getting bigger. Maybe it could take you to the portal? But you’re not sure if it can carry your weight …
You hear a squawk behind you. Turning, you see one of those bird-people flying through the air on a dragon’s back. It’s the captured dragon you saw earlier. But now it’s wearing a saddle and reins. As it lands, it rears on its hind legs and the rider is thrown off.
Now’s your chance. You could steal the dragon. It’s certainly big enough to carry your weight. And surely it would be just like riding a horse. You’ve seen people ride horses on TV, how hard could it be?
To steal the saddled dragon, go here.
Or maybe it would be better to ask your mini dragon to fly you. Go here.
Your conscience won’t let you leave the captured dragon at the mercy of the bird-people. You decide that you have to help.
You pick up a couple of rocks and charge at the humanoid birds, shouting as you go. You’re hoping to surprise them into running off. Your little dragon clings to your shoulder, thinking angry words into your mind.
But then one of the bird-people turns towards you and spreads its arms. A dozen or so feathers propel from its body like darts. You and your mini dragon are hit. The pointy feather tips spike into your skin. You drop like a stone, landing hard on the ground. You can’t move. The feathers must have been tipped with poison!
Your dragon is left behind as a bird-man grabs you by the ankle and drags you off. It’s a long and uncomfortable journey as you are hauled along a rocky path, bouncing over stones and into potholes. Finally you are brought round the side of the mountain to a city of domed nests set into the rocky face. Inside one of these nests, you are thrown into a cage.
Minutes later you are surrounded by squawking bird-children. You think they might be laughing. They point at you and make strange sounds. One of them tentatively leans forward between the bars and shoves something dry into your mouth. It’s a stale cracker. You chew and swallow it so as not to choke.
Is this your fate? To be the paralysed pet of these bird creatures?
More dry food is forced into your mouth.
You can’t help but think: Polly want a cracker?
You climb out of the pit and then help Ravi. But the cryptozoologist arrives just as you pull your friend over the edge.
‘What are you doing?’ demands Myfanwy.
You explain that you were hoping to find more eggs, but there were none down there.
‘You expect me to believe you?’ There is ridicule in her voice. ‘You’re hiding something, I just know it.’ Without further explanation, she grabs the rope out of your hand and lowers herself into the pit.
‘Aha!’ Myfanwy shouts from inside. ‘There’s a crevice in the wall … and it leads to somewhere … probably to a stash of dragon eggs that you’re trying to hide from me. Well, you won’t get away with this.’
You and Ravi look at each other with worried glances. The cryptozoologist is sounding rather manic. You hope that she doesn’t do anything stupid.
Go here.
It’s a tight fit, but you manage to squeeze yourself into the crevice, whispering for Ravi to follow.
The two of you hide there and listen. You hear footsteps and Myfanwy’s voice grumbling about fame slipping through her grasp. After the sounds fade away, you try to get out.
But Ravi is stuck, wedged between the rocky walls. He could be here forever if you don’t do something. You could go deeper into the crevice, hoping it leads to a way out, so that you can get some assistance. Or you could yell for help so that Myfanwy comes back.
To yell for help, go here.
To go deeper into the crevice, go here.
You decide you’ve got a better chance with the raft. You sprint across the sand, dodging dragon bones. High above, a fire dragon swoops towards you. A burst of flame hits the ground to your left, but you make it to the raft in time. Close up, you notice that both the raft and the oar are made of wood covered in some sort of black resin. So it seems they are fireproof, after all.
You tell Doo-Doo to hide and push off in the raft. Immediately, you feel the heat from the fiery water.
Dragon, warns Doo-Doo as he flies off.
You nod and start paddling.
You haven’t gone far when the flames in front of the raft blast high into the air and form the shape of a dragon. This is no fire dragon … it’s a dragon actually made of fire!
You duck down, trying to avoid the flames that drip from the horrifying apparition.
‘I am the Guardian of the Lake.’ The booming voice resonates through the air around you, as hot sparks fly from the creature’s mouth. ‘No one but a dragon may pass through the lake. And you are not a dragon.’
You desperately explain to the Guardian that you are trying to get home. That the portal you came through is blocked and that this is the only way out.
‘There may be a way to let you pass,’ says the Guardian, ‘but how far would you go to gain permission?’
How far would you go? As far as necessary!
‘Very well,’ agrees the Guardian. ‘So be it!’
The Guardian suddenly surges forward, fiery jaws gaping wide. You throw your arms up protectively. But it’s no use.
The flames wrap around you. They swirl and coil. You are surprised that they do not burn. But something is happening. Your body feels strange … different … it’s changing. You watch as your hands and feet transform into claws. Your clothes tear and fall from your scaly body. You go to scream, but all that passes your lips is a –
GRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARR!
A dragon’s roar.
The Guardian reforms. ‘Now you may pass,’ it says. ‘For you too are a dragon.’
You find that your human thoughts begin to fade. Why are you here? Why are you on the lake when you could be in the sky?
You leap into the air and flap your wings. You soar through the clouds with an amazing feeling of freedom.
You are the happiest you have ever been!
The skull is closer, so you dash for it. You push the giant upturned skull into the water and are about to jump into the brain cavity when you see a fire dragon soaring through the sky towards you. Do you risk continuing, or do you run for cover?
To run, go here.
But this might be your only chance to get home. To jump into the skull, go here.
You turn and run.
NO! Doo-Doo’s plea echoes through your mind, but you are so scared you keep running.
Seconds later a shadow passes over you, filling you with dread. The massive red dragon with orange and yellow accents swoops down towards you and exhales a fatal fiery breath.
You’re not sure you’ll be able to control that random dragon. Instead, you take your mini dragon off your shoulder and hold it in your hands. Staring intently into its big round eyes, you ask if it can fly you to the portal.
Can fly. But you heavy. Difficult. Maybe impossible.
It’s getting better at forming words in your mind. It sighs deeply before fluttering its wings and taking to the air. You
lunge at it, grabbing hold of its tail as you hurtle off the side of the plateau.
At first you plummet. You think you’re about to die. But then, as the little dragon furiously flaps its tiny wings, you level off and head towards the lake. Unfortunately, it’s a long way, and the mini dragon can’t keep it up. It begins to falter and lose altitude. Its breathing is laboured and its wings are slowing.
It’s going to crash. And you’ll go down with it!
This is all your fault. You are too heavy.
You could save the little dragon who tried to help you, by letting go. You would fall, but without your added weight, the dragon should be able to save itself.
Do you sacrifice yourself for the dragon and let go? Go here.
Or do you hang on anyway, because you are too scared? Go here.
While the bird-person is still on the ground, you make a dash for the dragon. Leaping onto its back, you kick with your heels and crack the reins. The dragon launches into the air and you hang on for dear life.
The creature swoops and soars, spins and twirls, flying all over the place, not responding to anything you do with the reins. You quickly realise that you have no control over it whatsoever. You slip from the saddle and almost plummet to your death, but you manage to wrap your arms around the creature’s neck.
You fly back past the plateau, legs dangling as you hang from the dragon’s neck, and call out to the mini dragon for help. It flutters its little wings and zooms after you, coming to hover beside you.
Help. Please. Fly to lake. To portal.
The words form in your mind, and presumably in the mind of the dragon you are riding. It slows down and steadies its flight, allowing you to get back into the saddle. It heads for the lake. It flies in low over the dividing line and you marvel at how both the flaming and frozen water butt up against each other in a neat division.
As you approach the ball of light, you hear the word jump.
You leap from the saddle and plunge into the heart of the sphere.
Go here.
You take a deep breath and release the dragon’s tail. As you plummet, the mini dragon recovers, puts on a burst of speed and zooms off.
You turn in the air as you fall, and watch the ground approach. You hurtle towards the desert landscape with its rocks and sand. Though you should be terrified, you find that you are strangely calm. You close your eyes and prepare to go SPLAT.
But you don’t. At the last second you are scooped up and flown off.
You tentatively open your eyes to discover that you are on the back of the saddled dragon, your little companion by your side.
Safe.
The little dragon must have gone and fetched the other dragon. And now you are flying towards the ball of light in the centre of the lake.
As you pass over it, the dragon tips and you fall off.
Goodbye.
You plunge into the heart of the sphere.
Go here.
You can’t bring yourself to let go. You hang on desperately to the little dragon’s tail as the two of you plummet. You hurtle towards the desert landscape with its rocks and sand.
The two of you are not far from crashing to the ground when the tiny creature farts. Flames shoot from its rear end, scorching your hands. Yelping in pain, you let go.
As you fall to your doom, you see the mini dragon fly safely away, a puff of smoke in its wake.
You’re not about to give up.
You scoop up a leg bone to use as an oar and jump into the skull, telling Doo-Doo to go and hide.
As you paddle across the fiery water, the dragon above you veers off and flies away. You’d breathe a sigh of relief if not for the heat around you.
You don’t get far when the flames in front of you blast high into the air and form the shape of a dragon. This is no fire dragon … it’s a dragon actually made of fire.
You duck down inside the skull, trying to avoid the flames that drip from the horrifying apparition.
‘I am the Guardian of the Lake.’ The booming voice resonates through the air around you, as sparks fly from the creature’s mouth. ‘No one but a dragon may pass through the lake. And you are not a dragon.’
You desperately try to think of something. And then you remember … you’re in a dragon skull. The skull can surely pass.
‘Oh.’ The Guardian sounds confused. ‘I guess you’re right.’ The flames disperse, leaving the way clear.
You paddle frantically, steering your dragon skull across the hot flickering waters towards the ball of whirling light – the portal back to your own world. The closer you get, the brighter it flares. You bring the skull-boat right up to the dazzling portal and fling yourself into its shimmering depths.
Go here.
You trudge through the snow towards the frozen lake, Doo-Doo sitting on your shoulder. It’s hard going, as your feet sink into the soft white landscape. You are soon sweating despite the cold.
As you plod along, you come across a group of small animals that look a lot like bunnies. They are as white as the snow, blending in with their surroundings so that you don’t see them until you almost step on one. You crouch down and pat the cute little thing, stroking its soft fur. It looks up at you with expressive eyes, then its cheeks bulge and it expels a stream of chunky green vomit all over your shoes.
Yuck!
You jump back, landing next to another bunny-creature, which promptly spews at you. You jump again. Another bunny, more puke. You race off, each animal heaving at you as you pass. It’s like making your way through a field of adorable, fluffy puke mines. The stench is eye-watering and the snow is stained a violent shade of green.
Finally, you make it past the hurling bunny-things and approach the lake.
Across the frozen surface you see a ball of whirling light. That must be the portal to your world. But how are you going to cross the lake to reach it?
You glance nervously to the sky and the dragons flying in the distance. Luckily you haven’t been spotted. You hope that your luck will hold.
There is a scattering of bones between you and the lake. Dragon bones. It’s like some sort of wintery dragon graveyard. Perhaps you could use a dragon bone as a sled to cross the lake’s frozen surface? But you’d need to figure out how to control it. Maybe it would be wiser to simply walk across the ice?
To walk out onto the lake, go here.
To make yourself a dragon-bone sled, go here.
You decide that a sled is the way to go and start searching for an appropriate bone to use. There are lots of odd-shaped bones that would be awkward to sit on, but you finally find one that will work. It’s curved and reasonably flat and big enough to sit on. It’s probably a hipbone.
Doo-Doo leaps off your shoulder and flutters in the air around you as you haul the bone to the lake’s edge. You wonder how you can propel the bone-sled. Perhaps you can find a smaller bone to use as an oar?
Sit! Doo-Doo is hovering around the bone-sled. Sit! I move it.
Uncertain what Doo-Doo has in mind, you follow his instructions anyway. Once you are seated, Doo-Doo plonks himself down behind you. He points his rear end off the back of the makeshift sled.
Hold on!
The little dragon farts. A burst of flame propels the sled onto the lake and across the frozen surface. You’re not sure if you should be disgusted or impressed.
Up ahead you can see the portal, a dazzling ball of whirling light. Your way home. You smile.
Suddenly, between you and the portal, ice shards splinter from the frozen lake, soar into the air and form the shape of a giant dragon. This is no ice dragon … it’s a dragon actually made of ice.
Your heart leaps into your throat.
If you want to stop the sled, go here.
If you want to try to dodge around the giant creature, go here.
You and Ravi yell for help.
Myfanwy returns and climbs down into the pit. She takes a mini pick from one of her pockets and gets to work on the side of the crevice, c
hipping away at the rock. It only takes her a few moments to free your friend. Once he is out of the way, you can squeeze through as well. As you exit, rocks fall in, partially blocking the crevice.
‘Get away from here!’ The cryptozoologist indicates the rope hanging down into the pit. ‘Right now. I don’t want you interfering brats around.’
As you and Ravi climb up, you hear Myfanwy talking on.
‘That crevice probably leads to a stash of dragon eggs that you’re trying to hide from me. Well, you won’t get away with this.’
Once you’re out of the pit you listen, hoping to discover what the cryptozoologist is up to.
Go here.
You take a deep breath, trying to make yourself slimmer, and squeeze further along the crevice, leaving Ravi behind.
After a metre or so, it starts to widen. You see light up ahead and you quicken your pace. Moments later you emerge into a cavern.
It is an extraordinary sight. Stalactites hang from the ceiling and stalagmites protrude from the floor. Glowing lines of phosphorescence wind their way around these rocky structures and spread out along the walls and ceiling like a spider web.
The cavern floor is strewn with rocks. You might be able to use one to chip away at the wall in the crevice to free Ravi.
To pick up a rock and squeeze back into the crevice, go here.
If you’ d rather go further into the cavern and look for help, go here.
In the Realm of Dragons Page 4
