The Guardian's Path
Page 2
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“What, pray tell, does Dastan have that your mistress would like returned?” Nizam asks.
“I’d like to know the same thing,” a voice behind you says.
You whirl around to see Prince Dastan striding toward you. As he comes up beside you, he frowns.
“You say it is your mistress, the princess, who asks to find me? What is her message?” He is studying your face intently. Your stomach clenches. You have the terrible feeling that he knows who you really are.
You’re not comfortable being questioned by both men. If things go wrong, you’re outnumbered.
Now that you’ve found Dastan, there’s no way to know if he’ll actually agree to your request. Then you’ll need to take it from him forcibly—and you don’t want Nizam there to witness, or to stop you.
It might make sense to speak with Nizam privately and have him request the Dagger from Dastan, since Dastan is unlikely to deny him. But you don’t know if Nizam can be persuaded.
Both men are waiting for you to say something. Which one should you try to meet with alone? And once you do, how will you get him to agree?
If you want to speak with Nizam, TURN TO PAGE 123
If you want to speak with Prince Dastan, TURN TO PAGE 126
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The storm is over. Dastan pulls back the makeshift tent, and you see that dawn has broken. As the rising sun crests over a dune, you pull out the amulet.
“The sands contained within the Sandglass are volatile,” you say. “That’s why it’s a completely sealed system.”
You hold up the amulet to the rising sun and whisper an incantation. You hear Dastan gasp beside you as the sunlight refracts through the amulet’s crystal, forming into a three-dimensional hologram of a spinning globe.
“Opening the Dagger while it’s in the chamber breaks the seal,” you say.
Beautiful, majestic cities all over the world appear in the crystal.
“No one knows for certain,” you continue, “but it could destroy the Sandglass. Cause it to crack and shatter.”
Now an apocalyptic sandstorm appears to approach the spinning holographic cities. Quickly, the cities are covered with oceans of sand.
“All of mankind would pay for Nizam’s lust for power,” you say.
The hologram shows people fleeing, screaming in horror, choking to death, being buried alive as the sandstorm covers the planet.
The hologram fades and you gesture to the storm-blown sand around you. “This is all that would be left of us.”
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You lean in, as if to kiss him. Dastan seems transfixed, uncertain. Seizing your chance, you quickly reach for the Dagger.
Not quickly enough. Dastan smacks away your hand. You leap up and grab his sword from where it hangs on the horse’s saddlebag. You swing it wildly. It is far heavier than you anticipated.
Dastan jumps back, barely escaping the sharp tip of the blade. He whistles, and the horse, responding to the signal, steps forward, banging into you. You slam into Dastan.
Your fingers grip the Dagger’s handle and you yank it from his belt. Ha! Got it! you say to yourself.
But once again he’s too fast for you. He flips you onto your back and you fall hard onto the ground. The Dagger goes flying.
You scramble after it, but Dastan gets to it first. He grabs it— and as he does his fingers hit the jewel on the Dagger. A trickle of sand releases into the air around him.
Oh, no! This is exactly what you were afraid of—that he would learn the secret of the Dagger.
But there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
Or is there?
If you think it’s too late, TURN TO PAGE 79
If you try to get the Dagger away from Dastan, hoping to keep him from learning its secret, TURN TO PAGE 43
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With your hope gone, you follow Dastan’s plan without question. All your faith is now in him. And he believes the Hassansins have returned the Dagger to Nizam in Alamut.
You arrive in the city just as dawn is breaking. You’re horrified to see excavation sites everywhere. Nizam’s desperation to find the Dagger and the Sandglass has destroyed your city.
And any minute now he may destroy all of humankind.
You must stop him!
“The Guardians built passageways underneath the city for secret access to the Sandglass,” you tell Dastan.
Your eyes search for a specific carving on a nearby wall. You reach behind it and open a hidden door. You bring Dastan down a winding staircase and through the caverns that lead to the Sandglass. Suddenly, an earthquake shakes the tunnel.
“The digging is undermining the city!” Dastan gasps.
But you know better. “It’s the gods. Nizam must have breached the Chamber of the Sandglass. He’s almost there!”
You come to a room with a sand-covered floor. A golden cupola rises from the sand. Dastan starts to run toward it, but you grab his arm to stop him. “This is too dangerous,” you tell him. “I must do this alone. You must get back aboveground.”
“I’m coming with you,” Dastan says.
If you insist that you must do this alone, TURN TO PAGE 121
Or do you stop protesting and allow him to accompany you? TURN TO PAGE 111
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Dastan gazes across the dunes. “I trusted him,” he says, echoing your musings. “I thought he loved my father. But he didn’t. He hated spending his life as brother to the king. He wanted the crown for himself.”
He stands and paces as if the emotions churning inside him won’t let him stay still. “But murdering my father. The Dagger. None of it makes him king.” Dastan turns and looks at you. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Your eyes travel from his tormented face to a terrifying sight behind him. A dark wall of sand is moving across the desert. A sandstorm. Coming right at you!
“We’ve got to move!” you cry.
“You know,” he says, “you’ve got quick hands, but so do I.” He holds up the Dagger. He must have taken it while you slept!
“If you want it back, tell me everything. No more games. No more lies!”
You stare at him, all too aware of the approaching sandstorm. Can you trust him with the truth?
If you tell him everything, TURN TO PAGE 93
If you keep the secret, TURN TO PAGE 56
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You don’t want to arouse suspicion—if you seek out Prince Dastan, you will draw attention to yourself, and perhaps to the Dagger. You will learn more by going through the motions of this distasteful ceremony.
There is a soft knock on the door. “Enter,” you call.
“We are here to prepare you,” a young Persian slave girl announces. You sigh and nod. They spend the next hour or so washing off your sacred henna tattoos and dressing you in elegant Persian finery. You don’t speak, afraid your voice will betray your fear. You shut your eyes and take a deep breath, calming yourself.
You hear someone cough and your eyes flick open. Prince Dastan stands in the doorway, staring at you.
“I’m here to present you to the king, Your Highness,” he says.
You shoo away the girls and stride out the door, forcing Prince Dastan to rush to catch up with you. You march down the corridor heading toward the great hall. You glance at his belt. Good. The Dagger is still there.
“So I’m escorted by Prince Dastan,” you say, unable to push down the fury rising in you. “Must feel wonderful winning such acclaim for destroying an innocent city. Then again, you are a prince of Persia. Senseless and brutal.”
He raises an eyebrow at you. “A pleasure to meet you, too,” he says. “And allow me to offer that if punishing enemies of my king is a crime, it’s one I’ll gladly repeat.”
You roll your eyes. “And he’s thickheaded as well.”
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You feel as if you’ve been riding for hours. You’re not even very sure where you’re going, other than that it’s far away from the Valley of the Slaves. You figure once you’re out of this narrow canyon, you’ll stop to get your bearings.
First, though, you reach into your cloak and pull an ancient amulet from around your neck. You open it to see the pinch of glowing sand inside. You smile as you lift the Dagger so you can refill it. Suddenly, Aksh neighs.
You see five cloaked riders ahead of you!
You turn Aksh around, only to discover more riders. You’re surrounded. Your eyes flash with determination as you leap from the horse. You draw Dastan’s sword. But one of the riders seizes you. He is a large man with a shaved head and dark skin. His eyes are cold.
You struggle as a bearded, turbaned man approaches. He eyes you up and down, then calls over his shoulder, “You’re right, she’s not bad. We have a deal.”
You’re shocked to see one of the riders pull down his hood. Dastan!
“Glad to hear it, Sheikh Amar,” the prince says. Then he strides to you and takes back the Dagger.
Your heart sinks. Not only does he have the Dagger again—he has sold you to these degenerates!
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Sheikh Amar circles you. “The little riot you started kept going—for two days!” He gestures to the ostrich. “Bathsheba here is all that’s left of my gambling empire! Look at the poor thing.”
You blink at the ostrich. It blinks back.
“So it occurred to me the only way to recoup my tragic losses was to track down the young lovers who cast this dark cloud upon me. Yes, sir! I need the price on your heads!”
You blush at the word lovers and glance to see Dastan’s reaction. But he doesn’t seem to be paying attention. He’s watching swirling funnels of sand dancing atop a sand dune. Another sandstorm?
Amar also looks to see what has Dastan transfixed. “Sand dervishes, Persian,” he says dismissively. “As common as camel turds in this desert.”
“Sheikh Amar, listen to me—” Dastan begins urgently.
Amar cuts him off. “I’d rather not.” His men gag Dastan.
“Noble Sheikh,” you say as respectfully as you can, “we are on a sacred journey.”
Amar just rolls his eyes, and then you, too, are gagged. Worse, one of his men, a tall, bald, African named Seso, takes Dastan’s sword—and your dagger.
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You’re not sure if you can get Astrella to climb that steep passageway, so you take the tunnel that leads deeper into the mountain. With the torchlight guiding you, she doesn’t protest.
At first the tunnel is very narrow and you have to walk in front of Astrella. The walls are covered with a deep green moss, making it feel as if you’re walking through a velvet corridor.
You hear the sound of water up ahead. Uh-oh. Is the rain coming in at the other end? But it doesn’t sound like dripping or flooding. It reminds you of the calm lapping of gentle waves on a shore.
Could this path lead to an underground pool?
Your question is answered quickly. The narrow passageway widens, and soon you discover what looks like a lush valley hidden deep inside the mountain!
Wildflowers dot the hillside, and when you peer up you realize you are looking at sky. But not a rainy, dark, dismal sky. A clear, bright blue, glorious sky.
And then, you see the people!
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After your hands are bound, you are led down a tunnel. You seethe beside Prince Dastan. “Such a noble prince,” you hiss at Dastan. “How taken you were by my fainting act. Eagerly leaping to assist the fallen beauty.”
“Who said you were a beauty?” he retorts. “There must be a reason you can’t take your eyes off me,” you taunt. “I don’t trust you. And don’t worry, you’re not my type.”
“Of course! I’m not some desperate slave girl. I’m actually capable of voicing my own thoughts!”
“Too many for my taste,” Dastan says. Up ahead you can hear shouts and the rumble of a large crowd.
Where are they taking you? Sheikh Amar turns and grins at you. “The girl will make a nice addition,” he says.
“What do you intend to do with her?” Dastan asks.
“Yes, do tell him,” you sneer. “Can’t you see how concerned he is?”
“Give me a moment with her,” Dastan says, grabbing your arm.
Is he going to come up with a plan to get you out of here? Does he regret what he’s done?
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You have to get that dagger back! You dash onto the racetrack, which throws the ostriches into a panic. They squawk and screech, running this way and that. Men pour onto the track, trying to regain order, while others start fighting. You struggle to get to the man with your dagger, but by the time you arrive at the spot where you last saw him, he’s gone.
Your head whips back and forth as you frantically search for him.
Someone roughly grabs your arm. “You!” Sheikh Amar shouts at you. “You did this!”
As his men get the riot under control, Amar drags you off the track. He shoves you in front of a tiny old woman sitting at a table. “This one,” he says to the woman. “You can have her. Cheap.”
The wrinkled old creature looks you up and down. “She’ll do. You’re not allergic to camels, are you?”
“I—I don’t think so,” you say.
“Good.” Turns out, the woman is a camel dealer, with a stable out in the middle of nowhere. She needs you to keep them in market condition.
Just great. The Dagger is gone, and now it appears you are destined to end your days as a camel beautician.
THE END
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You need to help catch Prince Dastan—you can’t risk his getting away with the Dagger. That could mean losing track of it forever.
You spot a window—and it looks as if that’s where Dastan is heading. You race to it, and as Dastan rushes toward you, you fling yourself at his knees, knocking him over. You land together, arms and legs tangled.
Guards instantly surround you, and Garsiv binds Dastan’s wrists. “I couldn’t let a murderer escape,” you explain as the uncle, Nizam, helps you up.
Nizam gives you a slight bow. “And for that we are grateful,” he says. “So grateful, you should be rewarded.”
Excellent. This is going exactly according to plan.
“The Dagger the murderous prince has in his possession is a sacred object to my people,” you say. “I would be most grateful if you would return it to me.”
Nizam’s eyes narrow. “I am sorry. Giving a captive princess a dagger wouldn’t be wise. Sacred or not, it is still a weapon. But I am sure Tus would be delighted to make you his wife—as now the king’s choice for you is no longer available.” He nods to the guards who haul Dastan away.
Your heart sinks. Marriage to Tus seems as cruel as Dastan’s imprisonment. And you have no idea what will happen to the Dagger now. But you will spend the rest of your life searching for it.
THE END
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The room grows silent. Prince Dastan gapes at you. Perhaps you should not have been so stubborn and taken greater care with your words. Luckily, the king seems more amused than offended.
“Clearly she will make a fine queen,” he says. His eyes narrow as he studies you. “But Tus already has enough wives. You might take fewer chances, Dastan, if such a jewel waited in your chambers. The princess of Alamut will be your first wife.” He grins at Prince Dastan. “What say you, Dastan?”
Now it’s your turn to stare. This is a surprise. Dastan seems equally flabbergasted.
The king points at Dastan. “He plunges into a hundred foes without thought, but before marriage he stands frozen with fear.”
> The king laughs, and the crowd joins in heartily. Then his expression turns to panic. “The robe!” he screams. “It burns!”
You watch as several attendants pull at the robe, but they can’t pry it off the king’s body. Garsiv pushes through the crowd and rips at the robe. “My fingers!” he cries. He stumbles backward, clutching his hands.
“God help us,” Nizam says, “the robe is poisoned.” He whirls and points at Dastan. “The robe Dastan gave him!”
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Dastan notices you hovering at the edge of the group. It distracts him, and his opponent gets in another hit.
“He favors his left!” you shout at Dastan. “And anticipates high!”
Dastan blinks, obviously surprised that you’re yelling fighting advice at him. Then he whirls around and brings the club low and to the right. The other fighter drops to his knees. A cheer goes up. Thanks to you, Dastan has won.
You wait as he shakes hands with his opponent and returns the clubs to the men who lent them to him. He approaches you with a quizzical look.
“Did you decide to give me Princess Tamina’s message after all?” he asks with a teasing grin. “Or are you here to give me fighting pointers?”
You’re not sure how to proceed. Is he more likely to give you the Dagger if you reveal Nizam’s plotting? And if you do get the Dagger from the prince some other way, how are you going to keep it away from Nizam, and save your own life?
If you decide to tell him about Nizam, TURN TO PAGE 87
If you decide to keep quiet about that, and just ask for the Dagger, TURN TO PAGE 27
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You need to get out of your chamber, fast. The royal family could arrive and marry you off to Prince Tus any moment! And then what would happen to the Dagger?