by Steve Barlow
www.franklinwatts.co.uk
How to be a hero
This book is not like others you may have read. You are the hero of this adventure. It is up to you to make decisions that will affect how the adventure unfolds.
Each section of this book is numbered. At the end of most sections, you will have to make a choice. The choice you make will take you to a different section of the book.
Some of your choices will help you to complete the adventure successfully. But choose carefully, some of your decisions could be fatal!
If you fail, then start the adventure again and learn from your mistake.
If you choose correctly you will succeed in your mission.
Don’t be a zero, be a hero!
The quest so far…
You are a skilled warrior, living in a world of enchantment and danger. Humans live alongside trolls, elves and dwarves, while other mysterious creatures walk in the shadows.
The Queen of Alba has asked for your help against her deadliest foes — the Red Queen of Necropolis, the City of the Dead, and her husband, Mortha, the necromancer.
The Queen told you that many years ago Solmor, the world’s greatest Spellcaster, created a magnificent crown for the High King, a crown of pure gold set with four great rubies. The Ruby of Power gave its owner fighting skills; the Ruby of Seeing, the gift of telepathy and reading minds; the Ruby of Magic, powers of enchantment; and the Ruby of Death, mastery over the world of the dead.
But rulers across the world wanted the power of the Crown of Rubies for themselves. It became a force for evil and after many terrible wars, the crown was renamed the Blood Crown.
Just before his death, Solmor destroyed it and hid the rubies across the globe, so no one could find them.
But people still wanted them, and now the Red Queen and her necromancer husband are hunting for them. They already have the Ruby of Death. If they succeed in finding the others, your world will be plunged into a new age of darkness.
By your daring, you have recovered the Ruby of Power from its hiding place in the Lost Temple of the Desert. But your companion, Olderon, was not so lucky. He was killed by servants of the Red Queen.
The Ruby of Power is now in a pouch, which hangs from a cord around your neck.
You are looking for the second stone, the Ruby of Seeing. To recover it, you must travel to the mountains of the North and find the Dragon Princess…
Go to 1.
1
You fly towards the jagged peaks of the northern mountains on your gryphon, Hergal.
After many hours of flying, you see the small village of Drakensberg, one of the few places to be found in this harsh landscape. You are sure the Dragon Princess will be somewhere nearby.
How will you approach the village of Drakensberg?
If you want to fly over the village and land in the square, go to 16.
If you wish to land unseen, go to 31.
2
“I must find the Dragon Lord,” you tell the elf captain. He nods and leads you into a great hall. Your appearance causes alarm among the guards, but the elf signals for them to relax.
The elf points. “Take these stairs. They lead up to the Great Chamber. On one side of the chamber you will see a set of iron doors. The dragon lives in the hall beyond them.”
You thank the elf, and creep up the stone steps. At the top of the staircase, you see a half-open door. You slip through it, and into the Great Chamber. The room is empty except for a large stone pillar, with thick chains hanging from it. At the far end of the room you can see the iron doors — they are huge! The chamber is full of the smell of smoke and charred wood. As you walk cautiously across the floor towards the doors you can hear a deep, regular rumble. The dragon is asleep, and is snoring!
You approach the iron doors and see that they are slightly open.
To push through the gap, go to 29.
To look for another way into the dragon’s lair, go to 17.
3
The tavern is quiet, except that is for a group of dwarves sitting in the corner.
You head across to the dwarves. “May I sit with you, gentlemen?”
One of the dwarves gives you a narrow-eyed look. “Ha! You called us ‘gentlemen’. You must want something, weary traveller.”
“I seek the Dragon Princess,” you reply. “Perhaps you can help me.”
The dwarf exchanges glances with the others, who nod agreement. “My friends and I are feeling a little…thirsty. Perhaps some liquid refreshment would help to loosen our tongues.” You smile and head over to get some ale-filled flagons. You return to the table and the dwarf continues.
“They say that the Dragon Princess is held prisoner by the Lord of the Dragons, in the ruins of her own castle.”
“The Lord of the Dragons?” you say. “There’s more than one, then?”
“Oh yes,” says the dwarf, “there’s more than one. But the Lord of the Dragons is the biggest, the strongest, the fiercest. They say he is a servant of the Red Queen.”
You shrug. “Even so, I must find the Dragon Princess. Will you tell me how to reach the castle?”
“If you wish, but be warned it will take you three days on foot.”
You smile. “I have other means of getting there.”
The dwarf laughs. “We know. We saw you fly in on that gryphon of yours.” You give him a surprised glance. “Oh yes, us dwarves keep our eyes and ears open. My advice is, don’t go flying to the castle. The dragons will attack you if you do. Going on foot is the only safe way.”
If you decide to take the dwarf’s advice, go to 44.
If you decide to ignore the dwarf’s advice, go to 19.
4
As you step forward, you feel a stabbing pain. You try to move but cannot.
“What is happening to me?” you ask in a strangled voice. These are the last human words you ever speak.
Pain flows into your hands. You look at them. To your horror, you see that your fingernails are growing into talons. Scales form on the back of your hands, and flow up your arms.
You drop to all fours, and feel your neck stretch out. There is a terrible pain at the base of your spine as a tail erupts from your hindquarters. Then your shoulders burn, and sprout great, bat-like wings. You give a roar of pain — and find yourself breathing fire.
The Dragon Princess regards you sadly. “You have made a bad choice. Your lack of judgement has been your undoing. The curse that was on me, has fallen on you.”
You’ve been turned into a dragon! Your quest is over. To begin again, go to 1.
5
As darkness falls, you set off towards the castle.
At long last, you reach the end of the bridge that leads to the castle gates and crouch behind its parapet. You spot movement in the gatehouse and two grotesque figures lumber into view. Your heart sinks. The gate is defended by grobblins!
These creatures are a cross between trolls and goblins. They are tough and ferocious, but stupid. You wonder if you can outwit them.
As the grobblin guards stare dumbly out across the plain, you seize your opportunity to sneak round behind them. The gate to the castle is missing and you move quickly and quietly into the castle courtyard. At the far end stands the great keep, the heart of the castle. But your path to it is blocked by a horde of grobblins who are lying about, cooking on open fires and arguing amongst themselves.
If you want to attack the grobblins straight away, go to 46.
If you decide to look for an opportunity to distract them, go to 20.
6
You leave your hiding place and move on. You have hardly taken a dozen steps before a sudden, agonising pain shoots through your who
le body. You look down to see rusty sword blades sticking out of your chest and stomach.
Blood pours from half a dozen mortal wounds. You sink to your knees and darkness engulfs you.
You have paid the price for your carelessness.
Your adventure is over. To begin again, go to 1.
7
You raise your sword in threat. “My quest is urgent! Give me the ruby — or die!”
The Princess raises her head to look at you. There is pity in her eyes. “The Ruby of Seeing,” she tells you softly, “is not to be won by threats.”
To carry out your threat, go to 4.
If you wish to apologise to the princess and ask for her advice, go to 30.
8
You keep shooting arrows. The dragon roars with fury as every single one hits. But not one of them penetrates its hide. You shoot your last arrow. The dragon’s head whips round and the creature snaps your arrow out of the air.
Two more dragons appear, attracted by the sounds of battle. The three great beasts dive into the attack together, each drawing a deep breath, ready to turn you to ashes where you stand.
Go to 32.
9
You notch an arrow to your bowstring, draw back the bow, and loose the shaft. The arrow flies true, but the Dragon Lord’s tough scales deflect it. The Dragon Lord awakes with a long rumbling growl. Its head and spiked tail uncurls as it turns its burning eyes on you.
The room shakes as the mighty beast raises its wings until it almost fills the room. Smoke begins to bellow from the dragon’s teeth-filled jaws as it prepares to attack.
If you want to stand your ground and fight, go to 32.
If you would prefer to dodge, go to 45.
10
“I choose the ruby on the right.”
With these words, you take the ruby.
Go to 4.
11
You climb the stone stairs to the door of the keep. You march boldly though it, and straight into a room full of armed elves!
You curse your stupidity and haste. You prepare to fight, but as you do so, you know that even the Ruby of Power cannot help you. Elves are clever and mighty warriors, and they outnumber you. A dozen guards draw back their bows, ready to take you down in an instant. You have no option but to surrender.
Go to 33.
12
You seize the spear and turn to face the Dragon Lord.
As the dragon rears up, you feel the Ruby of Power fill your body with super strength. You cast the spear like a high-powered javelin at the underbelly of the beast. The weapon pierces the Dragon Lord’s neck.
The enraged beast lunges at you, but you easily dodge, plunging your sword into its throat where the spear pierced the skin. “Come on!” you taunt your foe. The great dragon roars as smoke pours from its mouth and you push your blade deeper. The Dragon Lord gives a shriek of mortal agony and writhes in fury. You raise your sword to give the creature its death blow.
If you heard the legend from the elf captain, go to 43.
If you did not hear the legend, go to 26.
13
You raise your sword again to battle your way out. But without the Ruby of Power, you are no match for the deadly creatures. Their swords pierce your flesh and you drop to the floor.
The death wraiths close in for the kill…
You have failed in your quest. To begin again, go to 1.
14
You continue your climb, leaving the woman behind. As the day draws to a close, you see before you a rock in the shape of a dragon with folded wings. You approach it cautiously, but this time you are relieved to see that it is only a rock. Reaching it, you look down into a hidden valley.
On the far side of the valley stand the crumbling towers of the castle of the Dragon Princess.
You look around carefully. All seems quiet. There appear to be no enemies in sight.
To head for the castle at once, go to 27.
If you decide to wait for darkness, go to 5.
15
An elf appears at the door to the keep and stands at the top of the stone steps. You speed up the steps and before the elf can react, you have your dagger to his throat.
“Drop your weapon,” he tells you calmly. “I have only to call, and a dozen of my fellow guards will come to my aid.”
“For you, they will come too late,” you reply. “In any case, I’ve always heard that elves are honourable folk. What are you doing in the service of the Dragon Lord and the Red Queen?”
The elf glares at you. “I know nothing of the Red Queen. As to the Dragon Lord, we are forced to serve him. Our village is in the forest nearby. Our trees and our homes are at his mercy. What is your business with the Dragon Lord?”
“I’m not here for the Dragon Lord, but I must find his captive, the Dragon Princess.” The elf gives you a strange look, and you press the point of the dagger into his flesh. “Tell me how many guards there are in the keep, and where they are positioned.”
“I will tell you nothing,” says the elf. “You had better kill me.”
If you want to kill the elf and enter the keep, go to 38.
If you decide to release the elf, go to 25.
16
You guide the gryphon and she swoops above the rooftops of the village.
As you do, an alarm bell sounds. Villagers rush into the village square. You see archers stringing their bows, and lighting their arrows from flaming torches. You realise that the villagers have mistaken Hergal for a dragon!
The archers shoot and their fiery arrows streak towards you. Before you can take any action to avoid them, the arrows strike, piercing Hergal’s unprotected body.
Go to 47.
17
You look around the room. The walls are bare except for a single tapestry hanging in a shadowed corner. You look behind it and find a small wooden door. You lift its latch and push. It opens without a sound.
You slip into the chamber beyond and find the great room almost filled with a gigantic dragon. The Dragon Lord is ten times bigger than the dragons you have met so far. He is curled up tightly and asleep, with only his back showing, which is protected by rows of tough armoured scales.
If you wish to shoot an arrow to wake up the dragon, go to 9.
If you wish to use your sword to stab the dragon’s heart, go to 21.
18
“I choose the ruby on the left.”
With these words, you take the ruby.
Go to 4.
19
“Thank you for your advice,” you say, “but my quest is too urgent to take that long. Despite the danger, I will fly to the castle.”
“Then on your head be it,” the dwarf replies. “Head north and look out for a dragon-shaped rock. The castle is close by. Not that you’ll ever reach it,” he adds.
You realise that it is too dark to set off now, so you spend the night at the tavern.
In the morning, you rejoin Hergal and take to the air. You fly over glaciers and through mountain passes until you spot the rock shaped like a dragon, and the castle beyond. You are near your goal!
Suddenly, you hear wingbeats overhead. You look up to see a flight of dragons appear out of the sun. You urge Hergal to twist and turn in a desperate attempt to flee, but the dragons follow you. There are too many for you to escape! The dragons send streams of flame towards you.
Go to 47.
20
You listen to the grobblins squabbling around the nearest stew pot and a plan forms in your mind.
You pick up a smooth rock from the ground. Carefully, you lob it into the grobblins’ cooking pot.
“Argh!” The first grobblin leaps to its feet. “You splashed me, you clod!”
“Clod yourself!” cries the second. “You splashed me! I’ll get you for that!”
They begin to grapple and the courtyard soon echoes with the thud and crunch of a fight. Other grobblins join in. Soon the courtyard is a mass of struggling bodies.
The grobblins are too busy
fighting each other to spot you as you approach the castle keep.
If you want to head straight through the door of the keep, go to 11.
If you wish to wait in the shadows and watch for a while, go to 28.
21
You step forward and, with all your strength, aim a sword thrust at the dragon’s hide.
But the creature’s tough scales turn the blade. Even the Ruby of Power cannot give you the strength to pierce the Dragon Lord’s armoured skin.
The great beast uncurls itself and raises its wings until it fills the room.
You turn to flee, but more dragons pour through the main iron doors behind you.
If you want to stand your ground and fight, go to 32.
If you would prefer to dodge and run, go to 45.
22
You stare at the rubies. They all look alike.
“Can’t you tell me which one is the Ruby of Seeing?” you ask.
The Princess shakes her head. “Only the worthy will choose correctly,” she says. “Make your choice.”
If you want to choose the ruby on the right, go to 10.
If you want to choose the ruby on the left, go to 18.
If you want to choose the ruby in the centre, go to 50.
23
You climb the stone steps without a sound and slip though the open doorway into the great hall, keeping to the shadows.
You see that there are several elves on guard in the hall. You slip the dagger from your belt, and throw it across the hall. It lands in a dark corner with a clatter.
The elves give a start. Two of them go to see what has caused the noise. But before you can move you feel the sharp, cold blade of a sword at your throat. A third elf has crept up behind you.
“When a wise elf hears a noise,” says the guard, “he doesn’t look for the noise. He looks for the one who made it.”
Before you can react, you are surrounded by elvish archers. There is no escape. You have no choice but to surrender.
Go to 33.
24
The dragon soon disappears in the sky. You breathe a sigh of relief and continue your climb.
But it is not long before the creature reappears, along with several others! It was a mistake to let the dragon fly away.
The dragons prepare to attack. You fire arrow after arrow but the dragons’ hides are too tough to be penetrated by your arrows. Seeing that you are helpless, the dragons dive towards you.