EDGE: I, Hero Quests: Dragon Mountain (3 page)

“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.

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.

Go to 32.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 street. 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.

“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.

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.