The Dragon Amulet
Pick Your Peril: The Hero of Mudtown
(This is part of a series of choose-your-own-adventure articles. If you want to start from the beginning, click here. If you want to revisit the previous chapter, click here.)
The dragon engraved on the golden amulet gazes back fiercely with its ruby eyes. You’ve always thought that dragons only existed in legends, but the conviction in the old Merchant’s voice has persuaded you there could be an ancient fire-breathing lizard somewhere nearby.
You relinquish the entire bag of money to the Merchant and he gives you the amulet.
“A bold choice, brave adventurer!” The Merchant proclaims gleefully. “I will now show you how to find the dragon!”
The Merchant pulls out a map and spreads it out on the table. You recognize the forest and the bog, with the royal road dividing the two. The old man traces a route out into the bog, deeper than you’ve ever explored before.
“Here,” The Merchant whispers, saving the location for your ears only. “You must venture to the Heart of the Bog, where the mist is thick and unceasing. Once there, travel for two days and two nights through the fog. It does not matter how far you go, as long as you travel the same direction from sunrise to sunset.
“On the morning of the third day, turn around and go back the way you came. You will see a cave after some distance, and perhaps a plume of black smoke. The dragon’s lair is in that cave.”
The Merchant glances at you, imploring you to believe him.
“I pass through the bog on my trade route and often see the dark smoke rising. It has been many decades since I laid eyes on the beast itself, but I know the dragon still lives!”
You thank the Merchant of Mystery and tuck the amulet around your neck into your shirt. The dragon may not be real and the amulet may not even tame it, but if this quest turns out to be a lost cause you could always sell the amulet for money. You feel the need to step outside to get some fresh air and contemplate your next choice.
Aggressive footfalls on cobblestone and a hostile voice from behind take you by surprise.
“Hand it over.”
It’s the tattooed Mercenary from the tavern, following closely as you exit the inn. He does not hesitate to invade your personal space and is soon within arms reach, glaring down at you.
“I’m not going to ask again.” He crosses his arms and has the audacity to smirk at your stunned silence. “Give me the amulet or I’ll rip it off your neck.”
Your first instinct is to just give the thug what he wants, but the way he’s smiling makes you feel like he’s looking for any excuse to do something violent. You might be able to distract him by throwing the amulet aside while you make your escape.
But then again, you’ve just spent all your money on this amulet. Are you really going to give it up that easily?
What will you do?
- Give the Mercenary the amulet
- Toss the amulet as a distraction
- Keep the amulet and run away