There’s no time like the present, you reason. I need to make a stand.

The woman had mentioned three crucial tasks one must undertake to slay the dragon: Define, Capture, and Engage. You deduce the books must have to do with defining, the sketchpad with capturing, and the wooden ball with engaging, as its literally engraved with the word ENGAGE. You grab the fantasy encyclopedia first, find the definition of “dragon,” and look up to see the creature just a few feet away, staring down at you with a quizzical expression. It wants to see what you’re going to do.

“Dragon,” you say with as much confidence as you can muster, “you are a mythical creature. Though in Asian cultures you symbolize benevolence and fertility, you appear to be the fire-breathing monster of European fantasy instead. From, uh, the Middle English word dracon.”

The creature snorts, but does not attack. It waits.

Nervously, you put down the encyclopedia and pick up the sketchpad.

“Now that I have defined you, I will capture you.” You’re not much of an artist, but you do your best to draw a likeness of the creature. Soon a rough sketch of the beast before you appears on the page. You hold it out to the dragon, who inspects it thoughtfully.

You set down the sketchbook and pick up the ball.

“Now,” you say, “I will, uh, engage you.” You’re not exactly sure what this means, so you juggle the object from hand to hand, trying to be as showy as possible.

The dragon does indeed regard the ball with apparent amusement. You think it might be working. You’re going to get out of this alive!

You barely have time to react as the dragon’s tail whips around, sending your body flying through the air.

 

T H E  E N D

 

You indeed found some tools, but didn’t quite know how to use them.

You can:

Play again.

Or:

Visit the website of AE: Adventures in New Media, and learn how the right tools can help.