“An adventurer? Long has it been since one crossed my path.”

The dragon’s words echoed oddly in my ears. The rasp of its voice held tones of harsh metal and wary suspicion.

“What is it you seek, mortal?”

I glanced nervously at the blackness between the two pillars. I didn’t even know what was on the other side, but it couldn’t be worse than a dragon, could it? My eyes roamed over the hulking creature with claws the size of my legs, and I knew that no trick of blinking in and out of this world could save me from this monster.

“Veritas! Any advice right about now would be greatly appreciated! Should I use the ring and try to sneak to the pillars? It’s not that far. If he can’t see me--”

No, Paol. This is an Ancient Dragon. One puff of his breath would easily cover the entire area from you all the way to those pillars. He doesn’t need to see you to kill you.

So I couldn’t sneak away, and blinking out of the realm would simply delay things. I needed more information. Then maybe I could blink away to at least have some time to think.

“Does the cat have your tongue? I am beginning to take offense at your silence. Though centuries have passed since last I met one of your kind, do not assume that your rarity will persuade me to spare you. Speak to the Guardian of Valle Mortis!”

“Guardian? What is it you guard?” I squeaked.

The dragon rumbled, “The Valle Mortis. All that surrounds you and, of course, the door to the Gate.”

Gate! My eyes shifted back to the pillars. Was that a Gate?

“You say the Gate. Is that it over there?”

I pointed to the blackness.

“You don’t listen very well, do you? I guard the door to the Gate. Beyond that door is the Gate.”

“May I simply walk through the door?” I asked hopefully.

The hoary old creature barked in laughter. “Simply walk through? I am the Guardian. To gain access to the door, you must first defeat me.”

My head tilted up and up until the angle of my neck was uncomfortable as I mentally measured the dragon’s height. Muscles the size of large trees bulged in the monster’s limbs, and scaly wings that could cover a town rose and fell slowly in time with its breath. Grey dust still dripped off its sides, and those stone-like eyeballs seemed to glare at me.

“Uh, somehow I don’t think I have much chance at killing you.”

“Yes,” the dragon said drily. “One look at you makes that abundantly clear. However, strength of arms is not the only way to win you access to the door.”

I cleared my throat uncertainly.

“Okay, then how else can I defeat you?”

The terrifying beast tilted its head as if in thought, a strange mannerism to observe in a reptile. Its head shifted back to its original position.

“It has been so long...what was the protocol…” it muttered to itself.

“Ah!” it shouted. The noise was so loud I clapped my hands to my ears for a moment before dropping my right hand quickly back on Veritas’s hilt. I had to maintain contact if I wanted her advice.

The dragon hissed triumphantly. “I remember now. Yes. I remember what I must offer you.”

Its eyes narrowed, the eyelids drooping down even as I saw its pupils seem to dilate as its attention fell completely upon me.

“Shall we play a game?”

...what? That…

Was she confused? Surprised? That wasn’t encouraging.

“Well, Sir Dragon, I’m certainly willing to match wits with you. I assume this is a battle of wits then?”

So familiar! What does it mean? What…

Whatever she was thinking, I hoped she would come up with something soon because I had no idea what I was doing.

“Indeed,” it grunted. “A test of wits. As the challenger, you have the right to choose the game and the number of players.”

Number of players? I looked all around me. I saw no one outside of the dragon and myself.

“Uh, you and I appear to be the only ones here. That would seem to make choosing the number of players moot.”

It groused irritatedly, “Do not argue with me, man! The rules are the rules, and I must follow the rules. You should be grateful for that, too, since otherwise your certain future would be within my belly. For your information, the number of adventurers is rarely just one. When I awaken, it is usually to the sight of a half dozen or more of your kind working together to escape the realm.”

That made sense, I guess. Still, it was odd that the creature would have offered me any kind of choice at all since I was the only one here. Did he sense Veritas and count her as a player?

“Uh, two players,” I began, meaning the dragon and myself.

It snorted. “Two? There is only one of you.”

That answered the question of whether he recognized Veritas as more than just a piece of metal. Still, it was an odd requirement. I had to exclude him as a player?

“Okay. Number of players--one.”

“Very well, it shall be only you and I. What is the game?” it asked eagerly.

I blanked. What game should I choose? What games did I even remember? I apparently knew something of swordplay. Was there a game involving swords that could be played with a beast the size of a castle?

Tic-tac-toe! Tic-tac-toe! Choose tic-tac-toe!

“What?”

Do you know the game?

Memories of a simple grid of X’s and O’s being placed flooded my mind. Yes, I knew tic-tac-toe.

“But that game is too easy! Do you really think I can beat him at it? It’s always a draw.”

Make it tic-tac-toe. I need to see how he responds.

With an uncertain quaver to my voice, I selected, “Tic-tac-toe. That’s the game I choose.”

Without the slightest change in expression, the dragon intoned, “Very well. Let the game begin.”

Wow, he agreed to tic-tac-toe? This was too strange.

A set of four lines appeared in the air before me. The lines intersected each other in thirds, creating a configuration of nine spaces. It all looked exactly as I would have expected, except for the whole floating in mid-air in front of me part of it. Just like those damned words!

“Begin!” the dragon commanded.

I gulped.

Go ahead, Paol. Trust me. Just play to win.

I nodded and pointed to the middle square, and a light gray “X” appeared there. The dragon immediately chose a corner, and a darker gray “O” appeared in that corner. We went back and forth until the game ended in a draw.”

“Well,” the dragon said boisterously. “Shall we try again? A draw does not mean success, and only success grants entrance to the door.

Damn! I was hoping I had found another loophole in this cursed realm. With a grimace I once again said, “tic-tac-toe and one player,” and the tic-tac-toe board was reset.

This time after the draw, Veritas whispered.

Tell him the number of players is zero.

“What? That makes no sense!”

Just do it Paol. What’s the worst that could happen?

“He could get irritated and roast me for lunch! That’s what!”

Please, just try.

“Okay, let’s do tic-tac-toe again, but this time the number of players is zero.”

The dragon froze and then lowered its head to look me in the eye.

“Who told you to say that?” he growled at me.

“I...I…” I stammered.

Suspicious, the dragon spat out angrily, “Forcing me to play against myself ends in a draw for every single game. Your cleverness avails you nothing! A draw is not a defeat. The only way to win a game with no winner is not to play! Let’s try this again. Shall we play a game?”

Suddenly, the futility of my situation broke something within me. Matching the creature anger for anger, I yelled, “How am I supposed to defeat a being that has lived thousands of years? How is this fair?”

The dragon cocked its head to the side.

“This has nothing to do with fairness. It is a test. You succeed, or you fail. Pass or die.”

Die. My blood ran cold. Before, the dragon had not confirmed the consequences of failure, but now I knew.

“Has anyone ever beaten you?” I asked despairingly.

“From your kind? None.”

From my kind? Why did he keep saying that? What did he mean?

“Why did you say ‘from my kind’?”

“The test is to prove worthiness. For those who are already worthy, no test is required,” it answered confusingly.

“How do you know if I am already worthy?”

The dragon chuckled.

“If you are of the Two Hundred, you are worthy. Clearly, you are not or else you would know the passcode.”

“Passcode? What passcode?” I asked desperately.

The dragon smiled a toothy and--to my eyes--hungry grin.

“It is simple. Speak my name, and I will know you are of the Two Hundred.”

“Your name,” I answered blankly. “I can prove myself if I know your name?”

“Indeed. Any of the Two Hundred would recognize my love of games and know who I am. Speak my name, and you may pass!” it bellowed.

A faint wisp of smoke blew out of its nostril and floated through the air.

Joshua. His name is Joshua.

“Well,” the creature growled, “it seems you do not know my name which means that your only hope is to beat me in a battle of wits. Shall we--”

“Joshua! Your name is Joshua!” I shouted frantically.

The dragon froze. He became still as marble, and only the smoke drifting out of its snout betrayed any movement at all. Then it snarled, deep and angry.

“Who told you that name!” the dragon roared. “Who! Don’t try to trick your way past me! I can SEE you TRULY and I KNOW you are not of the Two Hundred. I would recognize you if you were! Whoever you are, you have doomed yourself! Cheating is not allowed!”

Irate and furious, the dragon drew back its head in preparation to strike. I knew it was futile, but I drew Veritas to defend myself.

“Light!” I screamed in my head. “Get us out of here!”

Abruptly, my sword blazed in the darkness. The runes engraved on her blade flared to life, blinding and fierce. I waited for the Realm of Shadow to disappear into stasis, but the familiar stillness of the limbo outside the realm failed to coalesce around me. I began to panic. The monster was about to kill me, and my temporary escape wasn’t working! I began to command the ring to make me invisible, hoping it would give me some small chance to escape when I suddenly realized that the dragon was no longer moving.

Hello, my old friend.

Somehow, I knew she was projecting her voice beyond me. The dragon remained still for several long moments and then slowly lowered its head. Its eyes roved over the runes still shining bright, and then it bowed its head and touched its snout gently to the ground in obeisance.

“Oh, my lady,” it whispered mournfully. “We are much changed from what we were, are we not?”

Yes. Are you fully yourself? Do you remember everything?

“Yes, my lady. I remember. I know what I was, but my former skills were no longer of use. I was given a new purpose here. Life has been...slow...but I am grateful nonetheless. I am glad to be of service.”

You are...different...than you once were. And I do not mean only in form.

“It is this world. It...changes me. I do not know how or why, but you are right. I am different from what I once was. You are different, too. And I also do not mean only in form.”

I am...not what I was either, but for me the change has been loss.

Sorrow edged her words.

I have been promised renewal, but the wait has been long. Sometimes, I wonder if the promises were lies. Sometimes, I wonder if there were any promises at all and whether everything I am experiencing is but a dream.

“I do not believe it is a dream. Whatever else is true about this world, there is an undeniable reality that affects us and is affected by us,” the beast rumbled softly.

Well, perhaps you are right. If so, there is still hope for me.

“Yes, my lady. Where there is life, there is hope.”

The dragon’s eyes focused on me, suddenly limpid and soft.

“You have spoken the passcode, adventurer, and you may pass.”

I looked from the dragon to my sword and back again.

“I thought you said--”

It growled. “I said you may pass. Now get you gone before I change my mind.”

After what I had just seen and heard, I didn’t think the dragon was really threatening me, but it would have been foolish to test the creature. Blowing out my breath in relief, I made my way to the black door between the pillars.

“You and I need to have a long talk,” I muttered quietly under my breath. Veritas remained silent.

I could see now that the black door was exactly that--a door the color of midnight that seemed to soak up the shadows around it. I looked around the sides of the pillars and saw nothing. It was as if the door led to nowhere.

“Be careful, man,” the dragon offered. “You will face the Master of the Realms. It would be wise to show respect.”

I saw no doorknob, so I stretched out my hand carefully in trepidation and lightly brushed the obsidian surface with the tip of my finger. The door opened to my light touch, but I saw nothing but darkness behind it. Not even Darksight could penetrate it. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward.