The Eye stepped off the unconscious monster’s head and resumed his walk out the exit, sheathing the sword he’d used to knock the dragon out as he went. The dragon opened its mouth to respond, only to collapse to the ground. “He did pass, you know,” the princess told the dragon. When the fire went out, the Eye was nowhere to be found. The dragon shrieked in rage and unleashed a wave of fire that enveloped the entire room.

“Of course the tree falling makes a sound. “I don’t know how you knew these answers, but this last one will stump you-” “However, there are three riddles in total!” the dragon declared, and the princess sighed loudly, as did the Eye. that is the correct answer! A human being walks on four legs when it crawls as a baby in the morning of its life, two legs as an adult at midday, and three legs at the twilight of its life, when it needs a cane to walk. “The first riddle is this: What walks on four legs in the morning-” The dragon smiled, revealing thousands of teeth. Answer my riddles, and win both your freedom and the princess’s. “You will not leave here alive if you cannot. “Your task is to outwit me, Initiate,” the dragon said. The Eye stopped and slowly turned around to look the dragon in the eye. “You will not leave without facing me, Initiate! The Queen demands it!” The dragon roared, a clawed hand launching out to grab the Eye by his cloak.

“Good luck,” the Eye told her, and kept walking. “You can’t be serious!” the princess shouted after him. The Eye shrugged, then turned to walk away. “But if you defeat the dragon, all its riches can be yours! And your fame will spread across the world, with children singing your name and old men telling your story by the light of dying fires!” “I understand,” said a boy in black armor and a midnight blue cloak, the uniform of the Wicked Queen’s Eyes. “If you don’t defeat the dragon’s riddles, it’s going to eat me!” “Don’t you get it?” the princess shouted, her anger growing.

Once upon a time, a dragon held a princess captive, and a hero did everything in his power to save her. Thank you, Liesa, for making my life and the gnomes’ books so much better. Special thanks to my editor, Liesa Abrams, who believes in me like I believe in the invisible gnomes who actually write all my stories. Just look ahead to the last page it’s so much easier that way! Dedicated to anyone who wishes they knew how their story ends.

Once Upon the End by James Riley