I like the boat idea, exept make it a bit like rhino rally, wear you have a regular person be navagator, and you hit a fork in the river, one way to dragon, other to a more peaceful way back to human world. that way if you have a little kid on bord the person would have it up to him/herself to chose or have the whole boat poll, then if most of the boat or the erpson didn't want to go to the dragons's cave. you just go the other way. Just an Idea,