Beast Quest #1: Ferno the Fire Dragon (4 page)

T
HE
F
OREST OF
F
EAR

S
TORM PULLED AWAY FROM TOM AND REARED
up, kicking out with his front hooves. Tom threw himself into the bushes by the side of the trail. But the wolf didn’t attack Tom. It growled at something that was crashing through the undergrowth.

Suddenly, three soldiers smashed their way into the clearing, their eyes glinting fiercely through the slit in their helmets. The wolf advanced toward them and its growl grew angrier.

“We’ll teach that girl and her vermin to steal from our master!” snarled the first soldier, aiming his crossbow at the wolf’s head.

“No!” Tom scrambled up from his hiding place just as the soldier shot an arrow. Thinking quickly, Tom threw his sword. It spun through the air and sliced the short, heavy arrow in half before plunging into a tree trunk.

“Another poacher! Get him!” One of the soldiers charged at Tom, sword raised. But the wolf threw itself at the man’s legs, knocking them out from under him. Outraged, the other two soldiers charged toward Tom.

Tom grabbed Storm’s reins and swung himself onto the horse’s back. Lying low in the saddle, he rushed at the men with the wolf at his side, sending them running. Steering sharply, he pulled Storm back around and wrenched his sword from the tree trunk. He rode toward the soldiers once again, scattering them into the woods. The wolf pulled ahead, and Tom and Storm galloped after it.

The wolf moved like the wind, only slowing once it had led Tom and Storm a safe distance
from the soldiers. Tom eased Storm back down to a trot.

And then they saw the girl.

She was tall and skinny, dressed in breeches and a dirty blouse. Her black hair was short and messy, and her face was red with scratches. In her hand, she clutched a bow. A quiver of arrows was slung over one shoulder. As she crouched to welcome back her wolf, her green eyes narrowed at Tom.

“It’s all right. I’m not going to hurt you,” he promised, pulling back on the reins until Storm stopped. “My name is Tom,” he said, dismounting. “You can trust me.”

The wolf trotted over to him and pushed its nose into Tom’s hand.

The girl visibly relaxed and grinned at him, her smile full of warmth. “Well, if Silver trusts you, so will I.”

“Where did you get him?” Tom asked.

“I found him injured on a hunting trip to the North,” the girl replied. “I nursed him back to health, and we’ve been friends ever since.” She stepped forward, took his hand and shook it firmly. “My name’s Elenna.”

“Were those soldiers after you?” asked Tom.

Elenna frowned. “My father’s a fisherman — but now that the river has dried up, there’s nowhere to fish and nothing to eat.” She sighed. “Silver and I came here to hunt rabbits. But the soldiers thought we were after the local lord’s deer.”

A noisy crashing came from somewhere behind them. Tom looked around in alarm. “Quick! We’d better get out of here!” Putting his foot in a stirrup, he swung himself onto Storm’s back. “Come on!” Seeing Elenna hesitate, he grabbed her hand and helped her scramble onto the horse behind him.

Storm snorted and leaped forward into a gallop. They raced through the woods, Silver bounding ahead of them.

“Hold tight!” Tom shouted to Elenna as Storm swerved between the trees.

“I am!” she gasped, clutching him. “Hey!” she exclaimed suddenly. “Is this
chain mail
you’re wearing? You’re too young to be a knight, aren’t you?”

“I’ll tell you everything once we’ve lost the soldiers,” Tom said, glancing behind him anxiously.

To his relief, the soldiers were no match for Storm’s swift hooves and Elenna’s knowledge of the forest. Soon their shouts died away into the distance and Tom eased Storm back down to a walk. “I think we’re safe,” he said, turning off the trail.

A small stream was bubbling nearby. The stallion plunged his head into the cool water and drank deeply. Silver joined him.

Elenna looked at Tom. Then, without asking, she opened the horse’s saddlebags, revealing Tom’s
sword and shield stowed there. “Village boys don’t carry weapons this fine,” she said. “What’s all this about, young knight?”

Tom hesitated. Something told him he could rely on this girl, and Aduro had told Tom to trust his instincts. He had to tell her the truth. “I am on a quest,” he said. “A quest for the king.”

“The
king
?” Elenna echoed, sliding down from the horse.

“The Beasts have returned,” he said.

Elenna raised her eyebrows. “You don’t
really
believe in the Beasts, do you?”

“I’m serious!” he snapped. “You did ask what was going on.”

“All right,” she said. “I just thought you were teasing me.” She paused. “See, I always thought the Beasts were more than just a story… .”

“They are,” Tom told her, gravely. “Ferno the Fire Dragon is under an evil spell and I’ve got to stop him from burning the kingdom’s crops… .”

By the time he’d finished, Elenna’s eyes were large and serious “So
that’s
what’s been happening!” she breathed.

Tom frowned. “You believe me? Just like that?”

“It all sounds unbelievable,” Elenna replied. “But it explains so much! I knew nothing natural could make an entire river dry up overnight… .” She bit her lip, and then nodded as if she had reached a decision. “I think I’d better come with you.”

“You can’t!” Tom protested. “It’s too dangerous!”

“Not as dangerous as you trying to stop a dragon all by yourself!” Elenna shot back.

“But what about your family?” Tom asked.

Elenna shrugged. “I often stay out hunting for days at a time. They won’t be worried.” She lifted her chin. “So, let’s go and find this dragon then.”

Tom half smiled as he remembered the wizard Aduro’s words:
On your quest, you will find allies in the strangest of places, and in unlikely forms… .

The wizard was right.

D
AWN OF THE
D
RAGON

“
T
HIS IS THE LAST OF THE FOOD,” SAID
T
OM,
passing Elenna some bread. The air was cold, and the first streaks of dawn were just shooting across the sky.

“Should we save it?” she wondered.

Tom stuffed some more into his mouth. “You can’t fight dragons on an empty stomach.”

“Stale bread makes a rotten last meal,” Elenna decided, gnawing at the crust. “But it would make an even more rotten victory feast!”

For two days and nights Tom and Elenna had traveled, until they reached the outer limits of Avantia. Now they sat atop a hill. While Storm
rested his muzzle on Elenna’s shoulder, Tom opened the map and studied it closely. The fire that had warmed them through the night was dying, but it still gave off enough light to see by.

“Let me look!” cried Elenna, running to kneel next to Tom. Ever since he had first shown her the magical map, Elenna had been fascinated by it.

“We’re very close now,” he said. “There should be a river near here. But I haven’t seen anything.”

“The Winding River! Of course!” Elenna said excitedly. She pointed through the mist to a massive stack of boulders piled up across a valley. “Perhaps the river has been dammed up by all those rocks.”

“By the dragon? I wonder …” Tom pressed his finger against the parchment, and sure enough, it came away bone dry. “I think you’re right,” he said. “Come on. Let’s take a closer look.”

They lit a torch with the last dying embers of the fire, then set off, following the dry riverbank to
the base of the mountain. The mist was thicker here. It was impossible to see what might await them at the top. They walked slowly, squinting through the fog for any signs of life — or a way up. Tom noticed a promising foothold and stepped forward, torch in hand. Storm threw back his head and nickered, and Silver’s hackles rose in warning.

Tom stopped dead. The key seemed to tingle on the cord around his neck, and his stomach felt knotted with nerves. Silver pressed himself up against Elenna’s legs, while Tom stroked Storm’s rough mane for comfort.

“I’m not surprised the animals are spooked,” Elenna said, taking an arrow from her quiver. “It does look pretty scary.”

Tom passed the torch to Elenna as he retrieved his sword and shield from Storm’s saddlebags. With weapons at the ready, they leaned in closer.

The rock was black and glassy. In the flickering
light of the torch, it almost seemed to shine like dark scales.

Silver let out a long, low growl. “Shhh, not now, boy,” Elenna whispered soothingly, without taking her eyes from the rock. The usually obedient wolf only growled louder. Elenna turned around to give a hushed reprimand, but the words stuck in her throat. Now she could see what Silver had been growling about. A dark shape was flying toward them — fast. “Tom!” she shouted in alarm, “Get down!”

Before Tom could obey, he was knocked to the ground by a roaring wind. Using all his strength, he rolled onto his back in time to catch a glimpse of the largest creature he had ever seen passing right above them. It was traveling at incredible speed. The gale slowed to a gusty breeze as the creature slowed, circling. It was the dragon! Tom stumbled to his feet, not taking his eyes off it.

“Storm and Silver found safer ground,” said Elenna, pointing to a sheltered spot close by. “If we follow them, we’ll have better footing.”

Tom nodded. “We’d better hurry, I don’t think we have much time.”

A dreadful roar echoed all around them. The mountainside shuddered, pitching an avalanche of rock down the slope. Tom held up his shield to protect them as he and Elenna ran toward Storm and Silver. Boulders were tumbling down on all sides, dangerously close.

Morning sunlight glinted on black-red scales as Ferno the Fire Dragon settled slowly on the mountain. Tom covered his ears as Ferno let out another echoing roar. Silver howled, while Storm skittered backward.

“What are we going to do?” Elenna shouted.

The dragon towered over them, his unfolded wings like huge, jagged sails blocking out the sky. His head was coal-black and spiky; and tight around his neck was the enchanted collar, held in place by a golden padlock that glowed with a strange, magical light.

“We
have
to remove that collar,” said Tom. “Then Ferno will stop serving Malvel and go back to protecting the kingdom.”

“But that dragon is as tall as a mountain!” Elenna cried, clutching Silver for comfort as he edged forward to join them. “How will we ever reach the collar?”

Slowly, the dragon lowered his head, sniffing the air, eyes bright and blood-red. His dreadful gaze fell on them. Tom stared deep into the monster’s eyes and felt a terrible paralyzing fear. Somehow he was able to rise to his feet and pull out his sword.

Ferno was faster. Uncoiling his huge forked tail, the Fire Dragon lashed it out like a deadly whip. But before it could strike, Silver bravely pounced
on the end and snapped his teeth into the scaly flesh. With a screeching cry, Ferno jerked his tail up into the air with Silver clinging to it.

Ferno swung his tail viciously this way and that, until the wolf could hold on no longer. Thrown like a stone, he landed with a thump and lay still.

“Silver!” cried Elenna, sprinting toward him.

“No, Elenna!” Tom shouted. “Don’t!”

But Ferno had noticed Elenna’s sudden movement. He opened his massive mouth and let out a furious roar.

Ferno is going to attack Elenna!
Tom realized in horror.
She doesn’t stand a chance!