Zepha the Monster Squid (5 page)

T
HE WATER SWIRLED AS
E
LENNA SWAM IN
front of Tom, his sword gripped in one hand, her knife in the other. Fearlessly, she plunged the sword into Zepha’s open mouth, jamming his beak open. The squid’s eyes flared with anger. He released his grip on Tom and flung all his tentacles at Elenna. More bubbles escaped from her mouth as she gasped in alarm. She turned and swam away.

Tom knew he didn’t have much time. The sword wouldn’t hold Zepha back for long and he couldn’t hold his breath much longer. He had to find the helmet, but in the battle with the squid he had lost his sense of direction. He peered down
through the gloom, but he couldn’t see the telltale glint of gold.

To his relief, Sepron came gliding through the greenish darkness. Tom could tell he had recovered his sight: His eyes glared with anger and he was heading straight for Zepha. He swooped down and wrapped his rainbow-colored coils around the squid. This time, Zepha couldn’t squirt ink into his face, or grip him with his tentacles.

Sepron clutched the giant squid tighter and tighter with his coils. Tom could hardly believe what he was seeing. It looked as if the sea serpent was squeezing the life out of Zepha. Astonished, Tom watched as the edges of the squid started to blur. He looked around for Elenna, who had reappeared, and pointed frantically. Something was happening! Rippling movements came from beneath Zepha’s skin as the evil Beast writhed in agony.

Suddenly, the monster squid’s three pulsing, red hearts shattered into tiny glinting pieces,
too many for Tom to count, and his skin burst open, tearing cruelly. Tom struggled not to gasp as thousands of tiny squids shot out, swimming as if terrified. Zepha’s empty papery skin began to sink slowly down into the gloom, toward the seabed. Malvel’s beast was no more.

Elenna grabbed Tom’s sword before it could fall out of sight. Tom swam after her, gazing around for a glimpse of the helmet. Then he spotted its golden gleam.

But exhaustion made his limbs heavy. He had no air left. His lungs were screaming with pain. Elenna must be feeling the same. Were they going to die after all?

Then Tom caught sight of Sepron swimming toward them. The sea serpent dove underneath them and rose slowly upward so that Tom and Elenna could cling to his scaly neck as he headed for the surface. Tom hugged Sepron with relief.

As they passed the coral spire where the golden helmet rested, Tom reached out and grasped it by the hooked beak.

Sepron’s neck rose out of the water just beside the boat. Tom and Elenna hung on for a moment more, gasping air into their tortured lungs. Silver sprang up and rested his front paws on the side of the boat, letting out an astonished yelp.

Then the sea serpent lowered his neck, gently depositing Tom and Elenna into the bottom of the boat. Silver pushed up close to Elenna, nosing her. She rolled onto her back and allowed the wolf to lick her face. Her chest rose and fell as she gasped for air. Then she reached out a hand to ruffle Silver’s fur. She was all right.

“Thank you, Sepron,” Tom panted, reaching up to pat the serpent’s gleaming scales. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Sepron bowed his head before sinking back beneath the waves again. Tom caught a last
glimpse of his rainbow coils as he swam away into the open sea. He felt warmed by the thought that the Beast who had once been his foe had saved their lives.

“Well,” he said with an exhausted sigh. “We’ve got the helmet.”

“Why don’t you try it on?” Elenna asked, climbing to her feet.

Tom hesitated for a moment, turning the helmet over between his hands. The gold shone brightly and he could see how skillfully the helmet was crafted — even the finest pieces from his uncle’s forge couldn’t compare.

Could it really be for him? Was he worthy to wear the helmet that had once belonged to the Master of the Beasts of Avantia?

“Go on!” Elenna urged him.

Tom raised the helmet and put it on his head. Instantly he felt it shrink to fit him. He gasped. His eyesight had suddenly grown stronger! He
could see the people on the shoreline; Calum’s father Matt was mending a fishing net and Lindon was squatting by the fire, drinking something from a bowl. Farther away from the sea, Calum was leading Storm along the edge of the trees. Tom could even see the whites of the stallion’s eyes as he paced up and down.

“This is amazing,” he exclaimed. “I can see everything! I just wish my father could see me.”

“He’d be so proud of you,” Elenna told him.

Triumph bubbled up inside Tom. The first part of his new Quest was over! He had retrieved the helmet. And now he was determined that it wouldn’t be long before he found the other five parts of the armor, too.

“We’ve only just started,” he said to Elenna. “I’m not giving up until I have every piece of the golden armor.”

Elenna smiled in agreement. “Let’s get back to shore,” she said gently.

She pulled up the sail and began to guide the boat back to the beach.

They were halfway back when a familiar blue glow began to appear before them, and Aduro seemed to stand on the waves.

But this time he was not alone.

Behind him was Malvel, who held a slim dagger against the wizard’s neck. Aduro’s face was set hard. Tom knew that face: It was the one he wore himself when refusing to show fear.

“Get away from him!” Tom shouted at Malvel.

The Dark Wizard smiled. “So you have the golden helmet,” he sneered. “But I don’t suppose you feel quite so pleased with yourself now, do you?”

“I don’t believe this!” Tom cried. “It’s just an illusion. You could never take Aduro prisoner. You haven’t the power.”

“I’m afraid I do.” Malvel dug the point of the dagger into Aduro’s neck. “Tell them, fool.”

“This is a true vision,” Wizard Aduro said
reluctantly. “I was foolish, and didn’t guard myself well enough. I am Malvel’s prisoner.”

“I’ll free you!” Tom said defiantly.

Malvel laughed cruelly. “You can try.”

Tom reached out to Aduro, but his hand passed through air. “Tell me what to do!”

“You must find the full suit of armor…. It is the only way.”

Malvel let out a piercing laugh. “That will never happen. You’ll fail the next test, Tom, when you have to face my second evil Beast — Claw.”

“We’ll do it,” Tom vowed. “We’ll free Aduro and destroy you once and for all.”

“I can hold out against him,” Aduro insisted, though his face was pale. “It is the Quest that matters now!”

Malvel’s laughter rang out again as the vision faded.

Tom and Elenna exchanged a horrified glance. All of Tom’s sense of triumph had vanished.
He could only think about Aduro in Malvel’s clutches.

As they beached the boat, Calum came up to them, leading Storm. Tom had been wondering how to explain to Lindon why they had taken his boat without permission, but thankfully, the fisherman was nowhere in sight. Tom climbed out of the boat and took the stallion’s reins, stroking his nose.

“Thanks,” he said to Calum. Glancing out to sea again, he added, “I don’t think you’ll have any more trouble.”

Calum met his gaze steadily. “I won’t ask questions,” he said. “You saved us once before, and that’s good enough for me.” He bent to give Silver a pat. “You’re welcome to come and stay with my family if you’d like.”

“Thank you, but we can’t,” Tom said regretfully. “We have other duties.”

“I understand,” said Calum. “But I hope you’ll
come back when you can. You’ll always find friends here.”

Taking up his sword and shield, Tom climbed into Storm’s saddle with Elenna behind him.

“Farewell!” Elenna called.

“Farewell, and good luck!” Calum replied.

With a last wave, Tom and Elenna headed up the beach to find the road that led back inland.

Tom felt as if a huge weight was pressing upon him. “This is our most important Quest yet,” he said.

“I know.” Elenna tightened her arms around his waist. “This time we’ve
got
to succeed.”

Tom nodded. She was right. The Quest wasn’t about his need to prove himself, not any more. It wasn’t even about the magical golden armor.

It was about rescuing Aduro.

Could they do it?

“While there’s blood in my veins,” Tom swore, “I’ll never give up!”

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Text copyright © 2008 by Beast Quest Ltd.
Illustrations copyright © 2008 by Scholastic Inc.
Cover art by David Wyatt
Cover design by Tim Hall

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First printing, June 2008

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eISBN: 978-0-545-29646-5