by Adam Blade
Storm snorted in the darkness and Elenna slept on a few paces away, oblivious to the danger. Tom had to wake her. If he died, she would be next. He saw his shield leaning up against a rock. If he could knock it over, the sound might awaken Elenna.
As the Beast’s muscular grip shifted again, Tom gasped once more as he tried to draw breath. The ice dragon’s head didn’t move — it was as if Blaze wanted to watch him suffocate. Then Tom realized where he had seen those eyes before.
Malvel!
Somehow the Dark Wizard was inside this Beast, controlling him with his evil magic.
Tom stretched his leg toward the shield and managed to slip his foot behind it. With the last vestiges of his strength, he flicked the shield up into the air and it clattered onto a small rock.
Elenna was on her feet in a heartbeat.
Tom’s vision darkened and his limbs grew weak. Was this the end?
Suddenly, the death grip weakened and air filled Tom’s lungs. He immediately saw the cause. One of Elenna’s arrows was sticking out from Blaze’s body. Silver charged forward and tried to bite the dragon’s side, but his teeth slid helplessly off the thick scales.
“Hold on!” Elenna shouted, stringing another arrow. Tom wriggled free and rolled across the ground toward his sword. But before he could grab the hilt, the tentacle-like coil of Blaze’s tail wrapped around his ankle. Tom looked over his shoulder and saw that he was being dragged back toward the Beast’s gaping jaws. The dragon’s teeth were icy blue, but his mouth was red like blood.
Tom pulled himself by his fingernails toward the sword, feeling his sinews stretch to their limit. He locked his fingers around the hilt. As he was pulled backward, he turned and swiped at the Beast’s head. But the blade passed straight through the Beast and thwacked into the ground. Blaze’s body was now see-through. He’d turned into a ghost!
Tom felt a swell of rage in his chest as he got to his feet. Like the other Beasts on this Quest, Blaze had the ability to transform from a real to a ghostly form in an instant. Tom swung again, trying to hack at the semitransparent scales, but his sword met no resistance and passed through the Beast once more. The color rushed back into Blaze’s body as the Beast took on his flesh-and-blood form.
“Look!” shouted Elenna, pointing. “The amulet piece!”
Tom’s heart thumped as he saw that the amulet fragment was lodged between the scales where Blaze’s body met his head. Tom hopped onto a boulder, and leaped toward the dragon as it reached for his prize.
The Beast lashed his tail out like a whip and Tom was struck in the chest and fell to the ground. He watched helplessly as the ice dragon took to the skies, climbing steadily through the air, his tail whipping out behind him and thrusting him upward. Silver howled at the departing Beast, while Storm neighed angrily.
Blaze hovered above the volcano’s crater and Malvel’s laughter boomed, shaking the slopes.
“Come and catch me … if you dare.” With those words, Blaze dipped his head and plunged into the heart of the crater.
Tom got to his feet.
“It sounds like a trap,” said Elenna.
The first pale light of dawn was breaking. Tom realized they hadn’t slept long, but he was not tired. Coming so close to death had made him feel more alive than ever.
“We’ve outsmarted Malvel before…. We’ll outsmart him again! We must go after Blaze.”
Tom saw Storm’s legs twitch, as if the horse was eager to start the day.
“You stay here, boy,” said Tom. “We’re better on foot on the volcano.”
Elenna stroked Silver. “And you look after him,” she said.
Waving good-bye to their animal companions, Tom and Elenna took off up the path. The cold air cut right through them.
“Do you remember the last time we were here?” asked Elenna as they climbed up the craggy rock face. “Lava flowed down from the crater edge.”
Tom stopped, helping Elenna up onto a ledge. “The villagers would have lost their homes but we succeeded in our Quest and saved Epos.”
“Epos …” said Elenna, voice grave. “Where is she? Why is it so cold up here?”
Tom looked up toward the crater, where Epos made her nest. So far he hadn’t even felt her presence. His anger tightened like a knot inside him. “If Malvel has harmed my friend,” he said, “he will pay.”
THE AIR GREW EVEN COLDER AS THEY CLIMBED up the winding path of the barren slopes. It was as though all the laws of nature had been turned upside down.
As they headed toward the crater’s edge, the wind sounded like a thousand screams as it carried Tom’s breath away on icy currents.
He looked over at Elenna, noticing that her lips had started to turn purple. “Are you all right to go on?” he shouted above the wind.
“W-w-while I c-c-c-can still fire an arrow, I won’t stop,” she called back.
Pain throbbed in his aching legs as Tom finally picked his way over the final yards to the lip of the volcano’s crater. Long ago he’d watched Epos rise from this very spot, majestic with her ruby red feathers aflame and talons dipped in gold. Where was she now?
Elenna reached his side, the wind lashing her hair across her pale face. They both peered into the chasm below.
Tom’s heart filled with despair. The shallow sides of the crater were covered in crystals of ice. Great blue-white columns rose up from the depths like towers of diamonds. Blaze was nowhere to be seen.
The lava pool itself, which should have been bubbling at the bottom of the crater, was totally frozen over with a sheet of solid ice. And there, below the surface, was a sight that made Tom’s blood run colder still. Epos, her mighty wings spread wide, was trapped under the ice shelf!
“Poor Epos!” gasped Elenna. “Only Malvel could be so cruel.”
Tom was almost speechless with anger. “We have to rescue her.”
They began to climb down the steep walls of the crater, placing each foot with care. Epos glided up to the roof of her frozen prison. A fireball formed between her talons like a miniature sun, and she hurled it against the ice shelf.
“She’s trying to escape,” said Elenna.
Epos did the same again, and this time Tom saw a crack appear in the frozen sheet of lava. They reached the flatter ground near the frozen lava pool and watched as another one of the winged flame’s fiery orbs hit the ice and caused another fissure to appear in the ice shelf.
“It’s working,” said Elenna.
“One more, Epos!” Tom urged. “You can do it!”
As the fourth fireball was growing between the winged flame’s talons, a roar from above rattled the walls of the volcano. Tom looked up. Blaze was diving toward them, mouth open wide, razor teeth dripping with drool and his human eyes glinting with ferocious intent. Malvel’s cackle echoed off the crater walls.
The Beast swooped past them, a surge of air blasting from his mouth, which he spread over the ice shelf. Tom felt his heart sink — the frozen sheet had grown to twice as thick now.
Epos’s globes of fire were having little effect on the toughened barrier, but still she tried, hurling ball after ball of flame against the ice. Each time it looked like her efforts might pay off, the Beast blew more freezing air onto the ice. Blaze seemed interested only in keeping Epos imprisoned, and paid no attention to Tom and Elenna.
“There must be a way to stop Blaze,” said Elenna.
“We don’t have to stop him,” said Tom. “We just have to keep him busy and give Epos a chance to escape. Can you distract him long enough for me to get down to the ice shelf?”
Elenna had an arrow strung before the words were out of his mouth.
“Good,” he said. “Get Blaze’s attention.”
Elenna loosed an arrow across the cavern at the dragon and Blaze shrieked in pain as the arrow found its mark in his side. Tom began scrambling down to the ice, sliding over the slippery ground. He saw Elenna fire another arrow, but this time Blaze shifted into his ghost form and it passed straight through him.<
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Tom was now down on the ice. Seeing him so close, Epos keened, hurling another fireball at the shelf.
“Look out!” Tom heard Elenna call. He turned to see Blaze flying right at him. He dove aside, as a blast of ice shot from the dragon’s mouth. Tom sprang up and lunged at the Beast. He swung his sword out at Blaze as the dragon wheeled in the air, but at the last instant the Beast became a ghost and the blade passed through him. With another freezing blast of air, Blaze restored the ice shelf.
How can I defeat this dragon? Tom wondered. I can’t even get near him.
Undaunted, Epos lit another fiery orb, the bright light shining through the ice, casting Tom’s shadow on the volcano’s wall. Tom saw Blaze coming at him again, and he sprung up and tried to drive the point of his sword into the Beast’s heart. Once more, Blaze evaporated into ghostly form and the attack was in vain. The evil Beast hovered, transparent, just above Tom’s head.
“Out of tricks?” Malvel’s voice bellowed.
Tom’s anger took over, and he slashed wildly at the air.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tom saw his shadow make the same movement, and to his surprise Blaze shrieked and writhed. It was as though Tom’s shadow’s blade had somehow connected with the Ghost Beast. A fat drop of blue blood dripped from the Beast’s scales.
Tom’s eyes were drawn to Epos. For some reason the winged flame was clutching a fireball, but hadn’t thrown it. The light from the fireball meant that Tom cast a looming shadow on the wall. Could it be …? Yes, Epos was telling him something very important.
Tom stabbed wildly again, and his shadow’s blade connected with the Ghost Beast once more and Blaze roared in pain a second time, his glinting eyes showing confusion. But Tom was not confused — he now understood why Epos was holding the fireball. It made Tom’s shadow permanent. Tom’s skin tingled as he realized what this meant.
I might not be able to fight the Ghost Beast, but my shadow can!
TOM READIED HIMSELF TO STRIKE AGAIN, BUT the Ghost Beast surged upward, landing on an icy ledge where Tom’s shadow sword couldn’t reach him. Tom knew that he had to press his advantage while the Beast was stunned with his injuries, but how could he attack Blaze with his shadow while the Ghost Beast cowered out of range?
But of course — the white diamond!
Tom checked his belt, where the jewel was lodged. He’d won it from Kaymon the Gorgon Hound.
The diamond gave him the power to separate himself from his shadow. He climbed up to Elenna, who had trained her arrow on the ice dragon, just in case he shifted out of his ghostly form. He whispered in her ear, so that Malvel wouldn’t be able to hear his plan.
“My shadow is the only thing that can harm Blaze while he is in his ghost form,” he said. “And the only way my shadow can reach him is if I use the jewel from Kaymon.”
Elenna frowned. “It’s too dangerous, Tom,” she whispered back. “When your shadow is separated from you, your body can’t move. You won’t be able to defend yourself if Blaze comes after you.”
Tom could see that she spoke out of worry for him, but he would not be swayed. “I know it’s a risk,” he said. “But if we wait here, Blaze will recover and he’ll freeze us just like the hare in Derlot’s garden.”
Suddenly, the winged flame gave a tired-sounding cry and the fireball in her talons faded a bit. Tom looked back at Elenna, whose face had hardened.
“I’ll do my best to protect you,” Elenna said. “If Blaze comes too close, I’ll have my arrows ready.”
Tom gave Elenna a quick hug of thanks, then took a deep breath, calling on the power of the white diamond.
Dizziness gripped his head, and he put out a foot to steady himself before he opened his eyes.
But he hadn’t moved.
“Tom,” said Elenna’s voice. “It’s working!”
The leg of his shadow had peeled away. Tom ordered the other leg to do the same.
The shadow obeyed. Soon, it was standing beside him as though it were a whole other person. In his mind, Tom told it to unsheathe its sword. Though his own arms were still as a statue, Shadow Tom drew his blade.
Do battle with Blaze, he told his shadow. Tom was powerless to move, but the shadow did exactly as he asked, darting across the ice and clambering up the far side of the cavern wall toward the ledge where Blaze was beginning to stir once again.
Quicker! Tom urged. His shadow rippled silently over the wall, and heaved itself up.
Shadow Tom leaped onto the ledge, and the Ghost Beast turned to face him, striking out with his tail. The shadow ducked and countered with his blade, bringing out a curdling cry of agony from the ice dragon. Blaze leaped off the ledge and glided downward, blowing another fresh layer of ice onto Epos’s prison. Tom’s shadow jumped down, too, sword held aloft, chasing Blaze relentlessly.
Why didn’t Malvel’s Beast stay and fight? Tom wondered. Why is it so important to keep the ice shelf in place?
Epos, looking reenergized, lit another fireball, while Blaze and Shadow Tom faced off again. The Ghost Beast darted forward, but dodged Shadow Tom’s sword at the last moment, then flicked his muscular tail out. It struck Tom’s shadow in the head, and knocked him back against the wall. Tom felt the bruising pain as though it were his own.
But instead of going after Shadow Tom, Blaze breathed another icy blast at Epos, refreezing the ice shelf.
Realization dawned in Tom’s mind. Blaze was an ice dragon. Epos was a winged flame. Just as ice could imprison Epos, what if heat was Blaze’s enemy? Was that why Epos was imprisoned?
Tom wished he could tell Elenna his theory. She might be able to help Epos break the ice and escape. But his voice, like the rest of him, was paralyzed. No, he would have to handle this on his own.
Somehow, he would have to move.
His brain told him it was impossible, but his heart told him otherwise.
Tom sent his shadow running to the far side of the cavern, and Blaze followed. While they were busy, Tom channeled all his willpower into making his frozen limbs move. He felt a sweat break out all over his body, and his heart thundered in his chest. He managed to make his head turn, but it felt as though the sinews in his neck were being torn apart. Next he concentrated on moving his arm. It was like trying to lift an anvil in the blacksmith’s forge. His body screamed with pain, but the arm finally moved a fraction. His eyes caught Elenna’s expression, her mouth wide-open in amazement.
It took all his strength of heart but Tom dragged his body over to Epos’s ice prison and he lifted his shield above his head. Beneath the ice, Epos flapped her wings madly in anticipation. The sight was enough to drive Tom on. With a growl of determination, Tom brought the shield down, ramming it into the ice.
A crack splintered the center of the sheet and Tom fell to his knees. He watched with delight as Epos burst free in a shower of icy splinters and took to the air. The crater was suddenly filled with golden light, and all around, the ice began to melt and trickle in rivulets down the walls.
Malvel’s cry of despair split the cavern, and Blaze’s ghostly form suddenly became solid once again. Through the searing heat, the Beast’s black and red scales glistened. It seemed Blaze couldn’t remain a ghost in the midst of the smoking molten rock. The dragon hovered over Tom’s shadow but the solid Beast was no danger to a silhouette.
“You’ve done it!” said Elenna. “Epos is free.”
But Tom knew that this Beast Quest was far from over. He still couldn’t move properly and was vulnerable until his shadow returned to him.
Tom called his shadow back but Blaze had already spotted him kneeling on the on the remains of the ice. The dragon turned his massive body, and began flying toward him. Tom’s shadow ran behind, but it wasn’t as quick as the Beast.
As Blaze slithered through the air toward him, Tom saw the amulet piece near the dragon’s shoulder again — the amulet piece he needed to bring his father back to his flesh-and-blood form. Now he feared that would never happen. The blue jaws gaped, rea
dy to devour him.
AN ARROW THUDDED INTO BLAZE’S NECK. THE Beast veered off course and smashed into the ground. The distraction gave Tom’s shadow enough time to return to his body.
As Tom joined up with his shadow once more, power surged through him. He sprang to his feet. “Thanks, Elenna!” he called.
“Now finish that Beast!” she yelled back.
“With pleasure,” Tom muttered, seeing Blaze rise up. No longer could he use his ghostly form to escape. Now the fight was fair.
Blaze’s yellow eyes flashed. “You’ll die in this volcano, Tom,” said a voice. It was a roar but the tone was Malvel’s.
The ice dragon sent a jet of freezing air toward Tom. He threw himself out of the way, feeling the icy air brush his legs.
Epos swooped and crashed into Blaze, her talons raking his skin. Tom saw something drop to the ground and land in the corner of the volcano next to a bubbling chasm of lava.
The amulet fragment!
Blaze shook Epos loose.
“Get the amulet piece!” Tom shouted to Elenna, as Malvel’s Beast faced him again. The dragon released another jet of ice and Tom charged forward, ducking beneath the freezing, icy stream and stabbing upward with his sword. The blade lodged in the thick scales of the dragon’s stomach and Tom lost his grip on the hilt as Blaze soared up into the air.
Looking over, Tom saw Elenna slip the precious amulet fragment inside her pocket, and he ran to her side.
Blaze whipped around to face them and stalked forward, Tom’s sword still hanging from his underside. Tom and Elenna found themselves right by the edge of a molten pool.
There was nowhere they could go.
Epos cawed from above and descended to attack Blaze, but the dragon flicked his tail out and sent the winged flame spinning into the lava.
“I told you that you’d die here,” screeched Malvel’s voice.