by Adam Blade
THE DARK REALM
BOOK THIRTEEN
TORGOR
THE MINOTAUR
ADAM BLADE
ILLUSTRATED BY EZRA TUCKER
With special thanks to Cherith Baldry
To Cameron and Brandon, true heroes
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
DEAR READER
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE THROUGH THE LION’S GATE
CHAPTER TWO A NEW QUEST
CHAPTER THREE MALVEL’S PLOT
CHAPTER FOUR ACROSS THE DEADLY MARSH
CHAPTER FIVE MALVEL’S MAP
CHAPTER SIX TROUBLE IN THE VILLAGE
CHAPTER SEVEN A TRAIL OF BLOOD
CHAPTER EIGHT FACING THE MINOTAUR
CHAPTER NINE THE BATTLE BEGINS
CHAPTER TEN THE BATTLE ENDS
Copyright
Welcome. You stand on the edge of darkness, at the gates of an awful land. This place is Gorgonia, the Dark Realm, where the sky is red, the water black, and Malvel rules. Tom and Elenna — your hero and his companion — must travel here to complete the next Beast Quest.
Gorgonia is home to six most deadly Beasts — Minotaur, Winged Stallion, Sea Monster, Gorgonian Hound, Mighty Mammoth, and Scorpion Man. Nothing can prepare Tom and Elenna for what they are about to face. Their past victories mean little. Only strong hearts and determination will save them now.
Dare you follow Tom’s path once more? I advise you to turn back. Heroes can be stubborn, and adventures may beckon, but if you decide to stay with Tom, you must be brave and fearless. Anything less will mean certain doom.
Watch your step….
Kerlo the Gatekeeper
PROLOGUE
HECTOR’S HEART POUNDED AS HE RAN through the forest. He had stayed too long playing by the stream, and now the moon was rising, purple and threatening. The angry red sky of Gorgonia swirled above his head. As he wove through the trees, the shadows seemed alive with danger.
Hector paused in a clearing to catch his breath and tried to see if any evil forest creatures lurked nearby. His heart beat faster as he heard a rustling sound. He darted behind a tree and pressed himself against the trunk.
Peering out slowly and cautiously, he spotted two young men crawling toward him. They kept glancing back fearfully, as if they were being followed. Hector gasped as he recognized the silver talismans that hung around their necks. These were worn only by the Gorgonian rebels who lived in the wood, where they plotted to overthrow the Dark Wizard Malvel. Hector’s father had told him they were wasting their time. Malvel had always ruled Gorgonia; that would never change.
The two young men crept across the clearing and hid behind a tangle of ivy. They were now completely concealed. Still Hector did not dare come out from behind the tree. What were these two young men hiding from? Was Malvel on their trail? Hector felt his mouth go dry. What if the evil wizard found him cowering here, alone in the forest? Malvel would think he was in league with the rebels!
Then the ground suddenly trembled beneath his feet. Hector looked up to see a huge figure striding through the trees toward him, an enormous ax in his hand. The purple moonlight glinted off the golden blade as the fearsome creature swung the ax over his head and slashed through the trees that stood in his way. Hector tried to move, but fear had made his limbs useless.
A sob of terror escaped his throat. He had never seen this creature before, but he knew who it was: Torgor the Minotaur, one of the six evil Beasts of Gorgonia — and a loyal servant to Malvel.
The minotaur halted, looking down, and spotted Hector. His eyes narrowed. He was taller than the forest trees, and his vast body was covered with a thick, glistening pelt of coal-black hair. Two twisted horns rose from either side of his bull-like head. His arms swelled with muscles, and one huge fist was clasped around the ax’s handle. The Beast tested the sharp edge of the weapon’s blade with his thumb.
“Don’t hurt me,” Hector begged. The thought of the ax swishing through the air toward him made him feel faint. The blade would cut off his head with one blow.
The Beast let out a threatening snarl, and saliva dripped from his jaws. Then he raised the ax above Hector’s head.
“No, wait!” Hector shouted. He knew Malvel must have sent the Beast to hunt down the rebels, and he had an idea how he could save himself. “I’m not the one you’re looking for.” He pointed, with a trembling hand, to the ivy thicket where the two men were hiding. “Look over there.” Hot shame engulfed him, but his only thought was getting away from the fearsome Beast and his deadly ax.
Torgor strode across the clearing and, with one swish of his ax, slashed the ivy into shreds, revealing the two rebels. They sprang up with cries of terror. For a moment, their eyes locked with Hector’s, and then they bolted deeper into the forest. The minotaur let out a furious roar and raced after them.
Hector sank to the ground, trembling. At last, the thud of the Beast’s footsteps died away. Only then did Hector dare to get up and head in the opposite direction, toward his home.
His legs shook and he stumbled over tree roots as he struggled toward the edge of the forest. He knew he had condemned two men to certain death.
“But I’m still alive,” he whispered to himself.
CHAPTER ONE
THROUGH THE LION’S GATE
THE AIR TINGLED AS TOM STEPPED INTO THE Lion’s Gate. It had appeared from the lake in Avantia after he had defeated Trillion the evil three-headed lion, but Tom had no idea what lay on the other side.
His horse, Storm, reared up. “Steady, boy,” Tom murmured, patting the stallion’s glossy neck. Storm rolled his eyes nervously but let Tom lead him forward.
Tom’s friend Elenna walked at his side, with Silver close by. The wolf raised his muzzle and whined mournfully.
“We have to do this,” Tom muttered through clenched teeth. “Malvel is here somewhere, I know it!”
“You’re right, Tom.” Elenna’s voice was steady. “And we have to rescue Aduro.”
Tom stepped out of the gate. A flash of pure white light almost blinded him, and a shudder of energy shot through his body. He stumbled and had to hold on to Storm’s reins to keep himself from falling. He heard Elenna cry out in shock, and Silver gave a high-pitched howl.
When Tom’s eyes cleared again, he found himself standing in a wasteland. Flat, featureless ground stretched out as far as he could see. A few plants with limp, dark leaves and sprawling stems poked up through the gritty soil, looking as if they were dead or dying. A gnarled tree, bare of leaves, stretched out its twisted branches toward the four friends, and gray clouds hung low beneath a red, swirling sky. In the other direction lay desolate marshes, with reed beds and scum-filled pools. Huge bubbles rose to the surface of the filthy water and burst with a gurgle and a foul smell.
“Ugh!” Elenna choked. “The whole place reeks. Has Malvel poisoned everything?”
Tom shivered and set his teeth against the damp, cold air, while Elenna pulled her shawl out of Storm’s saddlebag and drew it tightly around her shoulders. “What place is this?” she asked.
“It is the kingdom of Gorgonia,” a stranger’s voice said from behind them.
They spun around to see a tall figure dressed in ragged brown robes, standing just in front of the Lion’s Gate. Tom reached for his sword. Silver let out a growl from deep inside his throat, and Elenna grasped her bow, taking an arrow from her quiver.
The newcomer leaned on a staff of gnarled wood, staring at them. His head was bald, and one eye was covered by an eye patch; the other eye was a glittering gray.
“Who are you?” Tom asked boldly. He gripped his sword more tightly as the man shuffled forward. “Don’t come
any closer.”
The strange man’s mouth twisted in amusement. “Have I frightened you?” He gave a bow. “My name is Kerlo. I am the gatekeeper of Gorgonia.”
“Are you a servant to Malvel?” Tom demanded.
“I am not,” Kerlo said. “I do not serve any king or wizard. I simply watch the gate.”
Tom wasn’t sure he could trust this man, but there was no one else to ask for information. “What do you know about Malvel?” he asked. “I have to find him. Does he live near here?”
Again Kerlo let out a short laugh. “Find Malvel? You and your friend should go back to Avantia before it is too late. Gorgonia does not welcome foolish heroes.”
“We are no fools. We’re here to rescue my friend, the Wizard Aduro,” Tom explained.
“And we’re not going back until we find him,” Elenna added defiantly.
Kerlo smiled, showing two rows of blackened teeth. “Very well, if you insist …” He stretched out a hand, pointing across the marshland with a bony finger. “That is the best way forward.”
Then dark shadows began to swirl in front of the Lion’s Gate, and the mysterious gatekeeper vanished into thin air.
CHAPTER TWO
A NEW QUEST
ELENNA RUBBED HER EYES. “HE’S REALLY GONE! Do you think we can believe what he told us?”
Tom shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s a start. We have to find Aduro.” He stroked Storm. The stallion was trembling, and his eyes darted back and forth anxiously. “Everything will be fine,” he murmured. He turned to his friend. “Are you ready, Elenna?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied, “although this isn’t going to be easy.”
“I know, but don’t forget that I now have the golden armor,” Tom said, looking down at the precious relic he was wearing. “The powers it gives me will help us if we have to face Malvel.”
As the words left his lips, a flickering light rose from the ground, enclosing Tom in a pale blue glow.
“What’s happening?” he shouted.
He tried to punch his way out of the blue force field, but it would not free him. He felt his armor begin to vibrate. Then he realized that each piece was shaking itself free of his body.
Elenna threw herself forward to help, but as her outstretched hands touched the blue glow, she was thrown backward again.
“Stay back!” Tom yelled as the blue glow became a column of icy flame. He knew that Elenna could not save him from this magic.
When the flames died down, Tom’s golden armor was gone. He was left standing in his ordinary clothes, grasping the sword and shield that he had carried since the beginning of his first Quest.
“Tom!” Elenna gasped. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Tom replied, staring down at his worn brown tunic and leggings. “But the armor’s gone.” Despair began to creep over him as he realized what he had lost. “What will we do without it?”
Elenna’s eyes were wide with dismay. “Is Malvel really powerful enough to steal the armor from your body?”
Before Tom could reply, the air in front of him shimmered, and a figure began to form. Tom raised his sword. If Malvel was coming to finish them off, then both he and Elenna would fight until their last breath.
But it wasn’t Malvel. It was Aduro! Tom lowered the sword in confusion.
King Hugo’s adviser looked as if he were really standing in front of him. But isn’t Aduro Malvel’s prisoner? Tom thought. He stepped toward the good wizard.
“Tom, be careful.” Elenna grabbed his arm. “This could be one of Malvel’s tricks.”
Tom looked hard at Aduro, and the wizard smiled at him. Tom suddenly felt as light as air. He would know that smile anywhere! It could not be faked. “Aduro, it really is you!”
Aduro reached for Tom’s hand and shook it firmly. “Yes, it is.”
Elenna let out a cry of delight and threw her arms around the good wizard. “We were afraid we’d never see you again!”
“But how did you escape from Malvel?” Tom asked.
Aduro smiled. “You both freed me.”
Tom and Elenna exchanged a puzzled glance. “How could we?” Tom asked, mystified. “We only just got here.”
“When you recovered all six pieces of the golden armor,” Aduro explained, “you gave me the strength to get away.”
A warm sense of pride filled Tom, but it ebbed away almost instantly. “I’ve lost the armor now. It vanished just before you came.”
Aduro smiled. “Don’t worry, Tom. The armor has been returned to its rightful place in King Hugo’s palace. Its great power is needed elsewhere now.”
Although Tom was relieved to hear that Malvel hadn’t stolen the armor again, he was disappointed that he had lost his powers.
“Of course, you still have your special gifts,” Aduro said, almost as if he had read Tom’s mind. “They will always be part of you.”
Tom looked confused. “But what about the —”
Aduro raised his hand, cutting Tom off. “My time here must be short,” the wizard went on, “and there are things that I must tell you. Passing through the Lion’s Gate from Avantia to Gorgonia was a test. You had the courage to do that, and now I know that you are both strong enough to face a new Quest.”
Excitement tingled inside Tom as he realized that more adventures awaited them.
“What is it?” Elenna asked eagerly.
“Malvel has six more evil Beasts here in Gorgonia,” the good wizard explained. “They must be destroyed before he has a chance to unleash them on Avantia.”
Tom felt the cold touch of fear, but he drew himself up, gripping his sword. “While there’s blood in my veins,” he vowed, “I’ll protect Avantia.”
“So will I,” Elenna added. “And we’ll have you and your magic by our side this time, Aduro.”
The wizard shook his head. “My magic cannot survive here in Malvel’s kingdom. I weaken with every moment I spend in Gorgonia. I have no choice but to go to King Hugo’s palace — now.”
Tom gazed at him in alarm.
Aduro laid his hand reassuringly on his shoulder. “My thoughts will be with you on your Quest,” he said. “I will watch you from the palace, and when I have the strength, I will appear to you in visions. But I will not be able to stay for long.”
Even while the wizard was speaking, Tom could see that he was beginning to look haggard and weak. His firm grip on Tom’s shoulder grew light.
“Go quickly!” Tom exclaimed.
The wizard raised a hand in farewell. Then in a swirl of robes and a sudden blaze of white light, Aduro passed through the Lion’s Gate, back into Avantia.
Elenna stared out at the desolate landscape.
“How are we going to find these new Beasts?” she asked. “There is nothing here except wasteland.”
“Kerlo told us to cross the marsh,” Tom replied. “But that was when we were looking for Aduro.” He gazed across the evil-smelling swamp, remembering how he had sunk into a similar bog when he was pursuing Soltra the Stone Charmer.
“Let’s see what my magical compass can tell us,” he suggested, pulling it from his pocket. It had been given to him by his long-lost father, Taladon, and had saved his life before.
The compass needle swung wildly for a moment and then came to rest on the word Destiny. The needle was pointing straight across the marsh.
“So this is the way to the next Beast,” Elenna said, her eyes bright.
“And to our destiny,” Tom replied. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER THREE
MALVEL’S PLOT
TOM AND ELENNA STEPPED CAUTIOUSLY ONTO the edge of the marsh, trying to judge whether there was a firm path across. For an instant, Tom felt himself sink, then his feet came to rest on firm ground.
He peered into the distance, looking for a landmark. They needed something to aim for so they wouldn’t become disoriented. Relief surged through him as he saw a cluster of buildings in the distance.
He turned to
Elenna. “Even without the golden helmet, I can still see for long distances,” he said happily. “I’ve spotted something!”
Elenna’s face brightened with a wide grin. “What is it?” she asked.
Tom shaded his eyes with one hand against the angry red of the setting sun, and looked out across the marsh again. “It must be a village,” he said. “Let’s head for it.” He sheathed his sword and took Storm by the bridle.
Elenna nodded and looked for Silver. The wolf was darting around excitedly but came to Elenna when she called him to her side. Tom mounted Storm, and Elenna scrambled up behind him. With Silver padding alongside them, they set out into the marsh. Tom guided Storm carefully, avoiding the pools of water that dotted the boggy ground.
They had not gone far when they heard a furious roar behind them. Tom spun around in the saddle, ready to draw his sword.
Brilliant white light was shining from the now-distant Lion’s Gate. A second later, a dark figure burst through the gate and headed for the marsh, straight toward them. Tom caught his breath. It was Tagus the Night Horse, a good Beast and protector of Avantia, who had helped them to defeat Trillion the Three-Headed Lion.
“He must have followed us through the gate!” Elenna gasped.
Tagus plunged into the marsh. Tom slid down from Storm and splashed back through the mud toward the horse-man, waving his arms above his head. “No! Stop! Go back!” he yelled. He knew that Tagus couldn’t understand what he said, but he hoped the Beast would understand his gestures.
But Tagus did not seem able to stop. He threw his head back and let out another roar, full of anger and frustration. He was trying to dig his hooves into the swampy ground, but some invisible force was pulling him onward, deeper into Gorgonia and across the marsh.
“I’ve got to try and block him,” Tom said. “Keep Storm and Silver out of the way.”