by Adam Blade
BOOK EIGHT
CLAW
THE GIANT APE
ADAM BLADE
ILLUSTRATED BY EZRA TUCKER
With special thanks to Lucy Courtenay
For my very own Beasts, Alfie and George
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Dear Reader
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE CROSSING THE WINDING RIVER
CHAPTER TWO ORDEAL IN THE WATER
CHAPTER THREE INTO THE DARK JUNGLE
CHAPTER FOUR CLAW ON THE ATTACK
CHAPTER FIVE FALLING
CHAPTER SIX INTO THE VOLCANO
CHAPTER SEVEN FACING THE BEAST
CHAPTER EIGHT FERNO RETURNS
CHAPTER NINE VICTORY
Copyright
Did you think it was over?
Did you think I would accept defeat and disappear?
No! That can never be. I am Malvel, the Dark Wizard who strikes fear into the hearts of the people of Avantia. I still have much more to show this wretched kingdom, and one boy in particular — Tom.
The young hero liberated the six Beasts of Avantia from my curse. But his fight is far from over. Let us see how he fares with a new Quest, one that will surely crush him and his companion, Elenna.
Avantia’s Beasts had good hearts that I corrupted for my own wicked purpose. Now, thanks to Tom, they are free to protect the kingdom once more. But I have created new supreme Beasts whose hearts are evil and so cannot be set free. Each one guards a piece of the most precious relic of Avantia, a relic I have stolen: the suit of golden armor that gives magical strength to its rightful owner. I will stop at nothing to prevent Tom from collecting the complete suit and defeating me again. This time he will not win!
Malvel
PROLOGUE
THE AIR WAS HOT AND HUMID. THE MARKET trader mopped his brow and stared into the thick mass of jungle trees before him. They reminded him of rotten black teeth. Heavy vines hung down like snakes.
“Do we have to go in there?” asked the boy at the trader’s side. “Is there no other way?”
“We’ve traveled hundreds of miles for the Ruby Guya fruit,” the trader reminded his assistant. “It grows nowhere else in Avantia. Only here in the Dark Jungle.”
“But aren’t there monsters who live in there? That’s what people say,” the boy whispered.
“Rumors to frighten honest men,” said the trader with a wave of his hand.
“Is it true the Ruby Guya possesses miraculous powers?” the boy asked.
The trader nodded. “One bite of its sweet red flesh brings courage to the fainthearted and strength to the weak,” he said. “It is only ever seen at the king’s table, and fetches a price greater than rubies.” He glanced at his young assistant. “But we must keep our heads if we are to harvest it. Do you understand?”
The boy swallowed his fear and nodded.
They entered the jungle side by side. At once the light grew dim. Birds screamed and wheeled overhead. Great tree ferns arched above them, their leaves a bright and poisonous green.
The trader gazed at the fleshy jungle flowers that hung in ropes from the trees. They smelled overripe and dangerous. He forced all thoughts of deadly creatures and scents from his mind. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching them.
A branch crashed to the ground. The trader whirled, pulling his knife from its sheath in one swift movement. But all he saw were the trembling shadows of leaves.
They walked on. Soon they found themselves wading through a foul-smelling swamp. The thick, pungent water lapped at their knees. The trader clenched his teeth to stop them from trembling. Who knew what vile creatures lurked at his feet?
He wanted to weep with relief when they touched solid ground again.
“We must press on,” he said.
The boy crawled out of the swamp. “Leeches,” he sobbed. “They are all over me!”
The trader pried the leeches from the boy’s bare ankles with the blade of his knife. Shuddering, he did the same to the bloodsuckers on his own limbs. The Dark Jungle was a terrible, stinking place. He would be glad to leave — once he found what he sought.
They moved on. Splashes of sunlight dripped to the ground like venom. Monkeys chattered in the highest treetops above them. It sounded as if they were laughing.
At last, through the ferns, the trader glimpsed a cluster of trees with green, waxy leaves and plump red fruits. His heart leaped.
The Ruby Guya!
The trader hauled himself to the nearest tree, laughing with delight.
“Come on, boy!” he called behind him. “This fruit is ripe for the picking. Where are you?”
He looked back over his shoulder. The boy had disappeared. Uneasy now, the trader glanced around the clearing. Something wasn’t right.
There was a scuffling sound in the undergrowth — and then a scream. The trader froze.
Suddenly, a gnarled claw shot out of the foliage and grabbed the fruit from the trader’s hand. The man screamed as a hairy face with bloodshot eyes emerged from behind the green leaves. Huge lips curled back to reveal pointed, yellow teeth.
“Boy!” the trader croaked. “Run!”
Slowly, the trader looked back at the Beast. It was too late for escape. He howled as a long, thick tail with a deadly claw on its tip flicked out and wrapped itself around his waist.
The trader’s screams echoed around the jungle clearing. Then he was gone.
CHAPTER ONE
CROSSING THE WINDING RIVER
TOM GUIDED HIS BLACK STALLION, STORM, inland, away from Avantia’s western shore. Elenna sat behind him, her arms around his waist. Silver, Elenna’s pet wolf, padded quietly alongside. Struggling with Zepha the Monster Squid had been their toughest challenge yet. If it hadn’t been for Sepron, the protector of Avantia’s waters, they might never have defeated the evil Beast.
In one of Storm’s saddlebags lay a magnificent golden helmet, shaped like the head of an eagle. It was the first piece he had recovered from the great suit of golden armor, which gave magical powers to its rightful owner. The armor had belonged to the Master of the Beasts and had been destined to pass to Tom as a reward for completing his first Quest. Now it was Tom’s fate to recover the six pieces which had been stolen by the Dark Wizard Malvel and scattered across Avantia. But Malvel had created new evil Beasts to protect each piece. Zepha had been the first, with the helmet as his prize. There were still more Beasts to overcome before the remaining pieces of armor could be retrieved.
But that was not all. For Malvel had taken more than the armor. He had kidnapped Aduro, King Hugo’s wizard and Tom and Elenna’s friend and protector.
“I’m worried about Aduro,” Elenna said.
“That’s why we have to find and defeat this next Beast, Claw. Whatever he is,” said Tom. “We will soon find all the pieces of the armor and, when our Quest is complete, we will rescue Aduro. As he told us himself, there’s no other way!”
Silver yapped in excitement, and Storm tossed his fine head.
“Malvel may have Aduro,” said Tom, “but we still have Aduro’s enchanted map. Let’s see if it shows us the way to Claw.”
They dismounted and Tom drew the parchment scroll from one of the saddlebags. As he unrolled it, the map sprang to life. The mountains of Avantia rose as high as his thumb and tiny waves crashed on the map’s shores. Tom and Elenna shared a smile. No matter how many times they used the magical map, it never failed to amaze them.
Slowly the image on the map began to slide, revealing new terrain in the south. The landscape grew greener. A glowing red line appeared from Avantia’s western shore and snaked down, past the Winding River, into a small patch
of deep green in the southeast.
“I have an idea where we might be headed,” said Elenna, frowning. “There’s a place called the Dark Jungle….”
“I’ve heard the stories,” Tom said. “Hot and dangerous, with dark shadows, poisonous plants, and spiders the size of your head. I’ve heard that if the heat and the insects don’t kill you, the creatures will.”
Elenna shuddered. “And that’s without Malvel’s Beast.”
Tom studied the map more closely. Something was moving in the depths of the Dark Jungle. It glimmered, then disappeared again.
“Look,” Tom said, showing Elenna the map. “Can you see? That tiny gold dot. Look closely.”
“It’s the chain mail!” Elenna said in excitement. “The next piece of the armor!”
Tom rolled up the map. “We’re going to the Dark Jungle,” he said. “There’s no time to lose!”
Tom, Elenna, Storm, and Silver headed toward the Winding River. With the sun on their backs and wonderful views of Avantia all around them, it was easy to forget the danger of their Quest.
They followed the road down into a green valley. Tom studied their position on the map, tracing the red line toward the Dark Jungle.
When he had looked the first time, the tiny golden chain mail had been near the mouth of the jungle. Now it was deep among the trees.
Had Malvel moved it?
Tom’s heart thumped.
Did he know they were coming?
They carried on. The road led deep into the valley. Soon Tom and Elenna could see the gleaming ribbon of water that was the Winding River. The riverbank twisted and turned like a writhing snake, and the water glowed gold in the late-afternoon sun. The road stopped abruptly at the river’s edge and there was no sign of a bridge. Up close, the water roared past them, wild and foaming. It looked dangerous.
Carefully, Tom took the golden eagle helmet from one of the saddlebags. It shone in the sunlight as if it were made of fire. His heart beating fast, Tom raised it above his head and slowly pulled it down over his face.
At once, his eyesight sharpened. He could see every blade of grass along the riverbank and, when he looked downstream, he saw the river stretching away for miles. Everything was crystal clear.
“Can you see anything?” Elenna asked.
“I can see everything,” Tom said in wonder. “It’s amazing! But I can’t see a bridge.”
“The river twists away behind those trees,” said Elenna, pointing upstream. “Perhaps there is a bridge somewhere out of sight.”
They followed the river upstream. Tom began to feel worried. The light was fading and they had to cross the water before nightfall.
They rounded another twist in the river. Silver barked.
“There!” Elenna shouted.
At last, a bridge.
But it looked old. The planks were warped, rickety, and broken in several places. Some were missing entirely, like teeth in an old witch’s mouth. The water swirled below, white and furious.
“It won’t take our weight if we cross together,” said Tom, jumping from Storm. “But if we go one at a time, we might make it. Elenna, take Silver over first.”
But Silver didn’t need any help. In three bounds, the wolf was across. The bridge creaked and swayed, but stayed in one piece.
Tom gave Elenna an encouraging nod as she stepped on to the bridge. One of the planks cracked and fell into the water as she leaped for the shore. But she had made it.
“Come on, Storm,” Tom coaxed, trying to sound confident. “You next.”
But the stallion was spooked by the swirling water and refused to move.
Tom stepped onto the bridge, testing the plank with his weight. The twisted wood creaked under his feet, but didn’t break.
“Come on, boy,” Tom called softly, holding out his hand.
The stallion stepped forward. The wooden slats groaned in protest and the bridge swayed. Storm rolled his eyes in terror as Tom struggled to keep his calm and urge the horse forward.
A rotten plank snapped just as Storm’s last back hoof lifted from it. Then the entire section of the bridge they had been standing on crumbled into the angry, churning water below.
“We need to lighten the load,” Tom called over his shoulder to Elenna. Very slowly, he sank to his knees to spread his weight. Then he unfastened his helmet, shield, and sword.
“Catch!”
The bridge groaned again as Tom threw everything toward Elenna. Now he had no magic to protect him. Only his wits.
Tom edged forward, but the planks splintered. He could only watch in horror as the bridge began to fall away.
“Come on, Storm!” he shouted, scrambling toward the shore.
The stallion threw back his head and whinnied in terror as the bridge collapsed beneath him.
“No!” Elenna screamed from the bank.
But it was too late. Tom and Storm had fallen into the deadly water!
CHAPTER TWO
ORDEAL IN THE WATER
TOM FELT HIMSELF BEING DRAGGED UNDER THE surface. The water was cold and the current strong. Storm was panicking and thrashing his legs. With a lunge, Tom grabbed hold of the stallion’s reins.
Half-blinded and choked by the water, he broke the surface of the river. “Throw me my sword!” he shouted to Elenna.
The heavy sword flew through the air and plunged into the water beside him. With a mighty effort, Tom reached out and grabbed hold of the hilt before the sword sank out of sight. His lungs were burning as he stabbed his sword into the riverbank with all his might and held on. The power of the current and Storm’s weight almost dragged Tom away. But he kept his grip on the sword, and the blade held fast in the ground.
“Tom!” Elenna called, running to the edge of the river and holding out her hand.
He kicked hard, and felt solid ground just in front of him. His feet slithered through the mud, and the water sucked at his legs. Grunting with the effort, Tom grabbed Elenna’s outstretched hand. Then he swung himself onto the bank and collapsed on the grass, sword in one hand and Storm’s soaking leather reins in the other. But the horse was still struggling in the wild water, his hooves flailing.
“Pull with me, Elenna,” Tom shouted.
Silver ran up and down the bank, barking and whining, as Elenna put her arms around Tom’s waist and Tom leaned out to grab Storm’s saddle. Together they tried to drag Storm closer to the bank. But it was no good.
“Come on, Storm,” Tom urged. His legs were trembling with exhaustion as he fell to his knees and gazed at his stallion.
Storm’s eyes were wide and scared as the water rushed past him. He was beginning to lose the battle.
“Steady,” Tom murmured, almost as if he were talking to himself. “Stay calm. Stay calm …”
He repeated the words over and over again, clicking his tongue, and gradually Storm’s terrified eyes focused on him again.
Then, one step at a time, the stallion heaved himself through the water. At last, with a final, huge effort, he scrambled onto the riverbank.
Tom threw his arms around his horse. “Well done, Storm,” he gasped, burying his face in the stallion’s damp neck. He could feel himself grinning. “You did it, boy.”
Elenna fell on Storm’s neck and hugged the stallion fiercely. “Oh, Storm,” she murmured. “I thought we’d lost you.”
Snorting and blowing, Storm quieted. He nuzzled Tom gently as Elenna rushed to collect long grasses to dry the horse’s flanks. They needed to get him dry — and warm — as quickly as possible.
As Tom unsaddled Storm and rubbed him with the grass, Elenna lit a campfire. Then Tom draped a blanket around the exhausted stallion. Storm swayed on his feet as if he were too tired to stand up for much longer. Then, gently, he sank to the ground beside the fire.
Quickly, Tom stripped off his wet clothes and wrapped himself in another blanket. His clothes would dry overnight beside the flames. Meanwhile, Silver brought Elenna a rabbit he had caught on the riverbank.
/> “Is the feast to your liking?” Tom joked, offering Elenna a piece of bread and cheese as the rabbit roasted in the embers of the fire.
Elenna tore into the bread. “It’ll do,” she said between mouthfuls, and smiled.
Later Tom and Elenna ate the rabbit beside the crackling fire. The rushing sound of the water was comforting now. Tom lay back and stared at the night sky overhead. It was dotted with bright stars and the moon was almost full. His thoughts drifted to his father, Taladon, who had once undertaken a Beast Quest of his own. He wondered where he was now.
Then he realized that, at this moment, Elenna, Storm, and Silver were the closest thing to a family he had on this Quest. He never wanted to risk losing any of them again.
CHAPTER THREE
INTO THE DARK JUNGLE
THE NEXT MORNING DAWNED CLEAR AND STILL. To Tom’s relief, Storm seemed rested and calm. Tom and Elenna breakfasted on fresh fish that Elenna caught in the waters of the Winding River. Silver bounded away as they ate, returning with another plump rabbit for himself, while Storm grazed on the short grasses nearby.
“Time to go,” said Tom at last.
Elenna doused the fire and packed her belongings. Tom knew she was thinking about the Beast they were about to face. If he were honest, he was thinking about it as well. What sort of a creature would Claw be?
They soon found a road that led away from the Winding River. As they journeyed on, the valley walls grew steeper and the vegetation more lush. Silver ran ahead as clouds chased one another across the stripe of blue sky above.
After a while, the road dwindled to a stony track, potholed in places. It was clear that few people came this way. The thought made Tom feel uncomfortable. If the rumors about the Dark Jungle were true, what chance did they have of defeating Claw and finding the golden chain mail?
The stony track began to climb. Panting, Storm trudged up the steep incline, Silver padding quietly by his side. The sun beat down hard on Tom and Elenna’s backs. The air felt close.