by Adam Blade
“Storm!” Elenna said with a gasp.
Quickly, Tom flicked open his compass to look at the hidden clock. The hand was now moving backward.
“Storm’s safe!” Tom cried.
His father smiled. “Not just Storm,” he said. “Everyone touched by the evil of Equinus has been returned to their former lives. Thanks to you.” Taladon saluted them and his image slowly faded.
Tom felt his heart leap with joy. They had found the amulet piece and saved his beloved horse. This Quest was over.
“Let’s get to Storm!” he yelled, and he began to run through the trees.
“Hold on!” Elenna exclaimed. “We’ve gone a long way through the jungle and I’m not sure our tracks will be clear enough to follow. Which way do we go?”
Tom held out his hand. “Map,” he called. It appeared immediately in the air in front of them. Tom skidded to a halt and looked eagerly at it. A line on the ghostly map’s surface materialized and showed them the way out of the jungle.
“And look. Storm’s right at the end of our path!” Tom exclaimed. “Come on!”
This time Elenna didn’t try to stop him. The two friends didn’t stop running until they burst out onto the plain.
“There’s the oak tree!” yelled Elenna.
“And there’s Storm!” cried Tom happily. “And Silver!”
The two friends sprinted across the dusty earth to meet their faithful animals. Silver yelped in delight, and Tom untied his horse’s reins from the tree and flung his arms around Storm’s neck before burying his face in his mane. He gazed intently into Storm’s brown eyes. They were sparkling and full of life. Tom laughed with relief. Silver ran around them, howling happily.
“Thank you, Silver,” said Elenna, crouching down to greet him. “I knew we could trust you to guard Storm.”
As if he understood, Silver rubbed his head against Storm’s leg, and Storm put his nose down to nuzzle his friend.
Then Tom heard his father’s voice in the air. “Are you sure you are ready for your next Quest, my brave warriors?” Taladon said.
“We are,” chorused Tom and Elenna eagerly.
“Good,” said Taladon’s voice, and Tom could hear that his father was pleased. “Then you have to journey to the Dead Peaks. Rashouk is the Beast you must fight there if you are to reclaim the next piece of the amulet. But beware. Rashouk is a troll, and one of Malvel’s most terrifying Beasts. He has great cunning. You will need all your skills if you are to succeed. But there is one that I am afraid you have lost — the power granted by the golden gauntlets — your special sword skills.”
With that, the voice faded.
Tom stood back from Storm. “A new Beast,” he murmured, fingering the pieces of amulet under his shirt. “Will I be able to defeat another of Malvel’s creatures without my sword skills?”
“You have many more skills than the magic ones that you’ve been given,” Elenna told him. “I know you can do anything you put your mind to.”
Tom gave Storm a loving pat on the neck and turned to Elenna.
“There’s only one way to find out,” he declared. “On with the Quest!”
Teaser
ESCAPING THE DEAD JUNGLE
“ALMOST THERE!” SAID TOM, AS HE SWUNG his sword at the last section of wild overgrowth blocking their path out of the Forbidden Land’s Dead Jungle.
“Great,” said Elenna, as she led Tom’s stallion, Storm, out onto the flat grassland. “I thought we’d never get out.”
Storm whinnied in delight. Close behind, Elenna’s pet wolf, Silver, yelped and ran around in wide circles.
Tom laughed and sheathed his sword. “I think they’re happy they can stretch their legs again!”
“Although, to be fair, this place isn’t exactly cheery,” said Elenna, looking around at the dead grassland that stretched as far as the eye could see. “I never knew that anywhere in Avantia could look so dead and depressing.”
“Me, neither,” said Tom, thinking of the beauty of the rest of the kingdom and how the Dark Wizard, Malvel, had tried more than once to destroy it. It was because of Malvel that Tom was on his current Quest. The Dark Wizard had turned Tom’s father, Taladon, into a ghost, and Tom had to find the six pieces of the Amulet of Avantia to make his father flesh and blood again. Malvel had scattered the broken pieces of the amulet around the kingdom’s Forbidden Land, where they were guarded by six Ghost Beasts — evil creatures who could switch from real to ghostly form in an instant.
Tom had already defeated two of them and retrieved two pieces of the amulet. He vowed to overcome the next four Beasts as well — though he would have to do so without some of the magical powers he possessed.
On his previous Quests, he had retrieved all six pieces of Avantia’s golden armor. Each piece had given him a different power, although Tom didn’t need to be wearing the armor to use them.
But the armor did not belong to him. It belonged to his father. And now, every time Tom recovered a piece of the amulet, one of the armor’s magical powers returned to Taladon.
Tom frowned as a feeling of disquiet spread through him. He had already lost the powers granted him by the golden boots and the golden gauntlets. It appeared that he was losing his powers in the reverse order to which he had gained them. Therefore, if he succeeded in defeating the next Ghost Beast, Rashouk the Cave Troll, he would probably lose the power of the leg armor and would no longer have his increased speed.
“Which way shall we ride?” asked Elenna, snapping Tom out of his thoughts.
“Map!” he commanded, stretching out a hand.
The air shimmered as a ghostly map appeared before his eyes. It was a gift from Aduro, the good wizard, to help them navigate the Forbidden Land.
Elenna joined him to study the map. “Look,” she said, pointing at some mountains in the east called the Dead Peaks. “Didn’t your father say we’d find Rashouk there?”
Tom nodded. He wondered how it would be to do battle with Rashouk now that he’d lost two of his powers.
Character Guide
HEROES AND VILLAINS
TOM
PREFERRED WEAPONS: Sword and magic shield
ALSO CARRIES: Destiny compass, jewel belt, and ghost map
SPECIAL SKILLS: Over the course of his Quest, Tom has gained many special items for his shield, giving him protection from fire, water, cold, and falling from heights, extra speed in battle, and magic healing ability. He also has the powers he gained from the golden armor, giving him incredible sight, courage, strength, endurance, sword skills, and energy.
ELENNA
PREFERRED WEAPON: Bow & arrow
ALSO CARRIES: Nothing. Between her bow and her wolf, Silver, Elenna doesn’t need anything else!
SPECIAL SKILLS: Not only is Elenna an expert hunter, she is also knowledgeable about boats and water. But most important, she can think quickly in tight spots, which has helped Tom more than once!
STORM
Tom’s horse, a gift from King Hugo. Storm’s good instincts and speed have helped Tom and Elenna from the very beginning.
SILVER
Elenna’s tame wolf and constant companion. Not only is Silver good to have on their side in a fight, but the wolf can also help Tom and Elenna find food when they’re hungry.
ADURO
The good wizard of Avantia and one of Tom’s closest allies. Aduro has helped Tom many times, but when Aduro was captured by Malvel, Tom was able to repay the wizard by rescuing him.
MALVEL
Tom’s enemy, determined to enslave the Beasts of Avantia and defeat Tom. This evil wizard rules over Gorgonia, the Dark Realm. If he is near, danger is sure to follow.
BEAST QUEST
AMULET OF AVANTIA
#19: NIXA THE DEATH BRINGER
#20: EQUINUS THE SPIRIT HORSE
#21: RASHOUK THE CAVE TROLL
#22: LUNA THE MOON WOLF
#23: BLAZE THE ICE DRAGON
#24: STEALTH THE GHOST PANTHER
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Beast Quest series created by Beast Quest Ltd., London.
BEAST QUEST is a trademark of Beast Quest Ltd.
Text copyright © 2009 by Beast Quest Ltd.
Cover illustration © 2009 by Steve Sims
Interior illustrations © 2011 by Scholastic Inc.
Cover design by Tim Hall
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First printing, July 2011
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eISBN: 978-0-545-38901-3