Arachnid the Spider King Read online

  BEAST QUEST

  BOOK ELEVEN

  ARACHNID

  THE SPIDER KING

  BY ADAM BLADE

  ILLUSTRATED BY EZRA TUCKER

  With special thanks to Lucy Courtenay

  For Sheila Noble

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Dear Reader

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE: DESTINY!

  CHAPTER TWO: A PARTY

  CHAPTER THREE: SPIDER IN THE NIGHT

  CHAPTER FOUR: A LONG WAY DOWN

  CHAPTER FIVE: ARACHNID’S LAIR

  CHAPTER SIX: THE GOLDEN GAUNTLETS

  CHAPTER SEVEN: THE BATTLE BEGINS

  CHAPTER EIGHT: TARTOK TO THE RESCUE

  CHAPTER NINE: STAY STRONG!

  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 TWO WOMEN STOOD ON THE MOUNTAIN, gazing down into the cave. It gaped below them, dark and uninviting.

  “Are you really going in, Etta?” said Dorina, the first woman.

  Her friend nodded. “My father told me about this place,” she said. “It’s where you find the best crystals.”

  Dorina shivered. “I don’t like it here,” she said, glancing up at the dark forest above them.

  “Don’t worry,” said Etta, tying a rope around her waist. “We are perfectly safe.”

  Dorina hugged herself. “My neighbor told me there were webs in her house this morning,” she said. “Sticky ropes all over her bed. Don’t pretend you aren’t scared.”

  “If the spider is real, these crystals will protect us,” said Etta firmly.

  She lashed the other end of her rope to a nearby tree. Then she put a candle into a special holder and attached it to the leather cap she was wearing. With shaking hands, her friend lit the wick. Slowly, Etta lowered herself into the darkness.

  “Be careful!” Dorina called after her.

  The air inside the cave was musty and damp. Etta felt as if the mountain were pressing in on her, but she made herself go on. The candle in her cap flickered in the gloom. She could hear the nervous thump of her heart as she squeezed through the narrow channel of rock. The air grew colder as the cave opened up, and Etta gasped at the incredible sight before her.

  The cave was like a cathedral. Huge stalactites hung from the roof, dripping icy water. Even larger stalagmites rose from the floor like church spires. Glistening blue crystals covered the walls.

  “Dorina!” Etta called over her shoulder. “I’ve found them!”

  Reaching for her pick, she began to chip at the crystals. A beautiful shard came away in her hand. Etta held it up to admire the way it sparkled in the candlelight.

  Suddenly, the crystal’s gleam seemed to cloud. Etta peered more closely at the shard and rubbed it on her sleeve. As she frowned in confusion, she felt something wet on her shoulder. She looked up.

  A long string of saliva was dripping from a set of deadly fangs that loomed high above her.

  Paralyzed with terror, Etta looked up into the six glittering eyes of an enormous black spider. His swaying shadow filled the cave.

  The shard of crystal fell from Etta’s hand. She opened her mouth to scream, but it was too late.

  Thick ropes of silk fell on her like a net, pinning her to the rock face. Struggling violently, Etta tried to free herself. It was no use. Faintly, she heard Dorina calling before the spider swiped at the rocks above and brought them tumbling down, blocking the cave’s entrance.

  Arachnid’s hideous, hairy legs moved fast, spinning and whirling the silk around his victim. Then he scuttled back to the center of his mighty web.

  Watching.

  Waiting.

  CHAPTER ONE

  DESTINY!

  TOM AND ELENNA WATCHED EPOS, THE GREAT flame bird of Avantia, soar into the glow of the setting sun.

  “I can’t believe we just rode on Epos,” Elenna said, her eyes wide with excitement.

  “Storm and Silver can’t believe it, either.” Tom grinned. “It’s not every day that a stallion and a wolf ride a phoenix.”

  Storm shook his coal-black mane and nuzzled the silvery wolf at Elenna’s side.

  Tom removed his magical golden helmet and gazed at it with pride. He now had four pieces of Avantia’s enchanted armor to help him in his quest to save his friend Aduro, King Hugo’s wizard, who had been kidnapped by the evil wizard Malvel. The helmet granted Tom extra-keen sight, the chain mail gave him extra strength of heart in battle, the breastplate made him physically strong, and the leg armor allowed him to run fast over long distances. But there were still two pieces of armor to find, and they were protected by two more evil Beasts. Only when he and Elenna had defeated those Beasts could they vanquish Malvel and rescue Aduro.

  Elenna handed him a flagon of water, and Tom drank deeply. The battle they had fought against Vipero the Snake Man in the desert was still on his mind. It had been the toughest test Tom had ever faced. But he had done it, with the help of his friends, and Tom had retrieved the golden leg armor. It was time for the next challenge.

  “We have to go on,” Tom said, returning the flagon to Elenna.

  Storm whickered gently and pushed at Tom with his nose.

  “No, Tom,” said Elenna, her hand resting on Silver’s back. “First we must rest.”

  “But Aduro needs our help more than ever!” Tom insisted. “We’ve got to find the next Beast!”

  “You’re tired,” Elenna pointed out. “You need all your strength. You’re no use to Aduro like this.”

  Tom knew his friend was right. Reluctantly, he set up camp while Elenna built a fire.

  Almost as soon as the sun had vanished over the horizon, a chill creeped into the air. Tom and Elenna ate bread and cheese and drank water from a nearby stream. Storm cropped the grass, and Silver padded silently into the darkness, bringing back two rabbits.

  “We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” said Tom, studying his enchanted map in the firelight. “The map is showing a road that will take us toward the mountains, where the next piece of armor is waiting for us.”

  “Perfect.” Elenna yawned, settling down. “Try to sleep now.”

  Tom gazed at the four pieces of golden armor, glowing in the light of the campfire next to the sword and shield given to him by Aduro. Shuddering, Tom remembered the vision Malvel had shown them of the good wizard.

  Aduro, his friend and protector, had been bound to a chair that dangled dangerously above a pit of gurgling, spluttering tar. Malvel had told Tom that every time he lost heart, the good wizard would be lowered closer to the boiling tar.

  He swallowed. He couldn’t let his friend down. But doubts still swarmed through his mind. Malvel had told them that the next
Beast was a monstrous spider. It sounded terrifying. How could he and Elenna fight a creature like that?

  Tom tossed and turned on the hard ground, exhausted but unable to sleep. Then he sensed Storm above him. The stallion snorted, gently blowing Tom’s hair away from his face. Feeling comforted, Tom closed his eyes and felt his heart lighten. He had succeeded in so many Quests already. He could surely complete another one.

  Tom slept deeply. When he awoke the next morning, the sun was peeping over the horizon. He drew on his new leg armor, feeling an instant pulse of energy.

  “You take Storm,” he suggested to Elenna as they packed up their belongings after breakfast. “My leg armor makes me feel as if I could run forever.”

  “Sounds like a good idea to me,” Elenna laughed.

  She climbed onto Storm’s back and settled into the saddle. Then she clicked her tongue and kicked her heels. The stallion whinnied and broke into a gallop.

  Wearing the leg armor, Tom found that he could easily keep up. His legs felt like giant springs. He sprinted beside Elenna and Storm, whooping with pleasure as the wind buffeted his face. Silver raced beside him, leaping and barking with delight.

  “Look, Tom!” said Elenna. “An orchard!”

  Gnarled apple trees groaning with fruit stood at the side of the road, near a lively stream. Tom sprang for the nearest tree, landing easily on a branch near the bottom. He reached for the apples and dropped them down to Elenna, before hopping back to the ground. The apples were crisp and cool, and juice ran down Tom’s and Elenna’s chins as they bit into them. Storm hungrily tore apples from the branches, while Silver bounded between the trees and rolled in the long grass.

  “I never knew an apple could taste so delicious,” Tom said, grinning.

  Elenna laughed. “Nor did Storm!” she said. “I think he’s eaten about twenty.”

  Tom felt a surge of gratitude for his three friends. They had come so far together already. With Elenna, Storm, and Silver by his side, Tom felt he could fight twenty Beasts.

  As he rested against the tree, Tom suddenly saw, out of the corner of his eye, the initial T carved into the ancient bark. He traced the letter with his fingers, his heart thumping. Could it mean Taladon? He felt a mixture of sadness and excitement, as he always did when he thought of the father he had never met.

  “Look, Elenna,” he said.” Tfor Taladon! Perhaps he passed this way. Perhaps …” His voice trailed into nothing.

  “You’ll see him one day,” said Elenna, guessing instantly what was on Tom’s mind.

  Tom smiled at his friend. He hoped with all his heart that she was right.

  He pulled his enchanted map and then his magical compass from Storm’s saddlebag and studied them carefully. He had been given the compass by his uncle, who had told him that the compass once belonged to Tom’s father. The needle showed him when to step forward to meet his destiny, and when to flee impossible danger. Tom held the compass tightly, then placed it on the map, which once again came to life. Mountains rose up in miniature, rivers gleamed, and tiny trees swayed in the wind. A glowing red line appeared, showing Tom the way to a town that nestled at the edge of the mountains. Right next to the town, near a rocky outcrop, a pair of minuscule golden gauntlets glittered. The next piece of armor! Tom swiveled the compass until the needle pointed toward the town.

  Destiny, it read.

  Tom rolled up the map and gathered his courage.

  “It’s time to fight a giant spider!” he said.

  CHAPTER TWO

  A PARTY

  TIRED AND HUNGRY AFTER A LONG JOURNEY, Tom, Elenna, Storm, and Silver came at last to the town. It was surrounded by gray, forbidding walls, the same color as the mountains that stood behind it.

  To Tom and Elenna’s surprise, throngs of people were moving through the main gates.

  “I wonder what’s happening here today?” Tom said, looking around.

  “Market day, perhaps,” Elenna said.

  The smell of freshly baked bread wafted toward them. Tom’s stomach rumbled. They hadn’t had a good meal for several days, and the thought of food and a soft bed was very appealing.

  They followed the crowds and entered the town. Colored streamers hung merrily from the windows of houses. Flags lined the streets, rippling in the cool mountain breeze. Market traders were selling toys and trinkets, and jugglers performed on street corners. Everywhere Tom and Elenna looked, there was music and laughter. People pushed and jostled, calling out to one another in cheerful voices. The street soon opened into a brightly decorated town square. Wooden tables and benches lined the marketplace, and the smell of hot stew filled the air.

  “Come, friends!” laughed a trader, offering Tom and Elenna shiny candied apples. “Two pennies each. Long live the King!”

  “Of course!” said Elenna. “It’s the King’s birthday. Everyone in Avantia will be celebrating.”

  Tom quickly found a tethering post for Storm. “Hungry, are you?” He laughed at Silver, who had pounced on a chicken drumstick that had been thrown to the ground. “I know how you feel!”

  “Join us, travelers!” called out a jolly-faced man at a nearby table. “There’s plenty for all who call themselves friends of King Hugo!”

  Tom and Elenna settled down on a bench and helped themselves to stew and bread. Silver sat at Elenna’s feet, patiently gnawing his chicken bone.

  The Quest was still on Tom’s mind, but he ate hungrily, watching and listening to the people around him. Although the merriment that filled the town was infectious, he noticed several uneasy faces and wondered if the townspeople were aware that an evil Beast lived so close to them.

  “Do you think they know about the spider?” he asked Elenna, leaning close.

  She shook her head. “Why should they? To most people in Avantia, the Beasts are just myths.”

  After the meal, the tables were cleared away and games began. An archery target was set up on one side of the square, and a children’s coconut shy on the other. The street entertainers were now in the middle of the marketplace, and the townspeople danced while red-faced town musicians played their instruments.

  “Come and try the coconut shy,” Elenna said, dragging Tom from his seat. “Look at the prizes!”

  Lined up on the wooden table beside the coconut shy were a number of small creatures made of clay.

  “It’s Tartok!” Tom gasped, recognizing the famous Beast. The last time he had seen the snow monster had been on the icy plains in the North, where he had freed her from Malvel’s evil curse.

  “See what I mean,” said Elenna. “These people think the Beasts of Avantia are just fairy tales, fit for children’s toys.”

  She seized three balls. Winking at Tom, she let them fly toward the coconuts, one after the other.

  Thump, thump, thump. Three coconuts fell to the ground.

  The crowd cheered.

  “That was brilliant, miss,” said a small boy, watching as Elenna collected three little Tartoks from the stallholder.

  “Thanks,” said Elenna. “Here!” She tossed the boy one of the toys.

  “Thanks!” the boy shouted happily.

  Tom watched as he scampered off, clutching his prize. It had been such a long time since he had been able to play with toys or have fun at a street festival. The Quest had taken over his life.

  “You get an extra prize for knocking off three coconuts, miss,” the stallholder said to Elenna.

  “Do I?” Elenna said, laughing, as she gave away her last two Tartoks to an excited little girl and her brother. “What is it?”

  “A wish,” said the stallholder with a smile. “Anything you fancy. Within reason, of course.”

  “Well, that’s easy,” said Elenna, patting Silver as he frolicked around her feet. “What I wish for is a long sleep on a comfortable mattress.”

  “We’ve been traveling for a long time,” Tom explained. He wondered what he would say if the stallholder asked them where they were going. Their Quest was a secret, after all.<
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  But the man simply nodded. Then a voice came from behind them.

  “I have a spare room in my house.”

  Tom turned to see a tall, thin woman with dark hair. She didn’t return his smile.

  “That would be wonderful,” said Elenna. “Thank you.”

  “I am Dorina,” the woman said. “Please come with me.”

  She turned and walked away, her head down. She didn’t look at the entertainers or musicians as they passed. Tom and Elenna glanced at each other. It was clear that Dorina was in no mood for celebrations. Tom felt a lurch in his stomach. Perhaps this was what he had been looking for — someone who knew that danger lurked.

  “Your town is very welcoming,” Tom said, hurrying to catch up with her. “Have you enjoyed the festivities?”

  Dorina stopped. “I have lost my friend,” she said. “There is nothing for me to celebrate.” Tears filled her eyes. “Etta went into the mountain caves,” she said. “I was there. I watched as she …” Her voice choked.

  “What happened?” Elenna said.

  “She didn’t come back,” Dorina whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes. “She went in search of the crystals that protect us. But there was some kind of earthquake. Rocks fell and blocked the entrance to the caves.”

  Tom’s skin tingled. Was this the Beast’s work?

  “Why do you need protection?” he asked.

  “There is a giant spider living in the high forests,” Dorina sniffed. “I’ve heard he is called Arachnid.” Tom and Elenna shivered. “The blue crystals in the caves are said to protect us. But strange things are happening in our town. Huge webs are spun around the walls in the night, and food is disappearing. Don’t let these festivities fool you. We are all scared. We know that when the food is gone, the spider will come for us — and there is nothing we can do!”

  Daylight was fading. A pale moon peeped out from behind the clouds, then vanished again. The mountains above the town looked vast and dark. Tom stared up at them. He could see the fringes of a great forest on the upper slopes, black and forbidding in the dusk. Somewhere among those distant trees, the Beast was waiting for Tom, guarding the fifth piece of precious golden armor. Tom knew that to protect its prize, Malvel’s evil Beast would give its life.