Vipero the Snake Man Read online

  BEAST QUEST

  BOOK TEN

  VIPERO

  THE SNAKE MAN

  ADAM BLADE

  ILLUSTRATED BY SCOTT DAWSON

  To Adam

  With special thanks to Cherith Baldry

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Dear Reader

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE: FAREWELL TO ERRINEL

  CHAPTER TWO: THIRST

  CHAPTER THREE: THE BARGAIN

  CHAPTER FOUR: INTO THE DESERT

  CHAPTER FIVE: SANDSTORM!

  CHAPTER SIX: THE TRACK OF THE BEAST

  CHAPTER SEVEN: A FIERY ORDEAL

  CHAPTER EIGHT: POISONED FANGS

  CHAPTER NINE: BATTLE AGAINST THE BEAST

  CHAPTER TEN: EPOS

  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 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, which 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 SUN BLAZED DOWN OVER THE DESERT. Sand dunes stretched in all directions as far as the eye could see. There was no shelter from the merciless heat.

  A nomad, wearing long robes the same color as the sand, was stumbling among the dunes. His thin face was burned by the sun and he screwed up his eyes against the glare. His throat was parched and his lips were cracked. “Water,” he muttered. “I must find water.”

  At the foot of a dune he spotted a small plant with dark, thick leaves. Falling to his knees beside it, he tore it up by the roots and crushed the leaves against his mouth, hoping to extract precious drops of water.

  But, with an exclamation of disgust, he tossed the plant aside. The leaves scarcely held enough water to wet his lips.

  He almost wished he had never agreed to take part in this deadly challenge. But if he could succeed in crossing the desert, alone and with no food or water, he would win great honor for his tribe. Yet if he couldn’t find water soon, he would die here, his bones scoured by the sand.

  He rose to his feet and brushed the sand from his robes, determined to set one foot in front of the other. He clambered painfully up to the crest of the next dune.

  When he reached the top, shock and relief made him stagger. In front of him at the bottom of the slope lay a shimmering blue lake. Trees shaded it, their broad leaves swaying gently.

  “I’m saved! I’m saved!” The nomad staggered down the side of the dune, his feet sinking into the loose sand. “My tribe will be the greatest of all….”

  But as he drew closer to the foot of the dune, the shimmering water began to fade and the trees vanished into the glare of the sun. The nomad fell desperately to the ground, grabbing handfuls of sand, which trickled between his fingers. The beautiful lake had been a mirage. There was no water. Shattered by the sudden loss of hope, he buried his face in his hands and began to sob.

  After a while he realized that his sobs were echoing. He looked up and noticed what he had missed before. Rocks emerged from the sand just behind him, and between them was a dark gap, leading back into the dune. A cave!

  The nomad’s hopes revived, he stumbled into the cave, muttering a prayer of thanks for shelter from the burning rays of the sun. He took deep breaths of the cool air, and felt eddies of it swirling around his ankles.

  Then the grasp of the icy breeze tightened and the nomad realized that something was wrapping itself around him. Terror struck like a sudden blow. He tried to run, but the grip on his ankles tightened further and he fell flat on his face. He kicked out frantically, reaching down to wrench at whatever was gripping him, then froze.

  Around his legs were the coils of a snake! But this was no ordinary snake. The tail itself was grotesquely huge, each of its scales bigger than the nomad’s hand, and above it was a human torso, patterned with a raw, angry red and a sickly green. Unlike an ordinary, cold-blooded snake, its body sent out a huge wave of heat.

  The nomad choked in terror as his gaze traveled upward and he saw that the snake had two heads. Its four eyes stared at him, narrowing in sinister hatred, then the heads reared back.

  “No!” the nomad yelled.

  But the two heads swooped down on him and two sets of fangs buried themselves in his neck. He saw nothing more.

  CHAPTER ONE

  FAREWELL TO ERRINEL

  TOM DREW STORM TO A HALT A FEW MILES beyond the village of Errinel. Turning in his saddle, he looked back.

  “I wish we didn’t have to leave,” he said to Elenna, who sat behind him on the magnificent stallion. “It’s the first time I’ve been able to visit my home since I set out on the Beast Quest.”

  “It’s hard,” Elenna agreed sympathetically. “I miss my parents, too.”

  “I don’t know when I’ll see my uncle and aunt again.” Tom knew that until Avantia was safe from the Dark Wizard Malvel, his Quest must come first — even before his family. It was his destiny to defeat the evil Beasts and collect every piece of the magical golden armor, which Malvel had stolen and scattered across the kingdom. He already had three pieces: the helmet, which gave him extra-keen sight; the chain mail, which bestowed strength of heart; and the breastplate, which made him physically strong. They were tucked safely in one of Storm’s saddlebags, ready for when he next needed them.

  It’s a good thing they’re magical, he thought now. They hardly weigh anything at all!

  Fear churned in his stomach as he remembered how, after the defeat of Soltra the Stone Charmer, Malvel had appeared in a vision, warning him there would be a heavy price to pay if he completed this next stage of the Quest. Even so, he was determined to carry on. Malvel had kidnapped their friend and protector, Wizard Aduro, and only by seeing the Quest through to the end could he and Elenna hope to set him free. Aduro himself had told them so.

  “Tom.” Elenna shook his shoulder gently. “We have to go. Another evil Beast is waiting for us.”

  “I know.” Energy flooded through Tom as he pledged himself once more to his Quest. He leaned forward to pat Storm on the neck. “Let’s go, boy.”

  Standing beside the stallion, his ears pricked and his plumy tail waving, Silver the wolf let out an approving howl.

  As Storm began to trot along the road, Tom could smell the pungent scent of herbs Aunt Maria had given him as a parting gift, which were stowed away in his pocket. “I wonder what the herbs are for,” he said to Elenna now.

  “Your aunt told us they cure all sorts of illnesses,” Elenna reminded him. “Let’s hope we don’t need them.”

  “I’m sure they’ll come in useful somehow,” Tom said cheerfully.

  The road led into the hills. Trees covered the slopes and a narrow stream followed the winding of the road. The sun told them they had been traveling for about an hour when they came to a crossroads.

  “Which way?” Tom asked.

  Elenna reached forward to take Wizard Aduro’s enchan
ted map out of Storm’s saddlebag. Unfolding it, she studied it for a moment. “It’s telling us to go south,” she said. “That road will take us to the desert.”

  Tom urged Storm on, while Silver bounded eagerly ahead. “Traveling in the desert will be tough,” he said. “Worse than the jungle, even. The heat might finish us off before we get near the Beast.”

  “That’s true,” Elenna agreed. “Silver!” she called out to the wolf. “Come back here.”

  Silver raced back to her, his tongue lolling.

  “You’re tiring yourself out,” Elenna scolded him. “Just slow down. You need to save your strength if you’re going to cope with the desert.”

  Silver waved his tail as if he understood and loped alongside Storm as they continued south.

  “Does the map show which part of the armor we’re looking for this time?” Tom asked Elenna.

  Elenna held out the map so that Tom could see. Twisting around in the saddle, he saw the glowing red path leading down to the vast expanse of desert in the southernmost part of the kingdom. In the middle of it, two pieces of golden leg armor lay glittering on top of a sand dune.

  There was no sign of Malvel’s Beast, but Tom couldn’t suppress a shiver, thinking of it lurking behind a dune, ready to strike. What hideous shape would this new Beast take?

  “It’s a long way,” Elenna said.

  “The horseshoe fragment from Tagus will help.” Tom glanced down at his shield to see the magical token he had won when he released Tagus the Night Horse from Malvel’s evil spell. It gave them extra speed. With its help, they traveled quickly, and it wasn’t yet midday when the road led down through the hills and out onto a plain. There were no streams or pools here, and the grass was parched and brown.

  Tom felt the heat of the sun beating on his shoulders. His mouth was dry. Storm’s head was drooping and Silver’s tail trailed on the dusty ground.

  “We shouldn’t take Storm and Silver into the desert with us,” Tom said to Elenna. “The heat will be worse there.”

  Elenna hesitated. “That’s true; they’ll find it hard to cope. But we can’t just leave them!”

  “I know. We’ll have to find someone to look after them.”

  Storm shook his head and let out a whinny of protest while Silver raised his muzzle to the sky in a loud howl.

  Tom had to smile in spite of his worry. “They don’t want to stay behind.”

  “No, but you’re right, Tom.” Elenna sounded sad but determined. “We’ll look for a safe place for them before we get to the desert.”

  Dust stung Tom’s eyes as he peered ahead. They were drawing near to the edge of the desert; on the horizon the sky shimmered with heat. Then he spotted something rising up out of the plain. At first he thought it was an outcrop of rocks. Then he realized that its edges were too straight to be natural. He drew the golden helmet out of the saddlebag and put it on. As he did so, everything became clearer and he realized he was looking at a huddle of houses.

  “Look! There’s a town,” he said to Elenna, pointing.

  Elenna let out a sigh. “Shelter at last! I’ve never been so hot in my whole life.”

  Tom closed his eyes briefly, dreaming of shade and a long drink of cool water. “Let’s head for it. Maybe the people there can help us.” Carefully he took off the helmet and put it back in the saddlebag.

  “They might even look after Storm and Silver,” Elenna suggested.

  “And maybe they can tell us something about the Beast,” Tom added quietly as he turned Storm’s head toward the distant buildings.

  CHAPTER TWO

  THIRST

  STORM’s HOOVES ECHOED ON THE COBBLES AS Tom and Elenna rode into the little town. A hot breeze whirled sand down the street. The buildings were made from blocks of reddish stone, as if the town had grown up out of the desert. Every door was closed and the shutters were fastened across the windows.

  The street came to an end in a deserted marketplace. Tattered canvas awnings flapped on the abandoned stalls. A few dried cabbage leaves were blowing about in the breeze.

  Even in the heat, Tom felt a chill of apprehension. Something wasn’t right….

  “The whole town’s deserted,” Elenna said, gripping Tom’s waist. “Where is everybody?”

  “I don’t know.” Tom turned in the saddle to take in all the houses that surrounded the square. “Do you think Malvel’s Beast could have driven everyone away?”

  He climbed off Storm, his limbs stiff and aching from the long ride. Elenna slid down after him. “We ought to look for water,” she said. “Storm and Silver need to drink, and we’ll have to take water into the desert with us.”

  Tom pointed to a stone trough at one side of the marketplace. It was shaded by a gnarled, leafless tree. “That must be where the townspeople water their animals.”

  He led Storm over. Silver trotted ahead and let out a disappointed whine as he looked over the edge of the trough. It was completely dry. The sides were furred with green and there were a few scraps of trash in the bottom.

  “There’s no water at all!” Elenna said.

  Before Tom could reply he heard the sound of a door opening. A voice called, “Hey! You there!”

  Tom turned. A woman was poking her head out of an open door. She wore a loose brown robe and a brown cloth wound around her head, so he could only see her eyes and nose.

  “Are you mad, standing out there in the heat?” she asked. “It’ll kill you if you don’t get inside.” She held the door open wider and beckoned. “Come on.”

  Tom led Storm into the little shade cast by the tree, and looped his reins around a branch. Silver slipped underneath the stallion’s body and collapsed on the ground, his jaws gaping as he panted.

  Elenna bent down to pat his head. “We won’t be long, boy,” she promised.

  Tom and Elenna approached the woman in the doorway.

  “Do you know where we can get water?” Tom asked her.

  The woman stared at him. “Water? There isn’t any water. The heat has dried up all our wells.” “But that’s impossible!” Elenna exclaimed. “I wish it were,” the woman said. “But even here, on the edge of the desert, we’ve never known heat like this.”

  Malvel! Tom knew it. This had to be the work of the evil wizard.

  “Are you coming in or not?” the woman asked. “I can’t bear to see the two of you suffering in the heat.”

  She stood back to let Tom and Elenna into the cool shade of the house.

  Inside, window shutters kept out most of the light and heat. Tom drew a deep breath of relief that they were protected from the glaring rays of the sun.

  The woman led them through another door and into a small room. In the dim light, Tom made out four or five people lying on the ground. They seemed exhausted by the heat, and hardly looked up as Tom and Elenna went in. Only one raised a hand in greeting.

  A boy was lying on a mattress at the far side of the room. He kept tossing and turning and letting out low moans of pain. His face was flushed with fever. Elenna crossed the room and stooped down beside him to lay a hand on his forehead.

  On the ground in the middle of the group was a shallow bowl of water. A man got up, dipped a scrap of linen into the bowl, then put the scrap to his lips to suck the water out of it. Tom exchanged a glance with Elenna as she returned to his side. These people must be desperate if this was the only way they could make their water last.

  “We’ve got to do something to help,” Elenna murmured.

  Tom knew his friend was right. But first, he had to ask a favor.

  He put a hand on the woman’s arm and drew her to one side. “My friend and I have to go into the desert,” he explained quietly. “Can’t you spare us any water?” He felt guilty for asking when these people had so little. But the only way to help them was to seek out Malvel’s evil Beast and defeat it, although Tom knew he couldn’t tell anyone here about his Quest.

  The woman’s expression hardened. “Do we look as if we have spare water to
hand out to strangers?” she asked sharply. “I’m sorry, but I have to put my own family first.”

  “But we must —” Elenna began.

  “My advice to you is to go home,” the woman interrupted.

  “We can’t do that,” Tom said.

  Their raised voices had attracted the attention of the other people in the room. They struggled to their feet. Suddenly, Tom was surrounded by men and women with angry faces and accusing eyes. One of the men curled his hands into clenched fists.

  They don’t understand, Tom thought. And I can’t explain. What am I going to do?

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE BARGAIN

  ELENNA ELBOWED HER WAY THROUGH THE group and stood beside Tom, her head raised defiantly.

  Tom searched desperately for the right words. He needed to calm the townspeople and convince them to let him have some water. But how could he do that when they needed water for themselves so desperately?

  The sick boy was still tossing on his mattress, muttering in his fever.

  “I know!” Elenna exclaimed suddenly. Turning to the woman who had let them in, she asked, “How would you like to trade?”

  Instantly, Tom realized what Elenna meant. Aunt Maria’s herbs! “Yes, we don’t expect you to give us water for nothing,” he added hastily.

  “What have you got to trade?” the woman asked.

  “We can help him,” Tom explained, gesturing toward the sick boy. “We have herbs that will cure his fever. Will you give us a skin of water in exchange?”

  “I’ll give you everything I have if you can do that,” the woman replied. Her voice shook as she added, “He’s my son.”

  The people crowding around Tom and Elenna began to relax, though they still muttered doubtfully to one another.

  Elenna pushed past them and went to kneel beside the boy. “Fetch me some hot water, please,” she said, “and a mortar and pestle.”