Nixa the Death Bringer Read online

  His father nodded. The picture on the screen blurred and formed again. Now Tom saw the Ghost Panther hovering over the crest of the hill while Taladon, still wearing the golden armor, slashed his sword at his outstretched claws and ducked to avoid the Beast’s snapping fangs. For the first time, Tom noticed that his father wore a silver disk on a chain around his neck. There was a circle of bright blue in the center of the disk.

  The sky was split by a bolt of black lightning. It struck Taladon in the chest and he staggered back as the silver amulet shattered into pieces and spun away in glittering fragments.

  Tom choked back a cry when he saw Stealth swooping down on his father. But the Beast’s swiping paws passed straight through Taladon’s body.

  “The lightning made you a ghost!” Tom exclaimed.

  “It was Malvel’s lightning,” Taladon replied. “The Dark Wizard knew the Beast could not kill me, so he changed his plan. After I was struck by the lightning, I was a prisoner of Malvel’s magic for a long time. Longer than I care to recall.”

  The magic screen showed Tom and Elenna a sphere of surging gray cloud, shot through with flashes of glittering black. Taladon, without his armor now, floated helplessly in the middle of it.

  “What happened then?” Elenna asked.

  Taladon gestured at the screen and the cloudy ball faded. His body drifted to the ground; he seemed to be in the middle of a flat plain under a threatening purple sky.

  “That’s Gorgonia!” Elenna said, glancing at Tom.

  Taladon nodded. “Suddenly, I was free. I started to walk across the plain, until I saw a shimmering archway leading into Avantia. I was able to escape Gorgonia and come back here, and I still don’t know why.”

  Aduro, who had been standing by the king’s throne as he listened to the story, strode forward again and thumped his staff on the floor. “That was the moment when Tom defeated Malvel for the third time,” he explained. “And any magic, good or evil, grows weak if it has been repelled three times. Your son freed you, Taladon.”

  Taladon’s gaze rested on Tom, his eyes warm with gratitude. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

  Tom’s heart swelled with pride, but a moment later his anger surged back. He clenched his fists. “I’ll make Malvel pay for what he’s done to you!”

  Looking puzzled, Taladon turned to Wizard Aduro. “I still don’t understand what Malvel has done to me. Why am I a ghost?”

  “And is he going to stay like this forever?” Elenna added anxiously.

  “The black lightning must have robbed you of your powers and trapped you between the worlds,” Aduro said thoughtfully. “But if the pieces of the amulet can be found and put back together, you will become the man you once were.”

  Tom and Elenna both leaped to their feet. “Then we have to find the pieces!” Tom exclaimed.

  Wizard Aduro looked from Tom to Elenna and back again, a faint smile on his face. “You both have great courage,” he said, “but it’s not that simple. The amulet was broken into six pieces, and each is now guarded by a Ghost Beast. You can only restore your father if you defeat all the Beasts and put the amulet together again as one. Remember, the Beasts will do everything in their power to keep the pieces from you, and may hide them if they have to. This Quest will be your biggest test yet.”

  Tom’s stomach lurched as he thought of the two deadly Beasts he had seen on the magic screen, and remembered the others that Taladon had named. Even with his magical powers, could he hope to defeat all the evil creatures?

  But Tom didn’t hesitate. Saving Taladon was more important than anything. He hadn’t waited so long for his father to return only to have him still so far away.

  “This will be our next Quest,” he said firmly. Wizard Aduro and King Hugo exchanged a smile.

  Elenna stood at Tom’s shoulder, her eyes bright with determination. “Just tell us where we have to go,” she said.

  “Very well.” Wizard Aduro inclined his head.

  “Avantia’s two champions will leave first thing tomorrow morning.

  Tom’s whole body tingled with excitement. Taladon was back — in a way — and Tom had a new Quest.

  This one will earn me the greatest prize I’ve ever won, he thought. My father will be restored.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  BRUSH WITH HOME

  LEADING STORM BY THE REINS, TOM WALKED across the training courtyard on his way out of the palace. His sword hung from the jeweled belt around his waist, and his shield was fastened onto Storm’s saddle. The stallion’s hooves rang out in a rapid pace on the paving stones.

  “I think Storm’s as anxious to set out on our new Quest as we are,” Tom remarked.

  Storm blew noisily through his nose as if he were agreeing.

  Silver, the gray wolf, was padding along beside Elenna. He waved his tail enthusiastically.

  “You’re ready, too, aren’t you, boy?” Elenna asked, giving him a pat on the head. “You’ll help us defeat the Ghost Beasts.”

  “Pick your feet up there!” Captain Harkman’s shout made Tom look around. “Call yourselves soldiers?”

  The young cadets Tom had trained with were jogging around and around the courtyard with packs on their backs. All of them were stumbling with exhaustion, their faces streaming with sweat.

  “That makes me feel bad,” Tom muttered guiltily. “I’m supposed to be with them.”

  “Not anymore,” Elenna said with a grin.

  Tom headed for the gates.

  “Hey, you! Stop!” Captain Harkman strode across the courtyard, waving his riding whip. His face was red and his ginger mustache bristled. “Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you report for training this morning?”

  “I’m on important business for the king,” Tom explained.

  The captain snorted. “Don’t lie to me. Do you think I was born yesterday? Go and get your uniform on now, or you’ll be sweeping out the barracks for the next week!”

  Tom hid a smile. Digging into his pocket, he brought out the scroll King Hugo had given him the night before. He held it out to Captain Harkman. “Perhaps this will explain, sir,” he said politely.

  As the captain unfastened the scroll, Tom exchanged a glance with Elenna.

  The captain’s gaze traveled swiftly over the scroll. His eyes bulged and his face grew redder than ever. “Official business … freedom of the realm … King Hugo’s seal,” he spluttered.

  With a final snort he shoved the scroll back into Tom’s hands and returned to the group of cadets, who were taking the chance to have a well-earned rest. Most of them were trying hard to suppress laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” Captain Harkman roared. “Get a move on! Ten times around the courtyard, and I want to see you run!”

  Tom and Elenna carried on toward the palace gates. Tom felt his spirits rising. There would be no more training with Captain Harkman. He was at the start of another Beast Quest. There would be challenges ahead of him, but he would do all he could to find the pieces of the amulet and bring Taladon back into the real world.

  While there’s blood in my veins, he thought, I’ll save my father!

  “Which way do we go?” Elenna asked. She and Tom were both riding on Storm, with Silver bounding alongside. The city walls lay behind them and the road they were on led through rolling green hills. “I’d never heard of the Forbidden Land until yesterday.”

  “I had,” Tom said, drawing Storm to a halt. “But I’m not sure where it is. That’s why Wizard Aduro gave us the map.” He stretched out one hand. “Map!” he called commandingly.

  A grin spread over Tom’s face as a patch of shimmering silver appeared, bobbing in the air in front of him. He almost felt like Wizard Aduro, able to call things up out of thin air. The silver patch was a little like the magic screen Aduro had conjured the day before to show them the story of Taladon. When Tom reached out to touch it, his fingers went right through it.

  “I suppose it makes sense,” he murmured. “A map for find
ing Ghost Beasts would have to be ghostly.”

  Lines began to appear on the glimmering surface of the map, showing the familiar outline of Avantia with its hills and rivers, roads and towns. But in the south and east of the kingdom, a new stretch of land revealed itself. Letters scrolled out across it: The Forbidden Land.

  “There!” Elenna exclaimed, peering over Tom’s shoulder. “That’s where we’ve got to get to.”

  Tom watched as more letters appeared inside the Forbidden Land. They were small and cramped and he had to peer closely at the map to make them out.

  “The Dead Valley of Avantia,” he said, suppressing a shiver. “That must be where we’ll find the first Ghost Beast.”

  Tom and Elenna rode Storm swiftly through the hills of Avantia, bypassing villages and crossing rivers. The sun shone, and a brisk breeze was blowing.

  As the sun began to go down, Tom slowed to a normal speed again. “Well done, boy,” he said to Storm, leaning forward to pat the stallion’s glossy black neck. “We’ve come a long way today.”

  “I know where we are!” Elenna cried, pointing due south to where Tom could just make out smoke rising from the huddled rooftops of a village. “Isn’t that Errinel?”

  Tom nodded. He hadn’t meant to pass so close to his home, but it lay near the most direct route to the Forbidden Land. He couldn’t resist using the special sight from his golden helmet, so that he could see it more clearly. He felt as if he were a bird, flying just above the main street until he came to the forge where his uncle and aunt lived. He saw his aunt Maria come out of the house with a basket on her arm, and hurry down the street toward the local market. Through the open door of the forge, Tom could see his uncle Henry beating out metal with a hammer.

  “Do you want to visit?” Elenna asked. “We could spend the night with your aunt and uncle.”

  For a moment Tom was tempted. His home looked so welcoming; they could sleep in a real bed, and eat one of Aunt Maria’s delicious suppers. Best of all, he would see his family again.

  “No,” he sighed at last. “They would ask too many questions. It’s best not to get distracted when we’re on a Beast Quest. And how would I explain that Father is back — as a ghost?”

  Tugging on the reins, he urged Storm along the road, with his back to Errinel and his face set toward the Forbidden Land.

  Out there, a Ghost Beast was waiting for him.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  DOUBLE TAKE

  THE ROAD TRAVELED IN A LONG LOOP AROUND Errinel, then rose in a gradual slope to a gap between two hills. The land beyond the ridge fell away more steeply, with patches of dense woodland on either side of the road.

  “We ought to make camp soon,” Elenna suggested. “I can catch us something for supper.”

  “Good idea,” Tom replied. “You should be able to find something among the trees over there.” He pointed to the nearest woods.

  Elenna slid down off Storm’s back, unfastened her bow and arrows from his saddle, and jogged off toward the woods, quickly disappearing among the trees.

  “I’ll find some grass for Storm to eat!” Tom called after her.

  Elenna vanished into the thicket.

  Tom got down from Storm and led him along the road. As he passed the woods, he noticed several rabbits feeding. When they heard Storm’s hooves they sprang up and bounded into the undergrowth.

  “Elenna’s sure to catch us a good supper,” Tom said to Silver.

  The gray wolf let out a yelp of agreement and dashed off to catch his own food.

  Tom continued down the road until he reached a spot where a spring welled up out of the ground between two jutting rocks. Lush grass grew all around the pool.

  “There you go, boy,” Tom said as he unsaddled the black stallion and let him wander off to graze.

  Tom splashed his face with water from the spring, and took a long drink from his cupped hands. He was resting and watching Storm chomp the grass when he heard footsteps behind him.

  Tom turned to see Elenna striding down the road toward him. She still carried her bow, with her quiver of arrows slung over one shoulder, but Tom couldn’t see any rabbits. Her mouth was set in a grim line and she was pale.

  Tom sprang to his feet. “What’s the matter? Where’s our supper?”

  Elenna threw her bow and arrows down beside the pool. “I couldn’t find anything,” she replied. “Not even a rabbit.”

  “But I saw —” Tom broke off. The look on Elenna’s face stopped him. Something had obviously happened to make her unhappy, and he didn’t want to upset her any more.

  “We ought to keep moving,” Elenna snapped.

  “All right.” Tom’s stomach was grumbling with hunger, and the sun was already low on the horizon, casting long shadows from the nearby woods across their path. They wouldn’t be able to travel much farther before it was dark. But he knew Elenna must have a good reason for wanting to keep going.

  She’ll talk to me when she’s ready, Tom thought. But he couldn’t ignore the prickle of unease that traveled up his spine.

  “Silver went into the woods,” Tom said as he picked up Storm’s saddle. “He’ll come if you call.”

  Elenna shrugged. “He’ll catch up to us.”

  Tom gave his friend an uneasy look. It wasn’t like her not to care whether her animal friend was with her or not. “Right. Let’s head for the Dead Valley,” he said.

  He saddled Storm and led him along the path. Elenna retrieved her bow and arrows and walked beside them. Before they had gone very far, she asked, “Do you know anything about the Forbidden Land? It sounds really frightening.”

  Tom felt a stab of surprise. Elenna hardly ever admitted to being afraid of anything! “Uncle Henry used to tell me and my friends about it, in Errinel,” he began, casting another glance at Elenna. “No one from Avantia is supposed to go there anymore. The legends say it used to be beautiful and prosperous, but then the evil Beasts made it their home.”

  Elenna shivered. “I don’t think I want to go there!”

  Tom could hardly believe she’d said that! “Uncle Henry said that something evil had brought the touch of death to it,” he went on. “Now it’s walled off from the rest of Avantia. We’ll have to —”

  “Tom! Tom!”

  A familiar voice behind him froze Tom in his tracks. He turned, his heart almost stopping as he saw Elenna racing down the path toward him!

  But Elenna’s right beside me! Tom whirled back to glance at his friend, who had stopped when he did and turned to look back. There are two of them!

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE SOUND OF EVIL

  TOM GRIPPED HIS SWORD AND DREW IT OUT of its sheath. Now he remembered what Wizard Aduro had told him: The Ghost Beast Nixa was a shape-shifter! She could appear in any form she wanted to.

  I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid! Elenna isn’t scared of Quests … and she never fails at hunting. And she would never leave Silver behind!

  “You’re not Elenna!” he shouted at the figure by his side. His hand trembled as he struggled to aim his sword at someone who looked like his friend. “You’re Nixa the Death Bringer!”

  “No!” The Elenna beside him stepped back, raising her hands to protect herself. Her eyes were wide with terror and her face twisted in an ugly grimace. “You’ve got it wrong, Tom! I’m the real one…. She’s Nixa!”

  “Tom!” the other Elenna called out, pounding even faster down the path to reach them. “Defeat her now! She’s Nixa!”

  Tom looked from one to the other, his sword stretched out in front of him. His hand shook with the agony of deciding. He had to confront the Beast, but he couldn’t risk hurting Elenna, not if there was even the slightest doubt as to who was the real one.

  “I can’t be sure….” he whispered.

  The Elenna at Tom’s side stepped forward and grabbed the other Elenna as she reached them. She whirled her around until Tom wasn’t sure who was who anymore. They were both dressed in the same clothes, with the same untidy hai
r, and the same smudge of dirt across their foreheads. They carried the same bows and arrows.

  I don’t know! screamed a voice inside Tom’s head.

  Tom heard furious yelps coming from the direction of the woods. Silver was charging across the grass, his strong legs pumping. Reaching the road, he hurled himself at the Elenna nearest Tom, all the hairs on his back bristling with anger.

  “Clever boy!” Tom exclaimed. “The Ghost Beast can’t fool you!”

  The fake Elenna staggered back as Silver crashed into her. “Get off, you flea-bitten animal!” she cried.

  Her shape flickered and changed into the form of the beautiful woman in scarlet silks that Tom had seen on Aduro’s magical screen. Silver passed right through her and landed on the path beyond with a whimper of sheer astonishment.

  Gripping his sword, Tom faced Nixa. She had two ways to attack, he realized. When she was flesh and blood, she was strong but could be injured, but in this ghost form, no one could touch her.

  But I have to try, he thought.

  Tom swung his sword wildly — too wildly. The tip caught on a boulder, dragging across the surface of the stone with a harsh, grating sound.

  A deep shudder passed through Nixa. Her face set into a grimace of fear and loathing. Tom stared as slime broke out all over her body, her eyes multiplied, and she became the tentacled monster that had attacked his father.

  Silver crouched beside her, growling, while Storm let out a startled whinny and backed away rapidly.

  Nixa shrank back, then turned and fled down the road.

  “What’s happening?” Elenna asked, coming to stand beside Tom. “What’s the matter with her?”

  “It was the sound,” Tom replied, watching the space where Nixa had been. “She hated the sound my sword made on the rock. Now I know how to defeat her!”

  A blue light shone out behind him, casting his and Elenna’s shadows ahead of them.

  Tom whirled round. A man stood in the shimmering light: his father, Taladon. He still looked weak and ghostly.