Equinus the Spirit Horse Page 2

  Tom leaped to his feet. He knew he had to act quickly. This was his chance to plunge his sword deep into the black heart of the Beast. He sized up his enemy. Equinus was tall, so Tom got ready to use the magic jumping ability that would allow him to leap up and strike. He crouched, ready to spring, waiting to feel the surge of strength that usually coursed through his legs. Nothing happened! He tried again. Still nothing.

  Equinus still had his eyes fixed on Elenna, Storm, and Silver. His thin lips parted in a horrible snarl and he let out a sharp cry of evil laughter. He reared up and began to gallop toward Tom’s friends.

  “No!” Tom yelled at the top of his voice. Fury surged through his veins. He was not going to let his friends be hurt — or worse. Tom started to run.

  Elenna fired off more arrows, but Equinus would not be halted. Instead he changed his direction slightly and charged straight toward Storm. The stallion seemed transfixed with terror and did not move.

  Tom ran even faster. Equinus reared up and Tom could see that the Beast was about to crush poor Storm. Elenna gave a shriek of fear as she joined Tom in the desperate dash toward the stallion. But they were too late. Equinus gave a cruel cry of mocking laughter as he crashed down on top of Storm.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  TOM’S CHOICE

  “STORM!” SHOUTED TOM, HIS VOICE HOARSE.

  Suddenly, he saw the Beast flicker and change into his ghostly form, and instead of crushing Storm, he charged straight through him. The air around the horse and Beast shuddered, giving off a harsh silver light. Tom felt the force of it pushing him backward. Silver bowed his head and Elenna held up her hands to shield herself from the blazing light. Tom saw Storm drop to his knees.

  Equinus now veered around. Tom saw that his evil black heart had swelled in his chest and pounded more strongly than before. The Beast gave a shriek of triumph, and every angle on his mocking skeletal face stood out sharp and cruel. Then he galloped off toward the forest, churning the dust around him as he went. In an instant, he had vanished.

  Tom stared at Storm. He could see that his friend was taking in deep, shuddering breaths. He was still alive! Tom raced over to him, Elenna close behind. But even before Tom reached Storm he knew that something was wrong. The stallion was making no effort to stand up. Tom took the horse’s bridle and helped him to his feet. He stroked him soothingly, but Storm stood silent and seemed unable to take a step forward. Even when Tom flung his arms around Storm’s neck, the black stallion made no sign that he recognized his friend.

  “Storm, it’s me,” whispered Tom, stroking the horse’s neck. “It’s okay. The Beast has gone. You’re safe.”

  “I think something’s happened to him, Tom.” Elenna looked distressed. “His eyes are … strange.”

  Tom gazed deep into Storm’s brown eyes. “They’re dead!” he said with a gasp. “It’s like looking at a stone carving. Oh, Storm, I’ve failed you. What has Equinus done?”

  Elenna buried her face in Storm’s mane. Silver whined at her feet.

  “I think I can explain,” came a voice.

  Tom and Elenna whirled around at the sound. A soft golden glow filled the air and a vision of Taladon appeared. He stared gravely at them and then looked at Storm, who was still gazing sightlessly into the distance.

  “Tell me quickly!” demanded Tom. “What’s happened to my friend?”

  Taladon bowed his head in sorrow. “Equinus does not kill. He does something even more evil. He feeds on the spirits of other creatures and leaves them to a dismal, cheerless life forever after. He has taken Storm’s spirit. I am so sorry. I did not think this would happen.”

  Tom remembered how Equinus’s heart had grown larger after his attack on Storm. Now he understood. It had swelled thanks to Storm’s stolen life force. Suddenly, he was full of rage — and not just against Equinus. His insides were alive with anger against his father, too. “If you knew all about this, why didn’t you tell me it could happen?” he shouted at him, fists clenched. “I would never have let my friends be exposed to such danger.”

  “You are right, my son,” said Taladon quietly. “I knew about the power of Equinus and I should have warned you.”

  “Then you have done a terrible thing!” Tom almost choked on the words.

  Elenna took his arm. “Don’t, Tom,” she pleaded. “I’m sure Taladon can explain.”

  “I hope so, Elenna,” Tom’s father said in the same quiet tone. “You see, I was convinced that you’d be able to use one of your many powers to overcome Equinus, but I was wrong to think that. I was wrong to expect that.”

  Tom stared hard at his father. “What do you mean?”

  “It weakens me each time I appear to you like this. But I must show you something.” Taladon held out his hand and made a movement in the air. A vision immediately materialized in front of Tom and Elenna. Tom started in surprise. There before them was an image of the rearing Equinus. Silver gave a low growl and stood in front of Elenna as if to protect her.

  “Look carefully,” Taladon told Tom. “This will help you understand.”

  As he spoke, Tom himself appeared in the vision. Now Tom realized what his father was showing him. It was the struggle he had just had with Equinus. He saw himself brandishing his sword and trying to leap at the Beast’s black heart. It filled him with horror to relive the terrible moment: to see himself crouched and ready for the giant leap — and then find that he was unable to do so. A feeling of utter helplessness flooded over him again as, in the vision, he saw Equinus charge at Storm and pass through him.

  Taladon raised a hand and the vision was gone. Elenna had tears running down her face. She wiped them away, as if she didn’t want Tom to see. Tom swallowed down his own grief for the noble stallion who was lost to him forever. What good were his Quests without Storm by his side?

  “I failed,” said Tom brokenly. “Why are you reminding me of it?”

  Taladon shook his head. “It was not your failure, my son,” he said, looking kindly at him. “Something happened that you could not overcome.”

  Tom shot a questioning glance at his father.

  “Let me explain,” Taladon went on. “You took on the task of finding the six pieces of my amulet — and I cannot tell you how proud I am that you were brave enough to accept the challenge. But I would not have let you set out if I had known the true price of your Quest.” He paused for a moment. “You see, with each piece of the amulet that you recover, one of the magic powers granted by the golden armor will return to its true master … me. Your armor was once mine, and its powers are returning my strength.”

  “That’s why you couldn’t leap!” exclaimed Elenna. “The moment we defeated Nixa and won back the first piece of your father’s amulet, the power from your golden boots must have returned to Taladon.”

  Tom’s father nodded. “Now, son, I need to ask you a question, and I want you to think very seriously before you answer it.” He looked intently at Tom. “I would not for the world put you and your companions in more peril. And there will surely be danger ahead of you. Do you wish to continue with this Quest?”

  Tom looked deep into his father’s eyes. If he gave up now, Taladon would be a ghost forever. If he was to become flesh and blood again, the six pieces of the amulet must be recovered. And only Tom could do that. He raised his sword high in the air. “While there is blood in my veins I will complete my Quest!”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  TIME IS RUNNING OUT

  “I KNEW YOU WOULD NOT GIVE UP, TOM,” said Taladon with a smile.

  As he spoke, the air around him seemed to glow brightly, sending its warmth deep into Tom’s heart. His father was proud of him, and that was enough. But then a stab of pain shot through him as he remembered Storm, who was now nothing but an empty shell and refused to move. Tom would have no choice but to leave his poor horse while he completed his Quest.

  As if he knew what Tom was thinking, Taladon spoke briskly. “There’s no time to lose, but there is something I must show you
first. Look at your compass.”

  Puzzled, Tom flicked open the compass lid.

  Taladon smiled. “Your compass has a hidden secret.”

  Tom stared at the instrument’s bobbing needle. What secret could it possibly have?

  “Run your finger around the outside of the case,” Taladon told him. “There is a concealed button. Can you feel it?”

  Tom did as his father asked. At first he could feel only the cold, smooth brass under his fingers. But then his finger felt a tiny raised circle that he had not noticed before. He pressed it, and the face of the compass immediately flicked open.

  “What’s inside?” Elenna was looking eagerly over Tom’s shoulder.

  “It’s a sort of clock!” gasped Tom. He stared at the little face with its finely painted numbers around the rim. The clock had a single hand in the shape of a delicate golden arrow. The pointed head was slowly inching its way around.

  “It’s been hidden away all this time and we never knew!” exclaimed Elenna. “It doesn’t seem to tell the time, though.” She looked at Taladon questioningly.

  “Not in the usual way,” agreed Taladon. “But it tells you something much more important. This golden hand starts at the top of the clock at twelve, and travels around once. It tells you when time is running out to complete a Quest or to right a wrong.”

  “It’s already well on its way around!” cried Tom.

  “Yes, the hand began to move the moment that Equinus took away Storm’s spirit.” Taladon’s voice was growing fainter now and his image was fading. “But as you can see, there is still time to save your friend.”

  “But how?” Tom asked desperately. He wanted to hold on to his father and keep his ghostly image with him, but he knew it was impossible.

  “You must defeat Equinus before the hand reaches twelve again.” Taladon’s voice was a distant whisper now. “If you do this, Storm will get his spirit back. If you fail, he will be lifeless forever.”

  Tom looked at Elenna with sudden hope. Elenna’s eyes were gleaming, and Tom knew she had the same thought he did.

  “We’re going to save Storm!” he whispered.

  “We just need to find a way to defeat that horrible Beast,” answered Elenna.

  “We’ve never failed before,” declared Tom. “And we won’t this time. But we need help.”

  He whirled around to his father. But the vision was gone. Tom and Elenna were alone.

  Elenna took Tom by the shoulders. “You can do this!” she urged him. “For your father — and for Storm.”

  Tom nodded gravely. “Storm must stay here,” he said firmly. “He can’t defend himself without his life force. If he comes with us, he’ll be in terrible danger.”

  He gathered Storm’s reins to tie to a nearby oak tree. Its bark was pale and its leaves thin and papery. As Tom tossed the reins over a low branch, acorns tumbled around him and crumbled to dust. Elenna came to his side, with Silver at her heels.

  “I’ll leave Silver to guard him.” She bent down and patted the wolf’s thick coat. “You must stay here and look after Storm,” she told him. “We will be back as soon as we can.”

  Silver seemed to understand. He gave the stallion a friendly nudge and then took a bold stance next to him.

  “He won’t let us down.” Elenna smiled.

  Silver gave Elenna’s hand an eager lick, but Storm stood motionless as the two friends said good-bye to him. Tom wrenched his gaze away from his horse and turned resolutely toward the dreaded forest.

  As they headed for the trees, Tom couldn’t help but conjure up in his mind the image of the hidden clock. How far has the hand gone around? He wanted to keep checking but knew he must concentrate on the task at hand — and not waste time worrying.

  Suddenly, Elenna stopped in her tracks. “Tom!” she cried. “Those trees ahead don’t look like they are part of an ordinary forest. It’s a rain forest.”

  Tom halted as well. He had been so busy worrying about Storm that he hadn’t paid attention to the changing environment. He took in the dense tangle of huge leaves and creepers.

  “Well, that’s the way Equinus went, so that’s the way we’re going,” he declared.

  They strode boldly into the jungle. The trees were close together, their thick branches stretching toward the sky as if they were fighting for the light. The trunks were suffocated with vines and ivy. Everything was parched and gray.

  “We’ve never seen a jungle quite like this,” Elenna said, reaching out to push aside a creeper. It turned to powder at her touch. “It’s all dead,” she said, coughing in the dusty air. “Just like the rest of the Forbidden Land.”

  Tom strode into the tangle, crushing the knee-high undergrowth as he went. His shoulder brushed against a massive tree trunk and bark peeled away.

  “Ugh!” exclaimed Elenna, following in his wake as they drove deeper into the jungle. “This ash is clinging to my legs. It’s horrible!”

  “The air is thick with it,” agreed Tom. “It’s hard to even breathe. I just hope this is the right path.”

  As if in answer, Tom’s ghostly map appeared in front of them, glowing in the half-light that filtered through the dense foliage. There on the map was the rain forest, and deep within the trees was a tiny image of Equinus with a path leading straight to him.

  “Looks as if we’ve just got to keep going,” said Elenna grimly, as the map faded. “It won’t be long before we find him — or he finds us… .”

  “I hope he does seek us out. The sooner we find him, the sooner we can defeat him,” said Tom. “We need to save Storm.”

  “We’ll save him. Equinus doesn’t stand a chance against the both of us,” declared Elenna.

  Tom threw her a look of gratitude. Elenna’s friendship was the best gift he had. He struck out again through the undergrowth, with Elenna a few steps behind. But he had not gone far when he heard Elenna cry out.

  “Get off!” she screamed.

  Tom swung around, his sword drawn, expecting to see Equinus. Instead, he saw Elenna standing by a fallen log. It looked as if she was covered in a sea of whitish, moving slime that started at her ankles and was working its way up her body. She was slapping wildly at her clothes.

  What’s going on? Tom thought. He was about to leap to her aid when he felt a creepy sensation crawling up his legs.

  He looked down to see a seething mass of huge, writhing maggots!

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE EVIL WIND

  TOM THRASHED ABOUT, BRUSHING THE HORRID, squirming creatures off his clothes and skin. The maggots were a putrid, sickly white color and each was as big as a clenched fist. They had hungry-looking mouths.

  “They’re disgusting!” Elenna said, pulling at her tunic and shaking it. Some maggots fell off, but more were already crawling up from the dusty undergrowth.

  “At least something is alive in this dreadful place,” Tom said grimly. He quickly ran through his magical abilities in his head, but couldn’t think of anything that would help get rid of the slimy creepy-crawlies. “We’ll just have to keep moving. That way, no more will be able to climb onto us.”

  “Then let’s go!” insisted Elenna with a shudder. “And fast. Before they decide that we might be worth eating.”

  They rushed through the knee-high dust, scattering the clinging maggots as they went. All the time, Tom looked this way and that for signs of Equinus.

  “It doesn’t make sense,” said Tom, as they pushed through the decaying giant leaves and creepers of the jungle. “Why would Equinus choose to live here? Horses don’t belong in jungles — even a Ghost Beast who is part horse and part man!”

  “I don’t know,” Elenna said. “But the map led us here. We have to keep going and look out for any clues that lead us to Equinus and the amulet. And quickly.”

  Tom understood her urgency. Time was running out for Storm. He stared all around them. “Hey, wait a minute!” They were standing by a tall tree that was so high the top was lost in the jungle canopy. Tom pointed at
its trunk. “Look at this!” he cried. There were deep, crescent-shaped grooves high in the crumbling bark. “These marks were made by hooves. I’m sure of it.” He stretched up, but couldn’t reach them. “They’re too far above the ground to have been made by an ordinary horse.”

  “Equinus!” said Elenna excitedly. “It must have been. He’s big enough to reach that high. But why would he have been kicking at this tree?” Her brow creased with concentration; then her eyes lit up. “Tom, remember what Aduro told us? The Beasts don’t just guard the pieces of amulet — they hide them.”

  Tom felt himself grinning as he realized what Elenna was telling him. “Equinus wasn’t kicking the tree,” he said. “He wanted to hide something up there, and so must have been rearing up on his hind legs and leaning his front hooves on the trunk. For all that effort, he must have been hiding something very precious.”

  “The piece of amulet!” breathed Elenna.

  Tom nodded and strapped his shield to his back. “I may have lost my magic ability to leap up high,” he told Elenna, “but I can still climb trees!”

  He began to clamber up the trunk, but the crumbling bark made it very hard to get a grip. He gritted his teeth and pushed onward.

  “You’re not the only one who can climb trees.” Tom looked down and saw Elenna following him. He was glad. He had the feeling he was going to need all the help he could get.

  As they climbed, they carefully scanned the branches for any sign of the amulet. They rested on a thick bough about a third of the way up and Tom flicked open the compass.