Narga the Sea Monster Page 2

  Suddenly he spotted Elenna’s bow and quiver of arrows lying abandoned on the ground. Fear gripped his heart. She would never leave those behind, he thought.

  “Lay down your weapons,” a gruff voice called out from a nearby thicket of trees and bushes. “Or your friend gets it.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  WANTED ALIVE

  TOM URGED STORM TO ONE SIDE AND GRASPED the hilt of his sword, ready for battle. A second later, the undergrowth parted and a group of men came out into the open. They wore ragged clothes and were carrying clubs, knives, and swords.

  Tom’s stomach tightened with anger as he saw that their leader was gripping Elenna by the hair; in his other hand he held a long knife. One of his followers held Silver by a rope. The wolf was yelping and snapping at his captor, but the man kept him at a distance with the use of a long club.

  “I said, put down your weapons,” the leader repeated.

  Elenna twisted in his grip and kicked out backward. “Get off me!” she yelled. “And leave Silver alone!”

  With a cruel jerk the leader yanked on her hair and held the knife at her throat. “Keep still, you,” he snarled.

  Slowly Tom let go of his sword and lowered his shield to the ground. “Who are you and what do you want?” he asked.

  The leader pushed Elenna forward a pace or two. “My name’s Jent. I’m a famous bounty hunter,” he boasted, “and these are my men.”

  “Famous? I’ve never heard of you,” Tom retorted.

  “You are not Gorgonian,” Jent sneered. “You and your friends are intruders, and I’m looking forward to the thousand pieces of gold that Malvel has promised to the person who captures you.”

  Tom stiffened. “What do you mean?”

  Not letting go of the knife, Jent pulled a folded piece of parchment from his pocket and tossed it to the ground at Tom’s feet.

  Tom picked up the parchment and unfolded it. Across the top, in large letters, were the words WANTED ALIVE. Below that was a drawing of him and Elenna with a caption that read: “These villains are guilty of intrusion, theft, and treason.”

  Tom’s throat tightened with fury. Malvel had made up these lies to stop him from completing his Quest. The evil wizard had obviously posted these parchments across the whole of Gorgonia. They weren’t safe anywhere.

  “Malvel is a liar,” Tom said urgently to Jent.

  The bounty hunter grinned, revealing a mouth of black teeth. “I know full well who and what Malvel is. Why should I care? The only master I serve is money, and Malvel has plenty of that.”

  “You’re stupid if you think Malvel will pay you,” Elenna said bravely. “He’ll cheat you; can’t you see that?”

  Jent ignored her and turned to his men. “We need to get to the town and send word to Malvel that we’ve captured these two villains.” He nodded toward Tom. “Grab the boy; you can hurt him but don’t kill him.”

  Silver suddenly let out a snarl, breaking free of the rope that held him captive. He lunged at the bounty hunter, but Jent was quicker and kicked him in the head. The wolf slumped to the ground. The slight rise and fall of the wolf’s sides showed that he was still breathing but had been knocked unconscious.

  “Silver!” Elenna shouted.

  Rage surged through Tom. He drew his sword and ran toward Jent, but the bounty hunter’s men stood in his way like a wall, their weapons raised. As Tom struck out, Jent plunged back into the bushes, dragging Elenna with him. She struggled and kicked at her captor, but he was too strong for her.

  A moment later Tom heard the sound of hooves, and a horse burst out of the trees. Jent was in the saddle with Elenna held in front of him.

  “Tom, help!” she cried. “Help me!”

  As the horse raced away, Tom knew that his Quest to save Sepron would have to wait. He had to save Elenna first.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ON THE TRAIL

  THE GORGONIAN BANDITS, CAREFUL TO STAY out of range of Tom’s sword, formed a circle around him. “Make it easy for yourself, boy,” one of them said. “Put the sword away.”

  “Make me!” Tom replied defiantly. From some distance behind him, Storm gave a whinny as if he were cheering him on. Tom studied his enemies. There were about fifteen of them, all muscular men with vicious weapons. By their smug faces, they clearly thought he couldn’t possibly win against their numbers.

  I’ll show them, Tom thought.

  As the first bandit stepped forward, his huge club raised, Tom darted underneath his arm and gave the man a hard blow on the back. The bandit went sprawling to the ground. Tom spun around to meet his next attacker. The power of the golden gauntlets gave Tom unbeatable speed and skill. His sword flashed and, with a twist of the wrist, he sent the other man’s sword flying, leaving him to stare at his empty hand. As two more attackers came at him, Tom dodged between them, causing them to crash into each other.

  The bandits kept coming. One of them grabbed him from behind, and Tom drove his elbow into the man’s chest. The bandit fell backward, pulling Tom down to the ground with him. With screams of triumph, the others leaped on top of Tom and pinned him down.

  Their weight pressed him into the ground and he thought he would choke on the stench from their unwashed bodies. Hands were grabbing at him from all directions.

  “We’ve got him!” one of the bandits shouted.

  Tom braced himself, summoning the superhuman strength that the golden breastplate gave him. He shot upright onto his feet, and the bandits let out yells of surprise and terror as they flew in all directions.

  Tom looked around. The bandits lay sprawled on the ground. Some were stunned, while others groaned as they tried to get up.

  To Tom’s relief, Silver had recovered and was giving himself a shake. A low growl came from his throat when he looked at the bandits.

  “Never mind them, boy,” Tom said. “We’ve got to save Elenna.”

  He ran to Storm and leaped into the saddle. Urging the stallion forward, he skirted the thicket and found the bandits’ horses tied to branches on the other side. Tom took a moment to slash his sword through the reins and set them free. He slapped them on their rumps to send them galloping in the opposite direction from the swamp.

  “The bandits won’t be chasing us in a hurry,” he said with satisfaction. Then he turned Storm’s head in the direction that Jent had taken. Silver bounded alongside them. Tom used the bounty hunter’s trail of trampled grass and dislodged stones to follow him. It led away from the quicksand and the Black Ocean, and back toward the mountains, but farther east than the trail Tom and Elenna had followed.

  “Jent said he was going to the town, to get a message to Malvel,” Tom muttered to himself, “but I’ve no idea how far it is.”

  He thought of getting out the map again, but he knew he couldn’t trust it. And it would be harder to spot Jent’s tracks once they reached the mountains. He had to catch up now. Tom urged Storm forward.

  At last Tom, Storm, and Silver reached the mountains. The path wound among black rocks and Tom stiffened as he heard the sound of horses’ hooves a little way ahead.

  He leaned down and put a hand on Silver’s muzzle, signaling him to be silent.

  Slowing Storm to a walk, Tom followed the trail around a jutting boulder and spotted Jent farther ahead, riding up a long slope toward a ridge. Elenna was slung over his saddle.

  Tom urged Storm forward again, hoping that the bounty hunter would not hear Storm’s hooves on the rocky ground. Almost at once, though, Jent glanced over his shoulder and saw them. He dug his heels into his horse’s side to pick up speed. A moment later he had vanished over the ridge.

  Tom pursued him. Beyond the ridge was a steep slope covered with rocks, leading down into a narrow gorge. Jent was about halfway down, his horse weaving among the boulders.

  “Stop!” Tom yelled. “Turn and fight!”

  Jent glanced back at him, but he didn’t stop or reply to Tom’s challenge.

  Tom was careful as he guided Storm down the slope,
but he still managed to shorten the distance between him and Jent by the time they reached the gorge. As the ground leveled out, he urged the tired Storm into one last gallop.

  Up ahead, Tom saw the bounty hunter draw his sword and scrape it against the rocky wall of the gorge before racing away.

  “What’s he doing?” Tom muttered. “Is he sharpening his sword so he can hurt Elenna?”

  A rumble sounded from above Tom’s head. Looking up, he understood what Jent had done. Vibrations from the bounty hunter’s sword had dislodged stones from the rock wall, and they were now cascading down onto Tom and his friends.

  Tom dragged on the reins and drew Storm aside just as a huge boulder landed inches from the stallion’s flying hooves. Then the roaring of the rock avalanche was all around them as they galloped forward. Tom ducked to avoid a rock and felt wind ruffle his hair as it passed over his head.

  Silver leaped over a rock as it thumped to the ground. A shower of stones and earth knocked the wolf over, but he scrambled up again and raced for the clear space ahead.

  Leaning forward on Storm’s neck, Tom felt the patter of stone chips on his back and shoulders. His eyes stung from the dust and grit in the air.

  Then he was through, and the last stones of the avalanche were slamming down behind him. Jent and Elenna were nowhere to be seen.

  Tom drew Storm to a walk and looked carefully around. He examined the ground, but he still couldn’t see anything to tell him where Jent had gone. Just ahead, the gorge split into several different paths.

  Which way? he thought desperately.

  CHAPTER SIX

  SILVER TO THE RESCUE

  SILVER SUDDENLY LET OUT AN EXCITED YELP. He darted forward along one of the paths, sniffed the ground, and looked back at Tom eagerly.

  “Well done, Silver!” Tom cried, relief flooding over him. “You can smell Elenna’s scent, can’t you?”

  Silver let out another yelp and ran on.

  “That’s right, boy; lead the way,” Tom told him. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  The path Silver had chosen led among rocks that gradually gave way to barren moorland. There was nothing to show Tom which way to go, but Silver, his nose to the ground, didn’t hesitate.

  The wolf led Tom to the top of a hill. Looking down, Tom saw a huddle of rooftops. Smoke rose from the chimneys.

  It must be the town, Tom thought. He patted Storm’s neck. “Let’s go, boy.”

  The path led down the hill and into the town. Tom dismounted and walked beside Storm, with Silver on the other side. The people in the streets gave them suspicious glances, but none said anything. They were all hurrying in the same direction. Tom decided to stay with the crowd, hoping to overhear something about Jent and Elenna. He followed the locals into the town square.

  A mass of people had gathered around a wooden platform in the center of the square. Tom had to force back a cry of shock and anger as he saw what was on the platform. Two sets of stocks had been set up there. Elenna was trapped in one of them, her hands and feet poking out of holes between the bars. Next to her in the other stocks was a girl with hair the color of fire.

  The crowd surged forward as people tried to get closer to the platform. They jeered at the two girls, and some were even throwing rocks. Tom saw one bounce off the stocks close to Elenna’s head.

  Tom looked down at Silver. The wolf’s neck fur was bristling with fury. His lips were drawn back in a snarl, and a low growl came from his throat. Tom suddenly realized that Silver’s anger could be used to their advantage.

  He crouched down beside the gray wolf. “Go on, boy,” he urged. “Get Elenna!”

  At once Silver took off through the crowd. People scattered as he let out a ferocious howl, gnashing his sharp teeth. Men, women, and children turned away from the platform, pushing and shoving one another as they tried to get out of the square.

  Tom raced across the emptying square after Silver. He leaped onto the platform and dashed up to Elenna.

  His friend’s face was cut and bruised from the stones the crowd had thrown at her, but she gave Tom a weak smile. “What took you so long?” she asked.

  “I had a bit of trouble with Jent’s men,” Tom explained. “But nothing I couldn’t handle.” He examined the heavy iron lock that was holding the bars of the stocks in place. “We’ve got to get you out of here,” he said.

  “Jent told me that the locks are enchanted. Only Malvel can unlock them,” Elenna said worriedly.

  Tom gave her a tight grin. “Too bad. We’re not going to wait around here for him to arrive.”

  He drew his sword and concentrated on the swordsmanship skills given to him by the golden gauntlets. Then he whirled his sword through the air and struck the lock. It shook, but didn’t break. Tom struck again. Still nothing. Then, on the third stroke, the blade sheared through the heavy iron. The two parts of the lock dropped to the ground.

  “Now the other one,” Elenna gasped as Tom lifted the bars to free her. “We have to save Odora.”

  Tom looked at the red-haired girl trapped next to Elenna in the other set of stocks. Her face was bruised and white with exhaustion, but her eyes shone bravely. She watched intently as Tom struck at the second lock. It gave, and he tossed it aside.

  “Thank you,” she said gratefully.

  Silver was standing on the edge of the platform, his head thrown back as he howled and howled. Tom realized the threatening noise was keeping the townspeople out of the square.

  “Make for Storm,” Tom instructed Elenna, as he helped the two girls down from the platform. “We need to be out of here before the townspeople gather their wits.”

  Elenna and Odora staggered across the square to the corner where Storm stood, and Tom boosted them up onto the stallion’s back. Silver leaped down from the platform and pelted across the square to join them.

  The sound of angry shouting rose up behind them as the townspeople crowded back into the square.

  “Stop!” someone yelled.

  “Grab them!” another voice called. “Don’t let them escape!”

  Tom glanced back as he began to lead Storm out of the square. He caught a glimpse of Jent, his face furious, struggling through the mob toward them.

  We need to get out of here fast, Tom thought, wishing he knew the town better. If the mob catches us, we’re finished.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  NEWS OF NARGA

  “THIS WAY!” ODORA GASPED, POINTING DOWN a side street. “We’ll get to the edge of town faster, and there are woods where we can hide.”

  Relying on the speed given to him by his golden leg armor, Tom led Storm into the street. As Storm galloped between the rows of run-down houses, Tom could still hear shouts and the running footsteps of the townspeople chasing them. But Storm and Tom were fast enough to outrun their pursuers, and the sounds of the mob died away as they headed for the edge of town.

  “What a pity!” Elenna laughed. “Jent will never get his thousand gold pieces now.”

  Once the town was behind them, the path led up a hill toward a forest. Tom loosened his sword in its sheath as he led Storm underneath the branches of the trees. He remembered again the evil forest that had tried to trap him and Elenna when they first arrived in Gorgonia.

  The trees stayed still, though, as Tom and his friends plunged deeper into the woods.

  Tom brought Storm to a halt in a clearing. He helped Elenna and Odora down. “Why don’t you rest?” he suggested. “I’m going to climb a tree to see if we’ve been followed.”

  Elenna and Odora sank down on the damp carpet of leaves. Silver flopped down beside them, panting.

  Tom used the power of his magic boots and leaped up into a tall tree, where he could see down the hill toward the town. “There is no one on our trail,” he announced, then turned to look in the other direction. His spirits lifted as he saw the glittering line of the Black Ocean on the horizon. Quickly he scrambled down and let himself drop beside Elenna and Odora.

  “The Black Oce
an is still some distance away,” he reported. “But if we get moving, we should be able to get there before dusk.”

  “The Black Ocean?” Odora exclaimed. She stared at Tom, her eyes wide with fear. “That’s an evil place. You mustn’t go anywhere near it.”

  “Why not?” Elenna asked, sitting up, suddenly alert.

  “There’s something horrible lurking in the water.” Odora began to tremble. “It killed my brother and it almost killed me.”

  Tom exchanged a glance with Elenna. Odora must have seen the next Beast they had to conquer.

  He reached out to grip the girl’s hand. “Tell us everything,” he said. “It’s very important. We are here to defeat the Beast who lives in the Black Ocean.”

  Odora looked uncertain, but after a pause she answered. “My brother Dako and I were part of a rebel force against Malvel. We were sailing up the coast with a cargo of smuggled weapons. We were almost home when this awful monster rose up out of the water.”

  “What was he like?” Elenna asked.

  “He had a huge body and six heads.” Odora swallowed. “He picked Dako out of our boat and I never saw my brother again.” Elenna squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. “The monster capsized the boat,” Odora went on. “I was thrown into the water and the next thing I knew I was washed up on the beach. Malvel’s followers found me there, and I was too weak to run away. They would have killed me if you hadn’t rescued me,” she added. “I can’t ever thank you enough.”

  “You are thanking us by telling us about the monster,” Tom told her. “Can you remember anything else about him?”

  “I heard Malvel’s men talking about him,” Odora replied. “They said his name is Narga.”