Sepron the Sea Serpent (5 page)

T
HE
N
EXT
Q
UEST

T
OM MADE HIS WAY TOWARD THE SURFACE.
H
IS
head swam with exhaustion and he could hardly make his arms and legs move.

Then he felt something nudge him from below. Terror gripped him as he looked down into Sepron’s face. But the anger that was there before had gone. The serpent’s eyes seemed kind. He gave Tom another nudge with his rough muzzle, pushing him up toward the light.

As Tom broke the surface, Sepron lifted him out of the water. Tom clung to the Beast’s muzzle as he stretched his neck out toward the boat.

“Tom!” Elenna cried out. “The collar’s gone. You did it!”

Tom looked up. “Yes. He’s free now.”

As the sea serpent lowered his head to set Tom down gently in the boat, something fell from his jaws. Tom picked it up.

“It’s a tooth,” he said, gazing at the jagged piece of ivory.
Sepron must have broken it,
he realized,
when he tore at the collar.

Tom reached up a hand and touched the Beast’s shimmering scales. “Thank you,” he said. He knew that without Sepron’s help, he would have drowned.

The Beast dipped his head in farewell. Then he dove back under the surface. Tom caught a glimpse of him gliding away toward the open sea. It was beautiful to see how gracefully Sepron moved through the waves — truly at home.

“Sepron’s free now,” he said. “I think it’s safe to say that there won’t be any more floods.”

He and Elenna stared at each other. Then Elenna let out a whoop of triumph. She and Tom flung their arms around each other and hugged in excitement and relief.

Tom started at the sound of a polite cough just behind him. He and Elenna leaped apart. Tom turned to see Aduro. He seemed to be standing on the waves close to the boat. Tom could see the blue ocean through his robes and realized this was another one of the wizard’s illusions. After all they had been through, it was good to see a friendly face.

“Well done!” the wizard said. “I can see I was right when I chose you, Tom. You’ve saved Avantia from Sepron.”

“I couldn’t have done it without Elenna,” said Tom.

Aduro smiled. “You have both shown great courage,” he said. “All of Avantia will be grateful
to you. And now,” he added, “is that Sepron’s tooth that I see there?”

Tom held out the jagged piece. “I think it broke when he tore his chain off.”

“Place it in the front of your shield,” the wizard instructed him.

Tom did as Aduro told him. Another empty slot had opened up beside the scale of Ferno the Fire Dragon. Sea-green light spilled out of it. It glowed brightly as Tom fitted Sepron’s tooth into the hole. Then the sides of the hole closed around the tooth as if the shield had been waiting for it all along.

“Now as long as you hold your shield, you will never drown,” Aduro said, “and not even the fiercest torrent will be able to harm you.”

Tom gazed at the shield in wonder. He had already tested it against fire. Now it would protect him from water as well. “Thank you!” he said.

“Don’t thank me,” said Aduro, his eyes twinkling. “You won the tooth yourself. With each Beast that you help, your powers will grow.”

Tom glanced at Elenna, whose eyes were wide with wonder.

“What must we do now?” she asked.

“First, go back to the village,” replied the wizard. “I’ll see that Elenna’s repair holds until you reach the shore. You have a boat to return.”

Tom nodded. “Yes, and we have to collect Storm and Silver.”

“Then you must ride to the mountains in the North,” Aduro went on. “Cypher the Giant is threatening the kingdom.”

“What’s happening?” Elenna asked.

“The Dark Wizard Malvel has put a spell on the giant,” the wizard replied. “In his anger, Cypher is sending avalanches down on the trading route at the foot of the mountains. Without these important routes, the whole Kingdom will suffer.”

“And it’s our job to stop him,” Tom said. He could imagine rocks and earth raining down, and the terror of the townspeople.

“That’s right,” said Aduro. “Freeing Cypher is your next quest.”

“I’ll do my best,” Tom promised.

“The map will help guide you,” the wizard told him.

“Thank you. I —” Tom began. But as he was speaking, Aduro’s form began to fade. The ocean shone more brightly through his robes. Then he was gone.

Tom gazed toward the shore. Amazingly, despite all they had been through, little time had passed. Hopefully, the villagers were still sleeping and no one but Calum would guess what he had done.

“The fishermen will be fine now,” Elenna said with satisfaction.

Tom nodded. With Sepron freed, the fish would
return, and the villagers would soon repair the damage of the flood.

He felt a sudden pang of loneliness for his uncle and aunt, and even the father he’d never known. But he knew it was his fate to carry on with his quest.

Tom and Elenna rowed back to the beach. Silver was dashing up and down at the water’s edge, yelping excitedly. When Elenna reached him, he flung himself at her. He rested his paws on her shoulders and licked her face.

Elenna put her arms around him, plunging her hands into his thick fur. “Oh, Silver, I’m glad to be back!” she cried.

Calum appeared, leading Storm, as Tom pulled the boat up onto the beach. Tom leaned against the horse and stroked his silky forelock.

Storm nuzzled his shoulder and blew out a warm breath as if he was welcoming Tom back. Tom’s
loneliness suddenly vanished. He wouldn’t see his uncle and aunt for a long time, but he had a new family now: Elenna and Silver and Storm. With the three of them by his side, he knew that he would have the strength to face Cypher the Giant.

“I could see the serpent from the ridge,” Calum said, pointing uphill. “I was worried you wouldn’t make it back.” He reached out and gripped Tom’s hand.

“If it wasn’t for your knife, we wouldn’t have,” Tom said, pulling the knife from his belt. He held it out to Calum. But Calum refused to take it.

“Keep it,” Calum said with a nod. “You may need it again.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Tom said gratefully. “Your kindness will not be forgotten.”

“Nor will your courage,” said Calum.

Tom turned his gaze to the North. Somewhere
in the distance, he knew, Cypher the Giant was hurling rocks down a mountainside. It was Tom’s task to free him from the evil spell. That was his next quest. And whatever the danger, he would face it with his friends beside him.

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Text copyright © 2007 by Beast Quest Ltd.
Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Scholastic Inc.
Cover art by David Merrell
Cover design by Tim Hall

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First printing, March 2007

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