Free Epos the Winged Flame by Adam Blade

P ROLOGUE

    I ’M LOST,
THOUGHT OWEN. T HE T UNNEL ended in yet another dark cave. Panic rose in the boy’s throat as he tried to retrace his steps. But he knew it was hopeless. Although he had left chalk markings on the rock walls, it was too dark to see them.
    Only a while ago, Owen had been playing outside the caves on the north side of the village. Then he had heard noises coming from inside the caves. Scraping, scrabbling noises. People hardly ever entered the caves, as they were unsafe and stretched for miles underground. Rockfalls were common, too. But he couldn’t just ignore whatever was in there.
    An animal must have wandered in and got lost,
he’d told himself.
It won’t take long to help the poor thing back out.
    He had tried to follow the scrabbling sounds he had heard — and now he was hopelessly lost. He stood helpless in the cold blackness.
    “Is anyone there?” he called. His voice echoed eerily back at him. These caves took the slightest sound and twisted it, making it seem as though it came from one direction when it came from another.
    He felt ahead and his fingers brushed against pitted rock — then nothing. Stepping forward, Owen realized he’d found the mouth of a new cave. A little way in, there was a faint light. He looked up and saw a chink of gray sky in the rock, high above.
    Then his foot scraped against something on the floor. It was a piece of scorched armor. Where hadthis come from? And what had happened to the knight who had worn it? It looked like a bevor — which knights used to protect the chin and lower face — only smaller.
    Suddenly, a terrifying screech sliced through the air. Owen yelled out in terror, staring around wildly.
    A dark shape detached itself from the shadows and towered over him. In horror, Owen realized it was a giant bird!
    Its huge, sail-like wings unfurled. They were covered in short, dark-gold feathers. Its beak was as long and sharp as a sword. Two fierce eyes fixed on Owen, blazing like irons in a blacksmith’s fire. The creature’s huge talons were scratching on the rock, tearing it up. Heart pounding, Owen realized that this was the sound he had heard. Here was the animal he had hoped to rescue…. Now he needed rescuing — and fast!
    The creature lurched toward him — and then its massive, feathered bulk burst into flame! Owen hurled himself to the ground as the Beast launched into the air, its great, fiery wings beating wildly as it flew straight at him.

C HAPTER O NE

T HE F IERY T HREAT
    “ W E MUST BE NEARLY THROUGH THE FOREST now,” Tom called to his friend Elenna, who was walking behind him. He drew his sword and hacked at the thorny thicket barring his way. The light was thin, the gray sky barely visible through the heavy branches overhead.
    “I hope so,” Elenna called back. She was leading Storm, Tom’s sturdy black stallion. She stopped for a moment, leaning against the horse for support. “I sure could use a good rest!”
    They had been traveling for nearly two weeks and were both exhausted. It had been a long Quest, but they were almost done. There was justone more Beast to defeat before they could return home.
    “I’m tired, too,” Tom said solemnly. “But we must keep going — the kingdom needs us.”
    “Not many people would be in such a rush to battle Epos the Winged Flame!” said Elenna, a weary smile spreading on her face.
    Tom smiled back, but didn’t slow down. With a swell of determination, he raised his sword and swiped fiercely at the undergrowth. He was on a vital quest for King Hugo and he couldn’t give up now, with the end in sight.
    His mission was to save the kingdom from the Beasts — creatures of legend placed under an evil spell by the Dark Wizard Malvel. Tom used to think the Beasts were just fairy tales. But now he knew there was nothing make-believe about them.
    Elenna and her wolf Silver had joined Tom and Storm on the Quest, and together they had risked their lives trying to set the Beasts free