Free Epos the Winged Flame by Adam Blade Page A

from Malvel’scurse. They had already stood up to a one-eyed giant and a slithering sea serpent. They had tamed a night horse, a fire dragon, and a terrifying ice monster. Now their task was to free Epos the Winged Flame. Normally, Epos protected the kingdom from the volatile volcano just outside the capital city. But now that it was under Malvel’s evil spell, there was no telling what could happen, especially if the volcano were allowed to erupt!
    Tom pulled his shield from his back and used it to crush some bracken — dense ferns that would make for a soft place to sit. “Let’s rest for a few minutes while we check the map,” he said to Elenna.
    “Great!” said Elenna, slumping to the ground beside Silver. “I thought we’d never stop.”
    Storm leaned over and rested his muzzle on her shoulder, snorting softly.
    Two leather bags hung down on either side of Storm’s saddle, and Tom reached into one to pullout the magical map of Avantia. It had been given to them by the king’s closest adviser — the wizard Aduro.
    Tom sat beside Elenna. As his finger traced the trees, hills, and lakes, the pictures rose up from the parchment, standing as tall as his thumbnail. A pulsing red line marked the path he and Elenna had taken from the ice fields of the far north to this great forest of the east.
    “We’re nearly at the forest’s edge,” said Tom with relief.
    Elenna pointed to a mountain on the map, just beyond the forest. “That must be the volcano.” As she watched, tiny puffs of smoke rose up from the map’s miniature mountain. “I thought the volcano was supposed to be dormant,” Elenna said, her brow furrowing.
    “Well, it used to be….” Tom thought about this for a moment. If Epos was keeper of the volcano, and if Malvel had put the Winged Flameunder a spell, then that meant the volcano might be active. Tom shivered at the thought. The kingdom would be in grave danger if the volcano erupted. A jolt of anticipation ran through him. “Aduro said Epos was the most powerful of all the Beasts.”
    He frowned at the map. Several villages clustered near the base of the smoking mountain. “Why would anyone build a village that close to a volcano — even a dormant one?”
    “The soil around volcanoes is very fertile, so crops grow well,” said Elenna. “I learned that from my uncle.” She looked down at her hands. “It’s been so long since I left my village. I miss the people there.”
    Tom smiled. “When we finish our Quest, you’ll return as a hero.”
    “But what about you?” said Elenna. “Will you go back to your aunt and uncle?”
    “I plan to,” said Tom, looking away.
    Tom’s mother had died when he was born, and his father, Taladon, had disappeared soon afterward. Tom had been raised by his aunt and uncle — but he still hoped to find his father someday. All he knew was that Taladon had served King Hugo in the past, just as Tom was doing now.
    “Wait.” Tom’s nose twitched. A faint breeze had begun to blow. “Can you smell smoke?”
    Elenna sniffed at the air and gave a small cough. “Yes, but it’s not a campfire. It smells different, somehow.”
    Suddenly, a loud rumble sounded through the forest and the ground beneath them shook. Storm neighed and reared up in alarm as Tom and Elenna scrambled to their feet. Tom looked up. Through the leaves he glimpsed clouds of dark smoke choking the sky. They were shot through with thin streaks of fire, like shooting stars.
    “The volcano!” Elenna gasped.
    “We need to find shelter,” Tom said. “Epos must be stirring things up!”
    Then Elenna froze. “Look,” she stammered, staring straight past Tom.
    Over the forest’s thick trees, a bubbling gray cloud of ash rose into the sky. As it grew, red-hot stones began to pelt down, scorching the treetops and striking the ground with heavy thuds. Tom instinctively grabbed his shield. It would help keep him and Elenna safe, but it was too small to shelter Silver and