Free Beast Quest #3: Cypher the Mountain Giant by Adam Blade

P ROLOGUE
     
    T HE CARAVAN MOVED SLOWLY ALONG THE HIGH mountain road. As the slope became steeper, the horses struggled to pull the wagons loaded with goods and supplies.
    “How much longer?” a boy in the first wagon asked impatiently.
    His father looked ahead at the rock-strewn road that snaked its way up the mountainside. “Once we get to the pass, it’s not much farther, Jack,” he said, pointing to a ridge in the distance.
    Jack looked toward the ridge. Above it, dark clouds were beginning to gather. They cast long shadows down the mountainside, and the boy felt the air cool as the sun disappeared behind the clouds.
    When the caravan rounded a bend in the road, they were hit by a fierce mountain wind. Jack shivered with cold as he pulled his coat tighter.
    “We’d better hurry if we’re going to beat this storm,” Jack’s father called to the other men, his voice almost lost in the wind. “We don’t want to get stuck and freeze to death.”
    The caravan pushed on. The wind gained in strength and was now screaming through the trees. Then, as the caravan came to another bend in the road, a thunderous crashing echoed through the valley.
    Startled, Jack glanced up at the ridge. There, standing as tall as the trees, was a giant. He held a huge boulder between his clawed hands, and only had one, large eye in the middle of his forehead. Right now, that eye was fixed on Jack and the caravan.
    “Look! Over there!” Jack yelled to his father, pointing toward the nearest peak.
    “What is it, Jack?” the man asked, keeping his eyes on the trail ahead.
    “I saw — I saw —”
    But before Jack could finish his sentence, the ground began to shake. The caravan halted and the men looked around in confusion.
    They could hear a deep rumbling sound. Then, in the distance, there was a loud crack of splintering wood, as if trees were being snapped in half.
    “What’s happening, Dad?” Jack asked with panic in his voice.
    His father looked toward the ridgeline and then back at Jack. “I don’t know, son,” he said.
    It was the first time Jack had seen fear in his father’s eyes, and it sent shivers down his spine.
    As they stood there, trapped, the crashing grew louder — and nearer. The ground trembled so violently beneath their feet that it was hard to stand. The horses reared up, trying to break free of their harnesses.
    A wagon broke from its hitch and began to slide back down the road, its contents spilling everywhere. Men dove out of the way as the heavy barrels tumbled toward them. Everywhere there was chaos. Then, just in front of them, a huge boulder tore through the trees and across the narrow mountain road, nearly hitting Jack and his father.
    “Run! Run for your lives!”

A N EW A DVENTURE
     
    A T THE CREST OF THE FOOTHILLS, T OM AND Elenna came to a fork in the road. The road to the east continued along the ridgeline toward the farms of Avantia. The road to the north disappeared into the mountains.
    Tom knew which one they needed to take to find the next Beast.
    But Elenna hesitated. The towering mountains were wrapped in dark, ominous clouds, and Tom could sense his friend’s nervousness. He knew this was going to be even more dangerous than the last mission.
    “Don’t worry, Elenna. We’ll be okay,” Tom said.
    Then, smiling, he added, “I mean, I’ve got you and the mutt for protection, don’t I?”
    “Thank you
very
much!” Elenna beckoned her pet wolf, Silver, who was sniffing some bushes nearby. “Come on, boy — time to teach our friend a lesson in manners!”
    Silver shot to her side like a sleek gray arrow. Elenna pointed at Tom and the wolf playfully nipped at his heels as they set out on the road to the north.
    “Ow!”
Tom cried.
    “Take it back!” Elenna demanded.
    “All right! All right! I take it back!” Tom exclaimed, holding up his shield as Silver leaped up at him. “I’ll never call him a mutt again!”
    Elenna gave a short whistle. Silver immediately left Tom and