Read Luna the Moon Wolf Online
Authors: Adam Blade
Luna the Moon Wolf
With special thanks to Brandon Robshaw
For Elom Baka
All hail, fellow followers of the Quest.
We have not met before but, like you, I have been watching Tom's adventures with a close eye. Do you know who I am? Have you heard of Taladon, the Master of the Beasts? I have returned â just in time for my son, Tom, to save me from a fate worse than death. The evil wizard, Malvel, has stolen something precious from me, and until Tom is able to complete another Quest, I cannot be returned to full life. I must wait between worlds, neither human nor ghost. I am half the man I once was and only Tom can return me to my former glory.
Will Tom have the strength of heart to help his father? Another Quest can test even the most determined hero. And there may be a heavy price for my son to pay if he defeats six more Beastsâ¦.
All I can do is hope â that Tom is successful. Will you put your power behind Tom and wish him well? I know I can count on my son â can I count on you, too? Not a moment can be wasted. As this latest Quest unfolds, much rides on it. We must all be brave.
Â
Taladon
M
ARINA HEARD THE CRY OF AN OWL
. S
NOWY
!
She threw back her blankets and padded to the window. The sky was aflame with an orange sunset and she saw Snowy swooping over the fields, hunting for mice.
Marina never felt like sleeping on these long summer evenings.
I wish I was out there with Snowy
, she thought.
She creeped to the top of the stairs. From behind the kitchen door, she heard the murmur of her parents chatting. She had a good hour before they would come upstairs. Long enough for a run in the fields with Snowy!
She tiptoed down the stairs and lifted the latch of the back door. The grass was damp beneath her bare feet and the evening breeze ruffled her hair. She ran over the fields toward her pet owl. Snowy saw her coming and swooped down, hooting a welcome.
“Hello, my friend!” Marina cried out. She held up her hand for him to perch on. But Snowy seemed to be in a playful mood. He soared away from her and flew across the field.
Marina laughed and ran after him. He was flying east, away from where the sun had already begun to dip below the horizon. The orange sky was darkening to a dusky pink.
“Snowy!” she called. “Snowy, come back!”
He was heading toward the ancient stone wall that marked the eastern edge of Avantia, where the Forbidden Land began. As she watched, he sailed over the wall. Then he disappeared.
Marina slowed down. What should she do? Her parents had always warned her that she must never enter the Forbidden Land. If she waited, perhaps Snowy would fly back.
Then she heard a squawk of distress. Snowy was in trouble!
Marina ran to the wall and began to climb. It was made of layers of dry stone with plenty of handholds. She was a good climber, used to shimmying up the apple trees in her dad's orchard.
She let herself down the other side of the wall and dropped lightly to the ground.
A huge forest stretched before her. In the rays of the dying sun, the trees looked red, as if coated with blood. She touched the trunk of the nearest tree. It was wet and sticky â her hand came away covered in a thick red liquid. She gave a scream of shock.
“Snowy!” she called out, her voice trembling. “Snowy, let's go!”
Then a high-pitched howl drifted through the air and two burning red dots appeared between the trees.
A huge wolf with shaggy white fur emerged from the forest. Her eyes gleamed like burning coals; her lips peeled back to reveal curved yellow fangs, glistening with drool. As her glowing eyes fixed on Marina, the wolf reared back on her hind legs and howled again. Marina saw that the Beast's claws were black and fused together like knives.
The sun dropped below the horizon. The sky was a velvety dark blue; a white full moon had risen above the forest.
Marina backed away, too scared to turn and run. Was the wolf about to pounce?
But as the moon continued to rise, the wolf grew pale. Now Marina could see the trees through its body. She realized her enemy was becoming transparent.
“Like a ghost,” she whispered.
Then the wolf faded away completely. Nothing was left but the two burning red eyes, bobbing in the night air.
Marina felt an icy wind sweep toward her. Rustling noises came from the forest.
Snowy gave another squawk. Marina looked up to see him appear through the trees, flying high. He was alive! But as she watched, Snowy lost height. She could see his wings whip back against his body as he dove through the air. He wasn't flying â he was falling!
He landed at Marina's feet. His feathers were torn and bloodied.
“Snowy!” she cried, falling to her knees beside her friend.
Gently, she cradled Snowy's injured body in her hands. As she climbed to her feet, a fox thrust its nose out of the trees. Then a badger. Another fox. A wild dog. Two hawks appeared in the sky, then a tawny owl, much larger than Snowy.
Animals were gathering at the edge of the woods. They were slowly advancing across the clearing.
“What do I do?” Marina whispered to herself. She heard the ghost-wolf howl for a third time. As one, the wild animals swarmed toward her.
Instinctively, she broke into a run. A wild dog tried to leap at her, but she scrambled up the wall at the edge of the Forbidden Land and dropped down onto the damp grass on the other side. Cradling the owl's body in her arms, she ran back toward her home, while the screeching and hissing of furious animals filled the air behind her.
Before darting back into the house, she looked over her shoulder and saw the twin red eyes of the ghost-wolf, as it leaped into the air beyond the wall. She shuddered as she locked the wooden door and ran upstairs, back to her bed.
She should never have climbed the wall into the Forbidden Land. Now her best friend was deadâ¦.
A
COLD WIND MOANED AS
T
OM LED THE WAY
down the steep, winding mountain path. Silver padded along at his heels, tongue lolling. Behind them, Elenna led Storm over the stony track, taking care to keep away from the edge.
On either side of the path a sheer cliff of rock fell away. Tom glanced down.
“Be careful,” he said. “Take it slowly.”
Silver whined and licked Tom's hand.
“Don't worry!” said Elenna. “We don't want to break our necks, do we, Storm?” She patted the horse's side. “How will we recognize Luna? Your father didn't have time to tell us what sort of Beast she is.”
Taladon had visited them after their victory over Rashouk the Cave Troll, to advise them about their next Quest. Tom was always filled with pride when he saw his father. There was just one problem â the Dark Wizard, Malvel, had used his evil magic to turn Taladon into a ghost. If Tom and Elenna were successful in their Quest to recover the pieces of the Amulet of Avantia and break Malvel's evil spell, they would return Taladon to the land of the living.
And while there's blood in my veins
, Tom thought to himself,
I won't give up. No matter how dangerous it gets.
“He warned us we should try to meet Luna only in daylight, didn't he?” Tom said. “Maybe that's a clue.”
They rounded a bend in the path and a view of the Forbidden Land opened before them. It was gray, bare, and featureless. Tom shuddered. There was nothing but dusty rocks, dry fields, and dead trees as far as he could see.
Silver whimpered.
“Nice, isn't it?” said Tom. “No wonder King Hugo forbids his subjects to come here!”
Elenna laughed. “He needn't bother! No one would come here unless they really had to.”
“Let's stop a minute and see if we can get our bearings,” said Tom. They had been walking all morning and needed to rest anyway. He took his flask from Storm's saddlebag and gave it to Elenna. She took a swig; then Tom took a long drink. He poured some of the water into a hollowed-out rock for Silver and Storm, who lapped it up gratefully.
Tom held out both his hands. “Map!” he called in a loud, commanding voice.
A shimmering silver square appeared in the air in front of Tom. As he watched, lines began to form on its glimmering surface. Tom saw the Dead Peaks, the mountain path they were climbing down, and the great plain of the Forbidden Land beneath. At the foot of the plain was a dense forest named the Dark Wood.
And gleaming amid the Dark Wood was a tiny piece of silver amulet! Finding it would bring Tom one step closer to completing the amulet â and one step closer to restoring his father to full life and power. But he knew there would be a price to pay. He would lose one of the powers given to him by the golden armor.
So be it
, thought Tom.
That's a price I'll gladly pay.
“Look!” he said excitedly, pointing at the Dark Wood on the map. “There's the next piece of amulet! See?”
Elenna peered over his shoulder. Storm sensed the excitement and whinnied. Silver gave a short, sharp bark.
Tom gazed out over the landscape, shading his eyes with his hand. In the distance he could just make out a dark mass of trees. He pointed.
“That looks like the Dark Wood!” he said. “Let's check.”
From his pocket he pulled out the magic compass his uncle had given him. It showed two possible destinations â
Destiny
or
Danger
. He held the compass in front of them. At once the needle swung around and pointed.
Destiny.
“No doubt about it,” said Tom. “That's where we must go.”
“It's a long way,” said Elenna. “We won't get there before tomorrow. It'll take us the rest of the day to get down this mountain.”
Tom put the compass back in his pocket.
“We don't have that long,” he said. “My father's life depends on us. We've got to find a faster way to get down the mountain!”
“And break our necks?” Elenna asked. She was right. Tom would be safe if he fell, protected by the tear in his shield given to him by Cypher the Mountain Giant, many Quests ago. But the others would be in grave danger.
Tom peered down the sheer slope of the mountain, thinking hard. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers as an idea flashed into his mind.
“I know just what we need to do,” he said, turning to his friend.