Beast Quest #3: Cypher the Mountain Giant (7 page)

The slope began to level out to a small ledge. The cliff face was steep, but the rough surface of the rock was scattered with ledges and gullies. Tom felt relief flood through him as they landed with a hard thump on a ledge. But they were falling so fast that they skidded straight across the smooth rock. Without time to stop, they went over the edge and were falling again.

The giant tried to thrust his gnarled fingers into some cracks and holes in the mountainside. But he couldn’t stop them from falling. Cypher roared and threw back his head.

Tom was shaken free. His fingers closed around thin air as his hands were torn away from the collar. He went hurtling through the air and landed heavily on a steep rocky slope, scrabbling for a handhold. His fingertips dug into a crack in the rock. Terror swept through him as he glanced down. A vast misty chasm was waiting to swallow him below.

This is it,
Tom thought,
this is the end!

To his right, he saw that Cypher had managed to cling on to the edge of the ledge, too. But they were both hanging helplessly.

Tom looked up. He was only an arm’s length from the edge of a ledge. But he was barely managing to hold on. His fingers were already numb, his arms tingling fiercely with pins and needles.

Swinging his feet, Tom found a foothold. Then, with the last of his strength, he dragged himself up onto the ledge. Once he reached safety, Tom lay there gasping. Time was running out. He had to get to Elenna before it was too late. But he still had to free Cypher. There might not be another chance.

Tom looked to his left. The giant’s fingers were latched onto the edge of a fissure in the rock. Cypher’s massive body dangled from the cliff, his feet disappearing into the mist below.

If Tom was ever going to free the Beast, now was the time. He crept on his hands and knees to where the giant’s fingers gripped the rock face. Tom was going to have to climb down the Beast’s arm in order to reach the lock on the collar.

Tom took his rope and tied one end around a tree root sticking out of a crack in the cliff face. He then tied the other end around his waist. It was now or never.

Creeping slowly, Tom climbed onto the giant’s hand and began to shimmy his way down Cypher’s enormous arm. Tom felt a burst of warm, wretched air hit him from behind as the Beast let out a ferocious roar. But Tom was safe. So long as Cypher was clinging to the ledge, he wouldn’t be able to swat at Tom.

Tom inched his way down until he reached Cypher’s massive shoulder. With sure feet, Tom scrambled across his shoulders and to the back of his neck. Holding on to the gold collar for balance, Tom could almost reach the lock.

He shimmied a little further until he was hanging onto the collar with just one arm while he reached for his key with his free hand. If Cypher moved now, Tom would surely fall.

He took a deep breath as he slid the key into the golden lock. With a popping sound, the gears clicked free and the locked opened. The collar loosened. Cypher was free!

 C
HAPTER
T
EN
 

C
YPHER LET OUT A ROAR OF RELIEF AS THE
collar fell away into the misty depths below. Tom fell along with the collar but stopped with a jerk. His rope held fast.

Dangling above the misty chasm, Tom could see a small ledge just to the left of the giant’s knee. He didn’t know if the Beast would understand, but he called up to him.

Amazingly, Cypher moved his foot to the ledge. With something to stand on, the giant was able to raise himself up onto the ledge above. With a great struggle, Cypher pulled himself to safety.

From below, Tom watched in awe as the Beast
climbed up the rock face, and disappeared over the ledge. Tom sighed with relief. He had succeeded in his mission. Another Beast was set free from Malvel’s evil magic.

Tom’s relief didn’t last long. With a lurch of his stomach, Tom remembered Elenna. He had to get her out of the cave — and soon.

As he searched for a hold, Tom felt the rope around his waist tighten. Someone was pulling him to safety.

With a final jolt, Tom found himself on the ledge at the feet of the giant. Looking up, he saw a kind expression on the Beast’s face. Tom wanted to thank him, but there was no time. He had to rescue Elenna. And, Tom realized, Cypher could help.

Scrambling to his feet, Tom called out to Cypher. “I need your help!”

The Beast let out a booming snort.

“I need to rescue my friend!” Tom cried. “She’s stuck in the cave where you first saw me.”

Cypher didn’t waste a moment. The Beast scooped Tom up in his hand and began moving across the ledge. At its edge was a steep slope that led back down to the cave.

Tom shut his eyes tight as the giant trudged down the mountainside. Cypher’s enormous strides brought them down the slope and back to the caves with amazing speed.

“In there!” Tom called out, pointing to the blocked cave. “She’s in there.” Storm was standing next to the pile of boulders in front of the cave. He had been keeping watch while Tom was gone.

Cypher set Tom down, and with one swift movement of his massive arms, he cleared the debris from the front of the cave. Tom tried to peer in, but couldn’t see through the heavy dust that hung in the air.

Then, in a leaping bound, Silver burst from the entrance.

“Silver!” Tom called excitedly. “Where’s Elenna?”

Silence hung in the air.

“Here. Over here.” Elenna’s voice was quiet and scratchy. Tom rushed into the cave. Elenna was slumped in a corner. She looked pale and very tired, but she was still breathing. She had survived.

Tom helped her out of the cave and into the fresh air and mountain sunlight.

“You did it, Tom. You really did it,” Elenna gasped as she looked up at the towering giant. “Colton and all the other mountain towns will be safe again.”

The color returned quickly to Elenna’s face. She sat up to get a better look at Cypher.

“He doesn’t look so bad, after all,” Elenna said. Tom thought about the chase through the forest, the terrible fall from the cliff, and nearly dropping into a chasm.

“No, not so bad at all,” he said with a satisfied
smile. He had survived another chapter of the Beast Quest.

As Tom was thinking about all the adventures he had survived in the last couple of days, he looked up toward Cypher. The giant’s single eye welled up with a tear. Tom quickly raised his shield — and the tear splashed upon it. The scorched wood burned bright yellow for a few magical moments. Tom ran his fingers over the surface. It was smooth, as if nothing had happened. With a smile and snort, the giant grunted a farewell and lumbered back into the mountains.

Suddenly, five little wolf cubs came bounding out of the cave! Their coats were white with little smudges of gray around their pricked-up ears and tiny feet. Elenna straightened up and looked at Tom. “This was why Silver ran off in the first place,” she said.

“He must have sensed they were in danger,” Tom agreed.

“Not anymore,” said Elenna, pointing back down the path to where a pure white wolf was hovering. “Look — that must be their mother!”

The cubs jumped about excitedly and bounded off toward her. Silver watched as the mother cuffed and licked them, nudging them together into a group.

“She must have lost them in one of the rockslides,” said Elenna, stroking Silver behind the ear. He howled at the mother, who yapped twice, as if in reply. Silver turned and trotted off back down the mountain path.

Tom turned to Elenna. “Come on. Let’s follow him.”

Tom and Elenna made their way back down the path to Colton. Tom led Storm, who followed quietly.

They made the journey back as quickly as their aching muscles allowed. To their surprise, a group of townspeople were waiting near the town hall.

“We heard another rockslide and worried you two were caught in it,” Belco said, sighing with relief.

Tom and Elenna just grinned in response.

“We don’t have much, but we’d be happy to share.” Belco went on. “Won’t you join us in the town hall?”

“I have a feeling we will have to move on soon,” Tom told him. “But thank you all the same.”

Belco nodded. “Well, if you change your mind, you’re always welcome,” he told them, and turned to go back inside.

“Whatever path you take, may it bring you fortune,” said Randall grandly, before ducking into the town hall with the others.

Tom and Elenna shared a glance, then they grabbed each other’s hands and swung around in a dance.

“We did it!” cried Tom. Now that the danger was over he felt overwhelmed by both exhaustion and relief.

“We did!” agreed Elenna, gasping with laughter. As they swung around and around, a figure appeared before them. They stumbled dizzily to a halt. It was the wizard!

“Aduro!” Tom breathed.

“Congratulations, my young friends,” Aduro told them. “I have been watching your progress from the king’s castle.”

“We’ve freed the third Beast,” Tom told him proudly.

“And you have received Cypher’s enchanted teardrop for your shield,” Aduro observed. “It will give you magical protection. Should you ever find yourself plunging from a great height, hold the shield above your head and it will slow your fall.”