The WARRIOR’S ROAD

KobAGhoul of the

Shadows

®

With special thanks to Allan Frewin Jones

For Samuel Robin Beeson

www.beastquest.co.uk

ORCHARD BOOKS338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH

Orchard Books AustraliaLevel 17/207 Kent St, Sydney, NSW 2000

A Paperback OriginalFirst published in Great Britain in 2013

Beast Quest is a registered trademark of Beast Quest LimitedSeries created by Beast Quest Limited, London

Text © Beast Quest Limited 2013Inside illustrations by Pulsar Estudio (Beehive Illustration)

Cover illustration by Steve Sims © Orchard Books 2013

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 40832 407 3

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

Printed in Great Britain

The paper and board used in this paperback are natural recyclable products made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The

manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

Orchard Books is a division of Hachette Children’s Books, an Hachette UK company

www.hachette.co.uk

KobAGhoul of the

Shadows

®

BY ADAM BLADE

Greetings, whoever reads this.

I am Tanner, Avantia’s first Master of the Beasts. I fear I have little time left. My life slips away, and I write these few words as a testament for whoever may come across my remains. I have reached the end of my final journey. But a new warrior’s journey is just beginning…

With the death of a Master, a new hero must take on the responsibility of guarding the kingdom of Avantia. Avantia needs a true warrior to wear the Golden Armour. He or she must walk the Warrior’s Road – a test of valour and strength. I have succeeded, but it has cost me my life. I only hope those who follow survive.

May fortune be with you,

Tanner

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Prologue

Sixty years ago...

The gateway of the castle opened like

a gaping mouth, and a wide path of

glowing cobblestones ran from it like a

glimmering red tongue.

The young wizard in the green robe

turned, his eyes following the track

through the rugged landscape of rocks

and ravines.

“Why should I, Jezrin, travel the

long hard path of the Warrior’s Road?”

10

he said, with a sneer. “Magic is so

much quicker!”

A cry of pain sounded from the

other side of the open gate. I’m just in

time, he thought, as he ran through

the gate into a wide courtyard. On the

cobbles, a man in golden armour lay

groaning in agony. Jezrin crouched

beside him, running his fingers over

the gold.

“A suit of magical armour would be

most useful to me,” he said, prising

open the visor on the helmet. He

gazed pitilessly down at the man’s

face. The eyes were dim, but breath

was still rasping between gritted teeth.

“Not quite dead yet, eh?” said

Jezrin. “But very close, I think.” He

smiled. “You won’t need this finery

any more.” He began to tug the

golden gauntlets off the man’s hands.

11

A great roar filled the courtyard,

shaking the ground and echoing

loudly between the walls. Jezrin’s

stomach knotted with fear.

He glanced up in time to see a

mighty fist swinging through the air.

Yelping with terror, Jezrin flung

himself across the dying knight’s

chest. He felt the wind of the

sweeping arm on his neck.

A moment slower and my head would

have been torn from my shoulders!

He scrambled to his feet, staring up

at a terrible form that towered over

him.

It was a great Beast. From beneath

heavy curved brows, two eyes stared

down at him. One eye glowed as

green as poison, the other blazed

orange like fire. Jezrin’s chest

tightened with dread.

12

“Koba, Ghoul of the Shadows!” he

gasped.

The Beast’s mouth twisted into

a grimace, the stench of his breath

almost knocking Jezrin from his feet.

Koba’s massive leathery head was

crowned with spikes and one of his

huge pointed ears was hung with

golden rings. Muscular arms reached

down, the snatching fingers tipped

with double claws like the tails of

scorpions.

Jezrin grabbed the dying knight’s

hand, and tried to drag him away

across the courtyard. I’ve not come

all this way to flee empty-handed, he

thought. I will have the power of the

Master of the Beasts, if it’s the last thing

I do!

Koba’s orange and green eyes

pulsed with evil delight. Jezrin had

only taken a few paces when a mind-

shredding pain flared behind his eyes.

“Arrgh!”

Releasing the knight’s hand, Jezrin

13

14

dropped to his knees, clutching his

head. A voice burned deep in his

skull:

“You have not walked the Warrior’s

Road. You do not deserve to be here.”

Jezrin felt his body leave the

ground. He opened his eyes and found

that he was hanging upside down

from his ankles, suspended from

Koba’s forked fingertips.

He heard a distant cracking sound

and saw the sky being torn open.

Through the ragged hole, he glimpsed

the palace of King Theo of Avantia.

“No!” he cried. “I’m not ready to go

back!”

With a flick of his powerful wrist,

the Beast flung Jezrin towards the

sky-portal.

The Wizard managed to twist

around in midair.

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“Beware, Koba!” he shouted. “You

have not seen the last of me! I shall

return – and Avantia will be mine!”

17

Chapter One

The Deserted Castle

The Hooded Man’s words rang in

Tom’s mind as he stared across the

ruins of the Last City.

The Road is a trick. It never ends.

Tom turned and saw his own doubt

mirrored in Elenna’s face. Silver lay

with his muzzle between his paws, his

sad eyes turned up towards them.

“Well?” asked the Hooded Man.

18

“What is your decision?”

Biting his lip, Tom looked into the

man’s blue eyes.

They’re just like my eyes...

Tom was still reeling. The Hooded

Man had followed them down the

Road, but he’d only just revealed his

true identity. The Hooded Man was

Tom’s future self, beaten and weighed

down by many years of walking the

Warrior’s Road.

It can‘t be real, Tom thought. Is this

how I’ll look one day?

But despite the ancient scars and the

broken nose, Tom had to admit – this

man looked so much like him.

There was a sudden cracking sound

and Tom turned sharply. A dark hole,

outlined with silver light, had appeared

under the pillars of a collapsed arch.

The next portal, Tom thought. On each

19

stage of this Quest, Tom had had to

step through a magical doorway.

“You’ll press on, despite my

warning?” sneered the Hooded Man.

“Then you truly are the greatest fool

ever to walk this Road!”

“Maybe I am,” Tom said. “But

I never turn away from a Quest.”

And if I don’t prove myself worthy of

being the Master of the Beasts, the Judge

will conquer Avantia.

He caught Elenna by the hand.

“Follow me,” he whispered. Then he

seized the Hooded Man’s wrist.

“What new stupidity is this?” cried

the old warrior.

The dark portal loomed over them.

“You’re coming with us,” said Tom.

“Two Toms are better than one!” Then

he gave a hard yank, pulling the two

of them with him.

20

“No!” The older man tried to drag

himself back, but Tom plunged

through the archway.

He shut his eyes against a sudden

blinding light. When he opened them

again, he found himself squinting up

at a high wall of smooth black marble.

It was a castle, with great towers and

battlements and turrets. Glowing red

cobbles led to a massive gatehouse.

The Warrior’s Road.

Tom released his grip on Elenna, and

on the Hooded Man. He marched in

through the gate, keeping a grip on

the hilt of his sword. Elenna and Silver

were at his side. He glanced over his

shoulder to make sure that his future

self was still following. This is like

nothing I’ve ever encountered before! he

thought.

Inside was a courtyard, with more

black walls rising on every side. At the

far side of the courtyard, a trestle table

was laid with steaming pies and fresh

loaves of bread. There were platters

of fried fish, and overflowing bowls of

fresh vegetables.

“It’s as though everyone just

21

Empty courtyard inside the castle walls – Tom

enters, his hand on the hilt of his sword (but

sword is still in its hilt), Elenna and Silver

follow as does the Hodded Man, his face

exposed: In the courtyard we see:

more black walls rising on every side. At the

far side of the courtyard, a trestle table was

laid with steaming pies and fresh loaves of

bread. There were platters of fried fish, and

overflowing bowls of fresh vegetables.

There’s even a filled dog bowl on the ground

22

vanished in the middle of a normal

day,” said Elenna. She pointed.

“There’s even a filled dog bowl on the

ground.”

“Hello?” Tom shouted.

His voice echoed around the

courtyard, but no one came in

response to his call. Silence fell, as

though the castle were holding its

breath.

Waiting to pounce...

Silver bounded over to the bowl and

ate hungrily.

“Silver, careful,” called Elenna. “It

might be bad.”

“He would know tainted food by its

smell,” said Tom, sniffing the aromas

that drifted from the table. “I think

this is all good to eat.”

The Hooded Man shoved past Tom

and strode to the table. He picked up a

23

large pie in both hands and took a bite.

“Apple pie!” he mumbled through

a mouthful. “It’s good! Just like Aunt

Maria used to bake!”

Elenna gave Tom a puzzled glance.

He knew exactly what she was

thinking, because he was thinking the

same thing:

Aunt Maria’s speciality is cherry pie.

Frowning, Elenna walked up to the

older Tom, looking him up and down.

“What are you goggling at?” he

sneered, before taking another bite.

“A greedy man,” said Elenna. She

looked towards Tom, nodding at the

Hooded Man’s sword.

Tom understood in a moment.

His sword is on his right hip – I wear

mine on my left.

He began to look more carefully at

the man. Where his collar hung open,

24

Tom saw a long, deep scar that ran from

his throat to his shoulder.

“How did you get that scar?” asked

Tom.

“It was in a battle with a Beast,” the

Hooded Man muttered, not meeting

Tom’s eyes. “A Beast called...erm,

Arctune. A fearsome monster that

dwelled in the land of…of…Gwiltia…to

the far south of Avantia.”

“I’ve never heard of Gwiltia,” said

Tom.

“How could you? It hasn’t happened

to you yet,” said the man impatiently.

“But I’ve seen maps of Avantia and all

the realms that surround it – and there

is no land called Gwiltia.”

“He’s right!” said Elenna, taking her

bow off her shoulder and setting an

arrow to the string. “Besides – how

could you have visited a land to the far

south of Avantia if you never left the

Warrior’s Road?”

The Hooded Man stared at her in

silence.

Tom drew his sword. “Tell us the

truth,” he demanded.

The man’s cloak started to twitch

and writhe. Deep in the shadows of

the hood, his eyes glowed and grew,

changing colour.

Tom gave a gasp as he saw one green

eye and one orange eye glaring at him.

Silver growled and bared his teeth.

“Stay back!” Tom shouted. “He’s

transforming!”

A moment later the dark cloak

exploded into a seething mass of

snakes. Hissing and spitting, the snakes

slithered away while the Hooded

Man’s form began to bulge, ripping

through his clothing to reveal the

25

26

leathery skin beneath.

His head swelled too, his ears

growing pointed, and hung with

golden rings. His legs seemed to

vanish, wreathed in swirling smoke.

The mouth stretched into a hideous

expression that was half fury and half

mocking smile. Tom stumbled back

Standing beside the tables of food, in palace courtyard, the

Hooded Man transforms into Koba…

“A moment later the dark cloak exploded into a

seething mass of snakes. Hissing and spitting, the

snakes slithered away while the Hooded Man’s

form began to bulge, ripping through his clothing

to reveal leathery skin beneath.

His head swelled too, his ears growing pointed, and

hung with golden rings. His legs seemed to vanish,

wreathed in swirling smoke.

The mouth stretched into a hideous expression

that was half fury and half mocking smile. Tom

stumbled back from a blast of reeking breath. The

Beast’s arms unfolded and the fingers flexed to

reveal long forked claws.”

27

from a blast of reeking breath. The

Beast’s arms unfolded and the fingers

flexed to reveal long forked claws.

A fearsome voice burst into Tom’s

head.

“My name is Koba, and you have proved

yourself a worthy opponent!”