Beast Quest #1: Ferno the Fire Dragon by Adam Blade Page B

they just seemed to keep coming. Tom had told his uncle Henry about the strange fire, and Henry had decided to call an emergency meeting of the whole village. Nothing like this had ever happened in Errinel before, and Tom couldn’t ignore the hard knot of nervousness in his stomach. From the low murmurs coming from the crowd, he could tell that everyone else was on edge, too.
    Uncle Henry stood on a wooden bench in front of the villagers. Tom waited off to the side with his aunt Maria. She looked tired and worried.
    “This meeting is open,” Uncle Henry announced. “Now, I’ve heard plenty of rumors, but let’s try to deal with facts.”
    “The troubles get worse each day!” called John Blake.
“That’s
a fact!”
    “Have you seen the river?” a woman asked. “It’s running so low that we will soon run out of drinking water.”
    “We’re cursed!” an old man shouted. “I don’t believe in curses,” said Uncle Henry firmly. “But it is clear that our village needs aid. Someone must go to the king and request help, while the rest of us try to figure out why this is happening.”
    Tom smiled. He could picture himself traveling to the city to ask for help and save his village. Itwas the opportunity he had been waiting for! A real adventure! He stepped forward.
“I’ll
go to the palace.”
    There were murmurs of astonishment from the crowd and a few chuckles.
    “Trust the fate of our village to a boy? Ha!”
    Uncle Henry spoke quietly. “No, Tom. You’re too young to take such a trip on your own. I will go as Head of Errinel.”
    Suddenly, a young, ragged boy, smeared in soot, pushed through the crowd. It was Adam from nearby Dreen Farm.
    “Help!” gasped Adam. “Our hay barn is on fire!”
    “We’re all cursed!” wailed a woman.
    “Gretlin! John! Take twenty men and fetch water from the river!” roared Henry. “The rest of you bring spades — if we can’t quench the fire we’ll bury it in mud. Quickly!”
    Aunt Maria looked at Uncle Henry as the crowdrushed to obey. “These people need you here as their leader,” she said quietly.
    “You can’t go!” added Tom. “And who else can be spared? Harvest is the busiest time of year for the whole village.”
    Uncle Henry turned to Tom. “Very well. You’re young and fit, and I have to let you go out into the world sooner or later. You may go to the king’s palace. But you must leave first thing tomorrow!”
    Tom hugged his uncle. “I won’t let you down,” he swore, turning to hug Aunt Maria as well. His heart was doing somersaults. He couldn’t believe it. Tomorrow he was setting off for the palace on a real quest — a chance for adventure at last!

C HAPTER T HREE

    W HISPERS OF B EASTS
    I T WAS STILL DARK WHEN T OM BEGAN HIS journey. And as the sun rose, he saw that Errinel wasn’t the only place in trouble. He passed fields and meadows that lay black and dead. Dry ditches traced paths where streams had once flowed.
    On and on Tom walked, ignoring his tired muscles and aching feet. He was determined to get to the city and talk to the king! As he got closer to the high city walls, other people joined him on the dusty road.
    Men cantered by on horseback. Families walked beside donkeys weighed down with packs. He could hear them muttering to one another. Onefarmer was selling sheep at the market; another hoped to get a good price for his oats and barley. But many of the weary travelers seemed to be fleeing famine and danger and, just like Tom, were heading to the palace to ask for help. Tom started to walk faster.
    The city gates were open. As Tom passed through them he felt a new surge of energy. He was here at last!
    He pushed his way through the narrow, crooked streets. There were tall wooden houses on each side of him and traders were standing by stalls, calling out to people to come and buy their wares. The air was muggy, the smell of cooking mingling with the market animals and the people jostling through the crowded street.