Vedra and Krimon the Twin Dragons by Adam Blade Read Free Book Online Page A

ASKED. Tom could see tears shining in her eyes as she cradled the Beast.
    â€œWhy ask me?” he snapped. “I’m not a wizard who knows everything!”
    Elenna bit her lip.
    â€œI’m sorry,” he said, breathing deeply. He knew he had to fight against the anger. It would only cloud his mind and make things more difficult. But the whimpering of Krimon was making his head ache.
    The dragon cried out again. Tom turned to the Beast, shaking, his hand on his sword hilt as he snarled, “Be quiet!”
    â€œTom, he isn’t making a sound,” Elenna said.
    Tom stared at her. “I can hear him,” he said. “He’s howling and moaning.”
    â€œNo, he isn’t.”
    Tom looked at Krimon. The red dragon was perfectly still and calm. Then where was the whimpering and crying out coming from?
    A sudden understanding dawned. “It’s Vedra!” he gasped.
    â€œI can’t hear anything,” Elenna said.
    â€œI can — listen closely. There!” Tom said. He stared around the junction of the seven paths. Facing one of them, he heard Vedra’s cries grow louder.
    â€œHe’s this way!” he said. “Come on — try to get Krimon to follow.”
    Tom ran down the path, filled with new faith in himself. Seth had put an evil charm on him to try and make him fail — and now that same charm was leading him to the Quest’s end.
    Elenna and Krimon followed as Tom ran through the maze, kicking up clumps of snow as he went. His breath was white smoke in the freezing night air. Krimon’s voice was loud now — the lost Beast was very close.
    The full moon had risen above the hedges and was shining down into the labyrinth of snow-laden holly trees. But they still had a little while before it reached the top of the sky. Time to succeed … or time to fail.
    Tom came to a fork in the maze.
    â€œI can hear him now,” Elenna cried, coming up behind him as he hesitated at the junction.
    With Tom in the lead, they turned a final bend and came stumbling into a wide circular clearing. Vedra was there in the center — pinned to the ground by thick spiked chains of gold. As the Beast struggled, the spikes tore his flesh, and Tom saw that the injuries were worst around Vedra’s neck, where threads of blood ran down his shining scales. Tom realized that these must be the injuries Krimon was feeling.
    Standing just out of reach of the dragon was Seth. The boy smiled as Tom and Elenna and Krimon came into the clearing.
    â€œI see you have come to watch the full moon with us,” Seth said with a mocking bow. “My master hoped you would be here in time to see the Beasts corrupted.”
    Tom was about to launch himself at the smirking boy, when Krimon ran past him toward his captive twin.
    To Tom’s surprise, Seth took a sudden sidestep toward Vedra and jerked at the end of his chains. The golden links fell away from the Beast and he rose from the ground.
    But Tom could see that something had happened to the green dragon. As his twin ran forward, Vedra reared up, his eyes gleaming with wicked magic. His jaws opened and a burst of fierce red fire spurted toward Krimon. A moment later, Vedra leaped at his brother, roaring with anger, his jaws wide, his claws raised.
    Malvel’s dark magic was in Vedra’s blood — he had already been turned to evil. Tom was too late.

W ITH A CRY OF RAGE , T OM RUSHED TOWARD Vedra to stop him from attacking his twin. But Seth sprang forward, his bronze sword whirling in the moonlight. “You can’t do anything now. Vedra is ours!”
    â€œTry fighting me one-on-one,” Tom challenged his opponent. “No magic tricks.”
    Seth grinned, his face pure evil. “I don’t need magic to defeat you.” Quick as a snake, Seth struck out with his bronze sword and sent Tom’s blade leaping from his hand.
    Tom fell back as blow after savage blow rained down on his