Arcta The Mountain Giant (Book)

Arcta The Mountain Giant' is the third book of Series 1: Beast Quest in Beast Quest''. It was published on July 5, 2007.

Synopsis
Tom must free the magical beasts of Avantia from an evil spell. Armed with a sword and shield from the Wizard Aduro, Tom sets off to face the mountain giant. Can Tom save his land from destruction?

Plot
Tom, the young blacksmith's apprentice, and his friend Elenna continue on their quest to free the land of Avantia from the torments of six beasts. They have already succeeded in releasing a dragon and a sea monster from the spell of the evil sorcerer Malvel. Now the two are trekking to the mountains where Arcta, a giant, has been causing avalanches that block the kingdom's trade routes.

After a mudslide nearly kills the friends, they discover the buried remains of a town named Colton. They come across a merchant trying to stop three villagers from stealing supplies for their families. Elenna's tamed wolf, Silver, frightens the men into dropping their bags and fleeing. When a rockslide traps the would-be robbers inside a house, the townspeople think it is justice, but Tom insists on freeing the men from their tomb. While others finally come to their aid, they soon realize that they will not be able to remove the boulders before the house is crushed with the men inside. Tom remembers a lesson from his blacksmith days: Everything has a breaking point. Tom uses his sword to split the rocks, leaving the men to clear the rubble.

Once the thieves are released, they reward Tom for his kindness with information they have about the giant. Cypher lives on a plain in the mountains. Tom and Elenna must follow the main trail but always take the path to the right. The friends follow the men's advice until Silver and Storm, Tom's horse, pull them to the left fork in the road. Another rockslide threatens to kill them. The friends are separated in the avalanche. Elenna and Silver are trapped in a cave. Tom tries to free them but can't before Arcta attacks. The giant is as tall as a tree and large as a house.

Tom must use a magic key given to him by Avantia's wizard, Aduro, to unlock the enchanted chain around Arcta's neck. The chain keeps Arcta bound to Malvel. Tom's success will save not only the kingdom, but also Elenna, since Tom can't free her from the cave until the giant is defeated. Tom leads Arcta away from Elenna and Silver and has to climb the giant to reach the magical lock. Arcta thrashes about and tries to force Tom off of him. Instead of Tom falling off of him, the two plunge over a cliff. Both manage to hang onto the ledge. Tom realizes that this might be his only chance to free Arcta. He climbs down Arcta's arm and reaches the lock. Once the enchanted chain falls away, Arcta is released from Malvel's spell. Tom points out a foothold for the giant to use in order to climb up the cliff. Cypher returns the favor and pulls Tom up behind him. Arcta then helps Tom free Elenna from the cave. Cypher rewards Tom with a tear that splashes onto the boy's shield.

Aduro the wizard appears and tells Tom that the giant's tear has given the shield new magic. If Tom ever finds himself falling from a great height, he need only hold the shield above his head, and it will slow his fall. The wizard also sends the two on their next quest. Tom and Elenna decide to spend the night with the townspeople, knowing they will need their strength to fight the new beast, but also knowing that together, they will be able to defeat any foe.

Chapters
Prologue:
 * 1) A New Adventure
 * 2) Swept Away
 * 3) In the Shadows of the Mountains
 * 4) Buried Alive
 * 5) Danger on the Mountain
 * 6) The Coming of the Beast
 * 7) A Race Against Time
 * 8) Over the Edge
 * 9) New Beginnings

Major Appearances

 * cool
 * Tom
 * Elenna
 * Storm
 * Silver
 * Aduro (vision)
 * Aduro (vision)

Minor Appearances

 * Jack
 * Jack's father
 * Traders
 * Belco
 * Randall
 * Malvel (mentioned)

Other Books in the Series

 * Ferno The Fire Dragon (Book)
 * Sepron The Sea Serpent (Book)
 * Tagus The Horse-Man (Book)
 * Nanook The Snow Monster (Book)