The Thirteenth Knight Read online

  “OWWW!” he cried, letting go of the scale and shaking off the burn. The horn sounded, and the knight made his exit from the challenge.

  One by one the contestants failed to remove the scale. Then it was Gilbert’s turn. He walked toward the scale with his shoulders back and his head held high. Clara couldn’t help but admire his courage.

  “Go, Gilbert!” she found herself saying.

  Then Gilbert laid hold of the scale, and to everyone’s surprise . . . it came right out! The crowd cheered and waved their Wrenly banners.

  Then it was Clara’s turn, but just as she stepped forward, another squire shoved her out of the way and rushed toward the gleaming scale.

  “Hey!” she shouted.

  But the rude squire ignored her. He walked up and grabbed hold of the dragon scale. Then he let go instantly, screeching in pain.

  Well, he got what he deserved, Clara thought. And now it was her turn. She moved toward the scale, and as she went she cleared her thoughts of anger and doubt. Then she grabbed hold of the scale.

  Pop! She plucked the scale from the side of the volcano.

  The crowd cheered and whistled again.

  Clara examined the scale. She was surprised by how light it felt. It was also not hot at all. In fact, it was cool to the touch. She stuck the scale back into the side of the volcano and joined Gilbert in the winner’s circle.

  None of the other contestants after Clara succeeded in removing the scale—except Tublock. Finally the horn sounded, signaling the end of the first task.

  “Hear ye! Hear ye!” the Head Spire called. “We have three semifinalists, who will continue to the next round: the squire Gilbert, the lady Clara, and the giant Tublock!”

  The crowd roared. But no one cheered as loudly as Lucas.

  The Steam Caverns

  * * *

  The next day the three remaining contestants arrived at the base of the volcano. The Spires led them to the Steam Caverns. These were caves formed inside the volcano by ancient lava flows.

  “To qualify for the final round, you must be the first through the Steam Caverns,” said the Head Spire. “Good luck.”

  The contestants stepped into the mouth of the cave. Clara waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then she spotted three different paths—one to her left, one to her right, and one straight ahead.

  “I’ll take the right,” Gilbert said, and darted toward that tunnel, which had the most light.

  “I’ll go left,” Tublock said, and lumbered toward the tallest tunnel.

  Clara stared at the middle tunnel. She wasted no time and dashed into the darkness. Once inside, she had to feel her way along the cold, jagged walls with her hands. Soon the cold gave way to warmth. The farther she walked, the hotter and brighter the tunnel became. The walls around her glowed. I must be near the heart of the volcano, she thought. Along the way Clara brushed several spiderwebs from her face as she pressed on in the unbearable heat.

  Then the tunnel narrowed. Clara started to crawl on her hands and knees along the craggy dried lava. Hot steam burned her cheeks. Finally she squeezed through the passage and could stand up again. In the distance, she spied an opening on the other side of the volcano.

  Clara gasped. The opening was guarded by a massive spider! She quickly looked for another way out. To her right a tunnel branched away from the spider.

  Clara raced through the tunnel and stopped short. There was a river of flowing lava blocking her way. A path of stepping-stones stretched across the molten river. Clara took a deep breath and hopscotched her way to the other side. She saw before her a spider-free opening ahead. The finish line was so close!

  That was when Clara heard a low groan. She looked over her shoulder, and there, across the lava river, was Tublock. The giant had fallen to his knees from the heat. He wiped sweat from his brow. This heat is too much for a giant, Clara thought. He’ll never make it over the lava without help.

  Clara didn’t think twice. She dashed back and helped Tublock to his feet. Then, step by step, Clara helped her friend across the lava. The horn sounded just as they reached the other side. Gilbert had won the challenge.

  Tublock sighed and wiped a tear from his eye. “I’m sorry I slowed you down,” he said.

  Clara nudged him with her elbow. “I would never leave a friend alone.”

  The two of them walked to the finish line together. The crowd cheered as they stepped into the fresh air. Clara showed Tublock to the medical tent. Then she returned and sat down beside Gilbert.

  “Congratulations on winning the challenge!” she said to him.

  Gilbert bit his lip. “Thanks,” he said. “That was noble of you to help Tublock.”

  Clara smiled as they watched the Head Spire return to the platform.

  “Attention!” he shouted. “We have two victors in this challenge—Squire Gilbert for coming in first place and Lady Clara for never leaving a fellow competitor behind. You will both compete in the final game tomorrow.”

  The audience stood and clapped. Prince Lucas rushed to greet his friends.

  “Congratulations to both of you!” he cried. “Tomorrow one of you may become the Thirteenth Knight!”

  The Finalists

  * * *

  “Finalists!” called the Head Spire. “Today you must climb the stone staircase to the top of the volcano. The clue to completing the last test awaits you there.”

  The large crowd murmured with concern. Climbing the steep path was dangerous. Clara and Gilbert started up the stairs. Every few steps the volcano rumbled and shook. The two contestants had to lean into the mountainside to keep from falling.

  “Should we be climbing an active volcano?” asked Gilbert uncertainly.

  The mountain rumbled again, and Gilbert tumbled into Clara. They held on to each other until the rumbling stopped.

  “No,” Clara said. “Climbing an active volcano isn’t brave—it’s crazy!”

  Gilbert laughed nervously. “You’re right,” he agreed. “It’s totally crazy.”

  This time they both laughed, and their laughter bonded them together.

  “Maybe it would be wiser to turn back,” Gilbert suggested.

  The mountain shook violently again as Clara and Gilbert grabbed hold of the rocky wall.

  “Or . . . what if we stuck together and helped each other to the top instead?” Clara suggested.

  Gilbert admired Clara’s courage and nodded slowly. “You’re right.”

  So they both came up with a plan. First they spaced themselves apart on the stairs so they wouldn’t knock each other over. Then they crouched low and used their hands to steady themselves against the side of the unstable mountain.

  Slowly they crept upward. A fiery-hot wind blew down from above.

  “We made it!” Gilbert said as they climbed onto a wide rim that circled the top of the smoky volcano. On the ground before them lay different weapons: A sword, a bow, arrows, potions, a spear, and the dragon scale from the challenge the day before.

  Gilbert swallowed hard. “What are we supposed to do with these weapons?”

  But before Clara could answer, Mount Fireburst erupted.

  Clara and Gilbert covered their heads. But instead of lava, an enormous yellow dragon burst forth from the volcano. The beast flapped its great golden wings and then landed in front of the children. Gilbert picked up a sword from the ground and stood in front of Clara. The dragon raised its enormous wings and stalked toward them.

  “Grab a weapon!” Gilbert cried as the dragon forced them toward the edge of the volcano.

  Clara quickly grabbed the dragon scale.

  “How can you fight with that?” Gilbert shouted. No sooner had he said it than the dragon opened its jaws and breathed a great whoosh of fire. Clara leaped in front of Gilbert and held up the scale, shielding both of them from the flame.

  The two kids stood very still to see what the dragon would do next. But the dragon simply turned away and flew from the volcano. Then everything became q
uiet and peaceful. A gentle wind blew, and the volcano stopped shaking. The only sound they could hear was the Horn of the Knight Spires from down below.

  BALOOO!

  The game was over.

  The Thirteenth Knight

  * * *

  Clara and Gilbert hurried to the bottom of the volcano, sword and shield still in hand. Their faces were smudged and scorched. The crowd whistled and cheered as the two entered the arena. The Head Spire congratulated both of them. Then he lifted his hands toward the sky.

  “And now the judge will select a winner!”

  A great shadow swooped over the crowd, and the yellow dragon landed gracefully in front of Clara and Gilbert. The judge had arrived.

  A hush fell over the crowd. The great beast stepped forward and sniffed Clara. Then it sniffed Gilbert. The dragon stalked around the contestants in a circle. Clara noticed that the dragon had a missing scale at the base of his neck—just like the golden scale she held in her hand.

  Finally the dragon bowed its mighty head to the ground . . . right in front of Clara.

  “We have a WINNER!” the Head Spire cried. “Lady Clara is hereby declared the Thirteenth Knight!”

  The crowd jumped to its feet and cheered. Each of the three Spires stood.

  The Head Spire spoke first. “Lady Clara, by choosing the dragon scale, you showed great cleverness.” He bowed and stepped back.

  The second Spire stepped forward. “And by using the scale as a shield, you showed quick thinking.” He bowed and stepped back.

  Then the third Squire stepped forward, holding a golden sword. “By throwing yourself in front of the dragon’s flame, you protected your friend. This showed great bravery.” Then she handed the sword to Clara.

  The crowd jumped and cheered for the new Knight Spire. They chanted, “CLARA! CLARA!”

  Gilbert held out his arms and hugged Clara. “You truly deserve this honor,” he said.

  Then the royal family, Ruskin, Tublock, and Clara’s parents came down to congratulate the winner.

  “My best friend is a Knight Spire!” Lucas cried proudly.

  The Head Spire patted the prince on the back and then turned to Clara. “You realize that you are the youngest Spire in history,” he added. “That means you still have much training ahead of you.”

  Clara nodded.

  King Caleb spoke up. “Clara will train right alongside Prince Lucas.”

  Then the Head Spire presented Clara with a suit of armor made of shimmering dragon scales. Clara curtsied, admiring the armor’s unique strength and beauty.

  “Thank you!” she said. “But why is the yellow dragon still bowing before me?”

  The Head Spire smiled. “Because Firestorm has chosen you,” he said. “From now on, she will be your partner throughout your knightly training and adventures. Just as I ride a lion and my fellow Spires ride a bear and a tiger, you will ride this dragon.”

  Firestorm smiled at Clara, who took the golden scale and placed it upon the dragon’s neck. Instantly the Wrenly coat of arms appeared on the scale. Then Clara put on her new armor and climbed on top of the beast. Firestorm stood up, spread her wings, and lifted Clara into the sky.

  The adventures of the Thirteenth Knight had begun.

  About the Author and Illustrator

  * * *

  JORDAN QUINN grew up in a fairy-tale castle in England. It had a spiral stone staircase, a moat, and a dungeon. As a child she liked to play hide-and-go-seek and ride her beloved horse, Prince Charming. When she wasn’t riding, she wrote stories about fairies, trolls, dragons, and wizards. Today, Jordan lives on a ranch in California with her husband, son, and a golden retriever named Sir Toots-a-Lot.

  ROBERT McPHILLIPS has been involved in a wide variety of projects over the years—from illustrating greeting cards to animation, though he especially loves illustrating children’s books. Robert makes his home in North Devon, England, with his wife, Sam.

  KingdomofWrenly.com

  Little Simon

  Simon & Schuster, New York

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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  First Little Simon paperback edition May 2018

  Copyright © 2018 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Also available in a Little Simon hardcover edition.

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  Designed by Laura Roode

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Quinn, Jordan, author. | McPhillips, Robert, 1971– illustrator.

  Title: The Thirteenth Knight / by Jordan Quinn ; illustrated by Robert McPhillips.

  Description: First Little Simon edition. | New York : Little Simon, 2018. | Series: The Kingdom of Wrenly ; 13 | Summary: Clara, Tublock, and many others compete to become one of the ultimate defenders of the Kingdom of Wrenly, a member of the elite Knight Spires. | Identifiers: LCCN 2017044069 | ISBN 9781534412743 (pbk) |

  ISBN 9781534412750 (hc) | ISBN 9781534412767 (eBook)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Knights and knighthood—Fiction. | Contests—Fiction. | Conduct of life—Fiction. | Princes—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic. | JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General. | JUVENILE FICTION / Readers / Chapter Books.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.Q31945 Thi 2018 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017044069