10 The Thirteenth Knight

CHAPTER 10

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.