by Matt Phelan
The villagers recoiled, stepping back and huddling close. Several let out screams.
“A nuggle!” cried Mordred, clapping with glee.
“A what now?” said Bors.
Morgause swept onto the nuggle’s back and scooped up Mordred to sit behind her. She sneered at Agravaine and Gareth. Then she turned to Magdalena.
“You have chosen poorly, Black Knight.”
And with that, Morgause and Mordred rode straight off the cliff.
“Crikey,” said Erec.
The nuggle dropped down to the ocean below. It landed on the surface and broke into a gallop, as if the sea were a field of grass. Morgause and Mordred held tight.
A thunder of hooves rang out, and several more nuggles gathered at the cliff in a line, blocking the knights and villagers from pursuit. The nuggles snorted with menace, digging their hooves in the sod.
“Splendid!” cried Sir Erec. “More creepy water horse thingies!”
The knights approached the nuggles.
“Stop!” yelled Greer. “If you mount a nuggle, it will take you to the bottom of the sea. They will drown each and every one of you!”
“Oh,” said Erec. He paused.
Then he swung up onto the back of the nearest nuggle. Magdalena, Bors, Hector, and Mel followed suit.
“You are insane,” said Greer.
“We are knights. Sanity does not enter into it. We must stop Morgause. These creatures will take us to her,” said Erec.
“They will drown you,” said Greer slowly.
“They will try,” corrected Magdalena.
“But first they will take us to sea,” added Mel.
Agravaine and Gareth also mounted nuggles.
“For Arthur!” shouted Agravaine.
And without another word, the nuggles leaped from the cliff, landed on the ocean’s surface, and galloped across the waves, carrying the seven heroes.
The villagers gathered at the edge of the cliff. None spoke. Then Greer smiled and she cheered. All the villagers joined in, raising their pitchforks and torches, filled with something like hope for the first time in many days.
Chapter Sixteen
A Watery Grave
Far out to sea, surrounded by darkness and the cold, cruel, roiling deep, the heroes spotted Morgause. The nuggles charged across the waves.
“Faster, you monstrous thing,” called Erec. “Faster!”
The nuggles did increase their speed, but with each stride they dipped below the surface, beginning their descent to their true destination at the bottom of the sea. They would not reach Morgause in time. It was clear that the nuggles, guided by an ancient and mysterious evil, would indeed take their riders to their drowning deaths.
Bors let out a fierce battle cry. Hector pushed his nuggle to ride faster. Erec grimly set his eyes on Morgause as the waves crashed higher and higher against his steed. Magdalena led the band, determined and unafraid. Agravaine and Gareth drove their nuggles the hardest, fueled by a lifetime of mistreatment and guilt for their role bringing such darkness to the world.
Mel was thinking.
She calculated the distance. She took note of the direction of the wind. She timed the crest of each wave and noticed their frequency.
And then she slipped her bow from her back and pulled an arrow from her quiver. She steadied herself as best she could. Her nuggle had sunk to its belly.
She took aim.
She let the arrow fly.
Mel held her breath as the arrow soared up, up, into the night sky.
She could see the arc of its flight. It would begin its inevitable descent soon. It would fall short of its mark.
This was the end.
But she would not give up hope. The sea rose to her waist, but still she kept her eyes on the arrow.
And the arrow began to glow. It burned bright, as if on fire, and seemed to pick up speed.
Suddenly a ship appeared from the mist, and there at the prow stood Merlin, his wand raised toward Mel’s arrow.
The nuggle dove under the waves. Mel slipped from its back, but the nuggle’s seaweed tail wrapped around her leg and dragged her down into the darkness.
A hand grabbed Mel’s wrist, and a knife sliced through the seaweed. Magdalena swam upward, pulling Mel to the surface.
Erec, Hector, and Bors swam nearby, also free of their nuggles. Agravaine and Gareth bobbed up to the surface. Merlin’s boat sailed alongside the heroes, and there on the deck was Sir Gawain, tossing a fishing net into the sea. All grabbed hold, and Gawain and several others aboard pulled them to safety.
With a final flourish of his wand, Merlin sent Mel’s flaming arrow down. It struck Morgause in the shoulder. Wounded, but still astride her nuggle, she halted and turned her steed back. Mordred held tight to her waist. Morgause urged her nuggle in a great circle, faster and faster, creating a vast whirlpool. A column of mist rose from the center and formed a massive cloud that blew toward the mainland.
Merlin turned to the others on the ship.
“Well done, brave heroes. Allow me to take it from here.” Merlin caught Mel’s eye and held it for a moment. He gave her a cheerful wink. “I believe this requires a slightly magical touch.”
The wizard leaped from the boat. A great whale surfaced and Merlin landed upon its back, riding the whale toward Morgause and the whirlpool.
Mel and the others watched from the deck. The whale and the nuggle faced off, the whale’s mighty tail slapping the water and knocking the nuggle over. Morgause and Mordred hung on. Merlin and the whale attacked again. As they fought, both the nuggle and the whale were sucked into the center of the whirlpool. It swirled and churned around them.
Then it stopped. The sea was calm. The thick cloud still drifted toward land. But Merlin, Morgause, and Mordred were gone.
Chapter Seventeen
The Dark Age
The companions sailed for England immediately and made their way to Camelot as fast as possible. The journey was quiet and tense. Each night brought with it the hint of shadow, a trace of mist, and an overall feeling of unease. No monsters emerged, but the company had no doubt that they were lurking.
Spirits were low. True, Morgause and Mordred were gone, but so was Merlin. A bit of magical power fighting for the side of good would be useful, if not necessary, to vanquish the monsters.
Finally the knights and Mel arrived home. The doors to Camelot opened, and the band entered without fanfare. The castle seemed strangely quiet and empty. They made their way to the chamber of the Round Table.
Bors pushed open the door, and Mel let out a sharp gasp.
“Merlin!”
The wizard sat alone at the table. He was knitting. He looked up as they approached with a smile.
“Scarves are trickier than you would think,” he said, indicating the yarn. “Come in, brave knights and courageous archer.”
“But we saw you and Morgause—” started Bors.
“You were swallowed by the whirlpool,” finished Hector.
Merlin chuckled.
“Oh, it takes more than a whirlpool to end me. However,” he added vaguely, “I must keep an eye out for certain trees, apparently. But that’s neither here nor there.”
“And Queen Morgause?” asked Magdalena.
“Ah, well,” said Merlin, packing away his knitting things. “I’m afraid a whirlpool is not enough to defeat Morgause, either. We have not seen the last of her. Or the boy.”
The last was mumbled, but Mel heard clearly.
“You mean Mordred?”
Merlin looked up and straight into Mel’s eyes.
“Perhaps. One can never know exactly what will happen, can one? People do change. Some for the better.”
He rose and patted Mel on the back.
“Cheer up, brave heroes! Don’t look so downtrodden.”
“But the monsters,” said Erec. “We failed to stop them.”
“They also failed to stop you,” said Merlin pointedly.
He paused, then c
ontinued.
“And you managed to protect an entire village of innocent people. They know what you did for them. More importantly, they know what can be done. There are monsters in our land, creatures of legend and creatures that will become legend. Nightmares that existed in the minds of good people now walk the roads at night. But they can be fought. You have proven that. You, Band of the Terrible Lizards, have inspired those people.”
“And that is exactly what we need,” said a voice from the shadows.
Erec, Bors, Hector, Magdalena, and Mel all knelt as King Arthur joined them at the table.
“Rise, all of you,” said Arthur. “There is much to be done.”
The company stood before their king.
“A dark age is upon us,” continued Arthur. “That is true. Yet we cannot give in to fear. We mustn’t give up on hope. We must fight for—and believe in—a better age ahead.”
Mel stood a bit taller as Arthur looked in her direction.
“I need—England needs—a band dedicated to protecting our citizens from the monsters that are among us,” said Arthur. “We need specialists. Given your rather unusual experiences, I can think of no better company.”
The band exchanged silent glances.
“We would be honored, King Arthur,” said Erec.
“Good.”
Arthur and Merlin walked together to the door.
“Besides,” Arthur added, “as grail hunters you were complete rubbish.”
Merlin cast a final look back. He caught Mel’s eye.
“And, archer,” said Merlin with a smile, “do let me know if you’d like to learn how to make your arrows a bit more . . . flashy.”
And they were gone.
After a moment of reflection, Bors spoke.
“Specialists. I like the sound of that.”
“We need a motto,” said Hector. “All for one and one for all! No, that’s not it . . . but something like that.”
“I’ve no doubt you’ll think of something, Hector,” said Bors. “And where shall we go first, Erec?”
“Why are you asking me?” asked Erec.
“Well, you’re our leader, are you not?”
At first Erec was at a loss for words. “Yes. Thank you, Bors.”
“Don’t mention it. But you’re out as leader if you make any boneheaded decisions,” said Bors.
“Absolutely,” said Erec with a grin.
Erec turned to Mel.
“You are going to need new arrows, Mel. Lots of them.”
“Yes, Sir Erec.” Mel beamed.
“Call me Erec.”
Magdalena had wandered to the far side of the chamber. She stood by the door, deep in thought.
“And you, Magdalena. What say you?” called Erec.
Magdalena drew her sword and smiled at her companions.
“Let’s slay some monsters.”
Erec, Bors, Magdalena, Hector, and Mel strode out of the hall together. They marched through the great doors of Camelot and down the stone stairs to meet the new day.
They passed the two court minstrels, who paused to admire the company.
“John, my friend, I think we’re going to be writing many, many new songs.”
A Note from Queen Morgause
I am not surprised that you express interest in learning more about the glorious legends of Scotland and the Orkney Isles. Even the most loathsome of creatures would find our lore irresistibly fascinating. My own disappointing offspring have each devoured these tales with various levels of comprehension. I have included a simple introduction to our many wonders here. The explanations are brief, for I do not know the extent of your intellect. Or worthiness.
I hope—and expect—that this mere taste will inspire you to further explore the rich tapestry of Scottish tradition and legend.
NUGGLES
Nuggles are water spirits found only in the northern islands of Scotland, such as Orkney and Shetland. They resemble horses and are known for luring humans to ride, then dragging them down into deep water.
SCÁTHACH
Scáthach is a legendary Scottish warrior. She is famed for training some of the great heroes of Celtic lore, as well as her own skills in combat and magic. She is said to have lived in an impenetrable castle on the Isle of Skye.
STONE CIRCLES
Circles of standing stones can be seen throughout Scotland, and there are several in Orkney. They are estimated to be around five thousand years old and vary in size. The stone circles may have been used for observing the moon, sun, and stars, or as religious shrines, or as places for social rituals.
About the Author
MATT PHELAN is the award-winning creator of the graphic novels The Storm in the Barn; Around the World; Bluffton; and the New York Times bestseller Snow White. He is also the author of the acclaimed Knights vs. Dinosaurs. He lives with his family in Pennsylvania.
www.mattphelan.com
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Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used to advance the fictional narrative. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
KNIGHTS VS. MONSTERS. Text and illustrations copyright © 2019 by Matt Phelan. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Cover art © 2019 by Matt Phelan
Cover design by Sylvie Le Floc’h
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Phelan, Matt, author, illustrator.
Title: Knights vs. monsters / written and illustrated by Matt Phelan.
Other titles: Knights versus monsters
Description: First edition. | New York, NY : Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2019] | Summary: Yearning for adventure, the young Knights of the Round Table are drawn to Orkney, Scotland, where they face a kraken and other monsters, including Queen Margause and her son, Mordred.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017052114 (print) | LCCN 2018049661 (ebook) | ISBN 9780062686268 (hardcover)
Subjects: | CYAC: Knights and knighthood—Fiction. | Monsters—Fiction. | Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. | Characters in literature—Fiction. | Great Britain—History—To 1066—Fiction. | Humorous stories.
Classification: LCC PZ7.P44882 Knm 2019 (ebook) | LCC PZ7.S96568 (print) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017052114
Digital Edition MAY 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-268628-2
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-268626-8
1920212223PC/LSCH10987654321
FIRST EDITION
Greenwillow Books
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