Space Knights: The Arrival by Gregory Samuelson (buy e reader .TXT) 📕

for his sword as much as he was about the impact both he and Rex had delivered to each other. Rex had certainly swung his sword with every bit of strength he had. In fact it was Rex’s wild and powerful swing that Trance counted on to ultimately lead to Rex falling through the air, and to everyone and especially Rex’s surprise, landing rather heavily on the ground on his left side.

Trance on the other hand was truly taken by surprise that he was still astride Odin and holding a definitely broken sword. As he started to feel elation at this sudden victory he was also puzzled by something. For a couple moments he couldn’t explain why he felt something was different. He had fought against Rex so many times in the past year and been struck by his sword too many times to realize something was different this time. Before he could think more about what that difference was, he was startled to see Rex and his coach and team being confronted and seriously talked to by the referees and officials.

Trance saw that Rex was almost refusing to show his sword and was trying to sheath it before having it taken from his hand. In a moment there was a crowd of Trance’s team and friends from other teams including Hamon by his side. Even Corena had ridden over and sat next to Trance as they saw one of the officials raise Rex’s broken sword. Immediately Trance and everyone else on the field saw what was wrong with Rex’s broken sword. Clearly visible in the midday sun was the gleam of metal that was sandwiched between two slim layers of wood. It was obvious that some of the wood on the blade had splintered and broken off revealing the metal.

Moments later more officials converged on the scene and Rex and his coach found themselves in serious trouble. Trance wasn’t quite sure what was being said from where he sat on Odin. As he watched, some of the officials kept Rex and his coach where they stood and watched them while another official with Rex’s broken sword spoke to a senior official. Most of the officials had been on the Swordsmen Challenge decision and all of the others had seen and heard about it. This time around Rex and his coach found that they didn’t have very many supporters. Trance was fascinated as he watched the officials, and he paid attention listening to them as they moved away from everyone. Without the additional voices near them he could hear what was being said.

There were some that believed that Rex should be disqualified from the remainder of the tournaments. Others argued the fact that if they did that it might ruin his future career as a knight. Some reminded the other officials how he had proved himself to be un-chivalrous already. There was also the fact that Trance had won the joust. One of the officials pulled out a palm-sized computer and accessed the tournament rules for more guidance.

There was a rule related to what Rex had done. It dated from eighty years earlier and stated very specifically that a participant found guilty of using an unsanctioned or altered weapon was to be disqualified from the tournaments. An amendment to the rule changed the punishment from immediate disqualification to being Slashed. The more the officials discussed the situation this seemed the most appropriate. Some of the officials still wanted to disqualify Rex; however, there were a couple officials that remembered how Rex had been in the past and believed that the lower penalty was the better course of action. One official, while feeling that Rex deserved to be disqualified, felt that the amended rule was most relevant.

The head official called the others to give their opinion, one at a time, on what to do. The majority of the officials were of the opinion that Rex deserved to be disqualified yet since they had already marked him and warned him the most appropriate action was to Slash him and demote him from being his team’s captain. With this being the consensus the head official turned back to Rex and made the announcement to the crowd.

Trance did his best to keep from being too happy and celebrating too much. It was hard, but he did his best to keep a straight face and not look too smug when Rex looked at him after receiving the judgment from the officials. Not surprising Rex was truly angry and hateful. Trance felt that the best thing he could do was just look calm and nonjudgmental and let Rex look and act as he was. Don’t do anything to continue to aggravate him, he told himself. Just let the officials settle the matter and let Rex do and say whatever. Don’t get more involved.

He saw Rex and his coach and team leave the field in a very angry huff, Trance was surprised at his feelings. True he was relieved and happy that he had won and advanced; however, with Rex cheating the victory was rather hollow. In a way he almost felt he might have felt better had Rex won and then been caught.

With Rex out of competition Trance became the true favorite to win the Swordsman’s Joust. Trance took a moment to celebrate with his team and friends before being called to line up for the semifinal match. Quickly he retrieved one of his back up swords then with mixed feelings he nodded to his opponent, Jalthord the Amorite. Trance knew that he was the second-in-command under Hamon. He was also a rather gifted swordsman and next to Rex had given Trance the most competition in swordsmen events. Trance didn’t have much time to dwell on this as the official signaled and in a moment they were racing toward each other. It was over just as suddenly as they had started as Trance found himself still on horseback and now about to face the Samurai for