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

were each excellent captains and swordsmen. More confusing to them was that it appeared that Trance had led them to Rex. Why, was this a trap or was something else going on?

Trance knew that the boys with him were dwindling and that they needed help. It was only fair that Rex and his boys were involved. Meanwhile he was aware that the Eastern boys were still coming in from two openings in the fort wall. He realized that he was still stuck here in the fort caught in a pincer. How could he help his team out of this trap?

Suddenly he found himself by Rex again. The two fought side by side for a couple minutes when Trance tripped and fell back. He was truly taken by surprise and momentarily had the air knocked out of him. The opponent that he had been battling was also surprised to see him go down.

His opponent quickly got over his surprise and instantly leaped at his opportunity to eliminate Trance. However, Trance was a good enough swordsman that he was able to defend himself and from his back he eliminated the boy. He struggled to get to his feet and was set upon by four more boys. Fortunately Hamon and Zam showed up and beat back three of the boys so Trance could get to his feet.

And then Trance had his attention drawn to a commotion coming through the Eastern boys. Goloc, the boy with the ax that had eliminated him from the Ax Man Joust, came crashing through his own team to get to Trance. Next to Rex this was the largest challenge he had faced in the tournaments. With his sword raised and ready Trance stepped forward to face his foe. Goloc quickly raised his ax and brought it down so savagely that it seemed a real ax and if Trance had not moved at the last moment it would have cloven him almost entirely in half. But the blow also knocked Goloc off balance and Trance took advantage, swung his sword and advanced.

Goloc was surprised at Trance’s advance and brought his ax up for another powerful swing only to have Trance deflect it with his shield. Frustration quickly clouded Goloc’s mind as he swung his ax wildly trying to land a blow on Trance. Trance, however, kept dodging from side to side, using his shield to block and deflect every blow as he searched for a way to deliver a blow with his sword. Suddenly Trance felt his foot catch on something and he tumbled to the ground. Goloc swiftly moved in and raised his ax to finish Trance off only to have the blow deflected by Hamon’s shield. In the moment Goloc turned to Hamon Trance saw his opening, thrust his sword and eliminated Goloc from competition.

Immediately after Goloc’s violent cursing at being ordered out of the fort for being eliminated Trance spun to see what had tripped him and was not so astonished to see Rex’s smug look. Unfortunately the moment that he turned an Eastern archer took careful aim and precisely hit Trance and eliminated him. As Trance left the fort, he heard Hamon scream at Rex. Exhausted, Trance strode to a place on the field where the eliminated Western boys were standing and watching the battle on the huge view screens.

Hamon, Trance saw, had taken his place to lead the Western boys. Trance watched as his friends bravely battled to slowly bring the teams to an almost even number. Just as slowly it seemed Hamon managed to gradually take the lead away from the Eastern boys and start to gain the advantage.

For Rex, his jealousy for Trance switched to Hamon as he saw that most of the Western boys followed him. With his mind focused on Hamon, Rex’s guard was down for a moment and one of the Eastern swordsmen took advantage and eliminated him. Rex left in such a huff that he did not notice that both sides seemed to stop and cheer before resuming the battle. It ended ten minutes later as Hamon led the final push and overwhelmed the East.

Trance joined the celebration as the Western boys charged the field to congratulate their surviving teammates. The only boys that didn’t join in were the White Knights. The celebration took fifteen minutes before they had to clear the field for the girls match.

After going to the locker room to remove his armor Trance once again joined his family in the stands and watched Corena lead the Western girls. The battle didn’t last as long as the boys. Corena was such an excellent military leader that she actually led her team out of the fort and took on the Eastern girls on the field in front of the fort. Her victory guaranteed that she would win the overall girls title even with the battlefield event to come.

For the first time ever, the referees and judges for the tournaments made a change and Trance was named the captain for the Western boys for the final event, the Battlefield event. Rex had to be restrained as he screamed curses at the judges. The coach of the White Knights threatened to file complaints against the judges and the tournament organizers. However, the head officials informed him that due to Rex’s continuous un-chivalrous actions and behavior he was being demoted. And they further informed him that it was a good thing that Rex was graduating this year in a position of being captain.

His last three years of being the most honored boy at the Tournaments carried weight, and kept them from further demoting him, especially since this was the last event at the Tournaments. The final blow was that if Rex and his other teammates did not participate and join the battle and compete as they had in the past they would lose any awards that they had earned and have to leave in disgrace.

Trance and his friends turned away and headed toward the locker rooms where they could