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

laugh away from the field. The laughter wouldn’t last long since they had to prepare for the battlefield. Hamon had told Trance that they were on the verge of history.

It had been eighty years since the Western Constellation boys had won all three Ultimate events. And it was one hundred and sixty-seven years when both the boys and girls from the West won all three. Last year Corena had led the Western girls to win all three and she was about to do it again. Trance also learned that seven years ago the East had won all the Ultimate events.

When Trance lined his team up for the battlefield he positioned Hamon and the Amorites on his right and the White Knights on his left. Also the Azarians were right behind him. With nothing to prove and just a battle to attempt to survive, in this last event Trance led the charge with all the passion he had. Soon the battle was joined. Trance directed his teams fearlessly.

Both teams seemed to have different strategies on the field. The leaders of the Eastern boys seemed to place their least skilled warriors at the head of the column and held the most skilled warriors in reserve. Trance on the other hand led his team by placing the least skilled warriors equally among the more skilled. His idea was that the more skilled knights and warriors could help the lesser skilled. The younger and lesser skilled could learn from the more skilled.

Rex and his team reluctantly fought beside the other Western boy’s teams. Rex used his rage and jealousy against Trance to focus on the opponents he came across. His skill was lethal as he fought his way across the battlefield. At one point he even aided one of Hamon’s teammates and defeated four knights in the process. Both sides lost team members and were coming down to the most skilled, the luckiest, or the most determined to continue the struggle.

Now at last Trance saw that the numbers were about even. He finished defeating his current opponent and had just long enough to wipe his brow and scan the mass of struggling boys before another opponent came at him. With sure strokes he beat this attacker, shouted orders and encouragement to his team and continued to lead as he always did. He bested another opponent and then saw something that took him by surprise.

Trance saw that somehow Rex and seven remaining White Knights were cut off and surrounded. In a moment he debated whether to go to their aid, or let them get what they had coming. With grim determination he gathered his trusted friends, Gracer, Zam, Mandor, and Hamon and sprinted to help Rex. The five boys surprised their opponents and quickly fought their way through to Rex, who now had only two teammates beside him. Two emotions collided in Rex’s mind. Relief that he had help in this situation and frustration that it was Trance that had come to his aid. Both boys locked eyes for a moment, dislike etched on each face, and then they turned their dislike for each other on their opponents. Together they fought their way through to rejoin their team.

Just as Trance thought he had his team in a good position for the final push, the Eastern Constellation boys regrouped and sent a mass of boys straight at him. This was unexpected and in moments Trance and his friends were utterly surrounded. Was this to be his last stand here at the tournaments, his last hurrah before his school year ended and he would graduate, and then enlist and earn his way to be a Golden Griffin?

With a last burst of energy and a quick prayer for peace and endurance he raised his wooden sword and led his team straight ahead to face their destiny. Miraculously he lasted for seven more minutes before utter exhaustion and an opponent’s lucky blow knocked him out of the event. Three minutes later Hamon, Rex, and Gracer were among the last survivors of their team, bringing the victory.

Trance was among dozens of boys that had to sit or lay out on the ground so they could rest a while before they had the energy to walk to the locker rooms where they could remove their armor and relax. He was so glad the events were finally over. Now he could go back home with his family, and after graduation he could enjoy a couple months off before starting his new journey in life.

Everyone in the crowds waited as the results were tabulated and the final standings would be revealed. Not surprisingly, Corena had done an excellent job and won top honors in virtually every category of events. The girl’s top honors were a huge accomplishment for her and the school. Her main rival had been Pelleena, who came in second. Calista finished a respectable fifth place.

It took a few more minutes for the boy’s results to be calculated. Trance couldn’t help but feel nervous. He knew that there was a chance that he could win. Every victory he had achieved this year had led to this moment. Had he done enough? He wasn’t sure, and after all there were many boys that had done well in the tournaments. Maybe Rex had done well enough to win the boys top honors again for the second year in a row. Perhaps Hamon had scored high enough to achieve victory and become the second boy in his school’s history to win top honors at the tournaments.

When the results came out the crowd roared with shock. No one suspected how the results would come out. There was confusion as Trance looked at the scoreboard and saw the results. He was caught by surprise and shocked and then overcome. Hamon had made history. Trance looked toward his friend and started toward him and found that he would have to wait as Hamon’s team surrounded him congratulating him. When Trance and his team got up to Hamon