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

to congratulate him, Hamon and his team turned and in turn congratulated Trance.

In the shock of seeing Hamon’s name at the top of the boy’s standings he had not noticed the other standings. Orazior had come in second with Trance in third, Talthor was fourth, Baltaise was fifth, Rex was sixth, Kintrell was seventh, Ator was eighth, Holok was ninth, and finally, Zam had made it to tenth place. His team, friends, and competitors who had come to respect him suddenly surrounded Trance.

The celebration on the field could have lasted for hours, yet their coaches, the officials and the referees allowed them only a half hour before urging them to go to their locker rooms so they could change. They would have to be back out in an hour for the awards to be given. Trance relaxed; finally the tournaments were over. All of his energies and efforts had paid off. He was happiest for his team and friends. At last he could relax and enjoy the awards ceremony. Since the Boulthorian ships had been in the area the awards ceremony would be greatly shortened and most of the schools, including the Gray Mountain Warriors, would be leaving tomorrow.

Chapter 26

Graduation Gifts

Trance was exhausted as he sat in his suit waiting for the awards to be handed out. Corena and Hamon got the top honors for their overall performances. He had stood and clapped and cheered loudly as they received the very large trophies. When his name was called for the first of his many awards he felt his face burn. Torn between truly enjoying his victory in the Swordsman’s Challenge, and trying to remain humble, was a real struggle. After he was awarded his individual trophies for the Swordsman’s Challenge and Swordsman’s Joust he took a deep breath to relax.

As the crowd cheered for him, as they had all through the tournaments, his mind suddenly turned to graduation. Since he had completed his last year of school, he was now thinking about his future. In his mind he was still quite young, only eighteen years old. But was he ready to join the military? Kyle had helped him earlier with the initial paperwork back home when Kyle had a day off from his own service as a knight. Before the awards ceremony there were registration tables set up for those who were about to graduate from school and were ready to move forward with the enlistment process.

Trance and his friends approached the tables with nervous excitement. Now the moment was here and he wasn’t sure. Competing in the tournaments in front of this huge crowd playing as a knight was one thing, actually serving as a knight where he could be killed was something altogether different. As he looked with his friends he saw that the tables were set up by planet, and then by kingdom and then by military division.

“Well, here we are,” said Gracer. “What we have talked about and planned all year.”

“I’m ready,” Zam said as he headed toward the line for the Golden Griffins.

Trance fondly thought about the troop of Golden Griffins he had met after the battle at the Markem’s farm, the same ones that were escorting King Maximus and the royal family of Cator.

“I’m ready too,” said Hamon as he got in line behind Zam. “My great granddad was a Golden Griffin under King Maximus’ father, King Hezz. My dad is just a knight; he missed being a Golden Griffin by seven points. He was disappointed and thought gramps was disappointed; however, gramps was relieved. Gramps told me privately that he had been really glad that dad was a knight and got stationed at Fort Kelven, five miles away from our town.” Hamon was rather proud that he came from Celtoria, one hundred miles southwest of the capital city Caldora.

“I’ve been thinking of this all year long,” Trance confessed to his friends, “This is what I’ve dreamed of all my life, to be a knight.” He remembered looking around at that moment, making up his mind and saying a silent prayer that God would look after him. A moment later he was behind Hamon and Mandor in line to officially enlist as a Golden Griffin.

Patiently Trance waited behind his friends as they slowly moved up in line. As usual he looked around and saw a few of his other teammates in line with him, some in line to be an ordinary knight and even a couple in line to be naval knights; and one, Belton, was in line to be a knight in the space fleet.

Suddenly he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Swiftly turning around he couldn’t help smiling as he saw Corena standing behind him with two of her friends. “Hi, I thought you’d be enlisting as a Golden Griffin,” she said proudly.

“As I have said this before, I’ve been thinking about this all year. I’m not sure if I’ll make it, but I’ve got to give it all I have,” Trance said. “This is my dream come true.”

“Well, like you said, this has been my goal since I was a girl. Don’t worry I’m sure you’ll do fine. I believe that you’ll be a great Golden Griffin,” she said warmly.

Trance smiled and turned around so he could move up the line. Not long now. He was feeling reassured by Corena’s positive words yet felt his stomach give a nervous growl. The friends talked pleasantly as the line moved and soon it was Trance’s turn.

“Hello,” said the Golden Griffin sitting at the table with a stack of recruitment folders and a small computer set-up. “Ah, you’re Trance aren’t you,” he asked politely as he extended his hand.

“Yes,” said Trance in reply, surprised that this knight in his dress uniform knew his name.

“I’m Zak and Gracer’s older brother. They told me all about you. So you want to be a Golden Griffin? That’s great. Well,” he said as he took a folder and opened it up. “Let me get