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

was one sure way to make sure Trance was the one. “You seem to know the family of my friend, but there’s one sure way to find out. Do you have a birth…?”

Trance’s eyes lit up. This knight had to know his family. “Yeah! It’s on my left ankle, shaped like a shield,” Trance replied joyfully and leaned down and uncovered the mark.

“Yep, that proves that you’re Kyle’s brother,” Zak said excitedly as he saw the mark on Trance’s ankle. “I thought your name was Terrance though.”

“It’s a very long story, in short one of my cousins mispronounced my name one day and it stuck. Now most everybody calls me Trance. By the way who’s Kyle? I’m the oldest and I have only one brother, Sammy,” explained Trance.

“Oh you’ll find out. It’s a little complicated. For now let’s just say that you have been looked for. I’m really surprised that I spotted you and that you came in here. Our troop of Golden Griffins has been escorting our princess. She went to visit her uncle in the northern kingdom of Dalvor, and we are bringing her home,” Zak explained.

Trance remembered some of the knights telling him about the Golden Griffins. They were a very elite group of knights. They were usually the first to be called for special missions, and the first to go into a battle and blaze a path for the regular knights and pawns. It was also harder to get into the Golden Griffins. Instead of specializing in two main weapons, the Golden Griffins had three or more. They also trained longer and harder than the other branches of knights.

“We’re heading back to the capital, Caldora. On our way there we can drop you off at your family’s house, I hope they’re your family,” said Zak. “They live in a small town called Shandac, just five miles away from the capital. By the way do you have a horse? If you don’t I’ll ask the Major if you can ride the old warhorse that we have. Its owner was killed in the raid on your town, and we’re taking it back to the capital to be recycled.”

“No, I don’t have a horse,” Trance answered. “I walked all the way here from the farm through the forest to get here.”

Just then Zak realized Trance might be hungry and said invitingly, “Would you like to join us for breakfast?”

“Alright,” Trance replied, feeling rather hungry as he became aware of the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen.

Zak led Trance back to his table and introduced him to the huge knight Trance had noticed earlier. The knight’s name was Bear, and he was an ax man. Trance also met several of the other knights and as he visited with them he soon discovered that they were the ones that he had heard a few nights ago as they traveled past his shelter. He was telling his story again to the group at the table when he heard the beautiful female voice.

“Zak, who’s your friend?” asked a young lady. She was about five feet six inches with a pleasant athletic yet budding full figure with soft curly brown hair and stunning brown eyes and natural full rosebud lips. She had a rather regal bearing, yet she could also be the life of a party. She had a very genuine smile that lit up her slightly tanned face. He noticed that she was wearing a very flattering cream-colored blouse and soft looking tan riding pants and rich brown riding boots.

“Trance, I would like you to meet our distinguished princess, Corena. Princess, I’d like you to meet Trance. I think this is Dr. Sonderson’s son that has been missing,” Zak said proudly, making the introduction.

“Hello princess,” said Trance shyly.

“Hi,” she said in return, smiling.

After a few moments of small talk Trance finally got his breakfast ordered. It came and he found it hard to try and eat. He kept gazing at the beautiful princess. Trance learned about his family being found and about his dad getting such a royal welcome and becoming a very prominent person in the kingdom. He still didn’t find out who Kyle was yet. He wondered who he might be.

When the meal was over Trance went outside with the knights. Zak went over and talked to the Major about Trance and got permission to let him ride the old warhorse. He then came and led Trance to the robot horse and quickly showed him how to operate the horse’s controls. Trance took an instant liking to the horse. It might have been his imagination but the horse seemed happier with a rider, yet sad at the same time that it would soon be heading to be recycled. Bear came over on his horse and assisted Trance with the basic controls so he could ride the horse.

While Trance was situating himself on the robot warhorse and learning its controls a very powerfully built knight came over. Trance could tell even before he arrived that this was the Major. Trance could tell by his badge that he was a swordsman. “Trance this is Major Marlett, he’s the leader of our division. Major, this is Trance Sonderson, I believe that he is the son of Dr. Sonderson,” introduced Zak.

“Hello Trance, how are you? I’ve heard a bit about you. I’ll have to hear from you how you escaped from the Boulthorians. I heard that you had defended the Markem’s farm, and that you defeated a number of their soldiers that came after you. I find it a little hard to believe that you could bring those knights down. However, we’ll talk about that later. Zak and the princess have persuaded me to let you come along with us and let you ride that horse. We’ll pass by the town where Dr. Sonderson and his family live and we’ll drop you off there. Do what you’re told and we’ll have no problem,” Marlett said briskly. He wasn’t sure about allowing a strange boy who