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

that he had to prevent himself from being killed a third time. Mandor took up a dagger and went after Trance, victory in sight. But Trance took up his own sword and dagger and killed Mandor.

Now the excitement level went up a notch because there were not very many weapons left to work with, so if Mandor was to kill Trance a third time, it had to be now. In the next encounter both boys used up all the rest of the weapons, which ended with Trance being pushed out of the circle. Trance was in trouble now. If he went out of the circle once more he would lose.

The two boys went after each other again, wrestling with all of their strength. Trance made the pin but was starting to feel fatigued. Mandor was the same, but he had competed in many Gladiator Circle matches and knew how to conserve his energy. It was the last round and the pair wrestled again going full bore, Mandor trying to shove Trance out of the circle, and Trance trying to get Mandor down to pin him again. Trance knocked Mandor down and covered him for the pin and the victory.

Match two between Zam and Gracer started just as soon as Trance and Mandor shook hands and the weapons were put back in place. This battle was not as exciting. Zam won with three kills to Gracer’s two.

Zam and Trance shook hands before stepping back into the circle to finish the contest. Trance knew that he could not use might against his very strong and powerful friend, and that he didn’t have that much advanced knowledge of how each weapon could be used. He could use some of the trickery that had helped him in the past to defeat some of the girls in their trial match. Zam knew that Trance was a little tired after defeating Mandor and knew that Trance could not take his powerful blows with any weapon he chose, but he also knew that Trance had the tenacity to go after him with every trick he could think up. Trance was a little smarter than him but not quite as strong. Which would win brains or brawn?

Trance was pushed out of the circle almost instantly after the match started. Zam shoved Trance out again right after they went after each other the second time. On the third start though, Trance killed Zam with a lucky arrow shot from the extra bow and arrows. The next point went to Zam as he killed Trance with a mace. Now it was Trance’s turn to kill Zam with the extra sword. Back and forth it went as Zam used an ax to win the next point. At that point they were tied in the kill category and Trance knew that he needed to win one more time. The final start had everyone waiting on edge to see who was about to become the new team captain. Zam took up his mace and shield, and Trance took up his sword and dagger. They spun and twisted, lunged and parried around the circle for four minutes before Trance moved in and made the final kill.

The entire class cheered for the display that had decided their new captain for the coming year, and they congratulated the new captain, Trance. Trance and Zam shook hands with no regrets on how the event had turned out. Back they went to the classroom where Trance was told to tell the class what he wanted of them and what his expectations were.

“Well,” started Trance as it slowly dawned on him that he was now the leader of the team and that their success and failure was on his shoulders. “I have seen the strategy that you’re used to. It has obviously worked over time to have everybody on the castle wall to defend it. I want us to approach the castle defense and all of our strategies a little different. All of the other teams think they already know what we’re going to do. Let’s catch them off guard and do something different. My idea for starters is to only have the archers and those that have bows for a second weapon on the castle walls. They will be a smaller target and will have more freedom to move about and get the best shot at our opponents. I would like the spearmen to wait near the gates, the swordsmen along the right side wall, and the ax men along the left wall. I want the mace men along the back wall, the guys with the other weapons on the inside of the interior fort, and the dagger men in the escape tunnel,” said Trance, who at this time took a deep breath before answering questions.

“Trance, I have a question. Why is everybody being divided up and put in separate places, when we could all be in one large group and attack the other team at once? It’s worked for us before,” asked Mandor.

“The answer is easy. First, when the archers see our opponents approaching they can pick off as many enemy knights as possible. When anyone gets through the wall they will encounter one of the four groups. Now as I see it, when there get to be too many enemy knights in one area or other then I want everybody to move to the area where they are and catch them by surprise. Finally, when they get to the interior fort the various weapon men and dagger men will come out and strike them down. This way they can’t get at all of us at once. They’ll be picked apart in one big group and we’ll just sweep up on them and hit them by one group after another.”

Trance watched everyone, including Neklon, to see their reactions. Some guys nodded with comprehension, while others looked like they didn’t think the idea would work. Trance noticed that some thought that the best way was the old way,