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

one of the boys he had practiced with. Hamon won and was excited that his new friend had advanced. Both boys greeted each other and knew that this was the way the game was played. Sometimes you had to face your friend in a match and just let the better knight win.

It almost seemed like destiny for Rex to win his way to the final where he bowed and showed off to the crowd trying to get as much attention back on him as possible. Trance and Hamon had one of the most exciting matches seen in any contest. They moved and struck at each other with such precision that it seemed as though either one could easily beat Rex, or anybody else for that matter.

The pair were so evenly matched that some people wondered if they would draw with each other. If so, by rule they would both be awarded second place, and Rex would be declared the winner. But before the draw rule could apply Trance felt he got lucky, but in reality Hamon was getting rather exhausted from competing in so many matches that he let his guard down at the wrong moment, and Trance acted and won.

Now once again Rex had to face his new nemesis, Trance. Like their last encounter Rex tried to push and shove and bully Trance. This strategy no longer worked and Trance met him move for move and maintained his composure. They dueled and to Rex’s rage and displeasure Trance proved to be his equal. They fought till they were completely tied, and the next point in any category would settle the match.

They had used all of the weapons around the circle so the match would have to be settled with a shove out or wrestling pin. Rex charged in at Trance and grappled with him, trying to shove him out or knock him down. Trance quickly thought about how to protect himself and suddenly had a thought. He decided to try a move one of his favorite pro wrestlers used and see if it might work. Quickly he spun his back to Rex, grabbed his head a certain way against his shoulder and with two deep knee bends and a sudden drop to his butt Trance brought Rex crashing down and stunned long enough to be pinned.

The celebration at the stadium took quite a while to clear. Trance had won two top awards early in the year. Hamon and Orazior along with Zam and Gracer hoisted Trance on their shoulders and carried him around the stadium. Trance was elated. He had now really established himself as a very good knight. The recruiters were excited as they approached him and tried to interest him in the branch of knights they were representing. Trance made it quite clear that he had made up his mind that he wanted to join the Golden Griffins. The recruiter for the Golden Griffins was delighted and promised to get the process started for Trance to sign up after he graduated.

***

A week after the invitational tournaments Trance and his team traveled to the Amorites to take on his friend Hamon and his team. Trance had planned out his strategy with his team and felt he was really prepared for their battle. The Amorites had tough looking armor and were disciplined. Trance felt for the first time that both sides were very evenly matched.

Hamon had studied his new friend’s strategy and tried to outmaneuver him and his team. The battle was evenly fought and went on with both teams slowly and gradually losing men. It was obvious that both teams had really prepared well for their battle. Trance and Hamon met on the battlefield and were trading blows back and forth when something unexpected happened. One of Hamon’s men snuck up behind Trance, unseen by anyone on the field, and struck Trance down from behind. Trance was stunned as well as everyone in the stands and everyone on the field. Hamon couldn’t believe what had just happened and quickly approached his teammate that was bent over laughing and demanded to know what he thought he was doing.

Hamon got his teammate to confess that Rex had paid him to make sure Trance was eliminated from the battle, and he was to see that the Gray Mountain Warriors lost. In the confusion that followed the Warriors did lose, but not by much. Hamon made sure that the teammate that had eliminated Trance was defeated and then went on to win with three of his friends. After the battle Hamon dragged the scheming teammate to their coach and then to the judges to tell them what he had confessed on the field. Hamon openly apologized for his team and vowed to have the un-chivalrous knight taken off the team.

Chapter 16

Applications, Battles, and Kisses

The school year seemed to just roll on. Trance kept up with his usual chores, homework, and reading. More of his extended family, from aunts, uncles and cousins that seemed far apart and didn’t come by very often, seemed to be around almost every weekend.

Since the first invitational tournament when Corena had given him a lady’s favor they had started slowly going out with each other. Rex had really blown up at Corena when she had approached him and broken off their relationship. Rex shouted numerous threats at Trance and her. His fury was felt at a number of schools as he led his team to decimate almost every team they were to face. However, there were some teams that seemed to cause him some real problems since that first invitational tournament, besides the Gray Mountain Warriors. The Amorites, Azarians, and Black Knights all had a victory or two over Rex and his White Knights.

More invitational tournaments were held and Trance had won his way to be solidly the number two swordsman, and in the latest invitational tournament held at the Warriors school he was ranked number one. He was also ranked as the number three