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

Trance was registered to compete in the Horseback Target Shooting competition as well as the Archery Joust. He was also entered into the Ax Man Joust, the Swordsman Joust, and the Every Weapon Joust. Trance went back with his team and said a short prayer before warming up.

His first event was the Target Shoot. He needed to ride Odin down the field and at the same time shoot at four targets at different distances. When his turn came he mounted Odin and rode down the field and shot his four arrows at the targets and was surprised at his results. His score was barely high enough to get him into the second round.

The targets were moved further apart and Trance rode again and shot at the targets as best he could. He had his last arrow to shoot and was nearing the foul line at the other end of the run. Trance took careful aim as Odin slowed right before the end of the run. His arrow flew long and straight and put him in the quarterfinals. However, he wasn’t very lucky in his third run down the field. The other archers in the competition were much more skilled and he was put out of the event.

The next event he was entered was the Archery Joust. To win he would have to ride Odin down the field with his opponent racing toward him on his horse and shoot at him. Two things: one, he only had twenty arrows, and two he had to hit his opponent three times. The signal was given and Trance got Odin racing down the field and did his best to line up a shot at his opponent and shoot an arrow at him. His first three arrows missed and then he got lucky and hit his opponent. Unfortunately, when he’d fired his shot he was fairly close to passing his opponent and got shot himself.

He got to the other end of the field and had to turn around and go again. This time he took more time each time he loaded an arrow and really tried to aim and shoot. He was a bit slower in shooting and his opponent was faster and launched several arrows at him while he only shot a few. At close range both of them hit their targets and they were now even at two. One more hit would eliminate one of them. When Trance got to the end of the field he didn’t want to take a chance of getting close again and being bumped off so he turned Odin around rather slowly and really lined up a shot and fired clear across the field. It seemed to take forever as the arrow flew and then it hit and he was awarded the win.

In his second round he landed a good shot right off the bat and soon followed it up with another good shot. However, he was hit twice before he could get around to shooting again. He got Odin turned again and started after his opponent when an arrow flew from the other end of the field and hit him squarely on the chest.

Trance was stunned that he’d been hit and eliminated the same way as he had advanced; however, when he looked up the field he swore that his opponent had almost clumsily dropped an arrow to the ground and was actually too close to have fired the arrow. His keen eyes scanned down the field and he was sure that he spotted somebody hiding among the horses that belonged to the White Knights.

Trance had much better luck in the Ax Man Joust. To win this type of joust he’d have to either unseat his opponent or defeat him on horseback. His first opponent swung his ax so hard at Trance as they passed each other that he lost his balance and was then very easy for Trance to quickly turn and hit him off his horse. Trance advanced again when his second opponent did the same as the first and this time swung his ax so hard that he unseated himself. Trance had to completely defeat his third opponent as they engaged each other in the middle of the field. He defeated his fourth opponent to get into his first semifinal of the event and was then defeated by Hamon’s second in command.

Now that he knew what to expect Trance found that he was one of the top ranked swordsmen to compete in the Swordsman Joust and he didn’t disappoint anyone. He swiftly advanced his way through one opponent after another and made it to his first final. Once again he had to take on Rex.

Rex was seething; it seemed that every time he was on the verge of his former glory, Trance was taking away his spotlight. Grudgingly he was beginning to respect Trance. He could recognize that Trance was a gifted swordsman and quite an intelligent captain. It amazed him that Trance had led his team to such a successful year. Yet just below the surface, even as he respected his nemesis, he despised him for continuing to show him up.

Rex was determined this time to end Trance’s winning streak over him. They lined up and raced toward each other. Their swords were raised and both boys tried to dismount the other on their first pass. When they hit the sound was like that of a crash. They had nearly unseated themselves as they tried to dismount the other. Both boys reached the opposite ends of the field and turned to charge at each other again. They crashed into each other yet both still remained on their horses. For a third time they raced at each other with the sole intent to end the match now.

Trance rode Odin furiously this third time, intent on either knocking Rex down or chasing him down and fighting him to the finish. Once more they crashed into