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

the fact that they would have the next point win the match Rex made a surprising charge.

“That was un-chivalrous!” Rex screamed. “You have been un-chivalrous all tournament!” he accused as he stood up, glancing at the people gathered around their match to get their reaction. He was pleased at the reaction that his accusations had caused. His coach and teammates nodded with pleasure; however, Trance’s supporters looked shocked.

The referee for the match looked stunned and looked from one boy to the other. This was highly unexpected. He had refereed matches involving both boys against different opponents and had already formed a private opinion of them. Rex he knew from past tournaments was a rather gifted warrior but was rather proud and arrogant.

Trance he had come to see seemed more calm and reserved. In every match he’d seen Trance in he had conducted himself professionally and nobly. However, he knew the rules and this charge was serious and had to be addressed. He had no choice and signaled the head referee for the Swordsman Challenge and motioned him for conference.

Both referees were joined by the other five swordsman referees and discussed Rex’s charge that Trance had been un-chivalrous. Soon some of the other officials came over to give their input. Suddenly a figure came out of the stands and came striding over to join them.

Trance had been asking Neklon about what was going on. “Well, Rex has accused you of being un-chivalrous. Now, if the referees side with him, they could expel you from the rest of the tournaments and strip our team of the titles we’ve already won and will threaten any chance of your teammates of winning any of the tournaments they are entered in.”

Trance was stunned. He almost couldn’t believe that Rex had made the charge, let alone the consequences of the charge. He glanced over at his adversary and saw the look of gleeful triumph in Rex’s eyes.

Rex was absolutely positive that his plan had worked and his reputation from the past would outshine Trance and that his word would be more accepted than Trance’s. He looked toward his team and nodded his head and then turned toward the referees expecting them to award him the win and stripping Trance of any meager glory he had earned during the year.

Trance waited wondering what the referees would decide. He couldn’t believe that he had gone through all of his schooling and training, all of his success in training and working to live his dream and become a knight and have it end like this. He prayed that he would have a chance to defend himself. He had always tried to do his best to be chivalrous and follow the rules. Certainly the referees had seen him and watched his every move and seen that he was very chivalrous.

While both boys looked on the referees discussed what to be done. Some knew Rex very well and thought that he would tell the truth and was a most honorable and worthy candidate to be a truly great knight. However, there were a number of other referees that had been watching the contests and saw absolutely that Trance was one of the most chivalrous boys that they had ever seen in the competitions. These refs had also seen Rex being rather a bully and arrogant. They were divided but by rule they couldn’t ignore the rules.

They had to act. The charge of anybody being un-chivalrous was very serious and needed to be severely punished if proven. Yet as they continued to discuss the matter there seemed to be no proof that Trance had been un-chivalrous, but that would mean that Rex had been. Suddenly the referees took notice of the figure that had just joined them.

Surprise showed on Trance’s face as he saw a real live Griffin come out of the stands and onto the field. He looked in amazement at the being with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. The Griffin looked even stranger to him as it stood and strode toward the referees. It was even dressed much like a courtier.

Faylor approached the referees and was quite aware of the disturbance that his presence on the field was creating. He had come to the tournaments to watch the events with great interest and curiosity. All year he had heard and reviewed reports that more signs had been witnessed that strongly indicated the arrival of the Great Griffin General.

Some of the most disturbing reports were that the Sphinx were looking for him also and wanted him dead. It was even reported that the Sphinx King himself was extremely agitated that there was even a remote possibility that there was a Griffin General. What really distressed Faylor, was that there was a report that the Sphinx were behind a plot to send an attack force to assault this tournament. Why would the Sphinx or anybody want to attack the tournaments? These were only children. However, it was true that most of them would grow and train to be knights and defenders of their own worlds.

Well we won’t worry about that just yet. Now there is this matter to deal with. Faylor had been watching the tournaments very closely and he had watched Trance and Rex. He had seen how Rex was acting. He had been rather curious to see how this boy from Earth competed. In his estimation this was a complete set-up by Rex. He was intentionally trying to get Trance out of the competitions. He knew the spot the referees were in and how they had seen the competitions. He knew he had to do something. So he had decided to use his influence and try to bring about a fair outcome.

“Excuse me,” he said respectfully to the head referee. “I have been watching what has been happening. I know the rules and the dilemma that you are in. May I offer a suggestion that might resolve this situation?”

The head referee had