Rex was torn as he tried to direct the battle so that Trance and his team would be eliminated, but soon he had to concentrate more on himself and his team as they started to be picked off one at a time. He actually backed off and directed the rest of his team from outside the range of the archers defending the fort.
Trance watched the fort and noticed boys from both sides being eliminated from competition. Rex directed more and more boys toward the fort. To his surprise Trance and most of the Gray Mountain Warriors had not been eliminated yet. Every minute more of the Eastern boys were being eliminated from competition. Suddenly he saw something that really took him by surprise. Standing on the fort triumphantly was Trance.
Trance and his team had entered the fort in a breach in the fort’s wall and begun organizing in battle positions. He also started to direct the other teams to protective positions as they entered the fort and gradually engaged the fort’s defenders. Within minutes he had the western teams going both directions in the fort. He led the charge to the right and battled several defenders. Gradually he fought his way to the stairs that climbed to the top of the wall. With his careful leadership he fought his way to victory. In a bold push he directed the battle on the wall and was then able to turn the fight from there.
Immediately after this victory there erupted a serious discussion among the teams of the Western Constellation schools. They debated whether Rex should continue to lead in the castle defense or should he be demoted and replaced by Trance. Most teams and coaches were unimpressed with Rex. Not leading the teams or putting his team in danger, and sending all the other teams that he didn’t like into harm’s way, was not making a positive impression on anybody. However, Trance humbly enjoyed being celebrated for his courage and daring as he ended up leading not only his own team, but the other teams as well.
Once again Rex was allowed to lead the teams; however, Rex and his team were told that if he wasn’t active in leading the team, win or lose, he might not lead for the battlefield event.
Trance now looked around at the castle defenders and spotted Rex down at the far end of the wall. He noticed that Rex was trying very hard not to look at him and focus on the Eastern teams as they were lining up and preparing for their advance. He looked back and saw the opponents start their march. Seconds later he was shooting arrows along with the other defender archers and dodging incoming arrows as well as the foam boulders from their catapults.
With arrows and boulders flying in and gradually taking their toll on the defenders Rex slowly drifted back from his position and headed for the stairs down. Trance continued to shoot arrow after arrow. He knew that his first couple arrows probably wouldn’t make much of an impact, but as the other team approached he was able to concentrate and take aim at individual knights and try to shoot one opponent down at a time. With a glance he saw that Rex had retreated to the ground level and was getting his team and the few teams that were still behind him to defend the castle from any invaders that would come in when the wall was breached.
Since Rex was no longer on the wall and was leaving the archers to their fate, Trance took over and started to get the archers to work together and take aim and snipe as many opponents as possible. Suddenly the Eastern teams sent a battering ram forward and rushed it at the wall. Trance had to admire the way they had hid the ram up to this moment. It seemed to only take moments for the battering ram to do its work and open a breach in the wall, and the Eastern boys started to flood into the fort. Not surprisingly, Rex had other teams in front to be the first defenders as the Eastern boys came through.
On the wall Trance was quickly running out of arrows. As he checked and found that he was down to just three arrows he saw something unexpected. The Eastern boys that had used their ram to knock in one breach in the wall had pulled the ram around and headed to the other side of the fort wall to knock another breach in the wall. Instantly Trance directed the archers to shoot toward the ram.
“Rex! They’re taking the ram to knock a breach in the wall behind you!” Trance yelled down to warn him.
Rex looked up scornfully and ignored him. Nobody took their battering ram and tried to breach a wall twice. Besides, Trance was probably trying to make him look bad again.
Meanwhile Trance and most of the other archers ran out of arrows. He set his bow aside, picked up his shield and drew his sword. He looked down just in time to see the second breach open up and Eastern boys flood in. With mixed emotions he saw Rex’s head snap around in total surprise and then glare up at him as if this was his fault. Something needed to be done to save the situation as the Eastern boys were gaining on the Western boys. In a moment he made up his mind and in just a few words got the archers to draw their secondary weapons and follow him to the stairs near the second breach and down to head the opponents off.
Trance raised his sword and leapt into the midst of the throng of invading boys. He engaged one opponent after another. He had led his team all year in circumstances like this many times, yet this time there were ten times more opponents. With this many opponents he could easily be eliminated at any moment so without regard for his safety he fought valiantly against every opponent he came across as well as covering for as many of his teammates as he could. With this many boys on both sides in such close quarters Trance swung his sword with swift and lethal efficiency.
He also paced himself. Every few minutes Trance tried to take a break for a moment. He couldn’t last if he kept fighting constantly without a break. Soon he noticed that a number of his friends were there battling beside him. Hamon and Gracer were on his right, and Zam and Mandor fought to his left. Trance couldn’t help smiling. Even Orazior and Lamden were battling beside him. Soon he noticed that many other boys were fighting beside him. In an almost overwhelming moment he realized that these boys saw him as their leader and would follow him anywhere, and were prepared to defend him, putting their own selves in danger of elimination.
The press was getting great as the battle wore on. Many boys on both sides were being eliminated one after another. Trance had never been this exhausted in his life. The tide of boys coming against him surged as the Eastern Constellation boys seemed focused on eliminating him. Trance’s right arm ached as he swung his sword. He felt himself being backed up by the pressing opponents. The battle raged and went from a regular battle to who wanted it more to who would survive.
The longer the battle lasted the more boys became exhausted and were thus eliminated. Trance focused on the opponent right in front of him yet it didn’t escape him that there were ten more boys behind him.
As he eliminated his current opponent he couldn’t help notice that several of his team had been eliminated as well. He defeated one more boy and had a chance to take a quick scan around him. To his disappointment it seemed that his team was still outnumbered. He was further dismayed to discover that Rex and the White Knights seemed to be backing up, trying to have Trance and the rest of the Western Constellation boys fight the battle for them.
All right, that’s fine thought Trance as he took a deep breath and leaped back into the fray. After defeating three more opponents he had a quick thought and made a move that led the opponents that were pursuing him to follow and bring them closer to Rex.
“What are you doing?” shouted Rex as he suddenly saw what Trance was doing.
“Just making this a fair contest,” Trance replied as he swiftly defeated another boy.
With a rather rude curse Rex and his White Knight teammates that were still in the battle were forced to engage their opponents. Rex quickly eliminated two opponents and surprised a third opponent when he was noticed by some of the leaders of the Eastern boys. This was what he had been trying to avoid. Since he was technically the captain of the West, he would be the focus of where they would concentrate their efforts. However, they seemed slightly confused.
The leaders of the East knew Rex was the captain of the West, yet it seemed to them t
hat Trance was the one that was leading the defense of the fort. They had seen the rivalry between Rex and Trance enough to know that they did not get along. They also recognized that individually they were each excellent captains and swordsmen. More confusing to them was that it appeared that Trance had led them to Rex. Why, was this a trap or was something else going on?
Trance knew that the boys with him were dwindling and that they needed help. It was only fair that Rex and his boys were involved. Meanwhile he was aware that the Eastern boys were still coming in from two openings in the fort wall. He realized that he was still stuck here in the fort caught in a pincer. How could he help his team out of this trap?
Suddenly he found himself by Rex again. The two fought side by side for a couple minutes when Trance tripped and fell back. He was truly taken by surprise and momentarily had the air knocked out of him. The opponent that he had been battling was also surprised to see him go down.
His opponent quickly got over his surprise and instantly leaped at his opportunity to eliminate Trance. However, Trance was a good enough swordsman that he was able to defend himself and from his back he eliminated the boy. He struggled to get to his feet and was set upon by four more boys. Fortunately Hamon and Zam showed up and beat back three of the boys so Trance could get to his feet.
And then Trance had his attention drawn to a commotion coming through the Eastern boys. Goloc, the boy with the ax that had eliminated him from the Ax Man Joust, came crashing through his own team to get to Trance. Next to Rex this was the largest challenge he had faced in the tournaments. With his sword raised and ready Trance stepped forward to face his foe. Goloc quickly raised his ax and brought it down so savagely that it seemed a real ax and if Trance had not moved at the last moment it would have cloven him almost entirely in half. But the blow also knocked Goloc off balance and Trance took advantage, swung his sword and advanced.
Goloc was surprised at Trance’s advance and brought his ax up for another powerful swing only to have Trance deflect it with his shield. Frustration quickly clouded Goloc’s mind as he swung his ax wildly trying to land a blow on Trance. Trance, however, kept dodging from side to side, using his shield to block and deflect every blow as he searched for a way to deliver a blow with his sword. Suddenly Trance felt his foot catch on something and he tumbled to the ground. Goloc swiftly moved in and raised his ax to finish Trance off only to have the blow deflected by Hamon’s shield. In the moment Goloc turned to Hamon Trance saw his opening, thrust his sword and eliminated Goloc from competition.
Immediately after Goloc’s violent cursing at being ordered out of the fort for being eliminated Trance spun to see what had tripped him and was not so astonished to see Rex’s smug look. Unfortunately the moment that he turned an Eastern archer took careful aim and precisely hit Trance and eliminated him. As Trance left the fort, he heard Hamon scream at Rex. Exhausted, Trance strode to a place on the field where the eliminated Western boys were standing and watching the battle on the huge view screens.
Hamon, Trance saw, had taken his place to lead the Western boys. Trance watched as his friends bravely battled to slowly bring the teams to an almost even number. Just as slowly it seemed Hamon managed to gradually take the lead away from the Eastern boys and start to gain the advantage.
For Rex, his jealousy for Trance switched to Hamon as he saw that most of the Western boys followed him. With his mind focused on Hamon, Rex’s guard was down for a moment and one of the Eastern swordsmen took advantage and eliminated him. Rex left in such a huff that he did not notice that both sides seemed to stop and cheer before resuming the battle. It ended ten minutes later as Hamon led the final push and overwhelmed the East.
Trance joined the celebration as the Western boys charged the field to congratulate their surviving teammates. The only boys that didn’t join in were the White Knights. The celebration took fifteen minutes before they had to clear the field for the girls match.
After going to the locker room to remove his armor Trance once again joined his family in the stands and watched Corena lead the Western girls. The battle didn’t last as long as the boys. Corena was such an excellent military leader that she actually led her team out of the fort and took on the Eastern girls on the field in front of the fort. Her victory guaranteed that she would win the overall girls title even with the battlefield event to come.
For the first time ever, the referees and judges for the tournaments made a change and Trance was named the captain for the Western boys for the final event, the Battlefield event. Rex had to be restrained as he screamed curses at the judges. The coach of the White Knights threatened to file complaints against the judges and the tournament organizers. However, the head officials informed him that due to Rex’s continuous un-chivalrous actions and behavior he was being demoted. And they further informed him that it was a good thing that Rex was graduating this year in a position of being captain.
His last three years of being the most honored boy at the Tournaments carried weight, and kept them from further demoting him, especially since this was the last event at the Tournaments. The final blow was that if Rex and his other teammates did not participate and join the battle and compete as they had in the past they would lose any awards that they had earned and have to leave in disgrace.
Trance and his friends turned away and headed toward the locker rooms where they could laugh away from the field. The laughter wouldn’t last long since they had to prepare for the battlefield. Hamon had told Trance that they were on the verge of history.
It had been eighty years since the Western Constellation boys had won all three Ultimate events. And it was one hundred and sixty-seven years when both the boys and girls from the West won all three. Last year Corena had led the Western girls to win all three and she was about to do it again. Trance also learned that seven years ago the East had won all the Ultimate events.
When Trance lined his team up for the battlefield he positioned Hamon and the Amorites on his right and the White Knights on his left. Also the Azarians were right behind him. With nothing to prove and just a battle to attempt to survive, in this last event Trance led the charge with all the passion he had. Soon the battle was joined. Trance directed his teams fearlessly.
Both teams seemed to have different strategies on the field. The leaders of the Eastern boys seemed to place their least skilled warriors at the head of the column and held the most skilled warriors in reserve. Trance on the other hand led his team by placing the least skilled warriors equally among the more skilled. His idea was that the more skilled knights and warriors could help the lesser skilled. The younger and lesser skilled could learn from the more skilled.
Rex and his team reluctantly fought beside the other Western boy’s teams. Rex used his rage and jealousy against Trance to focus on the opponents he came across. His skill was lethal as he fought his way across the battlefield. At one point he even aided one of Hamon’s teammates and defeated four knights in the process. Both sides lost team members and were coming down to the most skilled, the luckiest, or the most determined to continue the struggle.
Now at last Trance saw that the numbers were about even. He finished defeating his current opponent and had just long enough to wipe his brow and scan the mass of struggling boys before another opponent came at him. With sure strokes he beat this attacker, shouted orders and encouragement to his team and continued to lead as he always did. He bested another opponent and then saw something that took him by surprise.
Trance saw that somehow Rex and seven remaining White Knights were cut off and surrounded. In a moment he debated whether to go to their aid, or let them get what they had coming. With grim determination he gathered his trusted friends, Gracer, Zam, Mandor, and Hamon and sprinted to help Rex. The five boys surprised their opponents and quickly fought their way through to Rex, who now had only two teammates beside him. Two emotions collided in Rex’s mind. Relief that he had help in this situation and f
rustration that it was Trance that had come to his aid. Both boys locked eyes for a moment, dislike etched on each face, and then they turned their dislike for each other on their opponents. Together they fought their way through to rejoin their team.
Just as Trance thought he had his team in a good position for the final push, the Eastern Constellation boys regrouped and sent a mass of boys straight at him. This was unexpected and in moments Trance and his friends were utterly surrounded. Was this to be his last stand here at the tournaments, his last hurrah before his school year ended and he would graduate, and then enlist and earn his way to be a Golden Griffin?
With a last burst of energy and a quick prayer for peace and endurance he raised his wooden sword and led his team straight ahead to face their destiny. Miraculously he lasted for seven more minutes before utter exhaustion and an opponent’s lucky blow knocked him out of the event. Three minutes later Hamon, Rex, and Gracer were among the last survivors of their team, bringing the victory.
Trance was among dozens of boys that had to sit or lay out on the ground so they could rest a while before they had the energy to walk to the locker rooms where they could remove their armor and relax. He was so glad the events were finally over. Now he could go back home with his family, and after graduation he could enjoy a couple months off before starting his new journey in life.
Everyone in the crowds waited as the results were tabulated and the final standings would be revealed. Not surprisingly, Corena had done an excellent job and won top honors in virtually every category of events. The girl’s top honors were a huge accomplishment for her and the school. Her main rival had been Pelleena, who came in second. Calista finished a respectable fifth place.
Space Knights: The Arrival Page 32
