The Silver Sphere by Michael Dadich

forth, shouting
expletives as they twisted and turned. One wrong move could end the match.
    The holographic warrior blocked an overhand swing with his buckler
and then rolled under a blow from the Minotaur's fist. The crowd of battle-hardened
soldiers surrounding the two players cheered.
    Stuart grinned. The holograms seemed to be sweating and wheezing,
as if the creatures fought in mortal combat. "I've never seen anything like
this!" he murmured to no one.
    The Minotaur caught the panting fighter with a swift kick to
the ribcage. A wrenching sound, similar to a series of branches breaking, cracked
through the air. The fighter grimaced and stumbled.
    The Minotaur stalked the warrior in the circle as the man limped
in retreat, trying to force the creature off by brandishing his sword whenever the
Minotaur came too close. The feint of swinging his blade back and forth worked for
a time, but the holographic soldier grew weary and his poorly aimed thrusts slowed.
    A knight cried out from the crowd, "Finish him!"
    "Let's go now, Boozer. Get on with the stroke of grace,"
another man shouted from beside Stuart.
    Finally, the menacing Minotaur swung its battleaxe with such
fury that it shattered the warrior's blade of steel and drove right through to his
chest. The warrior collapsed to the ground, and the soldier operating him groaned.
The battle finished and both holograms faded away.
    Boozer rambled inside the ring, his joystick raised to the sky
amid a chorus of cheers and boos. He was a burly man with stringy red hair and a
short, knotted beard. Crow's feet wrinkled around the corners of his eyes when he
grinned.
    Boozer goaded, "Ye cannot tangle with the Minotaur and live
to tell about it, can ya, Kron?"
    "Ah, double dung, Booz. Ya cheated after ye chose the old
battleaxe anyway," pouted Kron in disgust.
    "Oh, I did now, righty. And ya managed to sneak in the li'l'
buckler w'out me knowin', but that's fine?" Boozer shrugged and chuckled.
    Stuart stood mesmerized with delight. "Bravo, bravo,"
he shouted and clapped his hands.
    "And so," Boozer said, "we have one of the fabled
Kin here cheering on the ol' Minotaur, now do we? In awe of the skills of the Boozer,
are ye?" His eyes befell the mark on Stuart's chest. "Wha' is tha'? The
rune of fertility?"
    "It's the Triforce," Stuart corrected. "Besides,
I'm more impressed with the graphics. I'm a bit of a wiz at these games where I'm
from. I bet I offer you a worthy challenge."
    He just wanted a crack at playing. While he'd watched the other
two play, he'd spied multiple ways the knight could have won. It was a matter of
skill, of seeing the small things. He knew he was one of those irritating kids who
were unnaturally good at all the new video games. That's all I'm good at. That
and my skateboard.
    A soldier standing next to Boozer said, "Now, young man,
the resourcefulness of the Kin is well-known, but the Boozer here is undefeated
in Dire Conflict ."
    " Dire Conflict is the game, huh? Well, Boozy, how
would you like to take on a Kin and test what ya got?" Stuart walked toward
him.
    Boozer gaped at him with amazement. He smiled and then frowned.
"Hmm, ye have never played Dire Conflict , and ye think you can whoop
up on the Boozer, eh? Why, do ye realize if they included Dire Conflict at
the games in Fornax, which they dang righ' should, I'd be grand champion, laddie?"
    Stuart shrugged one shoulder. "Well, then this should be
a global... er, universal... tournament. I happen to rule the roost back home. The
Triforce doesn't lie." He grinned and put his hands on his hips.
    The crowd came closer. A few troops muttered to one another.
Stuart heard the word 'Kin' tossed around and he smiled. Maybe some of these men
would chant his name when he outpaced Boozer. This would even top the arcades in
his neighborhood.
    "Let the Kin give the game a whirl agains' ya," yelled
out one of the soldiers.
    Several soldiers cried, "Yeah!"
    "Come on, Boozer," said his previous opponent, Kron.
    "Alas,