by Daniel Fife
With a roar of anger and anguish, Sabrina swatted the creature with a wicked backhand, catching it full in the face. The impact sent the shadow tumbling end over end, across the ground, skidding to a stop a good twenty feet from where it had started. Bounding into the air, Sabrina closed the distance in the blink of an eye. Standing above the creature, she pinned it to the ground with her front left claw. Her talons sank deep into the soil, holding the shadow tight. With one final growl, she scraped her right claw across the creature. Each individual talon left a distinct line as it tore through the murky flesh.
Torn into six separate pieces, the parts of the creature began to hiss as they dissolved into a dark mist before disappearing, carried away by the wind.
"Is it… dead... now?"
Sabrina turned and padded toward him, moving with a subtle limp.
Danny retreated from her, wary of her size.
Sabrina answered his question by bobbing her head up and down.
"Why didn't you tell me you were a dragon?"
Ignoring the question, Sabrina angled her long, slender neck around to get a closer look at her right shoulder. Four precise cuts ran down the base of her arm from shoulder to elbow.
"Are you okay?" worry evident in his voice.
Ignoring him, Sabrina licked at the wounds, her tongue slender and forked like that of a snake.
"Don't ignore me," Danny said, finding some backbone.
Sabrina angled her head back toward him, growled softly and snorted forcefully in his face.
Taken aback, Danny stumbled backward and tripped over a small rock, landing on his rear.
Taking a deep breath, Sabrina closed her eyes and bowed her head. Her scales began to shimmer, her limbs shortened, her neck compacted and her tail shriveled up behind her, disappearing without a trace. Once the transformation was complete, Sabrina opened her eyes and released her breath.
Danny stared at her in disbelief.
"I wasn't ignoring you." Sabrina walked toward her book bag, picked it up and put on her shoulder. "I am unable to talk when I am in that form."
"You're a dragon," Danny said, watching in wide-eyed amazement as she walked over and plopped down beside him.
"I am not a dragon," rifling through her pack, pulling out her phone. "I am a Drake."
"What's the difference?"
Sabrina held up her hand and depressed a button on the phone, a low-toned beep followed. Holding the phone to her ear, she kept her hand in the air, silently asking for continued silence.
"Father, there was another one... yes, he is with me."
"Is that…"
Before Danny could finish his question, Sabrina silenced him with a definitive look. "Yes, Father, we are okay," she said into the phone. "We are still at school, behind the elementary building in the playground area."
Danny had no choice but to wait, as he tapped his foot impatiently.
"Okay, my father is coming to pick us up."
"What's happening? What was that thing? What are you?" Danny asked in a rush, losing his cool.
"Just calm down."
"Calm down? How can I calm down when…"
"I am a Drake."
Danny took a breath and calmed himself a little. "…A Drake?"
"A pureblood Dragonic is born from the union of two pureblood dragons, I am the daughter of a pureblood Dragonic, my father, and a Human, my mother. Therefore, I am a Drake and not a dragon. Drake is the name given to those of half-Dragonic blood."
"So... your last name?"
"…Was chosen by my father. Dragonic society, unlike Human society, does not use last names. So, he chose the obvious in order for me to blend in with your race."
"…And that thing you just killed?"
"It's a Shadow," she probed her right shoulder with her left hand. "…A creature from the darkest void." When she pulled her hand away from her shoulder, it was slick with blood.
"You're still hurt!" Danny said, getting up, kneeling beside her. Tearing off a piece of his shirt, he wrapped the makeshift bandage around her wounds as best he could. "You mean a Shadow, like in the game of Knights?" Danny asked, tying the wrap tightly over her right shoulder, under her armpit.
"Yes," said Sabrina, wincing as Danny knotted the bandage tight with one final tug.
"Done."
Sabrina turned to inspect his work. "Thank you," she said with an approving smile.
Danny slumped back down. "So... the cards in the game are real?"
"Yes. The order of the Light believes that the card game allows those with the gift of sight to be more accepting of the knowledge of the Dark."
"Gift of sight?"
"Normal Humans are not able to see Shadows," explained Sabrina, looking off into the sunset. "You have the gift, Danny, or a curse, depending on how you look at it."
"How could this be a curse?"
Sabrina looked down, her eyes growing distant. After a moment, she spoke. "There is a saying, 'When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.' What you have seen, Danny, you cannot un-see. You have seen them, and they have seen you."
"But you killed it, didn't you?"
"What you saw this day and the night before was merely the puppet of a larger foe."
"What should I do now?"
"Well, that is for you to decide for yourself, but you can start by helping me up," said Sabrina, extending her left hand.
Danny stood up and obliged, pulling Sabrina to her feet.
"Get your book bag, Father will be here soon. As a knight of the order, he will be able to answer your questions far better than I ever could."
"Really?" Danny asked. His voice jumped an octave in his excitement. "What's his name?"
"His name is Tyramear," said Sabrina with a smile.
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Chapter 5 - Into the Light
he sun had just crept below the horizon when a silver car pulled into view. The wind had grown cold; it whistled with the intent to chill.
Danny followed Sabrina hesitantly as she walked toward the car. On the opposite side, a tall, slender man opened the car door and stepped into view.
His hair, long and silvery, draped down the slope of his neck. He wore a form-fitting, silver pinstriped suit. Walking around the front of the car, he slung a silver-hilted blade over his shoulder, sheathed in an ornate scabbard. The hilt formed a grand dragon, the head and neck making up the pommel and the wings outstretched to form the hand guards. Holding a piece of black leather tied around the sheath with his left hand, he allowed the longsword to rest against his back with the hilt peeking over his shoulder. His eyes were as blue as the sky.
"Are you okay, my daughter?" he asked, stopping within touching distance of Sabrina, examining the bindings on her right shoulder.
"Yes, Father."
Danny had noticed that since their encounter with the Shadow, Sabrina's carefree playful demeanor had become more serious and focused. He had the distinct impression that he was seeing her true personality for the first time.
"I would like to introduce you to Danny Firoth, Father," as she motioned Danny closer with a flick of her left hand.
Danny stepped closer to the towering man, unable to meet his steady gaze.
"Greetings, Danny Firoth," said Sabrina's father, unaffected by Danny's shyness. "I am Tyramear, Dragonic Knight of the Light, pureblood of the Dragonic." He presented his right hand in greeting.
Danny hesitated before reaching out as Tyramear reached past Danny's hand and grabbed his arm at the wrist. Unsure of the gesture, Danny did the same and winced from the strength of the grip.
"You have a strong grip, young Firoth, but we have much to talk about and little time to dawdle. Come with me," releasing his grasp, turning toward the car, he opened the door for his daughter.
"Wait a minute," Danny said to himself more than anyone else, while un-slinging the pack from his back and digging through the contents. He pulled out a slightly worn card. The picture portrayed a huge, silver-scaled d
ragon, captured in the moment of breathing a billowing cloud of blue flame. The caption at the top of the card read, Tyramear, Dragonic Knight of the Light, in bold black letters. Holding the card up in front of him, he compared the picture to Sabrina's father, switching his focus between the two several times.
"This is you," his voice jumping in pitch.
Sabrina's father stepped forward and took the card from Danny's outstretched hand. Rubbing the point of his chin, he examined the card for a few moments. "It's not a bad likeness, but they got my stature wrong." Handing the card back to Danny and smiling, he added, "I'm much bigger in real life."
"Are you coming or what?" Sabrina asked.
Yanked out of his daze, Danny nodded, put the card back in his book bag and walked toward the car. Once inside, Sabrina's father closed the door behind him. The car was warm and comforting, a welcome change from the frigid air outside. He watched as Sabrina's father walked around the front of the car, got in and secured the silver blade in the backseat beside Danny.
"Here," said Sabrina's father, swiveling in his seat, extending a silver phone. "You should call your mother."
"What should I tell her?"
"You can try to tell her the truth or you can lie," said Tyramear. "Both will be difficult, but it is your choice."
He turned the ignition, the car to roared to life.
Phone in hand, Danny slumped back in the seat and eyed the silver blade resting next to him. Taking a deep breath, he dialed his mother.
The phone rang twice before his mother picked up. She sounded worried and angry. Danny explained to her that he'd stayed after school to study with Sabrina, and that he was going to her house to study some more. His mother seemed surprised at the mention of Sabrina, happy that her son had made a new friend, obviously angry that he had not come home right after school. Danny implied that his need for knowledge was dire, which wasn't too far from the truth, given the current circumstances. In the end, she agreed to let him go as long as he was home on by nine o'clock.
Saying his goodbyes, Danny ended the call, handed the phone back to Sabrina's father, "Thank you."
Tyramear prompted his daughter to tell the tale of the attack.
During Sabrina's explanation, Danny's eyes lingered on the sword. He decided to take a closer look at it.
Looking closer, he noticed fine details, engraved on the tip of the silver sheath was a winding path of vines, mesmerizing in their intricate design. The twisting plants turned to roots as they traveled up the scabbard, becoming the base of a towering tree with the symbol of Light pictured in the leafy canopy. The base of the dragon-hilted blade, constructed from some silver-colored metal, matched up perfectly with the lip of the sheath.
Drawn to the reflecting glint of the polished metal, Danny reached out to touch it, his hand lingering just beyond the hilt.
"I would not do that if I were you," said Sabrina's father.
Danny's hand stopped just a few inches from the surface of the sword.
"Silvear is a Bonded, and a Bonded does not take kindly to being touched by one who is not their wielder," explained Tyramear.
"…A Bonded?"
"Yes," said Tyramear, his voice calm, seemingly content to let Danny guess at the implication.
Danny quickly went through his backpack and pulled out his deck box. In the card game of Knights, Bondeds were special weapons that could only be used by certain Knights of the Light. In the game, a Bonded card was useless when paired with just any knight card; it would often cause harmful disadvantages. However, if used with the knight named upon the card, it would grant special abilities and powers. Danny had a few in his deck, matching pairs were hard to come by.
Sabrina's father had just implied that a Bonded had a mind of its own, Danny rubbed his head in confusion.
"We are here," said Tyramear, before Danny could question him further.
Shoving his deck back into the box, Danny looked out of the car window. The full moon bathed the two-story house in a revealing light. The driveway led up to a two-car garage and looped around the back of the house. Danny saw the backyard quickly, it stretched out farther than his eyes could see. On either side of the drive, there were vast fields of withering corn stalks, suggesting that the location of the home was well away from the bustle of town and prying eyes.
The car stopped just in front of the garage. Turning around, Sabrina's father reached back, retrieved Silvear, "Come, Danny, we have a lot to discuss."
Danny nodded as he opened the car door. He followed Sabrina and her father silently as they made their way around the front of the house and onto the porch.
Sabrina's father unlocked the front door, held it open and motioned Danny and Sabrina inside.
Upon entering, Danny was greeted with the warm smile of a tall woman. Thin and straight, her long black hair cascaded down and around the nape of her neck. The shape of her eyes and her creamy skin mimicked her daughter's Asian heritage as she nodded her head and regarded Danny with a gentle gaze. However, her tender welcoming expression quickly turned to concern as her green eyes spotted the red-soaked bandage wrapped around Sabrina's right shoulder.
"You're hurt," said the woman, moving to Sabrina's side, investigating the wound.
"It's not that bad, Mother."
"Allow me to introduce you to my wife, Moon Su-Dae Drake." Sabrina's father closed the front door. "Moon, this is Danny Firoth."
Moon turned toward Danny and smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Danny," she said curtly. "Come, let me have a look," she said to her daughter, dragging her up a set of stairs.
"Moon is a nurse," explained Tyramear, "but more than that, she has the healer's touch."
"…Healer's touch?"
"Sabrina's mother has the ability to heal with the use of magic in addition to modern medicine." Seeing Danny's surprise, Tyramear added, "I understand that this is all very new to you. The answers will come soon, I promise, but first would you like something to drink? I make great hot chocolate."
"That would be fine," answered Danny, hoping he didn't look as uncomfortable as he felt. More than anything, he felt excited.
"Good," said Tyramear, slinging his sword over his shoulder. "Please make yourself comfortable."
After Tyramear left, Danny investigated the room with acute curiosity.
The large room boasted a vaulted ceiling and cream-colored walls. Arranged in a circle were a wooden rocking chair, a white sofa, and a red loveseat. However, the room lacked one thing usually common to most living rooms, a television.
Danny made his way to the sofa and sat down. Unsure of his surroundings, unwilling to touch anything that might get him into trouble, he placed his hands in his lap.
A few minutes later, Tyramear appeared with a pair of steaming mugs. He handed one to Danny, then walked over to the loveseat, propped his silver blade against the edge, and sat down.
The cup was warm in Danny's hands, filled three-quarters of the way to the brim, it was topped with a layer of whipped cream and marshmallows. The taste was hot on the tip of his tongue, but soothing as it glided down his throat, warming his belly. It was the best hot chocolate Danny had ever tasted.
"Good?" Tyramear asked.
Danny nodded eagerly conveying that it tasted great; he took another sip.
"Well then... I suppose we should get to it," said Tyramear. He took a sip of his own and then placed his mug on a side table.
Danny shifted to the edge of his seat and held his cup snugly between his legs. He was already in awe of this man, a full-blooded dragon, a Knight of the Light, and best of all he had his own card in the game of Knights. Additionally, he was also Sabrina's father. If Tyramear claimed that the world was flat, Danny would've believed him without question.
"A few hundred years ago, a rift of unknown origin opened at a large island, White Rock, located just off the coasts of Florida, Puerto Rico and Bermuda, in the center of what you know as the Bermuda Triangle. The fissure released the first wave of a dark race we
came to call Shadows, resulting in a war that raged on for seven long years. With the help of great heroes and the loss of many brave souls, we were able to halt the passage of the Shadows into our world."
"You mean you were there?" Danny's face distorted with wide-eyed amazement.
"We Dragonic live much longer than a Human lifetime," explained Tyramear. He dropped his head as if he were grieving. "Yes, I was there. However, one turned the tide—the Mageknight."
"The Mageknight," whispered Danny to himself.
"Yes, the first and only one of his kind; as far as we know anyway. It is said that he will return when the days turn the darkest, his powers will be reborn in the body of another." Looking up, Tyramear snapped out of his reverie. "Forgive me; I seem to have trailed off."
Enthralled, Danny held his tongue.
"From the ashes of this battle, the Order of Light was born. We became the silent guardians of the Eye of Darkness."
"…The Eye of Darkness?"
"Such is the name we gave to the rift that opened that fateful day so long ago. It is a swirling mass leading into the abyss of the Shadow home world," said Tyramear. "The most powerful of wizards, as well as the strongest of knights, have attempted to close it, but to no avail. The Eye is a stain upon this world, resulting in a warping of reality itself. It is the cause of the strange occurrences for which the Bermuda Triangle is well known."
"If that is the only way for Shadows to enter our world, then how'd one end up at the playground at the school today?"
Tyramear nodded, smiled, and said, "A good question. It seems you are bright as well as brave." After a moment, he continued. "The Knights of the Light have waged war upon the Shadows since their intrusion into this world. However, there are those that would aid their incursion. With the help of those of the Dark, the Shadows have found other ways of trespassing into our world. That is why I was assigned by the Order of Light to protect this area. Oddly, there has been a significant amount of Shadow activity in this region."
