Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight

by Daniel Fife

  "Get behind me, Danny, you are no match for him," Calador recommended.

  "And neither are you, in your current condition," said Danny, refusing to take his eyes off his opponent.

  Get ready, Magear said, his calm voice coinciding with the movement of Syndil's ghostly outline, predicting an attack.

  Following the foretold pattern, Syndil flicked Kryssagrim in a series of lightning-quick swipes, slashing relentlessly through the air.

  "Shred, Kryssagrim," he whispered, sending a relentless assault of glistening energy waves shrieking through the air. For every swing of the sword, three more waves appeared.

  Shrugging off Calador's restraining hand, Danny leapt forward, intending to meet the swelling number of force waves head-on. With his heightened Ghostsight, he parried each wave in turn, causing them to dissipate harmlessly around him in silvery puffs of air. However, there seemed to be no end to them as Syndil weaved Kryssagrim in an endless pattern of destructive force.

  You cannot keep this up much longer, Danny.

  I know, Danny thought, beginning to feel the effects of his exertion. His lungs yearned for air and his muscles began to burn with exhaustion. In addition, he could feel his body begin to slow from the recent wounds gained from his confrontation with the Gran Shadow and its blue energy orbs; he felt a series of sharp pains, beginning in his chest, running up his neck and down through his right arm. His movements began to slow. He barely blocked a string of three energy waves, three more quickly taking their place. Danny panicked, he managed to take out the first wave and the second, but he over extended, allowing the third to slip through his defenses and arc upward toward his chest. Knowing that he couldn't reach it in time, he prepared for the impact.

  However, nothing struck him, a black-bladed sword slipped up in front of him, inches from his nose and severed the attack in twain. The rogue wave scattered around him in a wisp of wind.

  "Do not give up now, Mageknight," encouraged Calador, taking up a position next to Danny, blocking two more waves.

  Angling Magear upward, Danny sliced through the third. With the help of the Ghostsight, Danny was able to anticipate which waves Calador would miss; they worked together, as a team, caught up in a dance of death-defying defense. However, the pain in Danny's chest didn't lessen. His lungs continued to crave air, his muscles burned continuously from the forced movements.

  "I can't… keep this up… much longer," whispered Danny, knowing that Calador's keen hearing would pick up his plea.

  "Nor I… Mageknight."

  As if from nowhere, a huge beam of golden energy swept through the surge of Syndil's attacks, destroying every silvery wave in a loud swoosh of air. The shaft of light slanted skyward and cut a sizable hole in the surrounding storm above, then it dissipated. The gap in the dark clouds lingered, allowing a large ray of sunlight to shine through before the storm surged around it and swallowed the opening.

  "What… was that?" Danny questioned Calador, his breathing haggard and forced.

  "The King of the Light," Calador said, his voice heavy with relief.

  Danny turned and followed the path of the amber beam back to its origin; he found the King of the Light standing over the disintegrating form of a Gran Shadow.

  The king wore a glittering suit of golden armor, a shield made from the same precious metal and a brandished Bonded that seemed to glow like the noonday sun. Next to the King of the Light stood Sabrina, Matt, Chris, Alonso, Anthony, Doug and Briza, weapons bared and ready. Behind them, an entire army of Knights of the Light and squires stood ready to assist them.

  "Syndil Sartak Tribolari!" the king yelled in a bold and commanding voice.

  "It seems my time here has come to an end," said Syndil, presenting those gathered with a mock salute and sheathing his Bonded. With flashes of darkness, the remaining two Gran Shadows appeared on either side of him. Turning, the two Shadows escorted him to edge of the dark vortex. Syndil lingered at the precipice.

  "…Syndil!" Danny yelled, gritting his teeth in rage, fighting through the lingering pain in his chest. He surged forward, yet didn't get far, Calador applied a restraining hand to his right bicep.

  "It is too late," said the Elf, pulling Danny back to the edge of the pool.

  "Get back," the King of the Light ordered those around him to a safe distance.

  Forced back behind the Pool of the Mageknight, Danny refused to take his eyes off Syndil as the upsurge of the black twister increased in ferocity.

  Syndil turned at the last instant, meeting Danny's steady gaze with his own. In that moment, a sweeping smile crossed his face and the raging cyclone swallowed him whole.

  "Get down," Calador ordered, shoving Danny behind the rounded edge of the pool as the black tornado increased in size and shape, sucking up large chunks of stone and surrounding rubble.

  Danny watched the ruined sword he had wielded as a squire clang across the stone, the vortex yanking it into the dark void. The windy turbulence culminated in a sudden whoosh of air, just before scattering without a trace, leaving small pieces of stone and debris to tumble end over end back to the ground.

  "Are you alright, Danny?" Calador's voice sounded somewhat distant.

  With the immediate threat of danger over, Danny allowed the pain and exhaustion to envelop him as he slumped to the ground and fell into the inviting bliss of unconsciousness.

  "Danny," he heard Calador call to him again, this time he sounded even further away.

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  Chapter 35 - The Tale of the Black Bonded

  anny awoke to a soft jerk of his hand, stirring groggily. With a shift of his head, he followed his outstretched right arm to the side of the bed where he spied Sabrina. Sound asleep, both of her hands were wrapped in his.

  "Hey," he said, groaning. He squeezed her hands lightly with his own.

  Sabrina came awake right away. "You are awake! We were all very worried."

  "…We?"

  Sabrina began to move away from the bed, "I will get the healer."

  "Wait," Danny begged, holding onto her hand, pulling her back toward the edge of the bed.

  Sabrina turned back toward him.

  "I'm sorry for lying to you."

  Sabrina gave Danny's hand a gentle squeeze before placing it back on the bed. "Do not worry about that now," she said with a smile. "You need your rest. Now, just lie still and I will get the healer."

  In no condition to argue, Danny relaxed into the soft fluff of the bedding. Noticing his arms for the first time since the altercation with Syndil, he was somewhat alarmed to see rolls of white bandaging wrapped from his wrists to his shoulders. Looking down at his body, he noted that the same dressings bound his chest, a slight but sharp pain was also present. The ache seemed to come with even the smallest of movements or shallowest of breaths. However, he didn't have long to think about his predicament. Sabrina returned a few moments later, a man in dark-green robes with the symbol of Light stitched on the chest followed behind her.

  "So, you are awake, Squire Firoth," the man said, making his way to the side of the bed. With soft brown hair and welcoming blue eyes, he had an aura of calm about him. "I am Sir Virgil, a Healer of the Light. How are you feeling?"

  "A little weak and…" Danny held up his bandaged arms as an unsaid final word.

  "I am afraid you sustained some first and second-degree burns to your hands and arms. Your weakness is normal, Squire. You have been unconscious for about two days now. It will take time for you to regain your full strength."

  "Two days!" Danny tried to sit up, a surprised reaction. However, the sudden sting of chest pain forced him back onto the bedding. "Where am I?" he asked, looking around the room, seeing that he was but one of many lying in a row of beds. A series of long, narrow windows, made from colorful stained glass, bathed the room in a soft rainbow of colors.

  "Easy, Squire," the healer ordered, putting a restraining hand on Danny's shoulder so that he didn't attempt such a reckless action a second time. "In
addition to the burns, two of your ribs were broken and a third was fractured. I have done all I can to speed up the healing process, but the Human body can only heal so fast. You are currently in the infirmary, located in the eastern wing of the Castle of Light. I am afraid you will have to remain here and rest for at least another full day. As you can see," said Sir Virgil, motioning toward the other injured occupants, "Syndil's betrayal was most devastating indeed. You are lucky to have only sustained the injuries you received."

  Danny relaxed slowly, trying to remember the events before his black out.

  "Magear!" he called out, recalling that he'd recovered the Bonded of the Mageknight.

  "Relax, Squire Firoth," assured Sir Virgil. "We of the Light are well aware of the ties that a knight has to his Bonded. It is here." Reaching down to the side of the bed, the healer produced the familiar sapphire hilt, sheathed in a royal blue scabbard with the symbol of Light attached at the midpoint, molded from sparkling platinum with a royal blue hue. "Sir Bartlett saw to the sheath," Sir Virgil explained, presenting the sword to Danny with both hands, careful not to touch the hilt.

  "Thank you," said Danny, taking the blade in hand.

  "So, it is true," Sabrina said, inching closer to get a better look at the sword.

  "What's true?"

  "You are the Mageknight," her eyes grew wide in excitement.

  "I guess so," said Danny, angling his gaze downward, her words were like a dagger in his heart, reminding him of the lies he'd told her.

  "Rest, Squire," encouraged Sir Virgil, placing a light hand on Danny's shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze. "I shall inform the King of the Light that you are awake."

  Danny snapped out of his dark mood. "…The king?"

  Sir Virgil produced a soft smile. "Yes, the king, he requested an audience with you as soon as you awoke. I was instructed to notify him the instant you regained consciousness."

  "What would the King of the Light want with me?"

  "You are the Mageknight, Squire. The question is, what wouldn't the King of the Light want with you?" With that, Sir Virgil produced a soft smile, turned and made his way to a pair of large silver doors. "Oh," he said, stopping and turning, "You have some other visitors, they have been anxious to see you. Should I show them in?"

  Danny looked at Sabrina, who nodded, suggesting that the answer must be yes. "Yes, please, Sir Virgil."

  With a slight nod, Sir Virgil turned and exited the chamber. A few moments later, the double doors burst open as Chris, Alonso, Matt, Anthony, Doug and Briza entered the chamber, forming a half-circle at the foot of Danny's bed.

  "We were all pretty worried about you, man," said Chris.

  "I cannot believe Syndil turned out to be a traitor to the Light," said Briza, dropping her gaze and shaking her head. "He has not only disgraced himself but the race of the Elves as well."

  "You can't judge an entire race based on the actions of one," added Doug, placing a reassuring hand on Briza's shoulder. He smiled. "I can still think of a few Elves that represent their race quite well."

  Briza returned the smile, "Thank you."

  "You look terrible," said Alonso bluntly, a combined look of anger radiated from everyone. He shrugged his shoulders. "What?"

  Anthony crossed his arms, the sheer size of his biceps stretching the fabric of the robes taut. "You fought well," he said with a nod.

  "Is that the Bonded of the Mageknight?" Matt asked, adjusting his glasses for a clearer look.

  Danny presented the blade for everyone to see as best he could.

  Leaning forward for a closer look, Matt reached out as if to touch the hilt. However, he retreated from Sabrina's swatting hand.

  "No," she said, stepping forward, forcing Matt backward. "A Bonded is only to be touched by the wielder. It is dangerous to touch another's Bonded."

  "Why?"

  Sabrina visibly relaxed. "You would have been aware of this fact if you were Lightborn, but since you are only first-years and have not received a Bonded of your own, there is no way you could have known."

  "Each Bonded has a personality of its own," Briza lectured, jumping in. "You can never be sure how a Bonded might react if touched by one who is not its wielder. Grave injuries have been known to result from such contact."

  "What kind of injuries?" Matt asked, withdrawing his hand, resuming his close proximity to the bed in an attempt to get a better look, like a moth to a flame.

  "Severe burns, blindness, or the loss of a limb," said Sabrina matter-of-factly. "Just to name a few," she added with a shrug.

  Matt took a step back. "It's an epic sword, looks better from a distance." His comment caused chuckles, easing the tension in the room a little.

  Danny placed Magear on the bed beside him. "Oh yeah, who won the final duel between Lion Army and Dragon Army?" he asked, turning his attention toward Sabrina, ashamed that he'd forgotten about the event until now.

  Sabrina tensed at the question. "Neither side, once the bells sounded the alarm, the duel was stopped immediately."

  "I'm sorry," Danny whispered.

  Sabrina met Danny's gaze. "Do not be. It was not your fault."

  "But it feels like it was my fault. None of this would've happened if it weren't for me."

  "You are right. It is your fault," said Briza, causing those gathered around the bed to shoot her a look of warning.

  Doug placed a restraining hand on Briza's arm. "Perhaps you should…"

  Briza glared at Doug. "No," she said, turning back to Danny. "The members of the Light have waited centuries for your return and, yes, you are right to think that you are responsible for the unofficial celebration that is taking place on this island despite the tragic event of Syndil turning traitor. You are at fault for inspiring hope to those that had all but given up."

  "She's right, man," said Chris. "Your name is being uttered almost everywhere. Syndil is second-hand news compared to your new title as Mageknight."

  "That is not exactly official yet," said a stern yet familiar voice. Danny looked up to find Calador standing just beyond the doorway. "Not until the King of the Light sanctions you, of course."

  "…Calador!" Danny said as the Elf closed the distance and joined the group. "You're unhurt?" he questioned, looking Calador up and down, not finding even the smallest of scratches. "I could've sworn you were wounded nearly as bad, if not worse, than I. How is it that I'm in this bed while you're up and walking around?"

  "I am an Elf, Danny, and you are a Human. Our physical bodies differ quite a bit. You see, Elves are more attuned to magical healing, the Human body can only repair itself at a limited speed, even when helped by magical means."

  Danny winced as he adjusted himself. "Yeah, I suppose Sir Virgil already said as much."

  "How are you feeling?"

  "I've been better but I have some questions for you."

  "Of course you do, but the king will be arriving momentarily, so I will answer as much as I can in the time that we have."

  "The black sword you wielded. Was that your Bonded?" Danny asked with a probing empathy.

  "What is left of it… yes."

  "Then you've regained the powers of your Bonded?"

  "No," Calador said without the slightest hint of emotion, as if he'd come to terms with this fact a long time ago. "When Enigmir was destroyed by Syndil, she was shattered into seven individual pieces. With the help of Sir Bartlett, I was able to re-forge Enigmir into seven separate swords. Through practice, secretly, I learned to combine these pieces into a larger whole, regaining some of her Awakenings. However, the bond between the blades only lasts for a short amount of time."

  "You said she?" Danny asked, he'd only recently learned firsthand that the bond between wielder and Bonded was an intimate relationship.

  "Enigmir was my elder sister," said Calador, his composure cracking at admission. "She was killed in service to the Light before my birth and she chose to join the ranks of the Bonded. It is rare that a Bonded links with a blood relative, bu
t it is not altogether unheard of."

  "I'm sorry, Calador. I had no idea," said Danny solemnly, glancing down at Magear.

  "As I told you from the beginning, Danny, your sympathy, although thoughtful, is not required."

  "Are you… able to hear …" Danny's words grew fainter before trailing off.

  "Her thoughts are lost to me," said Calador, knowing full well the extent of Danny's question.

  Briza's hand drifted to her mouth in utter shock. "You must truly hate Syndil," she said, her words little more than a whisper.

  "I hold no grudge against him for the destruction of my Bonded. However, his betrayal of the Light, that is another matter."

  Danny opened his mouth to ask another question. However, he was quickly silenced as Calador held up his right hand in a plea for peace.

  "Please, I would prefer that the subject of our conversation be changed to more immediate matters."

  Danny nodded in understanding, a gesture that was not apparently lost on the blind Elf.

  "Thank you."

  Danny hesitated and then asked his next question. "What was that black tornado thing? I don't remember much before I blacked out."

  Clearly relieved to be off the subject of himself, Calador answered, "What you witnessed was a Shadow Flux, Danny, a tear in our reality created by the Shadows. Essentially, it is a doorway to the Shadow Realm. If you had been caught within it, you would have most likely awakened in the realm of the Shadows, rather than here in the infirmary."

  Danny dropped his gaze at the thought. "And Syndil allowed himself to be swept up in that voluntarily?"

  "Since no remnants of his presence have been found, we assume so. His traitorous actions run deep."

  Danny looked up with hopeful eyes. "And my father's sword…?"

  Calador shook his head from side to side. "…Is lost."

  "For the time being," said a deep, resonating voice.

  Everyone turned toward the sound as the King of the Light entered the chamber, Alamber Halfelvin followed directly behind him.

  Suddenly in the presence of the king, Calador honored his leader with a slight nod. "…My lord."