Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight

by D. M. Fife

  Chapter 17 - The Way of the Sword

  ith bruised and blistered hands, Danny, along with all the other first-year squires, followed Sir Fredrick to the building which he bid them enter. Sore and tired, Danny funneled through the wooden double doors.

  Danny had failed to cut his stone in half, chipping away small slivers to within about the midway point of the boulder. Briza was the only squire who'd succeeded, dealing her stone a lethal blow on the fifth try. Anthony had followed in a close second, slumping down beside the boulder that had been nearly his own size with a cleft one-third of the way through. Chris was third, taking two final swipes after Anthony had given up, leaving Matt, Alonso and Doug nearly the last to finish, with their stones looking unscathed. Many of the other squires had fallen somewhere in between.

  Thinking about the exercise, Danny looked down to his side, where his longsword rested in its sheath. He was amazed that even after clanging against stone, the blade looked unblemished. Truly, Sir Bartlett Firebeard, the master smith, and the Dwarves of the Forge were skilled experts of their craft.

  "Please, take a seat within the circle," said an inviting familiar voice.

  Pulled from his thoughts, Danny peered up to find Sir Syndil Tribolari standing before him. The Elf stood still and steady in the center of an intricate circle grooved into the stone floor. He wore the same silver business suit Danny had first encountered him in during his testing, a day that now seemed so long ago.

  As if noticing the large room for the first time, Danny saw a vast assortment of bladed weapons lining the walls, ranging from daggers to greatswords, as well as pole arms, arranged from shortest and smallest to the longest and largest.

  "Thank you, Sir Fredrick, I shall take it from here," said Sir Syndil, giving the other Knight of the Light a curt graceful bow.

  Sir Fredrick grunted as he nodded and closed the doors in his wake.

  "Please, find a seat within the circle," said Sir Syndil, his tone polite and patient.

  Danny took a quick moment to check out the carved circle which the Elf indicated, noting strange runes written in a language unknown to him. Within the circumference, a pair of etched triangles rested just off-center, mirroring each other on opposite sides.

  Sir Syndil waited until everyone was seated before he spoke, "Good afternoon, Squires. My name is Sir Syndil Sartak Tribolari, Knight of the Light, your instructor in the techniques of the blade. Within these walls, I will teach you the proper handling of the weapons you currently keep on your person. Be forewarned, I am patient, but I am also a perfectionist. I will work tirelessly to make sure that your technique is flawless. I only ask that you return the favor. I assume that Sir Fredrick had you hacking at stones this day?"

  A low moan erupted from the group of squires.

  "A strong sword arm is a good tool," continued Sir Syndil with a sly smile. "However, such a tool will do one little good if one cannot properly strike the enemy. This course will be your most important subject of study. Every aspect of a knight begins with a strong base in proper technique. Someday, but sooner than you think, your life will depend on the lessons you learn here. Are there any questions before we begin?"

  The gathered squires sat quietly with no questions forthcoming.

  "Good," said Sir Syndil, "then, by all means, stand, find a suitable safe distance from one another and draw your weapons."

  Danny found a spot near the edge of the circle. With a soft ring of steel, he drew his longsword and held it before him.

  The room echoed with the sound of metal scraping against metal as swords slipped free from their sheaths. The collection of naked blades caught the light of the noonday sun as it trickled in through a series of vaulted windows.

  "Every maneuver begins with a strong stance," said Sir Syndil, gliding between the squires, "and every stance is unique. Like a fingerprint, a stance depends on the weapon you wield, in combination with the physical structure of your body. The two main stances that you will learn under my instruction are defensive and offensive. We will begin today by practicing an offensive stance." After a moment, he added, "So, if all of you will please assume an offensive stance, I will come around and correct you."

  Unsure about what Sir Syndil was asking him to do, Danny did his best. Squaring his shoulders, he wrapped his hands around the hilt of his blade and positioned it in front of him at an angle.

  Sir Syndil stalked through the room, inspecting and then adjusting the poses of the other squires. "Stand firm," he said to one. "Do not be afraid of the weight, hold the blade steady in your hands," he said to another. After working his way through the group, he came to stand before Danny. "Does that stance feel awkward?"

  "?A little." However, Danny was quite sure that any position he found himself in would feel odd. It was his first time holding a blade in any particular kind of manner.

  "Is the blade heavy in your hands?"

  "Not really."

  Sir Syndil nodded and smiled with an empathetic curve of the mouth. "A longsword is a fine weapon, Squire Firoth. Its strength rests in versatility. If needed, a longsword can be wielded with two hands for a more powerful stroke. In the same respect, it is light enough to hold with only one hand, leaving the other free to hold a shield or grab an opponent. If you would indulge me, please release your left hand and hold it out in front of you."

  Without hesitation, Danny complied, finding the blade light enough to sustain with his right hand.

  "Good, now, position the sword behind you and allow the weight to distribute throughout your entire arm instead of just one spot."

  Taking a steadying breath, Danny positioned his sword behind him at the ready.

  "Excellent," said Sir Syndil with a smile. "How does that feel?"

  "Comfortable," said Danny, returning the smile.

  "From your current position, you can begin any number of offensive maneuvers. It is a strong stance." With that, Sir Syndil moved off to the next squire, continuing his instruction.

  By the end of the lesson, Danny noticed that Chris and Anthony required minimal correction. However, Matt and Doug, molded into their stances by Sir Syndil, needed the most attention. Alonso had a tendency to argue and would've needed less fine-tuning than he'd received if he had listened. Briza, on the other hand, was the star pupil, having no need of Sir Syndil's instruction, a fact that seemed to aggravate many of the other squires, except for Doug, who watched her with a dazed expression on his face.

  "Very good," said Sir Syndil, after inspecting and correcting the last squire. "Now that all of you have a general understanding of an offensive stance, it is time to see what your skill level is," he continued, walking toward the far wall and selecting a finely-crafted longsword from the array of weaponry. Moving to the middle of the circle on the floor, he pulled the blade free from the scabbard and smiled. "Please, gather at the edge of the circle." After waiting for his instructions to be followed, he added, "I need a volunteer."

  Briza stepped forward.

  "Excellent, please, take your position in the opposite triangle." Turning to address the squires surrounding him, Sir Syndil said, "The circle before you is a dueling circle. You will come to know it well. Since this is the first day of your training and we have not been properly introduced, I shall learn who you are by participating in a mock duel with each one of you. Truly, dueling is the fastest way to learn about someone. Since this young squire has volunteered to go first, I would encourage you to watch and learn. Are there any questions before we begin?"

  Doug slowly raised his hand into the air.

  "Yes, Squire?" Sir Syndil questioned politely.

  "What if you get hit? Aren't you afraid of getting hurt? Briza is excellent with a sword and I know for a fact that all of our blades are sharp," Doug added, with a quick glance in Briza's direction, an act that caused him to blush as she smiled back at him.

  "Those are all good points, Squire. However, I ask that none of you hold back for fear of my safety. In order for me to understa
nd your true current ability, you must engage me with all of your skill. I assure you all that I am quite capable of avoiding any injury."

  A second hand arose from the group.

  "Yes, you have a question?" Sir Syndil asked as his tone remained tempered.

  "What if we get hurt?" another squire asked.

  Sir Syndil produced a sly smile. "Rest assured, I shall only react defensively. Any damage you might sustain will be done by your own hand, not mine."

  With that, the room remained quiet, suggesting that any other questions could wait.

  "If there are no further questions, we shall begin," said Sir Syndil, his gaze turning back in Briza's direction. "Are you ready, Squire?"

  Briza responded with a swift nod.

  Sir Syndil twisted the blade upward in his hand, causing the naked brand to tap softly against his chest. "For the Light," he said, as he twirled the sword downward with a skilled grace.

  Briza mimicked his movements with a parallel elegance and then adjusted her feet a shoulder-width apart. Readying her rapier at the hip, with the blade pointing at an angle in front of her, she placed her opposite hand on the hilt to steady it.

  "Good," said Sir Syndil, assuming his own stance by spreading his feet and lifting his longsword up in front of him, while allowing his opposite hand to drift behind him. "Begin," he said; the pitch of his voice was ever calm.

  With a burst of movement, Briza bounded forward, her speed almost quicker than Danny's Human eye. Opening with a sidelong lunge, the point of her sword led the way.

  Sir Syndil anticipated the attack, stepped to the side and swiped the assault aside as if he was but swatting a fly.

  Unworried by the failure of her first attempt, Briza spun to the right with the grace of a dancer and looped her blade in a wicked arc.

  Parrying the strike with ease, Sir Syndil took a small step forward as if to attack, but he did not.

  Confused by the offensive maneuver, Briza answered with a series of quick cuts. Her slender blade hummed as it sliced through the air and found only the impenetrable circle of Sir Syndil's defense. Every time she assailed forward, her attempt was met with the same result, Sir Syndil deflected it and advanced, forcing Briza to retreat. The dance of blades progressed a minute more before Sir Syndil forced his opponent beyond the boundaries of the ring.

  Looking rather winded, Briza slipped her blade back into the sheath and admitted defeat.

  "Quite impressive," said Sir Syndil, his own breathing calm and collected. "You have had previous tutelage, yes?"

  "My father," said Briza, "Sir Romaya Ingst Hollinger."

  "Ah, yes, Sir Romaya is an excellent swordmaster. I can see his resemblance through your skill as well as his limitations."

  "Limitations?" Briza asked, her tone becoming thick with emotion. "You insult my father?"

  "Not at all, Squire Hollinger, I am simply stating a fact. If I may explain, your technique is near perfect. However, like your father before you, you allow your emotions to guide your hand. You are hot-tempered and easily goaded into attacks. There is no room in a battle for feelings. Your mind must be calm and focused. I am afraid this fact will be difficult for you to learn. Technique can be taught and corrected, but one's nature is a more personal journey."

  Taking a deep breath, Briza nodded, exited the circle and dropped her head as if contemplating the Elf's words.

  "Who will be next?" Sir Syndil asked, content to leave Briza to her own devices.

  A series of hands rose into the air. However, Anthony beat them out.

  "Please step forward, Squire, and take your position in the opposite triangle," invited Sir Syndil with a dramatic sweep of the arm.

  Anthony hefted his greatsword upon his right shoulder and did just that. Once within the circle, he pulled the massive blade free and tossed the scabbard to the side.

  With an agile gesture, Sir Syndil completed his salute and said, "For the Light."

  Anthony attempted to respond in kind. However, lacking any sort of grace, the large blade proved much too cumbersome for him to fully imitate the movement. Then again, Anthony didn't look like the nimble type. Taking a side stance, he held the blade in front of him, both hands clutched around the heavy hilt.

  With an ever-present smile upon his face, Sir Syndil assumed his defensive stance and said, "Whenever you are ready, Squire."

  Anthony's forward foot scraped against the stone as he pointed his toes and leveled the point of his sword before him. Pushing off with his back foot, he surged ahead, thrusting his sword like a spear.

  Sir Syndil spun to the right, easily avoiding the point as Anthony's blade found nothing but air.

  Growling and grunting, Anthony's biceps bulged as he forced the greatsword into a wild, sidelong slash. The brand whistled as it cut through the air and found just that, as Sir Syndil ducked beneath and spun to meet his attacker. Red-faced, Anthony followed up with a series of powerful swings but found nothing but open space again and again. After a series of failed attacks, he stood, breathless, using the greatsword as nothing more than a crutch.

  "Are you finished, Squire?" Sir Syndil cocked his head to the side.

  "You are? too fast?" Anthony said in between great gulps of air.

  "Or, perhaps you are too slow?" After taking a moment to allow the comment to sink in, Sir Syndil continued. "You have great strength, Squire. However, you rely on that strength much too readily. It is true that I have the advantage of speed when our weapons are concerned, yet you have me beat in reach. The greatsword is a powerful weapon when not wielded like a club. You have the will of a warrior but the technique of a child."

  Anthony's face revealed his annoyance. However, proven right before his very eyes, he couldn't deny the facts. Defeated, he retrieved his sheath and exited the dueling circle.

  "Next."

  A series of hands lifted into the air. However, before Sir Syndil could call upon anyone, Chris took it upon himself to enter the circle.

  "I'll go, Sir Syndil," he said in a composed manner.

  "Very well," Sir Syndil said, indicating the opposite triangle.

  With the soft song of metal sliding against metal, Chris freed the bastardsword from behind his back.

  With a flow of movement, Sir Syndil finished his salute and said, "For the Light."

  Chris mimicked the gesture as best he could, "For the Light."

  "You may begin whenever you are ready," encouraged Sir Syndil.

  Hefting the heavy sword before him, Chris paused as if to probe his opponent for a weakness, while Sir Syndil stared on with interest. Perhaps finding what he sought, Chris leveled the blade at his waist, took a surging step forward and arced an attack toward the base of Sir Syndil's legs. The biceps of his arms bulged with power, showing the strength of his swing as he attacked without restraint. Perhaps anticipating Sir Syndil's quick retreat, Chris allowed the weight of the blade to carry him full circle as he spun on his toes and unleashed another fierce attack. The bastardsword hissed as it cut through the air, leveled right at Sir Syndil's upper chest.

  With a speed that awed everyone, Sir Syndil countered the move by ducking and angling his own blade upward, deflecting the larger sword skyward.

  Knocked off-balance, Chris would've fallen if not for Sir Syndil's steady hand beneath his arm. "Good," Sir Syndil said with a widening smile. "I believe I have seen enough, Squire. Your technique is rudimentary, and you are quite headstrong. However, you have a natural talent that will serve you well. I see a bright future ahead of you."

  "Thank you, Sir Syndil," Chris said after steadying himself.

  "Please, rejoin the others."

  Sheathing his sword, Chris did just that.

  "Next."

  Shoving his way past two other squires, Alonso stepped into the circle with his blade at the ready, the serrated edge of the longsword hovering threateningly in front of him.

  "So be it," said Sir Syndil with a gracious quality, as he went through the motions of his salute. "For
the Light."

  As soon as he finished, Alonso bolted forward, his longsword leading the way in a sideways slash. Quick as lightning, Sir Syndil whipped his own sword in an upward arc, catching Alonso's blade just above the hilt with a clang. Alonso's grip fumbled as the vibration forced the sword from his hand and sent the blade tumbling end-over-end in the air. Alonso nearly tripped but he caught himself just in time. On his knees, he was about to stand back up when his own blade descended in front of him, sticking point first into the stone.

  Gulping down some courage, he stood up, pulled his sword from the floor and said, "I thought you said you would only react defensively."

  "And so I did, my young squire," said Sir Syndil. "However, you attacked me without waiting for my command to begin."

  "Fine," said Alonso, returning to the opposite triangle. "Tell me when to begin."

  "I am afraid I have already seen all that I need to, Squire."

  "What? You tricked me."

  "I did no such thing, Squire. You are hot-headed and your technique is close to non-existent. However, your true weakness is in your inability to discern the world around you from the reality you have conjured within your mind. You make excuses for your faults instead of acknowledging them. If you wish to master the blade, you must first master yourself."

  "Whatever, I don't have to listen to this!" Alonso said, giving Sir Syndil his back.

  "And yet again, you have just proven my point, Squire."

  Alonso lingered mid-step, as if to ponder the Elf's words. However, he resumed his trudging step back into the circle of squires.

  "I believe I have room for another within the dueling circle," said Sir Syndil.

  A multitude of hands ascended into the air, including Danny, as he felt the need to try his luck.

  Sir Syndil scanned the group with a smile. However, when he saw Danny's hand in the air, his expression seemed to widen as he singled Danny out. "Squire Firoth, if you would be so kind as to join me within the dueling circle."

  Danny felt a sudden pang within his chest at the mention of his name. His breathing quickened, he felt his stomach drop. He was nervous.

  "There is no need to be shy, Squire," encouraged Sir Syndil, indicating the opposite triangle in the circle. "Please."

  Danny left the safety of the other squires and stepped into the dueling circle.

  As soon as Danny stood within the opposing triangle, Sir Syndil whipped his sword to his chest and then twisted it downward in the familiar salute, "For the Light."

  Danny pulled his longsword from the scabbard with a smooth movement, causing a soft ring as the blade slid free. Twisting the blade upward, he returned the salute in a rudimentary fashion and said, "For the Light."

  "You may begin whenever you are ready, Squire."

  Nodding, Danny leveled his body into an offensive stance, angling the sword behind him just as Sir Syndil had shown him. Pausing, he examined his opponent's stance, unsure of how to begin. Sir Syndil was a master of the blade as well as a Knight of the Light and if Danny were to stand any chance at all, he would need that strange power located somewhere within himself, it had only shown itself twice. Concentrating, he tried to will the ability into being, however, the ghostly form that would predict Sir Syndil's movements failed to appear.

  "Is everything alright, Squire?"

  "Yes," Danny lied, as he realized that, up until this point, the power had only come to him while he was defending himself. However, in this case, he was the attacker.

  Could my power be used in reverse? Danny thought, unsure of the answer. Deciding that the best way to find out was to try it, he pointed his forward foot and pushed off with his back foot. Dropping his blade low so that it scraped against the dark stone of the floor, he angled the attack upward and carved a direct line through the air, centered at Sir Syndil's chest. Just before the impact, the familiar flicker of an image broke away from Sir Syndil's body and dodged to the right. A split-second later, Sir Syndil followed.

  There, thought Danny, pivoting on his left foot, spinning. Changing the momentum of his sword, he pulled it around his body and slashed at the phantom image, knowing that it indicated where Sir Syndil would end his movement. I have him.

  Danny witnessed a clear expression of surprise on Sir Syndil's face. However, faster than Danny ever considered possible, the Elf broke through the image of himself and brought his own blade up to block. The two swords rang out as they collided, causing a jarring sensation to travel up Danny's sword arm and weaken his grip. Slipping from his fingers, the longsword twirled longways through the air before embedding itself into the stone of the circle. Danny stumbled backward and fell flat on his back.

  "Intriguing," said Sir Syndil, taking two steps forward, offering Danny his left hand.

  Taking advantage of the gesture, Danny stood up with Sir Syndil's help. "Thank you, Sir Syndil," said Danny, testing his right hand for injuries by opening and closing it. "You're incredibly fast."

  "And you are incredibly unpredictable," said Sir Syndil with a sweeping smile.

  "So, how did I do?"

  "?Quite well, Squire Firoth. However, I feel that my critique of your ability is best suited for a more private setting. If you would, please, exit the circle and stay after class so that we may discuss it at length, yes?"

  "Yes, Sir Syndil," said Danny, his tone relaying the uncertainty of the request.

  However, whether Sir Syndil understood Danny's confusion or simply ignored it, he didn't acknowledge either one as he said, "Next."

  "What was that all about, man?" Chris questioned in a whisper as Danny took a seated position beside him.

  "I'm not exactly sure."

  "You almost had him. I saw it. How'd you do that?"

  "Maybe that's what he wants to talk to me about."

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