Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (35 page)

Unwilling to give his rival a chance to use
his Bonded, Danny pressed his attack, opening up with an underhand
swing. The tip of his longsword scraped the stone floor beneath
him, causing the metal to ring out in anticipation of the
strike.

Backed into a corner, Rigil barely got his
Bonded up in time as the two blades clanged off one another.

However, Danny was far from finished; he
forced the offensive, following up with a barrage of blade
work.

Forced into the defensive, Rigil parried
every attack. However, with his left foot frozen, every movement
seemed to put him off-balance.

Finally, angling for an overhead attack,
Danny watched as
the specter of Squire Rigil moved to
intercept
. Anticipating the parry, Danny switched momentum in
mid-swing, driving the blade lower than his opponent would be able
to block, or so he thought.

Quicker than Danny could follow, Rigil
knocked the blade aside with his Bonded, turning an attack that
would have resulted in a strike to his stomach into a blow to his
lower-right thigh. Squire Rigil stumbled backward and slumped
against the wall behind him, his right leg frozen from his
mid-thigh down, joined by his already-stiffened left foot.

Intent on finishing the duel, Danny stepped
into striking distance and prepared for the final blow. Attempting
the same trick twice, Danny leveled a strike to Rigil's sternum.
With the help of Rigil's silhouette, Danny anticipated the counter,
forcing his blade higher in an attack aimed for his opponent's
helm.

Rigil's experience saved him, somehow he
predicted the familiar pattern of the attack, knocking Danny's
longsword clear of its intent, causing the blade to clang off the
stone behind them. Reversing Whiril with a twist of the wrist,
Rigil swiped desperately for the exposed armor of Danny's legs.

The attack found nothing but air; Danny had
glimpsed the counter before it occurred, he retreated in a quick
hop, putting himself just out of Rigil's reach.

Danny knew that his ability to predict
Rigil's movements was the only reason he hadn't lost yet. Rigil's
speed and skill were far superior to Danny's meager week of
training with the blade, a fact that he knew must be weighing
heavily upon the other squire's mind. Even with his foresight,
Danny wasn't sure if he could win.

"Yield," Danny said, hoping the larger boy
would take his bluff.

A low, rumbling laugh echoed from within
Squire Rigil's helm as he hefted his bulk back to his feet. "Ya
think me beaten, newb?"

"I do," with more bravado than he felt.

"Ya thought ta fight me close, assuming I
couldn't use Whiril's ability, yes?" Rigil asked, his tone
betraying the presence of a smile beneath the helm.

"My sword must touch your armor to win. I
couldn't do that from the opposite side of the circle," said Danny,
unwilling to give away his strategy even though Rigil had guessed
it.

Squire Rigil responded with another hearty
laugh, muffled by the confines of his helmet. "'Tis a good answer,
newb, I'll give ya that. But I've one trick left."

Danny's right hand gripped the hilt of his
sword tighter as
the ghost of Rigil broke free of his body and
swept its broad blade in a semi-circle, creating a whirling mass of
dark tendrils. Unlike the previous wind attacks, shaped like small
tornados, the air gusted wide and engulfed the entire dueling
circle.

Danny knew that if he couldn't dodge it, he
would have to stop it. Spurred forward, hoping to end the contest
now, he swung wide in an attempt to catch the side of Rigil's
helm.

"Tempest," yelled Squire Rigil as he followed
through.

The tip of Danny's sword passed within inches
of Squire Rigil's brow, forced just out of range as the first waves
of wind gusted past him. Danny felt his body take flight, tumbling
end over end, as the hilt of his sword slipped from his fingers. He
came to a jarring halt as his back impacted against the stone of
the wall with a loud thud, while his sword embedded itself halfway
to the hilt in the rock beside him. Forced flat against the wall,
the frenzied wind pummeled him, creating tiny cracks in the stone
where his body was pinned.

Just as quickly as it had begun, the wind
dwindled to a comfortable breeze, releasing Danny from its hold.
Danny dropped to his knees and slumped forward, heaving the weight
of his body upon his right hand. With his lungs on fire and his
head pounding, he glanced up to find Squire Rigil hobbling toward
him, two of them to be exact.

Danny realized that the blow to his head had
disorientated him. He had lost his concentration and, along with
it, the ability to predict his opponent's movements. He was at a
severe disadvantage. On top of that, his body felt bruised from
head to toe. Even the smallest of movements caused spine-tingling
pain to course through his extremities.

"I'm amazed ya managed to stay conscious,"
Squire Rigil said, stopping within striking distance.

Danny had no choice but to agree as he shook
his head and blinked twice, managing to force the two images of his
foe into one. Rigil stood over him with the tip of his Bonded
lingering threateningly close to Danny's eyes.

"I'll admit that ya fought well, for a newb.
However, it's over," raising Whiril for the final attack.

Danny raised his head slightly, the small
movement sent stiffening pain down his back. Looking up, just over
Rigil's right shoulder, he found Sabrina's bold brown eyes, her
face a mask of worry.
Sabrina,
he thought, her presence and
her name filled his body with strength.

"No!" Danny shouted, as Rigil's sword arm
reached its peak.

"What was that, newb?" Rigil asked as his
Bonded paused, hovering just above him.

"It's not over," said Danny through gritted
teeth, tightening his fingers into a fist.

"Aye, it is over," said Rigil softly, before
unleashing a downward swing.

Although he couldn't predict the attack at
that moment, its intent was obvious enough. Danny leaned back,
raised his left arm and moved to swipe the attack aside. The move
resulted in a bone-numbing clang as Whiril struck the gauntlet
covering Danny's forearm, freezing it in place. However, in the
same instant, Danny reached behind him with his right hand and felt
the familiar grip of the dragon-hilted dagger he'd secreted at his
back. Just as Tyramear had told him to do, Danny had refused to
leave the dagger behind. Pulling the dagger free, Danny angled his
attack, aiming for the lower part of Rigil's breastplate. The
slender blade glowed with a faint light as Danny scraped it across
the polished mail, screeching, cutting a shallow abrasion in the
armor.

Looking up, Danny found Whiril hanging just
over his head, frozen in place. Apparently, Rigil had managed to
recover fast enough to follow up with a secondary attack. Danny
found his opponent's eyes, wide, fixed upon him. Silent moments,
which felt like an eternity, followed. Both boys remained
motionless. Although Danny couldn't see his foe's face, Rigil's
eyes betrayed his surprise as he toppled backward, his armor
clanging against the stone floor.

Breathing a deep sigh of relief, Danny
struggled to his feet and secured the dagger behind him. All around
him, the crowd remained silent, in utter shock, stunned by this
unheard-of outcome. Reaching up, he heaved the hilt of his embedded
blade from the hold of the stone, the act took its toll, taking all
of his remaining strength.

"Did he win?" Alonso asked, his familiar
voice carrying through the awkward silence.

His friend's question brought Danny some
comfort as he allowed himself a painful chuckle. He found that it
hurt to laugh as he grunted happily. Slipping the sword back into
its sheath, Danny turned to find Sir Syndil standing before him,
the Elf's approach undetectable.

"You did better than I expected, Squire
Firoth," said the Elf, touching a glowing blue orb to Danny's left
arm.

Instantly, movement returned to his left
hand. Danny flexed his forearm and fingers.

"I give you, Squire Danny Firoth, your
victor!" announced Sir Syndil loudly.

"…Alright!" Chris yelled as a choir of other
voices joined his in a crescendo of cheers.

Danny's heart soared as the gathered squires
hailed him and stomped the stone beneath their feet, creating a
rhythmic thud that vibrated through the entire arena.

"This is your right, as victor," said Sir
Syndil, presenting his right hand. Within it, he held a small blue
orb that radiated a soft blue light.

Confused, Danny stared at the small
sphere.

Acknowledging his misunderstanding, Sir
Syndil motioned toward Squire Rigil as he lay frozen.

Nodding with understanding, Danny retrieved
the bauble from the Elf's hand and took two steps forward. Bending
down, he touched the stone to Rigil's armor at the right shoulder.
The larger boy stirred to movement as Danny offered his left
hand.

Rigil hesitated before taking Danny's arm at
the wrist.

Grunting, Danny helped Rigil to his feet,
finding his body physically drained, almost unable to meet the
challenge. Once the larger squire was up, Danny retracted his hand
and retreated, unsure of the other's mood.

Rigil held Whiril in front of him, the blade
splitting the eye slits of his helm. Danny almost expected him to
attack. Instead, Rigil whipped the light-blue brand in a quick
salute just before sheathing it home. Then, removing his helm, he
revealed a welcoming smile.

"Ya sure are full of surprises, newb," his
smile widening ever-so-slightly.

"So are you," said Danny, relieved that he
didn't have to fight the larger boy a second time as he removed his
own helm.

"Aye, but it would na mean the same," said
Rigil. "Your fight'n style is unique. If I did na know better, I
would've thought ya could a known what I was gonna do before I did
it."

"If only that was possible," said Danny,
faking a smile, offering the blue orb back to Sir Syndil.

The Elf simply nodded in response and placed
the glowing stone back in his pocket. Then, pulling out another, he
bent down and touched the small green orb to the stone, causing the
dueling circle to rise and the surrounding arena to descend as the
ground shifted beneath Danny's feet. The stone deteriorated before
his eyes, changing back into grains of white sand.

"Ya fought well, newb," said Squire Rigil
once the transformation of the chamber was complete. "Although ya
are forbidden to enter the Dragon Army barracks, ask for me at the
entrance, and I shall greet ya as friend."

"Does this mean you'll stop calling me a
newb?"

"I'm afraid not, newb," said Rigil, smiling
as he moved past Danny to join the waiting red robes of Dragon
Army.

Watching Rigil go, Danny caught a glimpse of
Squire Lasko, he met the captain's eyes for the briefest of
moments, his gaze stoic, yet respectful. However, the contact
didn't last long as the crowd surged and encircled Danny, many
offering their congratulations, others showing obvious surprise at
his victory.

Strong arms gripped him from behind, spinning
him around.

"How'd you do that?" Anthony asked, his face
showed his surprise.

"Epic pwnage, man," said Matt.

Danny found Chris, Alonso, Matt, Doug, Briza,
Sabrina and Rogen standing behind the larger squire holding him,
all awaiting an answer.

"I… I don't know," said Danny, looking for
Sir Syndil, the Elf was nowhere to be found. "Luck, I guess."

"There was no luck in that battle," said
Briza in a forceful manner. "Your movements were purposeful, as if
you knew when and where every attack was coming from."

"Are you accusing me of something?"

"We only want the truth," Sabrina said in
Briza's stead.

Danny found himself wondering if Sir Syndil
had been right about others reacting badly once they found out
about his ability. He decided to err on the side of caution; he
really didn't want Sabrina to think poorly of him. "It was pure
luck that I had the dagger Sir Tyramear had given me," said Danny,
holding the dragon-hilted blade up for everyone to see. "Remind me
to thank your father again," he added, faking a smile.

Everyone, except for Sabrina and Briza,
seemed to accept the explanation as they gathered around him and
praised his victory. Danny didn't like lying to Sabrina. However,
it was better than the alternative, Sabrina despising him for his
ability.

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wo months passed quicker than Danny could've
imagined, so caught up was he in the structured schedule of daily
training. After winning the duel against Squire Rigil, he found
that others treated him quite differently; even venerable squires
from other armies showed him respect. No longer greeted as only a
first-year, he was treated like a member of the eight armies, Danny
felt accepted; Squire Rigil still called him a ‘newb’. However,
Danny came to accept the nickname, a small price to pay for the
larger squire's friendship. Just as promised, Squire Rigil never
failed to greet Danny as a friend during his visits to the Dragon
Army barracks every Sunday since their dual. On a couple of
occasions, the one-time foe even offered to train with Danny and
Sabrina.