Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (42 page)

Stopping a safe distance from her, well out
of sword range, Danny stood and watched Sabrina, content to wait
until she was finished.

For a few more minutes, Sabrina twirled,
slashed and parried in a deadly dance with her Bonded, fighting
some unseen foe. Finally, with a wide arc that traced the
midsection of her stomach, she whipped the blade before her,
leveling the rose-colored brand with her eyes. Peering past the
naked steel of her Bonded, her gaze narrowed upon Danny, a smile
swept across her face.

Danny took the first step forward, returning
the smile. "Your bladework is perfect."

"I know," she said, as she slipped her Bonded
back into the ornate sheath at her side.

"I have something I need to tell you," both
said in perfect harmony, they laughed together.

Danny's expression turned stern. Sabrina
seemed to be in such a good mood, suddenly he wanted nothing to do
with the news he was about to tell her.

"You first," she said calmly, as if sensing
the reluctance in him.

Danny faked a smile. "No, you first, mine can
wait."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, you go first."

Too excited to argue, Sabrina took a few
steps forward, closing the distance between them. "Dragon Army is
in the semi-finals. We defeated Griffon Army last week, if we win
against Phoenix Army this week, I will be dueling in the finals.
You should have seen it. I iced four squires of Griffon Army and
almost got one of their lieutenants."

"Iced?"

"Oh, it's a term used when you land a killing
blow against an opponent in a duel, locking their armor."

"I see." Danny was well aware of Dragon
Army's prowess in the Great Dome. It was rumored that they would
take the Chalice of Light for the third year in a row.

"Promise me you will attend the final duel if
Dragon Army makes it past the semi-finals?"

"I promise."

Sabrina beamed at the response. "Oh, what did
you want to tell me?"

Danny hesitated. Seeing her so excited, in
such a good mood, in contrast to her usual stern self, he couldn't
burden her with his news concerning Sir Syndil or the fact that he
might actually be the Mageknight. Strengthening his resolve with a
quick deep breath, faking the second smile of the day, he decided
not to tell her.

"It was nothing," he lied.

"You are holding something back," said
Sabrina, squinting, clearly unconvinced.

"It was only about Doug and Briza," said
Danny, lying for the second time, faking a smile for the third.
"Those two seem to be getting closer, Doug has been talking about
visiting the Elvin capital," he added, that wasn't a lie.

"…Oh really?" Sabrina asked, her curiosity
outweighing her ability to see through Danny's false display of
emotion.

"…So, Phoenix Army, huh?" Danny asked,
changing the subject to keep the focus away from himself. For the
rest of the afternoon, he kept his burdens to himself, unwilling to
dampen Sabrina's good mood. They talked until the sun had fallen
well beyond the rim of the toiling black clouds above. As the final
streaks of sunlight touched them, Danny bid Sabrina goodbye and
trudged back to the library.

He was in a better mood by then, Sabrina
always had that effect on him. But the closer he got to the
library, the worse his outlook became. Climbing the ivory stairs,
his irritation grew with every step. Entering the ornate building,
Danny found all of his friends sitting at the same table they'd
shared previously, hard at work with piles of old books circling
the table.

Looking up, they all showed the same confused
expression.

"Where's Sabrina?" Chris asked, verbalizing
the thought of everyone present.

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't
tell her."

"…Why not?"

"She seemed so happy and she already has too
much to do. Dragon Army is entering the semi-finals and they will
be training for the finals if they win. I just couldn't do it."

"And, what, you don't think we have other
things we could be doing?" Alonso asked, raising his voice,
standing.

"Shh!" the librarian repeated for the second
time that day, placing a single slender finger to his lips.

"Did that Elf just shush me again!?" Alonso
said, turning, as if to confront the tall librarian.

"Oh, no, you don't," said Chris, grabbing
Alonso by the shoulders, forcing him back down into his chair.

Alonso struggled for a short time before
giving in to Chris's superior strength, content to sit quietly with
his arms crossed.

"Danny is right," said Chris in a hushed
tone. "Sabrina is a second-year and she has different obligations.
Any help she could've provided would've been welcome, but limited
and perhaps even harmful if the other squires of Dragon Army became
curious about her time away."

"Thanks, man," said Danny.

"So, what do we do now?" Matt asked.

Danny sighed. "Any luck with the
archives?"

All eyes dropped to the table in frustration,
except for Briza. "The object you described is not within the
text," she said. "Either it is something that has never been
encountered in the history of the Light or it is so old that it
pre-dates the records. If there is any information to be found
about what you saw, we will not find it here."

"If that's the case, then we'll have to talk
to someone who was around before the creation of the Light,"
observed Matt, huffing on the lenses of his glasses, wiping them
clean with the sleeve of his robe.

"Briza has been telling me about the elders
of the Elvin capital," said Doug, his pitch jumping a range or two
in excitement. "Some of the Elves have lived well over two hundred
years. Perhaps one of them could help us."

"It is true. Our recorded history predates
the founding of the Light," Briza added.

"But we have no way of contacting them," Matt
pointed out.

"Maybe
we
don't but we know someone
who might," said Danny.

"…Who?" Chris asked.

"Calador," Danny said, as he closed the heavy
book in front of him.

back to top

ate the next afternoon, after a tiring day of
training, Danny sought out Calador. He found the Elf discussing
various subjects with a small group of squires. While waiting for
the Elf to finish his conversation, Danny found a soft seat on the
edge of a nearby sofa.

He had decided to meet with Calador alone,
giving the rest of his friends a well-deserved rest. Chris, of
course, wanted to come, too; he was ever the faithful friend, but
Danny demanded that he take time to relax.

"What if he can't help us?" a familiar voice
asked from behind. Danny felt the backside of the couch slouch with
the weight of another.

Danny turned to find Chris sitting next to
him with his arms crossed. "I thought I told you to get some
rest."

"It's not in my nature to listen to, or obey,
any of your commands, Squire Firoth," Chris said with a smile.

Danny returned the smile. "Thanks, Squire
Greene."

"Besides, Alonso and Anthony are already
asleep, Doug is with Briza and Matt is studying. You didn't answer
my question."

Danny dropped his eyes for a moment of
thought. "I don't know."

The answer must have sufficed, Chris waited
in silence as Calador finished his conversation with the group of
squires and sent them on their way.

"How can I be of service, Squires Firoth and
Greene?" Calador asked, turning toward them.

"How does he do that?" Danny whispered to
himself more than anyone else.

"The same way you look at me now with your
own two eyes," said Calador, standing, moving within striking
distance of Chris and Danny. "It is a natural ability, it has taken
the place of my eyes."

"Sometimes, I think you can see well beyond
what anyone else can, just by using your ears."

"That is a strange statement coming from one
that can use the Ghostsight, Mageknight."

Danny flinched at the title, he was still
rankled by the label of a prophesied hero.

"What can I do for you two?"

"We need your help."

Calador nodded in acknowledgment. "Come, let
us retire to a more suitable place to talk." The Elf swiveled
ever-so-slightly on the heel of his foot and gracefully
about-faced. Without looking back, he set off at a steady pace,
walking toward the large oak door inlaid with silver that marked
his personal quarters.

Danny and Chris looked at each other for an
instant, before shrugging; they bounded off to follow in the blind
Elf's footsteps.

Stopping in front of his door, Calador turned
the knob and opened the door inward, bidding Chris and Danny to
enter, hand outstretched.

Danny and Chris passed through the threshold
of Calador's quarters, noting the attributes of the small room.

In the far-right corner rested a medium-sized
bed, blue sheets and heavy brown blanket made up, tucked beneath
the mattress without a single wrinkle. At the foot of the bed sat a
large footlocker, secured with a silver latch. Arranged against the
far wall, next to the bed, was a small desk, barren of the normal
supplies one might see, an ink and quill or even parchment, a short
stool was the only defining attribute. The white brick walls lacked
any furnishings, giving the entire room a very plain look.

"Please, make yourselves at home," said
Calador as he shut the door behind them and walked to the middle of
the room.

"How are we to do that?" Danny asked, looking
around the stark room.

"Forgive me," said Calador. "It is merely an
expression that I am familiar with, one used by your race. I am, of
course, aware of the lack of furnishings that make up my personal
quarters. After I lost my sight, I found it meaningless to adorn
the walls with artifacts that I could no longer see. In addition,
training yourself to see by listening requires a substantial amount
of dedication. It also helps if there is a lack of furniture, one
cannot trip if there is nothing in your way. I suppose the living
arrangement stuck, I have little need of anything else. Everything
you see is all that I require, a bed to sleep in, a locker for my
personal things and a desk to sit at."

"You don't get many visitors, do you?" Chris
said, more of an observation than a question.

"No, Squire Greene, I do not. However, such
is not the reason you have come. What is it that I can do for
you?"

"We need your help."

"That has already been made quite clear,
Squire Firoth," said Calador, his expression lacking any kind of
emotion. "What is it that you need help with?"

"Five days ago, I lied to you."

"This, too, I already know."

Danny hesitated for a moment before
continuing. "I found something within Sir Syndil's personal
quarters."

"And how did you manage that?" Calador asked,
his pointed ears perking up.

"I snuck in while he was away."

"Although I find your choice of action very
foolish, you have piqued my interest. Go on."

Danny began by detailing what he'd found
inside Sir Syndil's chambers, making a point to mention the open
book about the history of the Mageknight. He also told Calador
about the strange vision that led him to the secret latch, in the
form of a dagger, and the hatch that opened in the center of the
dueling circle. Lastly, he described the dark object he had found
within the box, as well as the odd feelings it had triggered.

Calador listened intently, saying nothing as
Danny talked, occasionally nodding encouragingly. As soon as Danny
was finished, the blind Elf tipped his right hand to the slant of
his chin, stroking the point, as if in deep thought. The silence
deepened as Calador contemplated Danny's words.

"Well?" Danny asked, growing frustrated.
I
wish he would say something!

"I am afraid I have no knowledge that will
help you," said Calador after one last prolonged moment. "The
object you have described is not known to me. However, this
confirms my suspicion of Sir Syndil's interest in you," added the
Elf, turning to look at something unknown. "It seems he has
suspected that you might be the Mageknight for some time. That
would explain the open book you found on his desk. But he has yet
to present his findings to the King of the Light, suggesting that
his plans for you are his own. The only missing piece of the puzzle
is the mysterious object you have discovered. What purpose does it
serve?" Calador questioned, in a way that seemed to serve only
him.

"That's what we were hoping you could tell
us."

Calador turned to focus on Danny, as if he'd
forgotten that he was even there. "You have, of course, searched
the archives for a description?"