by Daniel Fife
"Why'd he talk so funny?"
"Squires come from all over the world to attend the White Rock Academy of Illumination. His accent comes from his country of origin."
"I could take him," said Alonso. A whisper of amusement answered him, as those who'd taken an interest in the recent confrontation and the current conversation snickered at the comment.
Before Alonso could respond, Danny asked, "What do you mean, Dragon Army?"
Sabrina's expression relaxed, glad to be finished with the recent subject. "At the beginning of second year, squires are distributed into eight armies: Dragon, Lion, Phoenix, Rat, Python, Griffon, Horse, and Dog."
"So, as first-year squires, we won't be placed in an army?" Chris asked for clarification.
"Correct, as a first-year squire you will learn the techniques of the blade, tactics, history of the Light, Shadow lore, defense against magic and receive conditioning training. That training regimen will prepare you for your second year, wherein you will receive your Bonded and join one of the eight armies to compete for the Chalice of Light."
"What do you mean by compete?" Danny asked.
Sabrina turned toward him, "Each of the eight armies wage battles against the other in a bracketed competition. The winner earns the coveted prize, the Chalice of Light, which currently resides in the possession of Dragon Army." Turning toward Alonso, Sabrina added, "Vyce led Dragon Army to victory last year."
Alonso scoffed at the comment and shrugged his shoulders, as if he couldn't care less.
Danny nodded. "So, as a second-year squire, you'll be—"
"…Placed into an army to compete for the Chalice." excitement evident in her voice.
"Sounds kind of dangerous," said Doug.
"Injuries have been known to occur," confirmed Sabrina, "however, every squire who fights in the Great Dome is protected by an enchanted suit of armor. Few have perished in the mock battles."
"That's comforting," said Doug.
"You will feel differently after your first year," assured Sabrina. "Are you guys hungry?" she asked, before anyone else could think of another question.
Danny's stomach grumbled in answer. "I guess I am," he said, smiling as everyone turned to regard him.
"I could always eat," said Chris.
"Yeah," Doug and Matt agreed at the same time.
"Whatever," said Alonso, still nursing what was left of his ego.
"Follow me," said Sabrina with a smile, turning and crossing the deck of the ship. Danny, Chris, Matt, Doug and Alonso walked evenly behind her. She led them through a door, down a steep set of stairs to the deck below, which happened to be a long dining hall. One long table ran the length of the middle of the hall, piled high with a banquet of food. Smaller tables with intricately carved wooden chairs rested on port and starboard—left and right—sides of the room. The majority of the tables were filled with hungry squires eating their fill, debating which army would win the Chalice of Light this year.
Danny listened with active concentration and found that most favored Dragon.
"Help yourselves," said Sabrina, charging headlong toward the assortment of food after obtaining a plate at the end of the table.
Danny did just that, he helped himself to a fillet of spiced salmon, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes drizzled with butter and a few slices of freshly baked-bread. Acquiring a tall glass of chilled milk, he noticed that Sabrina had found a table near the bow of the hull and joined her. Moments later, Chris joined them, plopping down two plates, both piled high with an assortment of foods.
"Think you got enough there, man?" Danny asked.
"You can never have enough. Besides, I have muscles to feed," said Chris with a wide smile, flexing for effect. He picked up a chicken leg and dug in.
Alonso, Doug and Matt followed behind, sitting next to them and eating their fill.
Chris was the first one done; Danny nearly fell out of his chair when the larger boy went back for seconds.
His stomach full after the meal, Danny felt tired. "How long until we reach White Rock?"
"It will take most of the day," explained Sabrina. "It will be almost nighttime by the time we arrive. We should all get some sleep."
Danny agreed. He'd gotten less than a few hours of sleep the night before, going to bed late after the flight on Tyramear's back and getting up early to catch the Radiance. It was all beginning to catch up with him.
"Come on," ordered Sabrina, there are personal quarters for squires on the lower decks. We can rest there."
"Lead the way," said Chris with a grin of satisfaction as he rubbed his stomach.
Sabrina led the group to a side passage and down another steep set of stairs. Passing through a long narrow hall full of closed doors, they found an empty cabin toward the aft of the ship. Cramped and small, the cabin held six hammocks, strung up on both sides of the wall, with a porthole in the back.
"I call top!" shouted Alonso, throwing his pack into the corner of the room, leaping up to the topmost hammock. He landed with most of his weight centered on the right side of the hammock, causing the fabric to lurch to the left. He spun upside down as the force threw him into the wall, then he fell to the floor face-first, landing with a hollow thud.
A shocked silence ensued. However, once Alonso proved unharmed, the loud sound of laughter followed.
"Epic fail," said Matt.
"It's not funny," argued Alonso, getting to his feet, nursing his nose.
Oh, but it was. Danny refused to tone down the humor, his laughter almost doubled.
Alonso grimaced and climbed back into the hammock, slower this time. He turned his head toward the wall and kept quiet, believing that his silence would curtail their merriment at his expense.
Eventually, it did. Everyone followed Alonso's example and tossed their baggage into the far corner. Danny claimed a hammock on the bottom left side of the room and eased his weight onto the edge slowly, certain not to follow Alonso's tragic example with his own hammock. Danny distributed his weight and relaxed into the taut fabric.
Sabrina picked the hammock just above Danny and smiled down at him as she climbed up into it.
Danny sighed, thinking of Chris's recent words to him, his suggestion that Danny should tell her how he felt about her. However, this wasn't the place nor the time. Danny wondered where that place would be and when that time would come. Before he could think about it further, the events of the past two days, combined with the relaxing sway of the ship, lulled him into a peaceful slumber.
back to top
Chapter 12 - The Turbulence before the Storm
anny woke up to the rough lurch of the Radiance as the ship keeled from side to side in a violent sway. "What's happening!" he asked, but he wasn't sure if anyone was awake to answer him.
"The Eye of Darkness," Sabrina said from above, twisting out of the hammock, landing with the grace of a cat beside him. Suddenly, her nimble stance faltered as the Radiance heaved beneath her, causing her to fall on Danny. She automatically put her hands on his chest for support.
The fabric of the hammock groaned from the stress of both bodies as Danny grabbed her at the waist. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his face and smell the sweet scent of her hair as her lips hovered dangerously above him.
"What should we do?" Doug asked.
Sabrina eased herself off Danny's chest, adjusted her clothing and straightened up, as if nothing had happened. "Go and see it, of course."
Danny nearly fell out of the hammock, the sway of the ship and Sabrina's proximity were having a rather negative affect on his balance.
Soon, everyone was awake, following Sabrina down the hall, stopping often to brace themselves against a wall as the Radiance swayed forcefully from side to side. They reached the end of the corridor and ascended the stairs leading to the upper decks.
Passing through the dining hall, Danny noticed that the tables had been cleared and cleaned. He followed Sabrina as she reached the second set of stairs and went up th
em.
At the top of the staircase, Sabrina pushed against the door, forcing it open, causing a wail of wind to sweep past her.
Danny could taste the salt in the air as the gust carried with it a spray of mist from the ocean.
The Radiance was a mess of motion as the crew worked to follow the orders of their captain as he yelled from the aft of the ship. However, his voice was cut off as a jagged bolt of lightning split the sky in half, followed by a deafening boom.
The loud noise forced Danny's eyes toward the sky, a swirl of black clouds materialized, creating a churning wall of darkness. Within the raging storm, thunderclaps boomed, followed by more white shafts of lightning.
"We have to go through that?" Doug yelled over the fury of the storm.
"We're getting closer," Chris emphasized.
Danny noticed a distinct difference between where the storm awaited them and where the Radiance was now. The waters around the ship were choppy but within the dark clouds of the coming storm, the waves doubled, even tripled in size.
"There's no way this ship is going to last five seconds in a storm like that!" Matt pointed out, saying what everyone else was already thinking.
"We're all going to die!" Doug said, taking a couple of steps back in a gesture of hopelessness. He stopped as he bumped into something solid.
"Don't be silly!" a familiar deep voice yelled from behind.
Danny turned to find Nicholi Ormstead, the Navi, standing behind Doug, his face shrouded by the thick hood of his robes. Despite the heavy sway of the ship, his stance remained solid and confident.
"It is my job to protect you, Squire," placing a reassuring hand upon Doug's shoulder, "and I am quite good at my job."
"We're getting much closer," said Matt, wiping the speckles of water from his glasses, returning them to his head.
"Ah, so we are," said the Navi in a calm voice. "If you will excuse me, Squires, it is time."
Doug stepped to the side, allowing Nicholi to pass.
Danny intuited the feeling of a smile; robes concealed the Navi's features. Nicholi passed them, ascended to his perch at the bow of the Radiance and sat down cross-legged as before.
"Whatever it is he's going to do, he'd better do it fast," said Doug, just as the billowing storm swelled up just off the bow of the ship, sending warped bolts of lightning crackling out on both sides.
"I think I'm going to be sick!" Alonso said. He cupped his mouth as the Radiance rocked from side to side.
The wind whipped at the Navi's white robes, pulling the veil of the hood from his head. Upon closer examination, Danny noticed that his eyes seemed to be closed as he mouthed some unintelligible incantation. Just before the fury of the storm threatened to overtake the Radiance, the Navi went wide-eyed as a clear globe expanded from his cupped hands, expanding to impossible dimensions, enveloping the ship from bow to aft.
As if to test the strength of this new barrier, the raging storm engulfed the Radiance in a swirl of black clouds; it bombarded the ship with arcing streaks of lighting. The jagged bolts of light deflected off the protective sphere as the Navi navigated the ship deeper into the dark bowels of the tempest. Just beyond the border of the Navi's aura, waves of unimaginable size crested and crashed. However, within the globe, the sea remained steady and calm, a sturdy sanctuary in an ocean of madness.
"Now that was epic," said Matt, wiping the moisture from his glasses once again.
Danny had to admit that, despite the horrifying destructive power of it, the storm was quite beautiful.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sabrina asked, moving to stand beside Danny.
"Yes, you just read my mind."
"If it weren't for the Navi's protective spell, this ship would be crushed in a matter of seconds," Sabrina pointed out.
"Is he alright?" Danny asked, gesturing toward Nicholi as he sat still on his perch at the bow of the ship.
"He is a Navi," explained Sabrina. "As I understand it, navigating the Radiance through the storm created by the Eye of Darkness requires his full attention. The storm itself is magical in nature."
"Where's Alonso?" Chris asked.
Danny took a quick look around, noticing that they were missing one of their group.
"He's over there," said Doug, as he pointed to the side of the ship.
Danny found Alonso slumped over the side rail, threatening to empty the contents of his belly into the ocean. After a couple of quick convulsions, Alonso turned and sat down against the railing.
"Are you okay, man?" Chris asked, he was the first to reach Alonso.
"I don't know," grumbled Alonso.
"He is suffering from seasickness," said Sabrina. "It's from the sway of the ship. The back and forth motion can cause some to become queasy, even sick, hence seasickness."
Alonso covered his mouth with his hand in light of her comment. Once the threat had passed, he said, "Don't say that again."
"…What, you mean seasick?" Sabrina asked with an apparent curiosity.
Alonso shook his head from side to side.
"Are you talking about swaying back and forth?"
Alonso's eyes went wide as he cupped his hand around his mouth. This time, he couldn't calm his stomach. He stood up, turned back toward the rail and retched over the side of the ship.
Matt was the first one to snicker, causing the mirth to spread, everyone burst into laughter.
Alonso turned around and slumped back against the handrail. He was too exhausted to argue or put up a fight. "I hate you guys," he grumbled.
back to top
Chapter 13 - The White Rock Academy of Illumination
he storm subsided as the Radiance passed into the pale glow of the mild moonlight, leaving swirling black clouds in her wake. The protective shield surrounding the ship waned for a brief moment before blinking out of existence.
Danny watched the fury of the storm rage on behind them, erupting in flashes of unseen lightning and booms of distant thunder.
"Look at that, man," said Chris next to him.
Danny turned and followed his friend's gaze. An island of solid white rock with high cliffs that soared well beyond the reach of the crashing waves lay before them. Their eyes were attracted to two landmarks, one on the eastern side and one on the western side. An enormous castle complete with two brilliant white spires stood far above the waterline on the eastern shore. On the opposite side of the island, a huge white dome, surrounded by smaller white brick buildings dominated a large tract of land. However, the most stunning eye-grabbing phenomenon was the surging storm; it encircled the island like the eye of a great hurricane. Above, the sky was clear and cloudless, revealing an assortment of distant stars. The tempest created by the Eye of Darkness fumed with a dangerous fury only a few miles out; it was kept at bay by some unknown force.
Before Danny could finish taking everything in, his eyes diverted to Nicholi Ormstead. The weary Navi lifted from his perch. He climbed back onto the deck, legs unsteady and descended a couple of steps, almost falling. Danny shot forward, offering a helping hand; Chris and Sabrina did the same, moving to the opposite side of the Navi.
"Thank you, Squires. Navigating that storm has a tendency to take a lot out of me."
"Are you alright?" Danny asked.
After a moment to get his bearings, the wizard's smile widened as he eased the pressure of his weight back on his legs. "Nothing a long nap won't cure," he said, standing solidly on his own two feet again. "You are nearly there my young squires. You would do well to worry about your upcoming training and less about my wellbeing."
"Any advice?" Danny asked, taking two steps back, giving the Navi his space.
"I am no warrior, Squire Firoth, but I have witnessed some of the schooling you will take part in and it is not for the faint of heart. The trials for a Knight of the Light are difficult and taxing. If I could tell you anything worthwhile, it would be to stay focused and do your best."
"Thank you, Nicholi," said Danny appreciatively.
&
nbsp; "No, my young squire, thank you. I look forward to hearing about you and your friends and how you fare."
"As will I," said Danny with a grin.
Returning the smile, Nicholi Ormstead gathered his robes about him. "If you will excuse me, I am in desperate need of a nap."
"Of course," said Danny, moving out of the Navi's way. Chris and Sabrina did the same.
Nicholi crossed the deck and went below.
"Sabrina, there you are!" yelled someone from behind.
Danny turned to find Rogen approaching at a brisk walk, his long blond hair fluttering out behind him. "Great," muttered Danny under his breath.
"Where have you been?" Rogen asked, directing his question toward Sabrina. He stopped in front of her, ignoring Danny as well as everyone else.
"We ate and then we took a nap," said Sabrina, indicating that she wasn't the only one who would be participating in the conversation.
"Oh," said Rogen in a flat tone, looking around, seemingly noticing the others for the first time. Shrugging, he continued, ignoring everyone but Sabrina. "I can't wait to find out which army I have been assigned to, hopefully it’ll be Dragon Army. Captain Vyce looks stronger than ever. I'm sure he's going to win the Chalice of Light again this year."
"Yes, we had a run-in with him recently," said Sabrina, looking over at Alonso, who had recovered from his seasickness.
"I don't like that guy," said Alonso.
"Like him or not, Captain Vyce is one of the strongest squires in the school, perhaps even stronger than some of the full-fledged knights on the island."
"But he's only a third-year, right?" Danny asked. "How could he be so strong at such a young age?"
"That's just it," said Rogen, turning toward Danny, "if he's this strong now, wait until he gets older. He might even become King of the Light."