by Daniel Fife
"But Sir Syndil has always been interested in researching Shadows, perhaps he was just examining it."
Alamber shook his head to indicate the opposite. "When you found it, the orb had been used shortly before. I know this because of your description of it. The swirling shades that you described within told me as much. If Syndil hadn't used the device just prior to finding it, the sphere would have appeared completely clear."
Danny shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. Sir Syndil had trained him and helped him to improve to a level that he would've never reached without him.
"Why do you defend him so, Danny?"
"I've trained with him individually ever since I arrived here. He helped me."
"He used you. If you are the Mageknight, you will be the sole contributor to the downfall of the Dark. It is written. It would only make sense that he focus his efforts on you if he is conspiring with the Shadows."
Danny suddenly found himself struggling to breathe. He'd never realized that Sir Syndil's betrayal could go so deep.
A distant roaring announced that the final duel between Dragon Army and Lion Army had begun.
"Of course," said Alamber, turning his attention in the direction of the Great Dome, "the duel for the Chalice of Light. Everyone's attention will be focused on the duel." Alamber looked back toward Danny. "It is the perfect time for him to strike. Listen, we are all in grave danger, but you are perhaps in the most danger, Danny. Being the likely candidate to become the Mageknight, Syndil will probably target you."
"But Sir Syndil…"
"Stop calling him Sir. Syndil is no longer a Knight of the Light and should not be addressed by that honor. He has betrayed us all and he must be punished accordingly."
Before Danny could respond, a rapid clang of bells pierced the silence, the rhythm much faster than the usual canter of chimes that announced the hours of the day.
"What's that?" Danny asked, confused, the chime of the sixteenth bell had rung only minutes ago.
"We are undone… I am too late," said Alamber, his one good eye lost to the distance of the twin bell towers.
"What's happening?" Danny asked, raising his voice in an attempt to speak over the continuing clanging of the bells.
"That signal means that the island is under attack. Syndil has made his move."
"What should we do?"
Alamber swiveled back toward Danny. "…We? We will do nothing, Squire. I must see the king now and you will return to the first-year barracks until you are instructed otherwise. Is that clear?"
Danny hesitated.
"Is that clear, Squire?"
"Yes," Danny said, reluctantly.
"Promise me that you will do as you are ordered."
"I promise," Danny lied, yet again.
"Now go." With that, Alamber turned and disappeared around the corner in a dash.
Moving in the opposite direction, Danny picked up his step; the ringing of the alarm coincided with the increasing beat of his heart.
Now where to? he thought as he exited the alley between two large brick buildings.
Suddenly he heard, a loud bang that mimicked a thunderclap, it was coming from somewhere to his left, it shook the ground beneath his feet. Seconds later, a billowing plume of black smoke swirled into the air, marking the location of the carnage, it was near the middle of the island.
Without another thought, Danny picked up the pace. Over the past few months, his training had prepared him for just this situation, or so he thought. His legs moved at a steady tempo. With his right hand on the hilt of his sword, he navigated the twisting turns of the city. However, nothing could've prepared him for what he would come across as he turned the corner.
He stopped dead in his tracks. Not three feet from him, a short, robust Dwarf lay, face-down and still, his fiery red hair in a tangled mess and his steel plate armor soiled with a mixture of dirt and blood.
Kneeling down, Danny grunted as he eased the old Dwarf onto his back, revealing a pair of blue eyes that looked weakly up at him. Danny recognized the Dwarf, it was Sir Bartlett Firebeard, Master of the Forge.
"Me… Bonded, lad," groaned the Forgemaster.
Danny scanned the area, he noticed the red glint of a hammer head indented halfway into the nearby stone. Leaving the Dwarf's side, he put both hands upon the handle but he pulled back as the flesh of his hands began to burn from the surprise heat that the silver pommel radiated.
Sir Bartlett allowed himself a low rumbling chuckle that turned into a fit of coughing. "'Tis hot, lad… use the sleeves of ya robes," he managed to say in between fits of pain.
Danny wrapped the thick fabric of his robes around his hands. Gripping the heft of the hammer a second time, he could still feel the heat emanating from beneath the covering. Giving it a quick tug, he discovered that the hammer was wedged deeper into the stone than he'd first anticipated.
"What happened?" he asked, bracing his foot against the rock, forcing the hammer free.
"'…Twas Syndil, dat snake. Joined da Dark, he has," managed Sir Bartlett as he struggled to prop himself up on his elbows and scoot his back toward the wall of the nearby building.
Danny grunted, the hammer proved heavier than he'd thought possible. Grunting again, he hauled it to his shoulder and carried it to Sir Bartlett as he lay slumped against the stone.
"Give er here, lad," croaked the Dwarf.
Danny hesitated for a moment, wondering if the Dwarf could handle such a heavy object in his condition.
"Here," ordered Sir Bartlett again, raising his right hand to receive his Bonded.
Figuring he had little choice, Danny lowered the hammer to its master.
The Forgemaster took the hammer bare-handed, the heat of the handle was apparently of no consequence. Wielding the weighty weapon as he would a common twig, Sir Bartlett spun the hammer downward. The glowing red steel met the stone of the road, causing a series of scarlet sparks. Putting his weight upon the handle, he propped himself up and made ready to stand.
"I owe ya an apology, lad."
"Just . . . take it easy," said Danny, slipping a helping hand beneath the old Dwarf's arm to help him up.
"I could na stop him!" Sir Bartlett said, slamming his hammer into the stone for emphasis. The head of the hammer burned with a sudden burst of crimson light, as if the weapon itself reflected the Forgemaster's innermost feelings.
"You did your best, now just try not to move so much," comforted Danny, concerned, a few of the Dwarf's wounds had opened up and were beginning to bleed anew.
"No, lad, ya do na understand," said Sir Bartlett, shaking his head. "Da ya remember when I told ya that ya name sounded familiar?"
Danny nodded in an attempt to keep the Dwarf from expending too much energy.
"On dis here day, I just remembered, Syndil has stolen da Bonded dat contains da soul of ya fatha and I allowed him ta take it."
"What're you saying?"
"Ya be Lightborn, lad. Ya fatha was a Knight o da Light."
"No," said Danny, confused as he stepped back. "My father was a soldier in the military. He died over seas, he was a hero."
Sir Bartlett braced himself against the stone. "Aye, lad, a hero and a soldier, but a knight he was too."
"Why would he have kept this from me?"
"Ta protect ya, lad."
"Sabrina told me what a Bonded was. It contains the essence of the knight placed within it. So, my father is still alive."
In the distance, a loud boom drew the knight and the squire's attention. Danny realized that the sound seemed much louder and closer than the first time.
"Father," whispered Danny, taking a series of steps toward the noise of battle.
"No, Squire Firoth, it does na work dat way. Ya father is gone, lad. Whatever remains in da shell of a Bonded isn't what it was before. It'll be ya fatha's energy sure enough, but it will not a be him."
"It doesn't matter," said Danny, his eyes remaining focused on the distant plume of black smoke. "I
have to save him."
"Ya are no match fa Syndil, lad. Ya be but a squire. Let the Knights o da Light handle dis."
"No," said Danny, turning, he eyed Sir Bartlett with a new-found confidence. "I'm more than just a squire. I'm the Mageknight." He turned away from the bewildered Dwarf and disappeared around the corner, intending to put right what Syndil had wronged.
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Chapter 34 - The Awakening of the Mageknight
anny bolted to the left at a dead sprint, eyeing the ever-growing cloud of sooty smoke. He was getting closer. Turning the corner, he found himself at the center of the island, the Pool of the Mageknight was in front of him; a sickening circle of fallen knights surrounding it. Above him, the black cloud drifted endlessly upward. Danny traced it to the source, one of the four high towers that surrounded the pool was now little more than a pile of rubble. An unexpected cry of pain drew his attention to the right where a strange group of individuals surrounded what looked like the last living Knight of the Light.
Syndil stood in front of the knight, Danny was sure of it. Although he couldn't see his face, he recognized the silver Bonded leveled at the Knight of the Light's throat, as well as the Elf's, long, black hair, unkempt and drifting in the breeze. Syndil sported an intricate suit of silver armor, inlaid with shining blue veins of an unknown material that seemed to glow despite the waning sunlight. Three dark figure stood behind the captive knight, Danny failed to recognize them. Their skin was pitch-black, as if covered in soot, their eyes sparkled like sapphires, but without pupils and devoid of emotion. They wore no obvious form of armor, only robes of dark fabric.
"Gran Shadows," Danny whispered. He realized he shouldn't have said anything when Syndil's ear twitched in response and the three Shadows twisted their attention in his direction. They had all heard him.
Paying him no heed, Syndil flicked his wrist, angling his Bonded in a quick horizontal swipe.
The knight, his once-shiny armor battered and soiled with dust and blood, gripped his throat and dropped to his knees.
"No!" Danny yelled, taking three steps forward, but stopping as one of the three Shadows began to advance.
"No," ordered Syndil, stopping the Shadow mid-step, his back still turned. With a second flick of the wrist, he flung the small accumulation of crimson from the blade of his Bonded, leaving the brand unstained and shining. Sheathing his sword, he spun on his heel and greeted Danny with a sweeping smile. "Good morning, Squire Firoth," he said, as if they were meeting under normal circumstances.
"How could you!" Danny freed the sword at his side with a resounding ring of metal.
Sensing the threat in Danny's tone of voice, as well as his actions, the nearest Shadow advanced, only to be stopped by Syndil's outstretched hand. The Shadow produced a subtle hiss, apparently it had never been ordered in such a manner.
"You'd have done well to stay clear, Mageknight. My ability to control these Grans is somewhat limited, I must say that they seek your destruction most of all." With a mere look, Syndil forced the closest Shadow to retreat.
In that split-second, Danny noticed a white-hilted sword in Syndil's opposite hand, the most interesting feature was a silver band at the tip of the handle with an intricately carved eagle, wings outstretched and beak down as if to begin a dive. Memories of his father flooded his mind; he'd seen that very ring on the middle finger of his father's right hand as it passed by his face time and again.
"Father," he whispered.
"What was that?" Syndil asked, returning his attention to Danny. The Gran Shadow appeared appeased, for the moment, it returned to the proximity of the other two.
"Return the Bonded you stole," commanded Danny. His voice was loud, but controlled.
"I am afraid this Bonded is most crucial to my plans, Mageknight," said Syndil, holding the sword up, revealing a matching white wooden sheath.
"You will return my father's sword."
"…Your father's sword? Now, how could you have known that?" Syndil asked evenly, suggesting a genuine interest in the answer.
"Sir Bartlett told me."
"That old Dwarf is alive, is he? Most interesting," Syndil said with a shrug. He paused for a moment of thought. "I give you my word that once I am finished with this Bonded, I shall return it to you personally. After all, it was with your help that I was able to obtain it in the first place."
"I helped you in no such way," argued Danny.
"Ah, but you did, Squire Firoth. Without the description of your father's ring, I would have never known which Bonded to seek." For emphasis, Syndil angled the stolen Bonded before him, hilt-first and displayed the most obvious aspect that marked the sword as Danny's father's, the emblem of the eagle.
Danny's eyes lingered upon the eagle-crested ring that detailed the tip of the pommel. His heart sank. "You were never interested in me as the Mageknight. It was my father's Bonded that you desired all along," said Danny in a whisper, more to himself than the Elf.
"Partially, Squire Firoth, but the fact that you seem to carry the abilities of the Mageknight was an added bonus. In any case, as I said, I will gladly return the blade to you once I have finished with it. You have my word."
"Your word means nothing to me now," spat Danny, gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands, taking an offensive stance.
"And nor should it, Danny. However, you have it nonetheless." Syndil looked as if he was about to say more, a loud thunderclap caused him the slightest hesitation. A funnel of black clouds broke free of the swirling storm that encompassed the island and descended like a forming tornado.
Even Danny was surprised as the vortex grew larger in shape and faster in speed, touching down a short distance beyond the trinity of Gran Shadows.
"I am afraid I have run out of time, Squire; I must bid you adieu." With that, Syndil gave Danny his back and turned toward the whirling cyclone.
Rage stirred within Danny as he watched the Elf turn on him. "No!" he yelled, striking his right foot forward. He fought against the current of the windstorm and charged. His anger focused his mind as he entered into the Ghostsight. His sword whistled through the turbulent air, angled downward, aimed for the broad side of Syndil's back.
Quicker than Danny could predict, even with the Ghostsight, the Elf sidestepped to the left and spun. However, even though he was unable to foresee the movement, Danny could foretell where Syndil would end up. Fueled by an unrestrained fury, he followed through with his attack, connecting with open air and allowing the sword to pass harmlessly through the empty space that Syndil had only recently occupied. Permitting the pull of the sword to carry him full circle, he spun on his heel and pointed the sword downward so that it scraped against the stone of the street. Danny forced his attack, twisting the hilt into an upward line that scraped across Syndil's armor from hip to shoulder.
The Elf’s surprised expression was priceless as Danny's sword carved a path of white sparks, denting Syndil's armor at the hip and breastplate.
Intent on finishing the duel, Danny reversed the momentum and brought the blade back down over the left side of Syndil's brow. However, his attack stopped inches from the Elf's face, blocked by the sheathed blade of the Bonded that had once been his father. Seeing the ghostly image of the Elf begin to move against him, Danny disengaged and retreated. Moving just in time, he avoided a sideways cut from Syndil's Bonded as the Elf unsheathed his sword and leveled a slashing attack, all in one smooth motion.
Syndil traced a silver arc through the space that Danny had just occupied, missing the swell of his chest by mere inches.
Danny angled his sword before him, maneuvering into a defensive stance, he was sure that Syndil would press the attack. Yet, the Elf stood perfectly still, investigating the thin line that indented his armor from the meat of his left hip to the curve of his right shoulder. However, the Gran Shadow standing behind him refused to wait; it took the initiative and stepped forward.
"No," Syndil ordered, turning on the dark creature.
/> This time, the Gran refused his request. It raised its alien hand, three pointed-fingers and a thumb, instead of the usual five Human fingers. Extending its right arm outward, the Shadow spread its fingers wide and pointed its palm toward Danny.
His training with the Ghostsight had only prepared him for a duel with one opponent. Whatever the Shadow had in mind, Danny could not predict in time.
As if answering Danny's thoughts, the Shadow planted its left foot forward. A series of tiny, glowing orbs of blue began to form around its extended hand, starting at the points of the fingers. Growing in size and intensity, the radiant globes floated into the palm, melding into a much larger scintillating sphere.
Mesmerized by the display, Danny snapped out of it as the Shadow's fingers snapped straight and forced the palm-sized orb to burst forward in a beam of potent blue energy. The ray doubled, tripled and quadrupled in size until it dwarfed Danny with its diameter, leaving him no room to dodge it. Standing his ground, Danny steadied his footing, tightened his grip and angled his sword in a downward swipe, meeting the initial concussive burst of the beam. Pushed back by the sheer power of the attack, Danny could feel his feet sliding against the stone as he managed to split the shaft of energy in half, the intense heat of it incinerating the sleeves of his robes. His footing began to falter and his arms grew weak. He couldn't hold out.
However, just as he began to lose hope, a streak of silver, followed by a flash of white, caught his eye to the right. A figure wielding two swords appeared in front of him and severed the blue beam from top to bottom. Yet, even the last bit of force from the ray proved too much for Danny. Thrown backward, he tumbled across the stone street before coming to a stunning stop, his back thudding heavily against the Pool of the Mageknight. The concussion forced the grip on his sword to waver as it clanged against the stone beneath him.
Disoriented, Danny looked down, discovering that the blade had melted and was beyond repair. Looking up, he saw the outline of his savior, battling the wave of blue energy in his place. Although still dazed, Danny could make out some familiar features of the figure.