Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight

by D. M. Fife

  Chapter 26 - Problem Solved

  here are three known types of Shadows," Sir Ranald Buttle explained, from the head of the classroom. "Worker Shadows are the most common," he continued, walking down the center most aisle of sturdy wooden desks. "Often appearing humanoid and shy, smaller than a normal, they are the weakest in ability and strength. However, they are not to be taken lightly. The claws of a Worker Shadow have been known to cut through the strongest metal; most of our armor would not protect you against a direct attack from one. They are more commonly distinguished by a haze of black mist that makes up the core of their body as well as glowing red eyes." Rounding the back of the room, working his way down the aisle on the left, he asked, "Who can tell me another characteristic of a Worker Shadow?"

  Without looking at the textbook in front of him, Danny's hand went up, others followed suite.

  "Yes, Squire Rovert?" Sir Ranald noted, pointing to a blond-haired boy sitting just in front of Danny.

  "They remain incorporeal up until moments before they attack," the squire said as he dropped his hand.

  "And incorporeal means what?" Sir Ranald turned back to face the class from the front of the room.

  "It means that any object or weapon not imbued with magic will pass harmlessly through them," explained Squire Rovert.

  "Good," Sir Ranald said with a smile. "But, remember this as well, Shadows can pass through any substance without hindrance, walls, water, or the ground beneath your feet, making this ability extremely tricky. However, as Squire Rovert has explained, Shadows must become solid moments before they attack and that is their weakness. If you ever find yourself facing a Shadow without your weapon, which should never happen in the first place, counter attacking with whatever you might have available at just the right moment could prove the difference between life and death. Attack too soon and your attack will yield nothing but air, attack too late and their claws will cut through your armor like water.

  "Who can tell me another type of Shadow?" Sir Ranald asked, turning back to his long desk, retrieving a textbook.

  "Danny," whispered Matt, sitting just to Danny's left.

  His concentration interrupted, Danny turned toward his friend.

  "This is all we've found so far on the Mageknight," he continued, handing Danny a folded piece of parchment. "We'll go back to the library after class, but there's a problem."

  "What's the problem?" Danny asked, snatching the paper the instant Sir Ranald turned his back.

  "In order to get into the archives, you need a pass from one of the professors," adjusting his glasses with a nervous twitch.

  "Squire Firoth and Squire Mickler, I assume you both have an answer for the class since you seem to be so talkative," Sir Ranald interjected in an exaggerated tone.

  Danny looked up, Sir Ranald had somehow made his way to the middle of the second aisle without him noticing; he was standing only two desks to his right. He couldn't remember what the class had been discussing because he was so caught up in his conversation with Matt.

  "Had you been listening, you would have heard Squire Faussett enlighten the class on another type of Shadow, a Soldier Shadow," added Sir Ranald, knowing that neither boy had a clue. "Perhaps one of you would like to give us a common characteristic of the Soldier Shadow?"

  Both Danny and Matt glanced at one another. "They're big," said Matt, with a subtle hint of doubt in his voice.

  "An impressive guess," said Sir Ranald, not amused. "I will expect to see both of you after class," he added, before continuing in a broader voice. "It is true that Soldier Shadows tend to be much larger than their Worker Shadow counterparts."

  Drowning out Sir Ranald's voice, shrugging off the reprimand, Danny unfolded the parchment, placed it within his open textbook and began to read Matt's scribbled notes.

  Danny's mouth opened in surprise after reading the last sentence, he wondered what it would be like to possess the ability to predict the future. Looking at the back of the page, he noticed that Matt had added a scribbled postscript.