Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (16 page)

Danny allowed the fork to fall from his
fingers and clang on the plate in front of him. Sitting back in his
chair, he rubbed his distended stomach.

"Well, I suppose we should be on our way,
then," said Mick, scooting his chair away from the table, standing
up. "We have a decent drive ahead of us. Wouldn't want any of you
to miss the cast off, now would we? Get your things and meet me
downstairs by the truck in ten minutes." Mick began clearing the
table.

Chris, who'd already eaten almost twice as
much as anyone else at the table, leaned forward and snatched the
last muffin before Mick could remove the plate.

"What?" he asked everyone as he crammed the
last chocolate muffin into his mouth. "I was hungry," he added with
his mouth full, his words were muffled, making them almost
incomprehensible.

Excusing himself with a soft chuckle, Danny
walked back to the room and gathered his belongings. Fumbling with
his backpack, a slim metallic object fell from the side pocket, the
phone his mother had given him.

"I almost forgot," he said to himself,
reaching down and retrieving the item.

Searching for privacy, he left the room,
exited the house, and descended the steps to the sandy ground
below. Walking a short distance from the house, he noticed the
difference in temperature as a drop of sweat began to bead on his
brow. Moments later, a slight breeze swept over the distant sand
dunes, carrying with it cool air and the scent of the salty
sea.

After dialing his number, he pressed the
phone to his ear and waited for his mother to answer it. After
three rings, the phone clicked.

"Danny?"

"I'm okay, Mom. We made it okay."

"You're there already?"

"Yeah, we traveled through the night," not
really the truth, but not altogether a lie.

"That must have been a long drive."

"Not really," with a smile his mother
couldn't see.

"So, when are you leaving for the
school?"

"Come on, Danny," Alonso yelled from behind
him.

Danny turned to find all four boys and Mick
waiting by the truck. "Well, Mom, I guess we're leaving right now,"
ignoring Alonso's insistent waves.

"Okay, Danny, have fun," she finished with,
"I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom—bye." He clicked the
phone off as he made his way over to the truck.

"You're going to have to leave that with me,
Danny," said Mick, extending his hand, palm up.

"…My phone?"

"Such devices aren't allowed on White
Rock."

Although Danny knew this to be true from the
pamphlet Syndil had given him, he felt the need to ask, "…Why
not?"

"You are familiar with the game of Knights,
yes?"

"…Of course."

"Then you are also familiar with the forces
of the Grey?"

"I play with the Light, but I've faced some
Grey decks before, mainly Matt's."

Hearing his name, Matt turned and forced his
glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

Danny suddenly noticed that all eyes were on
him, their interest piqued by the current conversation.

Without missing a beat, Mick continued,
"Well, as you know, the Grey are characterized by rogue knights and
technology, correct?"

Danny nodded.

"There is some fact to that, but mainly the
Grey represents certain governments that are interested in our
organization, the Order of the Light, and the power of the Shadows
as well. You see, much like the Dark, some seek to use the Shadows
as a weapon against their enemies. Others seem to understand the
evil the Shadows represent and have, at times, worked alongside of
us. Lastly, there are those that desire both. The overall truth is
that most of these governments operate in a grey area where their
intentions are often difficult to determine, hence the title,
Grey."

"…And the phone?" Danny asked, presenting it
in the palm of his hand.

"Can be traced and monitored, Danny. The Grey
live in what you see around you, an age of technology, while we,
the Order of the Light, still operate based on centuries of
tradition, devoid of modern-day conveniences," said Mick, taking
the phone from Danny, placing it in his pocket. "Had you taken this
phone to the Academy of Light, you would've run the risk of giving
the Grey information that we prefer to keep secret. Do you
understand?"

"Yes."

"No, not yet, you don't, Danny," said
Tyramear, descending the steps of the house with Sabrina behind
him. "None of you quite understand yet—not fully, anyway," he
finished, stopping in front of Danny. After looking at each boy
individually, he continued, "All of you are about to enter into a
world of war. Seeing dragons, Elves, and magical swords is only the
beginning, boys. True dangers await you, dangers that must be seen
to be believed. One of you has already borne witness to the enemy."
Tyramear looked down at Danny. "He understands more than the rest
of you do. At the end of your first year, you will have a choice to
make, you will be asked to continue your training or to quit. Many
choose to continue, but there are those without the stomach to face
the darkness you will soon know."

Danny looked to Sabrina, as she stood at her
father's side, a small comfort compared to Tyramear's intimidating
voice.

After waiting for a moment, in order to allow
his words to sink in, Tyramear continued, "So, I will ask you all
one last time, are you prepared for what is to come? Are you
willing to give everything you have to work against the darkness
that stands at your door? Do you want to become Knights of the
Light?"

Danny turned to regard his friends. They all
locked eyes one at a time and measured the underlying confidence of
the others. Then, in unison, they turned and gave up a resounding,
"
Yes
!"

back to top

he trip to the dock was a quiet one, everyone
seemed lost in their own thoughts, Danny was no different.

Until this point, Danny had been sure he knew
what was to come; now his confidence wavered. The Shadows were
immensely strong, he was a mere teenager. What could he really do
in a one-on-one battle? Right now, he knew he wouldn't stand a
chance against one. Danny turned to Sabrina, who sat in the middle
between Danny and Chris.

Sabrina was focused forward, looking ahead
with a confident air. For an instant, Danny thought she might
return his gaze, yet she never did. He wondered how she could
remain so calm and confident. Then again, she had showed the same
poise in her struggle with the Shadow.

Sabrina Drake was a mystery to Danny, one
that he desperately wanted to figure out.

"We are almost there," said Mick.

Danny peered beyond the window of the truck.
"Where is it?"

"There," said Mick, pointing down the distant
two-lane road and across a wide, arching bridge.

Danny followed the line of Mick's finger to a
large, oval-shaped island, a collection of cruise liners were
docked on the left-hand side. The sheer size of the ships rivaled
some of the towering buildings of downtown Miami. Halfway atop the
bridge that stretched over the ocean beneath him, Danny was
presented with a sweeping view of Dodge Island.

"Which one is our ship?" he asked.

"The
Radiance
," said Mick, "the third
one on the left."

Danny glanced at the ship Mick was talking
about. He noted that the third ship in line was a massive
twelve-deck cruise liner.

"We're going on a cruise ship?" Alonso asked,
with wide-eyed excitement.

"No," said Mick with a slight chuckle.
Tyramear joined him in the merriment. "Look just beyond the bow of
the second ship and you will see her."

Danny leaned forward and squinted as he
searched. He saw what looked like the masts of a galleon, the kind
of ship he'd read about in history class that had been used in the
late sixteenth century. However, before Danny was certain of his
observation, the bridge began its descent, cutting off his view of
the mysterious ship.

"Did you see her?" Mick asked as he slowed
for traffic.

"I think so," said Danny, still a little
confused.

"Well, you will soon get a much better view,"
said Mick, turning the car to the left. "Take another look." He
pointed straight ahead.

Danny gasped. Before him floated a
four-masted galleon, resembling something he might have seen in an
old pirate movie. The hull of the ship, painted bright white, had
the name
Radiance
on the bow, printed in bold black
lettering. The bow, or front of the ship, had an elongated beak
with a level perch. The aft, or back, was shaped in a squared tuck
stern.

"That's the ship that's going to take us
across the ocean, into the Bermuda Triangle, and to White Rock
Island?" Alonso questioned in disbelief, putting words to
everyone's thoughts.

"Indeed it is," said Mick
matter-of-factly.

"Great," said Alonso, throwing his hands up
for affect, "we're all gonna die!"

"She may be old, but she is just as sound as
any other vessel you see around you, perhaps more so," put in
Tyramear. "You will soon find out that the
Radiance
is truly
one of a kind."

"That's what I'm afraid of," added
Alonso.

Mick pulled into a parking place and switched
the ignition off. He swiveled in his seat. "Go or stay—it's still
your decision," he said, directing his comment toward everyone.

"I'm going. I didn't come all this way just
to stay in the car," said Chris, opening the door, stepping
outside.

"Me, too," said Danny, getting out on the
opposite side of the vehicle. Sabrina followed behind, it went
without saying that she'd be going.

"Don't forget me," said Matt, retrieving his
bag, getting out on the same side as Danny had.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," said
Doug, exiting the truck with his bag in hand.

"Whatever," added Alonso, he followed his
friends.

Standing next to Mick, Danny peered out
toward the
Radiance
and noticed a wide gangplank secured to
the side, a group was beginning to gather there for boarding.
Looking closer, he noticed that all of them were either his age or
older, most carried the hilt of a Bonded.

"Are those Knights of the Light?"

Mick followed Danny's gaze, "No, lad.
Squires, like yourself, returning to the Academy to continue their
training. Those with a Bonded are either third-year squires or
above." Seeing Danny's confused expression, he added, "You won't be
coupled with a Bonded until you return for your second year."

"So I won't receive a Bonded right away?"

"No, lad, the training is tough enough
without trying to fiddle with a blade in your brain."

Again, Danny looked at him with
confusion.

"Sorry, lad, I'll not spoil that surprise,"
Mick said with a smile. "Besides, as Tyramear already explained,
there are those that choose not to continue their training. What
good would it do to waste a Bonded on someone who would never use
it?"

"I suppose I see your point."

"You mean, I came all this way and I'm not
even gonna get a sword?" Alonso asked, apparently listening in on
the conversation.

Mick produced a wide smile. "Don't worry,
boy, by the time you're done, you won't want to see another sword
ever again."

"This is as far as I go," said Tyramear from
behind them.

Danny turned to see Sabrina standing in front
of her father, Tyramear cradling her head in his hands.

"I am proud of you, my daughter," Tyramear
said to Sabrina.

Danny felt a slight pressure on his shoulder
and turned to find Mick's left hand resting on him, his right hand
extended for a handshake. Danny obliged him and once again felt the
power in the man's grip.

"Any friend of Tyramear is a friend of mine,"
said Mick. "I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you, Mick."

Mick released his grip with a smile and then
moved on to Chris, shaking his arm at the wrist, wishing him
luck.

Danny watched as Mick went through the ritual
three more times.

"Danny."

Danny turned at the sound of his name,
finding Tyramear standing before him with Sabrina by his side.

"You are brave, Danny, to have stood before a
Shadow in an attempt to defend my daughter. Forgive me, but I never
thanked you for your actions that night."

"I didn't really do anything."

"But, you did," replied Tyramear, placing a
sturdy hand on Danny's shoulder. "You stood up to evil incarnate.
You put yourself in harm's way without any thought to your own
safety, for Sabrina's sake. Unknown were the odds against you, but
still you did what you considered was right. Such is a display of
incredible courage. I look forward to learning of your progress at
the Academy of Illumination. I shall watch you closely, Danny
Firoth."