Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (20 page)

"Then why isn't he in the game of Knights?"
Danny asked, pulling his card deck from his pack, presenting it as
evidence.

Rogen chuckled as he said, "So, you play
Knights, do you, huh?"

"We all do," said Danny confidently.

Rogen produced a deck of his own. "If we
weren't so close to shore I’d challenge you all to a game and I’d
win."

"You didn't answer my question," ignoring the
other boy's bravado.

Rogen's smile wavered, then disappeared, as
he shrugged. "Children are not the only people that play the game,"
he said, his tone becoming serious. "The Light does not wish its
enemies to know all of its secrets."

"I see," said Danny, once again reminded of
the gravity of his upcoming training. Beneath the thrall of this
new exciting world, there was a war waging, a war that had
continued for countless generations; it could claim his life, as
well as those of his friends. However, before Danny could
contemplate further, a loud voice called out from the approaching
shore.

"Ahoy, the ship—ahoy!"

"Ahoy from the
Radiance
!" a crew
member yelled from the lookout, a small basket attached to the top
of the second mast.

"Douse the sail and out the fenders!" the
captain yelled from the back of the ship.

The
Radiance
glided toward the dock, a
long structure of wooden planking that jutted out from the rocks
around it. Danny noticed a wide path leading up a steep set of
stairs, carved into the sheer cliff face, marked by a series of
evenly-spaced torches.

"Fend the boat!" the captain bellowed. Like a
threatened beehive, the crew worked swiftly, keeping the hull of
the
Radiance
from scraping alongside the dock. The ship
slowed to a stop, the crew secured the mooring lines. "Drop anchor
and run the boarding plank!" the captain roared. Once the crew was
finished, he remarked, "Well done, lads and lasses, welcome to
White Rock Island."

Looking around, Danny noticed that the count
on the forward deck had almost doubled, maybe tripled. The majority
of the people gathered wore a collection of differently colored
robes similar in fashion to that of the Navi's—or, some looked more
eye-catching, like Vyce, the young captain of Dragon Army. Danny
singled out a few who wore the insignia of a captain, a single
piece of plate mail hanging over their left shoulder with the
intricate design of their army inscribed on it, but he lost them in
the crowd. Most of the squires present wore the defining armament
of Bondeds; there were some, like himself who didn't.

The majority of the squires ran down the
gangplank. Those with Bondeds strapped across their backs or
secured to their sides crossed the dock and began ascending the
stone steps. Those without Bondeds huddled around a tall wooden
board decorated with pieces of yellow parchment.

"Come on," encouraged Rogen, urging Sabrina
forward, "let's go see what army we were placed in."

Sabrina started to walk and then stopped.
"You guys coming?"

Danny and Chris looked at each other
fleetingly before following behind her with Doug, Matt and Alonso
in tow.

Rogen led them to the tall message board,
pushing his way to the front. After skimming the pages of
parchment, he turned with a wide grin on his face. "Dragon Army!"
he yelled. A few of the other squires turned to look at him with
obvious jealousy. Moving back through the crowd, he stopped in
front of Sabrina. "We are both in Dragon Army!"

"Perfect," Danny grumbled. However, before
despair could overtake him, he felt Chris' reassuring hand on his
shoulder.

"First-year squires, come to me, please,"
said a musical voice from somewhere to the rear, causing Danny to
break away from his dark thoughts.

Danny turned to find a tall figure standing
near the base of the steep steps. He wore flowing white robes,
similar to those of the Navi. The only difference in his attire was
a pair of black leather straps that crisscrossed his chest, holding
an odd-looking contraption to his back. The device was some sort of
scabbard, holding what looked like the hilts of seven different
swords, their pommels peeking just over slopes of his shoulders.
His head, shaved clean, sported a series of intricate tattoos, and
his ears, long, pointed and lobe-less, marked him as an Elf, the
race of the Long-lived. However, perhaps his most defining feature
was the white wrapping that covered his eyes, suggesting his
handicap. He was blind.

"Who's that?" Danny asked, "a Knight of the
Light?"

"No," said Sabrina, "his name is Calador. He
is the caretaker of the first-year squires."

Before Danny or anyone else could ask another
question, a loud bell chimed twice from somewhere near the heart of
the island, crisp and clear.

"That's the evening bells," said Rogen. "We
need to go."

Sabrina nodded and then turned back toward
Danny. "This is where we must part, Danny."

"What?" Danny asked, confused. "Will I be
able to see you?"

Sabrina shrugged and said, "Possibly. Seek me
out at the Dragon Army barracks. Training days range from Monday to
Saturday, Sunday is a day of rest."

"Come on," urged Rogen, dragging Sabrina away
by her right hand.

"Bye, my friends, good luck to you all," said
Sabrina, pulled along by Rogen's impatience.

Danny's heart sank as he watched Sabrina turn
and begin her long ascent up the white stairs. He wanted
desperately to run to her and tell her how he felt, his feet
refused to move.

"First-year squires, over here, please!"
Calador yelled again, his voice calm, smooth and commanding.

"Perhaps we should join the others," said
Chris, giving Danny's shoulder one final squeeze.

"Yeah," said Danny as Sabrina disappeared
from sight, high atop the stairs leading up to the plateau of the
island. Once she was gone, Danny followed Chris as he heeded the
blind Elf’s command.

"First-year squires! …To me now!" Calador
yelled again. Finally, a mass of new squires began to gather before
him.

Danny found himself standing at the front of
the group, the young squires behind him waiting quietly and
patiently, except for Matt, who had difficulty standing still. He
shuffled from side to side with excitement.

"Good. Now that everyone is here, allow me to
introduce myself," said the tall Elf. "My name is Calador Varackice
Con Dillion. I have been assigned to you as your caretaker. As
such, I will fill the role of your mother as well as your father
during your stay here at White Rock. Should you have any questions
or concerns, come to me and I will address them."

Suddenly, a hand arose from the middle of the
group, a boy with sandy blond hair.

"Now is not the time, young squire," said
Calador in a polite tone of voice as the squire's hand drifted back
down. "As I was saying, should you need anything, even a
sympathetic ear, I will do my best to listen and to make your stay
here at the Academy as comfortable as possible. However, be
forewarned, the training you are about to undertake is quite
difficult. For some of you, this is your first extended stay away
from home. The combination of these two hindrances can become quite
burdensome for first-year squires; I encourage you to seek me out
should you feel overwhelmed.

"Now, with that said, I will show you the
place you will call home for the next three months, your barracks."
Calador performed a graceful about-face. He began walking toward
the white stairs carved into the cliff face. "Please follow me and
do watch your step."

"Is he blind?" Danny heard someone whisper
from somewhere behind him.

"How can he see where the steps are?" another
boy asked in a hushed tone.

"To answer your questions, I am indeed blind.
I have lived upon this rock for just under a hundred years, my
young squires, and as such, I have come to memorize all of its
little details."

"Stop being rude," another squire scolded
from somewhere in the group as they ascended the steps.

"Do not be silly, Squires," said Calador,
still facing forward as he led them up. "My blindness does not
hinder me, in fact I have become quite fond of it. If you have
questions, by all means, ask them."

"How can he hear us?" the boy who had spoken
first asked, his tone was no more than a whisper.

"He is an Elf, you idiot," clarified a
spirited young girl to Danny’s left. Her short platinum-colored
hair revealed the distinct features of her ears, which were
lobe-less and came to an acute point. "Of course he can hear you.
Elves have much better hearing than you simple Humans," she
added.

"That's enough!" Calador demanded, raising
his voice. He stopped and spun around. "What is your name, Squire?"
he asked, targeting his sightless gaze on the young Elvin girl.

"Briza Roon Hollinger."

"You are here to become a Knight of the
Light, are you not, Squire Hollinger?"

"Yes, sir," Briza said with conviction.

"Then know this, Squire Hollinger, and
everyone else working toward that goal," said Calador, looking at
each individual in the group, "you all work toward a common goal as
well as against a common enemy. Alone, you will not succeed,
together you will triumph. Do not belittle yourself with such
mundane prejudices. Whether you are Elf, a Human or something else
entirely, all will need the others to survive. Is that clear?"

As one, the group said, "Yes, sir."

Danny watched as Briza's chin dropped an
inch, whether in shame or out of respect, he couldn't be sure.

"She's beautiful," whispered Doug, causing
Briza's head to perk up, look past Danny and find Doug's wide-eyed
stare.

"All Elves have superior hearing," clarified
Calador with a slight smile. "Mine is better than most due to the
loss of my sight. That is why, my young squires, I can hear you so
clearly. It is also why I can navigate this island so well. And,
lastly, it is how I will know exactly who causes any mischief,
should that event come to pass." With that, Calador turned and
resumed his ascent.

Briza smiled before continuing her climb,
causing Doug's face to redden.

An entire city was laid out at the top of the
stairs, crafted from the same white stone that made up the greater
part of the island below it. Two rows of tall, bulky buildings,
constructed in the shape of small castles, separated by a wide
brick road, stretched out before the group of first-year squires.
Each towering structure was marked with a high flagpole that
sported the insignia of the appropriate army at the top and a white
flag with the symbol of Light just below it, both fluttering in the
subtle breeze. The barracks on the right flew a black flag with the
crest of a curled python; the barracks on the left sported a purple
flag picturing a proud dog.

"Welcome to the White Rock Academy of
Illumination," said Calador, turning, bowing gracefully.

"Where's the Dragon Army barracks?" Danny
asked.

"Toward the middle of Army Avenue, young
squire, the road we currently travel," said Calador, straightening
his back. "We shall pass it on the way to the first-year barracks.
Follow me."

Passing between the barracks of Python Army
and Dog Army, Danny could feel the burden of eyes upon him. Some
stared, standing just beyond the heavy wooden doors that marked the
entrance to the small castle-like structures, the colors of their
robes matching the color of the flag that marked their respectful
armies. Others called out to Calador like an old friend, their
tones full of respect.

"Do you know all of them?" Danny asked.

"As I said before, young squire, I have
served this post for many a year," Calador answered, blankly
staring forward. "My memory is just as sharp as my hearing. There
is not one squire within the Academy that I do not know, you will
realize that once we arrive at our destination."

Calador led them onward, past the next two
barracks. The one on the left flew a brown flag with the emblem of
a sneering rat, and on the right rippled a yellow flag portraying a
large lion baring sharp fangs in a roar.

The group of squires grew quiet as the
members of each army looked on at them with a mirthful curiosity,
whispering. Danny could have sworn he heard a few of them say,
"Newbs." However, he paid them little heed as he followed Calador
along the wide brick road. He noticed a deep red flag on the left,
it sported a long-tailed dragon with vivid yellow flames escaping
its mouth. Marking the army barracks on the opposite side, in order
to remember this location, he noted the bright orange flag with a
broad winged phoenix sewed into the fabric. "That's where Sabrina
is," he said, not intending the comment for anyone in
particular.

"You'll see her again, man," encouraged Chris
as he walked next to him.

Danny wasn't too sure as he reluctantly
passed the tall building.

Calador led them past the last two barracks.
On the left, a light-blue flag portrayed a high-backed horse, the
flag marking the army on the right was colored forest green with
the image of a flying griffin printed upon it. Passing the two
towering structures, the tall Elf led them onward, coming to the
end of the avenue as well as the edge of the island. Before them
loomed a building similar to the barracks of all the other armies
but it was nearly double the size. Five stories high and bricked in
the same white stone, the barracks flew a single white flag with
the symbol of Light portrayed upon it in bold black stitching.

"Welcome," said Calador after stepping up a
series of three white steps, turning his back toward a pair of
large wooden doors. "Directly within you will find the common hall.
This will be a place for you to relax, practice, study and
socialize. On either side of the hall, you will find a winding
staircase. The left set of stairs will lead you to the boys'
dormitory; the stairs on the right will take you to the girls'. You
have until the last bell to explore."