Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (34 page)

Shouldering a deep breath, Danny faked a
smile in Sabrina's direction and turned toward the awaiting
crowd.

"Good luck, man," said Chris.

"Pwn him," encouraged Matt.

"You can do it," said Doug, giving Briza a
look, trying, with his eyes, to persuade her to keep her thoughts
to herself.

Anthony nodded and gave Danny a heavy pat on
the back while Alonso shook his head as if to impart his doubt.

Breaking away from his friends, Danny felt
the heavy burden of all eyes upon him. Making his way through
gathered spectators, he heard whispers containing his name and
noticed looks of skepticism. It seemed as though no one believed he
could do it, a fact that was beginning to wear him down, turning
his stomach inside-out with tension. Emerging from the crowd,
seeing Sir Syndil's smiling face, provided Danny with a small
comfort. However, his respite disappeared as he spotted Squire
Rigil, standing on the opposite side of the clearing.

Danny had thought that the squire was large
before, but he looked massive now, wearing the full complement of
his dueling armor. Danny guessed that the armor added almost half a
foot to the larger squire's stature. However, as intimidating as
Squire Rigil looked, it was the figure standing next to him that
drew Danny's attention, Squire Vyce Ven Lasko, Captain of Dragon
Army.

Although he was shorter than his lieutenant,
Captain Vyce had an aura about him that demanded attention. His
deep blue eyes seemed to peer right through Danny.

"Make an example of him, Lieutenant Rigil,"
the captain said candidly, his gaze unwavering as he met Danny's
stare. With that said, he pivoted, paced to the edge of the crowd
and did an about-face.

"I did na think you'd show, lad."

Danny leveled his gaze toward his opponent.
"I'm surprised that you did," said Danny, with a confidence he did
not feel.

Rigil simply smiled and rested his hand on
the spiraling hilt of his Bonded.

"Are you both ready to begin?" Sir Syndil
asked, appearing between them.

"I request a change to the terms of this
duel," said Danny, stepping forward.

"You can't change…" began Rigil in protest,
only to be silenced by Sir Syndil's slender arm.

"State your reasoning."

"The initial terms of this duel have already
come to pass," explained Danny. "I no longer need Squire Rigil's
assistance to locate Squire Drake. Therefore, this duel has already
been settled."

"Cowardly newb!" said Rigil. "Ya think ta
squirm your way out of this?"

"I only wish to change the terms," said
Danny, hoping that his voice didn't betray the butterflies
fluttering within his gut.

"The terms?" Sir Syndil asked.

"Should I be the victor, I only ask that I be
allowed to visit Squire Drake openly on the seventh day of every
week, our day of rest."

"Are these terms satisfactory?" Sir Syndil
inquired, turning toward Squire Rigil.

The larger boy's face tightened with anger as
he looked to Captain Vyce for permission. "Agreed," said Rigil,
after receiving an acknowledging nod from his captain. "It's not
like ya going to win anyhow, newb."

"Then the terms are agreed upon and the duel
will commence," announced Sir Syndil. "All that is required is the
proper environment," he added, reaching into his pocket, producing
a glowing green orb about the size of a marble, similar to the
bauble Sir James had used to transform the surface of the table
during his instruction of strategy.

Danny watched in awe as Sir Syndil bent a
knee and touched the stone to the sand. Instantly, the white sand
shifted as a small quake lurched beneath Danny's feet. Cracks
formed into proper angles as the sand solidified into bricks of
white stone, forming a large circle that dipped low into the
ground. Danny nearly lost his balance, the stone beneath him
stopped suddenly as the final details etched themselves into the
surface, creating the familiar symbols of a dueling circle, four
times the size of the one in Sir Syndil's classroom.

Looking around, Danny's jaw dropped further,
the chamber had transformed into a proper arena, complete with
stair-step seating. When the rumbling of the ground ceased, he
found himself at the bottom of a large circular pit, surrounded by
a wall of stone at least six feet in height with the crowd
suspended above. Peering across the dueling circle, he noticed that
Squire Rigil seemed unimpressed, obviously he was familiar with
such an overwhelming display of magic.

"Prepare yourselves!" Sir Syndil said,
stepping between them, securing the jade orb back within his
pocket.

Squire Rigil went to work instantly, securing
his helm upon his head.

Danny did the same.

"A strike to the head, chest, abdomen or
pelvis is an automatic win," instructed Sir Syndil. "A strike to
the extremity is a crippling blow, but it does not assure victory.
Should one of you suffer loss of consciousness or death, victory
will go to the squire still standing. Are there any questions?"

Both boys shook their head, indicating that
they understood the rules.

"Then take your positions," Sir Syndil
commanded, pointing at the two triangles carved on opposite ends of
the dueling circle.

Danny walked to his designated triangle, his
breathing picking up as the sound of each breath echoed within the
confines of his helm. He could feel the palms of his hands begin to
sweat beneath the armor plating that protected them as his stomach
began to twist into a knot. He was extremely nervous. Stepping onto
the triangle, he felt the full weight of all eyes upon him.

"Make ready!"

Squire Rigil drew his Bonded without
hesitation, revealing a thick, light blue blade, a little longer
than a longsword, broad from base to tip. Eager to begin, he
settled into an offensive stance and leveled his broadsword behind,
readying to strike.

Taking a steadying breath, Danny freed his
own sword with a ring of steel that seemed to echo throughout the
arena. Angling his blade behind him, he entered into a defensive
stance. The weight of the sword felt good in his hand, providing
him with a small comfort.

"Salute," said Sir Syndil.

"For the Light," responded Squire Rigil,
twisting his wide blade in an elegant pattern of honor before
returning to his threatening pose.

"For the Light," said Danny, going through
the practiced motion.

Sir Syndil took a single step forward and
held his right hand high, ready to signal the beginning of the
bout.

Danny closed his eyes, cleared his mind and
filled his lungs, going through the breathing exercises Sir Syndil
had taught him. As he concentrated on the rhythmic pattern of his
breathing, his anxiety dissipated.

"Begin!" shouted Sir Syndil.

Danny opened his eyes to find that
the
ghostly form of Squire Rigil had already charged forward, closing
the distance quicker than Danny thought possible, opening with an
overhead chop.
The real Rigil followed moments behind.

Anticipating the attack, Danny twisted to the
left as his opponent's broadsword whistled through the air,
striking the stone floor with a loud crack, causing the white stone
to split from the force of Rigil's attack.

Too easy,
thought Danny, seeing the
chance of Rigil's open back, angling his sword for a
counter-attack. Committing to the motion, Danny watched with joy as
Rigil's
ghost recovered and moved to block the blow.
Danny
knew the larger boy wouldn't be able to execute the defensive
tactic in time.

However, Rigil did just that, almost
surpassing his specter. The two blades met with a loud clang as
Rigil parried the attack to the side, sending a jarring motion down
Danny's blade and up his arm.

Knocked off-balance, Danny twisted to the
right
as Rigil's image raised his sword for the final blow.
Expecting the attack, Danny raised his own blade to block.

Fulfilling the prediction of his spirit,
Rigil put both hands to the task and hacked downward, the blue
blade almost humming as it flashed through the air.

Already off-balance, Danny had little choice
but to take the brunt of the blow as the full strength of Squire
Rigil descended upon him. With a concussive sound of metal meeting
metal, the two swords collided, forcing Danny to his knee. Danny's
arm wavered as Rigil forced his attack, his brand inched toward the
front of Danny's helm. In an attempt to stave off defeat, Danny
reached up with his opposite hand and wrapped his fingers around
the tip of his opponent's sword. He felt his armored gauntlet
stiffen, freezing his hand in place. Forcing Rigil's blade upward,
freeing his own, Danny slashed outward, connecting with his
opponent’s left greave just below the ankle.

Rigil grunted as a kick from his opposite
foot connected squarely with the front of Danny's helm. The arena
spun temporarily before Danny rolled back to his feet to find
Squire Rigil retreating to the opposite end of the dueling circle.
It brought Danny some small pride knowing that the larger squire
now moved with a slight limp. Investigating his left hand, he found
it stiff as stone and curled into a fist.

"Ya move well, newb. I'll give ya that," said
Rigil from a distance. "You're a lot quicker than I would've
expected. I underestimated ya."

"I could say the same for you."

"My Bonded is much lighter than most,
weighing a little less than a feather. I win most of my duels
because I'm underestimated."

"That would've been nice to know beforehand,"
said Danny, shooting Sir Syndil a glare.

The tall Elf shrugged, smiling in
response.

"Ya seemed to handle it well enough," said
Rigil. "Almost as if ya could read my movements or predict them,"
he added, his tone rising questioningly.

"Stop playing with him, finish it," yelled a
deep-toned voice, thick with a British accent.

Although Danny already knew who'd spoken, he
followed the sound to the speaker anyway, finding Squire Vyce Ven
Lasko, Captain of Dragon Army, gazing down upon him with startling
blue eyes, his face resolute.

Movement flashed in Danny's peripheral
vision, causing him to return his attention to his opponent.
With a single smooth motion, Squire Rigil's ghost raised its
broadsword upward to strike. Danny repositioned into a defensive
stance as Rigil followed in the phantom's predicted pattern of
movement. Clear on the opposite side of the dueling circle, Danny
could only guess at his opponent's intention as the ghost of Squire
Rigil stepped forward and swept its shadowy sword downward,
mouthing some unintelligible words, the sound muffled as if he was
speaking under water. Dark swirls emerged around the brand,
creating a tunnel of churning air aimed directly at Danny.

Before Danny could study the attack further,
the real Rigil mimicked the movement, adding, "Gust, Whiril."

Unlike the phantom's attack, the windy vortex
that Danny knew was coming showed no signs of its presence, except
for the stirring of dust and debris as it whirled across the stone
floor in its designated path.

Diving to the right, Danny felt the pull of
the current as it whooshed past him. The turbulent attack struck
the wall directly behind the spot where he'd been standing only
moments before, causing the stone to split and crack from the
impact. Rolling to his feet, Danny glanced behind him, noting a
small crater in the stone wall. He quickly concluded that being on
the receiving end of such an attack would mean instant defeat.

"How could ya have possibly dodged that?"
Squire Rigil asked, the tip of his blade sagging in surprise.

Danny didn't honor Rigil with a response.
Instead, he turned his attention inward, thinking quickly, he knew
that he would have to engage his opponent in close combat if he
wanted to win. Apparently Rigil's Bonded was more dangerous at a
distance. Rigil’s retreat to the opposite end of the dueling circle
had hinted as much. Now, seeing the power of Rigil’s Bonded
firsthand, Danny was sure of it.

"It makes no difference," said Squire Rigil
when confronted with Danny's silence. "Ya won't dodge this next
attack," he added, angling his blade behind him for a second
assault.

Swayed from his inner reflections, Danny
pushed his mind back to the task as
Squire Rigil's ghost weaved
its sword in an intricate pattern of attacks, creating three
individual wind tunnels. One of the black whirlwinds traveled in a
straight line, right down the center of the dueling circle, while
the other two arced to the left and the right, following the curve
of the circle and converging on the exact spot where Danny now
stood.
He realized instantly that he would be unable to avoid
this attack in the same manner as the last. Panic gripped Danny as
Squire Rigil began his deadly wind dance, yelling, "Bluster,
Whiril."

The dust stirred in the flurry of the wind;
chunks of stone ripped free from the floor and the wall, tumbling
end over end within the belly of the raging vortex.

Danny charged in two quick, bounding steps as
the forward airstream bore down upon him. However, just before the
coiling wind tunnel could overtake him, he leapt to the right at an
angle. All but his left foot made it free as the powerful current
of air propelled him upward like a rag doll. The wall of stone
behind him exploded under the weight of the wind attack, causing
large chunks of rock to cascade into the air and plummet to the
ground in rhythmic thuds.

Danny landed heavily on his right side; he
rolled to his feet and charged forward. Dazed, lungs filled with
fire, he forced himself onward, charging to within striking
distance of Squire Rigil.

Surprised by Danny's charge and the smaller
boy's ability to avoid his best attack, Squire Rigil took two quick
steps in retreat, causing his back to brush against the wall.