Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (48 page)

"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.

Danny notice that he carried a series of
seven blades, five remaining in a unique fan-like scabbard strapped
across his back, while wielding the other two in his hands. The
most obvious characteristic was the pointed ears that marked him
kindred of the Long-lived, an Elf.

"…Calador?" Danny questioned, no more than a
whisper.

As if empowered by Danny’s utterance, the Elf
swooped both of his blades upward, forcing the angle of the
crackling beam in the same direction. The sapphire ray traveled
skyward, puncturing a hole in the swirling black clouds of the Eye.
The shaft of azure light dissipated, allowing rays of sunlight to
trickle through the dark clouds and linger for the briefest of
moments before the raging storm swallowed them up once again.

The Gran Shadow advanced, but stopped in
order to investigate Syndil's silver Bonded, which lingered just
below its pointed chin, caressing its neck.

"No," said Syndil, his tone never wavering as
his eyes locked on Calador. "Disobey me again and I will have your
head."

The Shadow hesitated, its expression alien,
unreadable. Then, taking a single step to the rear, it retreated.
However, the Shadow's gaze remained fixed forward upon its
prey.

"Are you alright, Squire?" Calador asked, his
focus just as cautious. He didn't turn to face Danny.

Danny looked himself over, finding his robes
tattered and burnt; the skin of his arms and face was raw and
blistered and his body was bruised. Investigating his sword
further, he noticed that it had halved in size, the blade had
melted nearly to the hilt.

"My sword is useless," he said, retrieving
the ruined blade, holding it before him in emphasis. Realizing that
Calador couldn't see the damage, even if he was facing him, he
tossed the now-worthless sword down next to him, the warped steel
clanging pitifully upon the stone.

"Good," said Calador. "You shall not need it,
you are not permitted to stay."

Danny was about to argue but he was cut off
as Calador continued.

"You will run as quickly as your feet can
carry you, run to the Castle of the Light where you will await
further orders." Calador's voice was stern and rigid, leaving no
room for argument.

"I am afraid he will not be permitted to
leave," said Syndil, matter-of-factly, a smile curling up the side
of his mouth. As the last syllable left the Elf's mouth, the three
Gran Shadows disappeared in a disorienting display of speed,
reappearing at the edge of three of the four roads that led out
from the center, while Syndil casually moved to block the fourth.
"We shall finish what we started so many years ago, my old
friend."

"Friend!" spat Calador. "You are a traitor, a
thief and a liar. I once honored you as a master of the sword and
kindred of the race we share, a rival against whom I could measure
my own skill. I even respected you after you took my eyes as well
as my Bonded. However, what you have done this day is unforgivable
and before this futility goes any further, you will tell me
why."

"Why?" Syndil's smile simmered to a smirk.
"Look around you, Calador. The Light grows weaker with every
passing day. Our numbers dwindle with every drop of the moon and
setting of the sun, while the Shadows extend their grip over this
world. We are losing this war."

"You are a coward!" Calador yelled, his grip
tightening around the hilts of his blades, causing his knuckles to
whiten.

Syndil stepped forward, angling his Bonded
downward in one smooth motion. "Call me what you will, Calador, but
you must sense it as well. The Light has settled their hopes on the
return of the Mageknight. Yet, there he sits, a mere shadow of the
legend foretold in the literature. His power will not be enough to
offset the influence of the Shadows."

Calador maneuvered into an offensive stance.
"So, now you show your fair-weathered allegiance, backing the
surest winner, betraying those that trusted you with their
lives."

Syndil mirrored the movements of his
opponent, leveling his Bonded before him while still holding the
sheathed blade of the stolen Bonded in his opposite hand. "It was
an easy enough choice. What is the alternative, to die fighting for
the side you know will eventually lose, only to end up as some poor
soul trapped in a sword for an eternity? I think not, that's not
for me."

Calador scoffed. "So, instead, you choose to
betray your own race as well as those you have sworn allegiance to,
all the while manipulating a mere squire in the process?"

Syndil's smile widened as he sighed ever so
softly. "'Tis inconsequential, my old friend, for I have made my
choice. Now, you must make yours. I have not the time for any more
discussion on this matter, and I fear you are impossibly far from
changing my mind in any capacity. If you wish to finish this
rivalry between us, now is the time and the place."

Calador gracefully twirled his blades in
front of him, planting his right foot forward. "I am not your old
friend, Syndil, but you must know that you are now my new enemy and
I will stop you."

Syndil responded in kind, weaving his Bonded
in a light-footed salute, the elegance of his movements just as
smooth as the Elf opposite him. "I accept your challenge… my new
enemy."

"For the Light," challenged Calador, using
his forward foot to push off with as he began a headlong
charge.

Syndil smiled and raised his Bonded above
him. "Sever, Kryssagrim," he said, leveling a single downward slash
in front of him. The blade of his Bonded pulsed with a silver
flash, sending forth three individual pressure waves of white light
that whistled as they sliced through the air and barreled down upon
Calador.

Without missing a beat, Calador angled his
swords around him in a speedy display. Parrying each attack in
turn, he cut the waves in half, causing them to dissipate around
him with a harmless soft hissing as he continued his charge. The
surprised expression on Syndil's face was instantaneous as Calador
leveled an attack of his own just below the chin line.

His sword found nothing but air. Syndil
easily ducked the swipe. Pressing his assault, Calador followed up
with a series of slashes and lunges. However, the speed of both
Elves proved equal and Syndil met his opponent blow for blow, using
the stolen Bonded as an offhand weapon.

Spinning away, Syndil retreated to a safe
distance and settled into a defensive stance.

"Interesting," he said with a smile. "I see
you remember Kryssagrim's first Awakening."

Calador twirled his blades around him,
loosening the muscles of his arms. "How could I ever forget your
old tricks."

Syndil's smile widened as he took the other
Elf's comment as a compliment, rather than the insult it was
intended to be. "Be that as it may . . . how is it that you are
able to block my Bonded's Awakening without a Bonded of your own?
You know as well as I that a Bonded's power can only be blocked by
another Bonded, yet I specifically remember seeing yours shatter
into at least seven pieces during our last duel."