Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (8 page)

Drawn to the reflecting glint of the polished
metal, Danny reached out to touch it, his hand lingering just
beyond the hilt.

"I would not do that if I were you," said
Sabrina's father.

Danny's hand stopped just a few inches from
the surface of the sword.

"Silvear is a Bonded, and a Bonded does not
take kindly to being touched by one who is not their wielder,"
explained Tyramear.

"…A Bonded?"

"Yes," said Tyramear, his voice calm,
seemingly content to let Danny guess at the implication.

Danny quickly went through his backpack and
pulled out his deck box. In the card game of Knights, Bondeds were
special weapons that could only be used by certain Knights of the
Light. In the game, a Bonded card was useless when paired with just
any
knight card; it would often cause harmful disadvantages.
However, if used with the knight named upon the card, it would
grant special abilities and powers. Danny had a few in his deck,
matching pairs were hard to come by.

Sabrina's father had just implied that a
Bonded had a mind of its own, Danny rubbed his head in
confusion.

"We are here," said Tyramear, before Danny
could question him further.

Shoving his deck back into the box, Danny
looked out of the car window. The full moon bathed the two-story
house in a revealing light. The driveway led up to a two-car garage
and looped around the back of the house. Danny saw the backyard
quickly, it stretched out farther than his eyes could see. On
either side of the drive, there were vast fields of withering corn
stalks, suggesting that the location of the home was well away from
the bustle of town and prying eyes.

The car stopped just in front of the garage.
Turning around, Sabrina's father reached back, retrieved Silvear,
"Come, Danny, we have a lot to discuss."

Danny nodded as he opened the car door. He
followed Sabrina and her father silently as they made their way
around the front of the house and onto the porch.

Sabrina's father unlocked the front door,
held it open and motioned Danny and Sabrina inside.

Upon entering, Danny was greeted with the
warm smile of a tall woman. Thin and straight, her long black hair
cascaded down and around the nape of her neck. The shape of her
eyes and her creamy skin mimicked her daughter's Asian heritage as
she nodded her head and regarded Danny with a gentle gaze. However,
her tender welcoming expression quickly turned to concern as her
green eyes spotted the red-soaked bandage wrapped around Sabrina's
right shoulder.

"You're hurt," said the woman, moving to
Sabrina's side, investigating the wound.

"It's not that bad, Mother."

"Allow me to introduce you to my wife, Moon
Su-Dae Drake." Sabrina's father closed the front door. "Moon, this
is Danny Firoth."

Moon turned toward Danny and smiled. "Pleased
to meet you, Danny," she said curtly. "Come, let me have a look,"
she said to her daughter, dragging her up a set of stairs.

"Moon is a nurse," explained Tyramear, "but
more than that, she has the healer's touch."

"…Healer's touch?"

"Sabrina's mother has the ability to heal
with the use of magic in addition to modern medicine." Seeing
Danny's surprise, Tyramear added, "I understand that this is all
very new to you. The answers will come soon, I promise, but first
would you like something to drink? I make great hot chocolate."

"That would be fine," answered Danny, hoping
he didn't look as uncomfortable as he felt. More than anything, he
felt excited.

"Good," said Tyramear, slinging his sword
over his shoulder. "Please make yourself comfortable."

After Tyramear left, Danny investigated the
room with acute curiosity.

The large room boasted a vaulted ceiling and
cream-colored walls. Arranged in a circle were a wooden rocking
chair, a white sofa, and a red loveseat. However, the room lacked
one thing usually common to most living rooms, a television.

Danny made his way to the sofa and sat down.
Unsure of his surroundings, unwilling to touch anything that might
get him into trouble, he placed his hands in his lap.

A few minutes later, Tyramear appeared with a
pair of steaming mugs. He handed one to Danny, then walked over to
the loveseat, propped his silver blade against the edge, and sat
down.

The cup was warm in Danny's hands, filled
three-quarters of the way to the brim, it was topped with a layer
of whipped cream and marshmallows. The taste was hot on the tip of
his tongue, but soothing as it glided down his throat, warming his
belly. It was the best hot chocolate Danny had ever tasted.

"Good?" Tyramear asked.

Danny nodded eagerly conveying that it tasted
great; he took another sip.

"Well then... I suppose we should get to it,"
said Tyramear. He took a sip of his own and then placed his mug on
a side table.

Danny shifted to the edge of his seat and
held his cup snugly between his legs. He was already in awe of this
man, a full-blooded dragon, a Knight of the Light, and best of all
he had his own card in the game of Knights. Additionally, he was
also Sabrina's father. If Tyramear claimed that the world was flat,
Danny would've believed him without question.

"A few hundred years ago, a rift of unknown
origin opened at a large island, White Rock, located just off the
coasts of Florida, Puerto Rico and Bermuda, in the center of what
you know as the Bermuda Triangle. The fissure released the first
wave of a dark race we came to call Shadows, resulting in a war
that raged on for seven long years. With the help of great heroes
and the loss of many brave souls, we were able to halt the passage
of the Shadows into our world."

"You mean you were there?" Danny's face
distorted with wide-eyed amazement.

"We Dragonic live much longer than a Human
lifetime," explained Tyramear. He dropped his head as if he were
grieving. "Yes, I was there. However, one turned the tide—the
Mageknight."

"The Mageknight," whispered Danny to
himself.

"Yes, the first and only one of his kind; as
far as we know anyway. It is said that he will return when the days
turn the darkest, his powers will be reborn in the body of
another." Looking up, Tyramear snapped out of his reverie. "Forgive
me; I seem to have trailed off."

Enthralled, Danny held his tongue.

"From the ashes of this battle, the Order of
Light was born. We became the silent guardians of the Eye of
Darkness."

"…The Eye of Darkness?"

"Such is the name we gave to the rift that
opened that fateful day so long ago. It is a swirling mass leading
into the abyss of the Shadow home world," said Tyramear. "The most
powerful of wizards, as well as the strongest of knights, have
attempted to close it, but to no avail. The Eye is a stain upon
this world, resulting in a warping of reality itself. It is the
cause of the strange occurrences for which the Bermuda Triangle is
well known."

"If that is the only way for Shadows to enter
our world, then how'd one end up at the playground at the school
today?"

Tyramear nodded, smiled, and said, "A good
question. It seems you are bright as well as brave." After a
moment, he continued. "The Knights of the Light have waged war upon
the Shadows since their intrusion into this world. However, there
are those that would aid their incursion. With the help of those of
the Dark, the Shadows have found other ways of trespassing into our
world. That is why I was assigned by the Order of Light to protect
this area. Oddly, there has been a significant amount of Shadow
activity in this region."

"What do they want?"

"Ultimately, they wish to claim this world
for their own and drown it in eternal darkness. However, what they
currently desire within this particular area is unknown to me."

"Why would anyone help them?"

"The Shadows control dark powerful forces.
Such power is difficult for some to deny when it is promised so
easily."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"A brave thought-provoking question, Danny,
one that only you can answer," said Tyramear, scooting to the edge
of his seat. "As you already know, the deck of cards that you carry
in your bag is a window into the struggle I have just spoken of.
For those without the gift of sight, it is simply a way to pass the
time. However, for others like you, it is a training tool. You ask
me what this has to do with you. The answer is either nothing or
everything. You can decide to ignore the things that you have seen
and go about your life, but be forewarned, they will not ignore
you. Or you can embrace this gift, you can train to become a Knight
of the Light and protect the innocent from the threat of the
Dark."

At that moment, before Danny could answer,
Sabrina descended the stairs, her mother following behind. Danny
and Tyramear stood and turned to look at the newcomers.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything?"

"Not at all," said Tyramear with a smile.

"Are you alright?" Danny asked of
Sabrina.

Sabrina shrugged and pulled up the sleeve of
her white T-shirt, revealing the unblemished skin of her right arm
and her shoulder. The wound from her fight with the Shadow was
completely gone, as if it had never happened. "Mother is an amazing
healer," she said, reading Danny's surprised expression.

Moon smiled at the mention of her
abilities.

Turning toward her father, Sabrina asked,
"Has he decided yet?"

"I am afraid we were just in the middle of
discussing that, my daughter."

"How does one become a Knight of the
Light?"

Tyramear was the first to oblige him. "There
is a school, Danny, located on White Rock Island. Those with the
gift of sight are trained in the ways of the Light. Taught the art
of combat, it is there that one becomes a knight."

Danny resumed his seated position and put
both hands on his head. He felt overwhelmed. "I don't believe this
is happening."

"It is a lot to take in," said Tyramear,
closing the distance between them, placing a reassuring hand on
Danny's right shoulder.

"You two must be starved. I will go and
finish what I started for dinner," said Moon before disappearing
into the kitchen.

Sabrina moved to Danny's side and took his
left hand in hers.

Shocked at the sudden contact, Danny looked
up.

Smiling, Sabrina said, "I cannot really
understand what you are going through, Danny, because I was born
into this knowledge."

"I'll do it," said Danny after a moment of
thought, as he locked onto Sabrina's soft brown eyes.

"Do not do it for her," said Tyramear with a
slight chuckle. "This decision must be made of your own accord. You
must not let any outside influence force your hand."

"I'm positive," said Danny, turning to face
Tyramear. "I want to be a Knight of the Light."

"So be it, Danny Firoth," said Tyramear with
a gentle smile. "I shall petition the Council of the Knights for
you to be tested."

"...Tested?"

Tyramear held his smile. "Like any other
school, there are certain requirements you must meet to be
accepted. Should you pass these tests, your enrollment will be
guaranteed."

"What kind of requirements?"

"The details of the trials are forbidden to
those destined to be examined," said Tyramear. "The testing is
something you must either pass or fail on your own. Neither I nor
Sabrina will be able to help you." He eyed his daughter
sternly.

"How long do I have?"

"A few months, perhaps," said Tyramear. "The
Shadows' movements have become increasingly bold and the Light is
ever busy."

Danny dropped his gaze, worried. He was
terrible at tests, not knowing what to study made it that much more
difficult.

"Do not fret," said Tyramear, seemingly
reading his thoughts.

Danny suddenly wondered if it was in the
power of a full-blooded Dragonic to read minds. He stared at
Tyramear with one raised eyebrow.

"No, I cannot read your mind," said Tyramear
with a smile, but your expression is as readable as an open
book."

Danny smiled and scratched the top of his
head. "It's just that… I'm terrible at tests."

"This is no test that you can study for. You
are as prepared for it right now, as you will be when you are
destined to take it. Try not to worry."

Before Danny could say anything else, Moon
called from the kitchen, "Dinner is ready." Her words heralded the
aroma of something delicious, causing Danny's mouth to water.

"Come, Danny. Not only is Moon a gifted
healer, she is also an amazing cook."

After a dinner of hibachi-style chicken, egg
rolls, and fluffy white rice, keeping in the tradition of Moon's
Korean heritage, Danny said his goodbye to Sabrina and her mother.
With the hour getting late, he was grateful when Tyramear offered
to drive him home.

Before he started the car, Tyramear produced
a long, thin object, wrapped in a velvety red cloth.

"I have something for you," holding the
cloaked item in the palm of his hand.

Danny took it, he could feel the weight of
something heavy and solid.

Starting the car, Tyramear turned around.
Shifting gears, he said, "Go ahead, open it."

Danny un-wrapped the red cloth, one fold at a
time, revealing the splendor of polished metal. He was looking at a
slender dagger sheathed in a silver scabbard, with the symbol of
Light engraved into the middle. The hilt of the small blade
resembled the head of a dragon. Danny held the brand up to his eyes
to get a better look at it, he gasped at the intricate
artisanship.

"Take it out," urged Tyramear, as he
navigated the long driveway.

Danny wrapped his fingers around the base of
the hilt. The metal was cool in his hands as he pulled the blade
free with a slight ring of steel. The moment the naked edge left
the scabbard, it bathed the car in a soft white light.