Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (26 page)

"Then it is up to us to see that these select
few carry on the tradition."

Sir Fredrick grunted in response. "I am Sir
Fredrick Ferdessa, Knight of the Light, professor of physical
training!" he yelled. "From this point forward, your bodies belong
to me and I will mold them to my heart's desire. Rest assured, by
the time I am done with you, you will be agile and strong. If you
wish to stay on my good side, something that I assure you is in
your best interest, you need do only one thing, never give up. I
will push you to your limits and further. I will force you to
endure pain, the likes of which you have never felt. Do not give
up. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir Fredrick," the group of squires
said halfheartedly.

"By the Light, say it like you
mean
it!" bellowed Sir Fredrick, his voice booming like a
thunderclap.

"Yes, Sir Fredrick!" every squire yelled in a
harmonious burst of sound.

Sir Fredrick grunted, placed his hands on his
hips, and said, "That will have to do." After a moment, he
continued, "The position you currently find yourself in is known as
a stance of readiness. You will assume this position whenever you
hear the command, stand to! You will come to know this position
well, I suggest you take a moment to allow the placement of your
body to sink in." Allowing a deepening silence to spread throughout
the hall, Sir Fredrick gave the squires thirty seconds to digest
his words as well as breakfast.

"Good, in a matter of minutes, your training
will begin. We will start the day off with a light run, followed by
an exercise designed to build the muscles you will need to wield
those blades properly. Are there any questions before we
begin?"

Danny looked to his left as Matt's right hand
trembled into the air.

"Yes?"

"I'm Squire..." Matt began, only to be
interrupted by Sir Fredrick.

"I care not for your names!" Sir Fredrick
yelled, addressing every squire in the hall. "Words and titles do
not impress me, actions impress me. I shall learn who you are
through the strength and prowess you show me, nothing more, nothing
less. Now, with that said, by all means, ask your question,
Squire."

Matt hesitated.

"Perhaps, I have already answered your
question. Is this true, Squire?"

Matt shook his head from side to side.

"Then, speak now!"

"Should we…" Matt started again in a hushed
tone.

"Speak up, Squire!" Sir Fredrick barked,
interrupting again.

Clearing his throat and adjusting his
glasses, Matt tried a third time in a louder voice. "Should we
leave our swords in our rooms for the run, sir?"

Sir Fredrick stared at Matt for what seemed
like an eternity before bursting into a hearty fit of laughter.

Unsure of the preferred response, Matt looked
to Danny for encouragement. However, Danny was just as confused; he
shrugged in response.

"This guy is nuts," Doug whispered.

"I never thought I'd say it, but I'd much
rather have Mr. Ingram here than him," said Danny in the same quiet
voice.

"I kind of like him," said Chris.

"Me, too," said Anthony.

Before anyone else could comment, Sir
Fredrick's expression of amusement vanished; his features returned
to the stern expression he wore previously. Leveling his
intimidating gaze toward Matt, he said, "No, Squire, I am afraid
you will need your weapon for the run. You see, a Knight of the
Light keeps his blade with him at all times. Your weapon is your
life. It is an extension of your body, where your body goes, so
does your blade." Sir Fredrick allowed his stare to sweep across
the rest of the squires as he asked, "Are there any other
questions?"

Silence was his answer.

"Good, then fall out and form two lines
facing the Great Dome." Many hesitated, causing him to insist with
a forceful, "
Now
!"

Unwilling to wait for the third command, the
rest of the squires joined the others just outside the double doors
of the barracks. Chaotically, at first, the group of squires melded
into two lines. Danny found a place toward the back, with Chris
behind him, Matt in front of him, Doug beside him and Alonso and
Anthony finding a spot in the rear.

The sun, blocked by the swirling black clouds
formed by the Eye, lingered somewhere out of sight; the only hint
of its presence was the morning amber light that littered the blue
atmosphere above.

"Stand to!" Sir Fredrick commanded. He
strolled from the barracks and made his way down each line in turn.
With a jerk here and a soft shove there, he forced everyone into
the proper formation, straightening each line perfectly. Once
satisfied, he took his position at the head of the columns. "We
have a mile run ahead of us, Squires. Some of you are not used to
this kind of training, many of you will have no choice but to show
your weakness. Jog, walk or crawl, if you have to, but do not give
up. The rest of the group must set their pace to the slowest
member, for a chain is only as strong as the weakest link. Are
there any questions before we begin?"

"Shouldn't we stretch before running?" a
familiar voice asked from beside Danny.

Danny turned to find that Doug had stepped
out of line to ask his question.

Sir Fredrick paced evenly toward Doug,
stopping within striking distance of the much smaller boy. Only
then did he answer with a question of his own. "Tell me, Squire,
were I your enemy, do you think I would allow you the time to
stretch before I attacked?"

"I don't know you well enough to answer that,
Sir Fredrick," said Doug in an even honest tone.

A small smile crossed Sir Fredrick's face.
"…A fair enough answer, Squire." The tall knight studied Doug for a
moment before continuing. "Yes, I would allow such time as is
needed to prepare for I am a Knight of the Light and I fight with
honor. However, our enemies are not Knights of the Light and they
will not fight with honor. Your body must learn to react without
preparedness. This cannot be taught by words, it must be learned
through muscle memory, experience, discipline and hard work."

"So . . . you're saying that we aren't going
to stretch?"

"Fall back in line, Squire, for we are
wasting good daylight!"

Reluctantly, Doug obeyed the command, his
face showing the resolve to argue. He kept his tongue.

Sir Fredrick strode back to the head of the
two lines, his suit of plate mail jingling with each stride.

"Is he going to run in that armor?" whispered
Alonso.

"He's insane," commented Doug.

"I still like him," said Chris.

"Me, too," agreed Anthony.

Unsure of his own feelings on the subject,
Danny kept any comments to himself.

"Are there any other questions?" Sir Fredrick
asked, turning back to face the formation of squires. When no
response was forthcoming, he put his hands on his hips and said,
"Good. Then I will assume that you are ready."

The only thing Danny was quite sure of was
that he was definitely
not
ready. However, once again, he
kept that fact to himself.

Doug and Matt, on the other hand, groaned in
reluctance as Sir Fredrick took off at a brisk run, the two columns
of squires followed reluctantly behind him.

A mile later, Sir Fredrick slowed to a walk
before stopping in front of a towering curve that formed the base
of the Great Dome. Huffing and puffing, the once-straight lines of
squires, now chaotic and disorganized, happily stopped dead in
their tracks.

Danny slumped over, placing his hands on his
knees as his body begged for air.

Chris, Alonso and Anthony, all three used to
training, looked only somewhat winded as they took long deep
breaths.

Matt and Doug were nearly on their last leg
as they slumped to the ground and sprawled out prone. They weren't
alone, others followed suit. During the mile-long trek, both had
fallen behind at least once, causing the group to slow, a fact that
most didn't seem to mind.

"A decent first run," said Sir Fredrick,
turning to face the group.

Danny noticed that, despite wearing a suit of
plate mail and carrying a Bonded greatsword, Sir Fredrick didn't
even seem to be winded in the least. His breathing was slow and
calm, as if he had just taken a leisurely stroll around the
block.

"Who can tell me where we are?"

Briza's slender arm came up in response.

"Yes, Squire," Sir Fredrick acknowledged,
pointing Briza out from the rest of the squires.

"The Great Dome, Sir Fredrick," she said. Her
voice was calm and her breathing was focused, she, too, had been
un-affected by the run.

"And what is the Great Dome used for?"

Briza's hand shot up once again. However, Sir
Fredrick called upon another squire, a boy with brown hair who was
standing toward the front.

"The Great Dome is where the eight armies
compete in mock battles," said the squire through haggard
breaths.

"Compete for what?" Sir Fredrick asked.

Briza's hand ascended once again.

With no other choice in sight, Sir Fredrick
called upon her.

"…The Chalice of Light, Sir Fredrick."

"Do any of you wish to be a member of the
army that eventually wins the Chalice of Light?"

"Yes," said the mass of squires, some with a
groan and others whispering. The defining voice belonged to
Briza.

"I will attribute such a weak response to
your current conditions, Squires," said Sir Fredrick, crossing his
arms. "If you so desire to earn the Chalice of Light, it begins
right here, right now. Train hard and become strong." After waiting
for a moment in order to allow his message to sink in, he began
again. "The Great Dome is made up of five inner chambers. The main
chamber, located in the middle, the largest of the five, is used to
determine which of the eight armies is worthy enough to receive the
Chalice of Light through a series of simulated battles. The other
four chambers are used for training; it is within one of these four
chambers that I will introduce you to the weapon you carry. Now,
stand to!"

Caught off-guard by the sudden command, many
of the squires, including Matt and Doug, rose to their feet too
slow and assumed the recently learned position.

"I am afraid that simply will not do,
Squires." Sir Fredrick frowned. "You two, you, and you three," he
said, pointing to six squires in particular, two of which were Matt
and Doug, "you all look very tired," he said in a mockingly
sympathetic voice. "Please return to your resting positions on the
ground."

Matt and Doug reluctantly followed the
actions of the other four squires and sat back down.

"Better?" Sir Fredrick asked in a soft voice.
However, before any of the six could even contemplate an answer, he
yelled out, "Stand to!"

Quicker than Danny would've thought possible,
Doug and Matt jumped up and fashioned their bodies into the
appropriate position.

Sir Fredrick smiled widely. "Good. Now that
you are all warmed up, we can really begin."

"The run was just a warm-up?" whispered Matt,
his tone full of despair.

"I'm way past warmed up," said Doug in the
same hushed tone.

"…To me, Squires!" Sir Fredrick yelled,
marching off toward a pair of white doors, hauling them open.
"…This way!"

Upon entering the Great Dome, Danny noted a
high, sloping ceiling and a vast courtyard full of rich green
grass. However, the most striking feature within was a series of
small boulders placed in ascending rows from smallest to largest.
The smallest were around the size of a
watermelon
, while the larger ones were about the
size of a compact car.

"Pick a stone, Squires," said Sir Fredrick,
closing the doors behind him. "I suggest that you choose one
according to the size of the blade you wield. For example, those of
you with lighter weapons, rapiers and scimitars, should keep in
mind the option of one of the smaller stones. For those of you with
heavier blades, bastardswords or greatswords, it would be more
beneficial for you to choose a larger stone."

"What'll we be doing with the stone we
choose, Sir Fredrick?" Doug asked.

"I shall make that clear to all of you after
your stones have been chosen, Squire."

If Danny had learned anything since coming to
the island of White Rock, it was that anything could happen next.
Unsure of the purpose behind this exercise, he moved among the
rocks and found a medium-sized boulder, its height barely reaching
his knees.

Chris and Anthony moved down the rocks in
ascending order. Both found boulders that came to their waists.

Matt and Doug both found smaller-sized stones
toward the opposite end, while Alonso found one similar in size to
the one Danny had chosen.

Briza moved among the stones with a smile
fixed upon her face, as if she already knew what to expect and how
to confront it as well. With sure steps, she stopped behind a large
rock of a height that surpassed her knees and stopped midway to her
thighs.

"Good," said Sir Fredrick, after every squire
present had chosen a stone. "Most of you have chosen wisely. Now,
draw your blades."

Everyone, except for Briza, hesitated,
causing the lonely ring of a single steel blade slipping from the
sheath to echo throughout the huge chamber.

Chris and Danny were next, pulling their own
blades free. Everyone else mimicked them; the training chamber of
the Great Dome rang out with a chiming crescendo of steel sliding
against steel.

"Good," said Sir Fredrick. "Now, cut the
stone in half."

"That's impossible," said Doug before anyone
even attempted to try.

Sir Fredrick's expression remained serious.
"Is it?"

"It would take at least a week to chop
through this rock," argued Doug.