Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight (27 page)

"You think so, my young squire?" Sir Fredrick
asked, walking toward one of the largest boulders in the chamber.
"Then, I shall demonstrate." He stopped before a stone that nearly
matched him in his seven feet of height. With the song of steel, he
pulled his greatsword free. The thick, naked blade glittered as if
a thousand diamonds lay embedded within the steel.

"I would like to introduce all of you to,
Wartok, my Bonded," he said, hefting the huge blade upon his right
shoulder and holding it steady with a single hand. "Watch
carefully." He gripped the emerald-encrusted hilt in both hands and
positioned the heavy blade overhead. Taking a single step forward,
sweeping Wartok in a downward arc, the edge of the sword blinked
through the stone and ended in a poised position at Sir Fredrick's
left side. He took a couple of retreating steps and sheathed the
blade before repositioning it upon his back.

"But the stone is still whole," observed
Doug.

"Is it, Squire?" Sir Fredrick asked, raising
his right leg and stomping once upon the ground. A sidelong cut
appeared on the boulder as the top half slid free, thudding to the
ground at an angle.

"That's impossible," said Doug.

"Epic," Matt piped up loudly, using his
glasses as a magnifying glass to get a better look.

"It is not impossible, nor is it very...
epic, such feats will be like child's play once all of you are
fully trained."

"But, Sir Fredrick, you're using a Bonded,"
said Danny. "All we have are basic weapons."

"Then give me your sword, Squire, and I shall
demonstrate once again."

Unsure, delaying for a moment, Danny walked
within arm's reach of the towering knight, offering his blade.

Sir Fredrick took the longsword without a
second thought. "Stand clear, Squire," he said, motioning Danny
away. Testing its balance, he swung the sword. Once satisfied, he
bent down, gripped the top chunk of rock that he'd just cut in half
and propped it up. Opening with a sidelong cut, then an overhead
chop, ending with an upward arc, he sliced the bowl-shaped boulder
into six separate pieces as easily as he might cut the air. The
slabs of stone tumbled at his feet as he turned, walked within
striking distance of Danny and offered the longsword to him, hilt
first.

"As I said before, it is not the blade,
Squire. It is the mind, heart, body, arm and hand wielding it." He
locked his gaze with Danny's shocked stare. "Now," he said,
overlooking Danny and acknowledging the other squires, "you all
have stones to cut. I suggest you get to it."

Danny took his blade back, amazed by what
he'd just witnessed. He tested the sword in his grip as if he was
seeing it for the first time. All around him, the noise of steel
clanging against stone rang out in crescendos that sent tingles
down his spine. Shaken from his self-doubts, Danny returned to his
chosen stone, intent on cutting it in two.

back to top

ith bruised and calloused hands, Danny, along
with all the other first-year squires, followed Sir Fredrick to the
building which he bid them enter. Sore and tired, Danny funneled
through the wooden double doors.

Danny had failed to cut his stone in half,
chipping away small slivers to within about the midway point of the
boulder. Briza was the only squire who'd succeeded, dealing her
stone a lethal blow on the fifth try. Anthony had followed in a
close second, slumping down beside the boulder that had been nearly
his own size with a cleft one-third of the way through. Chris was
third, taking two final swipes after Anthony had given up, leaving
Matt, Alonso and Doug nearly the last to finish, with their stones
looking unscathed. Many of the other squires had fallen somewhere
in between.

Thinking about the exercise, Danny looked
down to his side, where his longsword rested in its sheath. He was
amazed that even after clanging against stone, the blade looked
unblemished. Truly, Sir Bartlett Firebeard, the master smith, and
the Dwarves of the Forge were skilled experts of their craft.

"Please, take a seat within the circle," said
an inviting familiar voice.

Pulled from his thoughts, Danny peered up to
find Sir Syndil Tribolari standing before him. The Elf stood still
and steady in the center of an intricate circle grooved into the
stone floor. He wore the same silver business suit Danny had first
encountered him in during his testing, a day that now seemed so
long ago.

As if noticing the large room for the first
time, Danny saw a vast assortment of bladed weapons lining the
walls, ranging from daggers to greatswords, as well as pole arms,
arranged from shortest and smallest to the longest and largest.

"Thank you, Sir Fredrick, I shall take it
from here," said Sir Syndil, giving the other Knight of the Light a
curt graceful bow.

Sir Fredrick grunted as he nodded and closed
the doors in his wake.

"Please, find a seat within the circle," said
Sir Syndil, his tone polite and patient.

Danny took a quick moment to check out the
carved circle which the Elf indicated, noting strange runes written
in a language unknown to him. Within the circumference, a pair of
etched triangles rested just off-center, mirroring each other on
opposite sides.

Sir Syndil waited until everyone was seated
before he spoke, "Good afternoon, Squires. My name is Sir Syndil
Sartak Tribolari, Knight of the Light, your instructor in the
techniques of the blade. Within these walls, I will teach you the
proper handling of the weapons you currently keep on your person.
Be forewarned, I am patient, but I am also a perfectionist. I will
work tirelessly to make sure that your technique is flawless. I
only ask that you return the favor. I assume that Sir Fredrick had
you hacking at stones this day?"

A low moan erupted from the group of
squires.

"A strong sword arm is a good tool,"
continued Sir Syndil with a sly smile. "However, such a tool will
do one little good if one cannot properly strike the enemy. This
course will be your most important subject of study. Every aspect
of a knight begins with a strong base in proper technique. Someday,
but sooner than you think, your life will depend on the lessons you
learn here. Are there any questions before we begin?"

The gathered squires sat quietly with no
questions forthcoming.

"Good," said Sir Syndil, "then, by all means,
stand, find a suitable safe distance from one another and draw your
weapons."

Danny found a spot near the edge of the
circle. With a soft ring of steel, he drew his longsword and held
it before him.

The room echoed with the sound of metal
scraping against metal as swords slipped free from their sheaths.
The collection of naked blades caught the light of the noonday sun
as it trickled in through a series of vaulted windows.

"Every maneuver begins with a strong stance,"
said Sir Syndil, gliding between the squires, "and every stance is
unique. Like a fingerprint, a stance depends on the weapon you
wield, in combination with the physical structure of your body. The
two main stances that you will learn under my instruction are
defensive and offensive. We will begin today by practicing an
offensive stance." After a moment, he added, "So, if all of you
will please assume an offensive stance, I will come around and
correct you."

Unsure about what Sir Syndil was asking him
to do, Danny did his best. Squaring his shoulders, he wrapped his
hands around the hilt of his blade and positioned it in front of
him at an angle.

Sir Syndil stalked through the room,
inspecting and then adjusting the poses of the other squires.
"Stand firm," he said to one. "Do not be afraid of the weight, hold
the blade steady in your hands," he said to another. After working
his way through the group, he came to stand before Danny. "Does
that stance feel awkward?"

"…A little." However, Danny was quite sure
that any position he found himself in would feel odd. It was his
first time holding a blade in any particular kind of manner.

"Is the blade heavy in your hands?"

"Not really."

Sir Syndil nodded and smiled with an
empathetic curve of the mouth. "A longsword is a fine weapon,
Squire Firoth. Its strength rests in versatility. If needed, a
longsword can be wielded with two hands for a more powerful stroke.
In the same respect, it is light enough to hold with only one hand,
leaving the other free to hold a shield or grab an opponent. If you
would indulge me, please release your left hand and hold it out in
front of you."

Without hesitation, Danny complied, finding
the blade light enough to sustain with his right hand.

"Good, now, position the sword behind you and
allow the weight to distribute throughout your entire arm instead
of just one spot."

Taking a steadying breath, Danny positioned
his sword behind him at the ready.

"Excellent," said Sir Syndil with a smile.
"How does that feel?"

"Comfortable," said Danny, returning the
smile.

"From your current position, you can begin
any number of offensive maneuvers. It is a strong stance." With
that, Sir Syndil moved off to the next squire, continuing his
instruction.

By the end of the lesson, Danny noticed that
Chris and Anthony required minimal correction. However, Matt and
Doug, molded into their stances by Sir Syndil, needed the most
attention. Alonso had a tendency to argue and would've needed less
fine-tuning than he'd received if he had listened. Briza, on the
other hand, was the star pupil, having no need of Sir Syndil's
instruction, a fact that seemed to aggravate many of the other
squires, except for Doug, who watched her with a dazed expression
on his face.

"Very good," said Sir Syndil, after
inspecting and correcting the last squire. "Now that all of you
have a general understanding of an offensive stance, it is time to
see what your skill level is," he continued, walking toward the far
wall and selecting a finely-crafted longsword from the array of
weaponry. Moving to the middle of the circle on the floor, he
pulled the blade free from the scabbard and smiled. "Please, gather
at the edge of the circle." After waiting for his instructions to
be followed, he added, "I need a volunteer."

Briza stepped forward.

"Excellent, please, take your position in the
opposite triangle." Turning to address the squires surrounding him,
Sir Syndil said, "The circle before you is a dueling circle. You
will come to know it well. Since this is the first day of your
training and we have not been properly introduced, I shall learn
who you are by participating in a mock duel with each one of you.
Truly, dueling is the fastest way to learn about someone. Since
this young squire has volunteered to go first, I would encourage
you to watch and learn. Are there any questions before we
begin?"

Doug slowly raised his hand into the air.

"Yes, Squire?" Sir Syndil questioned
politely.

"What if you get hit? Aren't you afraid of
getting hurt? Briza is excellent with a sword and I know for a fact
that all of our blades are sharp," Doug added, with a quick glance
in Briza's direction, an act that caused him to blush as she smiled
back at him.

"Those are all good points, Squire. However,
I ask that none of you hold back for fear of my safety. In order
for me to understand your true current ability, you must engage me
with all of your skill. I assure you all that I am quite capable of
avoiding any injury."

A second hand arose from the group.

"Yes, you have a question?" Sir Syndil asked
as his tone remained tempered.

"What if
we
get hurt?" another squire
asked.

Sir Syndil produced a sly smile. "Rest
assured, I shall only react defensively. Any damage you might
sustain will be done by your own hand, not mine."

With that, the room remained quiet,
suggesting that any other questions could wait.

"If there are no further questions, we shall
begin," said Sir Syndil, his gaze turning back in Briza's
direction. "Are you ready, Squire?"

Briza responded with a swift nod.

Sir Syndil twisted the blade upward in his
hand, causing the naked brand to tap softly against his chest. "For
the Light," he said, as he twirled the sword downward with a
skilled grace.

Briza mimicked his movements with a parallel
elegance and then adjusted her feet a shoulder-width apart.
Readying her rapier at the hip, with the blade pointing at an angle
in front of her, she placed her opposite hand on the hilt to steady
it.

"Good," said Sir Syndil, assuming his own
stance by spreading his feet and lifting his longsword up in front
of him, while allowing his opposite hand to drift behind him.
"Begin," he said; the pitch of his voice was ever calm.