"Where are you?"

I am here, Danny, the speaker said in unison with a soft pulse of light that emanated from the Bonded of the Mageknight.

Danny pulled the blade closer to his eyes, entranced by the beauty and intricacy of the sapphire sword. "You're... in the sword?"

A light chuckle echoed all around him. No, Danny, I am not in the sword. I am the sword. I am your Bonded and you are my wielder. Together, we are one.

"You're Magear Rolk Knight, Mageknight of the Light," Danny declared, adjusting his grip, holding the sword at arm's length.

Danny felt an odd sensation, a feeling of sadness not his own, creep over him.

I have not heard that name for some time. However, I am afraid I am a mere shade of what I once was. The transition of affixing oneself within a Bonded is most taxing. I am afraid I remember very little of my past life.

"I'm sorry, Magear."

Danny felt the mood of the blade brighten. Do not be sorry, Danny. This is something that I chose.

"How is it that I can feel your emotions?"

As I said before, Danny, we are now Bonded. You can feel my emotions, just as I can sense yours. You are the only one who can hear me because I am speaking within your mind. Simply think your responses and I will hear you.

Like this? Danny thought.

Yes, the blade said within Danny's mind. However, now is not the time to practice. I believe you have a friend who needs your help.

Faster than Danny could think, two pressure waves whooshed out from the sphere of darkness. Danny spun, avoiding the first as it traveled past him and severed the stone statue behind him cleanly in half. Reflexively blocking the second with Magear, a surge of air swelled around him as the wave of silvery energy dissipated harmlessly across the sapphire edge of the sword. Less than a moment later, Calador came crashing to the ground beside him, thrust out of his own dark creation by an unknown force. The globe of darkness wavered for a split-second before disappearing, revealing a tired-looking Syndil. His shoulders seemed to sag, and his breath came in heavy waves. His armor, marked with various slash marks, suggested that Calador had landed several blows.

Looking down at Calador, Danny noticed that the Elf appeared to be in worse condition, his robes were populated with various slashes and stained with crimson from a series of deep cuts.

"A most interesting trick," said Syndil, the sure smile once again appearing across his face, despite his apparent exhaustion. "It might have been more useful if you had a proper suit of armor." Caught up in his gloating, the Elf hesitated as his eyes moved from the sullen Calador to the bright sapphire blade in Danny's hand. "So, it is true, you are the Mageknight. You have pulled the fabled sword from its watery keep."

"So, that's who you were talking to," said Calador, making his way back to his feet, using the dark sword in his right hand as a crutch.

"Are you alright?" Danny asked, never taking his eyes off Syndil.

"I will live," said Calador, tearing a strip of fabric from his robe and wrapping it around a cut on his forearm.

Syndil's smile widened. "I would very much like to put your new sword to the test, Mageknight."

"Your duel is with me, traitor!" Calador yelled, taking a wobbly step forward.

"I am afraid our duel is over, my old friend. You are in no condition to continue."

"We have unsettled business, you and I," argued Calador.

"As far as I am concerned, it is quite settled." Syndil swiped Kryssagrim through the air. "Sever," he said, creating three gleaming waves of energy.

Danny bounded forward, stepping in front of Calador, as the Ghostsight, which seemed to activate instinctively, alerted him to Syndil's attack. Now, the vision appeared crisper and slower, as if he was looking through a new set of eyes. Magear felt like a gentle breeze in his hand as his Bonded whistled around him, cutting Syndil's energy waves out of the air one by one.

Syndil's smile remained fixed upon his face, yet there was surprise in his eyes. "This is most curious, indeed."

"Return the Bonded of my father."

"I have already given you my word, Squire Firoth. You shall have the blade returned to you once it has served its purpose."

Danny was about to take a step forward when he felt a heavy hand upon his right shoulder.

"Get behind me, Danny, you are no match for him," Calador recommended.

"And neither are you, in your current condition," said Danny, refusing to take his eyes off his opponent.

Get ready, Magear said, his calm voice coinciding with the movement of Syndil's ghostly outline, predicting an attack.

Following the foretold pattern, Syndil flicked Kryssagrim in a series of lightning-quick swipes, slashing relentlessly through the air.

"Shred, Kryssagrim," he whispered, sending a relentless assault of glistening energy waves shrieking through the air. For every swing of the sword, three more waves appeared.

Shrugging off Calador's restraining hand, Danny leapt forward, intending to meet the swelling number of force waves head-on. With his heightened Ghostsight, he parried each wave in turn, causing them to dissipate harmlessly around him in silvery puffs of air. However, there seemed to be no end to them as Syndil weaved Kryssagrim in an endless pattern of destructive force.

You cannot keep this up much longer, Danny.

I know, Danny thought, beginning to feel the effects of his exertion. His lungs yearned for air and his muscles began to burn with exhaustion. In addition, he could feel his body begin to slow from the recent wounds gained from his confrontation with the Gran Shadow and its blue energy orbs; he felt a series of sharp pains, beginning in his chest, running up his neck and down through his right arm. His movements began to slow. He barely blocked a string of three energy waves, three more quickly taking their place. Danny panicked, he managed to take out the first wave and the second, but he over extended, allowing the third to slip through his defenses and arc upward toward his chest. Knowing that he couldn't reach it in time, he prepared for the impact.

However, nothing struck him, a black-bladed sword slipped up in front of him, inches from his nose and severed the attack in twain. The rogue wave scattered around him in a wisp of wind.

"Do not give up now, Mageknight," encouraged Calador, taking up a position next to Danny, blocking two more waves.

Angling Magear upward, Danny sliced through the third. With the help of the Ghostsight, Danny was able to anticipate which waves Calador would miss; they worked together, as a team, caught up in a dance of death-defying defense. However, the pain in Danny's chest didn't lessen. His lungs continued to crave air, his muscles burned continuously from the forced movements.

"I can't... keep this up... much longer," whispered Danny, knowing that Calador's keen hearing would pick up his plea.

"Nor I... Mageknight."

As if from nowhere, a huge beam of golden energy swept through the surge of Syndil's attacks, destroying every silvery wave in a loud swoosh of air. The shaft of light slanted skyward and cut a sizable hole in the surrounding storm above, then it dissipated. The gap in the dark clouds lingered, allowing a large ray of sunlight to shine through before the storm surged around it and swallowed the opening.

"What... was that?" Danny questioned Calador, his breathing haggard and forced.

"The King of the Light," Calador said, his voice heavy with relief.

Danny turned and followed the path of the amber beam back to its origin; he found the King of the Light standing over the disintegrating form of a Gran Shadow.

The king wore a glittering suit of golden armor, a shield made from the same precious metal and a brandished Bonded that seemed to glow like the noonday sun. Next to the King of the Light stood Sabrina, Matt, Chris, Alonso, Anthony, Doug and Briza, weapons bared and ready. Behind them, an entire army of Knights of the Light and squires stood ready to assist them.

"Syndil Sartak Tribolari!" the king yelled in a bold and commanding voice.

"It seems my time here has come to an end," said Syndil, presenting those gathered with a mock salute and sheathing his Bonded. With flashes of darkness, the remaining two Gran Shadows appeared on either side of him. Turning, the two Shadows escorted him to edge of the dark vortex. Syndil lingered at the precipice.

"...Syndil!" Danny yelled, gritting his teeth in rage, fighting through the lingering pain in his chest. He surged forward, yet didn't get far, Calador applied a restraining hand to his right bicep.

"It is too late," said the Elf, pulling Danny back to the edge of the pool.

"Get back," the King of the Light ordered those around him to a safe distance.

Forced back behind the Pool of the Mageknight, Danny refused to take his eyes off Syndil as the upsurge of the black twister increased in ferocity.

Syndil turned at the last instant, meeting Danny's steady gaze with his own. In that moment, a sweeping smile crossed his face and the raging cyclone swallowed him whole.

"Get down," Calador ordered, shoving Danny behind the rounded edge of the pool as the black tornado increased in size and shape, sucking up large chunks of stone and surrounding rubble.

Danny watched the ruined sword he had wielded as a squire clang across the stone, the vortex yanking it into the dark void. The windy turbulence culminated in a sudden whoosh of air, just before scattering without a trace, leaving small pieces of stone and debris to tumble end over end back to the ground.

"Are you alright, Danny?" Calador's voice sounded somewhat distant.

With the immediate threat of danger over, Danny allowed the pain and exhaustion to envelop him as he slumped to the ground and fell into the inviting bliss of unconsciousness.

"Danny," he heard Calador call to him again, this time he sounded even further away.

Chapter 35 - The Tale of the Black Bonded.

anny awoke to a soft jerk of his hand, stirring groggily. With a shift of his head, he followed his outstretched right arm to the side of the bed where he spied Sabrina. Sound asleep, both of her hands were wrapped in his.

"Hey," he said, groaning. He squeezed her hands lightly with his own.

Sabrina came awake right away. "You are awake! We were all very worried."

"...We?"

Sabrina began to move away from the bed, "I will get the healer."

"Wait," Danny begged, holding onto her hand, pulling her back toward the edge of the bed.

Sabrina turned back toward him.

"I'm sorry for lying to you."

Sabrina gave Danny's hand a gentle squeeze before placing it back on the bed. "Do not worry about that now," she said with a smile. "You need your rest. Now, just lie still and I will get the healer."

In no condition to argue, Danny relaxed into the soft fluff of the bedding. Noticing his arms for the first time since the altercation with Syndil, he was somewhat alarmed to see rolls of white bandaging wrapped from his wrists to his shoulders. Looking down at his body, he noted that the same dressings bound his chest, a slight but sharp pain was also present. The ache seemed to come with even the smallest of movements or shallowest of breaths. However, he didn't have long to think about his predicament. Sabrina returned a few moments later, a man in dark-green robes with the symbol of Light stitched on the chest followed behind her.

"So, you are awake, Squire Firoth," the man said, making his way to the side of the bed. With soft brown hair and welcoming blue eyes, he had an aura of calm about him. "I am Sir Virgil, a Healer of the Light. How are you feeling?"

"A little weak and..." Danny held up his bandaged arms as an unsaid final word.

"I am afraid you sustained some first and second-degree burns to your hands and arms. Your weakness is normal, Squire. You have been unconscious for about two days now. It will take time for you to regain your full strength."

"Two days!" Danny tried to sit up, a surprised reaction. However, the sudden sting of chest pain forced him back onto the bedding. "Where am I?" he asked, looking around the room, seeing that he was but one of many lying in a row of beds. A series of long, narrow windows, made from colorful stained glass, bathed the room in a soft rainbow of colors.

"Easy, Squire," the healer ordered, putting a restraining hand on Danny's shoulder so that he didn't attempt such a reckless action a second time. "In addition to the burns, two of your ribs were broken and a third was fractured. I have done all I can to speed up the healing process, but the Human body can only heal so fast. You are currently in the infirmary, located in the eastern wing of the Castle of Light. I am afraid you will have to remain here and rest for at least another full day. As you can see," said Sir Virgil, motioning toward the other injured occupants, "Syndil's betrayal was most devastating indeed. You are lucky to have only sustained the injuries you received."

Danny relaxed slowly, trying to remember the events before his black out.

"Magear!" he called out, recalling that he'd recovered the Bonded of the Mageknight.

"Relax, Squire Firoth," assured Sir Virgil. "We of the Light are well aware of the ties that a knight has to his Bonded. It is here." Reaching down to the side of the bed, the healer produced the familiar sapphire hilt, sheathed in a royal blue scabbard with the symbol of Light attached at the midpoint, molded from sparkling platinum with a royal blue hue. "Sir Bartlett saw to the sheath," Sir Virgil explained, presenting the sword to Danny with both hands, careful not to touch the hilt.

"Thank you," said Danny, taking the blade in hand.

"So, it is true," Sabrina said, inching closer to get a better look at the sword.

"What's true?"

"You are the Mageknight," her eyes grew wide in excitement.

"I guess so," said Danny, angling his gaze downward, her words were like a dagger in his heart, reminding him of the lies he'd told her.

"Rest, Squire," encouraged Sir Virgil, placing a light hand on Danny's shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze. "I shall inform the King of the Light that you are awake."

Danny snapped out of his dark mood. "...The king?"

Sir Virgil produced a soft smile. "Yes, the king, he requested an audience with you as soon as you awoke. I was instructed to notify him the instant you regained consciousness."

"What would the King of the Light want with me?"

"You are the Mageknight, Squire. The question is, what wouldn't the King of the Light want with you?" With that, Sir Virgil produced a soft smile, turned and made his way to a pair of large silver doors. "Oh," he said, stopping and turning, "You have some other visitors, they have been anxious to see you. Should I show them in?"

Danny looked at Sabrina, who nodded, suggesting that the answer must be yes. "Yes, please, Sir Virgil."

With a slight nod, Sir Virgil turned and exited the chamber. A few moments later, the double doors burst open as Chris, Alonso, Matt, Anthony, Doug and Briza entered the chamber, forming a half-circle at the foot of Danny's bed.

"We were all pretty worried about you, man," said Chris.

"I cannot believe Syndil turned out to be a traitor to the Light," said Briza, dropping her gaze and shaking her head. "He has not only disgraced himself but the race of the Elves as well."

"You can't judge an entire race based on the actions of one," added Doug, placing a reassuring hand on Briza's shoulder. He smiled. "I can still think of a few Elves that represent their race quite well."

Briza returned the smile, "Thank you."

"You look terrible," said Alonso bluntly, a combined look of anger radiated from everyone. He shrugged his shoulders. "What?"