The Wise Knight

David, Shadow, Ken, Sara, Ashley, and Foxy were walking in the forest. Foxy said, "We are approaching the next magical animal of the legendary sorcerers."

David said, "I wonder which one of you guys will be next to get your magical animal spirit. Who ever it is I wish you good luck. If it's anything like mine there will be a challenge."

Shadow said, "I'll be able to handle my challenge without even breaking a sweat."

Foxy said, "This is it."

Ken said, "It looks Japanese. Did we step into another culture or country like with the regions of nature?"

"When Heavenleo created the magical world with the great work of magic all the non-magic human world cultures blended together" Foxy explained. "The entire magical world is in fact under one banner. Heavenleo is the leader of the magical world although their are lots of other authorities."

"Cool" David said. "Now lets go and see who's here." David and the others walked up the stairs that was on the side of the big hill. When they reached the top they saw a clear area of grass, a pond, and a temple in the center. "This looks like a nice place. Very relaxing. It has a wax on wax off feel to it."

"What" Shadow asked in confusion.

"Never mind." Their was a dong sound that vibrated through out the ground and the temple doors opened and wizards with different color robes most which were light colors walked out of the temple. A wizard walked up to David and the others.

The wizard was an older man with white and a white beard with a white robe with yellow cuffs. He said, "Welcome to the temple of the knight. What is your purpose here?"

Foxy said, "We are looking for the magical animal spirit of a legendary sorcerer."

The wizard said, "You are talking about Arma the wise knight. He does not take to visitors but if it's wisdom you are looking for the two of us are teachers and we are here to help."

Shadow said, "You can help by standing aside. We are here for the magical animal spirit."

"Chill" David said to Shadow.

"I see their is no other way around this" Foxy said as he looked at the wizard. "As you have heard Marick and the dark sorcerers have kidnapped Heaenleo and a planning to take over the world. It is up to these five to stop the dark sorcerers. These five teenagers are the legendary sorcerers. The magic of the legendary sorcerers rest within them."

The wizard said, "We hold to the faith that new legendary sorcerers would one day rise again when the world needed them most but I still need convincing that they are you."

David said, "No problem."

David, Shadow, Ken, Sara, and Ashley conjured their wands in their hands, raised them and exclaimed, "Sorcerer evolution!" Now in their robes the two wizards looked impress.

The wizard walked and stood in front of Shadow and said, "Your robe bears the same mark as the wise knight."

Shadow said, "This knight must be my magical animal spirit. I need to meet him."

The wizard said, "Even if you are the chosen one you must first prove that you are ready to accept the great power of a legendary sorcerer. To obtain the power of Arma you must prove yourself both in body and in mind."

"I have pushed my body to its limits for years and I am mentally tough and disciplined" Shadow said.

"Good" the old wizard said and nodded. "First I need to see your magical control." He pulled out his white wand with yellow stripes and flicked it three times in the air above him. Three balls of white light shot out of his wand and hovered in the sky. "Now young man..."

"The names Shadow."

"Shadow. You your magic and hit the three balls of light."

Shadow said, "No problem." He turn and aimed his wand at the first white ball of light and a black bullet of energy shot out of his wand and hit the white ball and snuffed it out. He turned and aimed his wand at the next one and repeated he process exactly.

When he turn to shoot at the last ball of white light the old wizard said, "For the last one you must call upon the light energy within you."

Shadow asked, "Does it really matter. I can get the job done just the same."

The old wizard shook his head and said, "No you can't. It will be much different."

Shadow sighed and said, "Fine. Alright." He aimed his wand at the last ball of light and closed his eyes. He thought of David. Running with him and fist bumping. David with his positive and friendly personality. He thought of Ken coming up with clever ideas for combine attack combinations. He thought of Ashley and the time she thanked him and kissed him on the cheek. He thought of Sara and how strong and good she is. Shadow thought to himself I will protect them. He opened his eyes and shot a beam of golden light at the white ball of light and it exploded in sparks.

David, Ken, Sara, and Ashley clapped. "That was a good one" David said.

"That was neat" Sara said and smiled.

"Pretty" Ashley said. "I mean dashing or cool."

"Very good" The old wizard said. "I can see you have corrected yourself. You know the difference between the light and the dark. Now show me you can combine them and use them with power." The old wizard made a circle of white light in the air using his wand. "Now I want you to use the power of both light and dark and hit the middle of the ring while also destroying it.

"That's what I do best" Shadow pointed his black wand at the white ring and exclaimed, "Shadow blaster!" An energy beam of black and gold light swirling together blasted out of Shadow's wand and hit the entire white glowing ring of the old wizard's. "Got it" Shadow said with a cocky smile.

The old wizard said, "Very good Shadow. You have proven your mastery of the magic you already have and proven you know how to use it and what it is. Now come with me inside the temple and prepare for you next challenge."

Shadow said, "I'm ready. I can take anything on."

David asked, "Can we come too?"

"Yes" The old wizard answered. "But your friend will have to do this all on his own."

The old wizard opened the doors to the temple with his wand and David and the others continued walking behind him as they followed. The entrance room had a marble floor and their were antique weapons on the walls as well as paintings. The old wizard turned to a younger wizard in a light blue robe with three green ring designs circling his robe and said, "Justin, please fetch the vision tea of wisdom."

"Yes sir" Justin replied and he left.

The old wizard waved his wand over the floor and a red silk blanket appeared as well as a bunch of red sitting pillows on the silk red blanket. "Everyone please take a seat so that I can explain the last test." They each sat down on a big red pillow with the old wizard and Shadow sitting right across from each other and the rest sitting behind Shadow. "Now before we wait on the special tea I will like to explain about this next test. This test will not take place here but within your own mind Shadow."

"My mind" Shadow questioned. "I heard about vision quests but I never been in one nor do I know anyone who has been."

The old wizard said, "Every vision quest is different and some are dangerous. The one you must embark on is one that will lead you to your magical animal spirit. The wise knight Arma only exists here in a spiritual form not a physical one. The only way to gain his power and become one with him you must first open the door in your mind that will allow him to enter within you."

Shadow said, "I think I understand. So what will I have to do once my vision quest begins?"

"You must prove that you have the mindset and the wisdom to allow Arma to speak with you. Then Arma will decide if you are the one and are ready."

"So I have to prove I'm wise" Shadow said with a long sigh. "Great. Just great."

David said, "Don't worry Shadow you can do this."

Ken said, "You're smart Shadow. You'll be able to figure it out."

"Thanks Ken" Shadow really appreciated Ken saying that with Ken being the smartest one in the group.

The wizard Just came back holding brown cup and handed it to the old wizard. After saying thank you Justin bowed his head and left the room. The old wizard handed the cup to Shadow and said, "I wish you the best results."

Shadow inhaled in the aroma of the tea and said, "Here I I go." Shadow drank all the tea from the cup in a quick four gulps. and he passed out on the red silk blanket with the cup falling out of his hand.

Shadow found himself in a clearing in the forest with the sun in mid sky and David and the rest of them were talking and smiling but Shadow could not here them. "What is this" Shadow asked.

A masculine voice said, "You must answer three riddles before you can meet me. You will need to remember what you have seen so take it to mind and heart."

Shadow said, "Alright I'm ready."

The masculine voice said,

"It's so strong, it does not break,

It's so powerful, it penetrates a lake,

Sometimes it's weak as a twig left out in the sun,

It's so wonderful it gives us the power to have fun."

Shadow said to himself, "Why did it have to be riddles?" He paced and mumbled to himself, "It's so strong, it does not break. Sound like me." Shadow quietly laughed to himself. "It's powerful enough to penetrate a lake and yet sometimes it's weak like a twig and here's the the funny part it's so wonderful that it gives the power of fun. I don't know anything about fun. I guess my friends have fun and it's kind of fun just watching them being happy." Shadow shook his head. "They are always happy even knowing they are fighting in a war against the greatest evils since ancient times." Shadow sighed and looked up into the sky but turned his head down when the sun glared back. "Wait that it" Shadow shouted loudly. "The answer is light!"

The vision of David and the rest as well as the forest and the sun disappeared in blur. Shadow now found himself in front of the castle of darkness and their was a lightning storm without thunder. The voice said,

"I inflict and instill fear,

and take what humans hold dear.

With the more of me,

will be the less you can see.

What am I?"

Shadow thought and looked at the castle. He said, "I know this one. This place is a dead give away. The answer is darkness!" Lightning flashed brightly and blindly and he shielded his eyes. When he opened them he found himself in an endless place of white and he was standing in the middle of a giant yin-yang symbol of black and gold. he looked down at the ground and at his robe an notice that the colors matched and he notice for the first time that the design of his robe matched the yin-yang symbol.

A wizard in a brown robe rose out of the ground in front on Shadow. Shadow stepped and prepared to fight with his fists half way up. He couldn't see the wizard's face because it was covered in a hood. The same masculine voice sounded from the brown robed wizard,

"What is dark but made of light?"

"That's a short riddle" Shadow said putting his guard down. "What is dark but made of light?" Shadow spent two minutes thinking about what the answer could be. He growled than faced the brown robed wizard with his face hidden. "I'm kind of stuck. Do you think you can give me a clue or another line?" The wizard snapped his finger and the entire ground yin-yang symbol and the whole infinite white was replaced by an endless mirror. Shadow looked down at the mirror and looked around. "A mirror?" Shadow questioned. "The mirror is the clue. Alright thanks." He just kept on staring himself in the mirror and looked at the brown robed wizard's reflection to see if he could see his face. He couldn't. He went back to staring at himself. Shadow repeated the the riddle to himself, "What is dark but made of light." An thought came to his mind. "I get it. All the riddles and answers and visions were about teaching me a lesson. Showing me how to be worthy of my magical animal spirit. The answer is shadow."

The brown robed wizard removed his hood and the brown robed wizard turned out to be Shadow himself. The brown robed Shadow asked with the same voice as the disembodiment voice, "What have you learned?"

Shadow answered, "I learn that the light is my friendship and the darkness is my past and I am made of both light and darkness."

The brown robed Shadow transformed into an armored knight fully clothed in armor that was half gold and half black right down the middle and on the front of it was the yin-yang symbol of black and gold with a black circle on the gold and a gold circle on the black. Arma held a sword with a black handle and a gold broad blade. Arma said, "You came a long way Shadow. You do yourself and the legendary sorcerers proud. Arma faded away and Shadow filled himself with a deep breath. Shadow smiled his biggest smile yet.