here are three known types of Shadows," Sir Ranald Buttle explained, from the head of the classroom. "Worker Shadows are the most common," he continued, walking down the center most aisle of sturdy wooden desks. "Often appearing humanoid and shy, smaller than a normal, they are the weakest in ability and strength. However, they are not to be taken lightly. The claws of a Worker Shadow have been known to cut through the strongest metal; most of our armor would not protect you against a direct attack from one. They are more commonly distinguished by a haze of black mist that makes up the core of their body as well as glowing red eyes." Rounding the back of the room, working his way down the aisle on the left, he asked, "Who can tell me another characteristic of a Worker Shadow?"
Without looking at the textbook in front of him, Danny's hand went up, others followed suit.
"Yes, Squire Rovert?" Sir Ranald noted, pointing to a blond-haired boy sitting just in front of Danny.
"They remain incorporeal up until moments before they attack," the squire said as he dropped his hand.
"And incorporeal means what?" Sir Ranald turned back to face the class from the front of the room.
"It means that any object or weapon not imbued with magic will pass harmlessly through them," explained Squire Rovert.
"Good," Sir Ranald said with a smile. "But, remember this as well, Shadows can pass through any substance without hindrance, walls, water, or the ground beneath your feet, making this ability extremely tricky. However, as Squire Rovert has explained, Shadows must become solid moments before they attack and that is their weakness. If you ever find yourself facing a Shadow without your weapon, which should never happen in the first place, counter attacking with whatever you might have available at just the right moment could prove the difference between life and death. Attack too soon and your attack will yield nothing but air, attack too late and their claws will cut through your armor like water.
"Who can tell me another type of Shadow?" Sir Ranald asked, turning back to his long desk, retrieving a textbook.
"Danny," whispered Matt, sitting just to Danny's left.
His concentration interrupted, Danny turned toward his friend.
"This is all we've found so far on the Mageknight," he continued, handing Danny a folded piece of parchment. "We'll go back to the library after class, but there's a problem."
"What's the problem?" Danny asked, snatching the paper the instant Sir Ranald turned his back.
"In order to get into the archives, you need a pass from one of the professors," adjusting his glasses with a nervous twitch.
"Squire Firoth and Squire Mickler, I assume you both have an answer for the class since you seem to be so talkative," Sir Ranald interjected in an exaggerated tone.
Danny looked up, Sir Ranald had somehow made his way to the middle of the second aisle without him noticing; he was standing only two desks to his right. He couldn't remember what the class had been discussing because he was so caught up in his conversation with Matt.
"Had you been listening, you would have heard Squire Faussett enlighten the class on another type of Shadow, a Soldier Shadow," added Sir Ranald, knowing that neither boy had a clue. "Perhaps one of you would like to give us a common characteristic of the Soldier Shadow?"
Both Danny and Matt glanced at one another. "They're big," said Matt, with a subtle hint of doubt in his voice.
"An impressive guess," said Sir Ranald, not amused. "I will expect to see both of you after class," he added, before continuing in a broader voice. "It is true that Soldier Shadows tend to be much larger than their Worker Shadow counterparts."
Drowning out Sir Ranald's voice, shrugging off the reprimand, Danny unfolded the parchment, placed it within his open textbook and began to read Matt's scribbled notes.
Danny's mouth opened in surprise after reading the last sentence, he wondered what it would be like to possess the ability to predict the future. Looking at the back of the page, he noticed that Matt had added a scribbled postscript.
"Squire Firoth!" Sir Ranald called out from the front of the class. "Can you name the third and most powerful of the Shadows?"
Caught red-handed, Danny looked up with a dumfounded expression. "Um… "
"Gran," whispered Matt.
"A Gran Shadow," Danny said, after a moment of hesitation.
"I am glad you decided to rejoin us," rebutted Sir Ranald. Strolling down the middle aisle, he continued. "That is correct, a Gran Shadow. Squire Mickler, would you be so bold as to enlighten us with a few characteristics of this type of Shadow?" Stopping within a few feet of Matt's desk, Sir Ranald leaned over and placed his right hand on the edge of the desk.
Pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, Matt peered up. "Gran Shadows always appear humanoid in shape and size, from a distance; they can be confused with allies. Their solid forms differ from the smoky appearance of the Worker and Soldier Shadows. The Knights of the Light that lived to tell the tale often report their skin as pitch-black with the same colored hair and glowing blue eyes." A small smile stretched across Matt's face as he leaned back in his chair.
"A textbook description," said Sir Ranald, adding, "almost word for word." Erect once again, he continued his stride toward the back of the room. "Gran Shadows are the most powerful class of Shadow that we know about. Only the strongest of knights have lived to tell of their encounter and most do not live much longer after telling it. However, some believe that there is a fourth class of Shadow, one beyond the Gran. A class even more powerful, not one knight among the order has ever lived to tell about it."
A moment of silence passed within the classroom, as if Sir Ranald intended to add a dramatic effect to the weight of his words. However, the affect was cut short as the first of ten chimes signaled the end of the class. Jumping up from their seats, the squires gathered their books and their belongings and prepared to leave.
"Remember, we will have a quiz next week!" Sir Ranald yelled over the rising noise.
Gathering up his own belongings, Danny turned to Matt. "How'd you know about the Grans?"
Matt produced a sly smile. "I'm a fast reader and I read ahead."
As soon as everyone was gone, Danny and Matt worked their way to the front to face Sir Ranald, his arms crossed, his gaze alternating back and forth between them.
"Both of you have been chosen to honor this school and become full-fledged Knights of the Light. Such an honor comes with a significant amount of danger, this class may someday see to your survival. You do understand this, I hope?"
"Yes, Professor Ranald," Danny and Matt said, almost in unison.
"Good, then you will understand why I expect a five-page essay on the subject we were just discussing, due by next week."
Matt let out a soft groan in response.
"I could easily make it ten, Squire Mickler," added Sir Ranald. After clearing his throat with a subtle grunt, he continued. "The next time I catch you two not paying attention, the punishment will be much more severe." With that, he turned his attention back to his desk, it was littered with disorganized parchments; he waved both boys away.
Matt's head drooped down as he turned to walk away; Matt stopped as he heard Danny speaking to Sir Ranald.
"Sir Ranald?" Danny asked.
"What is it, Squire Firoth?" Sir Ranald said as he continued to shuffle through the disaster that was his desk.
"Can we have a couple of passes to get into the archives so that we can research the subject in depth?" Danny asked, with a hint of a smile.
Sir Ranald looked up to meet Danny's steady gaze.
Danny replaced his smile with a flat expression very quickly.
After contemplating the request, Sir Ranald produced a smile of his own. "That is a good idea, Squire Firoth. The archives have invaluable information regarding the three classes of Shadows." Bending down, he pulled out a drawer on the left side of his desk, reached in and retrieved two small squares of red parchment. After jotting the necessary information down, in nearly unreadable scribbles, he offered them to Danny and said, "I look forward to reading what you have discovered." His eyes grew wider. "I could spend hours and hours in the archives, just researching and reading."
Danny noticed that he'd stumbled upon one of Sir Ranald's most cherished hobbies. "Thank you, Sir Ranald," he offered, before the blond-haired professor could ramble on.
"Uh, yes… of course, Squire Firoth," Sir Ranald said, looking a little disappointed. Regaining his composure, he returned to the tasks at hand, adding, "Next week, then. I shall expect both of your essays to be completed."
With that, Danny turned and shot Matt a quick smile, both boys left the classroom in a hurry. Holding the two small passes in front of him, Danny said, "Problem solved."