To Be A Maestro (The Maestro Chronicles) (38 page)

Daniel did not know the name, not so Leah, judging by the widening of her eyes and the sudden frown. “We are dead to the Eagle Guild, yes I know who you are, and I choose to serve the Creator’s champion. The dead break no oaths and make no mistake, Aakadon considers us to be dead. Daniel and I will soon be assaulting a major Serpent Nest and continue from there to work at eliminating them from Ducaun and then wherever the fight takes us. Now, what makes you believe Vance is a traitor?”

“But first, I would like to know your name,” Daniel stated, Leah may know her but he sure did not.

The young woman sat up and hopped off the table. “I am Sandra Treena, formally a one-bolt Accomplished and Soarer of the Eagle Guild. I owe you a gratuity, even up to indentured servitude, if that is what you require,” she replied and refocused on the Four-bolt. “Vance Cummin is the one who Condemned me and he made no secret of his ambitions before doing so.”

The information she gave was important and would be discussed in greater detail later. It was the question of gratuities he wanted to answer. Daniel broadened his gaze to include the nine Taracopians. “You are all free to go about your lives. Nothing is required from you for the healings; doing so is part of my duty as the Chosen Vessel. I am gathering a muster of Aakacarns and non-Aakacarns to fight in the coming war. These brave men and women in the blue wool uniforms you see here are the
Chosen’s Sentinels and you can join them or not,” he stated for all to hear and then focused on Sandra. “Leah is the first Accomplished to associate with me. You can join with her or go back to Aakadon and see if the Eagle Guild will take you back. To say that my having broken the Silencing placed upon me has made me unpopular with Efferin Tames would be an understatement. Anyone who associates with me is practically guaranteed to inherit the wrath of the Grand Maestro.”

One by one the nine men in brown cloaks came forward, introduced themselves and asked to join the
Chosen’s Sentinels. Daniel welcomed each person while Sandra quietly eyed him as if trying to come to some decision. She made up her mind, walked right over to him, and looked up into his eyes. “Phil Nettle is a one-bolt Accomplished of the Serpent Guild and has a spell in his repertoire that renders him invisible. Vance Cummin made him our handler and the man is deadly dangerous,” she revealed.

“Well, at least we now have a name to go with the face,” Daniel replied, although he never actually saw his attacker.

“You mean he is here?” Sandra asked and her eyes suddenly blazed in a fury, no doubt she had some nasty spells in mind for the man.

Daniel swept his hand around the room. “These are the very people who killed him,” he said, and then went on
to introduce each person.

Sandra gave them the customary nod of respect normally due a fellow Accomplished and then turned to the first Accomplished. “I am tired of this brown cloak, where do I get silks like yours?” she asked, and then turned to Daniel before a response could be made. “I choose to serve the Chosen Vessel of my own free will, I want to associate with you, and
will go wherever you command.”

-------

The strike force gathered in the general assembly hall within the new underground complex. Spheres of light near the ceiling provided the illumination and the immense room was big enough to hold thousands, yet presently hosted a force so small the staging area seemed empty. Silvia and David were at Daniel’s side along with Sergeant Tanner and the Anchor team of his Quicksilver Squad, the remaining three of which were assigned to Leah, who had Breaker and Clipper team, and Chas, who led Dasher team combined with the entire Nighthawk Squad. Lieutenant Benkorren led the Stormcrows.

“First Accomplished, we convey at your discretion.” Daniel’s voice echoed in the cavernous room. He had never seen the target location and did not want to take the time to send one of his feathered scouts.

An amethyst glow surrounded the tall Ecoppian woman as she held up the sapphire baton he had given her, darkness enveloped him for the space of three heart beats, and then he stood looking at a jagged mountain surrounded by a black forest with a winding trail leading to the base of Tirana. “This is where I was brought in,” Leah stated.

Daniel cast, Find All, focused into the mountain, and sensed one hundred thirty-six Aakacarns, two hundred yetis, and thirteen hundred twenty-three Aakademneds, all in chambers throughout the complex. The numbers had changed slightly since Leah’s scouting mission, yet were about the same, especially in how the groups are divided. Vast numbers of yetis with a small number of Aakacarn handlers occupied the lowest level. Most of the chambers on the second level were filled with Aakademneds and forty-six handlers scattered between them, and the upper chambers were where the majority of Aakacarns lived and currently congregated. Each level had a cavern from which trav
eling teams would come and go.

“The numbers have changed slightly but your target chambers are the same.  Make for your assigned entrances. Strike force leaders have your communication amulets against your foreheads and notify my first Accomplished when you are in position. The assault is to be simultaneous,” Daniel commanded, and he ran with his team to the cave opening on the southern base, while the others went to the west and east. Leah and her team stayed put; their part would come after everyone else was in position.

Daniel placed a Da Capo on, Find All, and then summoned the potential for, Die Now. He placed Leah’s amulet against his forehead, notified her they were ready, and then waited for the signal to attack. Time seemed to slow down as the other teams, which he could sense through his spell, moved to the other entrances. “Go!” Leah’s mental shout came and her team vanished from the trail and appeared in the traveling chamber on the second level.

Daniel led his team into the cave through an area filled with stalactites and stalagmites. After about a hundred strides, the roughness became a well-lit perfectly paved tunnel. They were coming to a fork that split in five directions, three up and two down. Al’s team would go low, approaching from the west entrance and eliminate the Aakacarns controlling the yetis, so Daniel took the tunnel on the right leading up to the highest concentration of Melody Wielders. As they approached the first chamber, occupied by eighteen Accomplisheds, he hand signaled for David and Silvia to move to his right while Tanner nodded and led Kater, Tobin, Ja
x, Jana, and Carn, to his left.

Daniel focused, and beams of light shot from his hands, penetrated the granite wall, and the spell, Die Now, instantly dropped ten of the inhabitants to the floor. Silvia, David, and the Sentinels entered the doorway and sent lances of light into the remaining Aakacarns.

“That was easy,” Kater whispered to his brother.

Alarm gongs sounded and the clanging noise seemed t
o echo throughout the mountain.

“Ain’t going to stay that way,” Tobin replied.

They both quieted when Jacob’s hand moved in a slashing gesture.

“Guard my back,” Daniel ordered as he prepared for the next step in the plan.

Tanner stood near the door while the rest of the team surrounded Daniel, leaving a space for him to reach out and touch the wall. He visualized his personal shield vanishing from his right hand and then placed his palm against the cool granite. He cast, Fashioning, and sent his awareness through the stone of the entire mountain, sensing the tunnels and chambers, as well as the whereabouts of the other teams through Find All. He focused on the traveling chamber and sensed Leah had just vacated it and so raised the floor seven cubits. He did this to each of the traveling chambers on all of the levels, sealed the north entrance, and then cut off a group of twenty Aakacarns who were heading toward Al’s position by creating a wall where the tunnel was and a tunnel that would eventually lead them in a circle. He figured they would run several spans before ending up where they started and then hoped they would decide to Teleport into one of the traveling chambers, where they would materialize inside solid granite, and death would be instantaneous.

-------

“Be ready with your daggers out.” Leah commanded, summoned the potential for, Conveyance, and pictured her and the ten Sentinels all standing in the chamber from which she had once been teleported in her days as an Aakademned. In the speed of the down stroke of an eagle’s wing, she and her team vanished from the trail and appeared deep in the second level.

Ten Accomplisheds jumped back in surprise at the abrupt entrance and blue lances of light flew at them before they could further express their dismay, although the tall one on the right managed a gurgle after a lance went through his throat. “Move,” Leah commanded, knowing what Daniel would soon be doing to this chamber, and wanting to be well away when he did.

They ran out into the tunnel while she scanned ahead using Find All, to locate the largest concentration of Aakacarns in her assigned area. The sound of clanging gongs reverberated in the tunnel as they hurried along to confront a group of thirteen enemy spell casters two corridors away. Part of the vibrations they were feeling probably had something to do with Daniel reshaping the chambers, a task he was far faster at, him being a seven-bolt Accomplished. She needed to kill every handler on this level before they could combine their Potentials’ with that of their Aakademneds, then the wretches needed to be put to sleep until they can be conveyed to Daniel’s holding. Chas and his force would soon arrive to join the fight from the east entrance, then they would combine forces and help Al secure the yetis.

-------

Barnum Kentorum sat in his office admiring his reflection in the mirror over to the right of his desk. He liked the way his red mustache curled up at the ends and highlighted what he considered to be a flawless cream complexion. Unlike his predecessor, he was a person to whom details mattered, which is why he chose to make his living quarters on the second level rather than up with his underlings. Tirana is primarily a nest of Aakademneds and so he stayed near the wretches, put up with their stench, and made sure all was running as it should be. Nolan Bygin had little to do with the actual running of the complex, leaving it all up to Barnum. The former head of the nest spent most of his time at Serpent Central, which is where he was when Daniel Benhannon brought half the mountain down on his head, and thus a useless leader was replaced. Barnum chuckled until hearing shouts echoing up the corridor.

He ran out into the hall. Four of his Accomplisheds had their batons out and were launching spells at a group of people farther down the corridor. A solidified blade of air struck a woman in the neck and then bounced away as if it had just hit a stone. Why would Accomplisheds of Aakadon be wearing sky blue uniforms made of wool? They were casting streaks of light at his people, blue beams that punched holes in Carlile Trun. A beam of light bounced off the forward shield cast by Cara Werner. Ban Caste cast, Agony at a Pentrosan man. The beam struck him in the chest, causing him to glow bright blue, and yet remain completely unharmed and able to go on the attack. Cara took advantage of the man being on the offensive and quickly launched a blade of air at him. It struck his chest, ripped a slice through his jacket, yet did not prevent him from launching a blue beam that shot right through Cara about where her heart should be, killing her instantly.

Barnum ran back into his office, sounded the alarm, and then grabbed the highest level communication amulet in his possession. “Maestro Cummin, this is Nest Leader Kentorum. Tirana is under attack by an as yet unknown number of Aakacarns. I am requesting emergency aid,” he sent through the device.

“Nest Leader, describe your assailants,” Vance’s calm thoughts flowed through the link.

“Aakacarns wearing blue uniforms have entered the complex and are heading toward my office. This must be a special assault team from Aakadon. I am going to gather my personal Aakademneds and deal with the aggressors in my corridor.”

“Your request for assistance is granted
. Multiple teams will be arriving shortly. Try not to kill all of the offenders, we need to learn more about them,” Vance replied.

“It will be as you say, Maestro,” Barnum acknowledged and then set aside the amulet.

He ran back out into the hall and then down to the chamber where his one hundred Aakademneds resided. Grotesque faces stared blankly at him. “All of you step out in the corridor and lend me your potentials,” Barnum commanded, and they obeyed. Seven more of his Accomplisheds had come at the sound of the gongs. The hall was filled with balls of flame and solidified blades of air, all shooting towards the invaders while lances of light shot back. These Aakacarns seemed to have only one spell, yet Barnum admitted it was effective since a third of his Accomplisheds were now lying dead on the floor. He lost track of time and how many of his people responded to the emergency call and died, the number was unacceptably high. He counted twenty-seven members of the assault force before the rapid exchange and as the smoke cleared he could see the number had not diminished. One big difference he noted between this force and those of the Eagle Guild he had encountered in the past, these did not ask him to surrender, not that he would have. Another thing he noticed was the uniforms were all slashed and scorched while the wearers were apparently unharmed.

Shakka Keepler aimed and sent, Lightning Tap, from the tip of his baton. The jagged bolt went straight into a female Aakacarn, a bright blue glow formed around her as it had the Pentrosan, except she suddenly stiffened and fell. Unfortunately Shakka paid with his life, dropping his shield in order to go on the offensive allowed several men in blue to pop him full of holes.