To Be A Maestro (The Maestro Chronicles) (39 page)

Barnum smiled. “Keepler my departed associate, you did not die in vain,” he whispered.

The new shields these Aakacarns are using are extremely good, but they have a weakness that can be exploited. He summoned the potential for, Corrosive Light, and focused at the four men pointing daggers at him. The woman hit by the lightning strike lay a short distance from them, but she was no longer a concern, so he concentrated on the men, and released the Potential. His two bolts amplified through a baton, backed by a hundred Aakademneds, formed a sphere large enough to fully engulf the four men. Their uniforms, boots, helmets, and all dissolved instantly. At first the light did not seem to touch their naked skin, but then they began to scream as their eyes melted in the sockets and each man fell to the floor. Moments later the blue shields vanished and skin and bone dissolved, leaving the corridor scoured clean after the
sphere winked out of existence.

“Everyone, take cover!” the Pentrosan shouted.  He and his people dived left an
d right into the side chambers.

Barnum laughed. “Those chambers have no exit. You are all going to die,” he promised them and ran to the smallest chamber while focusing Corrosive Sphere into the room even before looking inside. He did not want to give them a target. The screams told him all he needed to know as did the sudden quiet. He glanced in the now empty chamber. The Aakacarns and all of the furnishings, everything that had been in the room were all dust. Now it was time to deal with the rest of these intruders, kill most of them, and take the Pentrosan Aakacarn captive for questioning.

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Shella opened her eyes, feeling numb all over, and realized she was lying on the floor. Aakademneds filled the hall and were staring at someone on the other side of her. She moved not a muscle as a man gloated about single-handedly killing her fellow Sentinels. That lighting strike had penetrated her weak spots and the result was literally stunning, but she was fully awake and mostly functional now. Slowly, oh so slowly, she turned her head in the direction of the voice. A two-bolt Accomplished of the Serpent Guild
stood by the door on the left.

“Your only option is to surrender to me,” the man with the red hair hollered into the room.

Chas Herling sprang out into the hall, grabbing at the man just as the enemy Aakacarn launched a ball of light, engulfing the Commander’s right arm, dissolving that part of his jacket and shirt before he could get completely out of the way.

Shella raised her dagger and pressed the ruby. “You will..,” the man began to say when her lance shot through the back of his hea
d and ended his miserable life.

Dead people learn no lessons but she felt compelled to say, “That is what happens to anyone who strikes down a Sentinel.”

Commander Herling rushed over to her. “It is good to see you still alive,” he said and helped her up.

The Aakademneds did not move, not that Shella was surprised by their lack of response. The First Accomplished had briefed everyone in the strike force about the nature of these Condemneds. If you do not attack them, they will stand and do nothing. From what Shella could see Leah had been spot on. “How many of us did he kill?”

Chas glanced at the body. “All of Clipper team and four of your Dasher,” he replied grimly.

Nine out of twenty fellow Nighthawks were dead, yet the rest of the strike team came out from the room, and all had the same determined look on their faces she knew reflected that of her own. “Let’s go kill some reptiles,” she suggested.

The Commander nodded. “It is time we met up with the First Accomplished. Everyone, move out,” he said and began a quick pace down the corridor where the rendezvous is scheduled to take place.

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The final grouping of Accomplisheds on the upper level sent spell after spell, mostly fireballs and solidified blades of air, hurtling down the corridor at Daniel and his strike team. Lances of light shot back at the enemy, killing a few and mostly bouncing off forward shields. This bunch fought as a team, unlike the others Daniel had encountered. The earlier groups fought as individuals and died quickly while these worked together with some casting offensive spells and the rest projecting shields.

Silvia sheathed her dagger and raised the hand-sized crossbow. Pebbles of fire streamed across the divide and bounced off the shields. Fireballs came back and she aimed at the source and managed to get a stream of fiery pebbles through the tiny opening from which the fireba
lls passed, killing the caster.

Daniel played the Spell, Lightning Bolt, focused through his diamond
-bladed knife, and a blue bolt crackled and boomed out of his crescendo in a brilliant flash, backed by fourteen bolts of potential, and slammed at the shields like an arrow through paper. More than half of the thirty Accomplisheds lay dead, burnt to a crisp, and the rest fled into the chamber to the left.

“He could let a person know when he is about to do something like that,” David commented to his wife. “My ears are still ringing.”

“The fight is not over,” Jacob Tanner reminded everyone, and well he should, the chore is far from completion.

Daniel led the way to the chamber and raised his hand, indicating the others should wait, and then cast a forward shield large enough to cover the entranceway. He stepped in front of the opening and a barrage of spells flew at him. Fire balls, solidified blades of air, smaller lighting bolts, all were absorbed by the shield which took in the life force energy and grew stronger with each hit. He moved forward into the chamber with his shield before him. While all of this was going on, he sensed his forces battling in their assigned zones within
Mount Tirana. The fighting was fierce on all levels, especially on level two where Commander Herling and his unit battled in a corridor and managed to kill all but two Aakacarns. Suddenly, one of the Sentinels fell, moments later, the one who struck her died, four Sentinels died instantly, and then all of them were diving into chambers. Daniel could do nothing for them while engaged with the thirteen in the room with him.

A short two-bolt Accomplished launched a ball of light, Daniel shoved his forward shield farther ahead, slamming the sphere back into the face of the caster. The black silk of the man’s hood vanished along with his skin. Blood from his jugulars painted the sides of his skull as he dropped to the floor. Meanwhile, five more Sentinels died on level two. Having a one on one battle with each Aakacarn in the room is taking too long Daniel decided, and then summoned the potential for a spell he had not used since the Battle of Bashierwood to bring down Binkman’s Cliff. He focused, Shatter, in a conical beam that took in the entire other half of the chamber. The blue beam spread out from his crescendo and shattered everything within the light. Aakacarns burst apart, cracks appeared in the walls and floor, and then the ceiling came crashing down, burying the
bloody bits of skin and bone.

Daniel sensed Shella move slightly and the remaining enemy Aakacarn, who was struggling with Chas, fell dead. Daniel sensed no living Aakacarns on that level other than Leah, who was putting to sleep the Aakademneds and would soon be
meeting up with Herling’s unit.

“I take it our enemies are buried under all that granite,” David apparently felt the need to point out the obvious as he and all of the others entered the chamber.

Daniel was about to comment when his attention was drawn to the twenty Aakacarns who he earlier sent traveling in an endless circle. Apparently they chose not to teleport. One Accomplished began tunneling and led his team out into the main corridor. They were headed for Al and his team, who were engaged in a heavy battle against nine Aakacarns and scores of yetis. Two Sentinels died right then and Daniel could not determine how many were wounded, only knowing that five had fallen and two of them did not survive.

Daniel turned to Sergeant Tanner. “We need to get to the lower level. Lieutenant Benkorren is having a tough fight, twenty Accomplisheds will soon be reinforcing the ones he is battling, our other units are on their way, but it is going to be a race.”

“Can you convey us there?” Silvia asked a good question.

While Daniel can sense where everyone is through, Find all, and the entire mountain structure using Fashioning, neither of those spells gave him a clear enough picture of the desired location. “The best I can do is to convey us to where the lower tunnel forks and then we will have to run,” he replied.

“We can run,” Jacob assured him, as did all of the Sentinels.

Daniel nodded and pictured all of them standing in the tunnel, and then summoned the potential for Conveyance. They arrived three heart beats later and took off running down the left fork. The twenty enemy Aakacarns joined their comrades, yet Al and his team managed to hold. Daniel and his team were sprinting all out, aided somewhat by the downward angle, yet it was the combined team led by Leah who arrived and e
ngaged the enemy from the rear.

The fighting was over by the time Daniel and his unit came rushing into the yeti filled chamber. While the shaggy cousins of the sasquatches slept under the spell of his first Accomplished, Leah finished healing all of
the Sentinels of their wounds.

“Sir Daniel, I know part of my assignment was to keep alive as many yetis as possible,” Lieutenant Benkorren stepped up to begin his report. “But scores of them were under the control of that Accomplished and we had no choice but to kill many of them,” he said and pointed to a man whose abdomen appeared to have been ripped open by a giant raptor. “The First Accomplished put an end to him.”

“You did well with what you had. Actually, you did great. All of you, every person involved with this mission has reason to be proud of the job done here,” Daniel replied.

The Sentinels gave up a cheer, thrilled that their first major offensive had been a complete success. Daniel’s joy was tempered by the loss of eleven people who died in service to him. “I want the dead yetis and Aakacarns out of this chamber and everyone ready to depart in a tenth of a mark,” he ordered.

Chas and Al soon had the Sentinels moving in preparation to be conveyed home. Silvia, David, and Leah apparently felt Daniel needed company, seeing as they came over to stand next to him.

“The Serpent Guild has just been evicted. Do you think they will come back?” David asked.

Daniel shrugged. “Ask your wife, she could probably tell you more.”

Silvia closed her eyes for a few moments and then focused them on the Chosen Vessel. “Yes, they will come here in small groups for awhile, mostly to learn what happened, but I do not see them reestablishing the nest or any in the area.”

Leah nodded her head. “The loss of this nest and the Aakademneds is a major defeat for them and I doubt they will waste the resources and assets it will take to rebuild, especially since we will come back at them harder if they do try to establish another such base here.”

Chas Herling came forward. “Sir Daniel, all is ready for departure.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Daniel replied.

Three trips would be required, one for every living being in this chamber, along with the two dead Sentinels, another to collect the Aakademneds sleeping on level two, and a third to collapse all of the tunnels and chambers. He summoned the potential for Conveyance and began the task of taking home the spoils of victory.

Rex Badger took a seat in Prince Trogan’s waiting room in Port Kaylor, in the top center of the anvil-shaped peninsula extending out into the
Northern Ocean. The home port of the Ecoppian navy hosted the largest military base in the world. It housed, in addition to the navy, three of the nation’s ten legions. King Jame Ecoppus did not bother with the day to day running of his ships and armies, preferring to leave such details to his younger brother, who ran the complex organizations from the office ten paces from where Rex now sat.

Many citizens, especially those in the military, believed King Ramos made a mistake when he chose Jame over Trogan to rule. By Rex’s estimation, Jame is a diplomat and politician loyal to Aakadon, making him impossible to deal with. His brother is a fighting man who has little patience with things like diplomacy, all branches of the military are loyal to Trogan except the Ecoppian Royal Guardsmen, and more importantly, the younger prince is a seeker of power, making him the one to whom the Serpent Guild could forge an alliance.

“Rex, make your report,” Vance’s words sounded in his head.

“Maestro, I am about to meet with Trogan Ecoppus. I have visited our allies in Aczencopa, Zune, Demfilia, and Fon Kay. All is going according to plan,” Rex responded without hesitation.

A sense of caution came through the mental link ahead of Vance’s reply. “What news of General Kall, is he in position?”

“His brief invasion into Ducaun was a bit costly but it did achieve the objective. Everyone believes the regular cavalry has gone back to Los Collins and both legions of the Sutton Guard are based at the border shared with Ducaun. His attack will come as a complete surprise,” Rex told him and was astonished to feel the cautious emotion still coming from his leader, especially since the report is one of success. Something must have happened.

“I have convinced our allies to stuff every person they can into a uniform and place them at their shared border with Ducaun to show their displeasure about Cleona’s kingdom gearing up for war. The Grand Maestro has been demanding that the young monarch send Daniel Benhannon to Aakadon for questioning and has been leaning on the other world leaders to place their legions on her border for additional pressure. Efferin is doing half my work for me,” Vance informed him.

Rex knew the plan, having been involved with the formulation, and was pleased to know of the success, along with Aakadon’s unwitting assistance. “Fon Kay has pulled all of the legions away from their bases on the border with Battencay and placed half of them at their ports, as if preparing for an amphibious assault on Ducaun. General Kall and his legion are aboard the boats and he is ready to spearhead the assault on the Battencayan port city just as soon as I can confirm the kingdom has followed Efferin’s suggestion to move their legions to the border they share with Ducaun.”

“Excellent, when King Josher sees Fon Kay’s legions have moved off their border to the ports, he will feel free to draw his legions from his side of the border and place them near Ducuan as Aakadon is pressuring him to do, thus having them badly out of position when the invasion comes,” Vance replied.

“After he takes Port Sharon, Kall will lead his and the Fon Kayan legions through the
Colvar Valley and then ride the several hundred spans south to capture Trevica. With the capital taken, Josher will have no choice but to surrender the realm to Queen Gloria, and her dream of making the two kingdoms one will have come to pass,” Rex confirmed his knowledge of the plan.

“Order Kall to begin the moment you confirm Josher has moved his forces to where we want them,” Vance commanded. “What else have you to report?”

“Civil war has broken out in Taracopa. Lord Van Kestral has joined forces with our ally and the kingdom is effectively split in half. The navy has fled the port of Joppa and is currently at sea with no nation offering them refuge. The other kingdoms are upset with Van Efery over all the ships that have gone missing except those flying his flag. While the officers and elite forces are siding with the king, many of the average soldiers and cavalrymen are breaking ranks to join the rebels. The abductions have continued in the northern half of the kingdom, while the southern area ruled by Van Joppa and Van Kestral seem to be no longer plagued by the problem, making the king appear weak and ineffective. As I said, all is proceeding according to plan,” Rex sent, while wondering what could possibly have happened to cause the unflappable Vance Cummin to allow any emotion, miniscule as it is, to be transmitted in a communication. “I sense a problem, is there anything more you wish to make known to me?”

A strong sense of amusement flowed ahead of the words. “We know each other too well. I was not going to end this communication without briefing my Vice-Maestro on a troubling development,”

Rex was glad to hear it. “What has happened?”

“Our Nest in Tirana came under assault several marks ago and requested assistance in fighting off an unknown number of Aakacarns wearing blue. I sent my fourth circle of one hundred a mark ago and have not heard back from any of them. They are either dead or the amulets I gave the strike leaders have been stripped from them,” the Maestro sent.

“Since when does Aakadon send Accomplisheds wearing blue? Is this a new elite force?” Rex wanted to know so he could plan accordingly.

“After carefully questioning my misguided colleagues in the Eagle Guild, I have discovered no such force. Either the assault team does not exist or knowledge of them is so secret not even a Senior Soarer can discover the truth. With the exception of the mess made by Serin Gell, Aakadon knows nothing about the activities of our guild. No, I can only think of one person who has been a consistent irritation,” Vance replied.

Rex had a fairly good idea who the Maestro meant. “I thought Phil Nettle was watching him.”

“Nettle missed his last scheduled report, I have not heard from him in days, and his amulet has gone dead,” they both knew what that meant without stating the obvious. “My sources inside and outside of the Serpent Guild report that Daniel Benhannon has gained a seventh lightning bolt.”

Rex took a deep breath and let the news seep in without showing any outward signs of being startled. “A seven-bolt Accomplished with a matching crescendo could potentially cause massive cave-ins, burying everything within Tirana. If so, our Accomplisheds might well have teleported into solid stone. We may have lost seventy percent of our Aakademneds along with the Accomplisheds based there and the four hundred sent to fight. If you wish, I will teleport to the outer base of the mountain and see what can be determined.”

A delay in meeting with Prince Trogan would be a small price to pay for confirmation of that sort. Rex and his team could be there and back fairly quickly.

“I agree with your conclusion, except the loss was more like fifty percent, and minutes ago I dispatched Olivia SuCalla and Jordan Simms along with their traveling team to investigate and report back. They are eager to be in my good graces after briefly siding with Gell and frankly not smart enough to be afraid of encountering whoever assaulted the Nest,” Vance quickly replied.

The team sent on the mission is both eager and expendable, Rex thoroughly agreed with the choice. Perhaps now would be a good time to confirm or strike down one persistent rumor. Vance is the only person, with the exception of
Tarin Conn, who would know the answer. “My sources believe Daniel Benhannon has learned how to bring a person back from Condemnation. Is that possible?”

A profound sense of laughter flowed uncharacteristically out of the Maestro. “All of the evidence indicates that our young foe has regained his old repertoire and among those Melodies is the spell, Condemnation. Daniel is healing no one. He is using the same spell to reshape the Condemneds to the image that pleases him. I could take a man with slightly more mass than you, form a hologram of your image, and shape the person to look like you, using the extra mass to make him appear to have the body parts lost in the original condemnation. Daniel is an Aakasear and has evidently modified the spell to allow him to grow hair on his pets, but that is the only difference. Everyone he claims to have restored has apparently been commanded to behave as if they have self-will and give the appearance of being in control of their own actions. The fact is they cannot disobey him any more than those who I Condemn can disobey me. Isn’t it interesting how the child Aakasear imitates the adult?”

Rex was glad to know the truth and had to admit Daniel Benhannon seemed to be following in the footsteps of Tarin Conn. Will the Ducaunan establish his own guild? “I find the similarities to be interesting in deed. If he has destroyed our nest in Tirana, he should pay a price. We can send teams and attack his estate in the south as well as his holding in the north.”

  “Why bother when Efferin Tames will do the job for us? The time has come for the world to learn the truth about Daniel Benhannon. No, we will take no action against him for now. I am deactivating all nests within Ducaun, our spies will remain, and all other plans must proceed as scheduled. You are to convince Prince Trogan to seize the crown from his brother.”

Rex did not bother to keep his amusement from being transmitted. “I will never be able to persuade him to kill his brother, but Trogan wants to be king and we, after all, are the kingmakers. He will wrest control from Jame and the vast majority of Ecoppia will stand with him. When the prince comes to power, all five kingdoms on the northern half of the continent will be allies of the Serpent Guild while the fools in Aakadon are still chasing after the rogue Accomplished from Ducaun.”

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Daniel sat in his office with his gaze fixed upon a Teki dressed in a red shirt, a black coat with matching pants, who was fidgeting with a wide-brimmed hat, and turning it around and around in his hands while trying to explain his presence. “Go on.”

“So I bought these clothes in Port Valeen, burned my silks, and decided to fulfill my destiny,” Samuel finally got to the point. “Back before my Potential was discovered, my mother’s mother, the one who proclaimed you, told me it was my fate to serve the chosen. I originally believed Aakacarns to be the chosen she spoke of and it was my fate to serve them, so I devoted myself to learning all that I could in Aakadon. When our paths crossed in Tomrus and you delivered her message to me, I finally knew my mistake. It is you I am destined to serve. I just could not figure out how to serve you and the Eagle Guild without violating my oath. It turns out I could not do both. Jeremiah Lassiter warned me what will happen if I ever set foot in Aakadon again. I know in accepting me you would be taking a huge risk, especially if word gets back to my former associates that you are harboring a fugitive, but we worked together well when we infiltrated Serin Gell’s Nest. I helped defuse the situation at the border and I have a valuable skill set acquired during my time as a Fledgling.”

Daniel had no intention of turning his friend down, not with over thirteen hundred Aakademneds to restore, who knew how many Condemneds still to be found by his feathered scouts, the reported sightings Jared was even now poring over, all of which needed to be investigated, and he liked the Teki’s tenacity. “You would be the third Accomplished to formally associate with me and there are things you need to know before this conversation goes further,” he began, and then revealed some general information, his being an Aakasear and the assault on Tirana among them, leaving out his marriage to Sherree and other things that did not need to be made known at this point. “I did not use what you taught me to break the Silencing. No one in Aakadon should hold what I did against you. And Sam, I am the one Efferin truly wants to get his hands on, so if you think associating with me is giving you safe harbor, you have docked in the wrong port.”