To Be Chosen (25 page)

Grover’s smile vanished. “I didn’t bother to clean them. I can give you some of my middles son’s clothes, they ought to fit.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I can clean them,” Samuel replied.

Grover left the room and came back half a mark later with a smelly bundle. Samuel took it and cast, Laundering, and touched his cloak, pants, shirt, undergarments, belt, and boots. All of the blood and other bodily substances vanished, leaving his apparel perfectly clean. There was a burn up his right sleeve and a rip in the cloak where a solidified blade of air sliced through where his left hip would have been had he not been toppling off Salsa. He summoned potential, mended the burn and rip, put on his silks, and then sat back down on the bed, feeling a little light headed, no doubt due to the loss of blood. “Did you happen to find anything else on or near me?”

Grover opened a wicker chest, inside were all the accoutrements of an Accomplished. “I found these,” he said and stepped back to allow Samuel to rise and go over to the chest.

They were all covered in blood and gore. He cast, Laundering, and cleansed his blue trumpet case, six amulets, the golden baton, and the Eagle Guild medallion. Four of the amulets were rubies set in gold, all made by him, one diamond set in silver given by Simon Trenca, but the sixth was jade set in silver, and was given to him by Jeremiah Lassiter. Samuel hesitated, almost afraid of what he would discover after holding the communication device to his forehead, but took a deep breath and did what he had to do. His mentor was not dead or he would be receiving nothing at all. What came through the amulet was a sense of horror, confusion, and deepest sorrow, nothing coherent or that could be formed into words. He placed the amulet in his pocket.

Samuel had a feeling he knew what those sensations meant, but feelings were not enough, he had to verify what he could when he could, as his mentor insisted upon. He cast, Locate: Lassiter, and focused his scan four spans half a radius to the north. The Senior Soarer was there, two and three quarters of a span due north. Samuel released the potential for that Melody and then cast, Locate: Serin Gell, scanning the same area as before, then expanded it a full five span radius. There was no sign of the renegade.

“I still think you ought to eat, perhaps some broth,” Grover told him, totally unaware of the spell casting.

“That would be wonderful,” Samuel replied. He wanted to go immediately but physical necessity dictated otherwise.

The butcher went away and brought back a large bowl of soup filled with meat and vegetables. Samuel wasted little time consuming every last mouthful and drop. He finished off the half pitcher of water and began to wonder where the rest of Grover’s family was. This was Ducaun and the concept of working with Aakacarns was new to the kingdom. “Does anyone else know I am here?”

“Not even my family,” Grover admitted. “My wife passed the year before last, two daughters and two sons are married and on their own. My middle son and youngest daughter live with me and help run the shop. I don’t mean to be offensive or nothing like that, but most folks around here ain’t too comfortable around Aakacarns, and I’m not so much either.”

“Well, you are a good man and I appreciate everything you have done for me,” Samuel told him.

Grover waved off the notion. “I was just being neighborly.”

“I don’t have any coins at the moment, but I owe you for this,” Samuel said, wishing he had coins to throw around the way Jerremy DeSuan did. As long as he was wishing, why not wish for Sherree Jenna to have been here to save his hand with her Aloe Guild specific Melodies?

“You helped at Bashierwood, consider this payment for that and we will call it even,” Grover replied.

“I need to investigate what you call the haunted hills, my associate is there and I must go to him,” Samuel informed his host.

Grover looked at the black and crimson silks and frowned. “I’m not sure that is a good idea just now,” he replied. “Perhaps you should rest up during the day and go out after it gets dark.”

Samuel needed to reach Lassiter, but it dawned on him that his host did not want the neighbors seeing an Aakacarn coming out of his butcher shop. “It is important that I go to my associate. He could be as bad off as I or worse. Perhaps I could borrow some clothes from your middle son while I am here.”

Grover half smiled, clearly realizing Samuel was offering away to go out while keeping his true calling between them. “I’ll fetch them for you.”

The butcher brought back a gray shirt with dark gray pants and Samuel put them on. He slipped out the back of the shop and headed into the rolling hills with Grover keeping pace behind him. Samuel cast, Locate: Lassiter, and pinpointed his mentor’s exact location and then went there unerringly.

“I’m sorry,” Grover told him in a voice filled with compassion.

Samuel blinked and could not keep the tears from leaking out of his eyes. In the grass in front of him were blood, hair, and flesh. He recognized the ears and other fleshly parts. “Confirmation, Jeremiah Lassiter has been Condemned,” he stated for the record, almost as if his mentor was standing beside him demanding the verification.

The Senior Soarer had been more than a mentor, he was the first Aakacarn to show compassion to a lost, confused, and broken–hearted Talented, had taken him under his wing. He was more like an uncle than a mentor. Samuel wiped his eyes and stepped back. “Grover, please back up a bit,” he said, and then summoned the necessary potential and cremated the remains.

There was no sign of Bio, so Samuel cast, Locate: Bio, and found the palomino five hills away. He whistled the way Lassiter always did when he wanted the horse to come to him. It did not take long for the Taracopian bred stallion to arrive. He was unharmed and came to Samuel without hesitation.

“Good horse,” Grover commented.

“You can’t eat him,” Samuel quipped.

The butcher chuckled. “Well lad, at least you still got a sense of humor.”

Samuel nodded his head. The quip was his way of dealing with the tension seizing his innards. “This place, what you call the haunted hills, is actually a Serpent nest, an operating base for Tarin Conn’s guild. Serin Gell is one of his most powerful Accomplisheds and often works not more than a few hundred paces from where we stand.”

Grover’s eyes widened. “I thought Daniel Benhannon defeated them,” he said in a whisper.

“He hurt them, no doubt about it, but the Serpent Guild is far from defeated,” Samuel told him just as softly. “I believe the second set of invisible waves you felt was Serin Gell teleporting elsewhere.”

“Where do you suppose he went?” the butcher asked while eyeing the area cautiously, and a good thing too. Some of the renegade’s associates could still be in the area.

“I cannot say for sure, but my best guess is Tannakonna where he can harm Daniel’s family and friends, including Tim Dukane, You see, Serin Gell led the Serpent forces in the Battle of Bashierwood and later was captured by Daniel after dueling Balen Tamm. The renegade escaped. I and my associate came here to apprehend him,” Samuel told the retired Aid Provider.

“Tim Dukane, the mountaineer who hunted the Serpents with Daniel,” Grover replied, showing he was familiar with the details of the duel at
Mount Gosian.

Samuel nodded his head. “Yes, the very man. What better way to exact vengeance than to strike at those Daniel loves while he is in Ducanton serving your Queen?”

Grover’s brow wrinkled and his eyes hardened, determination setting into his features. “You have to do something, get reinforcements, or, I don’t know, something.”

The man was too polite to say Samuel was in over his head, that he was fortunate to have survived the previous encounter, and not likely to fair any better at the next, alone at least. “I plan on going to Bashierwood and giving the people there warning, but I need your help,” he said and reached into his cloak and pulled out one of the amulets of his making and handed it to the butcher.

“What is this for?” Grover eyed the gift suspiciously.

“These hills are haunted by members of the Serpent Guild. I need you to let me know anytime something Aakacarn in nature happens. I know this is asking a lot and I understand the position helping me this way places you in,” Samuel replied, and for a few moments it seemed the man was going to throw the amulet back at him.

“What can I do against the Serpents? All I can do is get killed or Condemned messing around in these hills, and then what have you gained? Just me worse than hurt and you without the information you seek,” he replied. At least he still had the amulet in his hand.

“I don’t want you anywhere near these hills or confronting the Serpent Guild. All I want is for you to go about the routine of your life and if you happen to notice anything out of the ordinary, use that amulet, somewhere in secret, place the ruby against your forehead and let me know,” Samuel assured him. “That’s all, nothing more.”

Grover scratched his head, took a good long while to ponder the request, and then finally nodded. “I’ll do it,” he agreed and then placed the amulet in his pants pocket.

“Thank you,” Samuel told him, and then shook hands with the first of what he hoped would be a broad network of Eagle Eyes. “You are not only helping me, you’re helping Daniel and the rest of Ducaun.”

They traveled back to the butcher shop where Samuel waited until night to change into his silks, mount Bio, and head out for Bashierwood. Grover’s middle son and daughter always had something that needed doing that kept them away, so he never met them, which clearly was how they wanted it. Whatever the reason, they avoided him and he respected their feelings, yet hoped more folks would become accepting of Aakacarns.

An owl hooted and the nocturnal sounds of the forest filled the night. Samuel summoned a faint ball of light, brightening the trail just enough to reveal any hazards, and continued all the way through, reaching the northwestern base of
Mount Tannakonna just as the sun began to rise up over the horizon.

The royal reception hall was filled with hundreds of guest, lords, ladies, cabinet ministers, and dignitaries from all over the world. Daniel, dressed in his fancy knightly garb, preferred to be elsewhere, but duty demanded that he spend some time getting acquainted with all of the nobles. Silvia was beside him and dressed in a lavender gown fit for a ball. David was back among the Teki at the Great Carnival, where word of the Chosen Vessel had spread far and wide throughout the troops, and meetings were being held to discuss how to serve in his swirl, no one was asking him.

“That dark-haired woman next to the Queen is a Seer,” Silvia informed him with her hand resting on his arm while he
escorted her around the room.

Daniel glanced at the person indicated. “She is Lady Kurts, one of the Queen’s coun
selors.”

“I don’t think your Queen wants the fact known,” Silvia added in a hushed tone.

“I agree with you on that. Her counselor being a Seer could explain how Cleona knew with certainty about my being chosen. I can see where having a Seer near at hand can be helpful.”

“Why thank you, Chosen Vessel,” Silvia teased with a dimpled smile and she curtsied.

Daniel winced. He still was not comfortable with that designation, even though the fact was on almost every tongue in the city, or so he learned from Jared and the hordes of people who came out to the estate looking for employment, some of which had been among those who had followed him from Jeeter to Ducanton. “It is bad enough I have to hear that title shouted by every group of Teki we pass in the street, they have citizens and people from other places taking up the greeting, I don’t need to hear it here.”

She actually smirked at him, one of the most powerful Accomplished on the planet, and she smirks. A chuckle escaped befor
e Daniel could stifle it.

“How are you going to gather people if they don’t know who you are?” she asked sweetly.

“They seem to find me no matter what I say or do,” Daniel replied, resignedly.

Sir Carlo separated from a group of nobles and came over. “I hear being a Knight of the Realm and a Lord of the Land is not enough, you are the Chosen Vessel as well.” He was smiling when he said it, so it was meant to be funny.

“You can have the title, it fits you better,” Daniel replied.

Sir Carlo raised his hands in a warding off gesture. “Oh no, I don’t think it would suit me well at all.”

“Such a grand title to be bandied about so causally,” said a man of average height and build with greasy black hair and a thin mustache. His coat was black with silver scrollwork on the sleeves and his silk shirt was violet. A golden belt buckle held up his black silk pants. The handle on the sword in his silver scabbard was gold with rubies set in the cross guard. The thing would be slipping in his hand the moment he broke a sweat in battle.

“Sir Daniel, I have the privilege of introducing to you, Prince Xavier Suchen of Pentrosa,” Sir Carlo said. “Prince Xavier, I give you, Sir Daniel Benhannon, the twenty-first Royal Knight of the Realm of Ducaun and his escort, Silvia Cresh of the Reshashinni Teki.”

Xavier’s dark beady eyes passed over Silvia as if she was not there and fixed on Daniel. “I am pleased to finally meet the person whose name is on practically everyone’s lips. Tell me, does having a meaningless title bestowed on you make up for your impotence?”