“Well,” the Dark Maestro grumbled. “Have you no answer?”
Daniel sighed, wondering if the rest of his life would be spent in futile posturing against the empty overtures of greatness from the founder of the Serpent Guild. Well, not if he could help it. “All I want is for you and everyone else to leave me alone. My spell casting has been a curse from the start,” he began, speaking his mind. The words came out in a rush and would not stop until all was said. “Call off the assault on Bashierwood and I’ll go live on a remote mountain, you’ll never see me again. I’ve never seen Aakadon and have no loyalty to Efferin Tames.”
Tarin Conn stood quietly, watching for only he knew what, with eyes seemingly able to peer into the soul. He at least appeared to be considering the response. “I believe you are speaking candidly. Allow me to explain the situation and perhaps you will better understand my position. You are ignorant of your own abilities, so listen up boy. You are an Aakasear; this alone makes your loyalty important to me and worth the cost. Add in your being a six bolt Accomplished, and the benefit becomes even greater. Here is my problem, sooner or later you’ll make one of three choices. Unfortunately, you are already leaning toward the third,” he said, like a master instructing his apprentice.
Daniel shifted his stance, curious. What choices did the ancient Maestro think he would make? Couldn’t the Accomplished understand the decision had been made and stated? “I only want to be left alone,” Daniel said, with emphasis on the word alone, hoping to get through to the man, not knowing how to make his position any plainer.
“For now, you feel this way. At some point in the near future you will make one of three choices. The first and wisest would be to serve me. We could rule together. Your second option is to ally with Aakadon, which would be a mistake. Efferin Tames would Silence your ability. That is, if he ever manages to fathom the scope of it. If he finds out you are an Aakasear, he will see you as a younger version of me and imprison you. Just seeing six bolts on a person so young would be enough to earn his enmity,” Tarin Conn said, positioning himself on the throne, his face could have been carved from stone. “Your final choice would be a grave error in judgment. You can choose to oppose both myself and Aakadon. I’ll not allow you to stand in my way. I will trample you into the dust. Unfortunately, you even now resist me and avoid Aakadon. Tell me, what shall be the name of your new guild?”
Daniel held his breath, trying to remain calm, struggling to hold onto his confidence and to keep his mind focused on the fate of his parents and the villagers. True enough; the Dark Maestro had summed up his options accurately. Both sides would seek him out and eventually force him to choose. No, there was another choice. The realization gave birth to courage and a new path for his life to take, however long or short it may be. “I am a citizen of Ducuan and my duty is to serve the Queen. Cleona has my loyalty and my talents are hers to command,” he said, boldly, in a strong and unwavering voice.
His host flushed red-faced, trembling like a volcano about to erupt, and then took a breath and let it out slowly, calming himself with no small effort. “Your family will not be killed,” he said, in a civil tone.
Daniel quickly closed his mouth, confused. Could it be true, had the evil Accomplished actually decided not to carry out his earlier threats?
Tarin Conn leaned forward, as if to whisper something in confidence. “They shall be Condemned!” he shouted, bellowing at the top of his lungs.
Daniel stumbled back from the throne, his mind filling with the image of the grotesque creature he killed near the oak. He would not allow his parents to be changed into that, not so long as a single breath remained in his body.
Tarin Conn burst out laughing, a spine tingling sound that chilled to the marrow. He composed himself, pulled a golden trumpet out of mid air, and began playing a peculiar Melody, and then smiled at the end. “I can mutate any creature into a Condemned with the spell you just heard. Balen Tamm also knows the tune and, like me, rather enjoys casting it.”
Daniel forced his eyes open by a supreme act of will, unable to bare the audience any longer, and stared up at the leafy branches blocking his view of the stars. His nerves were on edge, sharpening his senses, especially his tracking skills. He listened to the nocturnal sounds with instincts keener than ever, they had to be, many lives depended on how well his future moves were made. One ill considered response to the Serpent Guild could bring about disaster.
He noticed a modulation in the harmony of the crickets, a lessening to the south, something large was coming from that direction. He banished thoughts of his last encounter with Tarin Conn and concentrated on the intruder. Daniel whispered the words of his father, “Set your priorities and arrange your chores accordingly,” and then thought of the locate spell. He modified it to scan for yetis, Condemneds, Aakacarns, and ordinary humans. So what if one spell was not supposed to be capable of all that? A Melody to perform the desired task formed in his mind and he knew with all his instincts it would work. He summoned the potential, focusing the energy within a two span radius of his camp, keeping the power output low so as not to attract unwanted attention, yet adequate for the current need.
Two Aakacarns were approaching from a hundred strides to the southeast, moving north. They walked slowly and with an awkwardness that made them appear out of place, as though unaccustomed to traveling through a forest. Fortunately, they did not seem to sense his presence.
He broke the spell and quickly cast another, one taught to him by Cenni Quen. The transition from one spell to the next took less than three blinks of the eye. He focused where his enhanced memory told him the intruders should be and sent blue beams from his fingertips. He maintained the flow for a few extra moments, and then ceased and cast the locate spell to find out whether or not he had been successful. Could a sleep spell be cast simultaneously with a locate spell? He knew fire and sphere spells could. It was too late for wondering, the strike was made and he had to hope for the best. He had a feeling there would be plenty of opportunities in the future to test and perfect his capabilities.
The two Aakacarns were sprawled motionless on the ground. He smiled, knowing they would likely sleep beyond day break. It did not matter much at this point whether they were from the Serpent Guild or Aakadon. He wanted nothing to do with either group. The hapless travelers would hopefully awaken without knowing what caused them to pass out.
He swung into the saddle and heeled Sprinter forward, wanting to be as far south as possible before the intruders woke up. Perhaps they would awaken and continue north, he could only hope. Time was not on his side; he still had hundreds of spans to cover. How had Cenni Quen managed to transport himself, one man, and a horse so far in such a short amount of time? The mystery was a mild concern, the fate of Bashierwood weighed far heavier.
He yawned and at the same time noticed a low hanging branch and ducked his head in barely enough time to avoid hitting it. Getting rest was becoming near impossible with Tarin Conn constantly interrupting his dreams. It was no wonder some people went insane and killed themselves after having been to Kelgotha, they could never get enough sleep. How much time could pass before he would not be able to string together a coherent thought? Sleep deprivation could do funny things to the mind. Old Ben Kaplin was said to see things when kept awake too long and the stories told by Orin Netless did not help the poor guy either, giving his imagination kindling to feed on. A way to break the cursed link to Tarin Conn would be found, one short of death. Daniel stiffened in the saddle, refusing to accept the curse as permanent. In spite of his best efforts to the contrary, he fell asleep.
Tarin Conn stood beside the crystal throne grinning like a hyena about to pounce. “Welcome back,” he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I hope our brief separation has given you time to reconsider your options,” he added, shaking his head like a parent about to administer discipline. “You are a wild stallion waiting to be saddle broke. I am the one who can do the breaking and more, I can help you.”
&
nbsp; “You can help by leaving me alone and letting me sleep,” Daniel snapped, hoping the ancient Maestro heard the contempt.
“Serve me and I’ll let you sleep,” Tarin Conn replied, as if this was actually a bargaining point.
Daniel fixed his stare on the marble steps, refusing to look at his host. ”No,” he said, not loud but definitely firm.
His adversary seemed unaffected by the obvious show of disrespect. “You are a bronco and like I said, I will do the breaking. Obedience can be profitable and the power gained enormous. I can teach you a spell that could extend your life beyond a thousand years,” he said, adding a new promise to the tired old offer of power.
Of course the ancient spell caster could teach such a spell, considering his age, but the price was too high. “I want nothing from you. Leave me alone,” Daniel replied, deliberately insolent. So what if the egotistical Accomplished gets all upset, all he can do is turn red and bellow like a bull in mating season.
“My yetis are nearing your village,” Tarin Conn informed, in seductively mild tones. “Thousands of them,” he added, slightly louder.
Daniel tried not to listen, pretending the news held no interest, and he failed miserably. “No, not possible, no army can move that swiftly,” he blurted, staring straight into those black penetrating eyes.
Tarin Conn smiled again, no doubt pleased to be the victor in the duel of wills. Let him glory in the minor victory, he would not win the important ones. “My army can. I’ll teach you to cross vast distances quickly,” he added.
Daniel put on his best smirk. “How?” he asked, knowing there would be no answer forth coming. This was obviously just another ploy to weaken his resolve.
“Simply teleport,” Tarin Conn replied, as though he had just taught a child how to lace up his shoes.
Daniel shook his head, having more than his share of doubts. Night and day would pass away before the ancient Maestro ever taught a spell out of good will. “I haven’t agreed to serve you, and fully intend to fight your army, why would you teach me anything so useful?”
“Of course you will fight my army,” Tarin Conn began, as if stating water is wet and the sky is blue. “You will fight and lose, how better to teach you the futility of resistance? Even now the yetis are on Tannakonna waiting for my command to attack. By the time you reach the slopes on horseback, the village will be destroyed and your parents among the Condemneds. Teleporting is the only way for you to appear in time to witness the great event.”
The ancient Aakacarn, or Aakasear, did not wait for a response; he went right into the instruction. “When you cast the spell, think of your destination, picturing the location and surroundings firmly in your mind. You can only teleport to a place you have been before,” he said, and then snatched a trumpet out of the air and played the Melody. He smiled upon completion, “Beautiful, isn’t it?” he stated more than asked.
Daniel opened his eyes, forcibly ending the dream and wondering about the new spell. The sun had already begun its westward journey across the sky and he had a full day ahead of him. The trail was narrower and Sprinter came to a stop, shook his head violently and neighed. The surrounding bushes were disturbingly quiet, something was wrong. Daniel summoned potential for a sleep spell and waited. The silence was broken by the snapping of shrubs and twigs as a huge cat charged onto the trail ahead, showing long white teeth and four inch claws meant for ripping and slashing flesh. Sprinter rose on his hind legs, facing the beast. The narrow path gave limited mobility but Daniel did not really need much room. He focused on the mountain lion, unleashing the spell, dropping the huge feline in its tracks. He ended the Melody for the sleep spell and began another, focusing on the sleeping cat, lifting it on a sheet of air, and placing her on the trail behind him. Killing was not necessary, especially since she probably had cubs. She was the first creature he knew of who benefited directly from his being a spell caster, she would have died with a hunting knife in her heart otherwise.
He urged Sprinter onward, patting the stallion gently and thinking of the spell Tarin Conn had taught him, at least the horse would have soothed nerves, Daniel’s could not be soothed while the ancient Accomplished troubled him. Trusting the Dark Maestro involved no small risk. The spell could result in death for the caster, but not if Tarin Conn still wanted a new recruit.
With a strong sense of foreboding, Daniel made his choice. His parents would be Condemned and Bashierwood destroyed before he could make it beyond the Troas mountains, he could not possibly reach Tannakonna in time to save them on horseback. Taking a deep breath, he pictured himself and Sprinter on Binkman’s Cliff and played the Melody in his mind. Potential surged in him, thrilling and gratifying, small wonder spell casters were tempted by the power, only the growing thirst from drawing the potential could keep an Accomplished from thinking himself omnipotent. He had no desire to be all powerful, but had to admit summoning and focusing all that energy thrilled him beyond anything he had ever felt before. This particular spell required a terrific amount of energy and was drawing moisture from his body at a fantastic rate. His blue aura brightened and engulfed the stallion. Total darkness and complete sensory deprivation occurred. He could not even feel Sprinter beneath him. The affect lasted no longer than the space of three heart beats and yet at the same time seemed to take an eternity to pass.
Thirst, deeper than any Daniel had ever experienced or even thought possible, struck before he had time to get a good look at the change of scenery. The spell dehydrated him severely and he groped for the nearest canteen, grabbing hold, emptied its contents down his throat and coughed as some went down the wrong way. The terrible thirst would not be quenched. He reached for the second canteen and suddenly the ground came rushing at him in a blur. He hit with a thud, having the air forced out of his lungs by the impact. Panic made him gasp in air. Water, he needed water and fast. Something nudged him on the side. Sprinter’s nose, it must have been; not important. Wanting Water made him think of a lake, the one where he and Tim happened to find Val and Gina bathing, it was only half a span from Binkman’s Cliff. He reached up and caught hold of the stirrup, trying to pull himself back into the saddle. He made it half way and fell back to the ground, bringing the guitarn with him, sounding a vibrating open chord. Darkness swallowed him and his body did not have the strength to fight it off.
He could not look up, there was no need to anyway, the marble steps and their destination were all too familiar. It did not matter; he had no desire to look at the Dark Maestro.
“Did I neglect to say the spell should always be performed with a crescendo, I guess not,” Tarin Conn said, mockingly.
Daniel had a strong desire to stand up and smack the ancient spell caster right in the head and knock off the smirk he knew was on his tormentor’s face. The act would be a useless waste of energy, desirable as it seemed.
“The spell should be enhanced by a crescendo, otherwise the caster suffers from dehydration,” Tarin Conn continued. His voice grew louder; he was descending from the throne. “By the way, the spell is even more draining if one, such as you, chooses to transport, let’s say, a horse for example.”
Daniel opened his mouth to protest, not a sound came out. How frustrating, he wanted to reach up and wring the Maestro’s neck.
“I must say, this is the most appropriate way you have appeared before me. Get use..,”
The world lurched, spinning in circles. Daniel attempted to fix his eyes on one image. It would be just like the evil Accomplished to play another trick. No, not so. Cool water passed between his aching lips and over a tongue that felt something akin to a huge cotton ball. His dry throat welcomed each precious gulp. The face over him slowly came into focus and he still could not be sure this was not an illusion.
“I’ve searched half the mountain for you,” said the image that looked very much like a scowling Tim Dukane. “You look awful. Drink slowly,” he added in a gentler tone.
Strength returned, though not swiftly. Daniel took hold of the cant
een and forced himself to sit up. He took another sip and shook his head to clear the fuzziness. This was no an illusion. “Tim, thank goodness. I wasn’t sure it was really you.”
Tim stood from a crouching position and stared down. “Of course its me, who else would be fool enough to traipse through yeti infested woods looking for you?” he replied, the worry clear in his voice.
“You’ve seen yetis?’ Daniel asked, knowing the answer and yet hoping it was not true. Tarin Conn was not bluffing, apparently never failing to carry out a threat. At least the village was as yet unharmed; hopefully there would be time enough to keep it so.
“Yes, they’re lurking in the woods, although none have made any threatening moves,” Tim answered, eyes darting to the surrounding trees. Even a fool could understand the beasts were not likely to remain docile, and no one on the mountain was a fool, though Daniel did question some of his more recent judgments. “We watched you draw the yetis and kill them on the cliff. The ones here now arrived just this morning, seemingly from nowhere,” the drummer added.
Daniel stood up, shaky at first. He examined the guitarn and breathed a sigh of relief to find it undamaged, and then turned and stared at his boyhood friend as one of the shards of his shattered life dug deep into his soul and demanded attention. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with me,” he said, in a tight voice.
Tim glanced downward and kicked away a small stone. “I didn’t know what to think back then, you being Aakacarn and all. When you went out alone to fight the yetis, I realized you were being more of a friend to me than I to you. Please forgive me.”
To Cast the First Spell Page 18