To Be Victorious: The Maestro Chronicles Book 6

by John Buttrick

  “Maestro, it will be as you say,” Ginnie replied.

  Blake peeked into the compartment at the mention of his name. “Wow, she has a new hand. I want to learn how to do that.”

  “Someday,” Daniel told him. “After you learn more stuff.”

  Jeremiah Lassiter entered the outer room along with Simon, who was right on schedule. When Daniel exited the compartment, the Conductor came forward with a frown wrinkling his brow. “I have come to have my vat restored, as ordered. However, I wish I could have come with better news. The Serpents have demolished Tara. King Van Efery is dead along with Prince Ryne and Prince Jene. It is fortunate for the kingdom that Prince Lauren is here at Shantear or the realm would have split apart in a war of succession brought on by the royal cousins battling each other for the crown. As it is, with the greater war and their civil war, I am not sure Taracopa can survive even with the prince still alive.”

  Daniel did not need to ask Silvia where he stood in the race with Tarin Conn. “We cannot win this war the way we are fighting it,” he stated, knowing the man in front of him had heard the words before, and had said them on more than a few occasions. Even so, Daniel had felt the need to say them again. “My meeting with Terroll tomorrow needs to end with Aakadon and the Atlantan Guild joining forces. We cannot afford many more days like today.”

  As he placed his hand on Jeremiah’s forehead to deliver Vitality, the memory of granting an earlier request from Reginald came to mind. Rather than restore Lassiter’s vat to what it was before, Daniel decided to fill it to the brim, and thus possibly raise the Two-bolt Accomplished up a notch to a Three.

  Chapter Thirteen: The Other Side

  Light was provided by a diamond chandelier hanging from a mirrored ceiling. Each precious stone radiated energy from the spell locked in it and the radiance cast an even glow throughout the vast chamber within Mount Filia. A crimson carpet led from the crystal throne, down thirteen steps, and stopped short of the double doors. Beside the majestic seat was a black table trimmed with gold, atop of which lay two objects.

  Tarin Conn, six and a half cubits from head to toe, stood holding the pearl-handled platinum dagger that would be the crescendo he had promised to create for Serena. His thick black hair and neatly trimmed mustache were virtually unchanged since the day he composed and then cast the spell, Ageless; his version, not the pathetic Melody used in Aakadon that needed to be cast annually.

  He chose to wear his black silk shirt and pants with gold trim rather than the garb of royalty he often wore when appearing in the dreams of his followers. His enemies frequently referred to him as being the Dark Maestro and it suited his mood to heighten their fears by appearing in black raiment.

  The fifteen lightning bolts on his left shoulder matched the fifteen on his right, thus displaying his rank as a Thirty-bolt Accomplished. Those markings on his shirt were a warning to anyone looking at him of the true golden bolts on the flesh of his shoulders. Only woe betides the person who failed to heed the warning.

  The light brown skin of his Serinian birth had faded due to him having been deprived of sunshine for a thousand plus years. He had spent some time on the surface recently, draining the life out of the sacrifices, and exposure to the radiant orb had given him a healthier complexion. No one would mistake him for a pale-faced Ducaunan.

  At the point where he had drawn the life-force energy from well over fifteen thousand animals, he became stronger, as expected, and yet something seemed to have been off. Even though the elephants had been the most satisfying, their energies also had felt alien. Draining the energy from Accomplisheds Berkin, SeTul, Cranzen, and Extollis had felt good and had been more refreshing.

  When Daniel Benhannon had been in a similar situation, receiving life-force energy from others, his projected aura had more colors than a rainbow, the hue of each Aakacarn the energy had come from. Tarin’s aura had five colors to start with, counting the small amount he had taken from Serena, but much of that energy had been used up. The energy sustaining him presently came from animals and was the color of urine.

  It became clear, obtaining his energy requirements from animals would never feel as good as taking it from humans and so a decision had to be made. Those four Aakacarns had failed him and paid the price, but he could not afford to drain the life out of his guild members, nor did he desire to draw from the commoners who worshipped or followed him. Some of the non-Aakacarns did revere him as a god, some followed for the rewards, and as long as they obeyed him, he did not care which group they were in. Of course, those who showed him proper reverence were more likely to be promoted. His ability to enter dreams assured he would always know their true feelings about him.

  The decision of what to do had been made days ago and the commoners taken captive over the last month or so, who formerly lived along the Hirus River, were in the complex below the throne room as a result of that choice. Those residents of Cenkataar and Aczencopa who had lived in the towns and villages no doubt thought they had been brought to the mountain to be used as slave labor. In fact, Tarin would punish any member of his guild who actually put those people to work. The captives were given plenty of food, all sorts of refreshments, and no responsibilities beyond obedience.

  The Melody playing in his head caused a tingling, which began in the first golden lightning bolt on the skin of his right shoulder, then the next, and so on until those bolts on his left shoulder were also tingling. He knew the spell was assessing the amount of potential at his command and would create a crescendo commensurate with his rank. At the completion of the process, he placed the energy amplifier on the table to the right of his throne and picked up the second identical dagger, meant for Vance Cummin. Tarin repeated the process and then placed the new crescendo on the table beside the other. The third object would be for his use. It had the exact size and shape of a black mamba and a ruby in each eye socket. The crescendo would be far deadlier than the snake it resembled.

  He was about to pick up what would soon be known as the baton of Tarin Conn, but instead chose to perform a little assessment. He took hold of Serena’s dagger and cast the spell, Assess. The energy flowed into the crescendo and immediately revealed the amplification factor to be twenty-eight. “No!”

  Tarin’s shout echoed throughout the empty chamber. The energy output should be thirty bolts. Unless the spell assessed his personal strength to be twenty-eight bolts. The Melody could not be wrong, so the problem had to be with him.

  He calmed down and decided to try the dagger he had made for Vance. When the second crescendo turned out to have the amplification factor of twenty-seven bolts, Tarin sat down on his throne. Shouting a denial would change nothing.

  The situation was far worse than he had anticipated. The amount of potential at his command was diminishing at an alarming rate. The energy requirement for the spell had not been all that much, any fourth level graduate could have performed the Melody with ease, although nowhere near as fast. A conclusion came to him after a few moments of contemplation; life-force energy was draining out of him whether or not he summoned potential for a spell. Perhaps it was because most of the energy used had come from animals. Using humans as his source probably would not stop his loss of energy, but might slow it down, and that theory could be tested right away. It was a good thing the swirling of events led him to call for the captives, even before his need for them became obvious. His discovery went well beyond a simple distaste for animal life-force energy; it turned the matter into a survival of the fittest situation.

  He snatched up the black mamba, grabbed the dagger meant for his wife, and walked briskly from the throne room. He found her waiting outside the double doors, along with Three-bolt Accomplished Rex Badger, Vice-Maestro of the Serpent Guild, who was dressed in black silks with gold trim. He had a reputation for getting things done and had stacked up a number of victories in recent days, thus he had earned Tarin’s favor.

  The hood of her cloak was down, revealing red-blond hair, and blue eyes w
idening with the desire to please her husband. Serena Lowell-Conn, a stunningly beautiful female, possessed a physical appeal that could not be denied, certainly not by him. She wore the black silks with silver braiding, a striking cobra medallion indicating her affiliation with the Serpent Guild, and a golden lightning bolt on her hood. On her finger was a ring with a large diamond that identified her as the First Lady of the Serpent Guild and wife of the Supreme Maestro. “This is yours,” he said while handing her the crescendo.

  She took the dagger and began caressing it lovingly. “This I will treasure and use to your glory.” The hungry glow in her eyes reflected a sincere lust for power, an illicit desire that had just been satisfied, and a sure knowledge of who could fulfill her cravings for more. Her private dreams were no secret to him.

  He had no doubts about her dedication to him or about the loyalty of the Badger. “Of course you will my wife. Rex, see to it that every person among the commoners between the ages of twelve and eighteen are brought into the grand chamber. One at a time is to be sent to the room in the back. Under no circumstances are the commoners to know that they are to be sacrificed. Announce that they will be performing a service for the guild that will require their time for a few days. That should keep them pacified. The same announcement is to be made every time a group is taken from the chamber.”

  Rex, who had been born in the kingdom of Ducaun and recruited into the guild at an early age, peered out of his hooded cloak. “Supreme Maestro, it will be as you say. I can make them all sleep, remove those that you require from the group, and take them away without saying a single word to the rest of the commoners.”

  The suggestion tagged onto the end of the verbal acceptance of the order came close to questioning the order, as if somehow the Three-bolt Accomplished believed his was the better idea. Tarin chose to ignore the show of arrogance and explain, so as to turn the conversation into a learning experience for the young Aakacarn, and perhaps keep him from making the mistake ever again. “In order for the sacrifices to be at their strongest, it is needful that they continue to eat and drink, which they cannot do if they are asleep. If I allowed you to do as you wish, the commoners left behind would soon miss the presence of those who were taken, and instead of consuming our nutritious provender, they will grow restless. A riot would breakout and then you would be forced to put them asleep, which, again, means they cannot eat and drink if they are asleep. My way, the sacrificial flock will grow strong and also be content at least long enough for all of their energy to be consumed. We shall take it one step at a time, separate the first group, sacrifice them while the other larger group believes all is well, and then take the next group when the time comes. New groups of war captives will be brought to the chamber and will be told the same thing as the last. I do not care about their feelings. This is simply a matter of creating a smooth running process. You see, Rex, I have reasons for the orders I give and you are fortunate I am in a good enough mood to speak as an instructor, otherwise Vance Cummin would be seeking a new Vice Maestro. Oh, I would have let you live, one so accomplished as you, but not in your current position.”

  Rex bowed his head. “Thank you for instructing me, Supreme Maestro. All will be done in strict accordance to your will.” It was a good answer. His voice was taut with tension, indicating he understood his error.

  “As all of my orders should be,” Tarin responded, and then started down the hall with Serena following a few steps behind.

  She was having difficulty keeping up with his longer strides and was a little winded when she caught up to him. “The age group you selected is over a thousand in number and about a third of them are between the ages of twelve and fourteen. Is there a reason you picked that particular age group? We have plenty more who are younger and older who could be sacrificed.”

  Since she was not questioning the order, merely wanting to understand why the ages were important, he did not take her question as a challenge. “Puberty is the reason. All of these youngsters are at the peak of life and the bodies in the age groups you specified are near to bursting with energy to fuel their growth.”

  She frowned and seemed hesitant to speak, perhaps fearful of his reaction. Her timidity did not last long. “Does it bother you to end the lives of ones so young?”

  In fact a small part of him knew what he was about to do could be considered heartless and cruel, but often that was the true way of nature. “To a small degree it does bother me. However, in the natural world there are many predators that feed on hatchlings in the nest, and they do not feel bad about eating them, nor are they considered to be evil for doing so. I will be doing what nature demands for as long as I must. Just as it has happened with Daniel Benhannon, my energy at some point in the future will begin replenishing and the need for sacrifices will end. When the day comes I will allow the small part of me that is bothered by the taking of life-force energy from human beings, commoners though they are, to overrule my baser instinct, and cease the practice.”

  Originally he did not want his condition known to anyone, but his followers were clever and figured it out on their own. The knowledge made them even more fearful of his wrath, which worked to his advantage. None of them wanted to end up like Accomplisheds Berkin, SeTul, Cranzen, or Extollis. Serena seemed to be the only person who did not fear Tarin’s touch. Being married, their contact went well beyond the shaking of hands, and the resulting emotions engendered were decidedly positive.

  “I understand, the predator never cares how the prey feels about being eaten,” she replied and looked him in the eyes. “I hope we do not run out of commoners. After all, they are our breeding stock.”

  “The one in fifty births resulting in an Aakacarn also applies to us spell-casters. Just as you and I have married, so can members of the Serpent Guild. Commoners are far easier to come by than are Aakacarns. Do not miss understand me, I am not saying the lives of the common masses have no value, just not as much. Favoring the weak over the strong is against nature and any people who think otherwise are doomed to extinction,” Tarin explained. “Even the animals understand that much. Fortunately the majority of our enemies do not, especially Daniel Benhannon.”

  Members of the guild saluted and bowed to them, mostly Tarin, as he and Serena journeyed through the halls and down to the small room beside the grand chamber. A pair of carved maple chairs with crimson cushions was the only furnishings and he deemed the seats to be adequate. He and Serena both sat down, waiting for the first offering to be brought in. The room had three doors, the one from which they had entered, one to a storage room, and the other to the grand chamber.

  No-bolt Accomplished Justine DuEller, of Serinian birth, entered, and accompanying her was a young woman who had to be eighteen. The silky black hair, light brown skin, and the slight upward slant of her brown eyes marked the female as a Cenkataaran peasant. Her tummy was nicely rounded and bulging in pregnancy. “Supreme Maestro, Suzie here is ready to be of service.”

  Suzie’s eyes widened with fear and she was trembling, but she stepped forward and bowed deeply. “How may I be of service, ancient one?”

  Tarin smiled while thinking, two for the price of one spell. “Come child, take my hand. What I require from you will only take a few moments and then Accomplished DuEller will take you through that other door where the people who are waiting their turn in the outer chamber will soon be joining you.” Not a single word had been a lie, which was what made any deception far more successful and harder to detect.

  Without looking up from her bowed position, Suzie extended her much smaller hand. Tarin’s hand completely engulfed hers and the spell, Feed Me, played in his mind, summing the potential. Life-force energy flowed from her and the unborn child. The surge was sweet and fulfilling, so very unlike what he had taken from the animals, and he closed his eyes, relishing in the transfer of power.

  “Supreme Maestro,” Vance Cummin’s voice entered his mind. “The raid on Cana was completely successful. The town no longer exists. The
information provided by the First Lady about the families living in the community, and also the weapons, and shield amulets used by Benhannon’s Sentinels proved to be accurate. Tara is in ruins and King Van Efery is dead along with his two oldest sons. The raid on Ducanton resulted in the destruction of the royal residence as well as nearly every major financial institution. We have also made good progress in Cenkataar and chased the King of Aczencopa from his capital. Venture is in ruins and the peninsula is no longer fit for human habitation. Ten thousand commoners have been captured and will be teleported to you at Filia. I regret to inform you our allies lost all of their fleets, bases, and ship-building facilities that were on the Taltin Sea. I suspect it was meant as a response to our attack on New Oben, except on a much larger scale.”

  Tarin opened his eyes and pulled back his hand, allowing Suzie’s mummified corpse to fall over. The loss at sea was in deed regrettable, but not detrimental. “Did Daniel Benhannon appear at any of the battles? It seems to me he would have rushed to the defense of his Queen.”

  “I too thought as much, but have received no reports of his taking part in the defense. Jeremiah Lassiter was recognized at the scene by several of our Accomplisheds. Benhannon could have taken part in the simultaneous attacks that took place on the Taltin Sea, but the reports I have received all say the assaults were perpetrated by Wager-class patrol-boats and the Anaconda-style war-boats used by the Ducaunan navy. Our Accomplisheds who fled reported Atlantans were on those boats and involved in the destruction of the fleets and facilities. Whether or not one of those spell-casters was the neophyte maestro, I cannot say with any accuracy at this time,” Vance’s reply came through in his usual calm and precise manner.