To Be Victorious: The Maestro Chronicles Book 6

by John Buttrick

  “Too bad your shield did not hold,” Tobermin shot back.

  “Too bad you speak before you think,” Jeremiah responded.

  Daniel held up his hand toward the Conductor. “No, he is right. It is too bad the shield failed to hold the Dark Maestro. Now that the Vice Maestro has stated a fact that is as obvious as a corn stalk in a field of cabbages, we can continue our discussion on building trust.”

  Terroll spread his hands wide. “Precisely, we will in deed. Now, I propose a series of joint maneuvers where our various teams can practice together and those special squads will in the near future carryout combat missions.”

  Daniel glanced at Chas, who nodded approval, then at Jeremiah, who nodded approval, and then at Sherree, who said, “I not only approve, I believe the details can be worked out between Conductor Lassiter and whoever you feel is capable on your side.”

  The three Maestros stared at each other, probably wondering which of them should take the lead and accept the responsibility for setting up the joint exercises and the combined missions that would be forthcoming. “My guild will be providing the airboats, so I will take the responsibility for setting up the teams, but I would like to have the services of Vice Maestro Tobermin to build the teams and work with the Atlantans,” Maestro Cransur was the first to speak.

  Talmon glanced at his peer before turning to face Terroll. “I was about to take responsibility, but my distinguished colleague has changed my thinking. With Jerrian involved, I believe the Willow Guild is a good choice to take the lead in the endeavor.”

  Rondara, who had been watching Daniel throughout the meeting, arched her left eyebrow and asked, “What does the Maestro of the Atlantan Guild have to say about the proposal?”

  “I say it is a good beginning. As the First Lady said, Conductor Lassiter will handle the details on our end. He will put together the teams of Accomplisheds that will become the Joint Mission Task Force.”

  Jeremiah nodded approval and acceptance of the responsibility. Chas sat stone-faced, no doubt wondering where the Chosen’s Sentinels would fit in. Daniel fixed his gaze on the Commander. “The Sentinels may eventually be incorporated into the JMTF, but for now I think it is the Aakacarns who need to learn how to work together. Frankly, that is where all the current tension lies, not with the men and women under your command. Your squads have always stepped up without the slightest hesitation and have proven they can adapt to changing situations.”

  Chas eyed the delegates from Aakadon. “It is true my training program has resulted in an elite fighting force that can adapt to changing conditions. The Aakacarns could benefit from working with the Chosen’s Sentinels, but only after the Accomplisheds learn to trust each other, and they arrive at a point where the skills of non-Aakacarns are respected by all.”

  Talmon, Tobermin, and Rondara had been in the meeting in the woods where the assault on Shantear was planned. They knew the contributions Chas Herling made to the eventual defeat of the Serpents. No one questioned his right to speak in a gathering of Accomplisheds, although he could be waiting a long time if he hoped to see the spell-casters of Aakadon respect those who they considered to be weaker and far beneath them.

  The sudden mental howl from Loper the wolf was so loud Daniel wondered if it was audible to the people around him. They were all talking about cooperation and how the JMTF would work while the alpha male sent a visual from the vicinity of the Northland Holding. Four inn-sized houses, four stories high, all topaz blue, and having the Benhannon family crest on their white slanted roofs and over the doors, were being blown to pieces, one blast at a time. The recently rebuilt stables were a pile of stone slabs. Through the sensitive ears of the wolf, Daniel heard the whistles of falling containers of trinitrotoluene along with the explosive impact of the devices that were already hitting the ground. Looking up, he could see nothing but clear blue sky. The ovoid bombs seemed to be appearing in mid-air. “They must have at least one Aakacarn on board to cast the invisibility spell,” he said out loud, bringing the discussions to a halt. Every eye was on him. “Invisible airships have all but destroyed the Northland Holding.”

  “Yes, I see it too,” Sherree said, no doubt receiving a visual from one of the creatures in her swirl.

  “I cannot make contact with any of my scouts that were in or near the buildings,” Simon announced with sadness in his voice. They would have responded to him awake, asleep or injured.

  Jeremiah let out a frustrated sigh. “I’ve lost two scouts, but those still alive cannot see the airships that are dropping the explosives. How is it our Accomplisheds there failed to sense the spells that propel the skyship or sky-cruisers, whatever they are?”

  Daniel had been wondering about that as well. The Accomplisheds should have sensed what was coming and placed shields on the buildings and stables. Many of the Sentinels and Guardsmen in those buildings might not have been wearing their shield amulets. The death toll could be high.

  As he pondered the matter, harmonic waves crashed into and right through him, waves far more powerful than were created during his casting from within the Great Crystal at Mount Shantear. The mighty ripple effect was coming from the south. He could hear the crystal and glass vases, mugs, and the windows of the inn shattering. People were screaming and hollering in the streets.

  “This is impossible!” Runyen’s shout directed everyone’s attention to him. “Tarin Conn has appeared in Aakadon. The Dark Maestro is personally attacking the Emerald Tower.”

  “We are feeling the power of a Thirty-bolt Accomplished with a matching crescendo,” Talmon Reese gave an accurate assessment.

  Daniel’s Northland Holding was under assault and so was the home of the Willow Guild. “Terroll, we are going to convey from here to the Holding. This meeting was productive and I look forward to the next one, but the current crisis must be dealt with.” The intensity of the harmonic waves made it impossible to speak in a steady voice.

  Terroll stood up and gave the traditional nod of respect as did the other members of his delegation. “This location was your choice. The next is mine. We shall meet in one month in Aakadon. The conference room in the ruby pyramid will do.” His voice was equally shaky, but clear in purpose.

  Daniel glanced at Sherree, she nodded slowly, and he focused on Terroll. “It is agreed.” He tossed a communication amulet to his former teacher, who caught it deftly. “Use that when you feel the need to chat.” The Grand Maestro nodded and pocketed the device.

  Everyone was on their feet, Sero and Carlos were crossing the floor and when they came within a stride of Daniel, he cast Conveyance and appeared moments later on the hill from which Loper provided the visual.

  Chapter Seventeen: Successful Raids

  Ana Tigress sat in the command chair of the Sky-cruiser Geist. The great blue vessel was fifty spans from the Ducaunan border. Through the forward tinted window she could see the landscape full of trees and rolling hills below. The view out the right and left windows showed more of the same. If she swiveled her command chair around, the view would be of the four identical airships flying in formation behind the Geist. “Wind direction?” She called out.

  “Coming out of the north,” replied Accomplished Dawill. The skinny Aczencopan-born Aakacarn possessed a tenor voice that had a musical quality.

  Three Aakacarns, all of them One-bolts, served under her along with twelve Pentrosans. Swine were not permitted on her ship. The amulets were powered by Accomplisheds, Berry Konoil for the drive unit and helm, Kim Coultrane for the shield and sail, and the last, Rielly Dawill, for maintaining invisibility, and he also served as the navigator. The Pentrosans handled the explosives and she did not care what their names were. Sergeant whatever was in charge and every member of his squad knew what they were supposed to do. Non-Aakacarns were interchangeable and easily replaced, why bother learning their names?

  The small array on her head kept her in contact with the four other commanders. “Ninety degree turn to the south,” she ordered. The comma
nd went out to all of the sky-cruisers. “Cease potential to the drive unit and raise the sails.”

  The giant forward sail slowly peeled away from the hydro-gas-filled superstructure, opening up like an umbrella, and caught the wind. “Invisibility fields,” she gave the command. The great Tarin Conn had adapted the spell, Unnoticeable. The one she and the other guild members had in their repertoires only shaped the invisibility field over the caster. The modified one locked into the amulet covered the entire airship.

  Ana pondered the mission and knew previous air raids had failed to do little more than blow up the stables and prune the forest in the past. The Atlantans clearly had spells to warn them of alien potential approaching. The Serpent Guild had similar spells that sensed the active use of life-force energy. She also knew the limits of teleportation. No one can teleport into a shielded building, which meant the Atlantans could not leave the protection on their buildings all of the time. Not even foot traffic could pass through the shields or even air for that matter.

  Her chief concern had to do with procedure. Did the Atlantans only raise the shields when they sensed an attack or did they have a schedule, one mark after dawn for say two marks and then they lower them to allow teleportation and general walking from building to building? At the very least some of them had to go to the stables to care for the horses.

  The results from the most recent raids suggested the shields only came up when an attack was expected. She was betting her life on those results. If the Atlantans somehow managed to sense the approach of five airships and the shields on those buildings were in place, she and her team of sky-cruisers would go up in five tremendous flash-bangs. Between the trinitrotoluene and the hydro-gas, all that would remain of the vessels and crews would be tiny shredded pieces of bodies and reed-strands burnt beyond recognition.

  Even with the danger she was thrilled. As long as no fool summoned potential for a spell, the ships would remain unnoticeable and the Atlantans would not know what was happening until the bombs fell on their heads. It was an odd feeling, being vulnerable and powerful at the same time.

  “Team Leader,” Ursula Duggan’s voice came into her head through the array. She commanded the Shimmer. “We are a quarter of a mark from the Benhannon Northland Holding as the wind blows.”

  “I want your Pentrosans to drop the full load,” Ana sent, even though her friend already knew. The words were for the other commanders connected to the array. “Other than the invisibility spell, no use of potential is permitted, even after we drop our loads. We will continue south until we are far away from the holding and then sail well to the east before we close the sails and feed potential into the drive units for our return trip.”

  “Why not just blow the blighted Atlantans and their Sentinels to bits and then power up and head back to base?” Accomplished Sven Walker asked a foolish question.

  Ana was beginning to regret her decision to give him command of the Mirage. “The reason why not, is if you happen to miss a few of those blighted Aakacarns, they will blow you out of existence. You are also failing to take into account the Accomplisheds that might teleport into the area, perhaps even a certain Seven-bolt.”

  “Everyone knows he is in a meeting with the Grand Maestro,” Accomplished Sheena ZuCamperton sent through the array. She commanded the Specter and possessed a little more sense than Walker, usually.

  The smugness carried along with the words grated on Ana’s nerves. “Tri-Conductor Chen took a gamble over the exact whereabouts of Daniel Benhannon and lost. Go ahead, ZuCamperton, take the bet, and we will be sailing back to base while your remains are scattered all over the landscape. But before you do, make sure you destroy your assigned target.”

  “My crew will blow up the stables, although I would much prefer to blow up a building full of Sentinels rather than their horses,” ZuCamperton replied. “Even so, all will be as you say, Team Leader.”

  “Sheena, that is what you should have said in the first place,” Glenda Rainmaker sent through the array. She commanded the Phantom and had worked with Ana in the past.

  As long as ZuCamperton acknowledged her target and who was in command, Ana considered the matter settled. All was proceeding as planned. Just to be sure, she decided to clarify the targeting. “The Geist will bomb building one, the Shimmer will bomb building two, the Mirage will bomb building three, the Phantom will bomb building four, and the Specter will bomb the stables. Five ships, five targets.”

  “Acknowledged,” came the reply in harmony through the array from each commander.

  The Benhannon Northland Holding came into sight well before it was within bombing range. Four walls, each thirty cubits high, three thick, and a span wide, protected what was at the exact center, four inn-sized buildings and the stables. The trees within the walls that surrounded the holding proper were down as a result of the last raid. The Atlantans had not yet managed to clear the area or replant the crops that once grew in the south field, but one Sentinel was galloping her mount over the flat surface. Not a single structure showed the slightest damage, but that would not be the case for long if Ana could help it.

  Soon the Geist was floating silently over the north wall. Benhannon Guardsmen were standing watch and the futility of it made her laugh. They had no clue what was floating over their heads. Not even she could see the other sky-cruisers. The Geist flew at about five hundred cubits in the air and so should be the other ships. From that height it was impossible to miss their targets.

  Men and women in blue wool uniforms were walking from building to building, some going to the stables, and others milling about the center to which all of the four-storied structures were facing. The Sentinel was still giving her Ducaunan Racer a good workout in the south field. The activity meant no one below was aware of the approaching danger. Anticipation sent tingles rippling through Ana’s body as the Geist drew closer to building one. At precisely the right moment she called out, “Sergeant, drop the entire load.”

  “It will be as you say,” replied the dark-haired pasty-faced man garbed in brown wool.

  Twenty-five bombs dropped from the bottom of the gondola and before she could count to ten, the thunderous sound of multiple detonations came one after the other and was followed by concussive forces that stuck the airship and caught the sail, shoving the vessel forward and slamming Ana against the back of her chair. The Geist shook violently, it was a good thing there were no more trini-bombs on board or she and her crew would be dead. “Berry, go with the flow. I know we are not headed due south, but these forces might tear apart the sails if you continue trying to fight them. We can make course corrections later.”

  The shaking eased, proving the man was doing as told even before he said, “It will be as you say.”

  She swiveled her chair around to get a look at the damage. “It worked!” She could not keep from shouting and her crew whistled and shouted along with her.

  Not only was building one a huge pile of rubble; all of the structures were down. The iron shards had ripped apart many of the people who had been walking across the compound only moments before. From what she could make out as the great blue ship drifted farther away, the bodies that were still intact did not rise.

  She noticed the outpost belonging to the Ducaunan Royal Cavalry and sighed, knowing there was no way to destroy it short of summoning potential for a spell. The Geist was still close enough to the bombed-out holding that any Accomplisheds of the Atlantan Guild who teleported into the area would be able to sense the sky-cruiser’s location.

  As each commander reported their success, the enormity of what they had accomplished began to sink in and she no longer cared about a single log fort. Ana spoke out loud and through the array. “Congratulations all teams. We have done what no other raid has managed. We have completely destroyed the Benhannon Northland Holding and have done so without sustaining a single loss. Now all we need to do is get back to base.”

  While her crew was stilling celebrating, Ana removed an amulet from
the inner pocket of her cloak and placed the gem against her forehead. “First Lady, mission accomplished.”

  “You have done well,” Serena sent back with a sense of great satisfaction. “I will inform my husband. Prepare yourself, his wrath is about to be unleashed upon his enemies, and everyone in the world will tremble.”

  The end of her sentence was punctuated by the most powerful harmonic waves Ana had ever felt. It seemed as if her very bones were vibrating in time with the ripples. Shaking hands and pulsations she could feel in her teeth did not stop her from sending her thoughts through the amulet, “All Praise and glory to the mighty Tarin Conn!”

  -----

  Pleased with the destruction of Daniel’s holding in northern Ducaun, Tarin Conn appeared in the subbasement of the Emerald Tower with twin canteens attached to his belt. If not for his yellow-tinted potential banishing the shadows from corner to corner, it would have been dark as pitch in the small room. About eleven hundred years earlier he had been a member of the Willow Guild and knew all the secret and forgotten places. Going by the accumulation of dust, he estimated no one had been in the empty room for many centuries.

  “O’ mighty city of the Aakacarns, up till now your streets and elegant buildings have never been touched by war. Today, you will know the wrath of Tarin Conn,” he spoke in a spell-amplified voice that reverberated throughout all of Aakadon. It was not possible for the residents to determine where he was, but they would know soon enough.

  Tarin lifted high the black mamba with its ruby eyes and summoned the potential for his newest composition, Burning Beam of Light. He focused the life-force energy through the crescendo and twin beams, brighter than a desert sun at noon, shot from the eyes of the serpent. They burned through the ceiling, into the basement, in through the next floor, and then the following levels on up. The harmonics caused the entire building to hum as the vibrations rippled through the floors of the emerald structure. His beams burned a hole all the way up and through the roof of the skyscraper. He ceased the potential momentarily and then began burning a second wide hole to the left of the first. When those beams punched through the roof, he whirled the black mamba around and around above his head, cutting through emerald slabs and causing the entire building to tremble.