Sero crawled up next to him and extended his canteen, “Here, Maestro, have some of mine.”
Daniel took the offering and drank about a third of the water, and then gave the canteen back to his assistant. “Thanks.”
“It was but a small investment in staying alive,” the Demfilian-born Aakacarn replied.
“Maestro,” Daria’s voice came in through the array. “The rays, Willow air-cruiser, and Accomplisheds on the ground have destroyed the sky-cruisers above the cities. Perhaps a score of the enemy vessels teleported away, but the rest were blown apart. All of the fighting has ceased for the moment but fires are burning and the damage in each city is extensive. I cannot yet give you a death toll or even guess at the amount of people who have been injured. Jennel and her Healers are conveying in to render aid.”
“Acknowledged, I appreciate the report. We have not yet achieved victory at Suteck, but I think we are close.”
“Yes, I am receiving reports from others in the mountain and they echo your thoughts,” she sent back and then the connection ended.
After what felt like marks but was actually only a few minutes, the energy field created by Zanner and his team failed, their vats must have been drained by the spell, and a moment later the super-heated flames incinerated everyone who had been in the circle, at least that was how it appeared to Daniel. What was left when Leah ended her spell was a huge pile of ashes, even the bones had been reduced to cinders.
He sprang to his feet as she walked up and said, “This thing certainly packs a punch,” to which he could only agree.
Leah held out the pearl-handled platinum dagger that once belonged to Vance Cummin, but Daniel refused to take it. “No, you keep it. I’ll get the next one from Tarin Conn.”
The First Accomplished pointed towards Lena Beyers, who was coming forward along with her people, Samuel, Quala, and the Seekers. “Conductor Cresh is bringing our allies.”
Perhaps someone else in the group needed to be told who was approaching, Daniel certainly did not.
“Maestro Benhannon, I am glad you arrived,” the Brightest Light in the Sun Guild stated. The blue tint of her veins could be seen through her light skin, but her face still had no wrinkles.
She and Daniel exchanged nods of respect. “So am I. It seems this was the last major struggle for the mountain. Vance Cummin has been captured and will soon be in the custody of the Eagle Guild.”
“That is excellent news,” Lena replied and going by her raised eyebrows, she had been pleasantly surprised.
“Between our Maestro and the First Accomplished, these Serpents had no chance,” Jana Bencain stated while standing beside her husband Carn. Jacob Tanner nodded agreement and quickly went back to eyeing his surroundings. The Sentinel, being a good officer, knew it was no time to be over confident. Serpents could appear at any moment.
Lena eyed Jana briefly and then focused on Daniel. “Willow air-cruisers are on the way and are bringing four thousand Eagles to help us hold this mountain.” By her tone of voice, it was unclear if the news was meant to be an assurance or a warning.
A Four-bolt Master Artisan Daniel did not recognize stepped up. “We are going to create new chambers and passageways and then fill in the old ones to prevent anyone from teleporting into the mountain,” he informed the Maestro of the Sun Guild. “We will need the Maestro of the Atlantan Guild to remove the shield he has placed on this chamber.”
The use of, “Anyone,” could have been applied to Atlantans as well as Serpents, he did not seem to have made a distinction.
The gaunt face staring out of his hooded-cloak was pale and had the hungry look of a Pentrosan who never had enough to eat no matter how much food was served to him. Never-the-less, he had to be a skillful Accomplished or he would not have reached the level of Master Artisan.
“Have your associates place a shield under my shield and then I will remove it,” Daniel told the man who refused to look him in the eyes.
“Thank you Accomplished Geraring, place the shields and proceed with the plan,” Lena told the member of the Stone Guild, and then he went back to join a small group of his associates.
Reports of success flooded into Daniel’s mind from the array. Darrel’s group overcame their foes, killing thousands, capturing hundreds, and he told of scores that teleported elsewhere and had not yet returned. Conductor Lassiter reported, “We have destroyed seven hundred eighty-two sky-cruisers,” and then Sandra reported, “Eight hundred seventy-one sky-cruisers have been destroyed and from what I could learn from the remains, each had a crew of twenty Accomplisheds.”
Shortly after receiving those reports Isaac Frees sent, “Seven hundred seventy-six sky-cruisers have been blown out of the skies above New Oben.”
Daniel thanked them all for the information. It seemed the swirling of events first favored him, then Tarin Conn, and were once again in favor of the Creator’s Champion.
“Ducanton is in bad shape,” Simon’s voice announced. “Scarlet Meado and her team have done a great job of defending the palace, it being one of the few places not in need of repairs, but we did deprive the Serpent Guild of nine hundred twenty-one sky-cruisers, with the help of some manta rays and a few of those airboats from the Willow Guild. Really Daniel I…,”
His mental connection ended abruptly and while Daniel was wondering what could have happened to his Chief Aid, Sherree’s thoughts came in through the array. “Daniel, Tarin Conn and Serena teleported into Ducanton, and, don’t panic, but they have trapped me in a spherical shield. I cannot convey, not even using my crescendo. Simon is unconscious and seems to be missing part of his right leg. I cannot focus Find All beyond the confines of this sphere and am unable to determine any more about his condition. Serena is gloating, but I can’t read her lips and..,”
Her words cut off and Daniel feared the worst. It felt to him as if time stopped and would not resume until she finished her last sentence. He was deeply concerned about Simon, and yet Sherree meant more than Daniel could adequately sum up. People around him were chattering at him, but he was not registering what they were saying.
Chapter Twenty- Seven: Daniel vs Tarin Conn
“Daniel,” Sherree’s thoughts came flooding back into his head and with a great many emotions tagging along for the ride. Fear was dominant among them but tightly controlled. “They have taken me to Mount Filia. I placed a spherical shield between myself and Conn’s shield so he cannot reduce the size of my prison. I also summoned and focused the potential for Freshen Air and my canteen is half empty, so I can survive for a while if I drink sparingly.”
“I am coming to get you,” he replied, and since Conveyance still had a Da Capo, all he needed to do was acquire a visual.
“Wait, please don’t come yet. I can feel the anger and fear building in your thoughts. I am the bait to lure you here. We both understand that.”
The closest scout Daniel had to the mountain was Rifeq. The condor was hiding in a tree on the opposite side of the lake near the base of Filia. “I am coming for you,” he insisted. Just because it was a trap did not mean he would stay away and let her die.
“I know you will, but the reason I told you about my spherical shield, Freshen Air, and the contents of my canteen is so you know there is time to plan a rescue, rather than jump here in a reflexive response that will probably get you killed,” she replied with the same sense of tightly controlled fear. “Tarin Conn is counting on you being distraught and therefore reckless.”
It took him a few minutes of steady breathing to calm himself enough to realize she was right. “Do me a favor, summon the potential for Conveyance and place a Da Capo on it and then be ready to cast the spell the moment that shield is gone.”
Conn would have to remove his shield in order to kill her. The suggestion might not work, but it would give her the best chance of survival.
A strong sense of relief and a lightening of the fear she had been transmitting came ahead of the words, “That is a good idea, I will do so, an
d I am glad you are going to wait and plan ahead.” Part of her fear must have been over the idea of him acting rashly.
“I did not say I was going to wait,” he sent back.
“No, your words implied as much, and the underlying emotions told me the rest. I have complete faith in you,” she responded and then the communication ended, rather than being cut off like before.
“Maestro Beyers one hundred ten Atlantan Guild Accomplisheds died in this conflict,” Leah was saying. “Two thousand seventeen Sentinels have died and eight thousand seven hundred seventy-two Accomplisheds of Aakadon have given their lives in the taking of this mountain. We are aware of the sacrifices that have been made,” she stated and then eyed the bodies of the fallen. “Thirty thousand Serpents are known to have died here, most of them were One and Two-bolt Accomplisheds with matching crescendos. Every Aakacarn in our guild has been issued a class one level four energy amplifier and so even our One-bolts were able to engage in Maestro level combat. You may want to consider doing something similar for your Suns,” she paused, perhaps gaging the response to her words, and then added, “We are not sure how many more died as a result of our Maestro merging them into the ceilings, walls, and floors of this complex.”
Was she adding what he had done in order to intimidate the Maestro?
The question made Daniel wonder if he should have been paying a little more attention to the attitudes of his allies from Aakadon, but his worry for Sherree overshadowed all else.
“Six thousand seven hundred eighty-three in this chamber alone,” David stated. “You can add a couple more thousand up where we started from, although he did allow the rest of us to make some kills up there and his Accomplisheds to make a few more in the spell-made tunnels.”
“Maestro Benhannon, you have been staring straight ahead, and allowing your First Accomplished to answer my question, although she has not yet fully answered my query,” Lena Beyers addressed him instead of Leah and ignored David completely, but only a fool would believe she had failed to take note of his words. “Many Accomplisheds of Aakadon have sacrificed their lives to achieve this victory. Will we share in the fruits here of or are you planning on claiming this mountain to be the property of the Atlantan Guild as you did Shantear?”
She mentioned nothing about creating level four crescendos for the members of her guild. Like most citizens of Aakadon she was a traditionalist, even if the tradition of an Accomplished only using an energy amplifier of his or her own making cost many of them their lives. She also had ignored the duplicity that had been going on back when Talmon Reese was the Maestro leading the forces of the ancient city at Shantear.
Considering past events, her question had some validity, and it was no wonder Leah had been hesitant to answer the question without knowing what her Maestro had in mind, but the thought of claiming Suteck had never entered his head and Daniel had a far more important matter to resolve. “The mountain is yours. What concerns me now is the fact that Tarin Conn has captured Sherree,” saying it out loud somehow made the abduction seem all the more horrible. “He has taken her to Mount Filia.”
The reaction was immediate, Leah brought her hand to her mouth, Jana shouted, “Oh, no,” Sero fell into Daniel and then curled up on the floor. Sam’s thick eyebrows came together in one line and Carlos whipped out his baton. “We will have to go get her back,” he declared, echoing Daniel’s determination perfectly.
Jacob, the highest ranking Sentinel in the area, stepped forward. “Sir Daniel, it might be wise to consult Commander Herling on the best way to rescue the First Lady.”
Leah brought her hand away from her mouth. “I agree with Captain Tanner.”
“Maestro, we estimate over sixty-six thousand Serpents died in the air raid and Conductor Lassiter believes the guild only has a little over twenty-three thousand Accomplisheds with which to fight. This is based on their additional losses at Suteck reported by the First Accomplished and reports he read about the estimated size of the guild before the war, back when he was a Senior Soarer. He expects most of the Serpents will soon be concentrated at Mount Filia, which is where he believes the surviving sky-cruisers have gone,” Daria reported.
The swirling of events truly could have gone either way. Both sides had committed the majority of their collective forces in the struggles over the cities and within Mount Suteck and it had come down to who made the correct decisions and reacted swiftly enough to the ebb and flow of battle. The Serpents received a mighty blow, but so had Daniel. Worry for Sherree was dominating his thoughts. He tried to lock the horrible feeling away in one of the many compartments in his mind, but the emotion kept winding its way back to the forefront. “Conductor Copa, the information you have provided is important, but Tarin Conn has abducted Sherree, has taken her to Mount Filia, and I need you to inform the rest of the guild,” he sent the thoughts while everyone in the chamber, including Accomplisheds of Aakadon, were talking over each other with words of advice they must have thought he was paying attention to. Sero was on his feet again, but was one of the few keeping his thoughts to himself.
“The First Lady has just now informed me and the Conductors who report to her of the abduction. Within a tenth of a mark there will not be a member of our guild who does not know where she is. Your Chief Aid has been conveyed to Shantear and will be asleep until Conductor Obenport returns from Ducanton,” Daria replied with a little good news. “I assure you we will get our First Lady back. You defeated the Maestro of the Serpent Guild and you will overcome his evil master as well,” she added with a powerful sense of faith and confidence flowing through the link that did not end with her sentence.
Her emotional projection helped as much as her words to rally Daniel’s determination to stomp down on the worry that had been stifling his thinking, allowing him to focus on what needed to be done. “Chas is helping to round up the Condemneds on the other side of the mountain. I want him, the yetis, and the Condemneds conveyed to Shantear, and inform the Commander I want to hear his plan for rescuing Sherree by the time I arrive at the conference room.”
“It will be as you say,” Daria sent in reply and then the mental connection ended.
He focused on the First Accomplisheds. “You are correct. Captain Tanner’s advice is good and we will soon meet Commander Herling in the conference room at Shantear,” Jacob nodded his head at hearing the words, Daniel noticed, “Every Atlantan except those who are part of the Joint Mission Task Force are to head back to their bases immediately,” he told her and then looked to the Maestro of the Sun Guild. “When the time comes and the plan is finalized, I will be calling on the full JMTF to participate in the coming assault on Tarin Conn at Filia.”
Lena’s iridescent blue eyes locked onto his dark orbs. “As of this mark of the day, we are winning the war or at least have made great gains to that end, but the contest between you and Tarin Conn will be the deciding factor. If you fall, everything we have won today will be reversed. It would take the Dark Maestro longer, but without you to stop him; he will eventually rebuild his guild and prevail against us. He has prepared a fight on a battlefield of his choosing and is expecting you. This is the worst possible time to confront him, especially knowing the more than sixteen thousands Serpents that fled this facility have likely joined their associates at Filia. The leaders you appointed and depend on to help run your guild are all Aakadon trained, and can tell you I am correct,” she paused, glancing at Leah as if for support, and then continued, “As former Senior Soarer Barryn pointed out, eight thousand seven hundred seventy-two Accomplisheds of Aakadon have given their lives in the taking of this mountain, and yet you would throw all we have achieved away to save one life,” she paused again, peering straight into his eyes. “Even so, I can see there is no way of convincing you to wait and allow us time to consolidate what we have gained.”
Everything the cold-hearted Maestro stated had been true, Daniel knew full well without consulting anyone, yet it was not in him to be reasonable when Sherree was in
danger. He shifted his gaze to Samuel.
“Serin Gell,” the Conductor spoke the name. “You have the same look in your eyes you had when the wily Serpent foolishly pointed out what he had done to Sherree. Maestro Beyers, the Chosen Vessel is going to confront the other Vessel with or without help.”
“He will not be doing so without help,” Leah stated emphatically.
“My vision is clear. The two Champions are neck in neck in the race. You of Aakadon can join Daniel’s swirl, stand aside, or be smashed when he moves,” Silvia declared.
Over a hundred Accomplisheds and over two thousand Sentinels in the vast chamber shouted, “We join him!”
Maestro Beyers shook her head as if she had difficulty believing her eyes and ears. “We will not stand in the way and the Joint Mission Task Force will be ready to do their part,” she stated, wisely agreeing to something she clearly thought was a colossal mistake.
Daniel noticed the Stone Guild Accomplisheds had placed a shield under the one he conjured to keep the chamber from falling down, so willed his shield to cease, and focused his attention back on Lena. “You may want to close your eyes and cover your ears. A whole lot of people are about to convey from this chamber and the resulting flash and bang will be intense.”
“I appreciate the warning,” the Maestro of the Sun Guild replied.
“People,” Daniel spoke in a spell-amplified voice, “We have a rescue to pull off, let’s get on with it,” and then sent through the array, “Daria, I am about to convey into the staging area in Shantear, be sure the room is clear.”
To Be Victorious: The Maestro Chronicles Book 6 Page 64