To Cast The First Spell (The Maestro Chronicles)

by John Buttrick

  Daniel broke the spell and opened his eyes. Sherree, Samuel, and Jerremy, stood before him looking as though they each had a hundred different questions for him. They had to have seen his aura and knew he had cast a spell. They were probably dying to know what kind, but he was not going to give them the satisfaction of asking. “We are completely surrounded. Most of the yetis are coming from the north, but there are thousands moving up from the south, east, and west approaches,” he told Hough, figuring this was not the time to be obscure with the facts, let the Talenteds make of him what they wanted.

  Sherree’s left eyebrow arched upward. It was difficult to say whether she was surprised by the news or by hearing such information could be obtained by a half trained Potential.

  He found more often and than not his gaze fell on her whenever the three were together. Those emerald eyes hinted at intelligence. Her attractive appearance seemed at odds with her current demeanor. She had an unpredictable quality, full of compassion one moment and tenacious as a hound on a hunt the next.

  Jerremy stood blank-faced like a noble who has decided all of this is beneath his concern. Samuel, on the other hand, fidgeted as if he was going to burst if he did not say something.

  “Should I order people to their positions?” Hough asked. He seemed to accept the report as he would a documented fact.

  The answer was obvious but evidently the man needed to hear confirmation. “Yes, that would be wise,” Daniel replied, and then focused his attention on the Talenteds. “You three should be heading for the southern barricade,” he said, hoping to forestall any questions.

  “What about the Accomplisheds of the Serpent Guild?” Sherree asked.

  Daniel stared at the ground. These Talenteds would not even be a challenge to the Aakacarns directing the battle. The three before him did not need to know the enemy location, but answering might get them into position quicker. “Three Accomplisheds are on the north trail,” he said, expecting them to be satisfied with that.

  “They did little more than send in yetis last time,” Sherree remarked, with a tenacity that was wearing a little thin. “Do you expect a more direct involvement now?”

  Daniel glanced at the barricade; he really had no time for this. “Yes, they didn’t do much yesterday because they were caught by surprise,” he replied, wanting to take up his position on the crates.

  “Oh, what surprise?” Sherree persisted.

  The warning bell sounded and people scrambled out of every building. Hough shouted orders, sending individuals to their assigned positions. That is, everyone but the three Aakacarns who seemed bent on gleaning more information. They stood as if rooted to the spot and time was of no consequence.

  “Get to your positions,” Daniel said, much louder than he intended.

  He turned without waiting for a reply and ran to the barricade with Tim close on his heals. He leaped a stash of arrows and landed beside Kemer, who had just leapt from the fortification.

  “We’re ready for’em,” said the old archer. His wrinkles were deceptive to anyone who did not know him. In spite of his age those eyes were sharp as those of an owl and he was still one of the best shots with the long bow on Tannakonna.

  “Good. We’ll show them they have bitten off more than they can chew,” Daniel replied, and then climbed onto the barricade.

  He waited while Kemer gave a nod of agreement and took up a position on the barricade. Tim came up right behind him. Twenty men stood waiting for orders while Daniel stared out across the field

  He blinked twice at the sight, knowing about the enemy numbers from the spell was different than seeing them. Yetis streamed from the forest with amazing swiftness for beasts of their bulk. “Launch volley!” he shouted as the first row came into range.

  Arrows flew into the sky and arched downward into their targets with deadly accuracy. Twenty yetis fell on their faces with shafts in their chests.

  The forces of Balen Tamm continued to advance, trampling over the dead and dying as though dross to be swept away.

  “Launch volley!” Daniel shouted, and watched sixteen yetis and four Condemneds fall dead in their tracks.

  Killing forty out of the hundreds rushing forward seemed about as effective as scooping a few drops out of a pond, especially with thousands more coming up behind. At that rate, the barricade would be long since over run before the first hundred were dead.

  He knew what needed to be done. The leaders had to be eliminated first. Eyeing the terrain, he spotted movement on Binkman’s Cliff. The three Accomplisheds were up at the edge, which made sense since it gave the best view of the village. The third member of the group stood hunched over on short legs with arms twice as long as they should be, yet he glowed with potential, radiating a pinkish light not unlike that of Cenni Quen. He seemed to be mimicking the motions made by the other spell casters. All three were in the process of casting spells, possibly the means by which they control yetis and Condemneds.

  “Daniel Benhannon,” a tenor voice sounded, amplified no doubt by some sort of low powered spell. “I am Serin Gell, Accomplished of the Serpent Guild, and commander of the legion. Surrender immediately and your village will be spared,” he added, loud and clear enough to be heard over the shouting defenders and howling yetis alike.

  There was no lull accompanying those words, the foul beasts continued to advance. Daniel took the offer for what it was worth, spit on the ground. It was a ploy to turn the village against him. Orin probably stood debating the merits on the western barricade while notching an arrow.

  “Launch volley!” Daniel shouted, and watched as nineteen yetis fell with arrows in their hearts. Number twenty fell wounded and was immediately trampled to death.

  “You can’t surrender,” Kemer said while drawing back an arrow on his bow. “This is a trick. If they’d wanted to, they’d taken you when you and Tim was still out in the woods.”

  Daniel nodded; pleased to see he was not the only one to recognize the offer as false. “Yes, I know,” he said, and returned to studying the field.

  The auras around the Accomplisheds brightened substantially. Serin Gell seemed to be the one conducting. They were up to something more than directing the assault, a High Power spell to be sure, but what kind?

  With the sound of a thunder clap, a ball of fire six cubits across exploded into being. It floated ten strides higher than the tallest tree on Tannakonna and loomed menacingly over the cliff.

  Daniel raced through everything Terroll had taught him and still could not come up with a counter spell. Slowly, random notes began to form, too late…

  The fiery orb darted forward, sailing over the barricade close enough to force everyone to drop to their bellies and then slammed into the Polkat. Flames engulfed the fifth floor and spread quickly. Loud screams and panic irrupted as people rushed to do battle with the raging inferno. The advancing yetis made it impossible for any of the defenders to leave the barricades.

  The pit of Daniel’s stomach was a boiling caldron. People he knew since childhood were being roasted alive. He gave up on the Melody taking shape in his mind, there was not time to finish the composition, and folks were dying. He settled on a spell Terroll had taught him, but added a few modifications. He summoned his six bolts of potential at the well in front of the inn. A low rumble grew steadily and the ground began to shake, as if the entire mountain stood ready to explode. The brick and wood covering broke and splintered, bucket and all, destroyed as the water gushed up out of the ground and formed into a fountain rising eighty strides into the air. Water rained down on the village and extinguished the fire.

  Daniel was soaked to the skin, as was most everything and everyone in Bashierwood. He broke the gusher spell and concentrated on the enemy. Blue tendrils of light snaked from his fingers, striking all three Accomplisheds, and nothing happened. They must have anticipated his response. He scratched his head, trying to think of a spell they could not shield against, something that would affect them indirectly. He scanned the rock fac
e, hoping to find the answer. “Launch volley!” he shouted as more yetis came into range.

  An idea formed and with it a Melody Terroll had not taught him. He wished he knew the source of all the new spells, but was grateful where ever they came from.

  “Why are you smiling?” Tim asked, from down the line, both eyebrows raised, looking as though facing a madman.

  “You’ll see,” Daniel replied, and then used the new Melody to summon the potential. The thrill of drawing and harnessing the power of his life force filled his soul.

  The archers were bathed in bright blue light and staring wide eyed at him. The energy required for this spell was well within their visual range, where as the low powered death spell had not been. He focused, sending twin beams of light from his hands into the rock face. Loud popping sounds came from the cliff as cracks developed and within moments Binkman’s Cliff came crumbling down with a roar, taking along with it the three Accomplisheds and twelve of the Condemneds. One Aakacarn seemed to vanish just before the rest of his comrades were buried under tons of stone and dirt.

  Daniel would have screamed if he thought it would do any good. Ripples of a teleportation spell washed through him and confirmed what he suspected; one of the Accomplisheds had escaped. He was almost willing to bet his guitarn it was Serin Gell. He knew one thing for sure, none of the Aakacarns were holding instruments, meaning, whoever had teleported should be near death wherever he ended up, unless he had a baton, in which case he would be only slightly better off.

  The yetis no longer seemed to be charging as a unit. They ran forward more like an angry mob, although the difference did not make them any less dangerous. With no one left to call a retreat, the beasts would keep coming until Bashierwood was destroyed and all were dead. Even that made little difference since the Serpent Guild apparently intended for all to die anyway.

  Daniel summoned the potential for fire and sent twin streaks of flame at the screaming monsters. Even with the three Accomplisheds gone, the battle seemed to be in favor of the Serpent Guild. He could no longer afford to defend only one side. The village would soon be overwhelmed. What he needed was a place from which to see the entire battle.

  He glanced behind and smiled. The Polkat stood taller than any other building and aside from a huge hole in the roof and some burnt planks; the inn seemed to be sound, although appearances can be deceiving.

  “Tim, take charge,” he said, without explanation, they would have to trust him. He grabbed a jug of water, leaped from the barricade and sprinted down the muddy street to the inn.

  People raised their eyebrows and some frowned at him as he entered the Polkat, ran through the dining area, and up the stairs. They no doubt expected him to be outside defending the village. He ignored them, not having the time to explain his actions. Too many lives were a stake. He reached the fifth floor and climbed out the hall window. His hands were blackened by the chard beams as he climbed the rest of the way to the roof.

  The view was excellent. He could see the entire assault. Yetis pressed in tight on the east, west, and now north. The Talenteds seemed to be holding their position well. A triple color beam shot across the field and slammed into the first three rows with enough force to knock an extra fifty or more yetis to the ground. Volley after volley rained death down upon the fallen beasts.

  He focused on the eastern defenders, who seemed the most at risk of falling at the moment. Two jets of flame burst from his hands, turning yetis into living candles as they fell screaming to the ground. The archers turned toward the Polkat and waved.

  There was no time to acknowledge their gratitude. Daniel turned to the west. The first row of yetis had succeeded in reaching the barricade and was attempting to climb the wall of crates. Bernie Keppin waited for the beasts to reach the top, and then signaled the archers. Thirty arrows flew and penetrated the thick shaggy monsters. As those fell, more of the foul beasts began their climb.

  Daniel could not risk burning down the barricade. He decided to leave the climbers to the archers and concentrate on the hordes in the field. He threw flame with a vengeance. The burning rows of dead yetis served to slow the progress of those rushing forward.

  The enormous potential flowing through him took its toll on his body. His growing thirst and parched throat made it impossible to ignore his need for water. He took the time to drink from the jug while eyeing the activity to the north. Tim seemed to be ordering volleys in rapid succession, allowing just enough time between shots for an arrow to be pulled, drawn, and aimed. Even that valiant effort did not seem to be enough. The enemy swarmed onto the field, occupying every corner to the point that not a patch of ground could be seen under their forward thrust. Daniel summoned the potential and sent streaks of fire down onto them. To the yetis it must have seemed as if fire was raining out of the sky. They were not going to make any more gains without taking heavy losses, at least not as long as he could help it. The beasts did seem to be slowed by the hungry flames, which gave the archers a few breaths between volleys.

  He sipped from the jug and sent flames down on the Western field with his free hand. The amount of yetis streaming from the forest seemed endless. He placed the jug at his feet and shot flames to the north and east simultaneously. The minions of Tarin Conn and his puppet Maestro were closing in, the numbers were simply too great. Daniel drank water while eyeing the assault. The Talenteds with their triple color beam caught his eye and sparked an idea. He could use a wind spell, but it would have to be something more effective than a wall. He ran through the list of Zephyr Guild spells Terroll had taught him and was once again disappointed to find none of them matched his current need. He hoped an inspiration would come to him and concentrated on moving air. Musical notes flowed in his mind and began to come together in a Melody. He worked it through over and over again, changing notes and modifying rhythms until his instincts told him this was the appropriate spell. He seriously doubted Tarin Conn was the source of all the helpful spells that formed in his soul when the need arose. Perhaps they were a gift from the Creator Himself. He gave thanks and summoned the potential.

  The massive flow of energy thrilled his soul and made him feel more alive than at any time in his life. The blue aura of his potential radiated from him and he focused, weaving countless bands of air into a swirling mass. He shaped the conjuration into a funnel and directed it toward the eastern field. The whirlwind touched down, sucking up yetis and Condemneds like an aardvark over an ant hill. He moved the tornado across the field, clearing a broad path through the enemy forces.

  The number of yetis and Condemneds flowing from the forest slowed considerably. Evidently, the thoughts of facing a twister were not very appealing, even for their limited understanding.

  Daniel concentrated and brought the whirlwind around to the north, clearing away even more yetis with the effort. His thirst grew faster than expected. The demand on his potential was far greater than all the other spells combined. Effective as it was, the tornado could not be maintained. He would die of dehydration long before the legion was destroyed. He cleared the eastern field and cut off the potential, and then finished his jug of water while watching the mutilated and mingled corpses of yetis and Condemneds fall in a gruesome clump.

  The lull did not last long. Yetis came out of the forest, although not as quickly as before. Still, they came and were a threat. Daniel sighed and slumped against the chimney stack; unable to do more at the moment than watch the archers do their work. He was proud of the tornado but irritated to know he could have maintained it if he had thought to bring his guitarn. “I’m a blighted fool!” he shouted to the wind. There was no time to go get the instrument. The shaggy beasts were swarming onto the field, facing volleys of arrows. Time and sheer numbers favored the enemy. The archers would soon have nothing to draw on their bows, not good. There were only ten men in Bashierwood who had swords, which was also not good. Just about everyone had knives and axes, but how effective would they be against the sharp claws of a yeti, worse, hun
dreds of yetis?

  He rested as best as he could under the circumstances, feeling guilty for sitting there while others were fighting so desperately. His strength gradually returned and he did feel better but there would be no more grand spells. He summoned the potential for the death spell but held off focusing it. There was a lessoning of yetis entering the field from the west. A low rumble grew into a thunderous sound that he swore was caused by a stampede. What was Balen Tamm throwing at him now? He braced himself for the worst and waited, holding the potential, hoping whatever it turned out to be was something he could counter with a spell of his own.

  Soldiers in green and gold uniforms charged out of the forest with trumpets blasting and swords swinging, killing yetis and trampling them under powerful warhorses. It was the Queen’s Army.

  “Yes!” Daniel shouted, and nearly lost his footing, and did cut off his potential.

  He thought of the find spell and modified it to allow for horses and people, having had plenty of contact with both it was not necessary to go down and touch them. He sensed thousands of soldiers on horseback moving through the woods. He drew a sigh of relief. Reports of the yetis must have reached the queen, bless her royal heart. He should not be surprised, so many yetis concentrated in one kingdom is difficult to keep secret and impossible to ignore.

  The mounted soldiers swept to the north field after a tri-color wall of light appeared in the southern field and slammed into the approaching yetis. Apparently, they could recognize Aakacarns at work or at least their commanding officer did. They rode on with crimson stained swords cutting through tough yeti hide and Condemneds alike.

  Daniel looked to the east. It was time once again for him to enter the fray. Condemneds were about to breach the wall of crates. He summoned the potential for the death spell and focused. Blue tendrils of light snaked from his fingertips and struck down four Condemneds and six yetis on the spot. The spell was not spectacular and it did not kill as many of the enemy forces, but it was adequate and most importantly less draining.