A triple pulse washed through the world and Leah’s eyes widened. “Someone just cast a major spell. It came from the north. What is Balen Tamm up to?”
Daniel removed his shirt, it being the fastest way to convince her of his rank, and watched as her mouth dropped open at seeing the seven golden lightning bolts in his skin. He put the shirt back on. “Balen Tamm cannot do anything. What we felt, I believe, is Tarin Conn attempting to break free of his tomb in Kelgotha.”
“You speak of Balen Tamm with certainty while being less so about the Dark Maestro,” Leah commented.
“We have some catching up to do,” he told her and went on to relay to her what occurred from the time he and Tim went on the mission to confront Balen Tamm to how she came to be in Bashierwood. He had done some judicial pruning of the facts, seeing as he did not yet know her plans or how she would react to him claiming to be the Chosen Vessel at the end of his monologue. Now he was about to find out the last. Would she believe what he claimed in his tale?
She stared at him for what seemed like marks, but was actually only a few minutes, and then asked, “What is your guild affiliation, are you on another mission for the Grand Maestro, and more importantly, how did you heal me?”
They sat there, studying each other and then Daniel decided to give her a little more information. “Efferin Tames sees me as a rival, not the Chosen Vessel, so no I am not affiliated with any guild and have enough chores of my own without him adding to them. The Grand Maestro has no say in what I do. I restored you by casting my own version of Condemnation, only in reverse. Ducaun is preparing for the coming war against the Serpent Guild while the other kingdoms and Aakadon seem more interested in us than in the machinations of Tarin Conn and his minions.”
She sat quietly, evidently taking the time to consider what he told her and how to respond. She glanced down and then refocused her dark-eyed stare at him. “Why blue silks?”
He nearly laughed at the lightness of the question coming on the heels of what he just told her. “The shade of my potential is topaz. You can change them to red on black if you want, and maybe alter the belt buckle to show your guild.” He added that last hoping she would get the hint and reveal her affiliation.
She smiled brightly. “Right up until I legally died, I was a Senior Soarer of the Eagle Guild.”
Daniel wondered about her choice of words. “Legally died?”
“When an Accomplished is believed to have been Condemned the Aloe Guild obtains one of the person’s communication amulets and determines if the individual has been Condemned. Once verified, the victim is declared dead, everyone who has an amulet made by that person destroys it in a ceremony, and the person’s name is stricken from the rolls of the guild, except as a memorial. So I, like you, am legally unaffiliated.”
Her situation seemed to be no more than a formality. When she returns to Aakadon, they will see she is alive, and accept her back. “You are free to come and go as you will. The room is paid for, so do not worry about the money, and know I will pay for however long you need to stay. Lydia will send me the bill. If you prefer, I can have my Account Keeper book passage to Aakadon. The choices are yours and you owe me nothing for the restoration.”
She began shaking her head. “There’s where you are wrong. My brain and will are one and my body mine to command, but I owe you a gratuity on a scale I can scarcely imagine.”
Before she could say anymore, Daniel decided to give her more facts. “I am an Aakasear. I can modify existing spells, such as Condemnation, and I can compose new spells. Few people know this truth and Efferin Tames is not one of them. He would see me as another Tarin Conn. Soarers have questioned some of my associates using Truth Speak and I have already been warned by a Senior Soarer that Aakadon is not a safe place for me. I have restored others from Condemnation, including Accomplisheds of Aakadon, all of the spell casters have gone back to the city, and are trying to convince the hard-headed citizens to accept me as the Chosen Vessel. Think about that before you promise to do me any favors.”
Leah placed her hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “The fact you restored me and the others from Condemnation proves to me you are not another Tarin Conn. I could almost see the swirling of events as you described what all has taken place and there is no question in my mind you are the focal point of the vortex. I want to join your muster. I once chose the Eagle Guild so I could be on the front lines of the struggle against Balen Tamm. After being Condemned and restored, why would I throw away the opportunity to serve the Maestro who defeated him and destroyed his headquarters? I want to serve the Chosen Vessel, Daniel, I want to serve you.”
He did not doubt her sincerity, even so, he had to asked, “What if Efferin Tames orders me and all who help me to be arrested? Senior Soars might well come for us and what will you do then?”
Leah brought her face right next to his, looking him dead in the eyes. “You are the Chosen Vessel. They can get out of your way or be cast aside. Either way, I will stand by you.”
Silvia had informed him of the need for Aakacarns in his service and it seemed the swirling of events is presenting him with his first. “I am not a Maestro,” he told her.
“Could have fooled me,” she replied.
Daniel chuckled. “I don’t think you are easy to fool,” he responded while she patiently waited for an answer to her proposal. “Welcome Leah Barryn, you are my first Accomplished.”
Chapter fifteen: Aakademneds
Daniel sat watching Leah drink her fifth jug of water while his mind focused on the list of chores yet to be done, of which there were many. Should he travel to the northwest and meet with Chas or to the southwest and meet with Marcus? He had much to discuss with both of them. At some point in the near future the Captain of the Benhannon Guard needs to meet the Commander of the Chosen’s Sentinels.
“I was near Bolen when forty Accomplisheds of the Serpent Guild appeared in a circle containing one hundred Condemneds. The Accomplisheds were facing outward, casting spells, and killed most everyone in sight. Accomplished Munsford, my guild associate, stayed hidden. We were greatly out numbered, yet I felt compelled to intervene, even knowing to do so could result in death or worse. Well, you know the result,” Leah shared her story without having been asked.
Daniel came and sat beside her on the bed. “The experience was the worst,” he agreed. “I am sorry you had to endure months in such a state.”
Her eyes focused straight ahead at the wall, yet he knew the image in her mind was the true focus. “The things I was compelled to do, watching in horror as my body was commanded to kill people, and the things I was forced to eat,” she added and then closed her eyes, took a breath, and continued. “I was originally brought to Balen Tamm, Condemned, and then taken to a holding facility for Aakademneds.”
“What are Aakademneds?” Daniel wondered.
“That is the term Balen Tamm has for Aakacarns after Condemning them. My time at the facility was brief. I ended up back at Serpent Central and stayed there until it began to collapse. Tamm had ordered me to live, so my body was compelled to make every effort to stay alive, and my legs kept moving until stopping where you found me.”
Something in her tale sparked a thought, Daniel had assumed the majority of Condemneds were being kept in Mount Gosian, and that most of them died when the tunnels came crashing down. “Where is the facility you spoke of?”
Leah began drinking from jug number six, gulped about a third of the contents, and then placed the jug on the table. “The Aakademneds are kept in chambers within Mount Tirana.”
Daniel wondered how many other things the Serpent Guild was up to within Ducaun. After awhile he decided to focus on what is known rather than waste time speculating on the wild things his imagination was coming up with. He began briefing Leah on his current mission, the people already in his service, and ended with, “So in addition to raising a muster, I am locating Condemneds with the goal of restoring them, and trying to cleanse Ducaun of the Serpent Guild.”
Leah nodded her understanding. “Your mission is my mission, the tasks will be difficult even working within this kingdom, and I suppose Ducaun must be your focus for now, yet the Serpent Guild’s machinations are not limited to Cleona’s realm. As the Chosen Vessel, you will eventually face your enemies on a global scale.”
A part of him understood his battle with the other Vessel would eventually encompass every nation, yet one man with an Aakacarn wife, a four-bolt Accomplished, and less than a thousand non-Aakacarns simply is not capable of battling the Dark Maestro’s forces at every point. He had to break the chore down to manageable bits; just working within Ducaun kept him busy, the chores to be done in light of this new information will take a major effort, and would only be a step closer to achieving the goals set by the Queen. “Duly noted, eventually the fight will be world-wide. We will begin here. Before I introduce you to Jared, Silvia, and David, I would like to take a mark and work on increasing your repertoire.”
Leah’s eyes swept the room before fixing on him with her lips forming into a smile. “I am always interested in learning new spells and hope you have some instruments, unless you plan on whistling the Melodies.”
Daniel remembered learning the spell, Talon Strike, from Samuel using the method she mentioned. “I have developed a quicker method of instruction. The spell I use is of limited duration so multiple sessions will be required, yet I believe I can impart most of what you need to know within a mark.
Leah’s left eyebrow arched up speculatively. “You have a new method of instruction, something more innovative than is done at Tames Hall?”
Daniel smiled, seriously doubting any innovation had occurred in Aakadon in over a thousand years. “Watch and learn, first Accomplished.”
He summed the potential for, Teach Me and twin beams of light shot from his eyes into hers. He taught her Variable Shield, Conveyance, Find All, and Teach Me, along with instructions on how each spell should be cast and why, and then, Heart’s Beat As One, How Do You Feel, Heal Wounds, Heal Burns, Make Well, and also Vitality.” The Del Segno brought Teach Me to an end and the first session to a conclusion.
Leah’s eyes blinked rapidly and she touched her forehead. “That was incredible. You implanted Symphonic spells right into my mind. I mean, wow, this is fantastic, where did you get the idea?”
Daniel hesitated to answer at first and then decided to go ahead and say, “Tarin Conn gave me the idea. He can link to the mind of anyone who enters the caves on Mount Kelgotha and can control yetis, sasquatches, and Condemneds. I composed a spell which allows me to link my mind to any living thing, including people. Mind Touch allows me to send my thoughts directly into their minds and I figured it would be a good way to teach spells to someone like you. I added a Del Segno in the composition which automatically severs the link after a tenth of a mark, so no one’s mind can be enslaved, and then titled the new version Teach Me.”
“Are you going to teach me Mind Touch?” Leah asked.
Daniel held up his hand so she would know he needed her to wait, then played Mind Touch in his head without summoning the potential, and then added a seventh line in the harmony to make the spell ineffective on humans. “I am ready to teach you the spell and have made it harmless to humans. I’ve found having animals as scouts and agents to be very effective and believe you will too. In fact, it was a falcon named Dart who made it possible for me to find you so quickly.”
He began the second session of her education, teaching her, Mind Touch, Fashioning, Shield All, What Is This, Refresh, Change It, and Hunger, until the Del Segno kicked in and brought the teaching to and end.
The third and final session, for the time being, allowed him to teach her, Die Now, Personal Shield, Jet Of Air, Lance Of Air, Pebbles Of Fire, Timeless, and Sleep Time.
“These spells are incredibly advanced and extremely useful. I can convey myself and others to a place far away like the Serpent Guild can, except Conveyance only requires one bolt of potential while they need an entire circle of Accomplisheds in concert,” Leah commented.
Daniel nodded agreement and pointed to her right. “Cast, What Is This, and touch that table.”
An amethyst glow surrounded her as she did as he instructed. “I see what it is made of and deeper down I see little worlds with tiny moons spinning around them.”
“That’s right. Everything is made up of those little worlds with tiny moons and every living thing has what I call recipe strands,” Daniel explained.
Leah’s eyes widened. “This is how you gave me a body in better shape than the original.”
“Yes, I chose to follow what your personal recipe called for,” Daniel replied. “What Is This, Hunger and Change It, are also required. You can heal most anything short of death with the spells I have taught you in these sessions. Restoration is a spell that can be used either way, to restore a person or reshape them into something else that is completely enthralled to the caster.”
“You did not teach me Restoration,” she was quick to point out.
“All of the spells I have taught you are to be kept between us and not to be shared with anyone not associated with us. As my first Accomplished I will likely teach you new compositions, but there are spells in my repertoire no one but me needs to know and Restoration is one of them,” he explained, hoping she would understand this did not mean he considered her untrustworthy.
Leah gave the customary nod of respect. “Every guild has spells that are not to be shared with outsiders and has spells restricted to its Maestro. This is a concept I have become well acquainted with in my seventy-eight year career as an Accomplished of the Eagle Guild,” she replied, slanted her head to the left and said, “I will save you the trouble of asking. I may appear to be thirty-two, but I am actually ninety-seven, and thanks to you, I will never look thirty-three.”
“Glad I could help,” Daniel replied, and when she kept staring at him expectantly added, “I recently turned twenty and have not decided when to cast Timeless upon myself.”
“Don’t wait too long.” Leah gave her unasked for advice. A few quick raps on the door caught her attention and she called out, “Enter.”
Jared, Silvia, and David came in and Daniel stood up quickly after imagining what he, sitting on the bed beside Leah, must look like. He made introductions and the three welcomed her to the swirl of the Chosen Vessel.
“I think we should go eat,” Daniel suggested as much to consume food as to end the awkward moment.
David maintained a totally unnecessary smirk on his face until they reached the bottom of the stairs. Both he and Silvia’s hands were suddenly resting on their daggerlances. People were everywhere, including a few cavalry officers, but mostly folks Daniel had grown up with, and all were armed and staring at him.
Hough Bess stepped forward. “Sir Daniel, we were wondering if you could enlighten us about those waves that have been occurring.”
Captain BenJamin ran a finger along his dark mustache and took his place beside the Mayor. “I have my garrison on full alert, everyone in town is carrying bows and knives, and yet you appear calm as a winter pond.”
Daniel considered telling them they had nothing to be concerned about, yet to do so did not seem right. “Tarin Conn is testing the limits of his prison like a caged animal. For now the bars, as it were, are holding, and what we have been feeling is his attempts to break free.”
Eyes widened and faces grew pale at the news and just when it seemed like people were about to panic, the age old mountaineer spirit took hold and stubborn determination gradually settled over everyone. Now was the time to harden the resolve. “Thunder warns us of a coming lightning storm, think of the harmonic waves as something similar, and likewise understand that swords, bows, and knives affect neither. I am calm because the danger is not in the crackling boom of thunder and I can do nothing about the noise. The Dark Maestro is still trapped beneath Mount Kelgotha and the harmonic waves, while unsettling to experience and dangerous to shaky structures;
cannot harm me here. In fact, I see the ripples as a sign the shield still holds.” Daniel watched as people began to nod acceptance of his words.
The residents began talking among themselves and gradually the crowd lessened as folks decided to go about their chores, most of them saying, “Like thunder,” and, “Good to know the shield still holds.”
“You handled that well,” Leah commented. “I would have told them not to worry and something along the lines of, it is an Aakacarn matter, and best to be left up to Accomplisheds to handle.”
Silvia stepped beside the tall Ecoppian. “That would have disbursed the crowd and been as useless as a Teki chief without a troop at calming their nerves.”
Leah stared down at the acrobat. “Point taken, those of us trained in Aakadon often fail to consider the nerves of commoners, and I will work to correct that attitude in me.”
Hough and Captain BenJamin walked out together as did Val and Todd, who must have been as frightened as everyone else to seek out Daniel’s opinion. The officer and the Mayor had both thanked Daniel while the newlyweds gave him a final glance and exited the Polkat. “I have pancakes, sausage, and eggs on the stove if anyone is interested in eating,” Lydia mentioned to anyone within earshot who might be hungry.
Daniel and his friends ordered their breakfasts and waited at table three. He told them about Mount Tirana and what he decided to do about it. “Are you open to suggestions?” Leah asked after he was through explaining to the others.
“I have found him to be one who will listen.” Silvia apparently felt the need to answer for him. She and David both had a habit of taking it upon themselves to spare him the burden of answering questions.
Leah nodded her head and continued on as if Daniel had answered. “You seem to have the desire to convey us directly to Tirana, destroy the nest, and liberate however many Aakademneds are there.”
To Be A Maestro (The Maestro Chronicles) Page 25