To Be A Maestro (The Maestro Chronicles)

by Buttrick, John

  The connection ended and he briefed Leah on the current political events. “I think we need to train some Accomplisheds to be emissaries and assign a pair to be near the Queen, various lords loyal to her across the kingdom, your fellow Knights of the Realm, and the legion generals,” she put forth the idea.

  Daniel leaned back in his chair, holding back his first thought, not wanting to reject her notion too quickly. “Why do we need Accomplisheds to be diplomats?”

  Leah shook her head. “Not so much to be diplomats, although the people we choose should have those skills. The main reason for the assignments would be protection and communication. As it stands today, the Serpent Guild could teleport a traveling circle into Ducanton and kill Queen Cleona. They could eliminate the entire Ducaunan command structure within a single day. Daniel, there could be invisible assassins in place as we speak. If you and I were to exchange amulets with each Accomplished assigned, we will be able to communicate important information instantly across the realm. It currently takes days and sometimes weeks for orders, inquiries, and verifications to travel back and forth across Ducaun. General Malcus of the Northwestern Legion would be able to get a message through us to General Loomis of the Southeastern Legion in moments.”

  Daniel was suddenly glad he chose to listen rather than dismiss her idea out of hand. “I agree with your reasoning and believe the former members of the Eagle Guild to be the best candidates for the task, at least for now. Be that as it is, this is not something I can make happen without Cleona’s royal seal of approval.”

  Leah grinned. “I just gave more proof of my independence of mind. You obviously did not want to do this at first” she rightly guessed, “All you have to do now is go and convince the Queen. I am sure she will see the need and be anxious to get our Accomplisheds into place.”

  Daniel began shaking his head. “I have been asked by Her Majesty to stay out of the capital until further notice. People seem to think I have undue influence over her mind.”

  “So she must die because simple minded people do not understand what is at stake?” Leah replied, losing the grin and replacing it with a hard-eyed stare.

  Daniel relaxed and placed both hands behind his head. “Not if we send Jared to propose the set up. Our association’s Account Keeper comes and goes from the capital frequently, his reputation as a shrewd negotiator is well known, and he can get an appointment to see the Royal Treasurer, who can get him in to see the Queen.”

  “What about invisible assassins?” David asked while stepping away from his position by the door and coming to stand next to his wife.

  “Do you expect Jared to convince your Queen to allow wolves into her palace?” Silvia politely inquired.

  “I expect to do what I should have done months ago, which is to focus my awareness into Loper, get a sense of his keen ability to smell, and see if I can compose a spell to make it possible for an Accomplished to sniff out what our eyes and find-spells cannot detect,” Daniel replied. “Leah, go choose the emissaries, Silvia, please ask Jared to come in here, and David, tell my parents I am shielded and currently about as safe as is humanly possible.”

  They all acknowledged his instructions and went about their assigned tasks, leaving Daniel alone with his thoughts. Moments later, Jared came in and was given his assignment.

  “I know just what to say and to whom,” the Account Keeper stated confidently, while rubbing his hands together, and then headed out the door with an apparent eagerness to get started on this new and important chore.

  Daniel focused his awareness on Loper, who was hundreds of spans to the north, and gave the wolf no instructions or requests. He simply linked with the canine as the furred scout patrolled the Northland Holding, warm under a shaggy coat, loping through the snow, and sorting out the scents on the wind with Lessa running alongside him. Experiencing the world through the senses of a wolf gave Daniel a new perspective and the sensation inspired him. A Melody began to take shape in his soul, after a short while he thought of how to play the new tune on a guitarn, and added a six note harmony. He titled the new Symphonic, Running With The Wolves, withdrew his awareness from Loper, and cast the spell upon himself. Not only could he smell the scents in the room and the various aromas wafting in under the door, his sight and hearing were vastly improved. David exhaled from the other side of the room, him and his wife having returned from the carrying out their assignments, and it sounded as if the man had blown in Daniel’s ear.

  “What? You are staring at my husband as if he has just done something rude,” Silvia’s voice boomed as if she had spoken at the top of her lungs right into Daniel’s ear. “Are you alright? Why are you covering your ears?”

  Daniel ceased the potential for, Running With The Wolves, and his senses went back to normal. “I am right as a spring rain. I just composed a spell to sniff out invisible intruders and it seems to enhance my other senses as well.”

  “Is it for Aakacarn use only or can we gain this ability too?” David asked, his eyes widening in anticipation.

  Daniel nodded his head. “The spell is an extremely low-powered Symphonic, meaning I can infuse it into an amulet and folks like you can use it with minimal drain on your life forces. I’ll shape the gem like a wolf head to make it easy to distinguish from the shield amulet and you will both get a pair. I will see to it more are distributed to our other non-Aakacarn members. Believe me when I tell you, you will not want to wear them often. However, everyone on guard duty and at least one person in each patrol should use the amulets.”

  Silvia grinned. “We look forward to using the new device.”

  “Maestro,” Artisan Marsha Obennen of the Stone Guild called in his head. This is the first time she communicated with him in such a fashion. He had given her an amulet to let him know how well she was doing at preparing the citizens of Aakadon for the arrival of the Chosen Vessel. The distress he sensed coming from her indicated the news would not be good.

  He signaled for the pair of Teki to wait while he proceeded with the mental communication. “Accomplished, David Svennar is the Maestro of your guild, I have no guild,” he felt the need to make clear. “What do you want to tell me?”

  Anxiety flowed ahead of her words. “I have failed to convince even a single member of the Stone Guild that you are the Creator’s Chosen Vessel. They all believe Efferin Tames to be the more likely candidate. All of us, even Oceanic Martin Varroon, have been declared dead and have not been allowed back into our guilds after being questioned by our respective Maestros. Most of us are living in Caster Hall, only Accomplisheds Jenna and DeSuan have been allowed back into their guilds and even their movements have been somewhat restricted. Daniel, everybody here believes you control our minds, and so our careers are effectively over. If we could, each and every one of us would return and serve you in whatever capacity we can.”

  Daniel could not say the news came as any great surprise, not after what he learned from Sherree and Cleona. The only new thing was the desire of those Accomplisheds to serve him rather than their now former guilds. “You are not a failure. The task was simply greater than expected and frankly, I never believed persuading the citizens that I am the Chosen Vessel would be easy, only possible. Are the others from the Tomlin project with you right now?”

  A lessoning of anxiety came through the link along with a sense of growing curiosity. “Yes, even young Jerremy is here, having stopped in to share lunch with us. The only person missing is Accomplished Jenna.”

  Daniel needed to be absolutely sure of each person’s commitment before he acted. “Marsha, I will accept you into my service, and will soon come and get you after I complete a few projects. I also have certain promises to keep. I want each person among your group to use the amulet I gave you and tell me directly of their intent to enter my service. Once I know where everyone stands, arrangements for transportation can be made.”

  A strong sense of pleasure and gratitude flowed through the mental link. “It will be as you say and thank you for
accepting me. I will pass the amulet to Jerremy, who is standing closest to me.”

  The amulet went from one Accomplished to another and each affirmed his or her intention to be a part of Daniel’s association. He gave them no details about his growing organization. They would learn about that when they were safely away from the Soarers and their zealous use of Truth Speak.

  Daniel nodded to his Teki escorts and headed out of the conference room. He had lunch with his parents, Tim, Gina, Silvia, and David. After eating, he met with Carlin, Keenan, and Duncan Hawk to welcome them into his service, became acquainted with about a hundred people who joined since his last visit in the south, and then Conveyed to the Northland Holding, taking with him Silvia and David.

  They arrived in his office. “I need to be alone for a little while and would appreciate it if you find something else to do,” he spoke to the couple.

  They both drew breath as if to speak and then David glanced at Silvia and nodded. “We will return in a mark,” she said and then they both exited.

  Daniel pictured his hand without the personal shield, reached over, and touched the cool stone wall. He summoned the potential for Fashioning and sent his awareness down into the new complex, added a Da Capo, and then cast Hidden Shield. Suddenly, he could no longer sense the new addition through Fashioning and ceased the potential. He cast Find All, and focused where there should be well over a thousand Aakacarns living and moving in the complex below, all he could sense was solid ground. “That chore is done and now for the next,” he spoke softly.

  Moving to stand behind his desk, he cast potential at the floor, and opened the narrow hole leading down to where the trumpet of Tarin Conn lay hidden. He levitated the object lusted after by so many up out of the hole and onto his desk beside the huge bucket of rocks, provided faithfully by Jaim Cutler. This is where the rocks will come in handy and why the order to bring them had not been rescinded. Daniel removed the shields and touched the trumpet, cast Change It, making a duplicate of the crescendo and did the same with the case. He seriously doubted the original owner could tell the difference. Not even with a spell could Daniel distinguish between the objects. This is no copy. It is exactly the same as the original. He then placed the actual trumpet of Tarin Conn back in the case, replaced the shields, lowered it down the hole, closed the opening, and then cast, Hidden Shield, to keep anyone from sensing the crescendo. The Queen and Jonah were the only people he would inform of what he just did. Now all he had to do is take the duplicate trumpet and the flute of Della Lain to Aakadon.

  Chapter Eighteen: A Trip To Aakadon

  Terroll Barnes sat in dinning area two of the ten located on the ninth floor of the Zephyr Guild, the outer walls of which were made by meticulously spell-binding millions of diamonds into a four hundred cubit high structure, giving it a translucent quality. Half way up the huge building split into twin towers stretching up another two hundred cubits. Unlike his predecessor, who dined alone and often stayed in his office, Terroll preferred to eat with his association members and circulate among them. Bernie, his Chief Aid, sat nearby and kept glancing at the chrono disc on the far wall, a silent reminder of the time. The two-bolt Accomplished had yellow-gold hair, a neatly trimmed mustache, and a keen detail-oriented mind.

  “Randall Kamis should be here sometime in the evening,” Terroll informed those who joined him at the table.

  The two three-bolt Accomplisheds and the Four-bolt were all Senior Cyclones, the highest rank that can be achieved below Maestro in the Zephyr Guild. Chelton Freemin, a Cenkataaran with three lighting bolts shook his head in disgust. “It is not enough that our guild has been excluded from one of the biggest operations in centuries, now the only member we have officially posted outside of Aakadon is recalled for political reasons.” He sniffed disdainfully through his prominent nose.

  “Maestro, our distinguished colleague does have a point,” Simeon Traysellon shared his agreement with his fellow Three-bolt. His shiny bald pate reflected the rainbow light filtering in through the diamond wall.

  They both clearly felt free to voice their discontent with the treatment the guild had been receiving since the officially dead Accomplisheds arrived months ago on a truly remarkable riverboat built by a member of the Willow Guild. The thoughts these men expressed were not exclusive to them, most every Zephyr had mentioned the slight, and Terroll encouraged such communication among the members. He wanted them to speak freely to him.

  Rondara Kapes glanced at the lunch partners and shook her head. “So they do not need us to fill their sails with wind to speed the journey, what reason do we give them for including any Accomplisheds from our society on the mission?” the Four-bolt inquired in a calm tone devoid of sarcasm. Her black silky hair shimmered in the light as her ovoid eyes focused on Terroll, who was in the middle of chewing his last bite of turkey.

  He swallowed and focused on her. “Politics is the reason you will be selecting nineteen Cyclones to accompany you on another mission I am not at liberty to discuss at the present time. If the other guilds want to travel on riverboats modeled after the one built by Accomplished Trenca, pushed by a waterwheel, rather than boats driven by the wind, I say let them. No guild has suffered a greater loss of Accomplisheds to the Serpents than the Willow, they have always been excluded from missions of significance, and finally one of their members has made something great, taken part in catching Serin Gell, and helped in the taking down of his Nest.”

  Rondara nodded her head and her eyes seemed to brighten, yet she did not allow her lips to form a smile to reflect her apparent amusement. “The current thinking is; if a Sapling can accomplish so much, just think how much more a Forester or Senior Forester can achieve. Be that as it is, I will have that list of Cyclones for you by the end of the day.”

  Terroll stood up. “The way my aid keeps glancing at the chrono disc, I can see he is trying to remind me of several appointments that begin at half past thirteen. I am going up and take half a mark to prepare, so enjoy your meals and we will meet formally at the eighteenth mark.”

  “It will be as you say, Maestro,” they all quickly replied while giving the traditional nod of respect.

  Terroll made his way out into the hall, down the corridor, to a sliding door, which slid open when Bernie cast the appropriate spell. They stepped within the small room and the platform began to rise smoothly up the shaft to the top floor. The Chief Aid long ago mastered the wind spell that controlled the lift in such a manner. From there they went to the office of the Maestro. Bernie took a seat behind his desk in the outer office. “I will be meditating until the next appointment. You know what that means,” Terroll both informed and warned him.

  “It will be as you say, Maestro. Emergency cases only,” Bernie replied and picked up some papers.

  Terroll casually cast a spell to open and then close the door after entering his office. He looked up and froze in place, unable to move. Years of experience and iron control had kept him from showing any further sign of being startled.

  “Good afternoon Terroll,” said a tall young man in the field uniform of a Ducaunan Royal Knight of the Realm, while casually leaning on the desk, upon which sat a bulky silk sack. The seven golden lighting bolts on his sir coat and helmet confirmed all of the reports about his increase in potential. He had a sword with lighting bolts on the hilt and scabbard on his right hip and two knives on his left, one completely encased in black leather, and the other looked to be the same one the former mountaineer always carried. Terroll suspected the hidden one to be a crescendo.

  Extraordinary efforts were being made by the Grand Maestro to force the Ducaunan Queen to send Terroll’s former pupil to Aakadon and here the young man stands. “Greetings to you, my friend, have you come to request admission to the Zephyr Guild, if so, I will be glad to have you?”

  Daniel smiled broadly and reached out his hand. “Can’t a former student stop by to see his old tutor?”

  Terroll shook hands with the young man. “It becomes a tad
difficult when the one tutored has exceeded the skills of the teacher and is the Vessel Chosen by the Creator to lead the coming conflict against Tarin Conn, especially when Efferin Tames considers that former student to be nearly as dangerous as the Dark Maestro.”

  “Be that as it is, the Queen and I are preparing for the very conflict you spoke of,” Daniel replied. “I wish I could say the same for Aakadon, the current leadership of which seems to prefer being a hindrance.”

  There were some things Terroll needed to know or at least wanted to have confirmed before this conversation could go further. “How did you get in here and more importantly, how did you heal those Accomplisheds who were formerly Condemneds? It is said you altered Tarin Conn’s spell.”

  “I have been in this room before and transported directly here. As for the restorations, the process is more complicated, requiring a number of spells, but essentially and simply put; I restored them by modifying the spell composed by the ancient Aakasear. The only way I could think of to give them back their free will was essentially to command them to do have one. From that time forward each individual has been making his or her own decisions independent of me. Even their decision to return to Aakadon was made on their own without my influence. If I had my way, they would have been in my Northland Holding to help defend against Pentrosa’s brief invasion. By the way, there is a legion of the Sutton Guard poised to strike, and I have no idea where it is,” Daniel surprised Terroll with the frankness of the reply. The young man used the term, Aakasear, admitted to modifying and using spells composed by Tarin Conn, including teleporting directly into this office, and offered up no apologies for doing so. He deserved to have the same courtesy extended to him.