“This is none of your concern young man,” Salla informed him.
“Daniel is the Chosen Vessel and he has accepted us into his service,” Jerremy lowered his nose and told his former dorm-mate.
Reginald looked to Daniel. “I don’t suppose you can use a person who has no lightning bolt,” he muttered.
Daniel motioned for him to come closer. “Why would you suppose that? There are people in my service who have no extra energy in their life forces. Loyalty and trustworthiness is what I require. The rest we can build on over time. We are about to depart this city so if you are coming with us, you must make up your mind quickly.”
Reginald stared at the Accomplisheds standing in the gazebo and then back at the hall where he would be living until such time as he gained a lightning bolt and would be allowed into a guild.
“Our Maestro has extended an invitation, he has included you in this moment, making this your concern, and I suggest you seize the opportunity presented,” Salla encouraged him.
Daniel was about to correct her inappropriate use of the title when the Ecoppian nodded eagerly. “I want to serve the Chosen Vessel,” Reginald declared.
“So be it,” Daniel replied. It was past time to be gone.
He pictured everyone in the gazebo and the no-bolt Accomplished standing in front of it, at the lake on his estate. The potential flowed through Daniel and three heart beats later they were on the north bank of Lake Benhannon. It was an imperfect oval half a span wide, east to west, three quarters of a span north to south, and fed by a fresh water spring deep beneath its surface. They were all standing in ankle length blades of green grass, and watching mallards and mergansers swimming in the pristine water. Two boys, brothers belonging to one of the fourteen tenant farmers within the jurisdiction, were fishing on the other side of the lake. They waved and Daniel held up his hand in greetings to them.
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The summons to appear before the Grand Maestro came as no surprise to Talmon Reese, not on the heels of the occurrence half a mark ago in the stadium. He had only gotten a glimpse of the former mountaineer before the young man vanished in a brilliant flash. The trip up the main shaft to the top of the ruby pyramid went by quickly and moments later Bran Tippen was ushering Talmon into the office.
“Grand Maestro, how may I serve?”
Efferin sat drumming the fingers of his right hand on the desktop and otherwise doing a good job of hiding his irritation. “Maestro Reese, we have much to discuss concerning your up coming trip to Lobenia. Leaving that aside for the moment, how can the most wanted man on the continent stroll into this city, deliver his parcels, and leave without the illustrious Eagle Guild even managing to ask him a single question?”
Since the entire conversation at the coliseum had been broadcast, the answer was obvious and the Grand Maestro knew it. Even so Talmon had no choice but to respond. “As was explained publicly, Daniel Benhannon has regained his former repertoire and can transport himself, evidently, to wherever he has been at some point in the past, including, but not limited to, this very office. No one in any guild of Aakadon could have prevented his coming and going. You heard my conversation with Maestros Barnes and Barroon. The young man came and answered the questions quite candidly. Unless you want to issue a decree or submit a new law to be passed by the Maestros of Aakadon, no crime has been committed.”
Efferin snorted. “He is another Tarin Conn, an Aakasear, and unashamedly using spells composed by the ancient Accomplished, these are reasons enough for me. I also consider the possibility that a seven-bolt Accomplished can appear right in this room at any moment to be problematic.”
“His being another Tarin Conn is opinion, not fact, and while discussing Melody Composers is frowned upon in our fair city, being an Aakasear is not a crime. Be that as it is, I too am uncomfortable with Benhannon possessing the ability to come and go from Aakadon at will, and without us ever knowing. How many times in the past few months has he been here? I agree the situation is problematic,” Talmon replied.
Efferin steepled his hands and said, “I am glad we agree on that much. Even though the young man has presented himself as summoned, answered the questions we truly had about him, his repertoire, strength in Potential, and his talent at composing spells, I am not going to return Accomplisheds Chen or Kamis back to their posts. I want Cleona to know and understand there is a price to be paid when the demands of the Grand Maestro are ignored. Her military build up is unacceptable. The embargo stands and for the same reason. However, I am pleased Daniel brought us the crescendos. The trumpet must be kept out of the hands of the Serpent Guild but the flute, which is the real prize, is something you will need on your mission.”
Talmon made no mention of his having kept Bella Sander in Bashierwood as a back door communication, just in case the Benhannon boy does turn out to be the Chosen Vessel. His reply was suddenly cut off when harmonic waves began rippling through the world, one, two, three, four, and five. The emanations from Kelgotha stopped as suddenly as they had begun, proving the mission to Shantear is important, perhaps more vital than the one on its way to Ecoppia.
“I agree, being in possession of a crescendo with eight bolts of amplification will bolster our efforts in the Grand Symphony to increase the power to the shield,” Talmon replied and could no longer put off asking the most critical question. “Are you going to present the spell to me at this time? I’ll be leaving soon and will need to know so all of us can learn whatever musical parts are required.”
Efferin sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then spoke in a soft voice. “Trevor Keen died without revealing the whereabouts of the flute of Della Lain. Daniel Benhannon has solved that problem. I will give him credit for that. Trevor also died before he could teach me the spell maintaining the Dark Maestro in state within the chamber designed to hold him. I do not know the nature of his tomb or the spell or series of spells that are keeping Tarin Conn locked away from the world.”
The revelation stunned Talmon more than the abrupt arrival and departure of Daniel Benhannon. This is perhaps the worst news he ever heard, and that is saying something, given the fact that as Maestro of the Eagle Guild he is privy to many distressing facts and occurrences. When Efferin finally opened his eyes, all Talmon could think to ask was, “What are we going to do?”
“That, my friend will be up to you. I can think of no one, including me, with more knowledge of shields. Talmon, you are the best chance we have of keeping the world safe from the Dark Maestro.”
The weight of responsibility slammed down on Talmon’s shoulders and yet it is a burden he could not shrug off. “I will choose the spells to be used. I want the best Accomplisheds we have riding with me. Barnabas Galloway of the Willow Guild and Fenton Chen of the Aloe are to be included on this mission. I understand Maestro Barnes, who came up with this idea, is selecting nineteen of his most powerful Cyclones led by Rondara Kapes. He is sending his best people and so should the other Maestros. We can afford no mistakes.”
Efferin nodded, his face wrinkled by the stress. “I assume you have included Jerrian Tobermin. I will see to it you also have Janice Footner of the Sun Guild and Ralpen Pentrago of the Aqua, this will give you every available five-bolt Accomplished in Aakadon below the rank of Maestro. And may the Creator bless your endeavor.”
“Yes, Grand Maestro, Jerrian will be coming with me, and I thank you for the additional Five-bolts. If there is nothing more, I will go prepare for the mission,” Talmon replied.
Efferin extended his right hand. “Go, do what you must,” he said and they shook hands. “Maestro, I will soon be making a decree concerning Daniel Benhannon.”
“Your will be done, Grand Maestro,” Talmon replied, and then exited the office with his mind awhirl with possible spells to be used.
He barely remembered leaving the ruby pyramid and arriving at his own office within the Eagle Guild. He felt so desperate even the possibility of acquiring the help of a seven-bolt Acc
omplished did not give him pause, no matter the decree.
Chapter Nineteen: Rogue
Sherree Jenna, Benhannon, she always added that last in her mind, sat alone in the office of Janna Barroon. The Maestro of the Aloe Guild summoned her and has yet to arrive, having been called to an unscheduled meeting in the ruby pyramid. All prior requests for an appointment with the guild leader had been denied up to this point and after one quick visit from a certain seven-bolt Accomplished, suddenly the intern who has been announcing the Chosen Vessel to anyone who would listen is the one the Maestro wants to see.
Sherree had not stopped smiling since Daniel made his presentation. Just seeing him standing up on the platform filled her heart with joy and what he did added much relief. She sincerely hoped the Serpent Guild will now direct their efforts away from her husband. News will spread of his visit and the handing over of the crescendos, within ten days there will not be a soul in all of Atlantan who does not know what transpired today. Even now Accomplisheds from every guild were scurrying about and talking of Daniel and thinking of them made her smile deepen. Two marks had gone by since his visit and still the citizens of Aakadon were behaving like ants whose mound has been whacked by a mighty club.
While she expected him to eventually bring the crescendos, his admitting to being an Aakasear to Maestro Barnes caught her completely by surprise, and the possible consequences of the revelation made her smile vanish as she sat waiting for the leader of her guild. The chrono disc on the wall to the right read three quarters past fifteen and just as the hand moved one notch; Janna swept into the office and went straight to her chair behind the mahogany desk. “I directed Lara,” her Chief Aid, “to have you in my office by the time I finished with my emergency meeting of the Maestros,” she stated while fixing a blue-eyed stare. Her wheat-colored hair hung over her right shoulder in a twisted braid.
“How may I serve, Maestro?” Sherree responded properly.
“You admitted to having been a Condemned and then restored from that state to perfect health and given a second lightning bolt of potential by Accomplished Benhannon, whom you also declared to be the Chosen Vessel. You should know the only reason you were not declared dead right along with most all of the members of the Tomlin Project is your lack of communication amulets. Being recently raised from Talented to Accomplished and accepted as an Intern of the Aloe Guild, few amulets of your making were in existence, and so with no amulets available to us for analysis, your Condemnation and death were unverifiable. It is one of the reasons interns do not usually venture out of Aakadon on healing missions,” the Maestro stated in a matter of fact way.
“I believe we discussed this in our first meeting,” Sherree replied. Surely she had not been summoned here to review her previous interview with the Maestro.
“I am merely establishing where we left off. Now we will talk of current events,” the Maestro said while leaning forward slightly. She seemed just a bit surprised by the abrupt and dismissive response to her words from an Intern, going by the quick rise and fall of her eyebrows. “I observed you in the forefront of our assembly in the coliseum and noticed where Accomplished Benhannon’s eyes were focused when he made his announcement. He was looking at you, picked you right out of a crowd of thousands as if you were a vibrant flower among ferns. His gaze fixed on no one else.”
Sherree leaned forward in her chair. “My eyes were locked onto him, right along with those of everyone else. Your announcement of a truly historical event about to take place proved accurate.”
Janna smiled, it was a practiced smile, reflecting neither joy nor amusement. “His reaction to your presence confirmed your account of what happened to you as far as I am concerned. No, I am not suggesting anything improper, so do not give me that look as if I insulted you. There is just no longer any question in my mind of how you came to have that second lighting bolt.”
“So you have come to believe he is the Chosen Vessel?” Sherree did not see any reason to dance around the issue.
“I do not believe I have met an Intern as feisty as you. I consider Daniel Benhannon to be an extraordinarily gifted Accomplished who might turn out to be who you say.” The Maestro replied. “Enough has been said on that subject for this meeting. I called you here to give you a warning along with your new assignment.”
Why a warning? Sherree did not like the sound of that and resented how Janna Barroon stubbornly refused to come out and say firmly where she stands on the issue of the Chosen Vessel.
“Are you aware of the fact that all Accomplisheds, except for you, who have been healed by Daniel, have vanished from Aakadon?” Janna inquired in a professional manner.
Sherree did not know about the vanishings. “This is news to me. Jerremy DeSuan and I have been friends for awhile and I have had lunch with him a few times since we returned to Aakadon, but where he or the others went I have no idea. He never discussed leaving the city, at least not where I could hear.”
The Maestro’s eyes bored into her as if they could sort through and discover any falsehood in the statement. She finally nodded her head. “I believe you. The Grand Maestro is furious over Accomplished Benhannon coming and going from Aakadon using spells of the Serpent Guild. He will only allow the usage one more time and that is so the young man can comply with the official decree declared and witnessed before all seven Maestros of Aakadon,” she paused as if giving time for her words to sink in. “Daniel Benhannon must renounce his citizenship as anyone who has been found to possess extra energy in their life force is required to do, return to Aakadon in no later than three days, and give oath as is required of all Accomplisheds. Failure to comply will result in him being declared a rogue. A warrant for his arrest will then be issued and all who assist or associate with him shall also be arrested. You know Daniel better than anyone in the city, accept possibly Maestro Barnes and Accomplished Trenca of the Willow Guild, and I do not have either of them to ask this question of. Will the decree be honored or ignored by your healer?”
Sherree knew from the depths of her being Daniel should not have revealed his talent and certainly not admit to using spells composed by Tarin Conn. The Grand Maestro is surely convinced her husband is a younger version of the Dark Maestro and this decree is just the first step in thwarting the supposed problem. Not only would Daniel refuse to renounce his citizenship, which would mean resigning his knighthood, he would never believe coming to Aakadon and giving oath would satisfy Efferin. Once here, another unreasonable decree would follow and then another with each designed to force Daniel to comply or be arrested. The decrees would not stop coming until Efferin found justification to shield off and imprison her husband and Sherree could not allow that.
“I see you are troubled by the decree as am I. Neither of us believes Daniel Benhannon will comply. He will be declared a rogue in three days so consider this fair warning should you choose to help him. Now for your assignment, the Grand Maestro requires each guild to send twenty of their most experienced Accomplisheds on an up coming mission led by Maestro Reese. You will learn the destination while on the journey.” Janna obviously took Sherree’s silence for an answer and drew her own accurate conclusion.
“As you pointed out, the mission requires the most experienced Accomplisheds, I am an Intern, so why am I being included?” Sherree wondered.
“Quite frankly, you are not being counted even though you are technically the twenty first Accomplished of the Aloe Guild to be assigned to the mission. You are going because Senior Practitioner Chen has been hand-picked by Maestro Reese for this mission and Fenton is still your mentor. Now, the warning and your new assignment have been delivered, all topics for this audience have been covered, and I suggest you begin making preparations for an extended journey on horseback. Good day,” Janna Barroon stated with the dismissal clear in both tone and words.
“Your will be done, Maestro,” Sherree replied and quickly exited the office and headed for the stables. Misty, her white stallion, had not been ridden in quite awhil
e, and is likely to be frisky.
The stables of Aakadon were multi-storied and massive with winding inclines, for the horses, leading up to each level. She chose the stairs. Horses belonging to Talenteds were at ground level, half of which was taken up by the grooms’ residences; where as areas dedicated to members of the Aloe Guild were on level three, nine tenths of which were shared with the Willow Guild, they being the society having the most equines. The mounts of the Aqua Guild took up most of the second level with a small fraction of the stalls reserved for members of the Stone Guild. Level four was equally shared by members of the Zephyr and Sun Guilds, while the Eagles had the entire fifth level to themselves.
Misty’s stall was about as far from the flight of stairs as possible and still be in the area dedicated to the Aloes. Most of the horses ignored her presence as Sherree walked silently, mulling over the troubling turn of events, and wondering how she could make everything well again. After all, being an Aloe is all about making people well again, and the decree sickened her heart. She needed to find a cure.
“Fancy meeting you here,” a familiar voice called from the next stall, in the area dedicated to the Willows.
Sherree went into Misty’s stall and rubbed the stallion on the nose before answering the voice on the other side. “I certainly did not expect to find the most celebrated Sapling of the decade lingering in the stables.”
The young man came around and peered into her stall. “Sure, they liked my boat and my use of spells in southern Pentrosa, but now that they have made boats of their own modeled after mine, I am pretty much ignored. These days, my fellow Willows pat me on the back once in awhile, when they happen to notice me, and I spend most of my days in the library. I certainly did not expect to see an Intern lingering in the stables,” Simon Trenca replied without a trace of complaint in his tone, as if his being forgotten was nothing out of the ordinary. “Why do you look so troubled?”
To Be A Maestro (The Maestro Chronicles) Page 35