“Maestro, our allies have been demanding to see you,” Leah informed upon seeing them enter the dinning area with Silvia and Carlos.
“Before we eat, I would like to address Maestro Reese and the surviving Accomplisheds of Aakadon,” Daniel said.
Sherree would have preferred to eat first, but had no objections, and so nodded her head. She could tell by the look in his eye he did not like being given permission, and yet he made no complaint when Leah looked to her before acknowledging him. Simon joined them at the last moment; apparently sure Daniel would have his way.
“It will be as you say, Maestro,” the First Accomplished replied, and then conveyed them, along with Carlos and Simon, to the staging chamber.
“They have been told of the shield you place on Tarin Conn,” Leah spoke in a soft voice.
Talmon Reese stood in the center of the chamber, surrounded by the eight surviving Senior Soarers. Only two members of the Stone Guild, Lucia Trotta and Carmen Frank, lived and they were standing among the Willows, talking with Barnabas Galloway. The rest were clustered among members of their own guilds, perhaps mourning their losses. A hush settled over the room as all conversations came to a stop. The presence of the Chosen Vessel sometimes had that effect and Sherree was becoming accustomed to it. She took some comfort in the fact that there were several hundred Accomplisheds of the Atlantan Guild, including Jeremiah Lassiter, between the people of Aakadon and Daniel, along with over a thousand Sentinels who sprang up to give their leader a proper salute.
Talmon Reese started over, bringing Renford Winthrop and Elias DeSumma, along with Jerrian Tobermin, right toward the man who was now the center of attention. Daniel whispered something to Carlos and then waited calmly for the quartet to arrive. The Atlantans parted, permitting them to approach after a single nod from Leah.
“Congratulations on the victory,” Talmon said with a closed-mouthed smile.
“A great victory, yes,” Tobermin added with no smile at all. “You tricked the serpents and us. Yes, very clever.”
Sherree did not trust the man and kept her hand on the diamond-bladed crescendo, ready strike with a spell if the Five-bolt so much as flickered with potential.
Jeremiah stepped forward. “Seeing as you did not discover Accomplished Scarott was a spy for the Serpents until he snatched the flute of Della Lain from your Maestro’s hand, I think the precaution was warranted.”
“You are treating us as prisoners of war,” Winthrop complained.
“You were healed of your wounds, your dead have been placed in preservation spells, and you have been provided with food and beverages,” Leah replied. “For the record, we have taken no prisoners.”
Talmon held up the flute of Della Lain. “This is no longer connected with the shield on Tarin Conn’s potential. As you did with this, will you now entrust the new one to us, whatever type of crescendo that might be?” he asked while eyeing the diamond-bladed knife sheathed in Daniel’s belt.
“Good luck with that,” Simon told him, derisively, earning a smile from Daniel and Leah.
The Maestro of the Eagle Guild ignored the Chief Aid and his facial expression grew grim as time went by without receiving an answer. Sherree loved her husband to the point of distraction, but there were times when he did push the envelope, and said too much, like when he confirmed his being an Aakasear to the world. Then there were times like now when he holds back on giving information for no reason she could see, and tended to make the situation feel awkward. If he had a full vat and could defend himself, she would not mind seeing him tweak the beak of the king Eagle, but he was weak and Sherree just wanted to get through this meeting without spells flying.
Daniel’s eyes swept the chamber and then his dark-eyed gaze locked onto Talmon with such intensity the man began to sweat. “What occurred within the Great Crystal is sealed to those who participated in the castings,” the Chosen Vessel spoke firmly. “The Symphonics used are guild specific and cannot be revealed to a non-member.”
The sound of air passing into Tobermin’s nostrils could be heard by everyone within thirty paces. “You made a deal with a python to save us from a gator,” he spoke to his Maestro. “Daniel Benhannon, you did not share the full battle plan with us, and now deny us what we earned with the spilling of our own blood. Your actions from the start have not been honorable.”
Simon stepped up to the Vice-Maestro. “What are the Grand Maestro’s most recent orders concerning Daniel and us? All of you still have your amulets and I know Efferin Tames would posses one from Maestro Reese. The entire world felt our castings from the Great Crystal, so trying to make us believe you have not received orders would push the bounds of credibility.” He was obviously doing his Barnabas Galloway impersonation. Sherree felt he pulled it off quite well.
Tobermin opened and quickly closed his mouth after a quick glance at his Maestro. Something passed between them, but Sherree missed it. “By order of Grand Maestro Efferin Tames, I have been instructed to arrest Accomplished Benhannon as soon as is practicable and the rest of his associates in due time,” Talmon Reese admitted.
“What about the stay-of-warrant? It seems you did not share your plans for after the battle with us,” Leah brought up a valid point.
“You have over two hundred Aakacarns in this chamber and I have eight Senior Soarers, so it is not practicable to make an arrest at this time. You have the full day I promised.”
Daniel began shaking his head. “Shantear now belongs to the Atlantan Guild, of which I am The Maestro. We will not be vacating the premises so the arrests you have spoken of will never become practicable. I apologize for the method,” he said and gave Talmon a nod of respect just as Carlos cast a wide deep-blue beam that instantly dropped all four Accomplisheds of Aakadon to the floor.
By the time the Senior Soarers and the members of the Sun, Willow, Zephyr, Aqua, and the two remaining Stones figured out what was going on, Atlantans rendered them unconscious.
“I want all of them and their horses on Mount Jessup conveyed to Aakadon. Accomplished Lassiter, would you pick a team and do the honors?” Daniel spoke into the sudden quite.
Jeremiah smiled. “It would give me great pleasure to do so, Maestro.”
While the former Eagle prepared to carry out the request of his guild leader, Sherree put her arm around Daniel’s waist. “At the risk of sounding like Simon..,” she began to say.
“Hey,” the Chief Aid pretended to be affronted.
“Where did you place the Da Capo?” Sherree finished asking before the issue could be sidetracked.
“The Da Capo is tied to Tarin Conn’s own life force,” Daniel replied.
“The Dark Maestro will never be strong enough to break a variable shield fed by his own energy. Why don’t you seem happier?” Simon asked.
“Because, an Aakasear is limited only by his talent and imagination, I don’t know how he can escape, but I know he will be focusing his brilliant creativity into figuring a way around what I have done,” Daniel replied.
Sherree could do little about what the Dark Maestro might do in the future, but she knew what her instincts called for now. “I think Accomplished Tiran should convey us to building number two where the brilliant and creative Marge Durayton can provide us with a tasty meal.”
Lassiter and his select team transported the Accomplisheds of Aakadon, probably into some remote part of the city, and definitely saving them a long ride home. Daniel had formally declared Shantear a possession of the Atlantan Guild and Sherree knew Queen Clarees might have a few words to say about that, him being a Royal Knight of the Realm of Ducaun. Sherree’s stomach growled and she decided politics could wait. A deep-blue nimbus surrounded Carlos and in the space of three heart beats, they arrived at the Northland Holding.
The End
The Maestro Chronicles Book Five
To Be Grand Maestro
The fledgling Atlantan Guild is facing retaliatory strikes from the Serpent Guild and is declared an illegitimate society
by the Grand Maestro of Aakadon. Tarin Conn rises from his mountain tomb and only the shield placed on his potential keeps him from unleashing all of his might. Political tensions increase and armies are on the march as kingdoms take advantage of civil unrest and use security as a pretext for seizing territory from their neighbors. Daniel has been weakened from the castings at Shantear. He must rely on his ability to innovate and the dedication of his associates in order to fend off attacks from both the Serpents and the Eagles. The influence of Tarin Conn increases over seven of the twelve kingdoms and his guild grows stronger by the day. The only way to keep the Dark Maestro from having dominion over the world is a strong alliance between the Atlantan Guild and Aakadon, which will never happen so long as Efferin Tames is the Grand Maestro.
To Be A Maestro
Copyright 2013 by John A. Buttrick
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Cover art by Robert L. Buttrick
To Be A Maestro (The Maestro Chronicles) Page 49