“They are creating living quarters, I suppose for the huge number of people you intend to restore from Condemnation,” Jerremy explained. “Half of us live at your southern estate and the rest at your northland holding, so we do not lack for a place to sleep, unless you continue to expand the Benhannon Guard and the Chosen’s Sentinels.” He paused and glanced at Leah before continuing. “Their missions are clearly defined and their units are well organized. For some of us, like we former members of the Stone Guild, our tasks at present are well defined. The Accomplisheds who were assigned to escort the Aakadon team, and those assigned to one of the three strike forces sent to this mountain, have completed their missions and are unsure of what their particular responsibilities are, other than be ready to follow the commands given by you or the First Accomplished.”
Daniel nodded his understanding but made no reply. He was beginning to see things that needed to be addressed, but would do so after he did a little more observing. The tour had been circling gradually out and downward for three spans, then turned back toward the center, and even so did not get far compared to the scale of the overall mountain complex. They were in the staging area he had created prior to launching the attack to win control of Shantear.
Leah raised her hand while Jerremy was in the middle of saying, “I added the columns and sunken floor, along with the benches in the center to give it a little more elegance. Notice the way I..., Oh,” he broke off and asked, “Do you have a question First Accomplished?”
“No, I understand and approve of the changes you have made. This cavernous room is much more impressive and I like the stage with the podium at the front,” Leah replied. “It is the fact that we have been touring for marks, it is nearing mid-day, and the Maestro’s infusion of life force energy is to take place less than a quarter of a mark from now. Unless you want to see the First Lady in a tizzy when she arrives at the Benhannon Northland Holding and Daniel is not there as I promised he would be; I think it prudent that we end this tour for now. I do thank you for taking the time away from your work. I know you and Accomplished Togan still have a great many alterations and refinements to make.”
“Actually I would not mind seeing Sherree, but prefer to encounter her in a good mood,” Jerremy replied, and wisely so. The beautiful Lobenian could be longsuffering over many things, but held little patience with anything she believed harmful to her husband, Daniel knew well because he felt the same way about her. Serin Gell’s fate was proof of Daniel’s reaction to anyone harming her.
“You are correct, First Accomplished, I do have many things to do,” the Serinian replied and then turned, adding, “It has been a privilege to show you around, Maestro, and I hope to see you again soon,” he finished and then exited the chamber.
-----
Joel Glader, a Two-bolt Accomplished of the Atlantan Guild, had shaved off his black beard, but now sported a mustache. The thin physique and pale skin that could not hold a tan was a common trait of his Pentrosan ancestry, but his tight musculature came as a result of having been restored from Condemnation by Daniel. Over exposure to the sun would cause painful burns and blistering, but was not a danger at the moment. Joel stood beneath the waters parallel to Easer’s Cove, in the Northern Ocean, less than half a span off the Pentrosan coast, and was enjoying the marine life swimming around him. The spell, Aqua Sphere, created a sapphire blue bubble that instantly converted water into breathable air. The current flowed around him, yet not a drop came within the ball glowing with the color of his potential. The temperature was at a constant seventy-two degrees and kept the icy water from giving him hypothermia.
All sorts of fish; surfperches, countless striped sea bass, and greenlings among them, swam around him, avoiding the bubble of air as if it was a solid object. He approached a great sea turtle and though it did not appear to be unduly alarmed by the intrusion, the large reptile arose and swam away from him, out into the depths beyond visual range. The spell made the sand beneath Joel’s feet seem as hardened clay, yet was returned to normal the moment after he moved on.
A pair of porpoises swam over and began circling him as if curious about the strange creature who had wandered into their realm. The spell, Mind Touch, with its seven part harmony played in his mind, summoning his life force energy, which he then focused at the large gray pair, and instantly became aware of their thoughts, and names, as translated by the spell.
Berka approached the sphere. “Do you want to play?” she inquired.
“Yes, play with us,” Tokee, her mate insisted enthusiastically.
This was like a dream come true and Joel was thrilled. Aquatic creatures had fascinated him since childhood and now, with the spell composed by Maestro Benhannon, he could actually mentally link with these citizens of the ocean, rather than be a mere observer. He had used a spell of the Aqua Guild, his former affiliation, in order to survive beneath the waves, but it was the spell, Mind Touch, that made this new bond possible. He had grown up in this region, his family home was about twenty spans up the coast, and he had fond memories of his first eleven years. That was twenty-nine years ago, before his Potential had been discovered and he was sent to Aakadon.
“Not just now,” he replied. “Go and bring your pod back here to me so I can meet them.”
“We go,” The thoughts of both porpoises came to him as one and they swam off.
Joel’s collection of creatures linked to him included otters and aquatic birds for the most part. They allowed him to keep a watch on all of the activity along the Taltin Sea coast and rivers flowing within Ducaun and the other kingdoms, including the port in Aakadon. He wanted to expand his collection to include creatures of the oceans, all four of them, and this was a beginning. The spell, Conveyance, could be used to transport him to anyplace he or a creature linked to him had been before, and so he had come to the region of his birth, having been here many times in the distant past. He hoped to physically travel to the other three coasts in the near future, or rather send some of his aquatic friends to give him the necessary visuals, and thereby make conveying to those locations possible.
He had plenty of time on his hands at the moment, even though he had been a team leader during the assault on Shantear, helping to secure the Crystal Chamber, but the task was done and the ten Accomplisheds who had been under his command were elsewhere. Consequently he was now a team of one.
A manta glided majestically into view and also within Joel’s ability to cast, Mind Touch, without drawing the attention of any spell-casters who might be close enough to feel the harmonic ripples. He summoned the potential and linked with the wondrous creature. “Does quadra-limb wish to swim with Tyson?” The huge black and white ray inquired.
“Not right now. Go find others of your kind and bring them here,” Joel replied.
The manta glided off into the depths and Joel felt satisfaction at how well things were working in his favor. He had no fear of being discovered by the allies of Tarin Conn. While many people sailed on the surface, few went more than twenty cubits beneath the chilly waves, and no one swam this far out. It will not be long before he would be able to keep a steady watch on the coasts of Demfilia, Pentrosa, Ecoppia, and Zune. Developing the ability to provide vital information to the Maestro seemed to be a better use of his time than sitting around at the Benhannon Estate waiting to be assigned a task.
Chapter Five: Let The Healings Begin
When the final volunteer, Balic Cassosoon Kon, stepped away, Jennel placed her right palm against Daniel’s forehead. “Acceptable,” she declared and took a step back.
The last round of infusions had been deliberately scheduled to take place in the Health Wing, so Daniel could immediately begin giving folks their new limbs, and he appreciated the Lead Healer’s foresight in choosing the location. He was sitting on a chair of solidified air in Wardroom three, where more than two hundred people who had lost their limbs in battle sat or lay waiting for him to do what no one else could. Each person was wearing blue silk robes rather
than their regular silks or uniforms. A barrel of water was beside each patient.
Sherree and his mother had eaten dinner with him and then conveyed to the naval facility with his father, leaving Daniel in the company of Leah, Simon, Carlos, and the pair of Teki while receiving his final fill of donated life force energy. He could feel the joy from Sheen and Glimmer at seeing his parents return.
“I give my thanks to you, Jennel, for coming up with a way for me to remain functional as an Accomplished. Every person who receives new limbs this evening has you to thank,” Daniel said while standing up from the chair and making an effort to speak like a cultured leader rather than a young man fresh off a mountaintop. “And I give thanks to all of you who have given of yourselves to make me strong,” he added and waved his arm in the direction of the ones he was about to help. “These people will walk out of this ward with all of their limbs, thanks to your generosity.”
“It was our pleasure to serve,” the reply from fifty-one voices, including the Lead Healer’s, answered him back. Each had spoken softly but together it came out quite loud, but he was getting g used to it.
Jennel and the donors exited the ward and Simon touched Daniel on the shoulder. “If you teach one of us the necessary spell, the chore will get done faster,” the Chief Aid suggested.
Daniel already discussed the matter with Leah and had not changed his mind. Restoration was a Symphonic spell he composed by adding so many harmony lines that it was no longer recognizable as being a derivative of Tarin Conn’s single line spell, Condemnation. Daniel had discovered after much revising, that no matter how many lines of music he added, the mental domination part, the one that made the victims slaves and passengers trapped within their own bodies, could not be totally removed. “As much as I trust you three,” he began and gestured to include Carlos. “Restoration is a spell restricted to the Maestro. Thanks for the offer of help, but replacing body parts or restoring Condemneds to humanity are both jobs belonging to me, and those particular chores must remain the responsibility of the Maestro.”
Simon nodded his acceptance and Leah, of course, surely was not surprised at the answer he received. Without further discussion Daniel walked over to Sentinel Barrison Benladel, who needed a new right arm and leg. An amethyst hue radiated from Leah, moments later a wall began to encircle them, and stopped short of closing completely to provide an opening wide enough for a person to walk through. “I will lend Daniel the potential to help Sentinel Benladel. Carlos, you can assist him with the next patient. Simon, you can do so with the third and we will keep the rotation going until the job is finished. You two, along with Silvia and David can wait outside the circle,” the First Accomplished spoke with the voice of authority.
The four stepped out and Leah closed the opening in the wall. “Thank you Maestro,” Barrison said from the cushion of air upon which he lay.
Daniel smiled at the Sentinel. “The chore isn’t done yet. Besides, helping in situations like this is what I do, and you suffered the loss while following my orders. It is you who deserves the thanks and I who now owe you.”
Daniel opened the silk robe, exposing the abdominal region of his patient and then placed one hand on the tummy over the navel and the other on the forehead. He summoned the potential for, What Is This, and a rainbow of energy radiated from him while he cast the spell upon himself so he could monitor the contents of his own vat, and then focus on the needs of his patient. He added a Da Capo and cast, Pain Relief, a spell modified into a Symphonic from, Easing The Pain, a single line spell of the Aloe Guild he learned from Jennel. Barrison was not in pain at the moment but would be once, Restoration, was flowing into him and his body was forced to grow new appendages. Sleep Time, would also spare him the pain, but not Daniel, who would otherwise be feeling the agony while the patient slept. The benefit of, Pain Relief, over, Easing The Pain, was the symphonic with a six part harmony required a fraction of the potential of the single line Melody, and Daniel needed to be very conservative with the amount of energy he was expending. He decided, going forward, to add more harmony lines to the spells in his repertoire.
Hearts Beat As One, came next and Barrison’s bodily systems began working in synchronization with Daniel’s. He tied the Da Capo to his life force to keep the spell going and then focused, What Is This, into the patient, revealing helix-shaped recipe strands. Within each strand was a picture of what Barrison should look like at this point in his development, and that included all of his limbs. The spell, Hunger, came next and would be drawing the little worlds with their tiny moons from the water in the barrel rather than allowing Restoration to feed on the patient’s body. Daniel played the music for the spell, Restoration, in his mind, summoning the potential, and then focused it in conjunction with Hunger and What Is This. With all of the Da Capos in place, he could concentrate fully on his patient.
A warm tingling sensation swept through Barrison’s body and Daniel could feel the spells at work. His own vat was six-eighths full and slowly depleting. Leah’s hand came to rest on his forehead and her amethyst potential began filling the short fall in his reservoir. He could feel the arm and leg of his patient forming in accordance with the recipe strands and soon after knew the chore was complete. He spoke into the Sentinel’s ear, “Barrison, your brain and will are one. Your body is yours to command,” and then ceased all of the spells and began drinking from his golden canteen.
Barrison raised his right arm, flexing the muscles, and then began rubbing his new leg as if to be sure it was real. After a brief time assuring himself all was well, he stood up, and locked his gaze on Daniel. “I knew you could do it. You saved me before and now you’ve done it again.”
“I will do it again if it becomes necessary,” Daniel replied after lowering the canteen and wiping his mouth. “But let’s hope the need doesn’t arise,” he added and then thought about Silvia’s revelations. “I wish I could say the dangers are past and there will be no more need to risk life or limb.”
The Sentinel immediately snapped to attention and gave a salute. “I am ready and willing to risk both in the service of the Chosen Vessel,” he stated, clearly firm in his commitment.
Daniel returned the salute, Leah’s wall vanished, and Barrison stroked the full length beard that had sprouted during the limb growing process. “I think it is time for a shave and a haircut,” he remarked and then walked out on his own two legs, weary due to his body being forced to grow appendages. It was a small price to pay in order to be whole again.
The results of the healing became a public spectacle that drew applause and became an encouragement to those eagerly awaiting their turn to be healed. It was a testament to their training and characters that they did not clamor for Daniel to skip the order in which Jennel had placed them for treatment. Each person waited his or her turn without complaint, even the Aakacarns. Two hundred forty-three people received new limbs by the twenty-second mark of the night. Another hundred would be waiting tomorrow morning and then Daniel could convey to Shantear and begin the much harder chore of restoring the Condemneds to humanity. Growing new limbs was not near as exhausting as reforming an entire body, which was a little more time consuming and a greater drain both on Daniel and the patient.
Music, as always, could be heard as Daniel, Leah, Simon, Carlos, and the pair of Teki made their way out of the Health Wing and into the assembly area beneath Center Court. Aakacarns were natural musicians and so impromptu concerts were quite common whenever a group of them gathered. It was the same at the Benhannon Estate down south and the thirty Accomplisheds who lived at the Benhannon Naval Facility. Daniel was tempted to find a group and join in, but it was simply too late in the night for that sort of thing; and he preferred to spend the time with his wife.
Bonny Tell and Jaim Cutler were strolling around the assembly area and changed direction so as to causally intercept Daniel and his entourage, as if he could not see their intention. “I’m going to graduate tomorrow and become an Accomplished,” the sandy-
haired female Aakacarn announced. “Maestro, I hope you can be there.”
Leah, David, and Silvia opened their mouths to answer the bold young woman, but Daniel had not yet attended any of the graduation ceremonies of his own guild. “I think it is high time for me to be at one and yours shall be the first,” he quickly replied before any of the three could answer for him. “Simon, work the graduation into my schedule.”
“It will be as you say,” the Chief Aid replied without comment. He, unlike the other three, had not attempted to answer for his Maestro, at least not this time.
The young couple separated, Bonny would be heading to the third level sleeping quarters of the Health Wing and Jaim followed Daniel and his escorts up into building two, where each person then went to their rooms. Sherree was waiting and told him most, but he was certain not all, of what she and his mother had been doing, and then he told her of the people he had given new limbs. “So with Leah, Carlos, and Simon feeding me potential, I have as much in my vat as when Jennel declared the quantity to be acceptable,” he told his wife.
An amber glow radiated from Sherree and she placed her hand on his forehead. “You have more than you had this morning, that’s for sure,” she stated and then the glow vanished and she kissed him, removed her clothes and slipped under the sheets. “I am not sleepy yet. Can you think of some way to fill the next couple of marks?”
To Be Grand Maestro (Book 5) Page 12