Efferin began chuckling while shaking his head. “Daniel, Daniel, you amuse me. I remember how that arrangement worked out well for you and not so much for Maestro Reese. You claimed the base and sent him back to Aakadon as a lord dismisses a workman after the job is finished and not even with a gratuity for the services rendered.”
“He did so because you broke the arrangement by ordering Maestro Reese to arrest him,” Sherree responded in a tone that sounded like a scolding. It was hard to believe only a year ago this was a man she trusted and held in high esteem.
“How dare you speak so to the Grand Maestro of Aakadon?” King Jaim shouted in protest.
Prince Kelvin leaned forward over the table. “Woman, show some respect!”
It was not difficult to ignore the blind followers of a willfully blind man and focus instead on the person those foolish men were placing their trust; in that moment, bands of air wrapped around Daniel, squeezing his arms to his sides. He looked at Terroll and was saddened more than shocked by the betrayal. His old tutor would not disobey a direct order of the Grand Maestro for any reason, protest the command yes, but not defy, and neither would Jason, who had Sherree similarly bound. The sustained split-beam striking his and her chests from Talmon’s baton, shielded off their potentials, perhaps he feared adding a Da Capo might allow an Aakasear a chance to escape. The spell, Find All, no longer showed him what was happening, so Daniel ceased the potential for it and summoned life force energy to power his counter move, which would be cast at the first opportunity.
The Grand Maestro also cast a spell from his baton, the beam split, shooting into Daniel’s forehead and that of Sherree as well. Her voice came into his array. “His spell to my forehead was absorbed by my personal shield, but it will take a high power spell for me to overcome Talmon’s conjuring, and I cannot do that without my wedding knife. We could convey from here separately since the energy would be focused within rather than without.”
“My shield also absorbed Efferin’s casting,” Daniel sent in reply. “By the harmonic waves given off from the spell, it is a good thing he did not aim for our eyes, or whatever he struck us with would have probably accomplished the purpose he intended. I believe Talmon is sustaining ten bolts of potential, most of which are being focused on me,” he paused, and made a few adjustments. “I have extended my personal shield over my entire body, except my ears, and can only breathe through my mouth. You should convey to safety. I was able just now to push my potential as far as my personal shield and since Talmon’s conjuring is not touching flesh, it is theoretically possible for us to slip out of the influence of his spell. I’m going to test the theory and settle my problem with the Grand Maestro once and for all.”
“In that case I am staying here. You also need to know, I have just contacted Chas Herling and Gorn Blixten, Accomplisheds and Sentinels will be conveying to this city in the very near future. Also, spheroids are dropping on our Northland Holding, so we need to resolve this issue soon.” Sherree informed him.
That explained why the compartment in Daniel’s head containing his awareness of Loper the wolf was howling for attention. A closer focus brought with it a sharp pain in the pack-leader’s left flank, felt by the wolf and Daniel, caused by an iron shard, along with sounds of multiple explosions, and visuals of round objects falling from an overcast sky, lit up by glowing spheres. Many other furred and feathered creatures in his swirl wanted to show Daniel what they were seeing at the holding. “Flee into the woods,” he sent his thoughts to all of them along with the promise of healing their wounds soon. The pain from Loper’s wound vanished the moment Daniel brought his full concentration back in the conference room.
He quickly filled Sherree in on the other assaults while Efferin gloated. “I know Silencing is only a temporary setback to an Aakasear, but it gives us the advantage for now, along with the precautionary shields Maestro Reese has placed on your potentials,” Tames stated.
“Release him at once!” Queen Cleona demanded.
Daniel appreciated her boldness but feared for her safety. As Sam previously noted, Things are about to get messy.
“All non-Aakacarns are to leave this room immediately,” Talmon Reese ordered. “Failure to do so will result in the use of spells that will compel you to exit. I suggest each of you take shelter because the Atlantan Guild is unlikely to surrender meekly and spells will soon be aggressively focused here.” He got that much right; this was no place for ordinary humans to be.
Daniel glanced up at the air vent and into the eyes of the little Prince. Talmon’s warning about aggressive spells being cast was about to come true and Daniel did not want the boy harmed in the process. What could be done will be done to secure his safety, Daniel determined and then faced Efferin. “You have just made the biggest mistake of your career.”
“On the contrary, allowing you to ride out of Aakadon after the graduation ceremony in which Sherree Jenna took part was my biggest mistake. Under my watchful eyes you would never have established your own guild and the abomination growing in her womb would not exist, a mistake I am now in the process of rectifying,” Efferin replied. “Scholar Sander, focus the spell, Childless, at Jenna’s abdomen.”
Bella, who had been silently observing the goings-on, lifted his baton but did not glow with potential, “I will not,” he declared, refusing to follow the order. Daniel noted and appreciated the bold defiance of the unlawful command as he mentally prepared to act.
“Efferin, you fool,” Terroll inappropriately blurted, when he should have said, Grand Maestro you fool, in Daniel’s opinion. “Capturing them in this manner, distasteful as it is, was in your legal right to demand of us, but attacking after they are already in custody is beyond your authority.”
Jason shook his head as if he did not believe what was happening. “Only a fool strikes at Sherree Jenna in the presence of Daniel.” He no doubt was remembering the humbling of Harmon Gram in front of several hundred Talenteds and possibly Serin Gell’s fate as well.
Efferin’s eyebrows drew down in disgust. “I will deal with the insults and disobedience when we get back to Aakadon,” he promised and then pointed his baton at Sherree. Energy flowed out in a narrow beam, striking her abdomen, and was absorbed by her personal shield, which is the only reason Daniel decided not strike him dead. “It had to be done,” the Grand Maestro said as if his will had indeed been done.
His failure did not change the evil intent and Daniel fully understood what he had to do, for him, for Sherree, for their unborn child, and in order to have a chance at winning the War of the Champions. “Wrong, but this does,” he said, and then focused the potential for Conveyance.
The emptiness between here and there freed him from the clutches of Terroll, slipped him out of Talmon’s shield, and placed him right where he wanted to be; in the corner behind his opponents, who were attempting to blink the results of the unexpectedly bright flash from their retinas.
Sherree appeared behind Efferin and back handed him out of his chair with a giant appendage of solidified air, just as the Six-bolt was shouting, “Impossible,” and also proving Daniel’s spell theory. She was no longer restrained by Talmon’s Melody.
Daniel focused a personal shield up and onto the young Prince and then grabbed the still blinking Talmon by the shoulders, yanking him bodily out of the chair, and slammed him against the wall.
The Maestro righted himself and suddenly glowed under the protection of a High Power shield, as were Terroll, and Jason, who was the only one of the three whose defenses Daniel could possibly overcome without the aid of a crescendo.
“You cannot win,” the Grand Maestro stated his misguided belief while a shield of his own making stopped a second strike from Sherree and allowed him enough time to stand. “Thousands of Eagles are already in this city and soon you will be brought back into submission,” he stated and then turned to Sherree. “Jenna, you will pay for striking me.”
A sense of relief came ahead of the words, “A team of Acc
omplisheds from the Northland Holding have just arrived along with Commander Herling and about eight thousand Sentinels. They are establishing a perimeter around the palace while I and my teams are harassing the Eagles and Solars who are swarming the streets. Wait, Leah must have fought off the raid on New Oben, she and two thousand Accomplisheds have just joined us,” Samuel reported, and then added with a sense of sadness. “A lot of damage has been done to the city and there have been deaths and injuries, even among the non-Aakacarns. My animal scouts at the northland holding are showing me an aerial attack taking place. While I am confident we can prevail here and eventually send a team there, I fear for the lives that will be lost in the meantime.”
Daniel had to end the standoff in the conference room. It was a matter of fighting or fleeing the city, which would mean surrendering the capitol to Aakadon. His mind was made up, there would be no running.
“After I have dealt with the Grand Maestro, I will see what I can do to stop the fighting outside, and the attack on the Northland Holding,” he replied through the array while dampening his irritation over the needless deaths.
“Understood, I only ask that you hurry up,” Samuel said and then ended the communication. He was always in a hurry but this time Daniel agreed whole heartedly.
The double doors burst into splinters and Sero ran in, with the Royal Guardsmen wisely staying out in the hall. “Maestro,” he called out, while flinging two diamond-bladed knives from his hands.
Daniel caught the crescendo out of the air and focused the spell, Shield Potential, backed by fourteen lightning bolts of power, at Efferin. It only took a few moments for the near blinding topaz beam to overwhelm the Grand Maestro’s conjuration and then shield off his potential completely. Daniel added a Da Capo and tied it to his life force, rather than Efferin’s or the crescendo.
“Terroll, I’ll shield while you attack,” Talmon directed when the diamond point was aimed at him.
Sero aimed his baton and focused a beam of energy at the Maestro of the Zephyr Guild, making it two four-bolt Accomplisheds going toe to toe, each using level four crescendos, and for now they were evenly matched, although Terroll was by far the more experienced. The Assistant made it possible for Daniel to finish his chore by making the Ecoppian-born Accomplished stay on the defensive, for now.
Sherree and Jason were faced off against each other, Instructor against former student, but she was using the better crescendo. The best he could put into his shield with the aid of his energy amplifier was four bolts and she now commanded nine. The glow of his spell winked out, indicating her success at shielding off his potential.
Daniel’s energy beamed into Talmon’s shield, glowing brighter as the two potentials resisted each other and then the king Eagle’s power flickered and he was deprived of the ability to cast a spell beyond his own body.
Efferin straightened his shoulders, “I do not know how you are still able to remember your repertoire but it is clear you do. Be that as it is, I demand that you release me at once.”
Daniel ignored him and focused on Terroll. “I know you were only following orders, but I am not accepting that excuse today and intend to shield off you potential.”
Sero ceased his assault and Terroll lowered his shield, leaving himself completely vulnerable. “I place myself at the mercy of the Chosen Vessel. Do with me as you will,” the Maestro of the Zephyrs spoke in a quiet tone.
Rather than use the crescendo, Daniel focused a hair fine beam of potential into Terroll’s forehead, and established the shield. “I have added a Del Segno that will end the Da Capo after ten days. Talmon, I will consider releasing you at that time, and Efferin, I never will. Jason, it is up to the First Lady of the Atlantan Guild if and when she chooses to release you.”
Talmon shook his head. “You have only won for the moment. We had you, now you have us, but my Eagles are closing in on the palace, and this contest is not yet finished.” He was so smug and cock sure of himself.
Daniel looked him in the eyes. “I have composed a spell that can erase your repertoire. I will cast it now if you do not use the array on your head to order the Eagles and Coronas here and those attacking Shantear to stand down. There have already been deaths on both sides and it will only get worse.”
Talmon placed both hands on his hips. “You would not dare Silence me.”
At that moment a visual from Willis the owl showed Daniel what remained of the stables at the Northland Holding and the torn flesh of men and horses. The horror made him think about what he wanted to do to the Accomplisheds of Aakadon who chose this terrible time to attack him and his guild. He grinned and the Maestro of the Eagle Guild began to sweat. “Reese, this is not a good time to question what I would dare to do.”
Whatever the man saw in the eyes of the Chosen Vessel, it was enough to make him nod. “It will be as you say,” Talmon agreed.
“I forbid you to relay that order,” Efferin said, while summoning potential as if he could do more than shatter everything in the city made of glass. The harmonic waves were also hard on the ceramics and pottery.
Daniel summoned the potential for the spell, Forgettable, added the fourth harmony line, and focused the energy through his diamond-bladed crescendo. A bright topaz beam struck Efferin in the forehead and his spell ceased. The fifth harmony line would have given him the mind of a child but Daniel chose not to add it. He wanted this man to know why he was being deprived of his repertoire.
“You, you, Silenced me,” the Grand Maestro stated accurately as his eyebrows lifted in astonishment.
“Maybe in ten days Terroll will have pity on you and restore your repertoire, but I will not,” Daniel gave the only hope the Grand Maestro had of ever summoning potential again.
“Chosen Vessel, your will has been done,” Maestro Reese quickly announced his compliance with the order.
“Maestro, the Eagles have ceased casting spells. Whatever you did to finish the chore certainly has worked. Leah is staring down Senior Soarers Renford Winthrop and Elias DeSumma, but neither Eagle is telling us their reasons for signaling a truce. The Solars have also ceased hostilities,” Samuel’s voice came through the array.
“We have captured their leaders and I just gave Maestro Reese a very good reason not to question my resolve. He has wisely followed my demand that he order a stand down of the assaults here and at Shantear,” Daniel replied.
“Works for me, especially since Circles of Twenty are now assaulting the Benhannon Northland Holding and Leah has ordered me to take my teams and fight off the raiders,” Samuel replied, along with a strong sense of determination to start hacking away at the new chore.
“Acknowledged, the stables have been destroyed, and your presence is definitely needed there,” Daniel sent, and then ended the communication. He truly hoped to soon join the ISIG Conductor at the holding.
Feelings of firm determination mixed with caution and a sprinkling of hope came ahead of the words, “Maestro, the Senior Soarers and Coronas have discontinued their assault here at Shantear. I do not as of yet know if this is merely a fall back and regroup maneuver or a pause to reflect on the wisdom of continuing the fight,” Jeremiah Lassiter sent.
“The order to stand down came from the top and I doubt hostilities will resume any time soon. I believe Maestro Reese and the Grand Maestro realize the grave error they made in choosing to act as they have. However, Efferin and Talmon have proved to be slow learners and so be prepared for yet another betrayal. Offer healing to anyone who needs it. I also want you to return our guests, those twelve surviving Soarers who sided with us in defense of the Northland Holding months back. The gesture might give Tobermin the sense he has accomplished something worth making the trip for,” Daniel replied.
“It will be as you say, Maestro,” Jeremiah sent and then ended the connection while projecting a much stronger sense of hope.
Daniel summoned the potential for the spell, Find All, added a Da Copa, and sensed Leah and Chas entering the Palace and heading tow
ards the conference room. Queen Cleona and the delegates were several halls away and being protected by squads of Royal Guardsmen. Accomplished Meado and the twenty members of the Benhannon Guard with her approached the royals, adding to their security.
“You cannot possibly think you can get away with Silencing the Grand Maestro of Aakadon,” Efferin stated. “The wrath of the entire city will come down upon you.”
“Several thousand Accomplisheds of the Atlantan Guild and eight thousand members of the Chosen’s Sentinels have this palace surrounded,” Sherree replied. “My husband has gotten away with Silencing you and none of the Eagles can get in here or reverse what he has done.”
Efferin cringed at her use of the word, “Husband,” which is likely why she used the designation. “If either of you think I will resort to begging, know that it will not happen,” he stated firmly.
Daniel smiled. “Good, because the shield I placed on you remains indefinitely, no matter who or how many people beg on your behalf.”
“I think you are being a little harsh,” Jason ventured to say.
“Firstly, he is being lenient, secondly, you should be concerned about your own predicament, and thirdly, I will consider freeing you in ten days. Perhaps by then I will not be so furious with you for taking part in this sham of a conference,” Sherree responded. “It is obvious the only reason you are here is because Daniel and I trusted you.”
Jason wisely decided to say no more and Terroll did not bother to comment or make excuses for his part in the affair. Bella eyed his fellow Accomplisheds from Aakadon and shook his head. “Had I known this conference was meant to be a ruse and a snare, I would have had no part in it. The champion came in good faith, willing to find a way for us to work together, and after this breach of honor even I would not recommend he place his trust in us,” the elderly Accomplished stated and then looked at Daniel. “I apologize for arranging this meeting and for not stopping the Grand Maestro from casting that spell.”
To Be Grand Maestro (Book 5) Page 58