To Be Grand Maestro (Book 5) (11 page)

Daniel was pleased and his smile came naturally at the news. “Jennel, you are a wonder. I was worried about how long the wounded and those suffering from Condemnation were going to have to wait for me to begin healing them. Thanks for finding a way for me to get started.” He should have known her reasons would be good and was a little ashamed he had questioned her actions, as if she would dismiss his request of her presence as unimportant.

Sherree sprang from her chair and hugged the healer while everyone expressed their appreciation of Accomplished Obenport’s solution to a major problem. Jennel spoke up amid the congratulations and after the First Lady released her. “This does not mean our Maestro can summon and focus potential willy-nilly. Daniel, you will not be able to sustain the draw on the seven bolts of potential we give you for more than two tenths of a mark. The potential for weaker spells like those you composed for healing will last longer, but it would be best if donors are on hand to strengthen you between restorations. The same goes for any spells you choose to cast in the future.”

Daniel accepted her words and knew he would simply have to live with the restrictions until his own topaz energy once again filled his vat. “I can live with that,” he replied while glancing at his wife.

“You definitely will,” Sherree affirmed.

“So, unless there is more to be discussed, Maestro, I recommend you come next door to the conference room, and we can begin the process of filling your vat,” Jennel stated with her usual no nonsense way of getting right to the business at hand, particularly in matters concerning health.

Daniel eyed each person in the room. “I have nothing more to add at this time, does anyone else?”

“Nothing that cannot wait until a formal meeting is called and the First Accomplished and Franklin Togan are in attendance,” Martin replied, he no doubt wanted to discuss the future modifications to take place at Mount Shantear.

“Chas and I need to begin planning for any retaliatory strikes of the Serpent Guild on our new base,” Jeremiah stated. “Now would be a good time for him and me to do so.”

“The Serpent Guild could attack us any moment and not only at our new acquisition,” Chas was quick to add. 

No one had any reason to delay the donations so Jennel unnecessarily led Daniel into the conference room, followed by Sherree, Simon, Carlos, and the pair of Teki. There was not a single person in the guild who did not know the door between Daniel’s office and that of Commander Herling opened into the conference room. He chose not to mention the fact. She was only trying to be precise and efficient, leaving nothing to chance, and that was probably why she was such a good healer.

The room had a large shiny table made of obsidian, rounded at the edges, with twenty-two chairs, ten at the sides and one on each end, all made of the same substance contoured for comfort. Ten golden lampstands were evenly placed from corner to corner, providing plenty of light. Like the office, the walls were light blue, the floor pale gray, and the ceiling white. Fifty Accomplisheds, male and female, were lined up around the table, beginning to the right of Daniel’s chair chrono-diskwise. Eighteen of the Aakacarns possessed three lightning bolts on their shoulders and the rest had two.

“Thank you for doing this,” Daniel said, and began shaking the hand of Sonia Divenfort, a former Aakademned he had recently restored to health. He stole/rescued her from the Serpents in the second skirmish that occurred while providing a secret escort for Maestro Reese and his team from Aakadon.

“It is my pleasure to give back a little of what you gave to me,” Sonia assured him with a smile.

“Maestro, if you would sit down at the head, we can begin,” the Lead Healer said while ushering him to the chair before he could properly thank anymore people.

Daniel sat down and the donations began while his wife and entourage looked on. He thanked each Accomplished as they came up to him, to which they would reply, “A pleasure to give back,” or, “an honor to serve,” and then place a hand on his forehead. A warm-tingly sensation soon followed until that person had given his or her twenty percent. Each donor exited the room after drinking a canteen of water and once again assuring him it was their pleasure to help.

Time seemed to go by slowly and Daniel could feel the energy waiting to be used as the last donor, Bernard Kleopis, gave his portion and then stepped back saying, “A pleasure to be of service.”

Jennel placed her hand on Daniel’s forehead and moments later gave a satisfied nod. “Acceptable,” she pronounced the procedure. “I will be back in three marks with a new group of donors for your next session.”

“I will make myself available,” Daniel replied, not that he had much choice if he wanted to be strong enough to start hacking at his list of chores. Besides which Sherree would not allow him to miss any sessions, he was sure. Jennel and Accomplished Kleopis exited the conference room.

“How do you feel?” Simon inquired in a soft-spoken manner.

“I feel right as a spring shower and far stronger than a mark ago,” Daniel replied just as the door banged open, drawing his gaze.

Marsha Obennen, a One-bolt Accomplished whose yellow-gold hair was similar to Sherree’s, seeing as they were both of Lobenian birth, arrived with Daniel’s parents, along with Tim Dukane, who had slammed the door open in his haste to enter the conference room. Gina Dukane came in next, followed by Tom and Jenny Grening. It was good to see Tom had the sense to invite Jenny into his cabin, the Tannakonna custom of proposing marriage, and equally good to see she had accepted. They both became part of the eighteen people who currently served on the Wager, under the command of Tim and Gina, both Admirals in the tiny Atlantan Guild Navy. Saul Tarpon, Captain of the Cleaver and a former captain of the Lobenian Merchant Marines, walked in, closing the door gently, and then stood at ease.

David and Silvia both re-sheathed their daggerlances, having drawn them on the instant at the sudden noise. The deep blue nimbus around Carlos vanished as he released the potential for whatever spell he had been about to cast at the intruders.

Miriam Benhannon ran over to Daniel. Her long tresses of auburn hair flowed over her shoulders and stopped half way down her back. Dark brown eyes focused on him. “Son, the amulets you gave us don’t work. Accomplished Obennen told us the only way for that to happen is for you to be dead,” she announced while placing her hand against his forehead as if he was about ten years of age and in a sick bed. She nodded and stepped back, evidently satisfied he was not running a fever.

Ronn Benhannon ran the thick fingers of his right hand through his dark hair and looked on, brow wrinkled with worry, “Marsha kindly conveyed us all here so we could see for ourselves the condition that last tangle with the dark one left you in,” he added to the explanation for their abrupt arrival. At six and a half cubits high and with shoulders the width of an axe handle, the man had no difficulty standing his ground on whatever turf he occupied.

Daniel imagined himself in twenty years when he looked at his father. The only difference between them that he could see, apart from the years, was around the waist. He was a bit thinner than his father, who had more muscle. His father and mother wore the topaz uniforms of the Chosen’s Sentinels with a gold letter, I, on each silver shoulder stripe, indicating they were instructors. Neither of them had taken to wearing helmets.

Tim’s helmet barely contained the brown wavy hair hanging down to his coat collar. The only difference between his uniform and those of Ronn and Miriam Benhannon were sea gulls on the cuffs and three golden anchors on each of his shoulder stripes, like those of his wife Gina. Daniel’s long-time friend lost the wide-eyed panicked expression displayed after slamming open the door and forced a smile. “You’re alive, that’s a relief, but why aren’t your amulets working?”

Gina, whose long dark hair flowed out the back of her helmet down to her bottom, fixed a dark-eyed stare at Marsha. “You frightened us half out of our wits. I’ve never seen Daniel look so healthy.”

“Why would you scare us like that?” Tom demanded of the Accomplished.

This was the first time Daniel had seen him in the uniform of a naval Guardsmen rather than buckskins. Tom and Jenny’s jackets had a seagull stitched on the cuffs.

Jenny, whose dark hair hung out from her helmet in two long braids, glared at the Accomplished and then shrugged her shoulders as if to say, whatever. “You at least gave me a good reason to see this man again,” she said while aiming her right thumb at Daniel. He had saved her life after the Battle of Bashierwood and the memory was no doubt still fresh in her mind.

“The Chosen Vessel is alive, the Dark Maestro is still imprisoned, and that’s the important thing,” Saul added his opinion. A blond beard followed his jawline and his skin was darker than that of an average Lobenian, due to a long sailing career that came with near constant exposure to the elements.

Marsha ignored them and fixed her gaze on Daniel. “I know something happened to you. I can sense a change even now,” she declared in defense of her actions, not that Daniel thought she needed to.

Daniel opened his mouth to explain what happened, wanting to ease their minds, but Sherree was faster. “He did die, for a few fractions of a mark,” she began and went on to described his mummification and rehydration, and ended with, “So now all of his spell-casting must be accompanied by Aakacarns willing to donate some of their life force energy to keep him strong.”

Ronn Benhannon gave a single nod of his head. “Son, it looks like you are going to need help with your chores. Until you can cast spells on your own, I think you should set the priorities and let people you trust arrange the chores accordingly.”

Daniel could not argue with his father, not when the man was right in what he said. “Seeing as you are all here, I might as well share some new chores Silvia has dumped on my plate.”

“Hey, the visions come to me, I do not control the content, so don’t make me come over there and explain this again,” the Teki Seer said, hands on hips, in a put upon tone, and a smile that ruined her pretense at being offended.

Daniel laughed, but the humor was soon replaced by a more somber mood as the discussion moved on to weightier matters and the chores that needed to be accomplished. Still, it was good to be in the company of his parents and friends.

-----

Several days without the benefit of the spell, Nourishment, which had been sustaining him, caused Tarin to experience something he had not felt in over a thousand years; hunger. The vast amount of life force energy within him could probably keep him alive for another ten days or so, if he cast no spells, but his empty stomach was demanding to be filled. Worse, if he casts no spells, then he will die in this vault and if he attempts to destroy each crystalline gem in his body and instantly heal the damage, he will run out of energy a third of the way through the process. The spell, Breathe, cast internally, instantly converted his breath back into breathable air, so suffocation was not a danger.

This called for a change in priorities. He thought about the problem, taking a larger view, and decided, survival of the fittest does not mean other people could not be used to insure his continued existence. He knew exactly the right person. In his mind he pictured himself as he actually was, but sitting in a white gazebo, and with the young Aakacarn who would do anything for him.

Serena appeared in the seat opposite him. Her eyes widened at seeing him so pale but the thirty lightning bolts on his shoulders no doubt made up for his less than grand apparel. “Great Master, how may I serve you?”

“You are seeing me as I truly am after a millennium without sunlight,” he explained. “This summons is my way of expressing how pleased I am with your level of service.”

The pupils of her blue eyes opened widener. “I am honored to come before you in a dream and long for the day when I can stand in your actual presence.”

She was no doubt thinking of the complex within Mount Filia where all of the senior members of his guild expected him to appear after he breaks free. Her response was precisely what he wanted to hear and exactly what he had expected. “Then that shall be your reward. Assemble your teleportation circle and come to Kelgotha. They are to stay up in the cave, but you I will allow to tunnel down to my vault and escort me to the surface.”

She smiled, tears flowing from her eyes, chest rising up and down with rapid breathing, and long moments passed before she could speak. “Great One, I will come immediately.” Of that Tarin had no doubt.

Six days and wonderful nights spent with his wife, along with donations of life force energy from many of the Accomplisheds and Talenteds of the Atlantan Guild, had Daniel in a good mood. He knew people were deliberately keeping things from him, so as to deliver him from the temptation to summon potential, and even that knowledge did not ruin his outlook on this the seventh day. Today, this evening at the latest, he would begin the healings and restorations, if Jennel gives her final approval, and he was confident she would pronounce his vat, “Acceptable.”

It was a mark before sunrise and they were in the bedroom he shared with the First Lady, on the second floor of building two, at the northland holding. In addition to the huge bed he and Sherree currently occupied, the room was furnished with a writing table, two cushioned chairs, two night tables, twin maple-wood wardrobes, and a turquoise rug covering the floor.

Snuggling with her under the covers was one of the things keeping him from rising up and rushing to the conference room. He was enjoying the warmth of her flesh, the gentle beating of her heart, and did not want to disturb the peaceful slumber she so richly deserved. They never had a proper honeymoon and the forced break in his usual routine gave them the perfect opportunity to make up for it.

Of course this was not the only thing he had been doing while in bed, thanks to his swirl of animal scouts. Much of those facts everyone tried so hard to keep from him, he had learned from his non-human sources while Sherree slept, and this seemed like a good time to find out more. The task did not require spell-casting, only deep concentration. Those links had been established well before the battle at Shantear and were still growing without his direct involvement.

Every creature in his swirl had been encourage to eat, drink, survive, and reproduce, what he considered to be the normal progression of life. His suggestion to them had a greater impact than he had anticipated; every mature female sasquatch, lion, wolf, mammals of all sorts, birds, insects, reptiles, and amphibians were in the process of mating, laying, hatching or giving birth to new generations. His links to the animals went deeper than the simple control over their minds that the spells composed by Tarin Conn gave his minions over sasquatches and yetis. Daniel’s spell not only touched a creature’s life force, it went into the recipe strands, and each generation of the various species came into this world naturally linked to him.

He focused on Troy, a white fox wandering in the hills about two spans from the holding. Sensations of sight, sound, and smell, filled his mind and he became one with the furry creature. They had no difficulty seeing by moonlight while trotting through the snow or hearing the wind whispering through the needles of evergreens. He padded through the cold white blanket winter lay on the land and his ears shifted towards the west, picking up snores of differing pitches and volume. The discordant addition to the nightly chorus of forest creatures could not be ignored, so he trotted in the direction of the disturbance and soon came upon twenty solidified huts of air.

“
Daniel/Alpha wishes to see two-legged-walkers?”
Troy’s thoughts came into Daniel’s mind. He could feel the general fear of mankind in his canine friend.

“Yes, approach carefully,”
Daniel replied while sending encouragement along with a strong sense of caution.

The fox moved silently, paws stepping lightly over the snow, towards the opening of the first hut on the left. Troy’s nocturnal vison made out the faint glow of a screen of solidified air which allowed oxygen to flow through while keeping out the insects and other critters flatlanders generally did not want to be bothered with. Daniel doubted the eyes of an ordinary human would see the crisscross lines.

While the screen was good at keeping things out, it was no barrier to Troy’s keen eyes or his ears. Inside, a snoring woman wearing red on black silks was sleeping on a cushion of air. A faint sphere radiated warmth, keeping her immediate surroundings comfortable against the winter chill. A golden lightning bolt on each shoulder indicated the strength of her potential and a medallion with a silver bird of prey in a circle of gold indicated her guild affiliation.

The sun would be up soon but Daniel did not want to leave anything to speculation when it would take only a few moments to be sure of who occupied the other huts, something he had learned from Jeremiah Lassiter. “L
et’s have a look at the others,”
Daniel sent to his canine friend.

A desire to do the very thing he suggested flowed ahead of, “
We go.”

Troy moved swiftly and silently from hut to hut and sure enough discovered each to be occupied by a slumbering Accomplished of the Eagle Guild. Soarers had been swooping around the southern estate for months, Daniel knew, and now it was clear Talmon Reese finally got around to sending a flock to do the same in the north. Hopefully the Eagles will keep their distance and not attempt to take any of the residents into custody, a distinct possibility Daniel would have to guard against.

Daniel was sure Leah, Lassiter, Samuel, Simon, and Chas knew about the flock. Daniel did not mind that they kept this from him; it was the five Serpent attacks at his southern estate that troubled him more. Lucius, the wolf, who patrolled the area around Lake Benhannon, and Sprinter, Daniel’s ashen stallion, both showed the attacks while in progress, as did more than a few other winged and furry creatures in his swirl.

Each assault had been thwarted and the wounded taken care of afterwards, but those were the kinds of things Daniel did not want to be shielded from, especially since it was likely more retaliatory strikes were to come. The temptation to get involved had been difficult to resist, and yet he managed to keep from interfering, mostly because of Sherree’s continued presence, he had to admit, but after today he expected to be kept informed.

Sherree’s arms moved and she shifted slightly, making it possible to look into her beautiful eyes, and also breaking his concentration on Troy, who fled away from the campsite. “You should have awakened me. Your final four rounds of donations are scheduled to begin in half a mark.”

She followed up the greeting by placing her hand on his forehead, gentle warmth filtered through his body as she checked on his health and then the contents of his vat. Her eyes seemed to be staring through him rather than at him.

“Will I be wished a good morning if I pass this inspection?” he asked.

The amber glow of her potential vanished and she answered by lunging flat out on top of him and locking her lips onto his. After a few moments she pushed up and said, “Good morning.”

“This is no way to encourage me to get out of bed,” Daniel felt the need to point out.

“No, but this is,” she said with a playful smile and then launched herself out of the bed, taking all of the covers with her.

He shot off the mattress just as she threw the covers to the side. Facing the satisfied twinkle in her eyes, Daniel surrendered the point. “Your means of persuasion are mighty compelling,” he admitted. “Will I be allowed to cleanse myself? All the potential directed into my vat four times a day for six days ought to make me strong enough to cast such a simple spell.”

Sherree began shaking her head before answering. “You agreed to cast no spells, no matter how strong you feel, until seven days have passed and Jennel determines the treatments are complete.” There was no way she would allow him to go back on his word where his health was concerned and he really did not expect her to relent. He just could not resist playing with her just a little bit.

Amber light radiated from her and she pulled him into an embrace. The warmth of her life force energy flowed into him and a tingling sensation swept through his entire body, from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. After a few moments of close contact, the glow vanished, she released him, and stepped back, leaving them both clean and fresh as if they had just showered.

“A hand on my forehead like you have been doing over the last six days would have accomplished the same thing,” Daniel mentioned, not that he was complaining.
It felt great!

That playful smile reappeared. “True, but this was so much more fun,” she replied and her pupils seemed to widen. Evidently she had not been through playing with him either.

He nodded approval of the new method, even though it increased the desire to take her in his arms. “I like this way better than the traditional one.”

Sherree eyed him up and down before fixing her gaze back on his face. “I figured you would, seeing as you are rather famous for breaking traditions,” she replied and took a step back as if not fully trusting her own resolve to stay out of bed.

Daniel glanced at the pair of wardrobes. “Much as I admire the view, we should think about putting some clothes on.”

He matched words to action and put on his under garments, blue silks, boots and golden belt. By the time he was fully dressed with the hood of his cloak down, she was too, except her hood was up. “Are you ready?” Sherree asked.

Daniel picked her up, kissed her on the lips, and then gently set her back down. “Yep, that about does it,” he said and then opened the door.

“Let’s get you powered up first and then we can go have breakfast,” she suggested as they went out into the hall.

The smell of bacon and other tantalizing morning foods wafted up from below and caused his mouth to water, yet he had no objection to receiving donations first. “It will be as you say, First Lady.”

They headed straight downstairs to the conference room where Jaim Cutler stood ready to fulfill his duty. “Good morning Sir Daniel, Lady Sherree,” the Sentinel called out and quickly moved to open the conference room door when it became apparent that is where they were going.

“Yes, it is,” Daniel agreed, “and hopefully for you as well.”

“Mine started a mark and a half ago and so far has been good,” Jaim replied.

“May it remain so,” Sherree told him.

Jaim ushered them into the room, then went back out and closed the door. Daniel sat at the head of the table and Sherree took the chair to his right. Her hand slid into his and before they could say a word, Miriam Benhannon entered along with Marge Durayton, a woman thirty-one years of age with long dark hair pulled back ponytail-styled. She had been voted Chief of Kitchens, and behind her came Linni Brimwald, who was carrying a pair of covered trays. Linni’s black hair was tied into a bun on her head, but would flow down to her knees if set free. Both women had been captured in border raids and were turned into Condemneds by Serin Gel. The twenty-two-year-old had witnessed her husband and two children being killed, another thing she and Marge had in common, and chose to enlist into Daniel’s service. Their uniforms were similar to those of the Chosen’s Sentinels except for the white aprons and only carrying a daggerlance in their belts. They were both physically fit and knew how to use the weapons.

“I figured you would put off eating,” his mother said. “You have a third of a mark before Jennel and your donors arrive, which is plenty of time to eat this little bit.”

Marge motioned with her hand and Linni placed the trays on the table in front of Daniel and Sherree, who slid her hand out of his after giving a slight squeeze. “Here are your forks and knives,” Chef Brimwald said while producing the utensils from a pocket on the inside of her apron.

Daniel lifted the tray and found a tall glass of apple juice, two biscuits, scrambled eggs, four strips of bacon, and a small stack of pancakes. A glance to his right showed that his wife had been given the same thing. This was more than a little bit, but he knew better than to dispute the fact with Miriam Benhannon. “Thanks,” was all he chose to say before picking up the fork.

Half way through the breakfast Carlos arrived and took up a standing position beside the door. As Daniel swallowed the last mouthful, Jennel and the donors filed in. “We will be serving roasted turkey for lunch,” Marge informed him while Linni picked up the trays. She and the Chief of Kitchens exited while Daniel’s mother remained behind, no doubt to watch the procedure.

Jennel motioned to the first donor in line. Sero Bagget, a stocky man with silver-hair and pale blue eyes, had been born in Demfilia, was sixty-three years of age, and in the best possible physical condition for a man of his generation. Though he had been numbered with the Accomplisheds who had participated in the Grand Symphonies within Shantear, he was not yet a true master of his life force energy. It was his lightning bolts of potential that had been needed.

He could easily pass for a man of fifty, one with bulging muscles and increased stamina, all due to the powerful effects of the spell, Restoration, and woe betide the fool who under estimated him. As a boy, the son of a minor, he was Condemned at age twelve, had been in that state for over five decades, and his vat was, at present, nearly as big and full as Leah’s. On the shoulders of his tan-colored silks were four lightning bolts. Enormous potential had lain dormant in a man who never attended a learning circle, who could not read, write or count; that was until he became a member of the Atlantan Guild.

“Sero, I am grateful for the generosity of spirit,” Daniel told him as the Talented came forward. “You contributed to me four days ago, are you sure giving again so soon is a good idea?”

The clean-shaven man brought a finger to his chin and said, “Let’s see. I have four bolts of potential, sixteen times the power of a one-bolt; I only gave you twenty percent, which is three point two times the power of a one bolt. I have been consuming large quantities of water, have checked my vat, and since the level of my life force energy is now slightly greater than it was four days ago, my answer is yes,” he replied with a merry twinkle in his eye.