To Be a Maestro
TO BE A MAESTRO
The Maestro Chronicles:
Book Four
CONTENTS
Chapter One: Silenced No More
Chapter Two: The Northland Holding
Chapter Three: The Right Decision
Chapter Four: Meeting at the Border.
Chapter Five: Confirmation
Chapter Six: Simon Listens
Chapter Seven: End Of A Long Day
Chapter Eight: Innovations
Chapter Nine: What He Needs To Hear
Chapter Ten: Building A Better Boat
Chapter Eleven: Siege
Chapter Twelve: A Serious Matter
Chapter Thirteen: The Serpent’s Fangs
Chapter Fourteen: The First Accomplished
Chapter fifteen: Aakademneds
Chapter Sixteen: The Assault
Chapter Seventeen: Secrets Revealed
Chapter Eighteen: A Trip To Aakadon
Chapter Nineteen: Rogue
Chapter Twenty: Too Late
Chapter Twenty-One: An Accommodation
Chapter Twenty-two: Sherree & Simon
Chapter Twenty-Three: Shantear
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Crystal Chamber
Chapter Twenty-Five: I Forbid It!
Chapter One: Silenced No More
Serena Lowell led her team, two young men, two equally young women, and far less than half of the three hundred sasquatches she started out with, through the forest in the western region of Ducaun, the center most of the eleven kingdoms on the continent of Atlantan. The huge shaggy bipeds were downwind and out of sight, which is the way she preferred it. The brown-black beasts were only slightly less smelly than a pack of skunks. An osprey circled in the partly cloudy sky and evening was soon to arrive. She was on edge and more than slightly bothered. The climate had her red-blond hair all frizzy beneath the hood of her silk cloak, which covered a petite frame and a peach-colored complexion. Her blue eyes were a stark contrast to those of her dark-eyed Ducaunan team.
Following right behind her was Geb SuTamkin, an illegitimate son of Lord Tamkin. The tall Ducaunan, who some might consider to be handsome, he being highest on that list, had been taught to no longer question her authority.
That had been very early on in the mission to reclaim the trumpet of Tarin Conn on behalf of the Serpent Guild, a task she had managed successfully, even though it cost her fifteen Talenteds, all of her horses, and the majority of her sasquatches. It was the betrayal that frustrated her more than being outdoors in the weather. The instrument, created by the Supreme Maestro, before being imprisoned more than a thousand years ago beneath Mount Kelgotha, in the kingdom of Ecoppia, could enhance the potential of any Aakacarn by six bolts, which is thirty-six times the life force energy she could wield unaided with her single lighting bolt of potential. The type two level four crescendo was gone and her mission now a failure.
Behind the illegitimate-son-of-a-lord came Ursula Duggan, whose mouth, shaped in a perpetual pout, rarely smiled. She was dark of eye and hair, pale skinned, muscular, and dressed in unrelieved black silks, cloak, pants, and shirt, as were all of the Talenteds, so designated because they have yet to graduate to the level of Accomplisheds, and be considered masters of their own potential. Serena had the black silks with silver braiding, a striking cobra medallion indicating her affiliation with the Serpent Guild, and a golden lightning bolt on her hood indicating her rank in potential as an Accomplished. None of the young Aakacarns, fellow Melody Wielders, possessed enough to equal a single bolt of extra life force energy.
Taking up the rear was Ana Tigress. Her lithe figure, dark hair, and pretty face, hid a deadly dangerous nature. She hailed from the Mount Geble region of Ducaun, where animal names were popular.
Ferren Duzolta, lean and wiry, called the Ferret by Ursula Duggan, an apt name that stuck, stood shorter than the two women, yet he towered over Serena, as did they all. He was an orphan who had grown up on the streets of Zoltair and good at sneaking into the homes of the wealthy. Accomplisheds of the Serpent Guild snatched him away for training when his Potential was discovered at age ten while the fools in Aakadon believed the kingdom to be a dry well; their term for a nation that possessed not a single person whose life force energy could replenish and increase over time.
He ran up ahead of the group and stopped, glowing red-orange with potential, and focused a beam of light onto the blackened remains of the traitor, whom he tracked to this location in the woods. “This is Jak Taltin, what’s left of him anyway,” the Ferret stated, apparently not realizing Serena had cast her own spell to identify the human-shaped pile of ash and bone.
Many days ago she woke to find the shielded casket containing the trumpet missing, along with Taltin. She had assumed the Talented would follow the meandering Tollus River north to Rivertown, and had wasted many more days going that way, until the Ferret caught up to her after completing his mission to discourage Daniel Benhannon from pursuit. The Ducaunan Accomplished, Silenced by the Grand Maestro of Aakadon, the enemy of the Serpent Guild, had been knighted by the Queen of Ducaun, and sent to retrieve the trumpet, which was nowhere to be seen in the vicinity of the incinerated traitor. Duzolta had noticed signs of passage on his way back, not knowing at the time they had been made by a fleeing Jak Taltin. When Serena filled him in on what happened, Ferren told her of the signs he noted and assured her he could hunt down the traitor. They were now all standing over proof of the Ferret’s tracking ability.
“Who could have done this to him?” Ana Tigress wondered out loud.
“Obviously someone with greater potential than Taltin,” Duggan responded, although she offered no suggestion as to the identity of that someone.
Serena held back from screaming in frustration, lest she appear childish in front of what was left of her team. The honor of retrieving the trumpet of Tarin Conn had been given to her by Vance Cummin, the acting leader of the Serpent Guild after Balen Tamm died in a duel with Daniel Benhannon. The Supreme Maestro, Tarin Conn, has yet to name the three-bolt Accomplished to the office of Maestro, but the appointment seems inevitable, and Serena was determined to prove to Vance she could handle the responsibility.
She never led a team before, having spent most of her career at Serpent Central, which was now in ruins, thanks, again, to Daniel Benhannon. The plan had been to select her team, teleport to the Ducalin Estate, where the potential enhancer had been hidden for who knew how many centuries, obtain the trumpet in a lightning raid, and bring the crescendo to Vance. So few of her team remained, it was impossible to cast, Teleportation; a Melody requiring six bolts of potential, a spell that would mummify her and her team if tried. Consequently, a planned quick return from her objective became a one hundred span slog out of the Swamps of Append and into the forest. Rivertown was about fifty spans west of where she stood. With five thousand paces to a span, she was feeling every step.
SuTamkin rubbed his chin. “Perhaps our Ferret was less than effective at discouraging Benhannon.”
Duzolta, eyebrows lowered in momentary indignation, showing only a flicker of annoyance before bringing his emotions under control, stepped up to the lordling. “Even a level one Talented,” there are four levels, “knows a person who has been Silenced cannot summon potential. Daniel Benhannon is impotent. I cast the Melody, Slumber, at him, striking the man down as easily as a commoner. I don’t pretend to know who did this to Taltin ..,”
“Whoever did this to Taltin has the trumpet,” Serena interrupted the pointless conversation taking place between the two males.
Duzolta let out a string of curses, most of which expressed Serena’s own feelings. A successful retrieval of the trumpet meant instant promotion to the level of Accomplished for each of the Talenteds and th
e honor of visiting the sacred cave in Mount Kelgotha, where the Supreme Maestro would then form links to their minds. Those dreams were shattered now and Vance Cummin would see the fiasco as a failure in leadership. They all had reason to be angry.
“What are your orders?” SuTamkin spoke without a trace of contempt. Perhaps he sensed her mood and knew it would not go well with him if he chose this moment to show any sign of disrespect.
Serena stifled the sigh that was about to escape her. “Night will be upon us soon,” she said, eyeing each of her team members, and trying to project confidence and authority. “We will make our huts and camp here. I have some spells in my repertoire that will allow me to detect the potential used against Taltin and then track the person who summoned it.” She was lying through her teeth, no such Melodies existed, yet they all nodded as if they believed every word, even SuTamkin. The ignorance of Talenteds made them easy to fool.
Serena played the Melody, Hut, in her head, thus summoning, and then focusing her golden potential at the ground. Rock, dirt, and grass, rose up into a small hill, forming a hollowed out space inside, and solidifying the walls to keep them from caving in. The Talenteds were forming their own huts when she turned at the cry of a lone osprey circling above. The raptor was probably calling to its mate.
Ferren went off in search of whatever would be dinner while the others entered their huts. Serena walked into her temporary abode, solidified a cushion of air, and stretched out on it. She should have contacted Vance days ago to inform him of the mission failure, but had been putting it off, hoping she could catch Taltin, and retrieve the trumpet. She still hesitated to communicate with Cummin, even though his network of associates has probably informed him of the situation. It was troubling how much that man knew. Even so, she wanted time to think and consider the best possible way to present the facts, and a good night’s sleep might help. She closed her eyes and could hear Duzolta return and his fellow Talenteds exclaiming over the rabbits he caught. None of them dared bother her, knowing she would come out on her own if hungry. The smell of roasting rabbit filled the air and was the last thing Serena remembered before falling asleep.
She stood in a grassy field facing a white gold-trimmed gazebo containing two chairs, the largest of which being the diamond throne, where sat the Supreme Maestro. Serena dropped to her knees, fixing her gaze on the ground. Every other time the Great One entered her dreams they had been in the grand court, yet this setting made her blush. Tarin Conn had visited her dreams perhaps a double handful of times over the years, yet she had dreamt of him many more times than that, and this was how he often appeared in what she thought were her private dreams.
“Rise, Serena, and come join me,” Tarin Conn invited, in a deep voice, and staring with eyes that were black as coal.
The Supreme Maestro had the military bearing of a commanding general, a ruggedly handsome man, wearing a diamond encrusted crown upon his thick black hair. A neatly trimmed mustache served to highlight a tanned face that appeared to be chiseled in stone and his purple silk garments gave him the look of royalty.
Serena hastened up the three steps into the gazebo and sat on the lesser chair after he motioned for her to do so. “Great One, how may I serve?” She asked in fear. If she was not ready to admit her failure to Vance Cummin, she certainly wasn’t ready to speak of it to the Supreme Maestro, but what choice did she have now? She dared not lie.
Tarin Conn smiled at her. “As you have no doubt observed by my selection of setting, I sometimes visit the dreams of my followers without making my presence known, which is why you have found favor in my sight. Is that consternation on your face? Are you worried at what I might have seen or confused as to why you have my favor?”
And she thought it troubling how much Vance knew; this made her concern over the three-bolt Accomplished seem small. “Great One, I did not know you watch my dreams, but am not surprised a personage truly as powerful as you can do so. I..,” she began and then gulped before going on to explain her confusion. “I failed in my mission to reclaim your trumpet on behalf of the Serpent Guild,” she finished and closed her eyes, waiting for the stinging rebuke she justly deserved.
“Yes, you succeeded at a high cost, and then failed to retain possession of the trumpet. This I know, yet you did well for an Accomplished on her first mission, especially one having an objective with such great a scope. The casket containing my trumpet was protected by a shield placed upon it by Della Lain, a shield beyond your ability to break. Vance Cummin informed me of your situation and I have given him strict orders concerning you, so have no fear of recriminations from him.” Tarin Conn told her.
Serena opened her eyes, blinking rapidly. “How can you be pleased by my failure?” She dared to ask, even though doing so risked her losing favor.
Tarin Conn smiled again. “I am not pleased by your failure. I’m pleased by your tenacity and loyalty to me. You were caught between forces greater than you could handle, two of my strongest Accomplisheds vying for the office of Maestro. Vance Cummin ordered you to retrieve my trumpet, which you did, and then Serin Gell’s associate stole it from you. Either way it ends up in the hands of the Serpent Guild, so your failure is not as great as you think.”
He does not know. Serena had an obligation to bring him up to date on the facts, even though she had no clue about who had the trumpet, and the information seemed sure to upset the Supreme Maestro. “I have caught up with Jak Taltin, Serin Gell’s minion. He is dead, incinerated, and your trumpet is gone,” she admitted and not a bit surprised to see his eyebrows draw down in anger.
“Fool!” shouted Tarin Conn. It took him a few moments to smooth out his facial features, yet his glaring eyes betrayed a deep simmering anger. “He is gambling big,” the Ancient Accomplished went on in an even tone.
Serena startled in fright at the outburst and then felt relief when the rebuke turned out to be aimed at a male. The Great One’s anger was not being directed at her, yet she dared to ask in a small voice, “Who is gambling?”
Those black eyes focused on her with such intensity she felt as if they were seeing every secret she held dear. “Serin Gell has possession of the flute of Della Lain. Yes, I see by the look in your eyes, you are wondering why it has not been destroyed, and why I am not free,” he told her.
“That is exactly what I am wondering,” she admitted.
Tarin Conn took a deep breath. “Serin Gell has convoluted plans. He intended to lure Daniel Benhannon to his Nest, Condemn him using my trumpet, and then use the crescendo to destroy the flute. His gamble is that I would be so pleased over his freeing me; I would promote him to Maestro of the guild, and forgive his ignoring my order to stay away from Daniel Benhannon. How did Jak Taltin die?”
The question took Serena by surprise, yet she did not hesitate to reply. “He died at the hands of a more powerful and skilled Aakacarn.”
Tarin Conn was shaking his head. “No, not an Aakacarn, an Aakasear; this is the reason why I gave orders for Daniel to be left alone. While he was impotent and running around playing at being a Ducaunan Royal Knight of the Realm, he was no threat.”
“What is an Aakasear?” Serena felt compelled to ask.
“A Melody Composer as am I. Compared to me, Daniel is a toddler just learning to walk, one who had fallen, and not yet regained his footing. The Silencing placed upon him by the Grand Maestro of Aakadon made him forget his repertoire. Every spell in his mind up to that point was gone. An Aakasear can compose new spells and thereby regain the ability to summon his life force energy,” Tarin Conn explained.
A fuller understanding blossomed in her mind. “Any confrontation with us could inspire Daniel Benhannon to compose a spell.” She saw no need to mention the Ferret’s strike at the Aakasear.
“Exactly so, and that is the factor Serin Gell did not know to take into account when he made his gamble. My visitation with him will not be pleasant. He has much to answer for. Daniel Benhannon has been tracking my trumpet. Taltin took it and,
at the orders of Serin Gell, left a trail for the Ducaunan Knight to follow. Unfortunately for Gell’s associate, Daniel must have caught up to him. No doubt they fought and my fellow Aakasear has learned, if he had not by then, that he can summon potential by composing and using new Melodies. This means he has my trumpet and is on his way to confront Serin Gell,” the Great One explained.
Serena had no way of knowing if it was Duzolta’s assault that inspired Benhannon to compose new spells or the confrontation with Taltin. It did not really matter unless the Supreme Maestro ordered her to wrest it from the hand of the powerful Accomplished. She opened her mouth to inquire as to what Tarin Conn would have her do, when he held up his hand, forestalling her intention. His eyes seemed to be focusing at nothing in particular for several heart beats and then he shook his head.
“The confrontation has just taken place. It seems Daniel Benhannon won again. Serin Gell is dead, I would know if my fellow Aakasear used my trumpet to sever the link between myself and Gell. This means the flute is now in Daniel’s hands. The gambling fool is better off dead.” Tarin Conn stated matter-of-factly.
Serena was pleased by the news and had wanted the foolish three-bolt Accomplished to die for interfering with her mission.
“Go to Rivertown, the Accomplisheds whose services you allocated from Vance Cummin for transportation will meet you there. I have plans for you and your team. Bring them to the sacred cave here in Mount Kelgotha so I can form links to their minds. Afterward, you are to send one of them throughout the realm of Ducaun spreading word that, Efferin Tames is the Creator’s Chosen Vessel, and thus create confusion among the commoners and the nobility. At the appropriate time, I will instruct Vance Cummin to spread word about Daniel being an Aakasear and a younger version of me, which should turn most of the world against my young foe, and send all of the Accomplisheds of Aakadon after him while my guild prepares for the coming war. As for you and the rest of your team, I have a special casting in mind,” the great Tarin Conn ordered.