To Be Chosen (The Maestro Chronicles)

  To Be Chosen

  The Maestro Chronicles: Book Three

  John A Buttrick

  Chapter One: The Traveling People

  Chapter Two: What Is This?

  Chapter Three: A Change in Mentors

  Chapter Four: A Royal Knight of the Realm

  Chapter Five: Life and Purpose

  Chapter Six: The Benhannon Estate

  Chapter Seven: The Serpents Strike

  Chapter Eight: Simon and the Forester

  Chapter nine: Mentors of Great Repute

  Chapter Ten: Broken Wing

  Chapter Eleven: A Representative of the Queen

  Chapter Twelve: Do Whatever Is Necessary

  Chapter Thirteen: Into the Swamp

  Chapter Fourteen: The Underwater City

  Chapter Fifteen: A Plan in Motion

  Chapter Sixteen: The Vessel’s Swirl

  Chapter Seventeen: Messages Received

  Chapter Eighteen: A Seer’s Prediction

  Chapter Nineteen: Treachery

  Chapter Twenty: Preparations

  Chapter Twenty-One: Cana or Pentrosa?

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Into the Nest

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Healing the Impossible

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Realm Alert

  Chapter One : The Traveling People

  Daniel Benhannon opened his eyes just when the sun came above the horizon and the morning dew was glistening off dangling leaves and tall blades of green grass. He was in the wilderness of Ducaun between the city of Bon, fifty spans to the east, and Ducanton, the capital, which was one hundred-ten spans due west. He went over and patted Sprinter on the flank while the stallion nibbled on the grass. His saddle was on the ground along with the six-stringed guitarn, which reminded him of his father who made the instrument and his mother who taught him how to play it.

  He grabbed the saddle, secured it and the guitarn to Sprinter’s back, and then mounted in one smooth motion. He was deep in the woods, and tempted to find a clearing, build a cabin, and live there, well away from civilization. Orin Netless once said that disaster followed Daniel like stink on a skunk and he was right. Trouble did follow him which is why he was tempted to stay away from people. He came from a long line of mountaineers and was perfectly capable of living in the wild, even if this land was mostly flat with only a few hills here and there. Even here trouble seemed to follow him. Just in the past few days he encountered and killed twenty yetis, most lone rogues, but one time there had been four hunting together, which was strange, seeing as they usually preferred mountain ranges and hardly ever wandered into the flat lands. The huge white creatures seemed to be running wild since the death of Balen Tamm. Daniel knew the Serpent Guild had some way of controlling the shaggy beasts and whatever Melodies had been used by the now dead Maestro must have gone inactive. That means the guild members must be trying to round up yetis and reestablish control. He chuckled at the thought of the chaos his enemies must be experiencing.

  His brief time in Aakadon had expanded his education and the Da Capo was one of the most useful additions. Even now he had a very weak shield formed beneath his buckskins close to his skin, leaving only enough room for air to flow around his body. Only his inner ears, nostrils, and mouth when open, were exposed. He was proud of this composition. The shield spells used in Aakadon, and by observation, used by the Serpent Guild, were completely defensive. The caster could not attack while the shield was in place and the potential could not be varied in anyway; struck by a higher potential, the shields failed. The shield spells he composed provided protection while allowing him to go on the offensive and the potentials were variable. The amount of life force energy he was currently using was strong enough to protect him and Sprinter from burns, bites, scratches, blades, and arrows. If an Aakacarn hit him directly with a spell, the shield would immediately absorb the potential and strengthen, keeping him safe, or at least giving him time to react to the threat. He was by no means entirely safe. A powerful spell could kill him indirectly. The shield could absorb the potential of a high powered fireball, he contemplated, but the fire might still be hot enough to sear his lungs or he could smother in its smoke, either way he would be dead, not to mention getting his ear drums burned out. He dared not be complacent about his safety.

  The Da Capos on whatever Melodies Balen Tamm tied to his life force clearly ended when he died, perhaps he should have tied them to the residual life force energy in his instrument. Tied to a crescendo, the Da Capos would have stayed in place long after his death, like the one on the flute of Della Lain keeping Tarin Conn imprisoned beneath Mount Kelgotha, Daniel pondered, having plenty of time for thinking.

  He continued west out of the grassy clearing and deeper into the forest. The trees were mostly oaks and chestnuts with white-ash and assorted maples sprinkled in here and there. The sky above the treetops, as seen between a canopy of swaying branches, was a vivid blue with only a few white clouds drifting lazily to the south. He summoned potential for the spell, Find All, energy flowed into him, warm and tingling, making him feel all powerful, and he sent his scan out slowly to a five span radius. It was unlikely another spell caster would be anywhere near but it never hurt to be careful. No yetis, Condemneds, or Aakacarns, were in the area, but he did sense a bear three and a half spans to the south, woodpeckers, thrushes, all sorts of birds, insects, deer, foxes, various critters, and a wolf pack five spans to the north that was headed out of his self-imposed scanning range. He could have scanned much farther but that would cause ripple affects and potentially draw unwanted attention.

  Any Aakacarn in sight would usually be able to see he was summoning potential, and that glow would be visible until he completed the Melody or added a Da Capo and tied it off. His shield was so low in potential it was invisible before he tied it off to his life force. It was a Symphonic, meaning it had more notes in the composition than just a single melody line. The more notes he added in harmony with the melody, the less potential was needed to produce the desired effect, which is what made him believe he could compose a teleportation spell of his own that required no more than a single bolt of potential. Fortunately his time in Aakadon had introduced him to a wide range of musical instruments and he could hear them in his mind and imagine adding those sounds to his compositions.

  He was alert, his mountaineer skills at hunting and trapping were honed to a fine edge and he did not neglect them just because he could cast a spell and sense every living thing around him. His eyes, ears, and nose were just as important. He rode with one hand on the reins and a bow and quiver of arrows strapped across his back. His buckskins were more than just clean, they were immaculate, kept so by his frequent use of the spell he titled; Laundering. It actually did more than just clean his clothes, like the one the Aakacarns used, his also repaired any damage as if the tear, burn, or whatever, had never occurred. His boots were rawhide but equally immaculate. On his right hip was a hunting knife sheathed to his belt. The weapon was much more than a knife; it was a type one level four crescendo possessing six bolts of amplification, giving it thirty-six times the power of a One-bolt Accomplished. Daniel had that much unaided, with this crescendo he commanded twelve bolts of potential, enough to cause a mountain to tremble and be sensed by every living thing in the known world.

  He was tempted to stay in the woods and forgo visiting the Queen, even though he had told Tim Dukane, his long time friend, he would go to the palace and offer his services as an Accomplished to her, but was now having second and even third thoughts. He would never be able to go back to the simple life he once enjoyed after revealing his abilities to the Queen and so was hesitant to follow through with the notion. The invitation to c
ome at his earliest convenience had to have been sent while he was still attending classes in Aakadon, before he defeated Balen Tamm, and certainly before he had been Silenced by the Grand Maestro. Daniel had been praised by Maestros, Aakacarns, and non-Aakacarns alike for his accomplishments. All the fuss over him was enough to make him want to stay in the woods, but his departure from Aakadon has likely been reported to the Queen through the Accomplished assigned to the royal court, and Daniel knew in his heart she was expecting him to honor her summons, which is what it was, and present himself.

  He could track from one end of the continent to the other without getting lost, thanks to those geography lessons in Aakadon. Before casting his first spell and the aftermath that followed, he had never been any farther from Mount Tannakonna than the river named after it. He was truly grateful for those boring lessons, or so they seemed at the time.

  He rode on circumspectly watching birds flit from branch to branch and then suddenly, at a signal known only to them, take off in mass, and fly away in formation to wherever the notion took them. Squirrels scampered up trees and other forest critters went about their daily search for food. While traveling, he was also creating a highly detailed holographic map through the spell called, Mapping, tied with a Da Capo connected to his life force, a minimal potential Melody he could perform in his head whenever he wanted to make a map. To each map he would assign a name and then be able to project at will for others to see or just close his eyes and visualize the images in his head. The depictions would definitely be good enough to use for teleportation.

  The air was fresh and the breeze carried a rich floral scent mixed with that of water. A quarter of a span farther brought him to a small lake. He drank from one of his two canteens, the other was empty, and then dismounted and refilled both of them. Sprinter drank freely. The quiet moment brought thoughts of Sherree Jenna to the forefront of his mind. The newly raised Accomplished was now a member of the Aloe Guild and was dedicating herself to the healing arts. Even as a Talented she had demonstrated her compassion and desire to heal sickness and injuries, on humans and on every wounded creature that crossed her path. Her rejuvenation spell made it possible for him to endure the curse link he once had to the Dark Maestro.

  The beautiful Lobenian with hair of yellow gold and eyes the color of emeralds had captured his heart. Daniel did not think it was possible to fall in love with someone so soon after his relationship with Val fell apart, but he sure believed it now. A relationship with Sherree was doomed from the start and even if she had similar feelings for him, which he more than suspected she did, he knew nothing would ever come of them. Aakacarns do not marry. It was a tradition passed on for over three thousand years. He knew she was dedicated to the Aloe Guild, and would no doubt be insulted if he were ever to suggest such a union with him. His experience with Val Terrance was more convincing than any lecture given by Terroll Barnes, who tutored him, or Jason Renn, the Lead Instructor of Talenteds in Aakadon, that marriage was not an option.

  He remounted Sprinter and continued west. Marks of time went by and he thought about everything, beginning with what to say when he finally met the Queen to Sherree’s farewell hug back in Aakadon. He never expected a hug from her, a reserved Lobenian and more, a dignified Accomplished. The hug, the Tannakonna way of saying farewell and successful hunting, had been given to him by most every female in and around Bashierwood. Sherree could not have missed seeing the custom and must have deemed it appropriate at his departure from the Aakacarn city. He smiled at the memory. She did feel good in his arms and at the time he truly wanted to kiss her, but knew to do so would have embarrassed her in the presences of her fellow Aakacarns and she would certainly have taken a dim view of his actions. Kissing her would have been a disaster, better to part as friends.

  The sun was low in the sky, night was coming soon, and it looked like a pleasant evening ahead. He decided to look for a place to stop for the night and a short time later dismounted near the base of a Red Maple. The tree stood more than sixty cubits high and was full of samaras, some of the winged seeds fluttered down around him while he was still deciding what to do. He thought about removing Sprinter’s saddle but decided to scan a five span radius first. The spell, Find All, played in his mind, Snakes abounded but none close, and he sensed nothing that could threaten him or the ashen stallion. He lowered his scan radius to fifty strides and tied the minimal potential off with a Da Capo to his life force. He would have plenty of time to react if anything dangerous got close. All that done, he removed the saddle and gave the stallion a rub down, replaced the horse’s shield, took some time to shave, then replaced his own shield, and relaxed with his back against the tree.

  Later in the night amid the hooting of owls, croaking frogs and a chorus of other nocturnal sounds, was the full throated bellow of a yeti. The roar of the nine and the half cubits tall creatures can be heard from as much as eight spans away, depending on the acoustical quality of the landscape and the stillness of the night. Daniel estimated this one to be about six spans to the west. Multiple replies answered the first and seemed to be heading away from his location, but that was little comfort. He was not concerned about himself or Sprinter, they were safely shielded, it was the danger these creatures posed to others. A yeti will eat practically anything, animal or vegetable, but they, due to the influence of the Serpent Guild, have acquired a taste for human flesh and will choose a child over a goat even if the goat is closer and tied up.

  Sprinter’s ears twitched and his muscles tensed but the stallion did not panic. He and Daniel faced thousands of yetis in the past and the horse was ready to stand or charge, whichever his rider decided. The options were few. Daniel could stay where he was and do nothing or go rid the world of some man-eating beasts. If he did nothing the yetis would likely attack any people in the area, the shaggy creatures rarely bellowed unless they were fighting for dominance or to signal they have cornered prey, and that prey could be human. Without further consideration, Daniel saddled up, heeled Sprinter in the flanks, not that the horse could actually feel the pressure just knew his rider well, and headed into the night. He rode low in the saddle to avoid any low hanging branches but dips in the ground and the need to avoid the trees did slow progress a bit. He expanded, Find All, focusing out to the west about ten spans, and winced. Thirty of the beasts were six spans ahead, far more than he had seen in one place since the duel at Mount Gosian. He deeply hoped this was not a sign of things to come; Yetis forming larger communities and attacking on their own initiative was a thing of nightmares. The white terrors were surrounding a large group of people who seemed to be gathered in a circular mass. He counted one hundred sixteen humans, more than half female, but could determine little else without physically touching them. He knew enough.

  As the distance shortened, a westerly trail emerged and the ground was more even, allowing the stallion to speed up. The bellows and roars grew louder and human screams and shouts were added to the mix. He had just enough arrows to kill the yetis and preferred to use them to eliminate the threat rather than resort to spell casting. He would cast, Die Now, the death spell he recomposed since leaving Aakadon, rather than let people be killed, and his secret be condemned if it comes to that, but Yetis dropping dead with no wounds or apparent cause of death would definitely rouse suspicions. He would stick to the bow for now and do what needed to be done as the situation unfolded.

  The wind was blowing to the south and carrying the smoke with it. Red-orange flames encircled a large group of wagons in a clearing about eighteen strides off the trail. People were throwing all sorts of things into the fiery wall, keeping it alive. A yeti leaped the flames, trying to get at the shouting humans, and became a living torch. A tiny man, compared to the shaggy beast, ran with sword in hand to meet the threat. The man ducked under a swinging flaming paw, slashed the yeti across the abdomen, and jumped back as entrails spilled out onto the ground and the creature fell dead.

  Daniel reined Sprinter to a halt and closed
his eyes in order to better concentrate on what he was sensing through the spell; the exact location of each yeti. Two of the flesh eaters lay motionless within the wall of fire, eight were on the far west side of the circle, six bellowing from the north, an equal number to the south, and seven had their backs to him on the east.

  Men and a few women stood atop the wagons raining arrows into the outer darkness, visibility had to be low from their perspectives, having to sight through smoke, and even though many of the shots missed the mark, they did manage to wound a few yetis. Daniel once pinned a rat to a tree at a hundred strides. It had been a clear day with no wind and the conditions then were perfect, nothing like what he faced now, even so he was no slouch with a bow. He moved to about twenty strides from the seven roaring beasts whose backs were to him, drew fletching to ear, and let fly. Yeti number one fell to the ground with an arrow in its throat. In quick fluid motions Daniel pulled, aimed, and let fly until all seven yetis were dead. He needed to get the attention of the rest.

  “Sprinter, let’s show them we are here,” he told the stallion and then pulled back sharply on the reins.

  Sprinter rose up on his back legs, neighing a challenge, and then dropped into a charge toward the firewall. Daniel reined the stallion in at fifteen strides from the flames and closed his eyes, concentrating on the current location of the remaining yetis. Half of the creatures were now filtering through the trees along either side of the trail while the others continued to torment the defenders by darting at the flames, as if daring them to loose an arrow, and then jumping aside as the shafts shot back in response. Yetis were not mindless beasts, except when under the control of an Accomplished of the Serpent Guild, like in the Battle of Bashierwood. When the Accomplisheds controlling the beasts died they continued to follow the last order given, which was to attack.

  Daniel sensed four yetis approaching even before he opened his eyes and had his first arrow aimed and ready. He let fly as the beasts roared and charged at him. He sent shaft after shaft at the hairy monsters, all died, and number four actually managed to get within six strides of him before dying with an arrow sticking out of its right eye.