To Challenge a Maestro Read online

  Terroll stared at the emblem of the Zephyr Guild carved into the wall above the door and seemed to be gathering his thoughts. He reached some conclusion and returned his attention to Daniel. “You are correct. I do know what lack of sleep can do to the mind. What I did not know, was that your petition has not been given the priority it deserves. The Grand Maestro must be consulted immediately. He does not know you personally nor does he know your full potential.”

  Jason’s eyes widened at hearing Terroll’s words. “This young man is by far the most powerful Talented I have ever seen. How far did you go in teaching him?”

  The Maestro fixed his gaze on the Instructor. “Jason, he knows every spell required to graduate from the level of Talented. Think man, what comes next?” he replied in a manner that was not far from a scolding.

  Jason grew quiet, thinking things through. “You made him a full Accomplished. I heard he refused to be seen with his shirt off, but attributed the behavior to shyness. He’s actually hiding a lightning bolt,” he stated and then grew angry. “Why in the blighted world did you lead us to believe he is a Talented?” the Instructor demanded, evidently forgetting to whom he was speaking. “The idea to hide his rank could have only come from you. I seriously doubt a young man from the backwoods of Ducaun would see the need,” he added and then paused, as another question occurred to him. “Why is there a need?”

  The Lead Instructor had spoken disrespectfully and even forgot to address his Maestro by title. Daniel smiled. For once, someone else felt as frustrated as he did. His lack of sleep was making him a bit giddy. Going from anger to having to suppress a giggle was proof enough for him. He needed to sharpen his wits and rein in his emotions. He yawned and fought to stay awake. “Listen, I’m much higher ranked than any newly raised Accomplished. You witnessed how easily I handled Harmon and the other three Accomplisheds. You could have been the fifth, even with your baton, had you not reasoned with me.”

  Jason glanced at Bernie, then at Terroll, and back again at Daniel. “I am slipping. How could I miss such clues? You must be a two-bolt, possibly a three.”

  Daniel opened his mouth to correct the Instructor but then stopped when Terroll gave a quick negative shake of his head. Perhaps he was right, it was better to allow Jason do draw his own conclusions.

  The Lead Instructor did not seem to be satisfied with whatever his mind had come up with. “I fail to understand why your true rank should be a secret. To gain a lightning bolt is pure joy to an Aakacarn, having two at age nineteen is incredible,” he said and then smiled. “You should affiliate with a guild. You may, in a century or so, rise to the rank of Maestro, possibly Grand Maestro.”

  Daniel had no desire to head a guild, much less be the Grand Maestro, everyone leaving him in peace was all he desired, that and sleep. Tim could go back home and marry Gina. All would be well then and Daniel could get on with his life. He observed the three Accomplisheds in the room. The red on black silks were not for him, he preferred simple buckskins and rawhide boots. Joining a guild was out of the question. He wanted the foul link to Tarin Conn severed and then be far from Aakadon.

  “Walk with me, Accomplisheds. We need to go to the ruby pyramid. This matter cannot wait any longer. Bernie, remain here, cancel what appointments you can, and reschedule the rest for another day,” Terroll said, and then walked out of his office, taking obedience for granted, and also putting off the need to answer Jason’s question, for which Daniel was grateful.

  Daniel was happy to follow. Finally, someone was being useful rather than telling him to be patient. They went down the shaft, to the first floor, and exited the building. Everyone they passed greeted Terroll with respect, acknowledged the Lead Instructor, and of course intentionally ignored the Talented; which was fine with him. He walked behind the two Accomplisheds and followed them into the lobby of the ruby pyramid. As before, Aakacarns from every guild and nobles from all the kingdoms of the world were waiting on purple couches for their audiences to be granted.

  The red-haired one-bolt Accomplished of the Stone Guild glanced from a large stack of papers on his desk and jumped to his feet. “Maestro, how may I serve?”

  Jason flinched and his eyes shifted back and forth. A guilty look crossed his face, as if he suddenly realized how he had been addressing Terroll, but he spoke not a word; which was probably for the best.

  “Bran, inform the Grand Maestro of my presence,” Terroll said with the voice of authority. “Tell him the matter is urgent.”

  The Chief Aid glanced at Daniel, although unlike Bernie, this fellow’s eyes assessed him, and it was clear he understood more than he let on. Without argument, he opened the door behind his desk and levitated up what appeared to be a shaft similar to the one in the Zephyr Guild.

  Chapter Eight: Two Choices

  Time dragged on. The Maestro and the Lead Instructor grew more nervous by the moment, Terroll more so than the other. One would think he had something to lose at the outcome of this meeting. Daniel knew his former teacher was doing the best he could so had no intention of holding any failure at this point against him. The man need have no fear of retribution, though it was probably best if Terroll did not know that, he might not work so hard to succeed.

  Bran returned looking as though he had received a thorough rebuking for an indiscretion, perhaps Efferin was in a bad mood. “The Grand Maestro will see you now,” the aid said, and then gestured for all to enter the shaft.

  Reaching the top floor of the pyramid took but a few fractions of a mark, causing Daniels stomach to feel as if it still was on the first floor. Fortunately, he did not lose his breakfast. Bran did not control his ascension spell anywhere near as well as Jason had. The hasty take off and abrupt stop was disconcerting, perhaps exactly the way the Grand Maestro wanted them to feel. Well, if that was the case, the ploy would not work. Daniel took a deep breath, steeling himself, and followed the Accomplisheds along a plush red carpet, leading to a pair of intricately carved double doors; work similar to that of his father.

  The doors opened through the use of a wind spell. In side was an office with the emblems of the seven guilds mounted on the pearly white walls. A man of Serinian descent sat behind an oak desk. His dark eyes and high cheeks bones reminded Daniel of Tarin Conn, though this fellow was not as big of a man, nor did he seem to possess the malevolence of the Dark Maestro. His hair was mostly gray and he was glaring at the only person wearing white, and then he focused on Terroll. “Maestro, why have you brought a Talented before me? I was given the impression this was a matter of some urgency, yet you bring this young man,” he said in a deep voice devoid of emotion, one that did not reflect the anger in his eyes.

  Terroll Barnes stepped forward like a man attempting to hand feed a mountain lion. “Grand Maestro, this is Daniel Benhannon.”

  Efferin glanced at a paper on his desk and then focused on Daniel. “You have been rather busy of late. I see four Accomplisheds were humbled in front of over two hundred Talenteds,” he said, still without emotion, though his left eyebrow did arch up.

  The Grand Maestro had learned quickly about the events in Tames Hall. Evidently, little goes on for long in Aakadon without him getting wind of it. Daniel cleared his throat. “I wanted to get your attention,” he told the man with six golden lightning bolts on the shoulders of his black on silver silk shirt.

  The Grand Maestro frowned. “Speak when I give permission and not before,” he scolded and then fixed his gaze on Terroll. “Maestro, you held back information in our last meeting. Are you ready to tell me everything?”

  Forget hand feeding, Terroll looked like a man about to put his neck in the mouth of the beast. What could cause the leader of a guild to react so intensely? He took a deep breath and his face became calm. “About what?” he replied innocently, as if he had no idea what Efferin was referring to.

  He was playing ignorant; even a young man from the back woods of Ducuan, as Jason had said, could see that much. Efferin was certainly not fooled. He stroked h
is chin and the fire in his eyes intensified. “We both know there is not a Potential in the world who could cast a High Powered spell unaided and live. This young man is special and you know it. What is more, you know in what way. I ask again, are you ready to tell me everything?”

  Sweat dripped from Terroll’s brow in a flood, one would think he actually had something to lose. “Daniel is a full Accomplished.”

  “I deduced as much. He knows the required spells and that makes him an Accomplished. If he has a lightning bolt, he is a full Accomplished, and you have named him so. Taking a Potential and educating him to the level of Accomplished and taking him through to graduation is an extraordinary achievement, one that both of you should be proud of, yet you hide the fact, and pretend he is still a Talented. It has been reported that the young man refuses to be seen with his shirt off. This leads me to ask myself, why would a newly raised Accomplished hide his lighting bolt and why would a Maestro support him in doing so? The next question I asked my self is; what are they hiding? Well, the answer is obvious, they are hiding what is under the shirt he refuses to take off,” Efferin said mildly. He seemed to be an even tempered man but the way Bran looked when he had come to retrieve them earlier suggested otherwise.

  Terroll stood quietly, perhaps seeing his career ending before his eyes. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, as if to say, I give up. “Daniel, show him.”

  Daniel hesitated. All eyes were upon him. Bran and Jason looked on eagerly, while Terroll stared straight ahead as if waiting for the command that would order his execution. Efferin seemed ready to have his suspicions confirmed. The audience had been granted and this was the moment Daniel had been waiting for. This was the time to be forthright. Let them see his rank, it did not mean much while the link to Tarin Conn remained. The revelation might even be enough to convince the Grand Maestro immediate action was required; he might even sever the connection on the spot. Daniel calmly stripped to the waist and a collective gasp sounded in the office.

  Jason, his mouth wide open, nearly backed up to the door. Bran shook uncontrollably, plopped down on his bottom, and then stood up again on shaky legs. Terroll had the expression of a child caught with his hand on a peach cobbler before dinner time; expecting to be punished severely. Efferin was stone faced, his expression unreadable; an act. Nobody could see six golden lightning bolts on one so young and not react. He, more than any person in the waking world, knew the capabilities of a six-bolt Accomplished.

  Daniel grew tired of being gawked at. He needed help. “Grand Maestro, please, can you break my link to Tarin Conn?”

  Efferin drew a heavy breath, a crack in his facade. He sat down quickly, actually dropped into his chair. “This in deed is an urgent matter,” he began and then glared at the Maestro with eyes as cold as ice. “Terroll Barnes, I will say this only once so remember it well. You did not lie to me or I would Silence you right here right now. But, if you ever keep information this vital from me again, I will shield off your potential and make you work in the gardens bedside Gerard DeCamp until death liberates you.”

  Terroll jerked as if given a physical blow. “Understood, Grand Maestro,” he said with relief in his voice, he clearly expected worse. It could be decades, centuries, before the man would be trusted again, if ever.

  Efferin focused on the Instructor. “This information is sealed to my office. Do not speak of what you have seen and heard in this meeting, not to anyone. The rank of Accomplished Benhannon is to remain a secret until I decide otherwise. The Maestro of the Zephyr Guild has done well in keeping this quiet, though he would have done better had he seen fit to inform me.”

  Jason’s gaze kept wandering to the lightning bolts on Daniel’s shoulders. “Not a word, I promise. I see them with my own eyes and still have a hard time believing.”

  The Grand Maestro seemed satisfied with the reply. He glanced at Bran, who nodded his affirmation, but said nothing. Evidently, his silence on the matter was a given.

  “Young man, we have a problem,” Efferin began with his gaze fixed in a quiet calm. “I know how to break the link.”

  Hope bloomed and Daniel smiled. This was not a problem; this sounded more like a solution. The Dark Maestro would soon be a bad memory.

  “I cannot break the link without the Baton of Tarin Conn.”

  Hope was suddenly in serious trouble. Somehow, Daniel knew that particular crescendo would not be easy to come by, but he had to ask, “Where is the baton?”

  Efferin actually looked sad by what he was about to say. The man was capable of emotion after all. “You have two choices,” he began, Tarin Conn had given three. “I originally made the decision for you. I am now giving you, as an Accomplished, the opportunity to choose.”

  Daniel had the distinct feeling he would not like either option. “I’m listening.”

  Efferin gave him a looked that said, of course you are. “Be Silenced and live here in Aakadon for the rest of your life. I dreaded the thought of a gifted, but insane, Talented running around free. The situation is direr. We cannot have a mad six-bolt Accomplished loose in the world. The second choice is not so easy to contemplate.”

  What could be worse?

  “You must bring me the Baton of Tarin Conn,” Efferin continued in a reasonable tone. “The crescendo is in the hands of Balen Tamm. I trust you are familiar with that name.”

  “Yes, Grand Maestro,” Daniel replied, too familiar. “Where is he?”

  Efferin actually smiled. “You are young. An older man would not be so eager. Balen Tamm is wherever the Serpent Guild is headquartered. The Eagle Guild has yet to discover its location. So you see the task is impossible. The baton is one of the most powerful crescendos in existence. I doubt even you could take it from the hand of a five-bolt Accomplished. The baton in question amplifies potential by six bolts. Can you fight an experienced Aakacarn with eleven bolts of potential at his command?” he replied, although his smile vanished during the telling, the situation was far from amusing.

  Daniel stared at the wall. The emblems of the seven guilds meant little to him beyond being attractive decorations. The affiliates they represented would be of no help to him. He was alone and would have to solve this problem on his own, but mountaineers were used to solving their own problems and he would work it through to the end. He made up his mind. It was better to die fighting to be free then to live in Aakadon and under the curse of Tarin Conn. “I am going for the baton,” he announced firmly, his voice unwavering.

  Terroll’s eyes bulged, his brow wrinkled, and he rounded on Daniel. “You have lost your mind! The odds of you winning are astronomical. Balen Tamm is the Serpent Guild and no Accomplished in the world would face off against him one on one, let alone in his lair. It is a fool’s errand.”

  The Maestro certainly was passionate in his concern but fool’s errand or improbable odds did not matter to Daniel. By the laws of probability he should have been dead long ago, killed by a lion, and he has the scars to prove it, or some other predator, he had encountered many in the wild. “I understand better than anybody what has to be done.”

  His statement did not go over well with Terroll or Jason. The Instructor was shaking his head as if the idea of going after the baton was wrong, but then they were not linked to Tarin Conn, they could only sympathize, but would never really know how it felt to be tangled up with the Dark Maestro.

  The Grand Maestro’s eyes seemed to be calculating, weighing every word, every factor, every nuance, and he seemed satisfied with the decision. “You may embark on the journey at your own discretion,” he said and then raised a hand in warning when Terroll opened his mouth to speak. “Accomplished Benhannon has made his decision, we shall respect it.”

  Either Terroll had misjudged Efferin or the Grand Maestro was more subtle then a snake under the floorboards. He seemed a reasonable man on the surface, but even Tarin Conn had given warning about him. Perhaps the leader of Aakadon saw this as an opportunity to get rid of a rival. He had to believe Da
niel; an ignorant backwoodsman would fail in any confrontation with Balen Tamm. Why would Efferin risk loosing an Accomplished possessing six lightning bolts of potential to the Dark Maestro? The calculation was cold and hard. Efferin’s rival would remain here and be Silenced or be killed by another more troublesome rival. The Grand Maestro had nothing to lose and there was a remote chance Daniel would succeed and defeat Balen Tamm. The Grand Maestro took the risk that the Serpent Guild would gain the use of a six-bolt Accomplished. Each decision had risks and Daniel knew full well the greatest risk was his. Whatever the negative trait’s the leader of Aakadon manifested, he at least had the decency to allow the victim to decide his own fate.

  “Thank you, Grand Maestro, I’ll be back with the baton,” he told him in a voice he hoped sounded more confident then he actually felt.

  Efferin stood up, not seeming bothered by the fact that he still had to look up to Daniel. “Go with my blessing. May your quest be successful,” he stated formally, in a voice that at least sounded sincere. He focused on Terroll and Jason. “I have much more to discuss with you two. Do remain while Bran escorts our young Accomplished from the building,” he added in a tone suggesting the topic of discussion would not be pleasant. The Maestro of the Zephyr Guild seemed the most uncomfortable; no doubt the cost of keeping secrets was going to be high.