To Be a Maestro Page 3

  Her suggestion had merit, so he sat down cross-legged on the floor. A flash burn of pain had accompanied his first ever use of the spell, him having six lightning bolts seared into his skin all at once. He took a deep breath, bracing himself, and hummed, Ranking. A relatively mild burning sensation came with a topaz blue flash of light and a new lightning bolt appeared on his right shoulder, giving him four on the right and three on the left, evidently receiving one at time is less painful than six. “It seems Samuel’s grandmother is correct, her being a Seer and all, I am stronger than I was,” he said and then fell over backward when Sherree sprang onto him.

  She kissed him on the lips and then on his new lightning bolt. “I want to add the new bolt to your uniform,” she informed him and then hopped up and began sorting through the articles of his field uniform before he could say yes or no, not that he was against her doing so.

  The polished chain mail she set aside, then picked up the forest green sir coat on the upper arms, just below the shoulders of which, was a falcon with a lightning bolt clutched in its talons in a sky of blue; the symbol of House Benhannon. Over where his heart would be when the coat was closed, was the Ducaunan royal hawk in flight, the emblem of the Queen, matching that on the sides of his green lacquered helmet; to the sir coat she summoned potential and added a fourth bolt on the right shoulder, and then laid it down and took the helmet in her hands.

  Sherree glowed amber with potential, light flashed from her eyes, striking the helmet, and seven golden lightning bolts appeared on the front of the head gear with a large lightning bolt in the center and three smaller ones to the left and right of it. “This way your rank will be displayed when you eventually change out of your field uniform into your formal one.”

  “That is thoughtful of you,” he said, and began putting on the rest of his uniform.

  When he put on his sword belt, black with a double row of diamonds studded around the waist, she placed the helmet on his head. “We are almost ready to go out,” she announced, giving him an appraising look, and then put on her topaz blue hooded cloak.

  “Almost,” Daniel wondered what more needed to be done. “I think we are ready now.”

  Sherree shook her head. “Everyone, except Tim, Gina, Silvia, David, and your parents, thinks we are in here discussing our differences. If you go out there with that giddy self-satisfied look on your face, they’ll know something more is going on between us. Remember, our marriage is to be a secret for now.”

  “I’m not going to do anything to intentionally harm your career in the Aloe Guild,” he was quick to assure her.

  She nodded her head. “I know you would not intentionally. What I want you to consider right now is that flute you have tucked between your undershirt and chain mail.”

  Daniel was not hiding the flute of Della Lain from her; he just did not trust the instrument to be in plain view or out of his presence. “What is there to discuss? I have the crescendo safely shielded.”

  “I have no doubt you do,” Sherree told him. “I think the flute should be in Aakadon under the protection of the Grand Maestro.”

  Daniel simply did not trust any of the rulers of the Aakacarn city to keep the key to Tarin Conn’s prison safe. After all, he trusted them to deal with Serin Gell and they failed to keep the now dead member of the Serpent Guild in prison.

  “That’s much better,” Sherree said with a satisfied smile. “Keep that expression; everyone will know you were not happy with what we discussed.”

  “Am I that easy to manipulate?” he wanted to know.

  “Only by me and only because you love me,” Sherree said and then patted him on the shoulder and opened the door leading out into the hall and the stairs.

  They made their way down the granite steps and out onto the porch. The compound consisted of four main buildings, facing each other, four stories high, all topaz blue, and having the Benhannon family emblem on their white slanted roofs and over the doors. There were no furnishings as of yet, which is why Daniel had to summon a solidified bed of air earlier for he and Sherree. The compound also included stables and a corral.

  Over two hundred men and women were mingling in the space between the buildings and all of them turned at the sound of Daniel’s arrival on the porch with Sherree beside him. She gave him a firm glance and quickly went to stand beside Simon Trenca, a one-bolt Accomplished and Sapling of the Willow Guild, and one of Daniel’s most trusted friends. The skinny, sandy-haired young man had on the traditional red on black silk shirt, pants, and hooded cloak of his profession.

  The forty-seven Ducaun Royal Guardsmen under Daniel’s command had organized the many civilians restored from Condemnation into groups, perhaps according to family, village, or town. The soldiers were in their green and gold uniforms while the others wore the light blue silk shirts with wool pants, coats, and blue leather boots made for them by Daniel, seeing as few of the formally Condemneds had any clothes of their own. All of the restored women had long hair and so did the men, who also had straggly beards, as if none of them had ever been cut or shaved.

  “Hail the Chosen Vessel!” Silvia Gerabolli-Cresh of the Reshashinni Teki proclaimed, although Daniel really wished she would stop doing that. Her shout caused all of the Royal Guardsmen to salute and the crowd of civilians to shout greetings. They recognized him as being their commander, as in the case of the guardsmen or their healer, which took into account most of the crowd, and evidently none of them had trouble believing the proclamation. He waved to them and they quieted.

  The former acrobat for the Forager Troop of the Reshashinni stood wearing bright green trousers, a tight yellow shirt with orange stripes, and a broad leather belt around her waist with a hand-sized crossbow hanging from a clip on her left hip, along with a row of miniature bolts circling all the way around the belt at about two finger widths apart. Black hair framed her face, flowing over her shoulders in waves down to her lower back. Silvia’s eyebrows were thick and her lashes long. A sudden smile formed dimples in her cheeks, meaning she knew how Daniel felt about her making proclamations about him, enjoyed teasing him, and was clearly not intimidated by his lightning bolts. Too many people were afraid of him, her behaving in this manner, without fear, made him feel better, and she seemed to know it.

  The Accomplisheds in the forefront were beginning to notice the additional lightning bolt on his sir coat and those on his helmet and all but a few eyes were widening. “She must be correct, who but the Chosen Vessel can grow to be a seven-bolt Accomplished, and so quickly?” Jerremy DeSuan commented with no sign of his usual haughty expression.

  His silks were like those of Simon Trenca and Samuel Cresh, only their guild affiliations differed, he being a one-bolt Accomplished and Apprentice of the Stone Guild and they being of the Willow and Eagle Guilds, respectively. Jerremy had long hair, which he hid within his hooded cloak, and a black beard. His Serinian heritage gave him height close to Daniel’s, and light brown skin, visible at the moment on a face some women might consider handsome. He stood beside his mentor, Master Artisan Franklin Togan, a three-bolt Accomplished of the Stone Guild, also of Serinian origin, Artisan Daria Copa, a three-bolt Accomplished with long brown hair from the southern kingdom of Taracopa, Artisan Marsha Obennen, a one-bolt Accomplished whose yellow-gold hair was similar to Sherree’s, seeing as they are both of Lobenian birth, and Artisan Michael Kayten, a one-bolt Accomplished with hair the color of wheat, born in the northeastern kingdom of Fon Kay. These all were wearing the red on black silks of Aakadon, and had been working at Lake Tomlin where Serin Gell captured them.

  Daniel glanced at Sherree. “Accomplished Jenna convinced me I should check on my rank after seeing and hearing about the kinds of spells I have been casting unaided by a crescendo,” he replied, looking to the crowd and wanting to move matters along he added, “I want to meet each of you as soon as is convenient for you to do so.”

  Sergeant Keenan, a mountain of a man, mostly muscle, with dark curly hair and who stood a good hand
taller than Daniel, stepped forward. Double stripes on the man’s sleeves stood out on his green and gold wool coat, under which was chain mail. “Each person has been assigned quarters within the buildings and has selected a number. I will begin sending them into your office when you give the word.”

  The first thought that occurred to Daniel was that he did not have an office. He was about to mention the fact when Simon spoke up. “Neither your parents, Tim, Gina, nor your Teki escorts would allow any of us to interrupt your meeting with Accomplished Jenna, so I took the liberty of asking Jerremy here to make you an office in building two, over there,” he said while pointing. “I have been also growing food in the south quadrant and some of these good people have cooking skills, so lunch will be served within the mark.”

  Daniel smiled at his friend. “I know I said this before, Simon you are a wonder. Good thinking,” he said and turned to Jerremy. “And thanks for the office.”

  “No thanks are necessary. You saved me from the living torment that is Condemnation and the gratuity I owe you is so great, I feel making an office for you to be a small start,” Jerremy replied, humbly, a manner foreign to him, yet the sincerity of his words rang true, clearly the previous ordeal affected him deeply.

  For his part, the young Accomplished of the Willow Guild simply waved off the compliment as if it was uncalled for. “I figured you would need a central place to organize this large group of people, not that Sergeant Keenan and Corporal Carlin aren’t doing a good job. It was they who managed to group people by family and who pointed out that this compound is vulnerable to attack being located in a valley between hills,” Simon was quick to add that last, always spreading the credit around to others.

  David Cresh-Gerabolli, wearing bright blue pants and a yellow shirt with red horizontal stripes, moved to stand next to Daniel. The Teki, the traveling entertainers who recognized no nation’s borders, preferred to wear gaudy colors. He was the juggler for the troop until choosing to be an escort to the Chosen Vessel, and had a knife on each hip, while casually resting a hand on the hilt of the blade on the left. He also had slim throwing knives strapped to his pair of black shiny boots and certainly more secreted within his clothing. His eyes were dark brown and his hair was longer than most men wore, slightly below his shoulders. The man always seemed ready to throw a blade, even in a compound surrounded by people he should consider to be non-hostile, if not friends. “We’ve already eaten,” his hand swept out to include his wife Silvia, Daniel’s parents, Tim Dukane and his wife Gina. “We can escort you to your new office if you wish to go there now,” he added, to which Daniel nodded.

  “We’ve been walking the borders of this holding you claimed up here in the northland,” Ronn Benhannon informed him as he and a goodly number of people, mostly Aakacarns, began walking with Daniel toward the second building. Sherree stayed behind, apparently to give the impression she had more important things to do.

  At six and a half cubits high and with shoulders the width of an axe handle, Ronn Benhannon stood taller than most of the Ducaunans in the compound. His buckskins, red-dyed shirt and blue-dyed pants, were well worn and his rawhide boots stained, although not dirty. Daniel looked at his parent and knew everyone could see the resemblance between father and son. They were of the same height, but his father’s muscles were massive where Daniel’s were well defined but tight rather than bulky. Both of them were light skinned with neatly-trimmed dark hair and eyes. “Extending defensive walls around the back side of the hills to the north and south and down through the valleys east and west was a good idea,” the master carpenter added.

  “Marsha and I created the walls. We made them thirty cubits high and three wide, if you want greater, just say so and we will be happy to increase the size,” Daria Copa spoke up quickly.

  “We placed gates at the compass points,” Marsha added.

  Knowing the law well, being a Royal Knight of the Realm, Daniel understood anyone who wanted to stake out an area in the frontier could do so as long as the property was unclaimed, the lines were clearly defined, and some effort was being done to work or develop the land.

  “I believe your choice in wall size to be a good one. My thanks to you both for the wall and all of you Accomplisheds of the Stone Guild for making this excellent compound,” he replied, to which they each gave the customary nod of respect exchanged between Accomplisheds.

  Martin Varroon, an Oceanic of the Aqua Guild, a three-bolt Accomplished, reached the porch of the second building first. His hair and beard were thick and dark along with his skin, which was the color of ebony. The tall man, born in the northern kingdom of Ecoppia, reminded Daniel of Terroll Barnes, whose teaching brought him to the level of Accomplished not so long ago.

  “We tapped into the water table below ground to create indoor water supplies for each building, although the non-Aakacarns will need to request the aid of an Accomplished when they need water to flow out of the pipes,” the tall man informed him.

  Daniel eyed him and the other three members of the Aqua Guild, all dressed in their traditional red on black silks, who were under the leadership of the senior Accomplished, they all having been assigned to assist Master Artisan Togan on the Tomlin project, and who shared his fate at the unmerciful hands of Serin Gell. Joel Glader, a two-bolt Accomplished had a beard, black hair, and a pale complexion, a common trait of his Pentrosan ancestry. Salla Chey, a one-Bolt Accomplished with long silky black hair and almond-shaped eyes, stood beside him. Her birth nation was Zune, the kingdom on the far northeast side of the continent. To her left was Sharon Caylis, also a One-bolt. She came from Fon Kay on the northwest side of Atlantan between Battencay and Demfilia. All three Aakacarns were Reservoirs of the Aqua Guild.

  “I appreciate your efforts,” Daniel told them and proceeded into the building.

  The interior was nearly an exact copy of building one, except the common room was half the size. To the left were two cherry-wood doors. “Come right this way,” Simon’s eager voice implored, and he moved swiftly to the first door on the left.

  Daniel followed with his entourage. Inside was an office with a cherry-wood desk and five chairs, the largest of which was behind the desk. The walls were light blue, the floor pale gray, and the ceiling white. Fires burned in six silver lamp stands spaced evenly from corner to middle to corner. “This is a fine office,” he stated.

  “Simon formed the doors, desk and chairs,” Jerremy informed him.

  “Both of you did an excellent job,” Daniel added and gave Simon a quick pat on the back.

  “Come see the conference room we made for you,” Master Artisan Togan insisted.

  Daniel exited his office and went to the second door. The three-bolt Accomplished of the Stone Guild opened the door and ushered him in. “Seeing as you meet with generals, Royal Knights of the Realm, and other dignitaries, I thought it appropriate that you should have a place fitting for those occasions,” he explained, not that Daniel felt the man needed to.

  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 lamp stands 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. Daniel was impressed.

  Tim Dukane, in his buckskins, red-dyed shirt and blue-dyed pants, leaned towards his wife Gina. “Any moment now these Aakacarns are going to start calling him Maestro and ask how they can serve him,” he whispered, although not soft enough.

  Daniel chuckled at the thought and shook his head at the idea, as if he needed another title tacked onto his name. With each title came responsibilities and he had plenty of those and sought no more. “You did well, Master Togan. They had the advantage at the conference in Fort Casum and tried to hinder me from entering Pentrosa, being unwilling to risk a war. With this room, they will be meeting me on my home turf.”

  “My thinking e
xactly,” Togan replied. “I am glad you approve.”

  “My son has said he wants to meet with the people outside as soon as is convenient for them,” Daniel’s mother, Miriam, reminded everyone with a mixture of pride and firmness in her voice. Her Auburn hair was a result of Grandpa Dupiron marrying Lillian Trelan, a native of the hill country of Battencay, near the western border of Ducaun, where most of the people in that region had bright red hair. “I’m sure you all have work of your own.”

  “Of course,” Oceanic Varroon spoke up. “We have more work to do on the interiors of the other buildings.”

  “As do we,” added Master Togan.

  Most everyone exited the building while Daniel went to his office and sat down behind the desk, the top and drawers of which were bare and empty. “I would appreciate it if one of you would go outside and grab some rocks and bring them here to me,” he requested.

  His parents, Tim, Gina, David, and Silvia had followed him into the office and they began looking at each other, perhaps wondering which one of them should honor his request. His father was the first to speak. “I’ll go get you some rocks,” he said without asking what they were for. “Do you want me to have Sergeant Keenan send in the first person?”

  “That would be great,” Daniel replied and gave a nod of thanks as his father turned and walked out the door.

  “What did the Queen have to say after you healed her?” Gina asked while brushing dark hair away from her face. She always had worn her hair long, ever since they were children together growing up on Mount Tannakonna.

  “She is pleased, especially since I looked into her recipe and gave her the body she should have had if the Lethal Growths had not ravaged it,” Daniel replied.

  “Recipe, I don’t know what you mean by that,” Gina admitted, and how would she know?

  Rather than get into matters of the Aakasear with a non-Aakacarn, he decided to keep the answer simple. “It means I healed her pretty much the same way I did those here who had been Condemneds.”