To Be Victorious: The Maestro Chronicles Book 6 Read online

  The moment those souls were safely on the deck, a spheroid missed the riverboat and splashed into the water, right in front of the ray. Daniel jerked the control stick to the left, right, swimming the manta in those directions around the debris in the water, and then flooded more energy into the CAPU as the round projectile hit the bottom. The concussive force killed a lot of fish, every person in the water that was close by, on both sides of the conflict, and shoved the manta ahead faster than expected, which turned out to be a benefit rather than a liability, seeing as they were thrust ahead of the convoy and racing toward the blockade.

  Trusting in the outer shield and the restraining straps, Daniel called out, “Brace yourselves,” and then swung the manta to the right, holding firmly to the control grip, stiffening the fin, and sliced right into the bottom of the light brown two hundred-pace long Anaconda that was at the center of the blockade, beginning at the stern. Planks snapped like balsa-wood struck by a fine steel blade as he sliced a deep line three quarters of the way to the stem before pulling out of the swipe, all of which happened faster than a man could sneeze thrice.

  Each war-boat had been positioned so they could deliver a broadside assault, which made them excellent targets from below. As Daniel’s victim sank beneath the waves, Carlos sent a beam of light from the tail, cutting a huge swath out of the next boat in line, and sending it to the bottom of the river.

  Through the spell, Find all, Daniel sensed the battle between the Serpents on the north bank and the Accomplisheds of Aakadon, whose boats were taking a beating. Even though the Eagles and Suns as well as the Willows far outnumbered their attackers, they had the disadvantages of remaining in place or drifting downstream in the water towards the blockade, and either way were easy targets, having only their defensives spell to protect them. They had nowhere to hide. He was doing what he could for them and sincerely hoped they would be able to hold out a little longer.

  Simon sent twin beams of light out to the hull of the next war-boat in line, which then became enveloped in a glow similar to when he repaired the riverboat earlier. Moments after contact, the planks flew apart without cracks, and no splintering of wood, the boards simply no longer held together. Evidently the sandy-haired Accomplished was as deft at disassembling a boat as he was at assembling one. It was an interesting sight to behold, watching men suddenly floating in water along with pieces of wood, furnishings, and launchers sinking toward the bottom, down with those deadly spheroids. Spheroids!

  Daniel forced energy into the emerald and the ray flew through the water as hundreds of containers of trinitrotoluene hit the bottom, with more of the spheroids following them. The combined blasts tore apart the sailors from the first three war-boats that were still swimming in the river, split the hulls of the four closest Anacondas, dooming them as their spheroids exploded and started a chain reaction that led to the destruction of two more war-boats. The concussive force shoved all of the remaining vessels roughly to the right and left, parting the blockade towards the banks. Two of the war-boats were deposited onto land, one on each side of the river, with such force the spheroids in those two vessels detonated.

  He watched through his eye-shaped viewer as huge splinters of wood flew every which way in black clouds of iron shards and bloody bits of flesh and bone, a good portion of which shot into the sailors on the vessels closest to the banks, killing those non-Aakacarns instantly. Launchers were ripped off their mountings by the debris and men were thrown screaming off nearby war-boats that were still rocking in the turbulent waters. The violent waves had shoved the Anacondas away from each other and were what had stopped the explosive chain reaction that might well have destroyed every war-boat in the blockade.

  This would have been a good time for that swirling of events to lend a hand, Daniel reckoned. Having the Anacondas blow each other up would have been convenient. Then again, maybe the timing had been right, only the swirling of events might have flowed in Tarin Conn’s favor, a sobering thought. No matter whose swirl was in effect, the final outcome of the current encounter had not yet been decided, and success would have to come the hard way.

  Daniel swung the manta around, facing the scattered enemy fleet that consisted of sixty-nine vessels, about a third of which had sustained serious damage, but were still functionally dangerous. Farther upstream, Accomplisheds of Aakadon on the remaining twenty-seven riverboats continued to battle the Serpents along the north bank, some of which were distracted by the violent disruption of the blockade and perhaps the mysterious loss of eleven Anacondas.

  At least the war-boats are no longer launching spheroids; that was to the good.

  Clearly, something ominous and dangerous had gained their attention. Daniel smiled, meaning to keep the enemies’ focus on the threat beneath the waves and off the Accomplisheds of Aakadon, at least until the people he was hoping to help had a chance to reorganize. To the rear, downstream, was an easy escape he chose not to take.

  “That was a nice bit of destruction you caused,” Tim called forward to Simon, admiration clear in his voice. “Was that intentional or a side effect?”

  The Chief Aid nodded while eyeing the war-boats. “I knew the spheroids from the Anaconda I dissembled would probably detonate when they hit the bottom of the river, but have to admit the results were more spectacular than I anticipated.”

  Daniel drank the contents of his canteen, quenching the thirst that came from powering the manta, particularly the CAPU and the outer shield. He watched as the waterwheels of the riverboats began turning faster and faster, propelling the vessels quickly in amongst the Anacondas. He understood what they were doing and why and also approved of their taking advantage of the opportunity Manta One’s actions provided them.

  “Good move on their part,” Simon commented. “Whoever is commanding the convoy knows what he or she is doing.”

  “But it also limits what we can do,” Admiral Tim Dukane added his assessment.

  “How so?” Sero asked. He was more familiar with spell-fighting on land, although had some experience on the Taltin Sea, but the circumstances were different. His lack of experience was a result of having been Condemned at age twelve, which stunted his development until a certain young Maestro broke the spell and healed him about five decades later. He was a fast learner, clearly eager to make up for all the lost time, and so asked a lot of questions.

  “Because whatever spells we perform next must be finely targeted so we do not damage the waterwheel boats along with the Anacondas,” Daniel replied while holding the empty canteen behind him. “Tim, will you fetch me some water?”

  The Admiral and former mountaineer stood up grumbling.

  It was not as if he hadn’t already done the service for the other Accomplisheds aboard.

  “You people drink three, four, maybe five times what I do, but none of you needs to pee as much as me on this mission, and that just doesn’t seem fair.” There came a pause in the rant. “Okay, okay, I’ll fetch you the water,” he finished and snatched the golden container from Daniel’s hand. The drummer probably wanted to do more than fetch water and was frustrated by the fact that he had no other way to contribute.

  “The metabolism of an Aakacarn is far faster than that of an ordinary human being,” Sero explained while Tim opened the door of the privy, bent over the sink, and touched the topaz stone that contained the spell, Clear Water. Purified liquid from the river flowed from the golden spout and into the canteen while the Demfilian-born Accomplished continued to answer the grumbling as if it had been an actual question. “We do not pee as much as you because our spells draw the liquid from our bodies that would have otherwise come out in the form of urine.” He paused a few moments as if pondering something else. “Perhaps that is also why we shed fewer tears even when we are sad.”

  Daniel paid little attention to the resulting conversation between Tim, who had supplied power to the CAPUs on the Wager in the past and therefore had not needed the explanation, and Sero, who enjoyed showing off his Atla
ntan Guild education whenever the opportunity presented itself, especially after betraying his ignorance in other matters only moments ago. Be that as it was; the view outside was more interesting. Daniel could see spells being cast from the Accomplisheds on the bank dwindling in number, becoming tighter, and more finely focused. Clearly, the Serpents were attempting to strike without hitting their allies. Those spells were more easily shielded against by the Accomplisheds of Aakadon.

  “Thanks,” Daniel said after Tim handed him the refilled canteen, then took a sip and continued to observe the changing situation on the surface while trying to decide where the capabilities of the manta could be the most help.

  The war-boats resumed the launching of spheroids while attempting to maneuver into better firing positions, but the deadly projectiles were being scooped up in huge cushions of air by the Zephyrs and then being flung back at the Anacondas, blasting apart those vessels with their own devices. At the same time, spells of the Sun Guild continued to light up the night with fireballs and lightning strikes, as did the Eagles with beak strikes at the enemy Aakacarns on the bank of the Hirus. Most of their spells were being blocked by the quickly raised shields of the Serpents, but occasionally a defender was not quick enough, and both he and his partner were ripped apart, blasted instantly to ash, or slow roasted.

  What to do? It was clear the Accomplisheds of Aakadon were not defenseless. Daniel no longer saw a need to refocus attention below the waves, especially since the people he wanted to help might be as easily distracted from their current course of action as the Accomplisheds of the Serpent Guild. A few extra moments of pondering gave him the answer. He knew what to do and gave the orders to Simon and Carlos. “It will be as you say, Maestro,” they spoke in unison.

  Daniel maneuvered the manta closer to the surface action. Silk-cloaked bodies from both sides of the conflict splashed into the water in front of the ray, joining those already drifting in the current. He swam the manta around them while sensing the presence of each crew member on the vessels, focusing mostly on those aboard the Anacondas, which also had pigs in their holds.

  After capturing an Anaconda in the Taltin Sea and later examining the vessel, he learned the pigs were used to power the amulets that turned the daisy-wheel propellers. It seemed the idea of adding a crescendo to boost the power of the spell so less energy would be required of the user had not occurred to Tarin Conn or he did not care enough about the huge life-force requirement to do anything about it.

  Use people, use pigs, what did the Dark Maestro care? Let the fittest survive and the weakest die, as long as his will was carried out.

  Daniel did care and that was one of the major differences between the two champions.

  From the view beneath the waves, hulls pushed along by paddle-wheels maneuvered around longer and sleeker hulls driven by daisy-wheel propellers. A spheroid overshot a paddleboat and splashed into the river. The manta’s tail whipped forward and Carlos sent a beam of light, actually a rope of solidified air, which wrapped around the explosive device and then slung it at an Anaconda that was conveniently cruising up and to the left of the ray. The Spheroid struck the twin propeller unit and detonated, instantly ripping the blades to shreds and tearing a massive hole in the stern.

  While that war-boat began its journey to the bottom of the river, Simon sent twin beams of light that broaden into cones moments before striking the hulls of two different Anacondas. Through the spell, Find All, Daniel sensed each person and the pigs fall to the deck. With the crew and the drivers deceased, the propellers stopped and the war-boats began drifting along with the easterly current. Accomplisheds of the Sun Guild evidently decided to take advantage of the opportunity because fireballs were suddenly streaking through the air, slamming into those boats, and providing the best funeral pyre the crew and pigs were ever likely to get.

  The spell, Die Now, was not spectacular like the last Symphonic Simon had used but it was effective, painless, and required a minimal amount of energy, as did the deep blue solidified rope of air Carlos had utilized. Daniel was content with the result.

  Now, if we can end this watery skirmish without revealing the existence of the manta ray, so much the better. There was still hope.

  The two Accomplisheds continued to target Anacondas in the same manner as before, hurling spheroids and executing the crews, until the smarter captains began fleeing and the stubborn ones remained to be destroyed by the Accomplisheds of Aakadon. Eighteen war-boats had fled and all of them were badly damaged. When the number of Serpents on the north bank dwindled down to fifty-seven, those members of Tarin Conn’s guild formed a circle. Moments later light flashed, harmonic waves rippled out, and the Serpents were gone. Remarkably, there still remained twenty-seven riverboats, scorched and battered, yet still intact. Whoever took over after the lead vessel had been destroyed was a blessing to those serving with him or her and a curse to the Serpents and their allies. The battle was over and it was past time to be gone.

  “They no longer seem to need our help,” Tim noted. He did help by refilling canteens so had a right to use the word, “our.”

  “The Accomplisheds of Aakadon are pulling their people out of the water,” Simon pointed out. “That being the case, it might be best if we make haste to the Eastern Ocean.”

  Daniel rolled his eyes upward, seeing as his hand was already manipulating the control grip, and swimming the manta around to resume the trek down river.

  This is Simon’s way of lightening the mood, telling me to do what I am already doing, he reminded himself.

  Beginning slowly, so the harmonics given off from the CAPU could not be felt by the Accomplisheds of Aakadon, he increased the distance, gradually building speed until twenty spans separated the manta from the riverboats. At that point he applied more energy and then held steady when the number on the console again read, One-Five-Zero.

  “Satisfied?” he inquired of his Chief Aid.

  “Quite,” Simon replied and then brought the canteen to his lips.

  Soon enough, they shot under the eighteen fleeing Anacondas. “Shall I destroy them?” Carlos inquired almost as if it was a forgone decision. From his position at the tail he could carry out the order without difficulty, so long as the targets were still within his focusing range.

  Daniel was sorely tempted to answer in the affirmative and yet he hesitated. It would have been so easy to kill them all. “Set your priorities and arrange your chores accordingly,” his father often told him in days gone by.

  Helping the Accomplisheds of Aakadon in their time of need was neighborly and right, even though they were not the best of neighbors, and the time taken away from the chore at hand was therefore reasonable. The chore at hand was not to destroy as many enemies as possible but to test the manta ray and improve on its capabilities. The surviving Anacondas were incapable of inflicting damage on anyone, and with that in mind, he replied, “Let them be. We will finish what we started and then assault any targets of opportunity on our way back.”

  “It will be as you say, Maestro,” Carlos replied and there was no missing the trace of disappointment in his tone.

  The origin point of the Kopec River, which flowed to the southwest and eventually emptied into the inland Aczen Sea, was not much farther ahead, so Daniel decreased the speed, remembering what happened the last time he made an assumption about the conditions at a river junction. He had never been so far along the Hirus and only knew the geography so well because of those seemingly boring classes he briefly attended while in Aakadon. Classes he had come to be grateful for.

  “We will soon be passing Tolamay,” Simon informed anyone on the ray who may not have known of the town at the juncture on the south side of the Hirus. No one commented so it was unlikely the knowledge was new.

  Tolamay came within Daniel’s scanning radius and he discovered what was new; a port with twenty Anacondas and enough empty slips for another eighty vessels.

  “So this must be where the war-boats making up the blockade
were based at,” Tim shared his conclusion when the town came in range of the spell, Osprey Vision.

  It was a sound notion. The location gave the enemy forces easy access to both rivers and to the Aczen Sea where they were currently battling the Royal Aczencopan Navy. Even so, Daniel could see no reason to visit destruction upon the port. He sensed thousands of non-Aakacarns working at the facility, many more thousands in the town, most of which were no doubt citizens and likely doing the best they could to cope with the occupation. Why risk taking their lives?

  The desire to help the people arose in him, but none of them seemed to be in immediate danger. Whatever battle had taken place to secure the town was clearly over and the Zuneans, by reputation, did not attack civilians unless they resisted. The merchant marines of Zune had been known to attack civilian cargo ships, and had a dubious reputation even before the war broke out, but they were not the same as the Royal Army or Navy. For the moment the town seemed to be at peace.

  Did that make a difference?

  Should it?

  The questions occurred and the answers decided upon in seconds.

  “The retaking of the port might be the reason for the convoy from Aakadon,” Simon speculated. “If so, and the Accomplisheds actually succeed, it would plug up one of three arteries into the sea, and give them a forward base of operations. Whatever their purpose is, I think we should leave the chore to them and get on with our own.”

  This he said while Daniel was piloting the manta over toward the north bank of the Mighty Hirus, well away from where schools of fish, many frogs, and other swimming things were entering and exiting the Kopec. Tolamay was several spans to the rear by the time the sandy-haired Accomplished said the word, “own.”

  The speculation was feasible but the suggestion had been totally unnecessary.