“Liza and Luin, good shooting,” Daniel sent through the array to the Accomplisheds at the forward and rear crescendos.
Manta Two approached a sky-cruiser from the rear. Twin beams of light shot from the forward crescendos, once to take out the rear batons, and twice to shoot through the holes in the shield. At first it appeared no damage had been done, but after a few moments the glow around the vessel blinked out. The tail of the ray whipped forward and sent a bright beam at the backside of the superstructure. The spell punched through the weed-strand wall as if it was made of paper and sparked a flash fire that consumed the entire vessel in a matter of seconds. Like Liza and Luin, Sorel and Hosea both focused their spells well, considering their hands had to be shaking as much as Daniel’s were from the harmonic ripples given off by Tarin Conn’s spell.
The other rays were quick to follow the examples and the blue airships began to slowly dwindle in number. When the amount of remaining enemy ships reached one hundred seventy-one, the rest of them began teleporting elsewhere, which was a shame. Daniel would have liked to see more of them destroyed, but had a serious problem to iron out. The hurricane was drifting southward and the growing cost to the land, people, property, and livelihoods was beyond his ability to calculate.
“Daniel, I am leading five hundred Accomplisheds to Zuchang,” Sherree’s voice entered his head. “We are going to help Jeremiah finish off those Serpents.”
The last thing Daniel needed was more worries, and as much as he wanted to order her to stay out of that fight, he had no military reason to do so. “Stay sharp, First Lady, I want to spend some time with you when these few chores of ours are finished.”
“I will while you huff and puff and blow away that hurricane,” she replied and ended the communication, but not his concern for her safety.
He had heard people say, “When it rains it storms,” but it seemed for him, “When it storms, it storms even more,” was the appropriate phrase, and he simply had to expect the weight on his shoulders to increase rather than lighten.
Facing the northern wall of the eye, he took hold of the right crescendo with his left hand, and sent the spell, Jet Of Air, at the bright swath in the hurricane. He poured in his maximum potential, seven bolts amplified up to fourteen, and the glowing stream of air smashed into the fierce winds. His casting was caught up into the vortex and instead of moving the monstrous cyclone, he was feeding it.
So much for the huffing and puffing approach, he thought.
“The hurricane is drifting farther south,” Simon informed him.
Daniel was making matters worse. He simply was not strong enough to complete the chore singlehandedly. Mountaineer determination alone would not get the job done. “Sero, grab the other crescendo and focus Jet Of Air where my spell his hitting the eyewall, Carlos, you do the same with the tail.”
“It will be as you say,” both men replied in unison, and sent their glowing streams.
The combined power of all three spells was absorbed into the storm, and the eye tightened, forcing Daniel to move the ray farther back. He certainly did not want Manta One to be caught in the maelstrom.
“Maestro, the cyclonic wind speed has increased to one hundred seventy-two spans per mark and the eye is completely over land,” Sorel gave the information along with a sense of confusion.
Of course he was confused, the Chosen Vessel was supposed to weaken the hurricane, not strengthen it, Daniel understood. “Sero, Carlos, cease the spells,” he said, and did the same.
“The wind speed is dropping, but not by much,” Sorel supplied an update from Manta Two’s position three spans to the rear and up about three hundred cubits.
“We need to break that Da Capo,” Daniel thought and spoke at the same time.
“Tarin Conn could have anywhere from three hundred times the power of a One-bolt Accomplished all the way to nine hundred times the strength tied up in the Da Capo, much more if he poured everything into his crescendo,” Simon gave voice to something his Maestro well understood.
Daniel knew, because each manta was shielded, a Grand Symphony could not happen, but did a quick calculation, and then smiled at the results. He sent instructions to the Accomplisheds on all of the other rays.
The mantas quickly gathered to the left and right of his craft and when he sent, “Now,” through the array, three hundred and three jets of air slammed into the eyewall, flowing from one hundred and one tails and two hundred and two forward crescendos.
They maintained the potential, sending colorful streams of air across the short distance and into the glowing band that was feeding the storm. Thirst grew as the time passed, Daniel’s mouth was dry, and blinking did nothing to moisten his eyes. If not for the spell, Osprey Vision that maintained a constant level, day or night, he and every Accomplished who was focusing potential through the energy amplifiers would have been blinded by the intensity of the light.
Every living thing in the world had to be shuddering in the harmonic waves. The people in far off Zeutha had to be cringing under the combined Ripple Effect of the most powerful castings ever to be worked at the same time; the one feeding the storm and the hundreds being cast simultaneously from Daniel and his rays. He knew somewhere avalanches were sliding down the sides of mountains, poorly built structures were collapsing, and there was nowhere any creature could find shelter from the harmonic waves.
The glowing swath in the hurricane flickered, once, twice, and then was gone. “Cease Potential,” Daniel sent through his array, and then grabbed his canteen, which was three quarters of the way empty
He cast, What Is This, focusing on himself, and discovered his vat was half full. A quarter of a canteen of water would not quench his thirst and even if he had three near to over flowing canteens, it would take marks of rest for his rate of replenishing to bring him back to full strength.
“This would be the perfect time for Tarin Conn to teleport back here,” Sero remarked.
Daniel glanced at the fifty mantas to his right and then the fifty to his left. There wasn’t an Accomplished in the fleet, who was not exhausted, but the chore remained, and he could not stop just because everyone was tired. He glanced downward and sighed. “The eye of the storm is fully on land. I truly hope the old Aakasear does teleport to where his creation was when he left. Since I am sure he is not foolish enough to appear in the mightiest winds of his own concocting, I doubt this would be the perfect time to rejoin the party.”
“Maestro,” Daria’s voice came through the array. “Thousands are dead and thousands more are wounded, but there remains a small patch of resistance deep in the lower levels of the Serpent East. Conductor Lassiter has them surrounded and will soon put an end to the fight, unless more Serpents Teleport into the theater.”
She made no mention of Sherree. “What about the First Lady? Is she fighting or among the wounded,” he refused to consider her to be among the dead. He focused on the gem in his array given by her. “Are you alright?”
“I am fine, but a little busy at the moment. Your fear for me is.., oh, and that sudden relief. Really, Daniel you need not worry so. I am beside Jeremiah and exchanging spells with a pair of female Aakacarns that look alike enough to be sisters. I’ll contact you when this is over,” his wife replied and he broke the contact feeling much better.
“The First Lady is occupied in the lowest level of the Nest. The best I can tell you is that she is attacking associates of the Badger,” Daria finally responded to the question put to her by her Maestro. To be fair, his conversation with Sherree had only lasted moments.
“Thank you for that report,” he told the Conductor. “We must assume Badger will send for reinforcements. As for here in the heart of the literal storm, Tarin Conn and his fleet of sky-cruisers have teleported away, thirty vessels were destroyed, and we have overcome the Da Capo on the spell powering the hurricane,” Daniel responded.
“I will relay the news of your progress to all concerned. One more thing, the First Accomplished is prepa
ring to lead reinforcements of our own along with ten flocks of Senior Soarers to the Nest,” Daria replied and then ceased the communication.
Knowing Leah was ready to assist Sherree helped to lower the deep concern over her safety, but only a little. In a spell fight lives could be lost in a flash.
An idea on how to break up the storm popped into his head while Daniel was staring into the eyewall. “Carlos, focus Jet Of air through your crescendo using all of your personal potential and aim it directly behind the ray.”
“It will be as you say, Maestro,” the bodyguard replied.
Daniel broke the ray out of formation and flew it near the eyewall, but contrary to the wind flow. He raced the manta around the inner circumference of the hurricane’s heart and increased the speed. There was no question the effort was stirring a wind, especially with what he was pouring into the rear CAPU being combined with what Carlos was pouring through the tail.
Daniel had the ray speeding at five hundred spans per mark, but was having difficulty in determining if the effort was having an effect on the hurricane. “Maestro, maybe if every ray flies in a column formation below Manta One, all of our combined jest of air might stir up the counter wind you are obviously trying to create.” Joel made an excellent suggestion.
“Make it happen,” Daniel replied and held the ray steady as his fleet moved into position beneath him.
One hundred mantas were soon matching the velocity of his craft and they made a complete revolution, then another, and another. “People, let’s take our rays up to Six-Zero-Zero,” he sent to the other pilots.
Around and around they flew at the higher speed, contrary to the inner wall, and his plan was not working. “Simon, you studied everything about the natural world. Is there anything you remember reading in the Willow Guild library about the nature of hurricanes?”
The answer was so long in coming; Daniel did a quick glance to the rear to see if the man had fallen asleep. Simon’s pointer finger was curled over his lips with his thumb supporting his chin and his eyebrows were hunkered down as if he was in deep thought. After a few more moments of apparent contemplation, he drew in a breath and brought his hand down from his mouth. “Hurricanes are formed over warm waters and by drawing in hot-humid air. To start with, there was enough of that in the Taltin Sea to create a typical summer storm. It is Tarin Conn who whipped it into the equivalent of a tropical cyclone. The trouble is, as Maestro Kapes explained; the system is so big it has established enough feeder bands to maintain its strength, at least for a while. I mean, eventually it will end like all storms do.”
“But this hurricane will do a tremendous amount of damage if we allow it to runs its course,” Carlos pointed out.
Did he really think his Maestro had not figured that out?
Daniel wondered why people followed him if they thought he was that dense, but pushed all the thoughts along those lines way down into a small compartment in his mind and slammed the door on them, having no time to waste on such notions. Instead, he thought of the coldest winter he had ever experienced on Tannakonna while performing the music for Jet Of Air in his mind. He heard the melody and the lines of harmony while remembering the blizzard of six winters ago, the blustery sounds that flowed together into an angry chord, which he then took and altered to blend into the music of the spell. If he had been an Aakacarn, the spell would have blown apart, causing serious physical damage, but he was an Aakasear, and creating music was what he had been born to do.
“Accomplisheds,” he sent through the array to gain their attention. “What we are doing is not working. Simon says hurricanes need heat, we are going to feed this one lots and lots of cold air. I have added another harmony chord to the existing spell and you will have to replace the spells in your rear CAPU’s in order for this to work. So everybody stop your mantas, but maintain the formation.”
“Now, I am going to teach the spell to you through the array. If at least one person in your crews has total recall, that person can then use the spell, Teach Me, on the rest of the crewmembers,” he added and then broadcast the new rendition of Jet Of Air through the communication gems contained in the golden circlet on his head.
After the new version of the spell had been added to the repertoires of the Accomplisheds of the fleet, they each had to remove the old Symphonic from the rear CAPUs. When that was done Daniel sent, “Let’s stir up some cold air and see if we can bring winter to the heart of this storm.”
He sent life-force energy into the propulsion unit, the ray shot forward, and the column moved in unison beneath him. A frosty white jest of air trailed each ray and by the time they made their third transit around the inner eyewall, ice crystals drifted thick in the air, and the contrary winds combined with the intense cold began to loosen the cohesiveness of the storm. Thirst grew with each pass and it seemed as if the inside of Daniel’s mouth was stuffed with cotton. By the eighth pass it was snowing, which was heartening because it was doubtful anyone in the fleet had as much as a drop of water in their canteens. By the tenth pass, the cyclonic wind speed had dropped to ninety-three, and there was no way he could stop after seeing such a good result. “Keep it up,” he sent encouragement to the other Accomplisheds.
At the completion of the nineteenth revolution, slipping into unconsciousness as a result of dehydration had become a real danger, and yet he refused to stop. Half way through the twentieth rotation, the eye wall broke up, and the hurricane became nothing more than a wet rain storm.
“Break off,” Daniel commanded the Accomplisheds of the fleet through the array, even to the people seated in the manta with him, because his voice would have only managed a weak croak. Man was he thirsty.
“Maestro, you did it. You stopped the storm,” Lana Thea, pilot of Manta seventeen, voiced her excitement by way of communication amulet.
“We did it,” Daniel sent the thought into every gem in his array.
Simon leaned forward near to his Maestro’s ear. “But it was you who composed the spell that was needed.”
Before a response could be made, many more congratulations came into Daniel’s head and one in particular. “I had no doubt you and those with you could neutralize the hurricane, my husband,” Sherree’s thought came to him along with the emotions, love and pride. “I have captured the sister Serpents, but the Badger teleported away with four other Accomplisheds. Zuchang is ours, but it is only a small part of Zune, and neither of our battles has changed the course of the war. Still, we have another foothold in enemy lands and I am confident the Solars and Coronas of Aakadon can hold the capitol city. I am sad to report that Zushong Ki and a contingent of his Royal Guardsmen have escaped.”
Daniel nodded acknowledgment to his Chief Aid and sent his thoughts to his wife. “The Vice Maestro of the Serpent Guild and the King of Zune would have been great catches, but the day belongs to us, and I’ll meet you soon back at the naval facility.”
“Affirmative,” Sherree replied.
“Maestro,” Daria contacted him again. “Healers are on their way to assist people on the ground. Some of the inhabitants of the coastal region will be staying in the temporary shelters, but a good many of them want to start rebuilding.”
Daniel was not surprised by any part of her announcement. “I appreciate Jennel’s quick response and your efforts in coordinating the flow of information.”
“Thank you Maestro. I will have a more detailed report for you in the meeting,” Daria replied and then ended the communication.
“Pilots,” Daniel sent, “It is time to remove the newer adaptation of the spell in the amulets of your rear CAPUs and set the original version in the stones.”
He did not want the mantas to be freezing the air everywhere they flew or chilling the seasonally warm waters while swimming beneath the waves. He followed his own orders and then piloted the ray out to sea and then down beneath the surface.
“This would be a good time for all of us to refill our canteens,” Simon caught on quick as to why his Maest
ro led the rays under the sea rather than immediately flying back to base.
“Yes, I believe it would,” Daniel replied while removing the safety straps. “Last one to the sink in the privy is going to be one thirsty hound pup.”
Chapter Twenty-Five: Fall
“We can still win,” Daniel stated while seated at the head of the conference table at Shantear.
An entire month of continuous fighting, people dying, and fierce battles across the continent brought him no closer to victory than he had been since stopping the hurricane. Fall had come days ago and those who had heard Ruth’s warning about winning before that time were seriously concerned. His parents, Simon, Sero, and Carlos, as well as Tim, David, Silvia, and the leadership of the Atlantan Guild, knew of the elder Seer’s viewing, but like everybody else, they were used to seeing Daniel do the impossible. They had all expressed their anxiety and yet even knowing the task ahead was no longer probable they retained their faith in him, which he found astonishing and considered to be a delicate thing he did not want to shake. Despair would spread in the hearts of the people as surely as gangrene would in a dying limb and do more damage to the war effort than any spell ever cast by the enemy. No, he did not want to cause them to lose hope.
Sherree and Leah were in their seats to his right and left as were the Conductors that reported to each. The Accomplisheds of Aakadon were, for the first time, being represented by Runyen Cransur and Jerrian Tobermin, both of whom had been surprised when Daniel invited them to Shantear. They were seated side by side at the end of the table where Simon usually sat. The Chief Aid was standing behind his Maestro.
Runyen nodded his head. “Of course we will win. We hold Zuchang and Ecoplis and have gained back a respectable amount of territory in Cenkataar and Aczencopa. The Serpents retain control of Port Joppa and recreated the teleportation hub, but the civil war is over and the newly crowned king sits on the throne of Taracopa. The kingdom is united and has forced the invaders to the coastal region and, thanks to the efforts of your guild; the enemy has no ships to sail away on. Not a single northern alliance ship that sets sail survives its voyage south. Your astonishing vessels and our airboats see to that.”
To Be Victorious: The Maestro Chronicles Book 6 Page 58
