To Be Chosen (The Maestro Chronicles)

by John Buttrick

  “A score or more of Accomplisheds with no Aakacarns to counter them makes me agree with your assessment. I can’t image the Duke and his men holding out for the number of days it took for word to reach us here and then that much longer for reinforcements to get back in time to defeat the foe. I think either the Serpent Guild will be in charge of the estate when I get there, or they will have taken the trumpet and I will have to chase them down,” Daniel replied.

  “If my brother has fallen and the estate is in the hands of the Serpent Guild, I can think of no better person capable of wresting it from their grip. The same is true if the guild has absconded with the trumpet,” Cleona agreed. “The third problem, which I did not bring up in front of the others, is there has to be a spy in the palace. Until now, no one outside of the royal family knew the whereabouts of the trumpet of Tarin Conn. I cannot image how the Serpent Guild found out the location, but that is my problem. Yours is retrieving the trumpet.”

  Daniel was having difficulty getting concerned over the loss of a crescendo, even one as old as that. “The trumpet can provide six bolts of amplification to the caster. Until recently, the only person in the world who could make one so powerful was Efferin Tames,” he began to explain, and then pointed at his knife. “This weapon sheathed in my belt is just as powerful and I can make more in a relatively short amount of time. Duke Cantor and the lives of the people living on his estate are irreplaceable, the trumpet is not.”

  The Queen stared at him and then nodded her head. She was looking a little peakish and would need refreshing soon, especially if he was going to be gone for an extended period of time. “I see your point and appreciate the quality in you that sees the lives of individuals as more precious than the object prized by so many. That being said, a commitment was made between House Ducalin and House Lain, and that cannot be broken. If the Ducaunan royal family is seen to be unable to honor its commitments, other nations will question our ability to fulfill our commitments to them. The political fallout could be catastrophic.”

  “I understand,” Daniel replied, now that the possible repercussions were explained to him. “May I refresh you?”

  Cleona managed a weak smile. “It would be appreciated, especially after what has transpired.”

  Daniel summoned the potential and touched her forehead, sending life force energy into her. The Queen’s pallor improved and she smiled effortlessly. “Save my brother, secure the trumpet, and take care of my nephew. He thinks I should have sent a legion. Perhaps word can be sent to General Conner over in Bolover and he can send aid. His base is over three hundred spans from here as the hawk flies, but only a hundred spans from the estate. If my brother sent one of his sons west, then he should be arriving at the base about now. I cannot make my decisions based on an, if, so you go, and if help arrives, so much the better. I could send a courier to the General but it would take more than twice the time for him to reach Bolover as for you to arrive at Cantor’s estate. As for Jonah, I have not told him about your being fully functional in matters of the Aakacarn. I will leave how much to tell him up to you.”

  “I will do all you require of me to the best of my ability. If it comes down to saving lives being weighed against my secret, I’ll save lives and then my actions will speak louder than words,” Daniel told her and handed her one of his amulets.

  “This is beautiful,” Cleona said while examining the tri-gem amulet.

  “It is a communication device. Place the gem side against your forehead and you will be able to speak to me anywhere I am, no matter how far away. Only you will be able to hear my reply and only you can initiate the conversation, I cannot. The gem must be in contact with your head,” he explained.

  “This is excellent,” she said. “I will not be waiting weeks to learn what has transpired at the estate. I shall contact you six days after you leave, that should give you enough time to lead your force south and assess what needs to be done.”

  “We will leave in the morning,” Daniel told her, and then added, “Unless you want me to start out tonight.”

  “No, tomorrow morning is soon enough. Ask the Generals to come in on your way out,” she replied.

  Daniel stood and bowed, then exited the room. “She is ready for you,” he announced to the senior officers.

  Jared was waiting in their room when Daniel arrived. “I have purchased fifty Battencayan horses in your name for the estate. They will be delivered within seven days,” the account keeper announced with a satisfied smile. “I hope your affairs here will be completed soon and we can be home in time for you to inspect them.”

  Daniel sat down in the nearest chair and stayed quite so long the account keeper lost his smile and his left eyebrow arched up curiously. Daniel raised his hand to forestall any questions. “I’m sorry, Jared. I just have a lot on my mind. You and Marcus will be running the estate for a while.”

  “What has happened? You seemed troubled. Did your meeting with the Accomplished go wrong?”

  How did he know about that? Daniel thought he and Sherree were being discreet. “Yes, among other things, but my personal troubles aren’t important. Queen Cleona has given me an assignment that will keep me away for however long it takes to resolve the matter.”

  “I understand perfectly,” Jared assured him. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Tomorrow morning I will be setting out to fulfill my task. You are needed back at the estate. Marcus is great at keeping things running but you are the one who will be making the management decisions while he takes care of security. Tell him of Serin Gell and the need to prepare for an assault,” Daniel said and then handed an amulet to the account keeper. “Give this to Marcus. This way both of you can contact me when necessary.”

  “Of course, Sir Daniel,” Jared replied and placed the amulet in his pocket.

  “In the master bedroom, at the back left wall, there is a hidden door to a stairwell. It leads down into my real bedroom. Once there, turn to the left and you will see a door leading to my private vault. Inside you will see shelves filled with objects of gold. Transfer some of that gold to the vault in your chambers and use them to fund the estate. You can get Marcus to help you, but no one else is to know about the lower chambers,” Daniel instructed him.

  Jared shook his head wonderingly. “It is amazing the things you can do, but I’m actually not surprised after seeing you create gold and jewels at will. Be assured your instructions will be carried out as you command. Marcus may see fit to increase the number of guards after hearing about the renegade Aakacarn.”

  “Accommodate him as much as possible. There is a lot of gold in the lower vault but I can only replace it when I get back to the estate, so use your discretion. This is why you will be managing the estate instead of Marcus, he is liable to spend everything on defense and forget about all the little details that go into keeping the place running,” Daniel replied.

  “I thank you for the confidence and assure you your home will not fall into disrepair,” Jared responded, and he did seem pleased to be entrusted with so much.

  The door opened and in walked David and Silvia. Daniel was surprised to see them. Yes, they were his official Teki escorts, but their recent engagement caused him to wonder if they would remain so. “I thought you would be out celebrating.”

  Silvia was in a white dress with blue trim at the collar and around the skirt. David was in a blue suit with white trim and they both seemed happier than a pair of rabbits in a carrot patch.

  “Are you addressing me or my wife?” David asked, emphasizing the last word.

  “Congratulations,” Jared spoke up.

  “I guess Teki do not believe in long engagements,” Daniel said, and truly was happy for them, even if a little surprised by the swiftness in which they entered matrimony.

  David laughed. “For her it was only a mark or so, for me it has been seven years and well worth the wait.”

  Silvia glanced at him, smiled, and then turned to Jared. “I hope you don’t mind the cha
nge in accommodations. My husband,” she placed a lot of significance in those two words, “will be moving from the spare room he shares with you to that one,” she said while pointing to the room that had been designated for her private use.

  Jared nodded. “I have no problem relinquishing my roommate to you.”

  Daniel was not sure how much to tell of his mission but trusted these three individuals more than most, and Marcus of course. He made up his mind. “There is Serpent Guild activity in southern Ducaun and the Queen has tasked me with looking into the matter. I will be leaving in the morning. I..,”

  “When should we be ready?” Silvia interrupted.

  “I’ll start sharpening my knives,” David added.

  “So you want to come along,” Daniel figured the newlyweds had better things to do.

  They both looked at him as if he had just stated snow is cold. “You are talking to Teki,” Jared reminded him, as if he needed reminding there was a reason they were called the traveling people.

  “Be ready a mark before dawn. We will go to the palace and leave from there with fifty Royal Guardsmen at sunrise,” he told them. “If there is nothing more, I’m going to bed.”

  “Bed sounds great to me,” David replied.

  Silvia grabbed his arm and started for the spare room. “I want to see if what they say about the hands of a juggler are true,” the acrobat told him in a voice she probably thought was soft enough not to be over heard.

  The account keeper cleared his throat. “Serin Gell on the loose and Serpent Guild activity in the south, events certainly are swirling. Fortification of the estate may take more funds than I have with us here, especially after purchasing the horses. If you would make a hand full of diamonds, I can sell them and begin making arrangements for our needs before I depart the city,” Jared said, and his suggestion had merit.

  Daniel agreed and went out into the garden to find pebbles. The rear grounds were so well kept he found none. To his right was a stream with moss covered stones, seeing them brought on an inspiration, and he began composing a Melody. He rearranged the notes and rhythm until satisfied the spell would accomplish his desire, added a four part harmony, and titled the composition; Shatter Sphere. He summoned the potential and focused, causing a topaz blue sphere to form around the stone, and shattering it into tiny pebbles. He ceased holding the potential or else the spell would eventually reduce the thing to powder. Oddly, the Symphonic did not harm the moss. Well, he was not trying to break down the moss so his composition did not harm vegetative matter. He levitated the pebbles out of the stream, cast Laundering, to clean them off, and then used, Change It, to turn them into diamonds, each one about a third the size of a robin’s egg. This should be enough for Jared and even provide a bag of coins for whatever expenses came up on the mission. He went to bed, thinking about the events of the day and wondering what tomorrow would bring. Whether or not Serin Gell was involved in the grab for the trumpet, the mission would go forward and it was only prudent for Jared and Marcus to prepare the estate for an assault.

  ---------------------------

  Sherree exited the conference room. She had been caught off guard when arriving at the guild house after her confrontation with Daniel and being told by Accomplished Chen that her presence was requested at the palace. By the time she reached the royal residence, the Queen and two scruffy looking men were waiting for her and then they all entered a conference room together. Her emotions were still raw at the time and it took all of her self-control not to look at the mountaineer who had so thoroughly entangle himself in her feelings. She performed the task requested and then left.

  Exiting the palace, she went straight back to the seven-storied guild house, emblazoned on the top floor of which was a green five-pronged plant traced in diamonds representing the Aloe Guild. She drew strength from seeing the emblem of her affiliation.

  Fenton Chen was sitting in his favorite chair when she arrived in his private greeting room. “I take it Cleona requested rejuvenation,” he stated. How did he know?

  The Queen had referred to it as refreshing, but the meaning was the same. “Yes,” Sherree replied and then sat down in the chair next to her mentor.

  “She still has trouble overcoming her Ducaunan prejudices where matters of the Aakacarn are concerned,” he stated, and then leaned forward. “How did she appear to you? Was there anyone else attending her?”

  Sherree thought about what she had briefly seen and then gave a full report. “The Queen seemed to be exhausted. Two men were with her when I arrived. One was a Sergeant-of-the-guard, and the other was the youngest son of Duke Cantor Ducalin. Both men were filthy and had several days of growth on their faces. We entered a conference room. Given the lateness of the hour, I believe the Ducaunans were assembled for an emergency meeting. Two generals and five Royal Knights of the Realm, along with Lady Kurts were in attendance. I performed the requested task and immediately returned here.”

  It was difficult to determine if Fenton was in any way moved by what he had been told, his facial features remained fixed like that of a statue. She envied the Senior Practitioner’s self-discipline and hoped she could learn to be like him. Maybe it would help keep a certain mountaineer from affecting her emotions.

  “I approve of your observational skills. Having royal blood and growing up in a palace have given you some advantages, a royal education, and knowledge of all the royal families among them. I begin to see why the Grand Maestro wanted you here. Do you have any notions of what the meeting was about?” Fenton inquired in his monotone.

  Sherree shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose it has something to do with Duke Cantor. I can’t imagine what the problem is, but it clearly is a military matter, considering the attendees.”

  Fenton’s lips arched up momentarily, which for him was an expression of intense pleasure, and he stood up. “You have done well this day, both in serving the guild in a professional manner, and choosing discipline over dallying with Daniel Benhannon,” he said and then went into his sleeping chamber.

  Sherree ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. She and Daniel had tried to be discreet. Evidently, they had done a poor job of it. All of that was behind her. Fenton was correct; she had chosen discipline over her feelings. The fact that she had been tempted to accept Daniel’s proposal made her nearly as mad at herself as she was at him for daring to ask.

  She went to her room and prepared for bed, pulling the white satin sheets up over her shoulders. She closed her eyes and tried to put the events of the day out of her mind. “Sherree, I apologize for the lateness of the mark, but I need your help,” Jerremy’s voice sounded within her head.

  “What’s the problem?” she sent in return while trying to keep any sign of annoyance from passing through the connection. He would not have contacted her if the matter was not urgent.

  “Everyone working on the Tomlin Project is sick. We need someone from the Aloe Guild to come and figure out what is causing the illnesses. You and Fenton Chen are the closest to our location. The situation has gotten so bad, all work on the exploration of the under water city has come to a halt,” Jerremy replied, and his distress was conveyed along with the words.

  “What are the symptoms?” she sent back.

  “I am experiencing a headache, fever, and cannot stop perspiring. Those who have been exposed longer have the same symptoms and are dizzy and vomiting. My head is starting to spin and my stomach is beginning to feel queasy, so I guess I have puking to look forward to as well.”

  Sherree thought about the symptoms and the illnesses that could cause them. She had studied hard and learned quite a bit, but so many possibilities existed that she decided consulting with the more experience Senior Practitioner was called for. “Jerremy, give me some time to speak with my mentor and I will get back to you.”

  “Thanks, I really appreciate it,” he replied and the connection ended.

  Sherree got up, dressed, went to the door of Fenton’s chamber, and knocke
d. After a brief period of staring at the golden knob on the white door, it opened and the Accomplished stood before her wearing his black and crimson silks without the cloak. “Do you require something?”

  “I received a communication from Jerremy DeSuan, an Accomplished assigned to the Tomlin project. All members of the team have fallen ill and the search of the sunken city has come to a halt. They request that we come and render assistance.”

  Chen’s deadpan expression did not change but he nodded his head. “What are the symptoms?”

  Sherree listed Jerremy’s complaints and offered her opinion of what could be the cause. “Do you know the Melodies required in alleviating those symptoms?” the Senior Practitioner asked when she was through.

  “I do,” she replied.

  “Then you must go. I need to be here in the event Cleona requires my services,” he replied decisively. “You can cast, Diagnosis, to determine the source of the illness,” he added and then went back into his chambers and came out with a binder full of written Melodies. He handed her not only the music, but also a sapphire with a flat round diamond set in its center. It is the first time she had seen an amulet made with a jewel set in a jewel. “This contains all the sicknesses I can think of off the top of my head that would cause the symptoms you described. Contact me once you have determined the cause and then we will decide on the treatment.”

  Sherree was more than a little surprised an Intern would be entrusted with such an important task. “This is a significant opportunity you are giving me.”

  Chen gave a single nod of his head. “Correct, to succeed or fail. Success will give your reputation a well deserved boost and also earn gratuities from both the Stone and Aqua Guilds. Failure would mean a slight mark on your reputation for you are still an Intern and most of our associates will make allowances for your inexperience. But I am your mentor, therefore you cannot fail, I will not allow you to fail, and this will reflect well on both of us.”