To Be Chosen (The Maestro Chronicles)

by John Buttrick

  Lassiter went over and uncovered the body, a mound of what appeared to be boneless flesh. “He has no skeleton, but my spell confirms this is Serin Gell.”

  “His skeleton is still there only broken into tiny fragments,” Ronn corrected him.

  “Officially, he should have been captured and sent back to Aakadon for further questioning, but personally, I’m glad he is dead,” Lassiter admitted, a sentiment Sherree agreed with, and he stood up. “I would like to come back and do a more thorough examination of the body and his personal affects, so please leave him as he is.”

  Ronn licked his lips and smiled. “You will have to get in line. Samuel Cresh already asked that we leave the body for him to examine.”

  Lassiter’s eyes widened. “You mean he is still alive! I saw him die at the hands of Gell’s minion.”

  Sherree put her hand on his shoulder. “Samuel lost his right hand in the encounter but is very much alive.”

  Tim pointed toward the southeast exit. “He is out there helping to defend against the enemy forces, nearly died once, but was saved by Simon, who smashed the Aakacarn flat with a tree. Who knew the Willow Guild had such violent spells?”

  Sherree never heard of such aggressive spells from the Willow Guild, but then, each guild possessed specific Melodies unique to them, and she should not have been surprised some of them might be lethal.

  Lassiter glanced at the exit. “I am going to help him,” he declared and ran, quite fast, down the hall and out of sight.

  Ronn Benhannon watched him go. “He seems lively enough, how do you feel?”

  Sherree stepped back from Miriam’s embrace and spread her arms wide. “I have never been in better shape and feel like I could swim spans against the current of the Mighty Hirus.”

  Tim let out a chuckle. “That sounds plenty strong to me.”

  “Are there any casualties?” Sherree wanted to know. Where there is fighting injuries soon follow, she knew from experience, and wanted to help.

  Miriam nodded her head. “There have been burns and cuts from blades of air, little fireballs, and such, but casualties on our side are fairly low because of the stone fortification built near the southeast entrance to this hill complex. Jerremy built a wall around the hill and later one to protect the archers up top. Daniel informed me that Storm, Slink, Skulk, and Sniffer died in their battle with the Pentrosan cavalry unit.”

  Sherree was happy to know Jerremy had also been healed and was quick to offer her condolences for the dead. “I’m sorry for the loss of those men.”

  Tim was shaking his head. “A panther and three coyotes,” he corrected and then chose to add more after she looked at him askance. “Daniel is the Chosen Vessel and the animals are part of his swirl. They fight for him, whether he wants them to or not.”

  Sherree turned to Miriam, being unsure of Tim’s sense of humor. Oh, she heard all the rumors flooding Ducanton about Daniel being the Chosen Vessel, but he never spoke of it and she did not mention it either.

  “Tim is not joking. My son is the Chosen Vessel. Teki Seers have confirmed it, the Queen has confirmed it, and Daniel willingly admits it,” Miriam attested to the fact.

  Ronn ran his fingers through his hair and said, “You have been educated in Aakadon. Have you ever heard of a twenty year-old Six-bolt Accomplished?”

  Six bolts, Sherree was about to tell them such a thing was impossible, but then Daniel healed the impossible and defeated the Maestro of the Serpent Guild in a duel of potentials. One thing was for sure, when she wed that man, he was going to tell her things like this without making her pump him like a well handle. “I’m going outside. Send word if you need my help,” she said and walked out of the hill complex and into the bright morning.

  A huge stone fort was about twenty paces from the entrance and balls of fire slammed against it along with solidified blades of air. A solid red-brown beam of light hit the north wall and a blue glow around the building grew brighter and brighter as if absorbing the power and using it to strengthen the shield. Shards of stones went flying out one of the windows like hundreds of darts being thrown in rapid succession. That was clearly an offensive spell of the Stone Guild. Sherree noted twelve different potentials being focused to the north, three she recognized as belonging to Samuel, Jerremy, and Simon, although she could not discern the specific spells they were casting.

  She noted the wall around the perimeter and many trees with prickly branches, most of which were on fire as were the hills outside the walls raised by Jerremy. A Three-bolt Accomplished worked a jet of water that spouted up out of the ground, extinguishing most of the fire balls before they hit the complex, and put out the flames of the few burning spheres that got through to the ground.

  She turned and stared up at the top of the hill. Daniel was up there with twenty archers. She watched as he took an arrow in hand and created perhaps hundreds just like it, out of what? She did not know. The bowman continued to send their arrows out to the north at targets she could not see from her current vantage point. She started climbing the hill. He looked so handsome and in full command of the situation and all she wanted to do was hug and kiss him. Before she was half way up a beautiful dark-haired woman walked up to him and gave him a hug and handed him a mug. Sherree stopped, staring in unbelief. She thought Daniel and the mountain girl had parted ways. She distinctly remembered when that tart’s relationship with Daniel was supposed to have ended with Tim getting the cabin Daniel would have invited this strumpet into.

  Sherree knew she was being hard on the girl, who was neither a tart nor a strumpet, and could only blame herself if Daniel went back to her after being rejected. Of all the people she expected to see here, this woman was only just ahead of Tarin Conn on her list. Sherree turned and went back down the hill. She refused to cry, not her, not a dedicated Accomplished of the Aloe Guild. She remembered the last words she had spoken to Daniel, “From now on we will be on a professional level only, address each other by rank and all casual contact will cease immediately.”

  Why should she complain if he took her at her word? The water in her eyes was because of the smoke from the fire balls, not tears. She wiped her eyes and went into the stone fort. Jerremy, Simon, and Samuel were stationed there, and joined by Lassiter, who was busy casting spells out the window.

  “He did it again,” the Senior Soarer was saying. “Created arrows seemingly out of nothing, just like the extra bows,” he added and then resumed casting spells at the enemy.

  Simon was the first to notice her and crossed the room in an instant. “Sherree, I’m so glad Daniel was able to restore you,” he blurted and pulled her into a hug, then released and tried to assume a more dignified expression. “I mean, it is good to see you well after your ordeal, Accomplished,” he said and then his eyes widened when he glanced at her shoulders. “Why do you have two bolts?”

  Poor Simon, it was nothing against him, but his question brought her mind crashing back to Daniel laughing and hugging the mountain hussy up on the hill and Sherree could contain the emotion no longer. “That’s a very good question,” she told him hotly. “I too would like to know exactly what Daniel Benhannon did to my body in addition to healing me.”

  Jerremy and Samuel came over all smiles and ready to congratulate her on being made well by a man who healed her out of the goodness of his heart, yet who was no longer interested in her as a woman; at least that is how she saw their approach.

  “Daniel restored me along with a hundred and eighty or so other people who had been Condemned and he did nothing untoward to any as far as I know. Are you saying he did something inappropriate to you?” Jerremy asked her with seemingly mixed emotions. She was his friend and also Daniel’s, who had saved him from Condemnation.

  “No, of course not, but I don’t see any extra lighting bolts on yours or Lassiter’s shoulders. He has some explaining to do, but I don’t want to speak with him just now, so let’s leave him out of the discussion for awhile.” Sherree still felt the sting of seeing Dani
el in that other woman’s arms, but she would not allow the image to control her actions, not much.

  Samuel took her aside. “Daniel mentioned to me about how he once proclaimed his inappropriate feelings for you and how you let him know in certain terms that there would be no such relationship. I believe he took your words to heart and doubt he would have done anything improper while you were unconscious.”

  So Daniel shared the episode at the Great Carnival with Samuel, which means it was still in his mind while he was restoring her. She should be grateful he had healed her and respected her stated wishes. “Sam, which part of, Leave him out of the discussion for awhile, did you not understand?” She was being snippy, but she could not help it.

  Samuel just looked at her for awhile and then nodded his head. “If you know any spells that can be used against the Pentrosans, you may use this crescendo while I drink several jugs of water,” he told her while handing over a hunting knife. “Don’t wrinkle your nose up at it. This is one super-charged energy amplifier.”

  Sherree offered him a slight smile and took the knife and went to the window. The Pentrosan army and cavalry were spread out on the next several hills over on the north. Men with spears, swords, and crossbows, were out on foot while most of the enemy was mounted. They were not close enough to use their crossbows and depended on the Aakacarns with them to be the aggressors for the time being. The fools that had come close enough to loose their bolts were dead on the ground with pile arrows sticking from their bodies. Swarms of wasps and hornets flew up from the trees and bushes and descended upon the Pentrosans. Men and horses began to scream as the insects brought their stingers to bear.

  Sherree aimed the knife at an Accomplished who was standing a little too high on the hill and sent Easing The Pain through the crescendo at her intended target. An amber beam of light shot from the knife and was far brighter than she had anticipated and struck the Aakacarn. He went flying off the hill, possibly breaking his neck, but definitely leaving him immobile and feeling no pain. She examined the knife. This is a level four and there was only one person present who could make one, but she was determined not to say his name, not even in her mind. She aimed the knife and continued to pick off any person fool enough to poke their head where she could see it. She was not particularly proud of the fact that it made her feel better, taking out her frustration on them.

  Sherree lost track of time and was startled when Samuel came to take back the knife and relieve her. She watched as crows flew over the enemy and pooped on them, which contributed nothing militarily, but was annoying for them and amusing to her. Time went by and a short while later the wasps and hornets flew up and away from the Pentrosans. Daniel stood on the top of the hill and began to glow bright blue. Light radiated from him, out and to the north beyond visual range, and the foot soldiers fell, horses and riders fell, every living thing fell to the ground, and she could feel the harmonic ripples of the major working. The silence was palpable and nothing stirred out there but smoke in the breeze.

  “Prepare to depart, twenty thousand horsemen are headed this way, thirty-five spans from the west, and it is past time to be gone.” Daniel’s amplified voice sounded across the divide and probably to everyone awake inside the hill. Sherree had no idea how he knew of the advancing threat, yet trusted him to be accurate. His announcement continued. “Sergeant Keenan, I need men to help carry out the people who are still sleeping inside the hill complex. Everyone is to gather at the entrance.”

  There was a moment of silence, seeing as most of the people were still stunned by how Daniel struck down the enemy Aakacarns and the Pentrosan legion with seeming ease. Another moment passed and everybody was hustling to obey, men double timing it into the cave, and others vacating the stone fort.

  They all met outside the cave with over a hundred men and women still sleeping. Sherree was tempted to wake them up prematurely by use of a spell, but she knew as a healer these people needed to wake up naturally. Daniel glanced at her and then looked away quickly as if feeling guilty about something, and part of her wanted him to feel uncomfortable. She walked right by several Accomplisheds and a Sergeant in order to get to him. “I will not be ignored. Something was done to me that you did not do to the others. Understand that we will be having a discussion about this again when I am not so furious with you,” she said, and then went as far from him as she could get and still be part of the crowd.

  If anything, the expression on his face told her he did do something and was sure it would bother her if she knew.

  Daniel raised his arms and two blue spheres appeared, one engulfing Gell’s lair, a ball sinking to half its dimension below the ground, and a second ball engulfing the stone building. The stones began to crack, the snap and pop of which grew louder and louder as they split into smaller and smaller pieces until there was nothing left of the fort but gravel. The hill had sunken in on itself until it was nothing more than a pile of pebbles and dirt. The spheres vanished and once again everyone was stunned to silence. Even the Aakacarns were nervous around such displays of raw power.

  Daniel turned to address the crowd. “I’m going to cast a spell that will convey all of us to the valley half a span north of Fort Casum, where we will allow our charges time to recover while I deliver some important messages from the Queen to the Generals and Knights who are in the vicinity. Once the spell is cast, you will not see, hear, or feel, a thing for the space of three heart beats, and then we will appear at our destination,” he explained.

  Quite a few people were perspiring and not from the heat, seeing as it was a cool day. Sherree stood alone, avoiding people so she would not have to speak to them. Daniel began to glow again and blackness enveloped her, yet before she could count to three, she was standing in a valley along with everyone who had been near the cave entrance. This was definitely the way to travel and she was impressed even if the wielder of the Melody made her stomach churn.

  Jerremy and Simon walked up her. Samuel was over with Senior Soarer Lassiter, Master Artisan Togan, and Oceanic Varroon. They were all talking to Daniel, no doubt congratulating him on working such a fine spell, but none daring to ask where he learned it. If his repertoire was back, many of the Melodies in it could be from the Serpent Guild, and Teleportation definitely was.

  “You say you don’t want to discuss Daniel, yet constantly stare at him,” Jerremy casually mentioned.

  “My friend, I really do think you would poke a sleeping bear just to see how it reacts,” Simon told him, and Sherree agreed.

  “No, I’m just still giddy after being restored to good health with full control of my body,” Jerremy replied.

  “Too bad that control does not extend to your mouth,” Sherree could not resist saying, and it made her smile.

  Simon also smiled and Jerremy grabbed his heart dramatically as if being pierced. “You wound me,” he said, and laughed. “My mouth works fine. It is my tongue that gets me in trouble.”

  Then they all laughed and Sherree felt better. Her eyes were drawn to Daniel and she realized, even though it hurt, she still loved him, and the thought both increased her pain at seeing him in the arms of another woman and gave her happiness at seeing he is well. She moved closer to the senior Accomplisheds and her two friends came with her.

  “I must admit your method of travel is impressive, but I am concerned with the way you instantly killed every living thing in those hills,” Master Togan was saying.

  “Not that we are saying you did anything wrong,” Oceanic Varroon was quick to add.

  “I was hoping we could stay in the vicinity long enough to search the enemy Accomplisheds. Sam and I could have collected their crescendos and especially their amulets, which would have been helpful in tracking down their allies,” Senior Soarer Lassiter stated while motioning toward Samuel.

  Daniel smiled while shaking his head. “You are free to go back and collect the Aakacarn paraphernalia. I thought what you took from Serin Gell was enough. If not, you might want to hurry. The on
ly individual I personally killed in Pentrosa is Serin Gell, all others are only sleeping. It was you folks who did most of the killing, not that I am saying you did anything wrong. Even so, I led the infiltration, it was my idea to cross the border, and so I take responsibility for what you had to do.”

  “There is that,” Master Togan replied. “The man in charge is responsible. That said I am grateful you chose to come rescue us.”

  Daniel’s eyes flicked to Sherree, it was only for an instant, but she knew he noted her presence. “I’m told the Chosen Vessel has three choices he will be forced to make more frequently than the average person, stand and watch, walk away, or do something to help. I chose to help.”

  “Good choice,” Jerremy commented while moving to stand beside his mentor. “Everyone here is convinced you are the Chosen Vessel but are you truly?”

  “We can have this discussion after I’ve gone to Fort Casum. I’ll be changing back into my uniform and then we can discuss the matter. I would appreciate it if you Accomplisheds create a compound in this valley large enough to accommodate yourselves, and everyone with me, including those who I have healed. I don’t want to over tax General Talon’s resources,” Daniel told them, and then departed for the log fort with his pair of Teki escort keeping pace beside him.

  “He will tell us what we need to know when he is ready,” Samuel told the senior Accomplisheds. “I don’t know anyone, except possibly Sherree or his parents, who could make him talk when he isn’t inclined to speak.”

  Sherree laughed to herself. She wished Daniel was so open and accommodating with her. Well, he did just see to her needs, accommodations were being made, and she was included. “I hope he has a happy life with Val.”

  Simon turned to her. “Todd Polkat? I suppose he will have a happy life with her, at least that’s how it seemed the last time I was in Bashierwood. I suppose their eatery is up and running by now.”