To Be Grand Maestro (Book 5) (6 page)

Jennel blinked away the exhaustion. She had been going virtually nonstop since the battle and finally the task was complete.
This is the late afternoon of a new day,
she realized, and every person brought in for healing had received it. “Great job everybody,” she announced

The entire room full of people suddenly looked up and slightly to the left. The presence that had been far to the southwest was now above them, probably in building two. Jennel turned on her heel, and headed out into the hall along with a mob of her fellow Atlantans. Everyone was eager to see the Maestro, each no doubt feeling their desire to be near him to be the greatest and therefore the most important, when it should be clear to all thinking people that the Lead Healer should be among the first to see him. Evidently, her associates did not share her view.

The hallway was filled, jammed full of people all the way to the exit of the wing, each person trying to get into the central building so they could access the tunnel leading to building two. It was slow going getting through the stream of people in the hall, and Jennel accidentally stepped on more than a few toes in the process, offering apologies as she went. Her success was tempered by the fact that all of the four wings had emptied out, coming up from all four underground levels, and the vast staging area was nearly filled to capacity. Accomplisheds, Talenteds, and members of the Benhannon Guard, were all staring at several hundred or so Sentinels, who were blocking the tunnel. Commander Herling stood at the forefront beside First Strike Commander Lassiter, whose mixed heritage gave him the soft facial features of a Taracopian and the dark complexion and height of an Ecoppian.

Chas turned to Jeremiah, who nodded agreement with whatever was said between the two, and then the Sentinel Commander focused his attention back on the crowd. “I know everyone is anxious to see Sir Daniel and verify with your own eyes that he is well,” he spoke in a voice amplified by a spell provided by the former Senior Soarer. “Anyone who has the idea of going below to work his or her way to the surface through the other three buildings will find those accesses also blocked. To all of you who possess the ability to cast the spell, Conveyance, I strongly suggest you do not attempt to transport yourself, lest you die from merging your substances with the crowds that are already swarming from the surface buildings to see the Maestro.”

“Why can’t we see him?” demanded Bonny Tell. That girl’s impulsiveness would no doubt get her into a lot of trouble someday. A large number of Talenteds and guardsmen shouted their demands for an answer to her question.

Jennel wondered the same thing, but knew the Sentinel Commander would get around to explaining his reasons, and also knew demanding answers would not cause the announcement to come any sooner.

“Sir Daniel and Lady Sherree are up in the dining area eating a late lunch. It is the first meal he has had since before the battle at Shantear and I think we should let him enjoy this repast in peace,” Chas continued his announcement as if no one had interrupted him. “I have been informed by Chief Aid Simon Trenca that the Maestro will address all who wish to see him right here in this room, which should take place in about half a mark.”

Jennel summoned a chair of solidified air and sat down. Her example was soon followed by many others. Individual conversations broke out and no one tried to enter the tunnel or exit the assembly area.
Why bother when the Maestro was coming to them?
One of the guardsmen to her left grumbled a little at the Sentinels taking it upon themselves to guard, “Sir Daniel,” the title most often used by the non-Aakacarns in the guild.

“Captain Bower is the Commander of the Benhannon Guard and any Sentinels at the Benhannon Estate must yield to him,” a broad-shouldered guardsman with a corporal stripe on his cuffs told the complainer, “Here at the Benhannon Northland Holding, the Guard yields to Sentinel Commander Herling, so shut your mouth and try not to embarrass me in front of all these people.”

Time seemed to move slowly as each minute in the promised half mark ticked by on the nine chrono disks, two on each wall and a huge one suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the vast room. The Sentinels in front of the tunnel began to shift and finally parted to make way for whoever was trying to gain entrance from building two.

Martin Varroon, a former Oceanic of the Aqua Guild, a Three-bolt Accomplished, entered first. His hair and beard were neatly trimmed and dark along with his skin, which was the color of ebony. The tall man, born in the northern kingdom of Ecoppia, was closely followed by Simon Trenca, a One-bolt Accomplished and former Sapling of the Willow Guild. The skinny, sandy-haired, young man with a complexion similar to Bonny’s, had a gold-capped ebony baton in his belt. The class one level four crescendo held six bolts of amplification, giving him the ability to command seven bolts of potential, forty-nine times the power he would be able to wield unaided, a gift given to him by the Maestro.

Samuel Cresh, wearing blue silks with a canteen and a standard issue topaz silver-capped baton in his belt, entered with Sandra Treena, the Third Strike Commander, similarly dressed. The hood of her cloak was up and only a few locks of red hair could be seen. Sam had dark hair and thick eyebrows that nearly touched.

The next figure brought everyone who had been sitting to their feet, including Jennel. She released the potential and her chair vanished. The Maestro walked out of the tunnel. He stood six and a half cubits in height, wearing blue silks with silver trim. The hood of his cloak had seven golden lightning bolts. All of the Accomplisheds in the association wore silver belts, Sherree and Leah, both flanking him, wore silver belts with gold buckles, and yet his was gold, buckle and all, and had a gold sheath, in which he kept a diamond-bladed knife. Even the canteen was gold rather than silver. The twenty year-old was clean shaven, pale-faced and dark haired, like most Ducaunans, and his nearly black eyes always seemed to be assessing everything in view.

Sherree Jenna, Jennel was not yet comfortable adding, Benhannon, wore her hood down, revealing yellow-gold hair which flowed more than half way down her back. She was a pretty girl with those emerald green eyes and dainty features. She watched Daniel in a proprietary manner that said without words, “this man is mine.” The young Two-bolt Accomplished also had a gold-handled diamond-bladed knife with a black grip identical to the Maestro’s in her belt. Both knives were level four crescendos with seven bolts of amplification. His gift gave her the ability to command nine bolts of potential, eighty-one times the power of a one-bolt Accomplished. Like Jennel, the eighteen year-old was born in Lobenia, except she grew up in the capital, New Oben, and Jennel was born several hundred spans to the southeast in the old port city of Oben, and lived in an orphanage until the day her Potential had been discovered, hence the name, Obenport.

Leah Barryn, First Accomplished of the Atlantan Guild, commanded four lightning bolts of potential and possessed a regal dignity. Her countenance had been stern when she first came out but then softened and an amused smile caused dimples to form on her darkly pretty face. “Looks like you are going to have to make a speech after all,” the Ecoppian told the Maestro, who glanced at her. She and he were the same height, while Sherree stood level with their shoulders.

Carlos Tiran, a middle-aged Three-bolt Accomplished with short dark hair and a light complexion, exited and took up a protective position where he could watch over the crowd. Jennel knew the former Aakademned had been assigned to the Third Strike force and assumed he was accompanying Sandra.

“I will start with the bad news. Seven hundred-sixty-three Sentinels died at Shantear along with thirty-three Accomplisheds of the Atlantan Guild. Fifty-seven Accomplisheds of Aakadon also lost their lives,” the Maestro announced with sadness in his eyes.

Jennel grieved over the loss of life and wished she could have saved everyone. She took some comfort knowing the death toll for the Chosen’s Sentinels and Accomplisheds of Aakadon as well as Atlantans would have been much higher if it had not been for the quick actions of many people.

“The eighty-three Aakadon team survivors and nearly three thousand members of our own guild owe their restored health to Jennel Obenport and her team of dedicated Accomplisheds and Talenteds who worked tirelessly to make everyone well. Thanks also goes to Sandra Treena, who’s Accomplisheds not only secured Shantear while those of us in the Great Crystal worked our Grand Symphonies, they also conveyed many of the injured to this facility for healing. I also give my thanks to all of those who participated in the surface battle under the command of Jeremiah Lassiter. The two-pronged attack masterminded by Sentinel Commander Herling worked perfectly, so we all owe thanks to him as well.”

Jennel appreciated the acknowledgment while the crowd applauded her and her team. She, in turn, applauded the Third Strike team and their leader. Lassiter and Herling also received ovations.

Daniel glanced at Sherree, Martin, Simon, and then at Leah before continuing. “We succeeded in establishing a shield on Tarin Conn’s potential,” he announced.

The applause echoed thunderously along with whistles and shouts of joy and pride. Word had already spread concerning the success, but it was good hearing of it from him. The Maestro raised his right hand and thus brought the room to silence. “According to Silvia, we have won a victory, caused the Dark Maestro to fall on his face, but he will find a way to fight back eventually. The Serpent Guild is going to be more active, fiercer than a wounded bear, and twice as ornery. There will be more fighting, pain, and death ahead, so enjoy the moment because the war is not over.”

Jennel smiled, not over hearing of more fighting; about that part where he likened the Serpent Guild to a wounded bear, which had to come from the former mountaineer and not the Teki Seer. The diminutive former acrobat, four and a half cubits in height, and cousin to Samuel, was standing to the right. The bright green trousers, tight yellow shirt with orange stripes, and broad leather belt around her waist were too flamboyant for Jennel’s taste, but was a cultural thing and to be expected. A hand-sized crossbow hung from a clip on Silvia’s left hip, exactly like the ones worn by the Chosen’s Sentinels and the Benhannon Guard. Black hair framed a pretty face and flowed over her shoulders in waves down to her lower back. The Teki’s eyebrows were thick and her lashes long.

Standing beside her was David Cresh-Gerabolli, slightly smaller in stature than Chas Herling, wearing bright blue pants and a yellow shirt with red horizontal stripes. 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. David had a knife on each hip and casually rested a hand on the hilt of the blade on the left. His eyes were dark brown and his hair was longer than most men wore, slightly below his shoulders. One of those blades was a daggerlance and he always seemed ready to draw and use it at a moment’s notice.

“Accomplished Lassiter has provided free transportation back to Aakadon, which is where Talmon Reese and his team found themselves upon waking up,” the Maestro’s lips twitched into a momentary smile. “It seems they intended to arrest me after the victory and only the presence of an overwhelming number of Accomplisheds and Sentinels of the Atlantan Guild kept him from doing so.”

Cries of outrage over the duplicity filled the room. Jennel could not say she was surprised by the intent of her former associates of Aakadon. Breaking the stay-of-warrant issued by Talmon Reese was expected and she doubted the leader of the Eagle Guild had fooled Maestro Benhannon for even a moment.

“Mount Shantear now belongs to the Atlantan Guild. The city of Aakadon neglected to do their duty to the world, failing in many ways, and not the least of which was in failing to secure the Crystal Chamber long before the Serpent Guild could make a major Nest in the caves and caverns,” the Maestro announced and turned as if enough had been said and it was time to end the audience.

“We want to know what happened to you,” Jennel blurted out. She could not contain the emotion, remembering the horror of thinking him to be dead. “You appear to be perfectly healthy but we all know you came close to dying and are even now changed by the experience.”

“None of the communication amulets you made work anymore,” Jaim Cutler called out from his position among the Sentinels, many of whom were nodding in agreement with him.

The Maestro turned around to face the crowd but it was the First Accomplished who spoke. “The Grand Symphonies and the other spells used by our Maestro to reach and shield Tarin Conn took every drop of potential in his vat, mummifying him,” gasps and shouts of dismay nearly drowned out her voice. She continued in greater volume. “Thanks to the quick actions of the First Lady and Accomplished Martin Varroon, the condition lasted mere minutes and Daniel was hydrated before his soul had a chance to leave his body. He will eventually regain the potential in his reservoir and then energize and create a new communication amulet which will be duplicated as necessary,” she stated and then added in a less firm voice as people quieted, “I know how much he means to you, I feel the same way, so we all need to help him. There are more than six thousand Condemneds currently sleeping in Shantear, needing his help, and many people here waiting for him to give them back their missing appendages. We need to keep this guild running smoothly so our Maestro can focus on issues only he can resolve.”

A loud chorus of affirmation resounded and the Maestro smiled. “Thank you,” he said and then fixed his gaze on Jennel. “Accomplished Obenport, would you accompany us?”