To Wear A Trident

The Maestro Chronicles

Book Seven

By John A. Buttrick

Cover art by: Jennifer L. Buttrick

ZEUTHA

ATLANTAN

Copyright 2018 John A. Buttrick

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Contents

Chapter One: A Peculiar Sensation

Chapter Two: Greatest Scout Ever

Chapter Three: Meeting In Aakadon

Chapter Four: Clarian

Chapter Five: The Swirling Of Events

Chapter Six: Stand and Watch, Walk way, or Lend a Hand

Chapter Seven: Meeting on Deck

Chapter Eight: Restrictions,

Chapter Nine: Tridents

Chapter Ten: Blockade

Chapter Eleven: Into The Wind

Chapter Twelve: Investigations

Chapter Thirteen: Diversion

Chapter Fourteen: The Sales Pitch

Chapter Fifteen: Maiden Voyage

Chapter Sixteen: Planting Seeds

Chapter Seventeen: Hanging By A Thread

Chapter Eighteen: Into the Pit

Chapter Nineteen: To Wear a Trident

Epilogue

Chapter One: A Peculiar Sensation

Cecil the osprey soared in the partly cloudy sky over the western coast of Atlantan. A continent which until recently had been thought to be the only one in the world, Daniel Benhannon, his hitch-hiker and mental companion momentarily considered the new reality.

Daniel could see, taste, feel, and hear everything the bird of prey experienced, while his actual six and a half cubit-long body lay at rest in the quarters set aside for him at Crescent Island. The remote base, located about two hundred-twenty-five spans off the east coast of Atlantan, thousands of spans from where the majestic bird flew, was on and deep down inside an island shaped like a crescent moon. The sliver of land was about seven spans long, east to west, and one span wide at the thickest point in the middle, north to south.

Right at that moment Horatio, the manta ray, wanted to show him a pair of leviathans that were swimming in the Serinian Channel. Each reptile stretched two hundred cubits in length, three hundred paces from nose to tail, and belonged to the largest of the saltwater croc species. The leviathans were under the influence of the Zeuthan Nephilim and had followed one of the warships to Atlantan. The Grand Imperial Ship, Lucia, had been stationed on the opposite side of the island ever since arriving from the far away land. It was good to know of the repositioning. “Thanks for showing me, but stay as far away from those crocs as you can,” Daniel sent the thought to the ray.

A sense of satisfaction, along with the image of the manta eating and then swimming away abruptly, came ahead of the translated reply. “Horatio pleased. Horatio more pleased to stay far from sharp teeth.”

Daniel placed his awareness of the manta into one of the compartments in his mind with the intent on getting back to the matter of the warship in due time.

The Symphonic, Mind Touch, a Melody with notes in harmony, interpreted his thoughts in a way that could be clearly understood by his non-human host, which meant he did not need to spend time explaining words and concepts beyond the creature’s ability to comprehend and the spell interpreted the responses back in a manner he could understand.

“Maestro, sorry to interrupt your rest period,” Bernard Kleopis, Conductor of the Department of Emissaries, sent his thoughts through the amulet in his array. “Four more Lords of the Land have sent back the emissaries we assigned to them for protection.”

Daniel had a fairly good idea why they had done so but chose to ask rather than assume. “Did any of them give a reason?”

“Like Lords Tamkin, Sharmine, and others before them, Zane and Zoltair expressed concerns over you amassing too much power. You see, the presence of our Accomplisheds intimidates them but they do not want to admit that. Lords Tirana and Tomlin feel their own men-at-arms are more than sufficient in regard to their security. Those two have requested a communication amulet from the emissaries assigned to them in order to maintain a link to us should the need arise. Accomplished Jonas Leferd has given one of his amulets to Cale Zane and Accomplished Pearl Catspaw has given one of her amulets to Jacsum Tirana, them being the Emissaries I assigned to those posts,” Bernard sent in reply.

“That leaves Accomplished Josive Carlile with Lord Piron and Accomplished Nicolus Bentare with Lord Bolover. It seems only two of my thirteen fellow Lords of the Land are not afraid of me to one extent or another,” Daniel sent while demonstrating he knew the name of the Emissary assigned to each man.

A sense of sad resignation came ahead of the reply, “Alas, it is so. Not even I could find the words to reassure the lords our spells would not be cast upon them. Make no mistake Piron and Bolover are afraid of you, although not enough to reject your support. We protected the two border lords during the war and neither of them has forgotten the fact.  They all see my emissaries as potential spies for you. With the war ended and the enemy Accomplisheds on the run, the nobles are beginning to see you and us as the greatest threat to their positions. On a positive note your brother Knights of the Realm have expressed their desires to have our people remain with them, and the Ducaunan Royal Navy has put forth the same request.”

Daniel appreciated receiving some good news. “They have an entirely different mindset than the lords. I am not surprised.”

“I and my department will continue to do all that we can to calm the fears of the non-Aakacarns and especially the nobles and rulers,” the Conductor responded and then the mental link with him vanished.

It had been a mental screech from the fish-loving bird that had brought Daniel’s nap to an end with the promise of a possible sighting. Finding time to sleep since the end of the war had become a rarity of late and needed to be taken advantage of whenever possible.

After the nap he was supposed to meet with the Grand Maestro of Aakadon, in the ancient city, a mere mark and a half from the present moment, which meant Daniel had to accept yet another demand on his time, one he knew could be put off no longer. That same concern kept wiggling out of the container in his mind where it was supposed to be stored away for future consideration, yet would probably continue to work its way out until he met the obligation.

The stalling had gone on for as long as he dared without running the risk of souring an important relationship. There were questions about the role of the Chosen Vessel going forward after being victorious over his counterpart, even in his own mind

A powerful sense of duty and determination came ahead of the message, “Maestro, my scouts are investigating the Troas Mountains in Ecoppia. There is reason to believe Rex Badger and possibly three score Accomplisheds are hiding out somewhere in that chain,” Conductor Jeremiah Lassiter of the Defense Department informed through the gem in his array.

“Will you be going on the raid if the belief proves valid?” Daniel sent his reply while exerting enough concentration to also maintain his link with Cecil.

“If the information proves to be accurate, I shall personally lead the team that will take down the Serpent and his nest,” Jeremiah’s response came with a sense of absolute confidence, which was then followed by a less self-assured stream of thought. “We are flying the same thermal, you and I. Our enemy is defeated and so we are winging it. Sam’s department would usually handle Badger and the other rogue Accomplisheds, but my teams have their scouts and are in good positions to swoop down on any threats. Technically, the threat is coming from outside of Ducaun so my department has a legitimate reason for getting involved.”

Daniel agreed with the former Senior Soarer of the Eagle Guild, both the intent to seek out and swoop down on any dangers to the realm, and the part about winging it after defeating the enemy. “Good hunting,” he sent in reply. “Keep me posted. You might also want to send some scouts to help keep eyes on the pair of Zeuthan leviathans that are currently swimming in the Serinian Channel.”

“It will be as you say, Maestro,” Jeremiah responded along with the sense of respect and then the connection ended. He would no doubt give the orders concerning the leviathans within moments. The man never wasted time.

“Both riding the same thermal,” not quite, Daniel reckoned. No one, including him, fully understood the role of the Creator’s champion after the champion of evil had been vanquished, and yet everyone seemed to expect an immediate answer from him. Each of those people had an opinion as to what he should do and expected him to agree with them, even if accepting their ideas meant ignoring the advice of other equally sincere individuals. Ultimately, he would have to decide and a whole lot of people were going to disagree with him no matter what trail he chose to follow. Due to his mountaineer upbringing, he had grown accustomed to choosing his own way and accepting whatever chores came along as a result.

All of that aside, he did enjoy the feel of the wind on the contours of the avian body and sensing the thermal his host used to soar in the broad circle over the isolated cove on the west coast of the kingdom of Fon Kay. The experience helped to relax his mind so he could concentrate on the scene Cecil was focusing on, which pleased Daniel even more, and made the initial interruption of rest a small price to pay.

The view of the cove from above was spectacular; waves gently caressing the shore of a small sandy beach and trees wearing their winter colors. Countless gulls squawked in a cacophony of sound as double-crested cormorants fished the area while trying to avoid the pelicans doing the same. Amid the life and colors associated with existence along the Serinian Channel, he noticed a hue that did not belong. The sharp eyes of the osprey locked onto a vessel that should not have been there, given the fact that it was a ship of the air rather than a seagoing craft.

It was longer and sleeker than the original model and the entire ship was the color of a cloudless sky, even the gondola, which was smoothly contoured to the upper portion. Twin daisy-wheel propellers at the rear were used to push the aircraft across the sky

The light-blue cruiser sat a fair distance from the water and was mostly hidden by branches that had to have been forced by a spell to grow in such a fashion. It would take a different Melody to manipulate those same limbs out of the way, enabling the huge vessel to quickly launch into the air.

The patches of blue beneath the leafy boughs and stems would be impossible to see with human eyes, but not those of an osprey.

“Thank you Cecil,” he sent to the raptor.

A sense of satisfaction came through the link along with an image of the great bird of prey clutching a plump fish in his claws, his way of expressing extreme pleasure. Daniel sent a desire to land in the branches of the altered tree and the avian scout dived down into the cover of the leaves. His talons locked onto a narrow limb that gave a good view of the moored vessel.

A glance at the starboard side of the gondola revealed a sure sign the aircraft had been damaged in battle and likely moments away from being destroyed. Somehow the sky-cruiser managed to escape before the fatal blow could be struck. No scorch marks or rips in the sleek compartment could be seen and not as much as a scratch in the gigantic superstructure.

Every gondola belonging to the model of aircraft below had twenty-four crescendos sticking out. The vessel he was staring at through the eyes of the osprey only had ten on the port side, two on the front, and two at the rear. Ten of the class one, level one, energy amplifiers were missing; had been sheared off of the starboard side.

The only part of the cruiser that the preset shield-spell did not cover when activated was the narrow shafts protruding from the crew compartment. Clearly, some member of the Atlantan Guild utilized a spell that stripped away the spear-length, over-sized, batons.

The last battle of the war involved many sky-cruisers of the Serpent Guild as well as a pair of Benhannon Wager class patrol-boats, scores of Atlantan Guild Pondhoppers, and hundreds of deadly air-born manta rays. With so much going on at the time it was not surprising to learn something had occurred that kept the attacker from taking the second shot at the vulnerable points.

A number of spells Daniel composed flashed through his mind, all of which would doom the ship and complete the chore, and yet he hesitated.

Should I order the destruction of the ship, delegating the chore to the appropriate department or handle the matter myself?

The sound of multiple voices drew Cecil’s attention back to the port side. Men and women dressed in black silks; pants, shirts, and hooded-cloaks, exited the gondola. In all eighteen people filed out of the vessel. Each Aakacarn possessed a golden lightning bolt on their clothing and a baton in easy reach at their belts. Either there were more people aboard or they had lost members of the crew. It would take twenty-four Accomplisheds just to work the batons, had all of the energy amplifiers been operational. Even so there were more than enough One-bolt Accomplisheds below to form a traveling circle in order to safely use Tarin Conn’s Melody, Teleportation. The spell required six bolts of Potential, Daniel knew from experience, and also knew the fact would be no hindrance to the present group, who could perform the spell in concert and get away if not subdued quickly.

He immediately recognized three of the individuals. Ana Tigress, leading the procession, walked with her hood down while speaking to those who followed. The silks contoured her lithe figure. Long dark hair framed a comely face, making her a female most any male would find eye-catching and desirable. Some of the most dangerous creatures in the world were attractive to the eye and Daniel had no doubt Ana was in that category. Taking hold of the tail end of a cobra would be safer than embracing her. All but one of the eight men and ten women were of Ducaunan descent, dark-haired and pale-skinned, but the name Tigress meant she had to have been born in the Mount Geble region of the kingdom where animal names were common.

Daniel estimated the Aczencopan man to be seven cubits in height, the tallest of the group, and perhaps the oldest. The age-retarding spell composed by Tarin Conn made guessing ages a pointless exercise, although people tended to do so regardless of the futility. The Aakacarn could be thirty or a hundred-fifty, but the man being a One-bolt suggested the smaller number of years.

Ursula Duggan had a pouty mouth, dark eyes and hair, along with pale-skin, and a muscular frame. She walked practically on the heels of the apparent leader. Both women were known associates of Serena Lowell-Conn, who died months ago in her duel with Sherree in a chamber deep within Mount Filia.

A short and skinny fellow, Ferren Duzolta, had been the last to exit from the cruiser. He appeared to be no older than Daniel and though the man possessed only one lightning bolt of Potential, the little Serpent managed to cause a huge amount of grief and on more than a few occasions proved to be a thorn in the foot. The memory of their first encounter was one of the experiences that helped to keep Daniel humble anytime he summoned and focused large amounts of life-force energy.

The identities of the other fifteen Aakacarns would be revealed after they were taken into custody and thoroughly questioned. Each of them was a war criminal, but the decision of what to do remained; should I notify the ISIG department or fetch them personally?

The determination should have been easy to make. Turning the matter over to the department of Internal Security and Information Gathering was the appropriate thing to do and the reason he sent the desire for Cecil to seek the vessel, but a peculiar sensation stopped Daniel from grabbing the communication array on the table beside the bed, placing the device on his head, and giving the command. The golden circlet contained ten gems, five topaz and five sapphires, and could instantly put him in contact with the First Lady, First Accomplished, and each of the Conductors of the Atlantan Guild.

A tingle had started in his scalp the moment Duzolta came into view, along with a profound sense of urgency, and the sensation continued to build, creating the urge to Convey to the vessel rather than send Accomplisheds of his guild to do the actual chore. The feeling was similar to what he experienced back on Shantear when the urge to declare the mountain the property of the Atlantan Guild took hold of him, but this new sensation was far more intense and beyond even his mulish mountaineer instincts to ignore. It was as if not going immediately would be like deliberately ignoring a daily chore.

He could almost hear his father saying, “A Benhannon never drops a set chore, nor fobs it off on another.”

Cecil let out a screech. The osprey clearly sensed the turmoil within his host and being just as confused, seemed equally ready to shoot up into the sky as to swoop down on his prey. “Sit tight, I am coming,” Daniel sent the thought to the raptor. “I will do the swooping.”

He quickly chose spells from his vast repertoire, mentally performing the notes and harmonies of each one, summoning the potential from his internal vat of energy, and at the end of each, added a Da Capo tied to his life-force to keep the tunes repeating without him having to consciously keep performing the notes. Each summoning had been thrilling almost beyond belief and possessing so much power made him feel capable of moving mountains and altering the courses of rivers; plural, not merely a single mountain or river. It truly came as no surprise why so many Accomplisheds had over-sized egos, sending their arrogance to towering heights.

At that moment even a normally humble mountaineer had to work at maintaining humility. Instead of concentrating on the feelings engendered by the tremendous amount of power waiting to be wielded at will, he focused on the practical reason for accessing the Potential, the dangers involved with successfully completing the chore, and the presence of the very one who taught him to be more wary of being too sure of himself.

Having the Symphonics ready to be focused ahead of time was preferable to arriving for a spell-battle and then taking the time to select and mentally play each tune as needed, a lesson learned through experience.

He performed the notes for Outer Shield and when the energy field formed along the contours of his body, a finger-width out from his form, covering his silks, he added a Da Capo to keep it there. Unlike the shield spells used by Accomplisheds of Aakadon and those composed by Tarin Conn for his Serpent Guild, Daniel’s spells allowed the wielder to focus Potential through the shields while blocking enemy spells directed at them. The Symphonics actually absorbed the opposing life-force energy and grew stronger.

He then summoned the Potential for Freshen Air because he wanted to keep breathing and nothing physical, not even air, could pass through the energy barrier. He would be deaf to all around him and unable to quench his thirst. The physical cost of spell-casting was paid in moisture from the Melody-wielder and it was therefore possible to drain every drop of fluid from his body, an experience he did not care to repeat. The temporary loss of hearing and the inability to drink from the pair of golden canteens attached to his belt or take in the scents of his surroundings seemed a small price to pay compared to the benefits, and anyway, a Seven-bolt Accomplished should be able to quickly overcome a score or so of One-bolts, assuming some crewmembers might still be inside the vessel.

Is thinking so making me too cocky?

He grabbed the array and placed it on his head, figuring he might require some assistance in the mop up.

After looking again through the eyes of the osprey and obtaining the visual, Daniel summoned and then focused the potential for Conveyance. Darkness swallowed him up, depriving him of all physical sensations, flinging him into the space between here and there, transporting him thousands of spans across the continent in less than four beats of his heart.

-----

Ferren Duzolta did not mind being five and a half cubits tall, short for a Ducaunan. People tended to dismiss him as being harmless, non-threatening, and those tendencies often worked in his favor. He exited the Geist where private space no longer existed and even his presence could not be dismissed within the gondola. Berry Konoil, the former drive-operator and helmsman, did not survive his interview with the mighty Tarin Conn, and so Ferren had been assigned, for the duration of the battle, to replace the Accomplished whose loyalty to the Supreme Maestro had been found wanting.

In retrospect, Ferren had to consider the temporary appointment to be fortuitous, in that he had been assigned to what turned out to be one of the few sky-cruisers to survive the Battle of Filia, and he was with one of the strongest groupings of former Serpents. Not many members of the splintered and dying guild were sticking together, preferring to crawl into holes and hide, not that he blamed them, much, under the present circumstances.

He had cast the spell, Ageless, composed or possibly modified by Tarin Conn, a year ago and would only need to cast it again in ninety-nine years, unless he wanted to physically age, which he did not. The fools in Aakadon had to cast their version of Ageless annually. Ferren had no clue if the Atlantans even had their own version of the spell and did not care.

Come to think of it, very few members of the Serpent Guild live more than a century or so. They do not age to death; they simply never seem to survive longer, dying by other means.

The fact was certainly something to think about.

Kim Coultrane, a fellow Ducaunan, yawned, briefly revealing perfectly white teeth, and then shook her head as if by doing so she could cast off the sleepiness while following Dugan and Tigress. The female Aakacarn was neither pretty nor ugly, but her appearance did not matter. She possessed a large repertoire of spells for a twenty-five year-old, and that was something Ferren admired most about her. At twenty-two years of age he believed his repertoire to be respectable, especially since he was fairly sure he could wield at least a few more Melodies than even the oldest member of the crew could cast.

Ferren walked behind fifty-seven year-old Rielly Dawill, the eldest, who appeared to be twenty years or so younger. The man always kept his beard neatly trimmed, rather than being clean-shaven like Ferren and all of the other males in present company. The skinny Aczencopan-born Aakacarn possessed a tenor voice that had a musical quality and he served as the navigator. The darker tone of his skin was not unusual for one born in southern Aczencopa, on the southeast coast of the continent, but being seven cubits tall made him impossible to miss in almost any crowd.

Ferren overheard Ursula asking, “How did you hear about Rex’s call to reform the guild?”

Ana glanced back at Duggan, “The Ferret told me. You of all people should not be surprised he would be the one to uncover that sort of information.”

“I am not surprised to hear he is the source,” Ursula replied quickly.

The two, like Ferren, had been a part of Serena’s inner circle, which gave the three far better connections than any members as young as they could have normally forged in the short amount of time since they had become Accomplisheds.

Duggan had been the one to dub him Ferret after Ferren had demonstrated his ability to scout ahead, quickly assess a situation, and uncover all sorts of useful bits of information. Everyone on the original team took to calling him, “the Ferret,” and while being compared to a rodent did not at first set well with him, his managing to strike down Daniel Benhannon in a vulnerable moment, and then survive unscathed, made Ferren a legend among his fellow Serpents. No other member of the guild who struck the powerful Accomplished survived long afterwards, not even Maestro Balen Tamm. After those events when anyone mentioned, “the Ferret,” they did so with great respect. Ferren grew to appreciate that moniker as a term of positive honorable distinction.

A loud screech drew his attention to an osprey far up in the tree that currently provided cover for the Geist. He glanced at the waves rolling in on the beach in the distance and then dismissed the raptor as nothing to worry about, the bird being a natural part of the setting.

Ana responded to the question after glancing at Ferren, “Then why did you ask me how I knew about the Badger’s call to reform?”

“I wanted to know if you learned the information during the last raid or if the former vice-maestro gifted you with one of his personal communication amulets.”

Everyone was suddenly staring at Ferren expectantly, so he responded, “Serena ordered me to exchange amulets with Rex. She wanted me to hover around his inner circle from time to time in order to keep her informed of what he was up to. He agreed with the exchange, no doubt because he wanted a connection to the first lady’s inner circle. I received the communication last night during the raid and shared it with our good captain. The best estimate of the number of Accomplisheds following the Badger, from what I have learned, is in the low sixties. Frankly, I am surprised that many Serpents would gather in one place.”

“Not with Soarers of Aakadon and Agents of the ISIG on the prowl,” Kim managed to communicate and then broke into a yawn, bringing to an end whatever else she might have wanted to say.

The captain nodded agreement. “By Ferren’s numbers we are the second largest group, which is why Rex is interested in us, and yet our staying ahead of the Atlantans has been an ongoing challenge. That is the reason I will not be joining him. Any Accomplisheds among us who desire to join the Badger’s team is free to do so, but they should know their risk of being captured will surely increase. Now, each of you pick out a spot and form your hut. I will grant you six marks but no more, so create your dwellings quickly.”

Ferren selected the perfect spot under the tree to his left and was in the process of casting the spell to form his hut, when the sudden and ear-achingly loud whip-crack sound of displaced air interrupted the Melody a few notes into the incantation. In an instant his right hand went in and back out of the folds of his cloak. Baton at the ready, he had it aimed at the source of the interruption even before his eyes locked on the arrival point. Ferren stood a mere thirty strides away from the single-wielder of the teleportation spell.

Seven golden lightning bolts on the hood, the center bolt being the largest, instantly identified the cursed Maestro who had killed the great Tarin Conn, but the face peering out of the blue, silver-trimmed, cloak would forever be etched into Ferren’s mind. He would know Daniel Benhannon even if the fiendish spell-caster had arrived wearing buckskins and a straw hat.

The fellow Ducaunan’s eyes were such a dark brown it was difficult to distinguish pupils from irises, and his stare, similar to that of Tarin Conn, was so intense that it gave the impression he could see right into the soul of any person he chose to gaze upon. Benhannon’s right hand held firm to the diamond-bladed knife that added six or possibly seven bolts of amplification to whatever spell was focused through it, but the baton in the form of a black mamba with a pair of rubies for eyes, sheathed to the golden belt just above the hips, is what sent a stab of absolute terror through Ferren’s spine. The crescendo created by the Supreme Maestro potentially added thirty lightning bolts of life-force energy to any Melody focused through it.

Ferren’s heart pounded an anxious rhythm and in moments sweat drenched his silks. His mouth went dry even though he had not yet summoned Potential to be power any defensive or offensive Melodies.

We are going to die!

The thought screamed in his head and yet he had enough presence of mind to begin an offensive spell of his own. Three notes into the Melody, Freeze, a wave of topaz-blue light rippled out from the enemy Accomplished at about waist high, passing right through everything within a one hundred-pace radius, and did so in the time between the third note of the Melody, Freeze, and the fourth. At the same time a peculiar sensation developed in Ferren’s mind, clouding his thoughts, building to a sharp sting, and after that he could not remember the rest of the spell. He frantically searched for any incantation to fight back with, and much to his horror, could not recall a single one. He knew the names but not the notes.

I have been Silenced!

The life-force Potential for that kind of spell had to be focused at the head of the victim, yet the energy wave struck in the abdomen, and therefore should not have worked. Ferren’s insistence that his knowledge of spell theory had been violated did not change the fact that his entire repertoire was gone.

Who knows the limits of a Melody-composer?

The heinous spell cast by the cursed neophyte Aakasear would prevent the relearning of Melodies. The Potential would be dormant, unless one of the weapons the Supreme Maestro created during the war for his non-Aakacarn servants to use could be found. Those deadly devices contained spells locked within them and only needed a life-force power source.

The idea of Ferren getting his hands on such things did nothing to help in the current crisis, but another one of the ancient Aakasear’s innovations came to mind that could help. The volatile device had a shield on it. Ferren’s inability to cast a spell did not mean he could not mentally remove a Da Capo on a Melody already in place.

Without a second thought, he reached into the folds of his cloak, and while Benhannon’s eyes seemed to be focused on Ana, Ferren threw the arrowhead at the enemy Accomplished. The tiny missile sailed across the distance and hit precisely where it had been aimed. The trinitrotoluene within the pointed-head exploded in red-orange flames, blasting Benhannon off his feet. He sailed sideways into the base of a tree and Ferren smiled at the thought of again managing to strike down the man everyone considered to be nigh to invincible.

“Nice move Ferret!” Ursula shouted from fifteen strides away.

The rejoicing lasted for the length of time it took for the dastardly Maestro to calmly rise to his feet without so much as having to wipe dust off his clothes. He stood immaculate, nothing singed, torn, or so much as a single strand of his dark hair out of place.

What happened to the vulnerable points in his shield?

Some of the concussive force should have entered his skull through the nostrils and ears, if not the mouth. Flames should have at least burned away his silks and scorched his throat, esophagus, and lungs. Ferren had learned the vulnerable places in the Atlantan personal shields many months ago and knew the fiery explosion should have done more than throw the man off his feet.

“Run!” Ana gave the command as if she did not realize everyone except her was already doing so.

Ferren dived behind the nearest tree. Peeking out from behind the trunk, he watched as Benhannon closed his eyes and then seventeen topaz-blue beams shot out from the tip of the diamond-bladed energy amplifier, traveling in different directions. Each ray struck its intended victim no matter how they zigged or zagged, which meant each stream of light had to have been guided by an invisible Melody, and that fact created another violation in Ferren’s knowledge of Spell-theory.

Why can’t I see the scanning spell?

More questions instantly followed the first.

Why seventeen and not eighteen?

Could he not sense my presence?

Ana fell over sideways, joints locked, and unable to move even before falling rigidly to the ground. Kim stood paralyzed as if rooted to the spot and could not so much as open her mouth to yawn. Dawill stood with one foot on the ground and the other lifted up as if ready to take another step. Ursula had fallen face first into a patch of grass, and everyone else who had exited the cruiser in hopes of getting some sleep were down and merely capable of breathing; the only movement granted them by the wielder of the spell.

The cruiser sat more than a hundred paces away, unaffected by the Silencing spell. Most everyone aboard must have been asleep when the attack began, Ferren figured, yet he knew Hildebrant would be awake and repairing the starboard crescendos …

The cruiser began to glow, meaning the shield was up and fortunately the vulnerable points were on the opposite side. His hope for surviving the encounter soared. The brightness drew the attention of Benhannon only moments before the ten port crescendos unleashed a barrage. The Accomplisheds were awake, all of them! Lightning bolts, solidified blades of air, balls of fire, and tightly focused sonic beams all slammed with a near deafening roar into the Maestro, knocking him back against the tree. Ferren could feel the heatwaves, even the ground trembling beneath him, and smiled at seeing justice for his having been Silenced meted out.

Chunks of the lower part of the Redwood went flying, spraying to the left and right, ripped away by blades of air, sonic beams, and each bright and crackling bolt that struck. The burning pieces flew every which way and started smaller fires wherever they landed. Some of the fiery coals were instantly freeze-dried by the spell Ferren had intended to focus before being Silenced.

Flames, fed by balls of fire, scurried up the broad trunk, transforming the tree into a torch that was beginning to collapse and topple backwards under the brutal assault. Thick smoke filled the air and soon enough brought on a coughing fit Ferren had difficulty restraining. Amid the maelstrom of spell-casting power shined a topaz light so bright he had to look away. The man-shaped image remained on his retinas for many blinks of the eyes before fading to the point where he could see clearly. A second blue light lit up the area from where he knew the Geist was moored to the ground and so drew his attention fully on the cruiser.

A huge globe of energy had enveloped the aircraft, hurting his eyes, and yet he could not turn away. In the time it took him to count to thirteen, the heinous spell did its work. The barrage from the ten port crescendos ceased, creating dead silence, and a few moments after that the globed vanished.

The Geist did not seem to have sustained so much as a scratch, but Ferren knew the type of spell used, and also knew by the sudden silence that everyone aboard the once mighty warship had died.

He wanted with all of his heart to slay the dark Maestro and yet had no power to focus at his adversary, who had walked up beside Ferren while his attention had been on the cruiser. Clearly the Aakasear knew the exact location of his prey and taking the seventeen others first probably meant he had something special planned for number eighteen. Ferren opened his mouth to curse the man, but only managed to choke on the smoke and cough.

“You have troubled me and mine for the last time,” Benhannon stated in a rich baritone.

The knife was in its sheath on the opposite hip from the black mamba, but the putting away of the crescendo did not mean the Seven-bolt would experience any difficulty extinguishing the life of a One-bolt who had caused the deaths of more than a few of the Spell-caster’s followers, and had led Tarin Conn to his front yard, causing even more deaths and destruction. Ferren stared into those dark eyes and knew judgement day had come, that he would die for the crime of being faithful to the one group of people who had given his life purpose, and the ability to master his potential, the very ability his judge had taken away minutes ago.

Benhannon did not glow with potential like every Aakacarn Ferren had ever known would do after summoning life-force energy, so it came as a bit of a surprise when the topaz beam shot from the tip of the Accomplished’s finger, but Ferren only had an instant to give the matter thought. A globe, similar to what had enveloped the Geist, yet on a much smaller scale and intensity, surrounded him, and then it felt as if every bone from his little toes to the top of his skull was fracturing at once. The bones of his arms, legs, and back were breaking into pieces. Dimly, while sagging to the ground, he became aware of air being displaced at multiple points, but the arrival of more Atlantans meant little to him, being a trivial fact compared with the present torment that had become his existence.

The nerves in his dying body continued to transmit pain while his crumbling jaw unhinged. He could not scream even though the pain was excruciating. His flaccid skin forced his eyes shut, due to his skull being incapable of holding its form. He had become a rapidly dying boneless sack of skin, muscle, and organs, whose heart was still pumping. His pulse began to slow and he found the effort of drawing a breath so difficult, he was not sure he had the strength in his diaphragm to push the air back out. Acidic fluids from his stomach seeped up his throat and began leaking out of his mouth and nostrils. He had not the energy to cough the burning mixture of liquids out of his lungs and certainly could not wipe the burning digestive juice from his face.

Just as darkness seemed on the verge of taking him away from the agony, a peculiar sensation, far different from any he had previously experienced, trickled and then flooded into him. Another life-force had entered his body, banishing the pain. A seemingly short time later, pleasure flowed through every fiber of his being. He had no real concept of time as the damage done by the acidic fluids began healing, while at the same time his skeleton gradually took shape.

My heartrate and breathing are perfectly matching that of the other life-force entity; he thought and then fell asleep.

“Your brain and will are one. Your body is yours to command. I am Daniel Benhannon. You will never again do anything against me or assist anyone in betraying or bringing harm to me, my family, my holdings, or any of my associates in the Atlantan Guild.”

The voice invaded Ferren’s dream, speaking so compellingly he could not ignore the imperatives even if his life depended on it, which it surely did. The more he thought about it, the more he felt the rightness of obeying the man who evidently decided to give his enemy a new lease on life.

Ferren felt a burst of energy and his eyes popped open. Standing over him was Benhannon. “Normally I allow the person restored to awaken naturally, but I am curious about something,” he paused and his left eyebrow momentarily arched up. “Don’t just lay there staring, stand up.”

Ferren did as he was told, but imagined his curiosity to be the greater. “Is that why I am alive?”

It took only moments for him to assess the situation. Smoke permeated the air but it was dissipating; someone had put out all of the fires. Ana and the others were about forty paces to the left and no longer paralyzed, but were being guarded by a pair of blue-cloaked Accomplished. One of them was clearly of Demfilian birth, having silver hair, pale blue eyes, and bulging muscles. The middle-aged man had four golden lightning bolts on the hood of his cloak. The topaz silver-capped crescendo in his right hand would add four more bolts of amplification to whatever spell was causing him to glow hyacinth beneath the shade provided by the trees.

Beside him and also keeping watch on the captives stood another middle-aged man, a Three-bolt Accomplished, whose height and coloring were typical of a fellow Ducaunan. The deep blue hue glowing around him indicated he also had a spell ready to be focused through the baton aimed at the captives. The crescendo was identical to the one in the other fellow’s hand.

A young woman stood in the hatchway of the Geist wearing topaz-blue silks like the others. Long tresses of sand-colored hair flowed down over the hood of her cloak and she held a sapphire baton in her right hand, aimed inside the compartment, while touching the opening with the left. The One-bolt Accomplished could not be over nineteen years of age. The vivid pink aura surrounding her indicated she was in the middle of casting a spell.

A blue-eyed Two-bolt Accomplished stood a few paces away from the Maestro and glowed, cobalt blue, but his baton remained attached to his silver belt, which meant whatever Melody he was casting came unassisted by external amplification, perhaps the wind spell that was clearing the air. The thin man also had sand-colored hair and a peaches-blended in cream complexion, meaning both he and the girl were probably of Battencayan birth. Beneath his hood was a communication array in the form of a headband containing twenty-three tiny gems facing inward.

Ferren knew Trenca, immediately recognizing the reputably crafty chief-aid, who was speaking to the Maestro. “I too am curious about why you changed your mind about leaving him a pile of boneless flesh,” the notorious aid added his voice to the conversation, giving the captive time to finish with his preliminary assessment.

Benhannon’s brow wrinkled as if some concern nagged at him “He is alive because I considered the Silencing, pain, and imposed restrictions he endured to be punishment enough for now and I never intended to kill him. I awakened him prematurely to learn why he did not kill me in our first encounter. If he had, Tarin Conn would be alive and would have been victorious in the War of the Champions before it had even begun.”

Trenca nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. “That being the case, it explains why you did not use Die Now. Death would have been instantaneous and completely painless.”

The Maestro glanced upward, rolling his eyes at the remark, and then those soul-searching orbs locked onto Ferren.

At first he thought to withhold the reason, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of knowing, but felt compelled to give an answer. “In the Serpent Guild a person learns early on, well before graduating from Talented to Accomplished, that failing to obey orders will get you killed. I had orders at the time to detain but not kill you, otherwise,” he paused, unsure of the wisdom of finishing the sentence, and then decided to speak the words. “Otherwise, I would have killed you. Had you used the shield then that you did today, I would have failed to have rendered you unconscious. Clearly nothing I did hurt you this time.”

“The spell I used upon arriving here is newer and has some limitations but gives complete safety for the amount of time needed to complete the chore. I did not expect you to have an arrowhead containing trinitrotoluene, but expected you would not go down without a fight and just might find a way to hurt me. The spell I am using now is the one you are more familiar with, which is why we can talk to one another,” Benhannon explained, even though the man did not owe an explanation to his captive.

Why was he being so generous?

“Following orders,” Trenca repeated. “How many times this past month did you hear that from the Serpents you tried at court?”

“Maestro,” the female Accomplished called from her position at the entrance of the Geist. “There are eighteen silk-covered mounds of flesh aboard this sky-cruiser. The gems and metals in all of the amulets have been reduced to their smallest components, finer than the sand on the beach over there,” she reported. Her pale-green eyes focused briefly on the waves and then she took a breath and continued. “We will not be collecting any communication devices from in here and will have to be satisfied with what I took from the captives. I also found eight sacks at the rear of the gondola containing seeds. Ten ebony rods are beside an equal number of silver piles. The metal has been reduced to powder. I believe one of the deceased Serpents was working on replacements for the starboard crescendos. Dust piles of gold, silver, and platinum are what I believe were possibly flutes and trumpets belonging to the Accomplisheds. We will not be collecting any class two, level one, crescendos, not that we need them, but I thought you should know what all I found in there.”

Ferren patted his cloak and realized all of the internal pockets had been stripped of their contents.

How long did I sleep before the Maestro awakened me?

Benhannon nodded approvingly. “Thank you Agent Tell for that thorough and timely report.”

Samuel Cresh led the Atlantan Guild department of Internal Security and Information Gathering; Ferren knew that, which meant the young Accomplished had to have been sent in by Cresh.

“You see, Maestro, the state of the bodies, metals, and gemstones are a result of the Symphonic, Shatter Sphere, which does not harm organic matter. Clearly the globe of energy enveloped the cruiser, killed the Aakacarns directly across from where the starboard crescendos would have been and also killed whichever member of the crew was empowering the shield. Everybody else died shortly thereafter,” Trenca explained. His lips had twitched into a smile half way through explanation.

Benhannon focused on his chief-aid the way Ferren would look upon a persistent gnat buzzing around his eyes. “You do know I composed the Symphonics you have been explaining to me and therefore do not need to be told what they do. The spells had exactly the effects I intended.”

Anyone in the Serpent Guild who dared to speak to the Supreme Maestro as if he was a level one Talented would have had the life-force drained from him so fast he would be mummified before hitting the floor. The Atlantan Guild might soon be seeking a new chief-aid. Trenca should have been begging for his life and shaking with terror, Ferren certainly would have been had that annoyed-look been focused on him, but the Two-bolt’s smile had not budged. He must have been stupefied by the rebuke of his Maestro.

“Many of your compositions are in my repertoire, including Shatter Sphere and Die Now, so I do know you wrote the notes. It’s just the fact that you have so many compartments jumbled up in your mind I decided to save you the trouble of accessing the information.”

Ferren gasped at the flippancy of the man.

Benhannon turned to face his chief-aid fully. “You focused Memories upon yourself, so have total recall, and also have compartmentalized your mind.”

“Yes, I used Memories and have mental compartments,” Trenca acknowledged the point and his smile actually broaden into a grin, “but my mind is much better organized.”

Benhannon stared at him for a few moments, a chuckle escaped, and then his face brightened, not with Potential, with amusement. “That is likely true.”

The Maestro’s face abruptly sobered and he turned toward the Three-bolt standing by Ana and the others. “Carlos, use Shatter to destroy the sky-cruiser, I don’t want any more fires, and then Convey these rogues to Shantear. I have to go back to Crescent Island.”

“It will be as you say, Maestro,” the Accomplished replied and then sent a deep blue beam from the tip of his baton.

The energy stream widened the closer it came to the Geist and had the same dimensions by the time it struck. The once great ship of the air developed spider-web-like fractures, growing denser by the instant, spreading throughout the entirety of the vessel, and then the superstructure, gondola and all, disintegrated to the point not even the mooring lines remained. The wind summoned by Trenca blew the dust and highly combustible gases that made the aircraft lighter than air out toward the Channel and as quickly as that, not a trace remained of the Geist or Ferren’s dead associates.

“Actually,” The chief-aid spoke up after completing the task, “Nap time for you, Maestro, is over. The scheduled meeting with Terroll Barnes is in half a mark and you now either have to travel to Aakadon by Conveyance or Manta One. I have already explained the situation to Ariel Carole. The base commander understands completely. Oh, and Sherree wants to see you at the estate before your meeting with the Grand Maestro.”

“Then I will go to her at my estate, Sero and Carlos can join me there when they have finished their chores, and you can come with me to Aakadon, if it does not interfere with your personal schedule,” Benhannon replied.

Trenca let out a sigh. “You know I planned on going with you to the ruby pyramid.”

“That bit of knowledge must have been stashed in one of those jumbled up compartments you spoke of,” the Maestro responded while obviously suppressing a smile. “Surely you don’t expect me to waste time accessing such trivial information.”

“Speaking of wasting time,” Trenca replied without skipping a beat, and then waved his hand in the area where the Geist had been. “The threat has been nullified and here we still stand.”

Since the man still lived, Ferren concluded the Maestro tolerated a certain amount of cheekiness from his subordinates, but probably not from his captives. Ferren had no love for the lumps of flesh that were now dust in the wind, but they were part of the team he had been on, and their deaths saddened him. There was a chance Benhannon would tolerate a question if asked respectfully. “Maestro, why did you spare us and not those on the Geist? By your recent conversation, I gathered there have been trials of other Serpents, which means they too were not killed, at least not immediately. I don’t understand what made the difference.”

Benhannon faced him again. “The Serpents who have been tried or are waiting for trial at Shantear are those who surrendered or allowed themselves to be captured without a fight. Those who attack do not survive to stand trial. You are the only exception I have made to the rule.” The last sentence had been spoken regretfully as if he was troubled by or reconsidering the decision.

Ferren gulped. He had thrown the arrowhead containing Trinitrotoluene, Ana and the others had not lashed out aggressively, the Accomplisheds aboard the Geist had put up a fight and died for it. They could have surrendered or teleported, but had done neither, and he respected the choice they made. His own choices had become quite limited, yet he lived, and living Ferren definitely preferred over the alternative. It seemed impossible that a boneless sack of skin and organs could be restored and yet not only had he been restored, he felt more physically fit than ever before.

“Why am I in better shape now than I was before you restored me?” He dared to ask. Carlos was glowing with Potential for what was surely a teleportation spell and so Ferren quickly added, “If you do not mind my asking?”

The Maestro of the Atlantan Guild seemed to be considering whether or not to respond. The Seven-bolt opened his mouth and then shut it when another voice answered the question for him. “Your condition is a side-effect. He used Restoration, a Symphonic derived from the Melody known in your former guild as Condemnation. Which is why he spoke certain imperatives in your ear while I was standing nearby,” the unsympathetic chief-aid took obvious pleasure in answering. “Be glad he allowed you to keep the face and form you currently enjoy, neither Balen Tamm nor Serin Gell would have.”

An Aakademned!

So that is why I can no longer even think a derogatory thought about the Maestro.

Ferren was instantly plunged into darkness, deprived of all sensory input, and for the seemingly eternal, but actually brief, moments between here and there, was alone with only his thoughts for company. I have been Condemned! No matter what penal abode they place me in, I will always be a prisoner of Daniel Benhannon in my own body.

Chapter Two: Greatest Scout Ever

Sarah Shareen, all six feet of her, the smallest and lightest flyer on the swiftest air-steed, angled into the dive just before five bolts, each three feet long and needle sharp, shot through the space she and Rosebud vacated half a moment before. Her Quetzal was far from the largest of the breed, having only a forty-five foot wingspan, but both air-steed and rider had become a pair unmatched by any team in the fleet, and easily performed the split-second reactions only human and beast could achieve by being of one mind.

Rosebud angled up just above the treetops, Fun, her thought popped into Sarah’s head.

Her flying partner enjoyed aerobatics and obviously considered the maneuver to be a game. To her rider the surface to air assaults meant her hunch to fly over the winding river from the coast was paying off. The waterway had been difficult to spot from the channel and even many miles inland the leafy branches kept it hidden from casual view.

She glanced at her right hand, as had become her habit since the restoration. The amber ring of power provided the solidified rope of air, woven into an intricate harness, which kept her firmly in the saddle and flatten against the back of the Quetzal behind its long, crested head, large eyes and thin beak. Rosebud’s wings were attached to the extra-long fourth finger on her arms. Her hatch-mate, Rigel, with a wingspan of thirty-six feet, the runt of the clutch, flew right beside her.

Sarah’s light brown hair was drawn back into a tight braid that hung down her back like a length of rope. Her helmet was made of Tricera skin, tough and water-proof. The mottled green matched the rest of her uniform, made from the supple part of the same hide, and incidentally matched her eyes. She had a jade trident with a bolt of lightning across the shaft near the half way point right in the middle of her forehead. The color indicated the Potential of the wearer, hers being the lowest of the four standard hues of rank.

The eighth ring, one of the five on her right hand, was commonly used to control the splendid creature. The spell was infused in the lapis lazuli gem; it and the four other rings were recovered along with most of her right hand, which had been lost on a recent scouting mission. Seeing the appendage with the initiators still on it had caused bile to rise in her throat as the memories of the loss came rushing back.

All but one of the new life-force energy initiators created by the foreign Master Musician was in a special pocket within her coat, along with the original to make plants grow. The one currently on her finger provided a personal shield that contoured her body tight as a glove beneath the uniform, helmet, and boots. The only vulnerable points she had been able to determine were at her eyeballs, ears, nose, and mouth when open. She could sense the altitude changes in her ears and could breathe in the cool morning air but otherwise felt nothing, not even Rosebud, at least not her body against that of the Air-steed.

The gift of oneness came when she used the ring Daniel Benhannon created, even though the man had never been near a Quetzal, Phodon, or Dactyl. He should not have been able to infuse power in a ring that would give the wearer the ability to control such creatures, but it had worked, and worked better than Sarah had ever dreamed possible. The ring could be used to create a bond to any animal, not just Quetzals, and only needed to be used once. More, it did not merely give the ability to issue a command that could not be refused or ignored, the spell created a mental link to the creature’s thoughts and feelings!

Oddly, as a side-effect of the healing, she could feel the presence of the young man, and knew he was currently somewhere far to the east. Any moment of the day or night she could point straight to him and yet knew what she felt was impossible. He often seemed to span great distances in mere moments, as he had done earlier that very morning, which could not be right, and so Sarah decided it was an illusion, the causes of which were beyond her understanding, and not worth further consideration.

More importantly, her mind was one with the Quetzal. It was as if she had become Rosebud, actually sharing thoughts, although Sarah’s were human; complex and reflective, while Rosebud’s were animalistic, basic, and in the moment. Quetzals do not ponder much beyond their current needs.

Even though her human senses were inhibited by the personal shield, Sarah could use all of the senses of her mount, including the incredible far-sightedness common to the breed. That last sense had made it possible for her to see the reflection off the river beneath the overgrown trees.

More bolts shot up from the cover of the trees and again Rosebud instantly responded to her rider’s thoughts, tucking in her right wing, rolling to the side, dropping as the projectiles flew right on past, and then the wings snapped back into position, leveling into a flight pattern that sent steed and rider away from the river, and beyond the reach of the aggressors below. That was the fifth flight launched since they entered the area.

Sarah withdrew her concentration from Rosebud, cutting off her consciousness of the steed’s thoughts and senses, and focused her mind on Sweettooth, the smallest of fourteen Dactyls assigned to the Lucia, which had recently cruised from the opposite side of the island.

She had created mental links to all of the couriers and Phodons; which were used to carry small parcels. Respect for her fellow riders kept her from using the ring on the other Quetzals, with the exception of Rigel, who was too small to launch into the air with a rider on his back. He could carry a Drudge or even a Nephi like Sarah for short distances, but could never manage the weight of a Nephilim. Unfortunately he was too big to fill the present need, leaving the Dactyl as the best choice.

The youngest male flyer was on tower seven of the Grand Imperial Ship along with six other Dactyls; the rest were off delivering messages. With a mere thought she sent the urge to takeoff and the little note-carrier launched from the platform. Sarah pictured the route in her mind and then carefully sent the image into the mind of the Dactyl along with a strong desire to fly swiftly.

Sweettooth shot over the water, away from the Lucia and toward the hidden river entrance. It was as if Sarah had become the Dactyl, heart pumping faster and faster, fueled by a sense of delight, wings flapping, spreading into a soar for a time, then beating against the wind to stay well above the waves. She/he darted around the trees hiding the river from direct sight of the Channel and kept as close to the low hanging branches sheltering the curvy waterway as possible. She had no desire to smack into a limb or fly so low it would be easy for enemies to spot a creature obviously not native to their side of the world.

It did not take long for the messenger to reach the destination point placed in his mind. Soon enough his eyes caught sight of three men wearing green and brown clothing that blended well among the leafy limbs surrounding them. Sarah could see the trio clearly next to the bolt launcher that had actually caught the attention of Sweettooth. The weapon seemed small, given the fact that it could only launch a rack of five at a time. A military grade apparatus would usually be able to send off at least ten.

Nearly as quick as the thought, Sweettooth reacted, angling back and then fluttered in among the branches of the tree to the right of the nest. The crew had hacked away branches, creating one clear path for the projectiles to fly into the air. The fixed position suggested other trees had to be hiding watchers who could signal the nest-crew to launch at an approaching target.

To test her hunch, Sarah sent a command to Rosebud to fly back toward the bolt launcher. As she and her steed neared the nest, what sounded like an Imitator bird, an avian known for mocking the sound of other birds, began warbling. The sound drew the keen eyes of the Dactyl in the direction of the source and revealed a man perched high up in a neighboring tree.

The moment the bolts shot from the launcher in response to the signal, Sarah urged the air-steed to dive and head southwest in the direction of the Lucia. She and Rosebud were well away by the time the projectiles cleared the branches. The bolts flew high and pain along with a mental screech from Rigel told Sarah the smaller Quetzal had not executed the maneuver quickly enough. She could feel the bolt in his right thigh.

PAIN!

Rigel’s thought echoed through the link. Panic and fear dominated, overwhelming all other sensation. Sarah pictured the Lucia, the healing deck, the ship’s fysicia making the pain go away, and then sent the image to Rosebud’s sibling. The pain remained but the panic subsided, giving place to an unwavering desire to head straight back to the imperial ship. 

She had been shot at from five different positions since entering the region and that meant at least five nests. Her experiment proved she had found the resistance fighters, at least a group of them. The odds a skilled village carpenter had built five bolt launchers, trained the crews, along with teams of watchers to signal accurately when a target would present itself, were so slim she had to dismiss the possibility. No doubt about it; the people below were professionals.

Those earlier bolts that had been sent in her direction would have scored hits on any other Quetzal and rider pair. Ring commands had to be very specific, thereby causing a slight delay in the execution. The command to dive would have to include which way; forward, left or right, and the angle. Through the spell composed by Daniel Benhannon, Rosebud understood not only the command but the intention of her rider, giving the pair an unparalleled advantage in maneuvering.

“Blight it all, two misses. We should have scored a hit on that dragon and rider,” a male voice came to Sarah through the hearing senses of Sweettooth.

“We hit the smaller one,” another voice responded.

“Nothing more than a pack-mule,” a third voice grumped.

“DeRebald is right,” the first voice replied. “That scout will report our position and those of the other teams that shot earlier at him or her; whichever. Worse, the failure could lead to the Zeuthans finding the fort. Hitting the smaller dragon with the second shot gains us little.”

“Crew-chief, does that mean evacuation?”

“That, Deflannery, is a decision for the Colonel and the Royal Knight of the Realm working with our detachment to make. The river is being monitored and our watchers will be able to signal if the invaders get within spans of the entrance to the channel. There will be time enough to determine what must be done.” their leader replied, and then added after a warble sounded, “The scout and mule have moved beyond our farthest nest and are headed southwest. My only choice is to signal the occurrence back to the higher-ups and leave what to do up to them.”

Sarah knew the Serinian Navy and most of the royal legions had been defeated, the first at sea and the latter in a pitched battle. The Serinians, all of which were of the Anakim, had vastly superior numbers but their conventional weapons could not overcome the life-force energy weapons of the Zeuthan Nephilim. The king apparently ordered the remaining legions that had not taken part in the battle to splinter into resistance groups and conduct raids and other nefarious activities.

The imperial victory over the military did not gain control of the entire island kingdom, it was simply too big and the population too numerous for the relatively small invasion force to fully subdue. The empire only had full control of the recently constructed city of Port New Aresia on the west coast, named by Vice-Count El Marzon, and the city of Polen Tare and its port on the west coast, from which the king had fled his capitol.

The crew-chief sent a warble, pitched higher than the others signals had been, and after a long pause, an identical sound came from a tree in the distance. With a thought Sarah sent Sweettooth toward the other tree. She spent the next half hour following the sound from source to source all the way to the fort, which turned out to be about seven miles from the coast and twenty yards from the north bank of the river.

It was the oddest fortification she had ever seen. Boards attached from tree trunk to tree trunk completely blocked the view to the ground in an area over a hundred feet square. Glass panes were placed at various places on the make-shift roof, no doubt to allow at least some light to filter down through the leafy branches, and into the space between the ceiling and forest floor. Not even the sharp eyes of a Quetzal could have spotted the fort from the air. If the fools had not launched bolts at her she never would have known the nests and watchers were there and locating the fort would have been impossible.

Still, it was her instincts that put her on the right path. She knew none of her fellow scouts, on any of the other Imperial Grands, would have gone so far inland on a hunch. None of them would have located the resistance fighters and the thought filled her with pride.

Her sense of Daniel Benhannon’s whereabouts suddenly placed him much farther west of his last position and a lot closer to her, perhaps on the other side of the Channel. She could have sworn the man had covered perhaps thousands of miles in mere moments, which was of course impossible, and so she dismissed the occurrence as unimportant. The current scouting mission would soon draw to an end, meaning she had to be back in sight of the Lucia within minutes. Given her recent history it would be unwise of her to be late and worry her crewmates. She put thoughts of the man the Atlantans referred to as Maestro out of her mind and instead concentrated on Rosebud, who had continued the flight back to the ship without prompting from her rider.

The Grand Imperial Ship, one thousand feet long and one hundred-fifty feet wide, with seven huge towers like the masts of the old style ships, came into view. The titanium hull was far superior to the wooden hulls of the wind-driven sailing fleets belonging to the ocean-faring Dukedoms, of which Maarcia, her native realm was not one; being a land-locked realm to the north of the Carnen Plateau, the home province of the Emperor.

The warship had been designed and created by the Musicians in the Dukedom of Metrena. Five huge aquatubes, one on the bow, two on the starboard side, and two on the port-side, were created in the dukedom of Posedon and could rapid-launch drop-shaped projectiles of water that exploded on contact. The huge twin paddlewheels amid-ship on each side could move the warship at a cruising speed of forty-five nautical miles per hour and were covered over by a curved sheet of white gold. The vessel was currently headed for the port at Polen Tare but Sarah knew her report would change that.

Quetzals rested on five of the tower platforms, each circular dish one hundred feet from the deck, while Phodons circled in the air along with the Dactyls. The Phodons ranged from three and a half feet long with four foot wingspans to five feet long with seven foot wingspans, while the Dactyls were smaller and averaged a wingspan of about three and a half feet. Their giant cousins, the Quetzals, were huge with wings spanning from Rigel’s thirty-six feet to Bronthel’s sixty feet.

The Lucia had six Quetzals that used five of the towers, eight Phodons that perched on tower six whenever they wanted to rest, and fourteen Dactyls that used tower seven. Neither group tolerated the presence of the other on their tower. The Drudges called the beasts dragons and included the leviathans and land-dwelling behemoths in the generalized term. From what she overheard, the Serinians did the same. Rosebud headed for tower three while her sibling, who normally shared the tower with his sister, continued down onto the healing deck.

“Once I make my report, everyone will have to agree that I am the greatest scout ever,” Sarah was convinced by the time her steed’s claws locked onto the familiar platform. “I might even be awarded another ring.”

Chapter Three: Meeting In Aakadon 

Sherree should be in the health department at Shantear by now, the thought entered Daniel’s mind as he took in his surroundings. The first time he had been in the office of the Grand Maestro the pearly white walls were decorated with plaques, all seven of which represented a guild. The old devices were replaced by three dimensional images. A golden bird of prey soaring inside of a silver oval identified the Eagle Guild, the keepers of order and seekers of truth. A five-pronged plant dripping with restorative ointment represented the Aloe Guild, known primarily for healing. A circle with jagged lines actually radiating outward represented the Sun Guild, the conjurers of fire and lightning.

A rock silently being pounded by a hammer represented the Stone Guild, the architects and builders. A rippling letter Z of diamond represented the Zephyr Guild, the manipulators of wind and air. It was the guild of which Terroll had been the Maestro before being elected to the higher office. Daniel had never seen a diamond ripple before.

A branch with lance-shaped leaves hanging down and stirring gently as if by a slight breeze represented the Willow Guild, known for making vegetation grow, and a single drop of transparent gold indicated the Aqua Guild, the manipulators of water.

The change reflected the man currently sitting behind the oak desk. Terroll Barnes replaced Efferin Tames, but the mural on the ceiling depicting a copper-skinned Grand Maestro as the champion battling against all forms of evil still remained untouched.

“The man in the mural is Jubal, the very first Grand Maestro of Aakadon, and that is just one of the facts I discovered that had been lost in my library,” the clean-shaven master of Potential who had tutored Daniel to the level of Accomplished informed. The former Maestro of the Zephyrs must have noticed the glance at the painted scene. “I have uncovered a few more facts, some of which you have recently expressed an interest in.”

To his right stood Bernie Enden, chief-aid of the Grand Maestro and Two-bolt Accomplished of the Zephyr Guild. While his age was indeterminate, he could be forty or a hundred; his Lobenian heritage was made apparent by his yellow-gold hair and light complexion, and especially since the man bore a passing resemblance to Sir Brandon Oben-Careen, a Lobenian Royal Knight of the Realm, and cousin to Sherree. A neatly trimmed mustache rested above Bernie’s lips, which were held firmly in a line.

Daniel appreciated the neutral expression over the open resentment on the faces of those who had watched he and Simon exit Manta One, which sat on the lawn in front of the massive ruby pyramid in the direct center of the first city ever built in the new world. The name, Aakadon, literally meant Melody-city with don distinguishing it as the original city built in Atlantan.

Simon, his communication array in full view, occupied the chair beside his Maestro in one of three placed in front of the desk. Bernie had seated Daniel, whose golden array was also in full view, in the center directly across from the Grand Maestro. Terroll had the appearance of a man in his fifties, due to the years he had been Silenced and unable to cast Ageless until being in range of Daniel’s first spell a few years back.

Shyann DeCanny, an Aakademned Daniel had restored to humanity sat in the chair on the other side of her Maestro. The Serinian-born Two-bolt Accomplished currently served as an Emissary to Aakadon. She had brown eyes and a natural skin color that only folks who spent a great deal of time on the beach could match. The blue-silver-trimmed silks the three of them wore stood out in contrast to the traditional red and black-trimmed silks every Accomplished in Aakadon was wearing, except those adorning Terroll.

His green and red silk cloak had been hung neatly from a hook off a stand placed within arms-reach. Stitched into the shoulders were four golden lightning bolts, two on the right and two on the left. His black on silver silk shirt and trousers were wrinkle free and appeared to be freshly laundered, but then so did the silks of every Accomplished, no matter the guild affiliation, and even the Talenteds kept their white silks immaculate, as did the students in the Atlantan Guild, except their silks were copper.

The adornments that truly set Terroll apart from the rest, symbolizing his office, were the rings on his fingers. Seven represented the guilds and the eighth and largest ring of all had a ruby shaped like the huge pyramid he currently resided in.

Daniel fixed his gaze on his former teacher, noting the man’s ebony countenance seemed strained by the effort of maintaining a positive expression. His deep vocal tone had an amicable quality to it, yet carried a slight strain as if something was troubling him, perhaps an unpleasant subject that needed to be broached and yet could wait until the pleasantries were finished. The private meeting was meant to be less formal than what would take place in the conference-room with the Maestros of Aakadon in attendance, but the current get-together had the feeling of formality and the atmosphere was far from relaxed. It seemed best to behave as if nothing was wrong. Daniel wondered if he had put off the meeting too long and the current tension had come as a consequence. If so, he would have to make a greater effort to improve relations.

His early education took place in a learning circle in Bashierwood near the summit of Mount Tannakonna and so his knowledge of history was not as complete as that of his host, but was increasing. “I did not know the man in the picture was Jubal, but I know he was a contemporary of Nimrod. Bella Sander told me they were the original spell-casters, one an Aakacarn, and the other an Aakasear.”

“Which came first, the seed or the tree?” Simon, former member of the Willow Guild, blurted and then cleared his throat when all eyes focused on him with none showing any signs of amusement. Shyann did a quick negative shake of her head as if she could not believe he had asked the question, probably because the twenty-seven year-old emissary had not spent much time in his presence.

“Obviously,” Bernie responded primly, “the Aakasear had to compose the Melody before the Aakacarn could wield it, assuming that is the gist of your ill-worded question.”

Daniel appreciated the fact that his chief-aid tried to use humor whenever he sensed his Maestro in a dour mood, like after the capture of the rogue Accomplisheds. Powdering the bones of Duzolta had not been the intention until the man hurled the trinitrotoluene. Every death the Ferret had been responsible for flashed through Daniel’s mind at that point and led to the determination. He did not abide cruelty, in himself or anyone else, and a certain amount of guilt over the amount of pain he had inflicted still lingered. The punishment had been excessive, not the Silencing or the directives imposed on the man, nor the use of Restoration instead of Replace, it was the agony meted out. Simon normally preferred to be quiet and unobtrusive. He only became cheeky when it seemed his Maestro’s mood needed to be lightened.

I guess he feels I need to lighten up.

Daniel refocused on his host, even though his true desire was to be with Sherree. “Does your discovery mention anything about the origin of the Nephilim of Zeutha?”

Terroll’s smile almost became genuine. “There is no mention of Zeutha in the library of the Grand Maestro,” he replied with the promise in his eyes of something equally good.

“Which means the information does not exist anywhere on this side of the ocean,” Bernie added in a confident tone, full of the arrogance common to nearly all Accomplisheds.

Terroll glanced at his chief-aid and then continued, “As I said, no mention of Zeutha, but I did find a manuscript by a Seer named Mel. It is a conversation that took place between the Grand Maestro living at the time and the Maestro of the Stone Guild.”

Simon’s eyes lit up. The man loved to learn anything new and Daniel had to admit to being of similar mind, but wondered why such a conversation would be important enough to bring up at the current meeting or how it could be nearly as interesting as the origins of the Zeuthan Nephilim.

“We would appreciate a copy of it, if providing one is not an imposition,” Shyann responded, smoothly filling in the gap of silence her Maestro had allowed to linger perhaps a bit too long.

“Daniel, you, Emissary DeCanny and I presume your chief-aid, possess total recall,” the Grand Maestro replied. “The meeting took place millennia ago in this very office. I will recite the transcript verbatim.”

-----

“Cara, I and the other Maestros agree you made the right choice in pushing for the ban on Aakacarns reproducing, even those in the minority who did not vote for it at the time last month,” Careena, Maestro of the Stone Guild, reassured her sibling. “The decision will bring an end to many of the bloody conflicts taking place across the continent.”

The Grand Maestro nodded her head affirmatively. “Laara’s Coronas and the Eagle’s Soarers will help keep the violence from spreading beyond the borders agreed upon by the new Board of Inter-kingdom Relations. Beyond their efforts is the fact that no further generations of Nephilim will be reproducing. The edict will gradually eliminate the possibility of future Aakacarns being tempted to back their non-Aakacarn offspring when the kingdoms they rule go to war against each other.”

The Maestro of the Stone Guild then stated in response, “The Non-Aakacarn couplings will continue producing an Aakacarn for every fifty births and the Eagles will seek out those children. Upon discovery the Potentials will be brought to Aakadon, enrolled as Talenteds, and be educated to the level of Accomplished. The graduates will then be allowed to choose a guild affiliation. It truly is a good solution to the problem. I am surprised our older sister was so instrumental in getting your measure approved, especially since her original solution was to exile those Aakacarns who wanted to marry.”

Cara then told her twin. “Since I know the ratios and came up with the plan, I assume you restated it for the official record. As for Laara, the Brightest Light of the Sun Guild wanted all current marriages annulled as well. Can you imagine that? Her plan would have sparked a conflict greater than what our father had to deal with. I convinced her my plan was better than exile or bloody battle.”

The siblings each looked at the mural of their father on the ceiling and then the conversation continued.

“If you want to compare your resolution of the issue with what Jubal dealt with, keep in mind your solution kept all Aakacarns together under the authority of Aakadon. The dispute that took place back when he ruled this city ended only after a visit from the priest led him to assume his alternate form, fly across the Western Ocean, and scout out a realm on the other side of the world for those who disagreed with him to live. Some of our uncles; Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon, to be precise, along with Ra and many of their sons and daughters chose to depart along with the Tinies who served them. Doing so spared both sides the continuing horror of a war that would have led to the extinction of us all. Jubal never won the debate over how Aakacarns should interact with the non-Aakacarns. Our uncles and Ra took the people who agreed with them and went away. You, sister, won the dispute over reproduction with the help of that spell everyone thinks you found in the private library Jubal created over his extensive career,” she stated, as if the story was highly suspect. “Where did you really find that spell?”

The Grand Maestro stared at her sister for more than a few moments before answering, “Father removed all mention of the exodus to the other continent, indeed no one is even to mention the fact that there is another continent. I am considering allowing the terms, Nephilim and Anakim to fall into disuse. I trust Mel to keep the transcript of this conversation hidden until the future times when the information will be needed, as he predicted it would, but he will not speak of the exodus or the far away land, and neither should we. Just so you know; I visited father and mother at their dwelling in Ducaun.”

“I thought you might have and am not surprised the great Jubal has Melodies in his repertoire that cannot be found even in the library he bequeathed you. To your other point, after today I will not mention those other people or the other place again,” Careena replied. “You know everyone thinks he and she are dead. All Aakacarns use the spell, Ageless, nowadays and must recast the Melody annually, and that only grants them three centuries of life at best. Only a few of us in our family know the original Aaka composed by Nimrod because he envied the Second Gens whose lifespans were longer than his. Jubal and Vashti are Second Gens, Laara, you, and I are Thirds, so we age far slower than anyone born on this world. Jubal and Vashti restarted their age-count the year we arrived in this world and so did we twenty years after that. All of us were considered ancients even then. The generations born here have no clue how old we actually are. Jubal stepped down because people were beginning to revere him beyond what is fitting for any man to accept. The Nephilim were regarded as gods and even members of our family accepted worship. It is the reason we were exiled to this world. Our race was cured of the false notion of godhood to the point not even Zeus and Ra dared to claim such status again. Jubal rightly cringed at the thought of non-Aakacarns venerating him to the point of worship. Be patient, Sis, I will not use the term for our race anymore and I am telling you things you already know because I am laying the ground work for what I am about to tell you. For the same reason as our father, I will be retiring within the decade and believe you should consider doing the same. That said you should not have gone to see our parents. The Grand Maestro is a public figure, more so even than a Maestro, and people will always take note of your presence.”

Cara replied to her sibling, “At least you finally recognized father and mother as being your parents in this conversation. I confess he taught me Childless. The spell he provided, as you know, will be taught to every Accomplished. Couples will stay married, but their unions will be childless, and so shall any unauthorized couplings that will inevitably occur. As for visiting our parents, I used one of my alternate forms so no one could possibly have recognized me, and you full well know that Aaka is known only by you, me, father, mother, Laara, and possibly some of our uncles who moved to that realm we no longer speak of. Sister-mine, you could use the spell and visit our parents at least a few times this century, Laara has done so and so should you,” she paused for any comment to the last words and after receiving no response continued with, “Speaking to your notion of my stepping down, I will be retiring in seven years. Our dear sister may stay the Maestro of the Sun Guild a decade or so more, but I have no doubt she will someday retire to Battencay.”

-----

Terroll finished his quotation of the manuscript and leaned back in his chair. “Their conversation contained a number of facts that were hitherto unknown.”

Daniel could only agree. “The Zeuthans must be descendants of Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Ra, and those who followed them.” He had known about Zeus from a previous interview with Scout Shareen, but nothing about the others or their relationship to a Maestro and Grand Maestro of Aakadon.

“We knew Jubal was the first Grand Maestro,” Bernie stated, “but did not know he is the one in the mural.”

“The stuff about reproduction is not surprising, although the manuscript sheds a little light on the feelings and attitudes of the time, which is something mostly scholars and people like me might find interesting,” Simon commented. “The fact it was Cara’s plan that created the Board of Inter-kingdom Relations is new. I find the news about a Seer predicting a time when the manuscript would be found to be noteworthy, because it suggests the Grand Maestro’s recent finding of the recording is no accident. Also, this is the first time I have heard of a spell granting the wielder an alternative form.”

Terroll nodded soberly. “The Melody does not exist in the Grand Maestro’s library and neither does the Aaka that extended their lives for who knows how many centuries. At this point I have no doubt the people mentioned in this manuscript are long dead. There might be some truth to the notion my finding the script had been a foreseen event and even if the discovery is mere happenstance, which I believe to be the case, it still sheds some light on the origin of Zeutha. Talmon spell-dated the transcript to the year two hundred twelve AE so this document does fix the year in which the Board was created and the reason it came into being. Over the centuries the institution has become a register for official grievances with no authority other than to say which kingdom is in the right, but no real power to enforce the judgement. All of that aside, what I found interesting is Cara’s reason for banning Aakacarns from reproducing and Jubal’s way of handling the fact that he was likely the oldest, longest serving, and most powerful Accomplished ever to have served as Grand Maestro, and yet he retired into obscurity out of concern over the public unduly venerating him.”

Daniel leaned forward in his chair. “Two-twelve; After Exile truly is a long time ago. Up until today I understood Della Lain was the most powerful Grand Maestro, commanding eight bolts of Potential and living three hundred years, the longest of any Aakacarn on record, although Bella might someday surpass her in longevity. I confess to not knowing what is meant by Second Gen and Third Gen, but we know how long Tarin Conn lived. He appeared to be no older than a physically fit man in his early forties till the day he died on the slopes of Filia. I also concluded from what you recited that Aakasears don’t like the notion of growing old, going by how my fore-cousins kept composing spells to counter the natural process,” he shared a few points drawn from the text about longevity while wondering what Terroll was hinting at. “Are you suggesting I should retire into obscurity so the public does not mistake me for a god?”

The Grand Maestro shook his head negatively. “Daniel you could not go into obscurity any more than the sun can keep from shining in a cloudless sky. As to godhood, I have heard you described as the Chosen Vessel, the champion of good, a prodigy, talented, accomplished, maestro, mountaineer, backwoodsman, rogue, ignorant, insolent, degenerate, and immoral. No one that I know of has ever described you as being angelic, let alone as being a god. No, trust me in this there is no danger of you being confused for deity, not with you discarding rules we in Aakadon have been following for thousands of years. My desire is that you dim the brightness now that the War of the Champions is over, but you seem to be growing brighter as time goes by. I also think you should reconsider your policy on reproduction. You and Sherree can stop at the birth of Clarian. If you do, I believe the people of Aakadon will be less upset by your choice to father a child and we all can avoid bringing back the very problem Cara so wisely solved millennia ago. I only ask that you give the notion some thought, it might be why I was meant to find the manuscript.”

Daniel had expected yet another attempt to change his policy on parenting and so had not been caught off guard by Terroll’s bringing the subject up again, nor were the descriptions anything new. “If you are referring to the number of Aakacarns enlisting, the increase is from Aakademneds I have restored to humanity and the Seekers doing exactly what Cara’s plan called for the Eagles to do, except the department does not only look among the children. More than half of my Talenteds and a third of the newly raised Accomplisheds are adults who had been overlooked by teams from Aakadon and Accomplisheds of the Serpent Guild.” Terroll was not the only one who could bring Cara’s plan into a response.

Bernie shook his head as if he could not accept what he had just heard. “Seven thousand one hundred seventy-five Accomplisheds and five thousand three hundred seventy-five Talenteds equal twelve thousand five hundred fifty Aakacarns. Before the war that number was ten thousand two hundred twenty-two. In spite of all the losses of life your guild suffered during the hostilities, your guild now has two thousand three hundred twenty-eight more members than when the war began. The math suggests your recruiting efforts are more than a little aggressive.”

Simon leaned forward. “The math suggests your efforts are not aggressive enough. Perhaps if you sent Accomplisheds instead of Talenteds to do the task and stop restricting the search to examining only children, your totals would be just as good,” he responded, evenly, and then added hotly, “If Aakadon had put in as much effort as the Serpents, Ducaun would never have been declared a dry well and ignored until the kingdom’s brightest Potential cast a spell powerful enough to catch your attention. I know, Daniel, you would not have rubbed the failure in their faces like this, but so many of the Serpents we have been apprehending, including most of those you captured earlier today, are Ducaunans. They were snatched at young ages, raised by the Serpent Guild, and had their senses of right and wrong obscured by the teachings of the dark Maestro. I make no excuses for their behavior but cannot help wondering how those talented individuals might have turned out had they been found and brought to Aakadon to receive proper educations.”

This from the man who thinks I should lighten up?

Shyann gave a faint nod of agreement. “I was snatched right from the arms of my mother in the city of Polen Tare by Accomplisheds of the Serpent Guild. While I know Aakadon has done a remarkably good job of finding Potentials in Serinia, and ascribe no fault for your Talenteds failing to find me first, I do know how the Serpents treat child-Aakacarns. I assure you their Instructors are not in the least gentle. I was Condemned by Balen Tamm at the age of twelve for refusing to cast a pain spell on one of my fellow students. Disobedience is severely punished and I spent nearly twenty years as an Aakademned until Maestro Benhannon restored me to humanity. The Talenteds who failed and were killed as punishment were far better off than the ones like me. The students who survive the four levels of schooling have been trained to torcher and kill on command and to do so instantly and without mercy. Worse, they do not even perceive their actions as being cruel or wrong,” she shared her experience, providing insight on the matter in a pleasant tone, devoid of any trace of accusation, and in a manner reflecting her natural skills in diplomacy.

The Maestro of the Atlantan Guild appreciated her effort to reduce the tension Simon’s words had served to increase, but as Daniel peered into the eyes of his onetime teacher, it seemed the stated concerns were not what caused the strain in Terroll’s voice, nor were they the reason his smiles had been forced. “You knew before I arrived for the meeting it was unlikely words recited from an old manuscript would get me to change my mind about marriage and parenting. The Atlantan Guild is still smaller than any guild in Aakadon; even after all the losses you suffered in the war. The idea my people would stop recruiting Aakacarns has no basis on which to grant it any merit, never have I or anyone associated with me so much as hinted that the Seekers would quit looking for Potentials. The Atlantan Guild is growing for the reasons I stated and I’ll not apologize for the success. Simon’s tone could have been more respectful,” he glanced at his chief-aid and then continued, “at least Accomplished Trenca conceded Aakadon would have given a proper education. All of that is water long since run down the mountain and cannot be brought back, it is in the here and now we must concentrate. I have not been popular in this city for a long time, although after the war my popularity climbed for a while. Why has everyone been looking at me and Simon as if we had paraded in here wearing the black silks of the Serpent Guild?”

Terroll took a deep breath. “The answer is simple really. Very few citizens of Aakadon trust you and even Maestros Barroon, Cransur, and Rondara Kapes, the ones who support you the most, believe you and your guild have been less than forthcoming. The remaining Maestros believe you cannot be trusted and some of those believe the Atlantan Guild should be dissolved and the Aakacarns brought to Aakadon. They want the Accomplisheds who left their previous guilds to face charges for doing so, with them serving time as the Maestro of that guild judges to be appropriate. Eventually the guilty will be reinstated to their former guilds. The hardline Maestros want the individuals you recruited who never affiliated with a guild of Aakadon to receive full pardons, be properly educated here; not the speeded up version taught to your Talenteds, and then be eligible to choose from the seven affiliations without prejudice. For the record, I do not agree with their agenda.”

“The Atlantan Guild Department of Education and Research uses curriculum and teaching methods that are second to none,” Shyann defended her qualifications as an Accomplished. “I chose to be an emissary, but do not let yourselves think my training and repertoire to be substandard compared to the Accomplisheds produced in Barnes Hall.”

Daniel could not help being disappointed over the same old attitudes the very same guild leaders had before discovering they truly did need the Chosen Vessel on their side in order to win against Tarin Conn. Daniel wondered what had happened to bring about enough distrust in him and his guild to dredge up those old mindsets. “What has transpired since our last meeting at the victory feast in Ducaun to engender such distrust and why have such Efferin-like attitudes infested so many people here?”

Bernie, eyes glaring, leaned forward. “How did you know your popularity had been climbing here in Aakadon until recently? Might there be spies in the city? How many creatures in Aakadon are possessed by members of your guild? How many are possessed by you?”

Daniel actually had no idea how many creatures in Aakadon were in the swirls of his Accomplisheds, but knew the number to be quite large. “How did you know the exact number of Accomplisheds and Talenteds in my association?” Two could play the question game. Both sides were spying on the other.

Shyann spoke up. “I mentioned the change shortly before this meeting and had earlier reported about the shifting attitudes in depth to Conductor Kleopis, who reported to the First Lady, who reported to the Maestro of the Atlantan Guild; that is how he knows.”

Terroll cleared his throat, drawing attention back to him. “Daniel, you and Accomplished Trenca arrived in Aakadon on the most powerful weapon in your arsenal. You are wearing two of the most powerful crescendos in existence, both made by Tarin Conn, presumably. Your facial expression from the moment Bernie conducted you into this office has been that of a man who truly would rather be elsewhere. What are we to think? My former student has on his belt the very weapon that was seen in the hand of the dark Maestro while he was destroying the home of the Willow Guild. I trust you both saw the new building on your way in.” it looked exactly like the original, “Daniel, your chief-aid has on his belt the weapon that once belonged to Vance Cummin, an energy amplifier given to him by his master. I know you will not attack unless provoked but must admit to being disappointed by the fact you obviously had concerns the provocation would occur and came prepared to respond. Tell me, if you will, is either of those crescendos a replica or are they the originals? If made by you, do they amplify by seven bolts or are they every bit as powerful as the ones created by Tarin Conn?”

  The meeting was not going the way Daniel had hoped but there seemed no reason to resort to spell-casting when words and simple truth could actually resolve the issues. “I consider this meeting to be important, which is why I am here, but yes, I would rather be with Sherree. Our daughter is due any moment,” both Terroll and Bernie cringed at hearing that truth. “We came on Manta One because half a mark before this meeting I was in Fon Kay and had just finished capturing eighteen rogue Accomplisheds and seeing to the destruction of a sky-cruiser. At that point the only way to make the meeting on time was to either teleport here or fly on a ray. You may recall I have teleported into Aakadon more times than I have arrived on a Wager-class patrol boat. The ray seemed to be the best option for this occasion, seeing as you all seem more comfortable when I arrive on a vessel rather than pop in out of thin air. The mamba at my side is the one made by Tarin Conn and the crescendo Simon is using is an exact replica of the one taken from Maestro Cummin. I would not be here right now if I did not trust you and yet will not apologize for being prepared to escape Accomplisheds who have betrayed my trust in the past. You do not see me complaining about my manta currently being surrounded by enough of your airboats to create a rotating wall. Simon and I cannot walk back to the ray right now unless those vessels cease their movements to let us pass. Your airboats are patrolling the rivers, seas, and oceans all around the continent and you have not heard one word of protest from me.”

The Grand Maestro’s mask of tolerance faded completely, leaving his expression dour. “I was not sure it was possible to duplicate another person’s crescendo right down to the amplification factor. Talmon’s report indicated you had done so in the past but I was not sure until now. His briefing also included your propensity for using animals as spies. During one of their sessions Cummin revealed how you used creatures to spy on the Serpent Guild. Maestro Reese drew the logical conclusion about the creatures in this city being possessed by you and your associates. The other fact troubles me more. You made a big show of presenting me with the flute of Della Lain and the trumpet of Tarin Conn. Is either of those instruments authentic or are they duplicates?”

Daniel hesitated to answer, as his mind was whirling with questions of his own. “The flute of Della Lain is irrelevant accept as a precious artifact and as a powerful crescendo used as Talmon wielded it during the Battle of Shantear. I handed it and the trumpet to you and you verified the life-force energies within them to be those of the respective creators.”

Terroll folded his arms across his chest. “I take that to mean the flute is the real one. As I recall your exact wording was, ‘I am formally giving custody of the flute of Della Lain and this trumpet to you.’ You never said the trumpet belonged to Tarin Conn, but knew I would think so after sensing his life-force and the amplification factor. I think you can see why people here are having a hard time trusting you.”

Daniel had misled them all about the trumpet but had good reason. He had been under orders to never reveal the fact that House Ducalin had been given custody of the trumpet by Della Lain. His first thought was that Angelina Ducalin had again revealed the family secret, but the precise numbers of guild associates quoted by Bernie could not have come from the Queen’s niece. “With regard to the trumpet, I said what I said under orders, and like you have in the past, I did what duty demanded. Bernie, I do not know the number of non-human scouts in this city, but to ease your mind, the surveillance is limited to outside observation and no one can change that without my authorization. For the record, no person has sought my permission to send a scout into any structure in Aakadon.”

“That means you do not have to wonder if any of those colorful fish swimming in the new aquarium in your office are spies,” Simon added in a clear attempt to ease Bernie’s mind even more. The man nodded acceptance, so the assurance evidently helped.   

Daniel kept his primary focus on Terroll, who continued to frown as if unsure of what to believe. “If everyone in Aakadon has their feathers ruffled because they feel I have been deceitful with them, tell your citizens and Maestros to wake up and see the dawn’s light hit the pigs rolling in the mire. All of you use implication to cover the truths you want to remain hidden and each guild has their secrets, even from each other. You are seeing the Atlantan Guild the way the rest of the world has been seeing you for centuries and now you know how it feels,” he paused, taking a breath, preparing to sharpen his tone to a finer point and with a cutting edge. “Know right now, I will not be revealing guild-specific spells and will keep the confidences entrusted to me. We have addressed those concerns of yours honestly, whether or not you believe our statements is up to you. Now, what I need to know is how Talmon knew about my ability to duplicate objects before I told you so in this meeting, and who gave your chief-aid the exact number of Accomplisheds and Talenteds in my guild.” The report Daniel made to the monarchy had taken place two days prior to the present meeting.

“Why should the Grand Maestro give the information you seek,” Bernie blurted, “you will not reveal guild secrets, why should he?”

Simon snorted, stifling a laugh. “Because there are only a few individuals Talmon could have obtained the information from and none of them I can think of are people who would talk of such things willingly,” he stated and his face sobered as he added, “I advise you not to force my Maestro to speculate. He was in an ill mood this morning and since he has been perfectly frank with you in this meeting courtesy, if not prudence, dictates that you respond in kind.”

Terroll eyed the Chosen Vessel, perhaps trying to judge how much to divulge, and finally nodded his head. “You are aware Vice-Maestro Tobermin visited the royal palace in Ducanton yesterday, I know because not much of significance happens in the royal residence that you do not know about within moments of it occurring,” he was right about that, Daniel did know and the knowledge was feeding his speculations. “He used Truth Speak on Cleona during a private meeting and then made her forget the incident. So far as she knows it was an informal meeting that went well. At this point all of Aakadon knows the real trumpet of Tarin Conn is being hidden somewhere by house Ducalin. She did not know the whereabouts, having left the choice up to Duke Cantor. The information gleaned from her and the statements you made today confirm the instrument you brought here to be a fake.” The final sentence almost sounded like an indictment rather than a confession of wrong doing.

Daniel closed his eyes, hoping to hide the outrage building up inside at the audacity of Tobermin assaulting the Queen, and could only shake his head at the ignorant idiocy of informing a Ducaunan Royal Knight of the Realm of an assault on the very person he was sworn to protect with his life. Once again the arrogance of Aakacarns soared to towering heights; clearly the Grand Maestro did not yet see the Eagle Guild had committed a crime and still seemed to believe nothing he just confessed had been improper. The man deserved points for honesty, but such would not spare him from learning the people he ruled were not at liberty to do as they wished with whomever they wished without there being consequences. Daniel slowly opened his eyes and the Grand Maestro and his chief-aid both went wide-eyed at whatever they saw. Sweat broke out on their foreheads. Shyann leaned away from her Maestro as if concerned she might be accidently hit by his unleashed wrath.  Not for the first time the Chosen Vessel wondered at the impact his disapproving gaze had on others.

In low and very clear tones Daniel stated, “You have the audacity to complain about my using non-human scouts in this city and yet see nothing wrong with Accomplisheds of Aakadon causally using Truth Speak on people associated with me,” he paused, reminding himself not to make the mistake of overreacting as he had done earlier with Duzolta. After giving the matter deeper consideration, Daniel knew what to do. “There are eighteen Aakacarns in the arena, nowhere near enough for a Grand Symphony. Tobermin is on the twenty-first floor of the Eagle Guild, Talmon is passing the cello-shaped pond where Senior Forester Galloway is swimming laps, and Reese is headed towards the ruby pyramid, as are Maestros Svennar, Capes, Barroon, and Beyers. Cransur is with DuSorin on the second floor of the Willow Guild. You see, I have been focusing a low level scan on this city since before Manta One landed. I know where each person is and can identify all those who have ever been in physical contact with me. Nail those facts down and listen up. Aakadon has once again violated the courtesy extended by Cleona. Using Truth Speak on her constitutes an assault. Tobermin must have also incapacitated Accomplished Scarlet Meado, because she would never allow an Aakacarn not of the Atlantan Guild to be alone with the Queen. I will be casting my memory spell on both individuals, along with anyone else the Vice-Maestro came in contact with, in order to determine what he learned. A repeat of the offenses will not be tolerated and will be treated as an attack on my person. The offender, Fledgling or Maestro, will have his or her Potential shielded off for the rest of their lives and there will be no appeals to the contrary accepted. The Lead Investigator is forever banned from the capital of Ducaun and it might be a good idea if he does not appear in any meetings at which I am in attendance, at least for a while. Shyann, it might be a good idea to refresh your memory.”

The Emissary nodded her head and a pale-green glow flickered momentarily around her and then she said, “No one has tampered with my memories.”

Daniel was pleased to know she had not been assaulted. The day would not have gone well for the guilty person.

“You do not dictate to the Grand Maestro of Aakadon. He speaks and you listen,” Bernie had the nerve to reply. No one could question the man’s courage, yet he did not seem to have understood fully the idea Daniel intended to convey.

“Keep in mind my Maestro could do the exact same thing to you that Tobermin did to Queen Cleona and Scarlet Meado. If he did, we could walk out of here and neither of you would ever know how many secrets you divulged. He revealed his knowledge of peoples’ whereabouts to remind you he can cast spells so fine you cannot see him glow with Potential. The ability has something to do with concentration and the amount of lightning bolts he possesses. How do you think the Chosen Vessel knew your airboats arrived and began circling his manta ray after we entered the building? He is spell-casting as we sit and you should also consider he has Da Capos on other spells that could be focused just as finely at will,” Simon informed them in a tone that implied such was about to happen.

“You would not dare,” Bernie foolishly stated, and then wiped sweat from his freshly re-saturated brow. He clearly understood, believed, and realized Da Capos were in place and rightly so, because they were.

Daniel almost laughed, considering the many times people had confronted him with that statement. “You would be surprised what I would dare to do. Be that as it is,” he hurriedly added when their eyes widened on the verge of panic, “the focusing of such spells is not necessary,” both men sighed with relief at hearing that, “I think we can still work together for the common good within the parameters I set and actually hope we can agree that both societies will spy on each other from time to time and keep secrets, but those truths do not make us adversaries,” Terroll nodded his acceptance of the words, giving Daniel confidence to add more, “I expect you will tell me what I need to know in order to work with you and avoid misunderstandings and I and the Atlantan Guild will do the same, letting you know what you need to know. Keep your Aakacarns from using Truth Speak on my people and I will keep my Aakacarns from sending their scouts into your buildings, private rooms, and toilets. We will share discoveries like the manuscript with each other and facts we learn about the Zeuthans,” the Grand Maestro continued to nod acceptance, so Daniel added, “Just so you know I share my fellow Aakasears’ concern over aging. You never taught me Ageless, no doubt because it is a spell learned after an Accomplished associates with a guild, so I composed my own Music. Sherree and I will be casting that spell shortly after she gives birth, and after that it will be impossible for us to have another child for the duration of the incantation.”

He did not promise other members of the guild would put off having children, nor did he mention that he and Sherree might choose to have another child in the future. Those were matters to be discussed at another meeting and when events dictated the necessity.

Terroll rested his hands on the desktop while using a spell, producing a slivery hue, to evaporate the perspiration from his brow. “I am reassured on several levels by your words and will therefore inform Maestro Reese of the restrictions and repercussions to come if they are violated, along with a few added consequences of my own for good measure. I too believe we can continue to work together for the common good,” Daniel’s tutor knew him better than anyone else in Aakadon and knew he had not been bluffing about the shielding off of Potential and to be sincere in the expressed desire to continue working together for the common good. It came as no surprise when the Ecoppian added, “It is agreed, we will each keep our secrets while sharing important information in the spirit of cooperation, but I truly hope you are not planning on breaking any more traditions,” he spoke with his face smoothing into a genuine expression of pleasure and then he added in a conciliatory tone, “We in Aakadon are not accustomed to dealing with a Non-affiliated Coexistent and consequently have difficulty seeing the Atlantan Guild as being equal to any of the seven in this city. Adjustments in perspective must be made. Be that as it is, both our societies will have to learn to be longsuffering. We will have to be patient with each other’s idiosyncrasies.” It was as close to an apology for the behavior as was ever likely to be offered.

“Deal,” Daniel replied and stood, extending his hand, Terroll did the same, and they gripped in a firm shake. “I am not sure there are any more of your traditions for me to break, but I’ll not go out of my way to tread on anymore.”

Terroll shook his head, but his lips curled into a slight smile. “That remains to be seen. Aakasears are notorious rule breakers so I will simply hope for the best.”

“Daniel,” Sherree’s voice entered his mind. “Clarian is coming.”

The baby!

“Productive meeting,” Daniel declared the get-together, even though it had become a little testy before ending with an agreement both sides could take away as being positive.  He released the hand of the Grand Maestro and stepped back. “Have your chief-aid see mine to schedule our next get-together. I will try to dim the brightness, if only to make your job easier, and will try to keep the tradition-breaking to a minimum.”

Terroll shook his head as if still having difficulty believing his former student could keep such a weak commitment especially with the word, “Try,” in it, although the man’s eyes were reflecting the smile on his face and a genuine sense of approval. “I appreciate the sentiment. Why are you suddenly so jittery and excited?”

“Daniel,” Sherree’s voice entered his head again. “Please do not convey from the Grand Maestro’s office.”

“What makes you think I was going to?” He responded through the mental link she established, asking the question even though he had intended to exit in the very fashion she spoke of.

A sense of amusement came ahead of the reply, “I know you. I am guessing Clarion will be born within the mark, no less than half a mark, and if so, you have time to walk down to Manta One and depart in a dignified fashion, a manner befitting of your rank.”

“You and Clarian are..,” he began his reply.

“We are more important than a show of your rank and dignity. I know what you were going to say and how you feel about pomp and circumstances, considering such things to be trivial in comparison, but I am asking you do this for me,” Sherree interrupted his perfectly reasonable response, rightly guessing the idea he wanted to express, but more concisely and without the mountaineer phrasing.

“Terroll and I have come to an understanding, this chore is just about finished, and Simon and I will soon enough be hiking out to Manta One with everybody gawking at us like we were a couple of hungry foxes strolling among field mice. Is there anything else you want of me?”

How could he do otherwise after the neat way she maneuvered him into doing precisely as she wanted? How could he deny such a simple request to the woman about to give birth to his daughter?

“Silvia and David are in the hall needlessly guarding the door along with Jaim Cutler and Jennel is in the room with me.  Beta Curran is also here and so I am well attended. Daniel, I want you here so please do not make any side trips,” her thoughts hit him along with a current of love.

After his taking the unplanned trip to Fon Kay and the incident with the sky-cruiser, she evidently needed some reassurance nothing more would distract him.

Daniel sent a tidal-wave of love back at her, “I’ll be there.”

The entire conversation happened quickly enough to make the pause in his discussion with the Grand Maestro seem like a few moments taken to ponder a reply to Terroll’s question. Daniel gathered his dignity while realizing the news would probably sour the mood of his former tutor, so decided to keep the conversation light. “I have some chores yet to do and am eager to get to work. Simon packs my itinerary so tight a gnat would have difficulty finding its way through the cracks.”

The Battencayan-born Accomplished stared askance at his Maestro. “The cracks are your fault, all the changes requiring me to reschedule, otherwise your day would be a seamless list of tasks from the moment you awaken until you close your eyes to sleep.”

  “True,” Daniel replied, “which is why I keep making the changes. For instance, your schedule calls for me to be escorted from this office, board Manta One, and then fly back to the Benhannon Naval Facility.”

“That is true,” Simon replied tentatively, as if wondering what his Maestro might be thinking of doing to the carefully re-planned itinerary. “Do you have something different in mind?”

Daniel smiled. “Do you feel the crack forming? Don’t worry the change is nothing you cannot cope with.”

Bernie stared wide-eyed at witnessing the byplay but Terroll seemed not in the least surprised by the interaction of two young men who were about seventy years his junior. “My chief-aid will get in contact with yours in a few days in order to schedule our next meeting. In keeping with the time allotted us by our aids, I will now escort you out to the lawn,” the Grand Maestro stated, grabbed his cloak off the stand, and then came around from behind the desk.

The ruler of Aakadon led the way out a pair of intricately carved double doors and onto a long plush red carpet, which led down the hall to the shaft that would take them to the ground floor. Daniel followed close behind the Ecoppian-born Grand Maestro. Simon walked behind his Maestro, then Shyann, and Bernie took up the rear, although it was he who opened the doors with a spell and then, after entering, lowered the platform upon which they stood to the first floor.

Daniel, still focusing Find All with a miniscule amount of Potential, knew Talmon Reese was standing between him and the ray, along with the six other Maestros, the last two of which had recently arrived, and he also knew about the eight medium-sized airboats still orbiting the manta. Every swift-boat was propelled by a huge daisy wheel mounted at the rear. At the bow and stern of each craft was a crescendo, in addition to four energy amplifiers mounted on both sides, and most of those were ready to deliver broadside assaults at the manta or anyone trying to get to it. The large canoe-shaped vessels had coverings from stem to stern protecting ten Soarers of the Eagle Guild and the pilot from the natural elements. Daniel actually sensed eleven Aakacarns in each vessel, not their guild affiliations; he simply knew who would be at the crescendos.

The presence of the guild leaders served to convince him his wife had been right and leaving abruptly would have not only been undignified, it would have needlessly offended all of the Maestros who had come out to see him off as a show of respect. She had been practically raised in the Lobenian royal court and therefore had good instincts about such matters, while Daniel had grown up on a remote mountaintop. All of that aside, he could also choose to see the presence of the most powerful spell-casters in Aakadon as a show of force, but that remained to be seen, and he decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, at least until he could see their faces.

The Grand Maestro set a leisurely pace through the lobby filled with Accomplisheds representing each guild. Daniel would have preferred to move faster but, for his promise to Sherree, managed to fight down the urge to take the lead, and instead began exchanging the traditional nod of the head due a fellow Accomplished as he passed each one. They all nodded, but their eyes registered disapproval. Even those who thought of him as being a degenerate did not dare show overt disrespect to a Seven-bolt Accomplished, especially if they actually did consider him to be a miscreant, and therefore unsure of what he might do. Terroll eventually led the way out the double doors and onto the walkway.

The huge gemstone towers of Aakadon spiraled upward at angles that would be impossible for non-Aakacarn builders to duplicate. Many of the structures curved and sloped smoothly like giant sculptures and would never stand the stresses without being spell-fortified. All of those elegant buildings were private homes. The four main streets in the circular city led to the center along the lines of the Ruby Pyramid. The Melody City had twenty-four roads spread out in ever larger rings with a span between each. The seven guild headquarters were located between the second and third rings, minor streets connected roads beyond the third ring, and rings four through twenty were where individual Accomplisheds owned the fancy residences. The smaller structures in the outer rings, each building grander than most any other city could boast of having, were reserved for visitors, and most of those were emissaries from the twelve kingdoms.

The Zephyr Guild’s diamond building stood four hundred cubits high with twin towers stretching up another two hundred cubits. To the left stood the Aqua Guild, a building half opal and half jade, depending on the viewer’s vantage point. It soared hundreds of cubits high and its top, like the other guild buildings, was lost in the white clouds drifting above. A lofty tower of sparkling pure sapphire, home of the Eagle Guild, stood beside the newly recreated emerald home of the Willow.

The massive pyramid Daniel had just exited was made of countless rubies with the famous diamond in the shape of an eye at the top. On the other side of the central building stood the Tower of Flame, home of the Sun Guild, and the standing hammer-shaped building of the Stone Guild. Near that structure stood the home of the Aloe Guild, a topaz edifice that had to be at least several thousand paces wide and immensely tall. A pearly white oval with a golden five-pronged plant in its center hung over a grand entranceway.

The grounds within Centercircle were mostly green fields and trees with white marble benches and gazebos spread about. All of the seats were empty. Senior Soarers of the Eagle Guild, Cyclones of the Zephyr, Senior Practitioners of the Aloe, Senior Foresters of the Willow, Master Artisans of the Stone, Oceanics of the Aqua, and Coronas of the Sun were lined up on both sides of the walkway leading to the eight airboats circling Manta One. It was still too difficult to determine if the boats were there to keep the others from getting too close to the ray or to hinder their honored guests from leaving in a hurry. Accomplisheds of every rank and society crowded the lawn so it was possible the more powerful spell-casters and boats were there to help keep the curious at a distance.

Talmon Reese stepped forward and the other Maestros followed as Terroll led his guests forward. The Maestro of the Eagle Guild, deeply tanned, dark of hair and eye, seemed to be primarily focused on Daniel. The king Eagle’s coloring came from being born on the southern coast of Taracopa, whereas those born north of Lake Kestral, the southern most of the three great lakes of that kingdom, were of lighter skin. His merest glance to the left or right seemed to be taking in every detail around him as though storing the information away for future analysis. Talmon always appeared to be full of vigor, physically fit, and ready for action, even being only a few decades short of the two-hundredth anniversary of his birth.

To the right of him and slightly behind came Rondara Kapes. The new Maestro of the Zephyr Guild had four golden lightning bolts on the shoulders of her red on black silk cloak and a golden buckle with a diamond-encrusted letter Z, indicating the office she held. Her black silky hair shimmered in the light as her brown ovoid eyes focused on Daniel.

Following Rondara was Runyen Cransur, a Five-bolt Accomplished and Maestro of the Willow Guild. He was born in the kingdom of Zune, giving him light brown skin and black silky hair. His brown eyes were also ovoid in shape with a slight upward slant and his beard and mustache were neatly trimmed.

Following to the left of Talmon walked Lena Beyers, a Five-bolt Accomplished, Maestro of the Sun Guild, a Demfilian by birth, and a compact woman with long white hair. She had light iridescent-blue eyes and a complexion so pale the light blue tint of her veins could be seen faintly beneath the skin. Daniel had heard she was approaching a hundred and ninety years of life and yet he could see she possessed not a single wrinkle, none of the Maestros did, even though all but Rondara and possibly Svennar were over a hundred by decades.

Janna Barroon of the Aloe Guild, a Four-bolt Accomplished, followed the Maestro of the Sun Guild. The chief healer was born in the kingdom of Fon Kay and her wheat-colored hair and blue eyes were a common trait among the people of her homeland.

Following Cransur was Geran DuSorin, a Five-bolt Accomplished, stout with a swarthy complexion, and a bald pate shining in the sunlight. The Maestro of the Aqua Guild, born in the southern kingdom of Aczencopa, had light brown eyes and did not look a day over forty, even though his actual age was at least three times that number.

Walking beside DuSorin and behind Cransur was Maestro David Svennar, Four-bolt Accomplished of the Stone Guild. The brown-haired, green-eyed, and pasty-complexioned former citizen of Pentrosa could be as young as Rondara or as old as DuSorin; Daniel did not know for sure and decided not to speculate.

Not a single person had a smile on their face, and worse, most of them were eyeing their respected guest as if he might have stolen something on his way out of the pyramid.

Terroll raised his hands. “All is well, citizens of Aakadon, hard truths were spoken and assurances made on both sides. Maestros, let us bid our guests farewell and then head into the conference-room where I will brief you on the subjects discussed in my meeting with Maestro Benhannon,” the Grand Maestro’s voice boomed in a spell-enhanced voice that reverberated throughout the streets and was probably heard within every building.

The stern-faced Maestros gave Daniel a nod of respect, which he returned, giving all but one a smile to show he had no hard feelings towards them, until his eyes locked onto Talmon. “Time is precious and unfortunately I yet again have missed the opportunity to discuss methods with you. Perhaps someday we will have leisure to speak privately. I think it would be beneficial to both of our guilds.”

Maestro Reese produced a well-practiced smile that did not reflect any sense of pleasure in his eyes, a very political and polished response. “The Eagle Guild’s methods are tried and true. Leah Barryn and Jeremiah Lassiter, being former Senior Soarers of my affiliation, should be able to explain them, and yet, be that as it is, I look forward to discussing with you not only our methods, but how some of the practices of your guild can be improved.”

Daniel thought about how such a meeting would go and the things he intended to make clear, the notion brought back the smile that had vanished when his eyes had met those of the king Eagle. “I look forward to the day,” he replied and then gave additional nods to Janna, Rondara, and Runyan. None of them smiled but the tension that had been reflected in their eyes and had creased their brows vanished shortly after Terroll’s announcement.

“The Healers of your Health Department are highly competent and work well with my Practitioners,” the Maestro of the Aloe Guild shared, evidently desiring to find something positive to say.

Daniel nodded. “They have given the same assessment of your Practitioners to me, although I never doubted the ability of the Aloes to provide excellent care to the sick and injured.”

Runyan frowned after glancing at Daniel’s hip. “That crescendo looks a lot like the one used to destroy the previous Emerald Tower and the one on the hip of the former Willow at your side is rumored to be that of Vance Cummin,” he made the observation in a causal tone.

“If they are authentic, will you place them in the safe keeping of Aakadon as you did the flute of Della Lain?” Talmon swooped into the conversation. Very Eagle-like.

“You and I can discuss that topic in greater detail, if you like, at a later date during our talk on methods,” Daniel replied, and then focused on the Maestro of the Willow Guild. “This mamba with the ruby eyes fell from the grip of Tarin Conn at the moment of his death and I carry it as a reminder of what too much power can do in the hands of the wrong Accomplished. The situation has not arisen for me to actually use it as an energy enhancer and I cannot think of a single chore requiring thirty bolts of amplification. Be that as it is, the crescendo stays with me and the one attached to Simon’s belt will go back to the First Lady of the Atlantan Guild. She and First Accomplished Leah Barryn are the custodians of the twenty-seven-bolt amplifiers. I know of no crescendos like these three in the world and feel no more are needed. By the way, my Defenders assigned to the Joint Mission Task Force speak well of the Accomplisheds you assigned to work with them. I see no reason why the cooperative should not continue.”

Runyan did not smile but the frown disappeared. “Our Accomplisheds should continue to train together, especially since the arrival of the spell-casters of Zeutha.” The man had good instincts about the invaders, clearly seeing the continued existence of the joint task force to be of importance, and key in being prepared to act in unity against any threats that developed.

Rondara simply stepped forward and took hold of Daniel’s hand. “Try not to make Terroll’s job harder than it has to be,” she said in a small voice even Simon and Shyann standing close by would have had difficulty overhearing. “The Chosen Vessel serves as an example and is a role model.”

Daniel responded with a single nod of the head while shaking her hand and then his eyes focused beyond her at the ray. He could see the pair of Accomplisheds staring out of the observation window. Sero was at the controls and Sam sat prepared to use the forward crescendos, which extended from a pair of nodules to either side of the window. The wiry tail energy-enhancer currently stood straight up and yet could instantly whip in any direction.

The Maestro of the Willow Guild raised his hand and all of the airboats suddenly came to a stop, hovering in place three cubits above the ground. All of the pilots were Foresters of his affiliation and had instantly responded to his signal. “You came in peace, depart in peace, and consider yourself welcome to return.”

Daniel released Rondara’s hand and after a few more required pleasantries, nods, and shakes of the hand, walked with Simon between the swift-boats, leaving Shyann to go back to her office on the third floor of the pyramid, but not before thanking her for the job she was doing and for providing the timely reports. A ramp of solidified air, hyacinth in color, appeared as the hatch on top formed and then opened up. He could have walked over to and up one of the fins, but had to admit the ramp projecting straight to his feet from the front of the craft to be more impressive. Sero had spent most of his life under the spell, Condemnation, and knew even less about making a good impression in public than his Maestro, but the Demfilian-born Accomplished had proven to be a fast learner.

Manta-One stretched twenty-one paces, front to back, sixty-three paces wide, and seven from top to bottom, but the interior crew compartment was seven wide by six and three quarters high, by fourteen in length with chairs for five.

“What change are you going to make?” Simon inquired as they walked up the ramp.

Daniel reached the top and started down the narrow ladder into the ray. “You will see shortly after I get this manta into the air.”

He was proud of the vessel he created, which resembled its name sake, except for being larger and having a contoured observation window where the mouth of the actual creature would be. The space within the crew compartment seemed cozy, especially where the manta contoured lower in the front and rear.

Sero unstrapped and then stood from the pilot seat, momentarily powering down the vessel. Illumination came from sunlight through the observation window. Beside him was Samuel Cresh. The Two-bolt Accomplished and Conductor of the Department of Internal Security and Information Gathering did not look away from the possible threat from outside, especially while the shield was down. The young leader of the ISIG, who was the same age as his Maestro, had thick eyebrows that nearly touched, and dark hair, typical traits for a Teki, a race of traveling entertainers. They claimed no land and crossed inter-kingdom borders as if they did not exist. In the rear, at the tail crescendo, sat Carlos Tiran. Both of them were eyeing the crowds and ready to focus spells through the energy amplifiers on the instant. Daniel was sure the talking would start once he had them safely underway.

Simon climbed down and went to the first of the two center seats, Sero sat down in the other, and Daniel took his place in the pilot chair. He quickly strapped in. The wristband, connected by a durable string-like fiber to the console, drew a small amount of life-force energy from him. Fortunately, the drain was so small and far below his rate of replenishing that it was virtually no cost at all, yet he was well aware that circumstances could change, and the requirement on him could increase substantially.

Each tiny amulet in the wristband contained a specific Symphonic spell. The ruby provided the shield on the outer skin of the craft, the blue sapphire contained the spell, Freshen Air, and the turquoise had locked within it the spell he titled, Osprey Vision. The Symphonic, upon contact with his skin, began scanning lines of sight around the manta ray and instantly projected the images on the walls, floor, and ceiling of the crew compartment, giving the appearance of windows from the inside while anyone looking from the outside would only see the black rubbery-like skin on top or the white of the bottom.

An eye-shaped viewer, a cubit wide, formed on the dash above the compass and under it appeared the number, zero, glowing green. The console in front of Daniel had also formed when he put on the wrist band. The console in front of Sam had a similar viewer, as did the flip up desktop at the center seats, which were powered by each individual who put on the adjoining wristbands. The displays provided depth perception and could be adjusted to focus in any direction the user desired to gaze, granting the long-distant vision of an osprey or the ability to spot a tiny bug crawling in the grass beneath the ray.

The spell-formed windows gave a panoramic view of the surroundings, including the sight of Terroll and thousands of city residents gathered around the craft. Daniel eyed the emerald which contained the spell, Jet of Air, part of the Crescendo/Amulet-Propulsion-Unit, placed on top of the control grip where the operator’s thumb could rest while his hand grasped and manipulated the bonded batons. A topaz Crescendo-Powered-Amulet on the side of the grip contained the spell, Continuity, and controlled the fibrous tissues within the manta’s skin that flexed the wide fins and steered the vessel while the crescendo attached to the emerald extended down under the deck, back where the jet of air would be focused from beneath the tail to push the craft forward.

Daniel brought his thumb down on the amber gem in the control stick, but instead of flooding a massive amount of energy into the stone, he sent a tiny trickle until Manta One began to rise up into the air. The focal point of each of the three cone-shaped jets of air were broad enough to provide a gentle push off from the ground, but could with enough Potential launch the vehicle straight up thousands of paces in a matter of seconds.

Sero waved his hand and the ramp vanished, then the hatch closed, seamlessly melding into the body of the craft, and the ladder sank down, becoming part of the floor.

A slight tilt on the stick and a trickle of power fed into the emerald sent the ray over the tops of a pair of swift-boats and west along the street matching that compass point. The number on the dash quickly went from zero to twenty as the manta flew between buildings while gaining altitude. “Daria, I need you to have the staging area at Shantear cleared of all personnel,” he sent through the gem in his array.

“It will be as you say,” the Conductor of the Department of Communications instantly replied. “I will notify you when the need is met.”

A little more Potential increased the number on the dash to one-zero-zero. Traveling at one hundred spans per mark quickly pushed the manta up into the clouds by the time it flew beyond the massive gates of the Aakacarn city.

“I feel a good deal better now that we are underway,” Carlos commented. “The hard-eyed stares each of those Eagles fixed on us during our stay gave the impression they not only were prepared to attack us, but expected the need to do so would come at any moment.”

Samuel finally looked away from his viewer and focused on his Maestro. “Our stay in Aakadon went pretty much the way I expected, it was your earlier adventure I am wondering about. I and my agents give timely and detailed reports, yet you evidently felt we were doing an inadequate job of either keeping you informed or hunting down rogues. It has been quite a while since you took up a chore belonging to one of us Conductors simply to demonstrate that you will act if we do not.”

His eyebrows were drawn together into one line, which meant he was feeling some stress over the incident. The Maestro of the guild never had to justify his decisions to those who served under him, but as a friend, Daniel felt the need to explain. “I gave Cecil, one of my ospreys, who was already in the area, a mental image of a cruiser and the notion to inform me if he should spot the one your department was looking for. I intended to inform you, but changed my mind after seeing Tigress, Duggan, and especially Duzolta. Those three have been particularly troublesome in the past and I felt compelled to take immediate action. You and your agents have been doing an excellent job.” He was not yet ready to speak about the peculiar sensation, not until he had a talk with his Seer.

Samuel’s eyebrows parted, indicating his relief at hearing the explanation. “That is good to know. Considering the Serpents involved, I can see why you would want to capture them. Still, no one but you would singlehandedly take on a sky-cruiser full of Accomplisheds while subduing eighteen Masters of Potential,” he stated and then broke into a smile. “You know, I have never had to order an agent not to attempt capturing a full nest of Serpents on their own.”

“That is because it would never occur to a sane person to do so and none of your agents are insane,” Simon volunteered a reason. “Maestro, will you tell me now the change in itinerary you have in mind?”

“Sherree is in labor,” Daniel began to say.

“So we are going to fly to Shantear rather than the Benhannon Naval Facility,” the chief-aid concluded, demonstrating his ability to quickly grasp the situation and often anticipate a need even before being expressed by his Maestro. “That should not alter the schedule much if we travel faster than the speed of harmonics,” he added, demonstrating that not even he could anticipate everything.

“Maestro, the area is clear,” Daria informed him.

“We are definitely going to travel faster than the speed of harmonics,” Daniel replied, reached over and took hold of the crescendo to Sam’s right, mentally performed the notes for Conveyance, and then focused the energy into the amplifier while picturing the staging area. The entire vessel was immediately plunged into darkness and three heartbeats later arrived in the huge chamber within Mount Shantear.

Chapter Four: Clarian

The only person within Manta One who had a look of surprise on his face was Simon. Samuel laughed at his former dorm-mate. “He did tell you Sherree is in labor. Did you really think he would travel to her as slowly as you suggested?” The former Teki always seemed to be in a hurry and no doubt approved of the quickness in getting to the desired location, seeing as it brought him where he needed to be without a side trip to the naval facility.

While he was speaking Daniel concentrated on Wally, the mouse who lived in the air vents of the Health Department. The furry little fellow scurried at high speed to the grill overlooking the wardroom his host had pictured as a desirable place to go. Nineteen of the twenty compartments within were empty of patients and Sherree occupied the twentieth. Beside her stood Beta Curran, whose long brown hair was pulled back ponytail-style and who had two lightning bolts on the shoulders of her blue cloak. Wilma Ryner, chief-aid to the First Lady, stood on the other side of the bed. The One-bolt Accomplished had red hair, white skin with a pinkish tint, and a sunny disposition. Her sweet smile did not mean she could not be firm when necessary or that she was easily gulled. Ten months earlier, at the age of eighteen, her potential was discovered by Seeker Enna Clarkzin, who found her in a Battencayan village. Recruiting the young woman was a testament in itself of the department’s methods. Aakadon’s failure to find her turned out to be the Atlantan Guild’s gain.

At the foot of the bed stood Jennel Obenport, a Three-bolt Accomplished and Conductor of the Health Department. Her hood was laid back, revealing a braid twisted from her long saffron-colored hair and a fair Lobenian complexion. Her hazel eyes were fixed on where the baby would soon be making her way into the world.

“Sherree, Jennel, I am coming,” Daniel sent to each through the array to give fair warning. A whip-crack of air could be quite startling if unexpected, especially in such a confined space.

“I sensed your sudden presence in the mountain,” the Conductor replied immediately.

“Daniel, I sensed you move from half a continent away in the east to within Shantear. I’m glad you decided to use Conveyance. Clarian seems eager to arrive sooner than even I expected,” Sherree responded moments later, along with the impression of someone who was straining to lift a heavy weight.

Daniel pictured himself, minus the straps and wristband, standing in the vacant compartment right next to the one his wife currently occupied, and then said to those aboard Manta One, “I am going to the wardroom,” just before casting Conveyance.

The blackness of in between here and there enveloped him and three heartbeats later he arrived precisely where he intended. So far, the journey always took the same amount of time regardless of the distance. He did not know the reason and decided it might be worth asking the Department of Education and Research to study.

The quadruple whip-crack sounds of displaced air came from outside the door of the wardroom, which meant Simon probably obtained a visual from one of the critters in his swirl and conveyed from Manta One along with Samuel, Sero, and Carlos. The door opened and Silvia Cresh-Garibaldi poked her head inside and then entered upon seeing who had arrived.

The diminutive former acrobat, four and a half cubits in height, and cousin to Samuel, was dressed in bright green trousers, a tight yellow shirt with orange stripes, and had a broad leather belt around her waist; typical color choices of the Teki. A hand-sized crossbow hung from a clip at her left hip, exactly like the ones worn by the Chosen’s Sentinels and soldiers of the Benhannon Guard. A row of miniature bolts went all the way around the belt at about two finger-widths apart. Each bolt was about a hand span in length and no bigger around than her pinky finger. The projectiles could be used, but it was the flaming pebbles of fire that made the weapon truly formidable.

She had at the hips a daggerlance and a black copper-capped club called a nightstick. Black hair framed a pretty face and flowed over her shoulders in waves down to her lower back. She also had thick eyebrows, long lashes, and dimples in her cheeks whenever she chose to smile or hoped to manipulate someone into doing what she wanted. “It is good you are here. The Chief Aid, my cousin, your bodyguard, and your assistant have just arrived. David told them to wait in the hall until after the baby is born. Is that all right with you?”

“Your husband did the right thing,” Daniel replied. “Silvia, after Clarian is born I want to speak with you about pivot points.”

Her eyebrows arched up in surprise. “Funny you should mention them, I had a viewing this morning after you went to Crescent Island that I want to share with you. I also sensed you were at a pivot point where the decision you made is going to have some effect on the outcome of the viewing,” the Teki Seer replied and then bit her lip, which usually meant there was something obscure or troubling in the vision. “The problem is, I became aware of the pivot point as it was happening and so could not warn you ahead of time. The vision itself is clear in imagery and yet vague in what was being symbolized and, well, I will tell you after the blessed event. I get the sense this viewing will be years in the unfolding and involve a great deal of effort and a lot of your personal time.”

“Great, just what I need; more chores, and something new to worry about,” Daniel thought but chose not to share out loud, instead he said, “Thank you for the information. Tell Simon about the new chores you are assigning me.”

Silvia placed both hands on her hips. “I am only the messenger, the chores are from a higher authority, and you well know it to be so,” she spoke as a big sister would to a little brother, even though she was a year younger than him. Spell-casters were unpopular among the Teki and the sisterly reaction seemed to be her way of coping with being in his presence and often in the position of having to tell him things he needed to hear, good or bad.

Daniel smiled at her reaction and then turned when Beta Curran came out of the compartment. “Maestro, this is the time to come in if you want to witness the birth.”

He bolted into the confined space, coming to a stop where he could hold Sherree’s hand and be close enough to Jennel to see his daughter arrive. The First Lady had a powerful grip as her body worked to push the baby through the birth canal. Birthing fluids were being cleansed away by Beta’s spell while the Lead Healer’s hands opened out as if ready to receive a prized catch.

Daniel watched as Clarian’s head slowly immerged. A feeling of awe came over him as her shoulders came through and Jennel’s hands gently came up under the baby’s back, stopping short of touching her skin. Instead, Fuchsia life-force energy radiated from the Conductor and Daniel’s daughter was wrapped in a blanket of air as Sherree, drenched in perspiration, gave a tremendous push, and the tiny infant came all the way out, floating in the space between mother and deliverer.

The afterbirth was collected in a solidified container of air formed by Beta Curran. The former Aakademned was in her early fifties, sturdy-framed, and in perfect physical condition, yet appeared to be about ten years younger than her actual age. None of the people Daniel knew of, who had suffered the curse of the spell, Condemnation, ever complained about the physical-fitness side-effect of his restoration spell.

A beam of light shot from Jennel’s finger, slicing through the umbilical cord, another spell flashed and Clarian became perfectly clean from the top of her head to the bottom of her wiggling toes. Lungs filled with her very first breath of life and then she giggled; no doubt because of the warm tingle of the spell used to cleanse her.

A cry is the sound most people hear at the birth of a baby, but most newborns were pinched or slapped in order get them to inhale and exhale.

“She is beautiful,” the words escaped from Daniel’s mouth as his eyes drank in the sight of every detail of her tiny body.

He supposed there was not a father alive who did not say something similar at the first sight of his daughter, but, personal bias aside, she really was beautiful. “She has your face,” he told Sherree.

Jennel placed one hand on Clarian’s forehead while supporting her body with the other arm. The Conductor’s next spell, Daniel knew, would assess the baby’s health. Upon completion the Conductor’s eyes widened, she quickly glanced from mother, to father, and then focused on the afterbirth. “Beta, this baby is an Aakacarn, save that for study. In all my one hundred-three years devoted to the healing arts as an Accomplished of the Aloe Guild, in recent times as a healer in the Atlantan Guild, and all the births I have been involved with, this is the first time I have been at the birth of an Aakacarn. We must study the placenta so we can see how it differs from that of non-Aakacarn births.”

She focused another spell and Clarian glowed a shade of blue slightly lighter than Daniel’s topaz hue; displaying the color of her life-force energy for everyone to see.

Wilma Ryner, stared at Sherree and then at Daniel. “First a ten pound baby is born two months early and now neither of you seem in the least surprised at hearing your daughter is an Aakacarn. I don’t have to tell you the odds against her being so.”

“Fifty to one,” Jennel volunteered needlessly. The response likely came from her need to be sure everyone understood precisely what was being talked about.

Sherree’s emerald green eyes locked onto Daniel. She must have cast a spell to cleanse herself while he was looking at their daughter, because the Lobenian beauty, who when standing was five and a half cubits from head to toe, was immaculate, blue silk gown and all. Her yellow-gold hair had been plastered to her head and was now silky clean and shimmering in the spelled-light emanating from the ceiling. The purplish hue was that of Jerremy DeSuan from the Department of Design and Development. He had played a major role in transforming the huge complex within Mount Shantear.

Daniel studied her face, enjoying the way her bangs crossed her forehead, cut slightly above her eyebrows, and also adored the shape of her nose, mouth, cheeks, and chin.

“Look at the baby’s eyes. They are entrancing,” Beta commented while handing a blanket to Jennel, who then wrapped the baby in it.

Sherree nodded her head while focusing on Clarian. “She has my face in miniature, but definitely has her father’s eyes and hair.”

“I agree, but why are you not surprised about her being an Aakacarn,” Jennel obviously felt Wilma’s comment needed to be addressed. “I do not believe her rapid growth in the womb had anything to do with her being a Potential.”

Sherree released Daniel’s hand and extended her arms toward Clarian and the Conductor wisely handed the baby to her mother without further delay. Satisfied, The First Lady arched an eyebrow at Daniel and said, “Wilma, Jennel, Daniel and I have been focusing scans into her from very early on in my pregnancy, and so are you really surprised we would know before now? Besides, it has to do with her father turning her into an Aakacarn. Clarian’s vat was filled with the clear liquid all non-Aakacarns are born with until he intervened in the natural process, which took me awhile to realize. After reflecting on the amount of people in this world who consider her an abomination and Efferin’s attempt to terminate her life, I decided Daniel’s alteration was for the best, and the change would give her the ability to fend off a greater variety of threats to her well-being.”

“Turned her into an Aakacarn,” Jennel repeated, and then added, “But that is impossible.”

Sherree shook her head at the notion. “In the Atlantan Guild, as you should know by now, impossible, usually means Daniel has not yet done it.”

She had just added to the myth he could do the impossible.

Multiple pairs of eyes were on him and arched questioningly, so he answered, “You know how within the helix-shaped recipe strand, through What Is This, we can see the tiny pictures of what the subject of our focus is supposed to look like,” they all nodded, “Well, instead of going all the way down into the tiny worlds with even tinier moons spinning around them that everything is made of..,”

“The subsystems, we have taken to calling them,” Jennel informed him, “each a world with at least one moon orbiting it.”

He nodded and continued, “The subsystems, yes, instead of that, I focused on one of the pictures and looked into the actual ingredients of her recipe..,”

“You mean the components of the recipe strand, those that control her physical traits, like hair and eye color,” Jennel again interrupted, giving the term she and other researchers used.

“Yes, the components,” Daniel agreed.

“But, that was a terrible risk,” Beta shared her opinion. “We in the Health Department and the Accomplisheds in the Department of Education and Research are only just beginning to understand what those components do and are not ready yet to actually alter them.”

Daniel shook his head. “I did not alter Clarian, other than to infuse my life-force energy into the components of her recipe strands, doing so strengthened and enhanced what was already within her, but did not change any physical traits.”

“Other than to speed up her development and transform her into an Aakacarn,” Jennel evidently felt the need to again state the obvious. She then brought her hand to her chin as if pondering something. After a short time, she nodded and lowered the hand. “You have graciously helped me from time to time in restoring limbs and other lost body parts of the patients in this facility and used Replace on them. I have to use the spell with a pair of batons, each one strapped to the underside of my arms with the tips extended slightly beyond the palms..,”

“So you can fulfill the requirement to touch the patient’s forehead with one hand while touching the abdomen with the other,” Daniel interrupted, simply because he could not resist the temptation to state a basic fact to her the way she often did to him.

Jennel nodded. “Yes, the hand requirements. The level four amplifiers allow me to heal more patients than I otherwise could have. The fact is the people you heal are like me, Beta, and everyone else you have restored from Condemnation, we all inherited extra stamina from your infusion of life-force energy. Like when you do it, the people I use Replace on become physically fit and have a boost of energy afterward, but from me the extra energy dissipates in a few marks. The people you use Replace on gained the extra stamina in the same way as those who you used Restoration on. My point is I use a crescendo to amplify the potential and therefore know the effect has nothing to do with you being a Seven-bolt and me being a Three, because the amount of energy we used was the same, and therefore I believe the ability might be inherent in the life-force of an Aakasear. I will seek a volunteer among the pregnant women in your jurisdiction who would be willing to allow me to attempt a transformation on her unborn babe. Have you tried transforming a child or an adult into an Aakacarn?”

Daniel began shaking his head before the words were out of his mouth, “No, but I am willing to try if anyone volunteers.”

Beta scratched her head, which she often did while pondering something, and after the brief session of finger twitching at the temple, brought the hand down and said, “Aakasears are generally born a thousand or more years apart, so studying them has been the work of historians. I have read up on all of your kind and there is no mention of any of you having the ability to transform anyone into an Aakacarn.”

Daniel’s attention had drifted back to Clarian. He heard the remark but was slow in responding, so Sherree’s eyes went from gazing at their daughter to focusing on the Healer. “Melody Composers need to be inspired; they cannot simply string notes together and make the tune create the desired effect. The previous Aakasears would have first needed to feel to the depths of their souls the need to compose an equivalent to the Symphonic, What Is This, use it to discover the recipe strands, and then feel the need and have the ability to focus a minuscule amount of Potential fine enough to keep from burning away the components within the strand. Tarin Conn probably could have focused his Potential finely enough to be successful but evidently never composed an equivalent to What Is This, nor thought about the possibility of changing an Anakim into a Nephilim; to use the ancient terms. As far as I know the dark Maestro never composed a Symphonic spell, only Melodies.”

“All of that is true,” Jennel verified a statement that did not need verification and then went on to make her point. “Symphonics are richer, allowing the wielder to accomplish much more with the same amount of Potential used in powering a single-line Melody. Fortunately we have an Aakasear on hand to study and will not have to rely on historians. The opportunity our Maestro provides is going to increase our understanding of Melody Composers far beyond what has been learned to date,” she finished with her hazel eyes wide open and reflecting the joy she obviously took at the prospect of expanding knowledge.

“Lord of the Land Benhannon does not have time to sit around as an object of study for your department,” Wilma informed the Conductor.

Daniel had been about to say something similar, but wondered what his wife’s chief-aid had in mind for him to do. “She is correct, my chores already fill most of my waking marks and some of the ones in which I am supposed to be asleep. Silvia is about to inform me of a new set of chores to be added to the list and so any studies I am a part of will have to fit somewhere in the itinerary Simon sets up.”

Accomplished Ryner used one of his noble titles rather than his title as head of the guild and had shaken her head just as a small smile formed when he mentioned his chief-aid. “Accomplished Trenca and I will soon be meeting to make adjustments to your schedule. He will not like the changes, but will have to make them,” she paused and then the pleasure vanished from her face after seeing the look in her Maestro’s eyes. “I am sorry to increase the burden on your shoulders, but the task is yours and no one else can do it.”

“She is right about that,” Sherree re-entered the conversation, giving a certain amount of weight to her aid’s bold assertion.

In spite of everything Daniel accomplished in the morning, his afternoon suddenly held little promise of him getting farther ahead of the demands on his time.

“Maestro, Admiral Dukane has requested to see you at the Benhannon Naval Facility as soon as possible,” Daria’s voice entered his head. “Ruth, the Seer for the Reshashinni Teki, has arrived with a message she insists must be delivered face to face.”

“Inform the Admiral I will make the journey after Simon and Wilma finish piling extra chores on my plate,” Daniel sent along with the sense of acquiescence to the facts, seeing no benefit to resisting or complaining about the increase in responsibilities.

“It will be as you say,” the Conductor replied, ending the communication.

“While you have been presiding over the trials of rogue Accomplisheds, Lady Sherree has, in addition to her responsibilities as First Lady of the guild, been adjudicating the civil cases filed in your jurisdiction. The huge population growth in Lanta has brought with it an increase in the number of disputes and petty crimes. As the Lady of the Land and the only person other than you with the authority to judge such matters, she took on the responsibility that normally falls on the Lord of the Land. Obviously, the arrival of Clarian means more of your wife’s time will of necessity be devoted to the baby,” Wilma explained while completely unaware of the mental conversation Daniel had with Daria. 

He nodded acknowledgement, adding, “What must be must be. It looks like I will have to set new priorities and arrange my chores accordingly. Go and check with Simon to find out where those trials can be placed in my schedule. Jennel, I will try turning an adult non-Aakacarn into an Aakacarn as opportunity and time permits. Sherree, Silvia has an important viewing that will have a major impact on future events and Ruth is at the naval facility, waiting to reveal to me something she has Seen. I will also be meeting with Queen Cleona about Tobermin’s recent visit. These concerns I will deal with after spending time here with you and Clarian.”

Sherree handed him his daughter. Staring into her deep dark eyes, he had to agree they were quite enchanting. “My little charmer, welcome to the world,” he spoke softly and then kissed her on the forehead.

She stared right back at him with eyes full of wonder.

“You can tell me about the viewings and whatever mischief Tobermin managed while at the palace yesterday and also about how the meeting with the Grand Maestro went, after you get back from dealing with those concerns,” the First Lady told him.

She did not need to be distracted with such matters, at least for a while, Daniel agreed. Wilma stepped out of the compartment, no doubt to speak with Simon. Both Jennel and Beta nodded to the Maestro and First Lady and then exited with the container made of solidified air. They would probably begin their examination of the placenta and then the search for volunteers would take place.

Silvia and David brought Samuel, Carlos, Sero, and Simon in to see the baby. The chief-aid, after returning the pearl-handled platinum dagger to Sherree, stayed long enough to note mother and daughter were in good health, exclaim about Clarian being turned into an Aakacarn, and then went to compare notes with Wilma.

David Cresh-Gerabolli, about equal in stature to Samuel and with thick eyebrows to match, stood wearing bright blue pants and a yellow shirt with red horizontal stripes. He had been the juggler for the Forager Troupe of the Reshashinni Teki until choosing to be an escort to the Chosen Vessel. He had a knife on both hips, many blades hidden within his clothing, and one in each boot. He also had a crossbow clipped to his belt like Silvia’s that could send flaming streams of pebbles, but rarely used it, and a nightstick. His eyes were dark brown and his hair was longer than most men would allow theirs to grow, below his shoulders. One of the many blades he used was a daggerlance capable of launching lances of light, a weapon he always seemed ready to draw and use at a moment’s notice, even standing among friends. Both instruments of death were created by Daniel and were standard issue for the Benhannon Guard and the Chosen’s Sentinels, his defensive and offensive non-Aakacarn forces.

Samuel smiled at Sherree. “As a Talented you always excelled at whatever task you were presented with and now you even managed to be the first spell-caster in thousands of years to give birth to an Aakacarn. Is there no end to the records you are going to set?”

“I had some help with my most recent accomplishment,” she replied while taking Clarian from Daniel and snuggling the baby in her arms.

Neither Carlos nor Sero showed any signs of being surprised their Maestro could transform an unborn child into an Aakacarn, most likely because he had restored both of them from Condemnation, which was supposed to be impossible until he did so starting with Sherree. Consequently, both men accepted what he had done as being nothing extraordinary and certainly well within the realm of possibility.

I am creating ever higher expectations in my subordinates, Daniel mused.

The baby had brought so much joy to the room Silvia did not speak of her viewing and Daniel refrained from inquiring, believing there would be plenty of time to hear about the chores that lay ahead. Sam stepped closer to Daniel saying, “Maestro, I just received a communication. Jeremiah found Badger’s nest. It matches Tim’s description of the chambers you made within Mount Bessel, in the middle of the Troas range in southern Ecoppia. It is sort of ironic the Serpents would hide in a hidden stronghold you created, not that it has done them any good; we found them anyway. Conductor Lassiter brought enough Defenders to ensure success, but I am going with some teams of my own. Sixty-three Aakacarns have the potential to break into smaller traveling circles and I want to be sure that particular Serpent does not get away. I believe my teams and those of Jeremiah are enough to accomplish the task,” the head of the ISIG department announced and then exited the room, after making it clear he did not need help with the chore.

Everyone looked at Daniel as if expecting him to get directly involved. To be honest, their expectations would not have been misplaced before the birth of Clarian, and so he did not blame them for wrongly assuming he would insist on taking part in the capture of the highest ranking Serpent still on the loose. “I have complete faith in Samuel and Jeremiah and see no reason to personally take on the chore. My intention is to spend time with my wife and daughter until Simon and Wilma finish planning my future,” he told them.

They spent half a mark trading Clarian back and forth, each wanting to hold her. The kisses between husband and wife, parents to daughter, were too numerous to bother counting.

“I know you do not want to leave,” his wife told him when Simon and Wilma returned, “but you really need to find out what the Seers feel is of such consequence. Ruth in particular would not have travelled so far unless the information she has is something you need to know and fairly soon.”

“Lady Sherree speaks truly,” Silvia stated, reinforcing the words. “And you do need to know what I have Seen.”

The elderly Teki Seer would not have gone to such lengths over a trivial matter and he knew the young Seer to be accurate in her viewings and a person not to be ignored. “Sherree, you‘re right on both counts, I don‘t want to leave and the information must be important,” he admitted, reluctantly, knowing it was time to get back to work.

She reached out her arms and he gave her the baby. “A Benhannon never drops a set chore, so go see to those priority items while I tend to Clarian. She and I are both doing fine and there is no need for you to worry about us.”

Chapter Five: The Swirling Of Events

Daniel headed out into the hall. Simon, Sero, Carlos, David, and Silvia followed him and he then Conveyed everyone to the make-shift hanger. He eyed the columns and sunken floor, along with the benches in the center of the staging area, all of which gave a little elegance to the cavernous room he had originally created before the battle to evict the Serpents from the mountain. His creation had been serviceable and featureless. Jerremy DeSuan added the extra refinements later and definitely improved upon the original. Many of the benches had been hurriedly removed to make room for the manta, which seemed small in an area meant to hold thousands of people. At the front of the room was a stage with a podium that was seldom used. Daniel rarely made speeches.

They walked up the right fin and entered the ray one at a time, although he had been tempted to Convey all of them directly into the vehicle. Simon strapped in at the forward crescendos, Carlos took up his usual position at the rear, Sero and Silvia took the center seats, and David stood with one hand on the ladder the Demfilian-born Accomplished allowed to remain for that purpose.

Daniel strapped in and put on the wristband, powering up the ray with the energy drawn from his life-force. There was no opening to the sky from the staging area, which meant the manta had to leave in the manner it arrived. He had no problem making that happen.

With his right hand on the control grip and ready to engage the bottom CAPU, he reached over with his left, took hold of the closest crescendo, which was in front of Simon, and mentally performed Conveyance, while picturing the desired location in precise detail.

Three heartbeats later they were in mid-air above the Benhannon Naval Facility. Gulls and other aquatic birds flew off in all directions in response to the explosive sound of air suddenly being displaced. He instantly sent Potential into the amber gem, keeping the manta from plummeting into the spell-formed lake, which was a hidden body of water fed by a curvy canal running about a span from the mighty Hirus River. A topaz blue bungalow was all that could be seen of the much larger installation. Six levels below ground stretched back nearly a quarter of a span under the forest without revealing a trace of the base’s existence.

Tim and Gina Dukane and their crew of eighteen lived in the bungalow. Daniel’s parents resided there a month gone, but chose to move back to the cottage Ronn Benhannon built and invited Miriam Dupiron into twenty-three years earlier. The proposal of marriage had been accepted and led to the birth of the Chosen Vessel, although no one except the Seers, most of those being of the Teki, knew when the Creator’s champion would be born, and not even they had known his name or in which kingdom the blessed event would take place.

Five hundred-eighteen sailors lived below the surface building along with sixty-one Benhannon Guardsmen, and seventy-seven Accomplisheds, twenty-seven of which served aboard nine of the ten manta rays assigned to the location. Eight of the Twenty-seven slips below were occupied by Wager-class patrol boats. The missing boats were no doubt on patrol.

Each vessel stretched forty-five strides in length; one hundred thirty-five paces from stem to stern, and was topaz blue with silver trimming on the railings, hatches, air-ports, arrow-slits, and windows. Daniel had created the original vessel, the Wager, based on a design of his parents. The boats were fast and each one a lethal force on the water.

With a Crescendo/Amulet Propulsion Unit at the front and rear, none of the vessels required sails, paddlewheels, or daisy-shaped propellers. The large forward window of the bridge located in the forecastle of each vessel was angled back forty-five degrees to deflect the wind. Each CAPU contained a spell that sent out a mighty jet of air that could push the boat faster than a falcon could fly.

Beneath the surface of the lake, below the dock, and deeper down, was the oval entrance to the subterranean lagoon. Daniel plunged the ray into the water and was immediately surrounded by schools of fish and a pair of playful otters. He swam the manta into the facility where eight of the ten slots were occupied by other rays, then maneuvered the sleek vessel into slip number one, and set the manta to floating on the surface of the subterranean pool. Glowing globes in the vaulted ceiling provided the light.

“Let’s go see what Ruth has to say. Silvia, you can share your viewing in her presence, perhaps she may understand the meaning of the images you find to be unclear,” he stated while unstrapping.

They barely set foot on the dock when Marsha Obennen, a Two-bolt Accomplished, whose yellow-gold hair was hidden within the hood of her cloak, stepped from the door to the right and out onto the platform. She wore the topaz blue silks, the standard silver belt and buckle with the falcon in flight clutching a lightning bolt emblem of House Benhannon in the center of the oval, and a medallion depicting a sword with a lightning bolt blade, which identified her as a member of the Defense Department. Seventy-six of the Aakacarns at the facility were under her command. “Greetings Maestro,” she welcomed him first and exchanged nods of the head with Simon, Carlos, and Sero. She noted the presence of Silvia and David, “And good day to the official Teki escorts of the Chosen Vessel.”

Behind her came Duncan Hawk of the navy, and Chuc Carlin of the Benhannon Guard. Chuc possessed a low brow, causing some people to mistakenly consider him to be dimwitted, when in reality his mind was actually sharper than the diamond blade on Daniel’s crescendo. The Lieutenant of the Benhannon Guard commanded the sixty men assigned to the facility and was a former member of the Ducaunan Royal Guardsmen.

Duncan, a typical Ducaunan with dark hair and eyes, whose lean frame made him appear to have missed more than a few meals, saluted Daniel and then stepped aside for Chuc to do the same. Hawk was a year younger than the Royal Knight he served and possessed a maturity that earned him the two golden anchors on each of his blue shoulder stripes, and command of the RiverDancer, the patrol-boat that once belonged to Daniel’s parents. Duncan sported a short beard, perhaps to make him seem older. He did appear less boyish. The former Royal Guardsmen, like Chuc, had proved his worth while fighting alongside Daniel on a special mission and afterwards volunteered to continue serving the Chosen Vessel. Neither man chose to leave after the victory; Daniel was pleased they stayed.

By the time all the saluting of non-Aakacarns and bows of the head owed to fellow Accomplisheds were completed, Admiral Dukane exited the door followed by three members of the Teki.

Tim was nowhere in sight. Walking toward Daniel was the other Admiral Dukane. Gina’s long dark hair flowed freely down her back and her light blue wool coat, matching her pants, had seagulls on the cuffs and three golden anchors on each of the shoulder stripes, with the entire outfit tailored to her full figure. She was physically fit and identical to Val, her twin. Daniel could not look at the Admiral and fail to think of her sister, the woman he would have married if he had never cast the first spell. He thought of Sherree and Clarian and had no regrets over the way things worked out and knew Val had none in regard to her married life with Todd Polkat and their baby.

Beside Daniel’s childhood friend came Ruth, Seer for the Reshashinni Teki and Samuel’s maternal grandmother. Her other daughter was Silvia’s mother. Each sister had married a Cresh brother. The gray-haired woman, wrinkled and wizened, with a floral-patterned violet scarf on her head and a dress that seemed to take in every possible shade between red and violet, stepped briskly alongside the much younger woman.

Behind the pair came Enrick Krellig, Chief of the Forager Troupe. The stout man, perhaps thirty years younger than Ruth, had silver hair and a wide mustache. His eyebrows were thick and nearly touching. A scar marred his right cheek and his bright green shirt with orange and yellow diagonal stripes was tucked into a pair of an even brighter shade of green pants.

Beside him walked Stephanus, the troupe’s strongman. The violet shirt with bright pink stars barely contained his bulging muscles and his shoulders were as broad as Daniel’s, although the man was only five cubits tall. It was difficult to ignore his florescent yellow pants.

Rather than salute, Gina threw her arms around Daniel in a warm embrace. “Congratulations poppa of a new baby girl,” she said in his ear, then released him and stepped back. He could not keep the grin from his face and was not in the least surprised the news had traveled fast.

The two had grown up on Mount Tannakonna together and were seldom formal with each other, her husband even less so than she. Daniel wondered why his boyhood buddy had not joined in the welcome. “Where is Tim?”

Gina pointed in a westerly direction. “He flew on a manta to Starling Cove and then went out on a patrol-boat into the Serinia Channel. The Requiem ought to be cruising within sight of the Lucia, the presence of which you reported to be on the east side of the island kingdom. The intention is to make our presence known to the Zeuthan captain. Of course, Manta-Two is near the bottom, shadowing the vessel, and will only make its presence known if provocation is made.”

Daniel had not figured on Tim going in person, but probably should have. The surviving enemy warships of the defeated Northern Alliance were in their ports and no longer posed a threat to shipping and commerce. The seventy-five warships of the Zeuthan Empire were by far the real danger, twelve of which were Grands; twenty-three were Majestics, and the rest troop-carriers. It was the first time a Grand had entered the Channel and so naturally Tim would want to see the predator, as any mountaineer would when a dangerous animal ventured onto the slopes. “We’ll have to hope the encounter remains peaceful,” Daniel replied and then told the elderly Seer, “I have come and am ready to hear your words.”

Ruth looked him up and down before making a reply. “It would have been foolish to come here and not be so. A fool never would have been triumphant over Tarin Conn, so I realized the moment you arrived that the victorious Vessel would be wise enough to hear my words.”

She had been the one to tell him about his being the Chosen Vessel of the Creator, among a few other life-altering revelations, and so all he could say was, “Speak on. I will listen.”

“The conference room is close by and a better place for a discussion,” Gina prudently suggested.

Daniel nodded in agreement and she led the way through the door, down the hall, and into the room having a long mahogany table with twenty-two chairs. Chuck, Duncan, and Marsha went back to their duties. Gina headed for the chair to the right of the head, but Daniel gestured for her to sit in the first seat while he took the one to the right. Silvia sat beside him and David beside her.

It was Gina’s facility, why should she not sit at the head?

Simon, Sero, and Carlos sat farther down from the couple. Ruth took the seat directly across from the Chosen Vessel, no doubt so she could look him in the eyes. The chief and the strongman lowered themselves into the chairs next to her.

The gray-haired Teki switched her gaze to the younger Seer. “I will hear the words of my daughter’s-daughter first.”

Silvia nodded once to her and then focused on Daniel. “I see you planting seeds early, lots of them, far and wide and into the wind. The more you sow the greater the harvest. If you do not increase the planting soon, not only will your garner be small, too little too late, it will be stolen by another. Everything you have gained thus far will belong to the thief and all of us will lose out. The seeds are critical to your success,” she paused and bit her lip. “I do not know what seeds, figurative or literal, you have sown and still need to plant or precisely where or even how much is enough, but the field I envisioned was as big as the world. I see you bearing a trident in the sight of the high and low and working to stem fires that will otherwise grow and consume us all. In time you must become the symbol of house Benhannon and let it soar over the houses of potentates. I see liberty and regeneration as well as tyranny and stagnation. The choices you make along the way will determine which it will be for us all; beginning with the actions you took this morning, the pivotal decision point we spoke of earlier. Whatever you did, it must have been the right thing; otherwise your ability to bear the trident, whatever that means, might have become impossible. As it is, I know you have months at best to figure out that part of the Viewing or,” she paused, a tear trickled from her right eye, “or you will die and the rest of us will lose, for no one else can take up the task. That is what I have seen and so it will be.”

“Impossible only means our Maestro has not yet done it,” Sero was the first to comment, completely ignoring the part about months to live.

“Easy choice, Daniel,” Gina spoke up, “Choose liberty and regeneration over tyranny and stagnation.” She too spoke as if dismissing the literal deadline.

“I doubt it will be as simple as that,” Simon cautioned her. “I suspect the many seemingly small choices he will have to make, good or bad, will determine our fates.”

“Nothing new about that,” Carlos commented in a voice full of confidence in his Maestro.

Daniel did not feel particularly confident about his ability to make the right series of who-knew-how-many choices required to reach the desired outcome. However, considering everything that happened since he had cast his first spell, having the fates of other people hanging on his decisions was not a new development, and neither was his life being in jeopardy. The time requirement could be a problem, months could be anywhere between two and eleven, and evidently Silvia could not provide a specific number. He knew the pressure would steadily increase if he did not fulfill that part of the Viewing.

“I am an expert at spells regarding the sowing of seeds and the manipulation of matured plants,” Simon made the point in a matter-of-fact way, rather than being boastful. “Whatever planting needs to happen, Daniel, you will not be alone in the toil. I will help you.”

He had proven helpful many times in the past, often taking the initiative and creating opportunities to succeed beyond expectations. “Simon, you will always be a wonder,” Daniel told him, and not for the first time.  

Stephanus glanced at the chief, who nodded, “We of the Teki will help the Chosen Vessel do the heavy lifting,” the strongman stated in a firm voice.

“As your assistant, I will carry the trident for you like the armor-bearers of old,” Sero quickly added his assurance. “It would take little time for you to make a crescendo in the shape of such a weapon to keep within your grasp and then you need not fear for your life.”

His response was the first to directly address the months to live issue and came with a helpful suggestion. The man was correct about the ease in which the energy amplifier could be made but Daniel had a feeling there was more to the symbol in the viewing than adding another weapon to his personal arsenal. Still, making a trident would not hurt.

“And I will carry your standard while you soar, probably on a manta, over the houses of potentates, whoever and wherever they are,” Carlos, the faithful bodyguard volunteered.

Gina reached over and took hold of Daniel’s hand. “With the help of mantas, some from this very facility, you were able to break up a hurricane. We should be able to help you put out any fires that occur.”

Daniel appreciated the support. “Thanks for offering to help with my chores, know I will accept that help, but I have a feeling the trail ahead is going to be rugged, full of pitfalls, and foggy to the point we may not see much beyond the ends of our noses.”

Ruth watched Gina’s retreating hand and then said, “The Chosen Vessel is correct in realizing the difficulty of the undertaking. I do not believe our fates will rely on him planting trees using a trident for a hoe wherever he goes, while flashing his falcon in flight standard, and stomping out random brush fires. There may be actual plants involved, but the seeds could also be things like affiliates of your guild in diverse places, knowledge, loyalty, and hope: the greatest of all. Some of the fires might be literal and some of them figurative; only time can show us which is which.”

“But who is the thief?” Daniel wanted to know, seeing the answer as a starting point to begin the task or to at least begin understanding the Vision. “Do the forces of evil have a new champion already?”

Everyone looked to Ruth, “Time will tell,” she answered in typical Seer fashion, but then added after receiving vague and annoyed looks from her listeners, “There may be many thieves involved, all of them working for the master thief. However, that person cannot be the champion of evil. Thanks to you and the Swirling of Events, the world will not see the likes of Tarin Conn again for many centuries, perhaps a thousand years.”

Her response, likely true and also reassuring on one level, did nothing to identify the culprits, and Daniel was not surprised that it was so. Silvia’s viewing, ominous as it was even when simply taken as worded, did not so much as give him a starting point to begin setting his priorities, without which he could not arrange the necessary chores accordingly. He reached up to run his hand through his hair, but stopped when he hit the array and so brought the hand back down to rest on the table. “We have heard your granddaughter’s words. Tell me what you have come all this way to share.”

Ruth nodded agreement. “I previously instructed you on how the swirling of events draws what the Chosen Vessel needs in order to have a chance of being victorious over the other vessel. Both you and Tarin Conn had equal and opposite vortexes, each drawing people, objects, and seemingly unrelated events in order to place what you needed within your grasps, provided either of you were keen enough to take advantage of the resources,” she began and when Daniel nodded in agreement that she had thus instructed him, she continued, “You won, he lost, and now you need to know that the swirl is reversed with the burden mostly on you.”

“What exactly does that mean?” Daniel wanted to know without having to ponder a Seer’s obscure riddle.

“It means you will be drawn to the things you need; to a place you need to obtain an item, person or object, or to where you will be in a position to influence a vital event that must take place. Failure in any of these endeavors would make it difficult for you to be successful,” Ruth replied as if that explained everything.

“That answer only stirs up mud in the puddle,” Gina responded in words that accurately expressed Daniel’s feelings. “Besides,” his long-time friend added, “The purpose for which he was born has been fulfilled. It seems unfair to lay a new set of unspecific chores at his feet with the fate of us all hanging on how well he does them.”

Not to mention the promise of death in a matter of months if I fail to bear the trident in the presence of the high and low.

Fairness had little to do with real life, existing only in fanciful dreams, Daniel understood the fact well enough not to plea for things to be fair, but felt compelled to say, “So, I am expected to go who-knows-where to obtain who-knows-what and influence events in a direction I have no knowledge of,” he paused shaking his head, and then continued, “Most of the people who have made suggestions to me about what the Chosen Vessel should be focused on have at least given me specific goals to achieve. The expectations you set have me grasping at soap bubbles while demanding I should let none of them burst at the touch. I can do nothing with the information you have given me so far, except make a trident-shaped crescendo. At least that might keep me alive.”

Ruth laughed at him and it took a certain amount of self-control to keep from shouting at her. “Daniel, you are the Creator’s champion and your being understandably frustrated by the difficulty of the tasks changes nothing. Events will continue to swirl around you. The champion has three choices when faced with someone in trouble or a situation that needs correcting; walk away, stand and watch, or lend a hand. We all have those kinds of choices from time to time but the Chosen Vessel will face them more frequently than the average person, and often with greater consequences. I have told you this in the past,” she paused and only continued after a nod of acknowledgement from him. “Like you did leading up to your confrontation with Tarin Conn, follow your natural inclinations and gut instincts when confronted with such choices and you will probably make the right decisions.”

“That still does not help us figure out what our Maestro needs to do or how we can help him,” Simon rightly pointed out.

The lines in Ruth’s face deepened. “Very well, I will ask some questions of the Chosen Vessel and perhaps by his answers we will begin to see where the viewing of my daughter’s-daughter fits into the realigning of the Swirling of Events. Where were you just before making the pivotal decision that if made incorrectly would have hampered your ability to bear the trident?”

“I was napping at crescent Island,” Daniel replied without hesitation.

“Why did you go to that place, particularly knowing your wife was close to giving birth?”

“I felt the need to inspect the base,” he answered while wondering in hindsight why that had been so.

“What did you do beyond inspecting the facility?”

Daniel thought about the birth of Clarian and the anticipation leading up to her birth; the emotions that had prompted him to lend a hand to a person in distress. “Commander Ariel Carole is one of the few Accomplisheds who has chosen to marry, although she married a Sentinel, not an Aakacarn. Both of them had been victims of Condemnation, but before that she had a husband who died. She had been with child three times and never carried the babes beyond her first trimester. She is pregnant again and afraid her baby will die as the others did. She asked me to do what I could to strengthen and ensure the baby’s health. I did for her unborn child what I did for my own. Luke will not only continue to be extraordinarily healthy, he is forming into an Aakacarn.”

Silvia’s eyes widened. The Teki were famous for their dislike of spell-casters, so Daniel figured her reaction was prompted by outrage or disgust, but then the former acrobat smiled. “A seed, you planted a seed! You were drawn to that location so you could turn the baby into an Aakacarn. I am sure that is one of the kinds of seeds you need to keep planting.”

Ruth nodded with a satisfied smile as if she knew all along her questions would produce relevant answers. “Good, now tell me what happened next and the events that led up to the decision point.”

Daniel gave the matter some thought. “Prior to my scheduled nap I decided to send Cecil to help the ISIG locate a sky-cruiser that had been raiding the Fon Kayan coast at night,” he went on to describe the sequence of events, including Horatio’s warning about the leviathans, and ended with, “The peculiar sensation ended the moment I restored Duzolta.”

Simon leaned towards him. “You do realize when I schedule sleep-time you are actually supposed to sleep. You put in nearly as much work when you nap as when you are awake. Bonny Tell had a hawk in the area, witnessed your confrontation, and showed up even before you notified me. She certainly would have located the cruiser on her own and the ISIG would have acted without you ever having been involved.”

His reasoning was probably why Samuel had been stressed by Daniel’s intervention.

Ruth shook her head. “The sensation the Chosen Vessel described comes from the inward Swirling of Events directing him to where his attention needs to be. The longer he resists acting, the more powerful the sensation will become until it is impossible to ignore. The intensity may also be high depending on the need for immediate action. I cannot yet say why Ferren Duzolta is important or why the Chosen Vessel needed to know about the leviathans in the Channel, but it is obvious they are significant enough to merit closer scrutiny.”

Daniel leaned forward and spread his arms wide. “Now you have given me some tangible things to work with; find out where Duzolta fits into what has to do with me bearing a trident, actually make a trident, keep turning unborn children into Aakacarns, and be prepared to counter whatever the Zeuthans are about to do.”

“Doing those things will not be enough. We have not yet figured out the full meaning of my viewing,” Silvia cautioned him. “We do not even know who the thieves are, much less the master thief.”

Daniel nodded, but was not discouraged by her reaction. “Of that I am sure, but we have a starting point, which is more than I had a few minutes ago. Now that I know what the sensations are, I will know by the intensity of the tingling and urgency that something crucial to the fate of us all needs to be taken care of.”

“Daniel, the Requiem is being surrounded by half a score of Zeuthan Majestics,” Tim informed him mentally through the amulet given to him and along with the words came a sense of growing concern, “I think they are trying to keep us away from the Lucia. The Grand had been headed for Polen Tare but came to a stop a few marks ago and has been holding position, as have we. The presence of the other vessels makes me think something is about to happen.”

“Acknowledged,” Daniel replied. “Have Starling Cove base Commander Cyrus Burrows send in some of his Pondhoppers and keep whatever number of  rays he chooses to send hidden underwater and ready to strike from below. I am coming. It might be time for the Zeuthans to witness the power of a Maestro.”

Silvia grabbed his arm and gestured for him to lower his ear. “The pitfalls are decision points. It will be difficult for you to crawl out of making the wrong choice and worse, death waits at the bottom of more than a few of them,” she gave warning.

He nodded acknowledgement and replied, “Then I best make the right choices.”

“The problem is, the choice will not always be yours,” she replied ominously.

Her words were troubling but did not weaken his resolve to get started on his new set of chores.

“Daniel Benhannon,” Ruth called his name. “You have my blessing; may the Swirling of Events continue to flow in your favor.”

“Thanks for that,” he replied in appreciation.

Chapter Six: Stand and Watch, Walk way, or Lend a Hand

Daniel took his seat at the controls of Manta One. Sero sat beside him, Silvia and David occupied the center seats, Carlos took his customary spot in the rear, and Simon evidently had something better to do. The chief-aid conveyed elsewhere after declaring, “I have no time for a side trip to the Serinian Channel.”

His Maestro did not argue or even question him, trusting that whatever the young man intended to do, the accomplishment would eventually prove beneficial in some tangible way. That, however did not mean Daniel was above using the incident to tease the sandy-haired Accomplished in the future about his itinerary being more important.

It was time to be underway. A tingle began in Daniel’s scalp, creating an acute sense of urgency, and a deep desire to perform Conveyance right then and there, rather than so much as take the few minutes necessary to pilot the manta out of the lagoon. The feeling was similar to what he experienced earlier in the day at the sight of Duzolta, although not as intense and yet strong enough to persuade him to act quickly.

Too bad I have no idea why I feel this way or what exactly I need to do when I get there!

Instead of wasting time pondering the possibilities, Daniel considered the creatures closest in his swirl of influence to where he needed to be. It took only a few moments to sort through the compartments in his mind to find the right one; the mental receptacle containing his awareness of Horatio.

Countless fish, sharks, dolphins, and a huge variety of other underwater dwellers swam and in some cases crawled in the region surrounding the ray, all involved in the lifecycle they had been following since before recorded time. Through the right eye of the manta, Daniel could see a pair of leviathans swimming in the distance, which was as close to the pair as Horatio dared venture. The presence of the giant crocs meant the Lucia could not be far and therefore the general area had to be a viable arrival point.

He encouraged Horatio to turn and swim away from the huge reptiles and to do so as quickly as possible, not out of the potential harm the creatures could inflict, rather it was to lessen the impact on the ray in anticipation of what was about to happen.

Daniel reached over, taking hold of the nearest forward crescendo, while picturing the visual provided by Horatio, and then focused the Potential for Conveyance. Three heart-beats later Manta-One appeared near the bottom of the Channel off the coast of Serinia.

The sudden displacement of water rippled out in a burst of waves spherically from the arrival point, causing schools of fish to suddenly change course, and a pod of dolphins to scatter along with all of the sharks. The waves blasted away silt from the bottom of the Channel directly beneath the vehicle, exposing bedrock along with crabs, lobsters, starfish, and oysters.

He withdrew concentration from Horatio and summoned the Potential for Find All. His awareness flowed out in a five-span spherical radius, allowing him to sense everything within the scope of the spell, and that included a vehicle identical to his. The duplicate manta swam in broad circles four and a half spans farther out in the Channel and much closer to the Lucia’s likely position.

“The way you’ve become so quick to leave a place makes me think you might have the blood of a Teki in your veins,” David commented at the abruptness of the departure from the naval facility, no doubt intending the statement to be a compliment rather than a reinforcement of a stereotype. The traveling people, deserved or not, had the reputation of leaving an area abruptly, and especially if too many items turned up missing from the locals.

Daniel opened his mouth to respond to the knife-thrower but snapped it shut when a deep masculine voice entered his head.

“Maestro, welcome to the party,” Sorel Benrider, the seventh son of a seventh son, sent his greeting. “Your aquatic equivalent of a sonic boom just scared away most everything within spans of us, except those two leviathans, and some of the slower moving creatures. I think the big crocs are territorial and not much scares them.”

Sorel, a former farmer, currently served the Department of Communications as a Three-bolt Accomplished. The grand array on his head contained more gemstones than that of his Maestro and kept him in touch with hundreds of people within the guild. Sitting to the right of him would be his crewmate, Joel Glader, the pilot of Manta-Two.

Daniel had never touched a leviathan and so could not sense one using Find All. He adjusted the eye-shaped viewer in front of him to focus Osprey Vision in the direction of the giant crocs, soon verifying the pair was heading towards Manta-One from the rear. “Their native territory is on the other side of the ocean near Zeutha,” he replied, even though the fact did not change the present circumstance.

“I’m thinking, big as they are, the beasties consider anyplace they choose to swim to be their territory,” Joel entered the conversation through a communication amulet rather than an array. “If there is a creature that considers them food, I don’t want to meet it.”

He had a valid point, Daniel could not think of a single predator big enough to harm a leviathan, let alone intimidate one. They would not see a creature the size of Manta One as being a threat; more like a potentially tasty and belly-filling meal.

“It appears those vicious-looking reptiles are heading right for us,” Silvia observed while peering over Daniel’s shoulder at the viewer. If she had put on the wristband attached to the flip-up desktop, she would have been able to see through her own viewer, but neither Teki had chosen to use the devices built into their seats.

“I can give them a shock,” Carlos helpfully suggested. “A few low-powered bolts should be enough to discourage them.”

“I could lock their joints long enough for you to swim the manta away,” Sero offered another non-lethal solution.

“I have a better idea,” Daniel replied, and then summoned the Potential for Mind Touch while turning the vehicle around to face the threat that was approaching fast enough to be seen clearly without the enhancement of Osprey Vision.

Twin beams of light shot from his eyes, out through the observation window, and into the snouts of the crocs.

Bite-roll-tear-devour.

Their dual intentions echoed in his mind at the moment the life-force energies of the pair joined with his.

Obey Royan Sylin.

The imperative imposed by the apparent handler held sway over both leviathans, although neither of them seemed to be currently acting under orders; rather they were acting on their natural instincts. Along with the imperative had come the image of a blond-haired, blue-eyed, young man wearing a mottled-green uniform. He had a jade trident in the middle of his forehead.

Since the hungry predators had not altered their course, it seemed prudent to make introductions before the giant reptilians arrived.

“I am Daniel, not food,” he sent, wanting to establish the fact early on in the relationship.

“I am Burkos, not food,” the reply came with a definite sense of femininity.

“I am Bermos, not food,” the reply came with a sense of masculinity.

Daniel knew he could negate Royan’s control over the crocs, due to the more intimate link, and yet chose to allow the imperative to remain with only a slight adjustment, “Obey Royan except when Daniel instructs otherwise.”

Both leviathans continued to approach the manta but the sense of eating a meal had gone from their minds, leaving behind the idea of swimming alongside of what they considered to be their new companion. Daniel chose the male and concentrated, looking through the eyes of Bermos at Manta-One. Both crocs sensed his presence and mistook the ray as being him, so he sent his image into their minds. Still, the leviathans stubbornly held to the idea of him being the ray and would likely not change the notion until he physically exited the vehicle.

“You linked with them,” Joel’s accurate guess on the nature of the spell entered Daniel’s mind with a strong sense of regret, and was followed by, “I should have done that.”

“Whatever you are going to do, I think you should do it soon,” David gave his opinion, which was understandable coming from a non-Aakacarn and him unable to see the low-powered spell that had been cast.

“I believe the leviathans are under the control of our Maestro,” Sero volunteered the information when the pair caught up to Manta-One and began swimming alongside with no signs of aggression.

“Just like he did the Sasquatches in the Swamps of Append,” Silvia responded and then drew closer to Daniel, “I am not sure adding the crocs to your swirl counts as seeds you need to plant.”

He considered the notion. “Adding them does not on the surface seem significant. However, it was the same sensation Ruth told us has to do with the Swirling of Events that led me to convey us directly to this location. I felt the urgency shortly after we boarded the ray and still feel the tingle even after establishing the link, although the sensation has lessened a tiny bit. Bermos and Burkos might not count as seeds, but creating the link to them evidently needed to be done, and may be one of the reasons I was made aware of their presences in the Channel earlier this morning.”

“Perhaps so, but the continuing tingle means you have more here to accomplish, much more” Silvia stated as if he might not have figured out that much for himself.

“I thank you for sharing your conclusion,” he replied, evenly. “Have you any notion of what the remaining chores are?” He asked, hoping for an answer beyond what was obvious as a frolicking goat in a henhouse.

The lack of an immediate response probably meant she was biting her lip while trying to come up with a suitable reply. “I believe they are a series of events requiring precise actions on your part; each something your instincts will help you respond to appropriately, and hopefully complete well enough to avert disaster,” she finally answered with a typically obscure Seer response. Perhaps she had been spending too much time around her grandmother. The even tone in which the response had been delivered was impressive, considering if he made the wrong choice on the current outing and died, she and David would too.

“Maestro, I suggest you expand Find All three spans farther out in the Channel,” Joel sent the thought along with his own sense of urgency.

Daniel increased his scanning radius to eight spans. Through the spell he sensed countless fish of varying sizes, as well as mammals, birds, reptilians, and amphibians, including insects and arachnids, to about a span westward and inland from the coastline. He became aware of the Requiem, containing Tim and an entire crew of familiar people farther out in the Channel to the east.

Daniel had made it a point to meet and shake the hand of every person in service to him, Aakacarn and non-Aakacarn alike. Mountaineer courtesy and neighborliness only had a little to do with the practice. The physical contacts gave him the ability to sense and identify each individual through Find All; otherwise they would only register as being human.

He sensed over sixteen hundred people between him and the patrol-boat, folks floating above the water on multiple levels, and in eleven distinct groups; the largest centration of which was also the closest to him and had to be the crew of the Lucia. He could not sense the hulls of the ships, having never come in contact with whatever substance the vessels were made of. He could identify huge amounts of platinum and other precious metals as well as pearls and wooden furnishings and glass. The familiar and identifiable materials gave him a rough idea of the dimensions of the vessels in which they were contained.

He sensed four hundred fifty-one non-Aakacarns and forty-two Aakacarns on the Lucia. Three Nephilim were flying in the air, no doubt scouts on their giant flying lizards; which he could not sense, having never come in contact with any of them either. He sensed the presence of Sarah Shareen among the Zeuthan spell-casters aboard the ship, which positively identified the vessel

Daniel also sensed countless creatures returning to the area they had fled from upon his arrival. A huge manta doing nothing but floating in the same place, from their perspective, evidently demonstrated the danger was gone and life could go on.

“We’ve been sitting here watching for so long, I took to the notion of filling my time with figuring out the sizes of those vessels. The Lucia is...,” Sorel sent matter-of-factly through the array.

“Our Maestro knows the size of an Imperial Grand. Daniel, the Majestics are about five hundred paces from stem to stern and seventy-five paces wide. Those ten showed up recently and set themselves between the Requiem and the Lucia,” Joel gave the answer.

“He was asking me, pilot-boy.” The thought came from Sorel, and was followed by, “Sorry, Maestro, didn’t mean to send what I was saying to him.”

“Maestro, Sorel has been chattering like an agitated squirrel, and speaking audibly his half of your conversation, unlike Hosea who has been watching those Zeuthans like a hawk. I asked you to expand your scan because he thinks the Lucia is getting ready to do something. Folks are clearing the area around those big port tubes and heading below deck,” Joel sent the thought along with a sense of patience, him no doubt being used to the Communicator’s manner of speaking.

Royan commands; Flee!

The terrified thoughts came from the leviathans and the pair immediately darted farther out in the Channel and kept on going, but not faster than Horatio. The manta stayed well ahead of the giant crocs.

The tingle in Daniel’s head suddenly intensified, causing him to wince and press his hands against his temples. A major pivot point had arrived with him having no clue how to respond. Good thing he had months to live or he would have been afraid.

“What’s wrong?” Silvia asked a question for which he had no answer.

An elongated drop-shaped projectile, two cubits wide and ten long, shot out across the water from the direction of the Imperial Grand, passing over the position of Manta-One in a matter of seconds. The missile flew on toward the coast where the hidden mouth of the Ninia River met the Serinian Channel, a fact he learned from his geography lessons in Aakadon.

Find All allowed him to sense the missile that was moving faster than his eyes could track and in the time it took him to note the fact; the life-force-powered projectile struck the beach, creating a brilliant flash and a cloud that billowed up like a rapidly budding toadstool.

A cone-shaped swath of destruction moved inland faster than several flocks of birds could fly, extinguishing their lives in mere moments. Trees were incinerated and the burning embers tossed into the air as the pyroclastic blast gouged away the ground in a swath of growing destruction. The mounting devastation stretched from half a span wide at the coast and continued onward, wiping away the winding of the river.  In mere minutes the meandering waterway had become a steaming trench that stretched about five spans inland from the Channel with all life in between extinguished.

Daniel expanded Find All farther inland and sensed countless creatures having their lives snuffed out. The concussive force kept moving beyond the initial blast radius and the shockwave violently shook and uprooted trees as countless birds took to the air. He sensed people in many of the falling branches, men being injured and some being crushed by the heavy limbs. The wave continued on and passed over a concentration of people large enough to be considered a small town.

Daniel sensed a wooden fort that was using the neighboring trees as its pillars. Eight hundred twenty-three people were scrambling around inside the shaking structure and yet with a sense of order that made him believe they had to be military. Among all those non-Aakacarns he found the life-force of an Aakacarn, but the little spell-caster was in the womb of his mother.

The Atlantan Guild and the Zeuthans had agreed to stay out of each other’s way; a tentative understanding neither side believed would last indefinitely and yet held to out of a mutual sense of caution. Daniel pondered the risky options available to him as Maestro and yet it was his role as the Chosen Vessel that helped him to quickly make up his mind. Lives needed to be saved and the choices were; stand and watch, walk away, or lend a hand. He had learned enough of the situation to issue orders. “Sero, throw up a semispherical shield between the Lucia and where the projectile struck the coast.”

“It will be as you say,” the faithful assistant responded and within moments was glowing with Potential, which he then focused through the pair of forward crescendos.

The energy field flashed into being in the air directly above the manta’s position with the dome end facing inland and only moments before a second projectile slammed into the shield. The resulting flash could be seen from under the water even if Osprey Vision had not been projecting a surface image. It was as if a piece of the sun had been seized from the glowing sphere and ignited right above their heads. Most of the released energy deflected back in the direction from which it came. Immensely powerful harmonic waves given off from the shield had to be spreading outward hundreds of spans and shattering fine crystal objects and panes of glass. After sustaining the energy flow a few moments more, Sero’s shield vanished, and so too did the massive Ripple Effect.

Super-heated water boiled around the manta, instantly cooking every creature in the vicinity. The shield on the ray strengthened, drawing the Potential to withstand the forces being absorbed by the barrier directly from Daniel’s vat of life-force energy, and making his mouth go dry. The drain on him produced a smaller Ripple Effect that probably would not be felt beyond twenty spans, but definitely would be noticed by the crews on the Zeuthan warships.  The ray slammed down to the bottom of the bay with such force his head snapped up and back. If the snug safety straps had not been in place, each person aboard would have been thrown against the ceiling of the crew compartment with neck-snapping force.

Before anyone could so much as draw breath to scream or Daniel could give thanks to the Creator he had not bitten off the tip of his tongue, Manta-One bucked and flipped over; snapping his mouth shut and throwing everyone against their safety straps yet again. In that instant the manta had become part of a huge wave speeding out toward the Zeuthan battle-group. In spite of the stunning shakeup, he worked the control stick every-which way in a useless attempt to regain control of the defiant manta.

His sense of up and down was being thrown off by the constant jerking and rapid end over end motion. The only way his shaken mind could think to get out of the situation was to Convey. It was then that the ray slammed into something hard, coming to an abrupt stop, jolting everyone yet again before the vehicle settled to the right of the swaying object. His stomach took a few more moments to settle and then his neck began to ache. Osprey Vision provided an excellent view of the hull of a massive ship.

At least the ray settled right side up.

“I think we just learned what could frighten away a pair of leviathans,” Sorel commented through his array, to which his Maestro could only agree. Apparently Manta-Two had been far enough away and under the water to escape the powerful effects of the detonation.

Before he could even draw the next breath, Tim’s voice entered his mind, “Daniel,” the mental hail came with a growing sense of wonder mixed with alarm. “Shortly after Accomplished Crevatia informed us of sensing your arrival we saw the flashes from the coast. The first sent a huge cloud mushrooming into the sky and the second created and shoved a wall of steaming water that just recently hit the Lucia broadside and sent her tilting in a forty degree arc and rocking like a toy boat in a pond. The wave is about to hit the Majestics. Captain Reyenus has ordered the Requiem to face the wave and everyone to come below deck. Accomplished Crevatia has conjured a shield and we are as secure and watertight as we can be. It looks like the ten Majestics are attempting to do the same maneuver,” Tim’s thoughts ceased as if he had removed the communication amulet from his forehead. A short time later, a sense of awe mixed with pity came ahead of the words, “Three of the ships did not complete the maneuver, one is bottom-side up, and two are dangerously low in the water. Wait, geysers of water are sprouting from the port and starboard sides of both vessels. I guess they have a spell on board like you gave us to empty the bilges. I don’t know what you threw back at them but it sure caught their attention. Wait, it’s our turn. The wave is here and lifting the bow. It feels like we are riding up the side of a steep mountain. We’re about to reach the crest and.., we are safe and the wall of water is heading east.”

“I’m glad you fared well. Manta-One was a part of that wave and is currently right alongside of the Lucia,” Daniel sent the thought. “I’ll get back to you in a few minutes.”

“Is everyone alright?” he questioned his crew.

Groans and moans gave way to Carlos saying, “A little shaken, but well enough after healing the sprain in my neck muscles,” the bodyguard replied.

“Same for me, except I still have the aches and pains and feel as if a Yeti picked me up and then shook me like a ragdoll,” David answered.

“I do not feel any better than he does, but will live,” the stressful tone of Silvia’s voice indicated just how badly she was feeling.

Sero had fainted and was slumped as far forward as his straps would allow. Daniel immediately pulled back the hood of the Four-bolt’s cloak and placed a hand on his head, while casting How Do You Feel. The Demfilian-born Accomplished was suffering from severe dehydration.

“I will heal our Teki escorts,” Carlos volunteered and promptly went to work.

Sero’s shield should have absorbed the energy and grown stronger without harming the wielder, as should have been the case with the shield on the manta, and yet clearly neither had done so, leading Daniel to draw some unsettling conclusions about the explosive device. He ceased the Potential for How Do You Feel and cast, What Is this, and then focused his scan at the Aakacarn’s internal vat of life-force energy. Sero’s reservoir was less than a third full.

Daniel sent his own life-force energy into his assistant and in minutes increased the level by two thirds; then ceased the Potential when Sero’s eyes fluttered open. The exhausted Accomplished immediately grabbed the canteen from his belt and began gulping down the contents faster than was probably wise.

Daniel removed one of his spelled-gold canteens and took the time to quench his own thirst.

David took the empty container from the Demfilian’s shaking hand. The Teki opened the door to the privy on the left side of the crew compartment and placed the canteen in the sink. Water, drawn and purified from the Channel, flowed into the spelled-silver container.

Everything was under control so Daniel felt ready to respond to Tim. “Sero deflected some of the power of the second missile back at the Zeuthans,” he informed while swimming the ray underneath the Imperial Grand. “I want you to contact the captain of the Lucia and set up a meeting to take place on his ship.”

“Give my congratulations to your assistant. I’ll assume all is well aboard Manta-One or you would have told me different. As to the meeting, I will set it up,” the admiral replied, and then a sense of caution came ahead of, “I hope you realize meeting on their ship instead of neutral ground gives them the advantage. The time they allotted you to decide on whether or not to join the Atlantan Guild to the empire expired last month and they might demand an answer and be upset when you give it.  We know very little about their spellcasting methods and think about it, capturing you would be a great accomplishment in their eyes. Even though the rocking from the wave has subsided, the Zeuthans on the Lucia must be pretty shaken up about now and might act without due consideration. After all, they know practically nothing about your spellcasting methods and might not know Daniel Benhannon is all-powerful and can do the impossible. They may not know enough to be afraid of you.”

His concerns, though legitimate, were amusing to a degree. Daniel shook his head and replied, “I thought you learned years ago; no one can keep an Aakasear anywhere he does not want to be, at least not for long. The danger is not as great as you think.”

The ache in his neck reminded him to see to his own injury, which he did while waiting for a reply.

“True, I do recall learning that lesson while on the trail with you, but can’t help recalling an old Aakasear who took better than a thousand years to escape from where he did not want to be,” Tim responded with a good and valid reminder of Tarin Conn’s long entombment within Mount Kelgotha.

Daniel glanced at Sero, who was still trying to quench his thirst, and then focused on Tim. “Point taken, be that as it may, I still want you to set up the meeting.”

A sense of resignation came ahead of the reply, “I will set up the meeting and come along just like I did when you faced Balen Tamm.”

“Thanks, I appreciate the company.”

The link to Tim ended, but Daniel still had more to do. “Daria,” he sent through her gem in his array. “I want mantas from Starling Cove to do what they can to smooth out a massive wave that is heading for the Lobenian coast in the region of Jaffee.”

“Maestro,” the Conductor of Communications acknowledged him, “Twenty rays, three patrol-boats, and ten Pondhoppers are on their way to meet with the Requiem. I will divert ten of the mantas to work on the wave, if that is acceptable to you.”

“Thanks, your proposal is acceptable,” Daniel replied and then added “Send five of the remaining mantas on into Serinia where the Channel meets the Ninia River. Have them take to the air as quickly as possible. There is a wooden fort about fifteen spans inland with eight hundred twenty-three people who need to be evacuated. Have the Accomplisheds scan the area for any other people within the zone of devastation and use Conveyance to transport everyone to the staging area at Shantear. Have healers standing by to render aid. Discussions of where the evacuees wish to go after things settle down can take place later.”

“All will be as you have said,” Daria replied. “I will notify you when your orders have been accomplished.”

“Thanks,” Daniel sent, along with a strong sense of gratitude intended to reflect his deep sincerity, and then ended the communication.

David and Sero continued the rehydration procedure until the Four-bolt Accomplished held up his hand and cleared his throat. “It seems the life-force energy that created and powered the projectile caused it to launch and hold its shape until impact, but the explosive force was triggered by a natural process I do not as yet understand. If I had to guess, it felt as if shiploads of trinitrotoluene detonated on the shield I projected. Except, I would have sensed the presence of trinitrotoluene,” the assistant reported, paused in thought, and then added, “It is a good thing Accomplished Trenca did not come with us. He would have been at the forward crescendos and I am sure the drain would have mummified him.”

“It is a good thing you Aakacarns metabolize water faster than we normal people or you would be laid up for days,” David told him while again extending the canteen.

“The harmonic waves given off by the spell used to create the projectile were minimal,” Carlos added to the conversation. “I have to agree with Sero about the nature of the weapon used.”  

Having composed the Symphonic under discussion, Daniel understood thoroughly how the shield worked. It would strengthen to match whatever force came against it and draw the life-force energy accordingly, either from the outside potential hitting it or the internal potential of the person casting it. Sero and Carlos had given voice to the unsettling conclusion Daniel had already drawn. “I agree Samuel would have been mummified and about the nature of the explosive force. It is a good thing I only had to shield us from the after effects rather than the full power of the bomb and that the crescendo-powered-amulet added seven bolt of Potential to my contribution. We need to learn more about the spell that created the missile and a whole lot more about the Zeuthans in general, which is why I am going to meet with them on the deck of the Imperial Grand.”

Chapter Seven: Meeting on Deck 

Sarah stood in formation on the deck along with most of the honor guard and Roy, although her fellow Nephi kept looking over the rail, and hoping to catch sight of his leviathans. He feared the huge crocs might have been swept farther out in the Channel by the massive wave that hit the Lucia. The young man was so upset he apparently forgot to complain about being only six and half feet tall, although the measurement made him slightly taller than the average Nephi, which was a designation he also resented. Fortunately for him no one else was looking in his direction or he would have been perceived as being disorderly, which would be a shame after all the recent work he had done to change his reputation for being a slacker and complainer, boarding on suspicion of being discontent with his natural-born status.

Twenty-six of the thirty Nephilim on deck were under the personal command of El Marzon, all of which had bronze tridents on their foreheads and were dressed in fuchsia pants and shirts with matching helmets; all in the official color of House Marzon. Each man held a staff of power and seemed ready to wield the weapons without hesitation. She suspected half of the infused Melodies were stunners and knew the rest were pyro-blasters. The guards’ rings added another layer to the level of retribution they could deliver at will.

Standing at the forefront of the formation was Vice-Count El Marzon, dressed in purple silk pants and a fuchsia shirt of the same material. The powerful Nephilim held a golden staff of power in his right hand, at the head of which was a large sapphire. The noble would be intimidating even if he had not been of noble birth. The silver trident on his forehead was the second highest power rating on the standard scale. In a few more years he could grow powerful enough for the marking to turn into gold. The attempted use of any one of his rings would mummify Sarah in moments and his pyro-staff even quicker.

Captain Lo Marzon stood beside El. His mottled-green uniform had gold bars on the shoulders and three gold eagles on the collar. The men were cousins and both were born in the Dukedom of Aresia. Lo, added to the name meant a noble lineage with no extra Potential in his life-force. El, added to the name meant noble lineage with extra and increasing Potential in his life-force. The nobles looked after their families and often gave them high positions as government functionaries and in the military, although in the present case the commanding officer of the Lucia had earned the position on his own merits, of that Sarah had no doubt.

Fysicia Weiman Alfredo of the Dukedom of Aphrosia stood beside the other two with a medicinal rod of some sort in his hand, no doubt a tool to render a person immobile. He always kept his white uniform spotless, even after recently healing Rigel’s bloody wound. The amber trident on his forehead matched the color of his eyes and his thick black hair was exposed to the sun, him being the only person on board not wearing a hat or helmet; only the ship’s healer was permitted to be on duty with his head uncovered. The sun had pinked the exposed areas of his alabaster skin.

Beside him stood Commander Ariee, First Officer of the Lucia, and his uniform had silver bars on the shoulders with two silver eagles on the collar. He and the healer were eight and a half feet tall. El Marzon stood eight feet eight inches and the captain stood eight feet ten inches.

Aqua-tube Operator Beryl Griffin stood on the other side of Sarah at parade rest with a pyro-staff in his left hand. His eight and a half feet towered over her six, but she was used to being the smallest person aboard and never allowed the height of others to bother her, take note of, yes, be bothered by, no. The Operator’s hair was silky black and his eyes were brown. Right in the center of his forehead was a bronze trident, which was why he had been selected by the captain to be one of the four Nephilim on deck who were under his direct command. The two Nephis; her and Roy, did not count but were present for different reasons; she for superb scouting and he for doing such a fine job securing the area that had become the recently established city of Port New Aresia.

Meeting and being healed by Daniel Benhannon might have also played a part in her attendance, she speculated.

The two Nephilim on the other side of Beryl were also aqua-tube operators and each had an amber trident on his forehead and an aqua-pellet launcher strapped to his left forearm. Both were nine and a half feet in height, making them the tallest men on deck. Sarah knew their dour expressions had to do with their second shot at the coast being interfered with, but felt they should be more concerned about a force powerful enough to have done so.

The entire crew was upset at what happened. The Spell Surges that preceded the giant wave had shattered everything made of glass on the ship, including the portholes, and then the wave hit the Lucia broadside, coming close to capsizing the Imperial Grand. The violent swaying had thrown everyone against walls and bulkheads and resulted in broken bones and a few concussions, which created an awful lot of work for the fysicia. Nobody aboard was in a good mood and each person wanted the man responsible to pay dearly for the unjustifiable assault.

She could see the capsized Cantankerin and the rescue boats from all of the other Majestics, along with those of the Lucia, plucking the survivors out of the water. The Quetzals, Phodons, and Dactyls that had taken to the air before the wave struck had finally returned to their home ships, except those creatures belonging to the Cantankerin.

The parcel-carriers and the messengers were standard on every imperial ship and the flyers of the over-turned vessel had no difficulty being accepted on two of the three species-designated towers on the other Majestics or those of the Lucia, which also hosted the lone Quetzal and rider. The other class of warship only had one aerial scout and were all propelled by twin paddlewheels amid-ship, leaving the sail-less masts for the flyers to perch on below the top dishes.

The smaller ships were faster, able to maintain a cruising speed of fifty nautical miles per hour, and each had a single aqua-tube in a turret at the bow and three of the vessels had theirs’ aimed at the topaz-blue war-boat belonging to the Atlantans. Sarah understood the intimidation tactic and also knew none of the Majestics would launch even an Amethyst-level aqua-bomb at a target so close to the Imperial Grand. A solidified rope of air tied the Requiem to the port side of the Lucia and had been formed by the alien Nephilim. Crewmen were at the bow and stern guns of the tinier vessel; when compared beside any of the imperial ships, and although she did not see any lightning bolts on the shoulders of the wool uniforms, she suspected the weapons were life-force energy initiators with offensive Melodies infused in the gemstones.

Was it possible the Atlantans had developed potential initiators that could be safely used by an Anakim? How minimal would the spell in the gem need to be to keep from draining the life-force out of the wielder?

Sarah’s ponderings were interrupted when a staircase appeared and shortly thereafter two men started side by side up the steps. The Nephilim was dressed in the traditional silk garments of the Atlantan Guild with a silver-capped baton made of topaz attached to his belt. The man had three golden lightning bolts on his hooded cloak, which meant he was more powerful than the guild members she had previously encountered, with the exception of their leader.

She estimated the approaching Accomplished and the second man to be about nine and a half feet tall. Admiral Dukane’s uniform was the same color as that of his companion but made of wool and with a jacket rather than a cloak. She noted a dagger attached to his belt. The matching hat with a front visor barely contained his wavy brown hair, but it was his youthful face that raised the eyebrows of the people around her, with the exception of the Leviathan Wrangler whose eyes were elsewhere. The foreign officer might, just might, be in his mid-twenties.

“There they are,” Roy stated while pointing to a spot to the starboard. Satisfied at finally seeing the pair of leviathans, he turned to her. “You met the Chief Conductor of the Atlantans. What is he like?” He clearly had no interest in the admiral.

Sarah shook her head, feeling confused by the sense of the Maestro’s presence. Everyone believed he was on the patrol-boat and would appear shortly after the admiral came aboard the Lucia, yet if she were to close her eyes and point a finger, the extremity would be aimed beneath her feet. The idea of Daniel Benhannon being under the Imperial Grand was preposterous and so she dismissed it as being part of the phenomenon caused by his method of healing. “I would describe him as successful enough to win the support of Conductors who are much older than he is. I suspect his Potential is far above average, seeing as he wears seven lightning bolts on his cloak and three is the highest I have seen on any Atlantan. Admittedly, I have only seen a few Nephilim of this realm and so have little to go on. I will add that he is compassionate enough to make me another hand, bold enough to take on an Imperial Grand, and he is nine feet nine inches tall.”

Roy nodded acceptance, “Big guy, but I have seen bigger,” he replied and then his left eyebrow arched quizzically. “How do lightning bolts relate to tridents? Without knowing the scale, how can I understand the equivalents?”

Sarah chuckled. “I, you, and I imagine the captain, and Vice-Count El Marzon, along with everyone else in the fleet would like to know the answer. Perhaps we will learn. Now hush, I am trying to hear what our leaders are saying.”

“I cannot believe the Benhannon Navy is commanded by a man no older than the average ensign in our fleet,” El Marzon commented to his cousin.

“I admit to being surprised at his youth,” Lo Marzon responded and then threw his hands open in a gesture of acceptance. “Yet his relatively small fleet prevailed over every opponent. Either he is quite clever or smart enough to take good advice.”

The vice-count nodded agreement and then briefly cocked his head toward the approaching alien Nephilim. “Unless he has another Potential initiator in the folds of his cloak, we do not have to wonder what spell is locked into his baton. Clearly it creates the stairway. His fingers are ring-less and such a deficiency will limit his ability to respond quickly to any sudden development. It is the chief conductor of his guild I wonder about. How can someone so young and inexperienced rise so high among the Nephilim of this realm?”

“You met with Benhannon and have a better feel for his competence. I have not met the man. If he is an Aakasear, as has been reported, that could be the reason. Face it cousin, someone threw the force of an Amber-level aqua-bomb at us after absorbing the force of our Ruby-level bomb, and his close proximity to the event suggests he had something to do with it. We all experienced the Spell Surges just before the counter strike. That kind of power demands a certain amount of respect. Even so, I am curious why you chose not to be more firm with him at your first meeting. Establishing your dominance right away might have engendered in him more caution and a healthy fear of running afoul of you.”

“Melody Authors are extinct,” El stated as if his declaration was indisputable. “Be that as it is and for whatever the reasons, he leads over ten thousand Nephilim by our best estimates. As for establishing my dominance, he was fresh off a victory over his chief rival and such a thing can make any young man brash. His self-confidence at the time was so great, I thought it better to give him time to respond to my invitation rather than issue an ultimatum he was likely to refuse out of hand; him being convinced of his invincibility.”

“That was probably wise. Such a young man as you described might not know enough to be cautious and is therefore more likely to underestimate the power you wield,” Lo replied, and then added after a slight pause, “The date you set for him has expired and his interference here might mean he may need a demonstration of your superiority to help him make the correct choice.”

Their conversation ended abruptly when the visitors stepped onto the weather-deck of the Lucia. “I am Georgio Crevatia of the Atlantan Guild Department of Defense, a Three-bolt Accomplished. I present to you, Admiral Tim Dukane of the Benhannon Navy,” the gray-haired man stated and gave a nod of the head to El Marzon, which was promptly returned.

Commander Ariee introduced Captain Lo Marzon and the vice-count and then thunder boomed in a cloudless sky. High up in the azure-blue and stretching to the west were five perfectly straight clouds. Sarah had been able to distinguish five individual blasts, all occurring so quickly only a trained ear like hers could have differentiated them from one mighty boom and the rumbles sounding off in the distance. At the same time her awareness of Daniel Benhannon shifted from beneath the ship to off the starboard rail.

“Look!” Roy called out, drawing everyone’s attention.

Rising out of the water was a huge modulidae, a giant ray! Sarah could hardly credit her eyes as the creature floated up into the air, dripping water, and then turned so its tail and left fin rested on the rail. She could not see the mouth from her angle, although should have been able to see an eye. Even more incredibly, a hatch formed on the creature’s back and opened moments later, from which came a young woman wearing gaudy colors. She had a crossbow and a dagger and club attached to her belt at opposite sides. The unusually dressed Atlantan boldly walked on the fin toward the Lucia. The female matched Sarah in height, meaning she was probably a product of the mixed-matting between a Drudge and a Nephilim, a Nephi like her, except the girl had no lightning bolts and so could be an above average Drudge or one of her parents could have been an Anakim.

Behind her came a man in the traditional silks of the Atlantans. Three golden lightning bolts adorned his cloak and in his right hand was a baton similar to the one belonging to Georgio Crevatia. The younger-appearing Accomplished looked to be nine feet seven inches in height, she estimated.

“I present to you Carlos Tiran, personal guard of the Maestro, a Three-bolt Accomplished. And now I have the privilege of presenting to you Sir Daniel Benhannon, Royal Knight of the Realm of Ducaun, Lord of the Land, Chosen Vessel of the Creator, Maestro of the Atlantan Guild, a Seven-bolt Accomplished,” the young woman spoke in a voice more powerful than anyone of her size could normally manage. She reminded Sarah of a menagerie-show announcer.

The noble titles the flamboyant woman added to her leader’s name would do little to impress El Marzon, Sarah knew. The vice-count respected only Zeuthan titles, but might wonder as Roy had about the rating of Potential.

After the spectacular effects and excessive introduction, the Chief Conductor emerged from the unusual craft and walked briskly over the fin and onto the deck of the Lucia. The hood of his cloak was laid back, revealing a golden circlet containing ten gems; five topaz and five sapphires. Sarah had no doubt each gem was a life-force energy initiator and knew El Marzon would arrive at the same conclusion. The two golden canteens on his belt proved the frequent need for liquid refreshment was common to both Zuethan and Atlantan Nephilim.

Commander Ariee introduced the captain and vice-count; who then asked, “Have you come to join your association to the Dukedom of Aresia and thereby the Zeuthan Empire?” El clearly addressed the issue he wanted to have settled during the visit.

“Is that the vehicle from which you launched an attack on my vessel?” Captain Lo Marzon added his more important question, in Sarah’s estimation.

“It is the vehicle from which some of the force of your extremely powerful bomb was thrown back at the vessel that launched it, which happened to be yours and far enough away not to have suffered damage,” Daniel Benhannon smoothly replied without a trace of concern over committing the affront or the capsized vessel within his field of vision. He bent down and touched the deck, holding for about a ten count, and then smiled while standing up straight. “I have come here to learn a few things about you and your people. For instance, this ship is made of a metal I am unfamiliar with. It seems to be hard as a diamond.”

The captain smiled proudly. “The hull is titanium and is in fact as hard as a diamond, perhaps harder,” he replied and then his smile vanished as he eyed the ray. “Your unique vessel is well protected and packs a punch, the fact was clearly demonstrated, but doing so was unwise. We were attacking enemies. You should realize imposing yourself between us and them could be interpreted as you siding with them. We have stayed out of your business and steered clear of the vessels of your association that have been patrolling the waterways and coastlines. Is there a reason for this highly provocative display?”

The eyes of each member of the honor-guard widen in anticipation of the answer, Sarah certainly wanted to know. The young leader violated the informal agreement between Zeuthans and Atlantans about neither interfering with the other, an agreement he had kept right up until less than half an hour ago.

“The moment you brought a Grand into the Channel we suspected you were up to something we needed to know about. Any mountaineer would keep an eye on a dangerous predator on the prowl so close to home,” Admiral Dukane responded. “I knew the moment those Majestics interposed themselves between us and the Lucia that you were about to do something you knew we would not approve of.”

Sarah inwardly cringed at the wording of the admiral’s response and the arrogant tone. Neither he nor his leader showed any sign of contrition; worse, it was clear they felt justified in their actions and evidently believed the Lucia operated in the region at their sufferance. His reply could only serve to increase the resentment created by the assault.

“Where the flagship of this imperial fleet goes is none of your business and I do not need your approval to do anything,” El Marzon replied, setting them straight, and then focused his green eyes on the young Maestro. “The situation room would be a better place to carry on this discussion. We should go below. The brief pause will allow both sides time to consider our tones and how best to proceed.” He then pointed to the hatchway leading into the forecastle.

Sarah realized the wisdom in his proposal. It placed him in the power position where he could isolate his opponent in an enclosed and controlled environment.

Admiral Dukane began shaking his head, obviously realizing the same thing, and then rolled his eyes when his leader nodded affirmatively to the proposal. The Maestro stepped forward while offering his bare hand to El. The vice-count hesitated but after a few awkward moments clasped hands. “It is agreed, we will go below,” he said and then released the hand.

The young leader shifted his gaze all the way starboard. “My greetings to you Royan Sylin, handler of Burkos and Bermos, your leviathans are most impressive and well-tended to by you.”

Both of Roy’s blue eyes widened at him being personally addressed by a Chief Conductor, one who should not have known his name, function, or the creatures he wrangled, but the increasingly adaptable Nephi recovered quickly. “I thank you for saying so and hope you can imagine how formidable they can be if Captain Lo Marzon orders a show of force.”

Sarah approved of his response, silently congratulating him for taking the opportunity to invoke the captain’s name and authority in the warning.

“Hopefully such an order will not come to pass,” the Maestro replied and then focused on the person standing beside Roy. “It is good to see you again Scout Sarah Shareen of the Grand Imperial Ship Lucia. I would chat for a while but time is fleeting and I must go below.”

He addressed her with the answer she had given the Seeker and Conductor who had been questioning her upon awakening in the sick-room where she had been healed. He bribed her at the time by providing a ring of power for each question of his she answered. That particular occurrence had been left out of her official report of the incident.

I hope he does not ask about the rings.

“Scout Shareen,” the captain startled her, “will go with us below. Fysicia Alfredo and Aqua-tube Operator Griffin will also accompany us,” Lo Marzon ordered before she could respond to the greeting or catch her breath in relief at not being called to account.

“Benn, and you, Goshmer, will come below with us,” El Marzon told two of his personal guardsmen.

Glesin Benn, a nine foot tall albino Nephilim with silver-blue eyes, separated from the group and stepped up to stand beside the noble. Reinold Goshmer, equally tall, took his place beside his comrade. His darker complexion stood in stark contrast to the other’s light, but both of them practically radiated menace, especially since they were wielding pyro-staffs.

Weiman Alfredo moved to be next to the young Maestro after everyone had entered the forecastle and while they were walking along the passage. “I am the ship’s fysicia and had the opportunity to examine Scout Shareen’s hand. You did a marvelous job recreating it,” the healer spoke softly and with a high degree of professional admiration.

Daniel Benhannon glanced at him and extended his hand. “Restoring her to complete health was the neighborly thing to do and was a procedure I have performed many times, before and since. I am glad you approve of my work,” he replied when Weiman completed the handshake.

Sarah knew El Marzon would lead the way but was surprised when Lo took up the rear behind her and even more so when his quiet tones met her ear. “I included you in order to take advantage of your observational skills. You are to keep watch on the entire group. That garishly dressed female is a tiny Anakim, but El silently signaled me that everyone in the party, including her and the admiral, has Potential initiators on their person. I will mostly be focused on Dukane and Benhannon and so will the vice-count, so you signal me if the others in the foreigner’s entourage seem on the verge of doing something unwise. I am hoping to avoid a spell-battle within the confines of this ship and particularly in a space as confined as the situation-room.”

“All will be as you have said,” she replied crisply, as duty demanded.

The prospect of such a battle awakened a sense of dread she had to immediately put to rest in order to do her job properly. No Anakim would survive more than a few seconds if those powerhouses let loose and it was doubtful even a Nephi with a jade Potential would last much longer. The information answered her ponderings about the Atlantans developing initiators that could be used by an Anakim.

The captain spoke not another word to her for the rest of the way to their destination. Maestro Benhannon and Admiral Dukane sat on one side of the table with El and Lo facing them, and everyone else remained standing behind their respective leaders, except Sarah who positioned herself where she could see everyone in profile. She stood alone with a porthole at her back and no one paying any attention to her, a situation common to every Nephi. A breeze caressed the back of her neck as if to remind her all things made of glass had been shattered.

“Your actions today have cost us a ship and possibly the lives of many of its crew,” the vice-count opened the discussion in a surprisingly calm voice, no doubt in an effort to set the proper tone, and yet the gravity of his words made clear the hostile engagement needed to be accounted for.

“Yes, the vessel is slipping below the surface even as we speak,” Daniel Benhannon acknowledged as if he was on deck and witnessing the event. “I am pleased to inform you every crewman has been evacuated,” he paused as if distracted by something and then seemed to refocus. “One of the reasons I called for this meeting is so we can avoid this sort of incident in the future.”

Lo Marzon leaned forward. “The solution is for you to refrain from placing yourself between us and our enemies. Even if all of the crew has been saved as you assert, the loss of an imperial ship cannot be glossed over as an accident or misunderstanding.”

The Maestro nodded in agreement. “My intervention was no accident or misunderstanding. It was a deliberate attempt to save the lives of close to a thousand people who you consider to be enemies simply because they object to having their land and the sovereignty of their kingdom taken away from them.”

A sudden change in expressions caught Sarah’s attention. The vice-count’s guardsmen tightened their grips on the pyro-staffs and their brows were drawn down in disapproval. Accomplished Tiran must have noticed because his hand was suddenly gripping the baton at his belt.

“Their king fled his palace and so has given up his right to rule. We are bringing order and security to people who were poorly served by their monarch. It is what the empire does,” El Marzon rightfully explained in reasonable tones.

Everyone needed a sense of order and security; it was an elementary principle. He was demonstrating uncharacteristic patience under the circumstances and at the same time seemed oblivious to what the bodyguards were doing.

Daniel Benhannon nodded again and then shrugged his shoulder as if the vice- count’s response was one to be easily dismissed. The gesture produced deeper frowns on the guards’ faces and a slight tilting of the staffs toward the table.

“Keljun Soon is a fence sitter who did nothing to help when his neighbor kingdoms were being attacked,” the Maestro responded without any sign he sensed the tension building around him. “I can’t say I like the man very much but he is the rightful king of Serinia. He has been in the capitols of every kingdom on the continent, made his case to the Board of Inter-kingdom Relations, and the Maestros of Aakadon. The ancient Accords of Aakadon established the borders as they have existed for centuries, consequently the Board has found in favor of Keljun Soon, and it is only a matter of time until demands to give up what you have taken will be made of you; backed by every kingdom on the continent and the Grand Maestro of Aakadon. This is not a threat rather, it is something that will occur eventually no matter what I and my guild may or may not do, now or in the future.”

The suggestion they would be made to give up what they had achieved on behalf of the empire caused even the ever-calm Weiman Alfredo to grunt at the effrontery of such a notion. Sarah could hardly believe the words had been uttered. The empire was unstoppable and its might unparalleled; no one ever took back anything from the imperial throne.

She flicked her left finger, catching the eye of Lo Marzon, and then rapidly shifted her gaze to each guard. The Captain’s green eyes followed hers and then he gave a nod of the head. She had properly alerted him to the potentially dangerous situation.

“Then why is it that only you and your guild are getting involved at this time?” Lo inquired evenly and without arguing over politics or statements that portrayed the resistances fighters and their king as victims. He doggedly stuck to the immediate question of why Benhannon had inserted himself in Zeuthan affairs, which Sarah figured was probably the wisest course. The captain’s statement did not defuse the tension but had kept it from increasing.

“Aakadon and the kingdoms on both sides of the conflict are currently recovering from horrific losses and I suspect are not too eager to get involved in another conflict,” Tim Dukane replied with a reasonable answer none could take offense at, and then added, “I know you see their present reticence as a tactical advantage for you, making it possible to expand your presence in Serinia. The more time you have to solidify your holdings, the harder it will be to force you to give back what you have taken.”

There it was again; the audacious notion of the empire being forced to give back land taken in legitimate conquest.

Aqua-tube Operator Beryl Griffin’s eyebrows arched angrily and he allowed his staff to drop, pointing right at Tim Dukane, which caught the attention of Accomplished Crevatia, who suddenly reached inside his cloak, and in so doing ignited the dreaded spark.

Glesin Benn threw a narrow-roiling flame from his staff at the gray-haired Atlantan, Tiran focused a beam of light from his baton, Reinold Goshmer sent a roiling flame at him, the female announcer’s dagger appeared, seeming to materialize in her hand, so fast had she drawn it, and a bright lance of light shot toward Beryl.

Not a single casting crossed the table. A pair of razor-thin topaz-blue energy-fields as wide as the table and stretching about five feet up from the surface suddenly appeared. Roiling flames, the lance of light, the energy beams cast by Tiran and Crevatia; all were absorbed by the barrier.

“Stop!” the Maestro commanded at the same time El Marzon shouted, “Stand down!”

To Sarah’s great relief, both orders were instantly obeyed, and yet she felt it best to keep life-force potential flowing into the ring providing her own personal shield, figuring at any moment sparks could reignite the firefight.

Accomplished Tiran stepped up beside his leader. “You stopped ours as well.”

Daniel Benhannon turned his head to regard him. “Obviously, or your spells would not have been absorbed by my shield. I came to learn about these people, not to kill them.”

The bodyguard went back to his previous position while El Marzon eyed everyone in the room and then nodded in satisfaction over calm being restored. “Let us proceed where we left off before the interruption,” the vice-count insisted.

The captain leaned back in his chair, apparently at ease, but Sarah knew otherwise. Her commanding officer was on full alert even while calmly behaving as if the unleashing of Potential had not occurred, “Maestro Benhannon, do your answers and today’s intervention mean the Atlantan Guild is going to begin a campaign to remove us Zeuthans from the areas we currently hold? If so, you need to have a better understanding of the power you will be opposing; more so than what you just witnessed in this room.”

Daniel Benhannon held up his hand in a stopping gesture. “No campaign to remove you is currently in the works. Make no mistake, you are the thieves in this instance and cannot be allowed to continue the thefts, but that does not necessarily mean you cannot in the future gain by negotiation and commerce what you currently hope to gain by force. I cannot stop you from reaching agreements with the monarchs of the kingdoms of Atlantan, but I can work to stop you from killing people who as I said, are only guilty of defending their land and sovereignty. That projectile you launched created a swath of destruction the likes of which I have never seen before. Wholesale destruction on such a scale is not something I can tolerate.”

Sarah could see both sides of the issue and of course leaned in favor of the empire, but was willing to admit the young leader of his society of Nephilim had made a case for negotiations over military conquest, weak but a case none-the-less. Unfortunately for him, she knew neither Lo Marzon nor his ambitious cousin would be so easily persuaded, and the imperial throne not at all.

“You are a truthful and courageous man, but a terrible diplomat,” the vice-count replied and his lips bent into a smile, “Not many people would have the nerve to sit across a table from me and call me a thief and in so polite a tone. That aside, as has been stated by the captain of this ship, you need to have a better understanding of the power you will be opposing, and so it might be prudent for us to discuss, at least to a degree, what each side is capable of doing to the other. You have already seen what one Ruby-level aqua-bomb can do and also need to know that as long as the ocean has water to draw from we can keep creating and launching them. Your vessel is here and no longer in a position to interfere. This ship can launch another attack that I assure you would obliterate those very people you apparently came here to save and even if your vessel was in a position to intervene, how many aqua-bombs could it endure.”

Daniel Benhannon’s lips twitched up as if the threat of such unleashed power amused him. “I am no diplomat, which is why I have an entire department of them to do the talking in matters such as this. However, circumstances required my direct intervention and so unfortunately the talking falls to me,” Sarah began to realize he had been inwardly laughing at himself, “my personal deficiency aside, we are back to the main reason I requested this meeting, which was to learn more about you and your people,” he took a breath and then nodded as if responding in the affirmative at the completion of an internal debate. “The aqua-bombs were on the list of the things I wish to learn about. I would also like to discuss lightning bolts and tridents. For example, I have learned a jade trident is equivalent to one lightning bolt. I discovered this just before restoring the hand of your scout. Today I learned an amber trident equals two lightning bolts, silver equals four, and I believe a bronze equals three lightning bolts of Potential. I also learned that the sub-systems of the titanium hull of this ship are equal to those in the hull of a Wager-class patrol-boat. You may also be interested to know the people I came to save have all been evacuated. The thunder you heard just prior to my appearance was made by vessels of mine that were high in the sky and moving faster than the speed of harmonics while on their way to carry-out my orders. By the time you heard them they were already beyond human sight. I received verification of the completion of the mission through the communication array on my head while sitting here with you.”

Sarah took some comfort from the fact that the initiators in his circlet were non-lethal, but only a little, and wondered about spells that could allow him to silently communicate with others. What is the maximum range thought can be transmitted?

She also had a hard time accepting his rating equivalents, but had no doubt about vehicles flying and those being capable of traveling at such a fantastic speed. She would not have believed the claim if it was not for the fact that she had sensed his presence shift over great distances within amazingly short periods of time. The existence of such vehicles explained the sense of his whereabouts that had been troubling her. He was rapidly redefining what she considered to be possible.

El Marzon laughed out loud. “I suppose that fantastic tale is supposed to frighten me.  Nothing you have said has been backed by even the slightest shred of evidence, not even your comparison of tridents to lightning bolts, and one that just so happens to rate you higher than me. If your comparison had rated you to a gold level, maybe, just maybe, I would consider the remote possibility your assertion is true, but your hyperbole has taken you from rating yourself on the standard scale to a ranking on the imperial.”

Topaz, emerald, sapphire, and diamond; those were the ratings El had referred to, and Sarah agreed with him about the young leader using embellishment in an attempt to overawe the captain and vice-count. All of the Dukes and Duchess, state rulers, rated on the imperial scale, and she knew all other nobles of that ranking were of the imperial line, and every person on that scale was over two centuries old. The claim was absurd and especially coming from a man younger than her.

Three chimes sounded, meaning a messenger was at the door.  Chief-scout Tyrus Zealon, rider of Bronthel, entered carrying two message tubes and a folded sheet of paper. His gaze swept the room before he handed the reports to the captain. After a bow to the vice-count, the lead air-steed rider exited without saying a word, although he did arch an eyebrow at Sarah, and that meant he expected to receive a complete report from her later on.

Lo Marzon read the reports, his face neutral in expression, and then passed them to his cousin. The captain’s eyes fixed on the admiral. “Three patrol-boats and ten smaller boats are approaching us at a high rate of speed and will soon be visible on the horizon.”

Tim Dukane nodded. “The Maestro instructed Base Commander Cyrus Burrows to dispatch them after I reported the presence of the Majestics.”

Lo focused on Daniel Benhannon. “The report on this paper confirms the crew of the Cantankerin has all been rescued, but many of them were injured. The other scout report verifies you were correct about the resistance fighters being evacuated from their fortification. Be that as it is, this ship and the others in this battle group will not hesitate to launch aqua-bombs at your war-boats if they come too close. Too close is defined by me as being in among our group where we would not be able to hit one of your vessels without risking one of ours. If that princely diadem on your head really does allow you to communicate with whoever is leading those boats, I suggest you order them to stay at least half a mile away or you might find out whether or not the hulls of your boats are as hard as titanium, which I believe is what was implied by your none-sense about their subsystems being equal. Just so you know; an Amethyst-level Aqua-bomb, our weakest setting, can easily rip even titanium apart.”

  The Maestro glanced at the admiral and then nodded. “It is done. What about Manta-One and the Requiem? Are they too close? Do you want me to order them away as well?” He evidently believed the warning without further persuasion being necessary.

El Marzon laid the reports on the table and then rubbed his chin as if contemplating how best to proceed. He finally nodded, having clearly arrived at a decision. “I will allow both vessels to join your other boats half a mile out, but you and the admiral will not be on them. It is clear to me young men like you, who have accumulated a certain amount of power and prestige in a short period of time, feel invincible. I know you have an initiator to focus an impenetrable shield, but that will not help you get out of this room. I think it is going to take some time to deflate your arrogance, which will be necessary in order for us to arrive at an understanding.”

Tim Dukane began shaking his head as if he could not believe the situation his leader had placed them in. “People never seem to learn,” he murmured. Evidently Daniel Benhannon had placed him in a similar set of circumstances in the past.

The Maestro simply nodded his head as if nothing he had heard was in the least objectionable. “I have just now ordered them to depart but I must warn you they will defend themselves if attacked.”

“The ships of this battle group will not open fire unless attacked. If hostilities were to break out it would not be a Zeuthan who started it,” Lo Marzon both assured and educated the young leader.

Daniel Benhannon again nodded his head, evidently choosing not to mention a Zeuthan was the first to open fire only minutes ago, and then fixed his gaze on El, “I can squeeze a little more time in my schedule, so go ahead and state what you want to impress upon me.”

Sarah’s jaw dropped at hearing his condescending tone and quickly closed her mouth, not wanting anyone to see her reaction. He did not yet seem to realize El had out maneuvered him.

The captain leaned forward as if to give more force to what he planned to say, “You are on my ship and will leave when I say. You foolishly, in your arrogance, have placed yourself in a position of vulnerability. No, we are not going to try to physically harm you or anyone in your party, but you need to understand I and Vice-Count El Marzon are in control here. The Atlantan Guild will do exactly what we dictate as long as we have you.”

The vice-count shook his head, frowned, and slapped his hand down on the table. “How far are you going to force me to go?  Boy, do I have to initiate my full Potential to make you understand who is superior here?”

Sarah noted the satisfied looks on the faces of El’s guards and even the fysicia, all of them were eager to see the arrogant young man put in his place. She could also see the frustration on the faces of both Marzons. Daniel Benhannon gave no sign he was even mildly concerned about being held against his will and no fear of incurring the wrath of a Silver-trident. The cocky young man actually behaved as if he was in control.

The flamboyant announcer stepped closer to the table. “He is the Chosen Vessel; you can join him, get out of his way, or be..,”

Her rant cut off at one sharp hand gesture from him. “I believe you included that title in the introduction; they do not need to hear it again,” Daniel Benhannon spoke softly without turning to look in her direction, then seemed to be gazing beyond the confines of the room, and not through the porthole. He gave a slight nod and addressed the vice-count. “Yours’ is a Maestro-level potential and a demonstration of such magnitude between two potent contenders would not be in the best interest of us or the people in our vicinity.”

“At least you are wise enough to realize that much,” El Marzon replied. “There might be some hope for you,” his eyes narrowed, “Here is the thing that needs to be impressed upon you before your confinement comes to an end; you will agree to join your association to the Dukedom of Aresia and thereby the Zeuthan Empire; that is the price of your freedom. You will swear fealty to me.”

The Chief Conductor of the Atlantan Guild gave a slight negative shake of his head but Sarah had the impression the gesture had nothing to do with El’s statement. The Maestro held his breath for a time and then replied, “The Requiem is three-quarters of a span away from here and is approaching the other surface vessels of my navy. Manta-One has joined the other rays that your scouts failed to take note of, largely because the vessels are under the water. This means you have no idea how many have been deployed or where they are. Even if you do not believe my other assertions, evidence as to what one of my manta rays can do was provided before I called for this meeting. I have gained enough knowledge about you to rate the get-together as being worth the invested time, but am rapidly coming to the opinion my departure may go a long way in gaining you and the captain a better understanding of the power you will be opposing if it comes to that.”

Every pyro-staff in the room was suddenly leveled at the Maestro, including the one belonging to El Marzon. Sarah made certain Potential was still flowing into the shield ring. A golden trident with three diamonds at the tips suddenly appeared out of thin air in the right hand of Daniel Benhannon. He raised the impressive weapon straight up without aiming it at anyone. Evidently the shield-blocking spell was no longer in place.

“Boy,” the vice-count warned in admonition, “Think very carefully before you act.”

“I have,” the Maestro assured him, and then slammed the bottom end of the trident on the deck.

A brilliant flash and boom with the intensity of a thunder bolt forced Sarah’s eyes closed. She fell back, falling against the porthole with both hands covering her face. People were yelling, she heard the sound of roaring flames and breathed in the super-heated air, which caused a coughing fit. By the time her lungs had cleared, the smell of burnt oak permeated the room. Boots pounded the floor and finally the burn on her retinas faded to the point she could see and recognize everyone around her. The conference table had been reduced to a pile of smoldering ash. The guardsmen stood with bemused expressions, El and Lo were frowning at the other side of the room, and all because the Chief Conductor of the Atlantans and his entourage were gone; had vanished without a trace, as if they had ridden out on the thunderous flash.

“So that must be why they measure their Potential in lightning bolts,” she commented under her breath and then wished she had not when all eyes fixed on her.

-----   

Daniel Benhannon appeared in the observation-room at Starling Cove along with each person who had joined him on the Lucia. The first thing he noticed were schools of fish, hammerhead sharks, and other assorted aquatic creatures swimming in the waters outside the diamond dome. Among the inhabitants of the underwater realm were two Atlantan manta rays and the relatively smaller natural creatures after which the submersibles were named. One of the vessels disappeared beneath the dome, under which was the broad underwater entrance into the facility.

He could see the bottoms of vessels at the surface in their slips at the dock. The Wager-class patrol boats provided by Design and Development for the facility had a crew consisting of twenty Sentinels and an Accomplished. Sixty-seven smaller boats took up most of the space at the docks that had the capacity to accommodate thirty-three more. Each of the dark blue vessels had a single housing on the deck and a dome above where the pilot would sit. Mounted on the bows and sterns were guns similar to those of a Wager-class patrol-boat. The newer attack-boats were forty paces long, with each Pondhopper commanded and piloted by an Accomplished and having four Sentinels making up the crew. The Symphonic, Conveyance, was locked in the crescendo-powered-amulet on the control stick, giving the Accomplished the ability to Convey the entire craft at will to any location he or she could visualize.

Would Pondhoppers materializing out of thin air right in among the Zeuthan battle group have made a better impression?

Done was done, Daniel could see no point in giving the question anymore thought.

On land the base looked very much like an elongated brain coral; only much larger, being twenty cubits high and five hundred paces in diameter. As in all of his other facilities, the structure on the service was only a small part of the overall installation.

The only chairs in the observation room were along the walls and near the three entrances, which appeared to be rectangular frames. Daniel knew the third frame to the right led to the lift, which could go up three levels to the surface facility or all the way down to level ten. The center and left frames, each outlining a sliding door, led to the sleeping quarters of the manta crews. The entire ceiling glowed with a soft white light rather than being illuminated with spheres, as was the case at most of the other Atlantan Guild facilities. The walls and floors were deep blue like the sea. The entire facility and been designed by Jerremy DeSuan.

The second thing Daniel noticed was the presence of Cyrus Burrows, an Accomplished of the Defense Department who’s Potential recently increased enough to earn him a third lightning bolt. The thirty-seven year-old Aakacarn was a former Soarer of the Eagle Guild and had spent six years as an Aakademned, until Daniel restored him from Condemnation. The base commander had the sandy-colored hair and peaches blended in cream complexion that was common to the majority of Battencayans, except those near the border of Ducaun who had red hair. “I greet you, Maestro. Five mantas have diminished the rogue wave and succeeded in shifting it to the south. The natural southern flow of the Channel should keep what is left of the wave flowing offshore to where it will eventually be swallowed up by the ocean,” he reported in his usual efficient manner of speaking, without adding details he knew his leader would already be aware of.

Daria had no doubt notified the commander of Daniel’s imminent arrival. He wondered if any of the Zeuthans had noticed when he had been communicating through the array, but concluded even if the watchful Sarah Shareen took note; she would likely interpret such instances as him being distracted or having difficulty staying focused.

Daniel gave a nod of respect to the base commander, which was promptly returned, and then responded, “I appreciate the update. Six rays are keeping a watch on the fleet, although Sero should soon be piloting my manta to the naval facility. I tried to make an impression on the Marzons, both El and Lo, and would like to know how it effects their actions, negative or positive, in the coming marks.”

“It will be as you say,” the commander replied without needless elaboration.

“You certainly gave them something to think about,” Tim gave his opinion. “I suspect they will either begin launching aqua-bombs at every target of opportunity or refrain from using them at all. Hopefully as long as they believe a fleet of Manta-One’s are in the vicinity and ready to throw a goodly portion of the explosive force of those devices back at the Lucia, no bombs will be launched.”

“The notion of having their own weapons used against them is a strong deterrent,” Carlos volunteered his belief.

Both men had spoken as if their leader might not have considered or shared the very outcome they desired. It was the reason he told the Zeuthans about the presence of the underwater vehicles.

Daniel had a reply on the tip of his tongue, but was not quicker than Tim, “Not every ray has Four-bolt Accomplisheds at the forward crescendos, in fact not one that I know of does. Even with a pair of amplifiers adding seven bolts, many of the Aakacarns would die of mummification if they had to conjure a shield to absorb the force of a Ruby-level aqua-bomb. The Zeuthans are lucky Sero’s shield absorbed most of the blast or their entire fleet would have been capsized,” the admiral nodded affirmatively, apparently in agreement with his own statement, and then added, “Truly, I am glad you did not choose to throw your unenhanced Potential into creating the shield. You would have been mummified. No, don’t tell me such a thing would never enter your mind. After all, you actually did teleport using Tarin Conn’s spell the first time without a crescendo and badly dehydrated yourself in the process.”

Daniel arched an eyebrow at his childhood friend. “I wasn’t going to use the word, ‘Never,’ but the thought of conjuring the shield using my unamplified Potential didn’t enter my mind this time. Be that as it is, you have no way of knowing what took place in my head during the meeting, but I did warn Daria of the danger, and I am sure she passed the information on to her Communicators, who would be at the controls of those crescendos. The Accomplisheds have plenty of Symphonics in their repertoires to battle the ships and at least track and destroy any missiles launched from the Zeuthan vessels. It should not be necessary for them use shields to stop the Aqua-bombs.”

“Speaking of vessels,” Georgio Crevatia interrupted, “Maestro, if you have no objection, I would like to Convey back to the Requiem.”

His request was not only agreeable; it was something Daniel should have ordered sooner. “Convey back at your convenience,” he replied, knowing the Defender would do so immediately.

The following flash-bang meant the Requiem would, in less than four beats of the heart, no longer be the only patrol-boat operating in the region without its assigned Accomplished.

Tim shrugged his shoulders, as he often had done in the past whenever one of his concerns proved invalid or he had no immediate answer, or when he considered the subject to no longer be important. “Will six mantas be enough if the Zeuthans do react negatively? I shudder to think of the damage those aqua-bombs can do if even one of them hits land. Considering the force that would be unleashed, I’m not sure the detonation offshore would spare the coastal region from suffering serious damage.”

Commander Burrows cleared his throat, probably more to gain attention than any other reason. “There are twenty mantas beneath the Zeuthan fleet. The Maestro’s vehicle is flying to the Benhannon Naval Facility, the rays that completed their work on the wave and those that Conveyed the evacuees to Mount Shantear have all joined the five from this facility that were there when you left the region.”

Daniel thanked Cyrus for the update and then a female voice entered his head. “The Serinians I treated are all well now, but I feel you need to know the extent of their injuries,” Jennel Obenport made known. “Even though they were not in the blast radius, each of them suffered from severe burns, and not just externally. Upon examination, I discovered first and second degree burns on their organs and musculatures. Some of these people were close to being cooked from the inside out and would have died had we delayed the healings. My study of Lethal Growths has helped me to recognize the conditions in which they can develop and from what I sensed in the organs of the refugees, each one would have developed Lethal Growths in time if I used, Heal Wounds. I employed Replace on my patients and all are now in better health than ever before, including the special babe and her mother.”

“Thanks for being so thorough and catching all of their ailments,” Daniel responded, while wondering about the injuries. “The fires did not come within spans of those people, what could cause burns so far from the flames, and how in the world could they be burned on the inside?”

“I cannot say with any certainty how such injuries can be sustained,” Jennel replied with her own sense of wonder coloring her thoughts. “I do know the aqua-bomb is the cause and must have released invisible forces that travel even farther than the initial blast.”

Every effect had a cause and so Daniel knew it had to be possible to learn about an invisible force that could cook a person. “I will ask Martin Varroon to have the matter investigated and for Education and Research to place a high priority on finding the answer.”

“That is acceptable,” Jennel replied and then the link to her mind ended.

Daniel not only worried about the cause of the Serinians’ injuries, he shared his friend’s concern about the damage offshore detonations could do the coast of Serinia and was about to comment when yet another voice entered his head.

“I instructed Accomplished Meado to refresh her memory and those of everyone who Tobermin came in contact with,” Simon reported along with a strong sense of self-satisfaction. “She was able to learn everything the vice-maestro gleaned from his use of Truth Speak and so now you do not need to perform the task, thus giving your itinerary a little more flexibility.”

Daniel knew his chief–aid would be up to something productive and helpful. “Simon, you are a wonder. That bit of initiative has likely more than made up for my unscheduled trip to the coast of Serinia.”

“I am not finished,” the Two-bolt Accomplished made known with his sense of self-satisfaction growing even larger. “I spoke to Jared Benfyllon, you know the guy at your estate.”

“Yes, I know the man who I appointed to manage my estate affairs,” Daniel sent along with a sense of humor, knowing the aid was excited about whatever the two of them discussed and would eventually get to the point.

“Well, he knows more than a few legal experts and suggested a number of them as potential candidates for you to choose from.”

“What would I be choosing one of these people to do?” Daniel wanted to know while paying little attention to the conversation taking place between Tim and Cyrus; something about mantas and the interception and detonation of aqua-bombs.

“I wish the idea had been mine, it seems to be a good solution to your problem,” Simon responded and then seemed to sense, perhaps through his connection in the array, that his Maestro was getting a little impatient. “Jared believes you should create the position of Benhannon Jurisdiction Adjudicator and give that person the authority to judge the cases you and Sherree would normally have to hear. You will only be brought the cases appealed to you against the verdict of the adjudicator and only if, after reviewing the judgment; you determine the appeal to be valid.”

A Jurisdiction Adjudicator, Daniel liked the idea, and was pleased he had people like Simon and Jared who often presented him with solutions to problems he had little time to contemplate. “I will thank Jared personally for the suggestion. Have him gather the candidates, present me with their qualifications, and then you can schedule a time for me to interview each person.”

“I will do that,” Simon replied and his link in the array ceased.

“Yes, the trident in his hand is impressive,” Silvia was saying. “I guess it counts as him bearing the trident in the sight of the high and low, but I still see him dying in a matter of months and so merely holding this object changes nothing. Redirecting the sun-like flare of the aqua-bomb might count as putting out a fire, but my vision is as vivid as ever, and the achievements of this day so far have not altered the scope in any perceivable way.”

Her response came as no surprise to Daniel. The viewing was to be fulfilled over possibly years and take place in far off and diverse places, except for the part about his life being dependent on a trident. One incident in an isolated area off the coast of Serinia simply did not measure up to the larger prediction, although some of what transpired did fit a more simplistic interpretation.

“Even so, El Marzon and Lo Marzon certainly did see him bear the trident,” Carlos confirmed something everyone who had been in the situation-room already knew, but arguing the point would not change the Seer’s previous statement. Undaunted, he added, “I, for one, am not surprised our Maestro can create a crescendo out of thin air.”

“This is just a bit of solidified air with the colors added for effect,” which was probably why Silvia’s vision had not been altered in the slightest, “the flash occurred when I focused Conveyance at the same moment I struck the deck with the butt of the trident. You know I like to have spells with Da Capos in place ahead of time,” Daniel explained and then allowed the weapon to vanish. “I intend to create a real crescendo like the one you just saw, in order to do what I can to comply with her Viewing, and will do so when Simon finds me the time, hopefully well before my time is up. By the way, the only reason I am not going to chastise everyone who focused Potential at the Zeuthans is; I anticipated something of the sort and wanted them to know I did have a shield in place they could not penetrate.”

“Daniel,” Leah Barryn’s voice entered his head. “I am in Manta-Thirteen,” her personal vehicle, “and just Conveyed the sunken Majestic to Crescent Bay. I assigned a group of Accomplisheds from Design and Development to study the vessel. I admit to having a desire to personally go over the warship to discover its secrets and so I hope you do not mind my intervention in a chore of your undertaking.”

The First Accomplished of the Atlantan Guild, with her five lightning bolts of Potential, was one of the few members who had enough life-force energy to use the spell on such a large object, and to date, only she and her Maestro had used the Symphonic to transport an object without going there along with it. No one else dared to take the chance, which was fine with him. He just hoped his recklessness was not rubbing off on the first Accomplished to affiliate with him.

It likely would have occurred to him to transport the Majestic for study, eventually, but he had to admit the thought of doing so had not entered his head until she informed him of her intervention. “It is a good thing I have you to think of these kinds of things. I am glad you got involved. Go on and have fun uncovering the secrets within the ship.”

A sense of frustration came ahead of the words, “While I am pleased you approve of my choice concerning the Zeuthan Ship, I regret to inform you the Badger managed to form a traveling circle and escape. Twenty-five Serpents were killed in the battle and twenty-six have been captured and will be awaiting trial. Ten Agents of the ISIG were injured and eight Defenders, but all have been transported to the Health Department and are expected to make full recoveries.”

Part of Daniel wondered if the vice-maestro of the fallen Serpent Guild would have gotten away if different choices had been made. Should I have taken part even though Sam thought he could handle the situation?

It was then Daniel realized the tingle that had been plaguing him since early morning had vanished. Apparently, he had made the right set of choices, for the time being. “I am sorry Rex is still running free. Let’s be glad fifty-one Serpents are no longer a threat to humanity. I am confident our Healers will restore our people to health and am pleased about that. On a whole, it has been a good day for the Atlantan Guild.”

A sense of agreement and tiny bit of relief flowed through the link ahead of the words, “I agree. Do not worry, we will get Badger eventually. Unlike many of his former associates, he still dreams of recreating Tarin Conn’s guild or perhaps has dreams of starting his own. Either way, his ambition will keep him from staying hidden for long, and when he does appear, we will get him.”

Daniel received her sense of confidence and reflected it back at her. “I am sure we will bring him to account.”

The link to her vanished and he was about to share her news with the people standing around him when the sense of an iron will hit his consciousness and snapped his mouth shut. “Lord Benhannon, your presence is required in my conference-room within half a mark, the stability of the realm depends upon it,” commanded the voice of Cleona Ducalin, the Queen of Ducaun, using the amulet he had given her.

“Yes, Majesty, I will be there,” he replied.

It looks like Simon is going to be altering my schedule yet again. I wonder if he feels the crack forming from wherever he is.

Chapter Eight: Restrictions

Daniel stood in the palace hallway and wearing a full-length wool coat the color of the sky that broadened out at the waist enough to allow him to run at full stride if necessary, although he doubted the need would occur. The blue matched the color of his life-force energy but otherwise nothing on his person gave any indication of his status as an Accomplished or even his title as a Royal Knight of the Realm. The queen had addressed him in the summons as, “Lord Benhannon,” a title she only used when referring to his standing as a Lord of the Land, which also signaled him to dress appropriately for the meeting, normally he would appear before her in his knightly uniform. The use of the title also provided a fairly good idea of who else would be in attendance. It also meant he could not wear his communication array the way he had done during the war. The restriction would not stop people possessing one of his amulets from initiating a mental conversation with him.

The coat when closed would hide everything down to his boots, which were shiny black, yet .he wore the garment open, revealing a white silk shirt and a pair of dark blue pants made of the finest wool. A tiny falcon clutching a golden lightning bolt in a sky of blue was stitched into the shirt just above his heart.

Chamberlain Bercassie stood a short distance away in her violet gown.  “Lord Benhannon, I’ve been expecting you. The other lords are present. You must hurry. Her Majesty will be entering soon,” the stately gray-haired woman informed him with hands folded together at waist level. She had to crane her neck awfully far back in order to look down her nose at him, but succeeded admirably.

Daniel smiled, gave a nod of acknowledgement, and then passed between the huge double-doors of the large conference room. The mahogany table had the capacity to seat fifty-one people along with the Queen at the head. Twelve of the seats were taken, every Lord of the Land was in attendance and all of them turned their heads in his direction. Each man was dressed in wool finery, in combinations of two or three tones that could be found in a rainbow, and with the symbol of his house embroidered on shirt or jacket, but in every case each of the lords displayed their crests prominently.

“He is always the last one to arrive for these meetings,” Tomlin remarked to his neighbor in a low voice, obviously calculated to be heard by all.

Sharmine nodded his head. “Either he manages his time poorly, enjoys the attention, or regards our meetings with the queen as being of little importance.”

Daniel ignored the comments, considering them to be of little importance. The stares followed him to his seat on the Queen’s-right side of the table where he sat between Benamin Lamont, thirty years of age, and the youngest Lord, Rollen Zoltair, twenty years of age. His father, Matten, had been killed in the massive air-raid the Serpent Guild had launched against the capitol near the end of the war.

The three of them were the only Lords who did not have any gray in their hair. Most of the nobles resumed their private conversations, but glanced in the direction of the newest arrival as if having difficulty ignoring his presence. No matter the clothing, they knew a Master Melody-wielder was in their midst, and no change of wardrobe could alter that reality in the slightest.

“Greetings, Lord Benhannon,” the young man spoke softly. He had grown facial hair since the last time they had met.

“My greetings to you, Lord Zoltair,” Daniel politely replied, knowing this was one of the lords who thought he was accumulating too much power.

Sadness reflected in Rollen’s eyes, although passed quickly. “I still feel as if people are addressing my father when they call me that, but I must get used to the title. His trips to Ducanton were rare. I wish he had not gone, yet my father always placed duty above even his own safety. I can do no less.”

“Your father was a brave man and his integrity, above question. He always did what he knew was in the best interests of the people living in his jurisdiction. If you like, call me Daniel and I will call you Rollen.”

“I agree to that, but perhaps not in a meeting where every scrap of authority is needed in order to be on an even footing with these older and more experienced lords,” the young man replied frankly; sheading some light on why he had rejected Daniel’s Emissaries. Rollen did not want to appear weak and in need of another lord’s protection, which was perfectly understandable. His answer could also explain the beard.

Clean-shaven Lord Benamin Lamont, ambitious, and always eager to fight, leaned forward enough to see the younger lord eye to eye. “Lead men to victory in a few battles as I and Lord Benhannon have. After that, you can be sure these fellows will recognize you as an authority.” He also had an ego the size of Mount Tannakonna.

To his left were Lords Jerrod Bolover and Ron Piron, beyond them sat Tromus Jun and Jacsun Tirana; the father of the prince-consort. On the opposite side of the table sat Jacob Tomlin, Jaysen Bolton who was gray-bearded and frail, Loren Benton, Cale Zane, Gabriel Tamkin, and Payden Sharmine of Keffer Greens; a port city on the Taltin Sea that was still recovering from the ravages of the hurricane created by Tarin Conn.

Cleona Ducalin entered the room through the royal entrance, rather than the double-doors. Daniel had eliminated the Lethal Growths that had been on the verge of killing her, fashioning for her the body her recipe strands would have produced if the malignant ailment never withered her innards nor wilted her outer form. She had the enjoyment of being physically fit, possessed a healthy complexion, and fleshed out womanly curves that were accentuated by a silk gown, which matched her purple robe. Her long dark hair shined with health. She could pass for a woman in her early twenties but was actually ten years older. The queen currently wore the smaller crown, a habit of hers when carrying out the day to day duties demanded of royalty, and would wear the larger crown on public occasions.

Everyone instantly came to their feet and did not sit until the queen lowered herself into the chair at the head of the table. Entering with her was Prime Minister Xan DuTobin, wearing his purple robe of office and royal hawk medallion. His craggy face could be described as being distinguished rather than homely and his stout frame showed neither war nor peace had robbed him of his hearty appetites. The documents he held would have some relevance to the topics to be discussed and perhaps contained the reason why the stability of the realm was at stake. He had remained standing behind and a little to her right.

“This meeting will come to order,” Cleona stated and made a point of looking each and every lord in the eyes in personal acknowledgment.

Daniel did not need his ego stroked in such a manner but supposed; by the way her attention rested on each attendee for precisely the same amount of time, that she was silently indicating one lord would not be favored above the other, and wanted all of them to know it.

“We shall go straight to the issues at hand. The Board of Inter-kingdom Relations has ruled against Ducaun and Lobenia in the matter of our navies continuing to patrol the territorial waters of the Northern Alliance kingdoms,” Cleona announced, which came as no surprise to Daniel and probably not to the others. “Eight kingdoms have officially protested to the Board concerning the war-footing Ducaun and Lobenia are maintaining, only Taracopa and Keljun Soon, on behalf of Serinia, have sided with us,” she paused, glanced at Daniel, and then continued, “the Maestros of Aakadon have also voted against us, which lends teeth to the Boards decision. Previously we ignored such votes because we were preparing for the War of the Champions and dared not weaken our resolve. The war is behind us and I have no such reason to defy the ruling and once again make Ducaun a pariah in the inter-kingdom community. My legions have been in their garrisons for several months now and Aakadon and my fellow monarchs know it is so, leaving two changes I must make in order to be in compliance. First, in accordance with the Board, I will be restricting my navy to patrolling the rivers of this kingdom and our portion of the Taltin Sea. Second, Lords of the Land, only one of you has allowed those he mustered into his army to return to their homes. Gentlemen, the war is over and my citizens desire to mourn and bury their dead and to rebuild their lives.”

“There is a reason we have not allowed our mustered forces to disband to whatever is left of their homes,” Sharmine stated firmly and with most of the other lords nodding their heads in agreement. All of them glanced at Daniel before returning their gazes to the queen,

Xan DuTobin placed a document on the table in front of Cleona, she barely glanced at it, no doubt being fully aware of the facts contained therein, and ready to speak to the issues. “Four thousand-two hundred-three men and woman departed from the Benhannon Guard, four hundred sixty-seven men retired from the Benhannon Navy, and three thousand eighty-two men and women retired from the Chosen’s Sentinels. Lord Benhannon has sent home all those who answered his call to muster and yet not one of you has done so. Your refusal to send your mustered troops home is having international implications and is creating unnecessary tension within my realm. The combined situations are having a destabilizing effect at a time when we cannot appear to waver. As of this morning the Zeuthans have stepped up their activities in the Serinian Channel and the Eagle Guild continues to hold the sovereignty of Ducaun and my throne in contempt. Consequently, each of you is to send home your mustered men. Do not draft them into your regular guards so it appears you have complied. The war is over, send these people home, and concentrate on rebuilding your jurisdictions. As you all should know by now, the Board has also ruled in favor of Keljun Soon and it is only a matter of time before Ducaun will be called upon to help back up the judgement. There is no question in my mind the Zeuthans will be reluctant to withdraw from the areas of Serinia they now possess. The time will eventually come when the ruling of the Board must be backed with military might. My people need time to recuperate before being required to join another fight.”

“But Lord Benhannon is said to be maintaining over five thousand guardsmen in his jurisdiction and at least six thousand Sentinels at his holding on the northern border,” Lord Tamkin complained, “and has replaced the men who retired from his fleet of patrol-boats. He is not reducing the size of his fighting forces.”

Standing, he would be the tallest man in the room at slightly over seven cubits but in the chair his shoulders were no higher than most of the men at the table.

Daniel felt the need to clarify the situation. “The replacements you are speaking of were Condemneds rescued from Mount Suteck and Mount Filia after the battles. I restored those people to humanity and most of them had no homes or living relatives. They enlisted in those three branches of service and that is why I have so many people still serving as my regular men and women at arms. Most of those have been in uniform less than a month and are little more than raw recruits. While it is possible my Seekers will find a Condemned wandering here or there, no more have been found since the end of the war. I have restored each and every one and do not anticipate any more recruits from that source.”

“And you have more than a legion of Aakacarns as well,” Lord Sharmine added as if revealing a deep secret. Like Tamkin, he maintained a neatly trimmed beard and a quarrelsome disposition.

“Lord Benhannon,” Cleona re-entered the conversation. “You will maintain the Benhannon Guard, the Chosen’s Sentinels, and your fleet of patrol-boats at the current levels.”

Daniel disagreed with her command, especially after his encounter with the Zeuthans, yet understood her decision had been made for political reasons, not military, and even so really had no choice but to comply with the restriction. “It will be as you say, my Queen.”

“What about the Atlantan Guild?” Lord Tirana asked of his daughter-in-law. The clean-shaven father of Collin had asked the question in a casual tone and yet it was clear he shared Sharmine’s concern. Going by the way Jerrod Bolover was nodding his head; he also wanted to hear the answer.

“Aakacarn business is Aakacarn business. If his guild does not seek out Potentials, former Serpents and certainly searchers from Aakadon will find those people. The stronger the Atlantan Guild becomes, the less we have to worry about Accomplisheds of Aakadon entering this kingdom and doing as they will. Keep in mind, every person the Atlantan Guild inducts into the association increases the prestige of my realm,” Cleona responded and then Xan handed her another document. “This is a petition signed by over fifteen thousand citizens living in villages, farming communities, and individual homesteads in the hills along a twenty-two span stretch of my northern border. The residents live in an area beginning about nine spans west of the Benhannon Northland Holding to eleven spans east of it.”

“What are those citizens asking of their queen?” Lord Piron inquired while absently stroking his thin mustache.

“They have asked that I make Daniel Benhannon their Lord of the Land,” Cleona replied, which came as a surprise to the candidate.

“Why would they want that?” he asked quicker than any other lord could get the words out.

The queen focused on him. “The same reason Lords of the Land exist. The people desire security and believe their best hope lies with having a powerful individual dedicated to the domestic tranquility while they go about the business of living.”

“Those people chose to live in the wilderness regions rather than in the jurisdictions ruled by lords,” Jaysen Bolton pointed out correctly and Daniel hoped, persuasively.

“A new jurisdiction has not been drawn in centuries. Even the one granted by you to Lord Benhannon is not new; it was yours. Creating a new one is unprecedented. If you grant the petition, does it mean we other lords can expand our jurisdictions?”  Lord Lamont earned more than a few nods of the head for asking the question.

“No. Expansions of that kind will not be permitted” Cleona responded. “I do not want each of you seeking to enlarge your jurisdictions. Grow them from within. However, as you pointed out, Lord Lamont, the situation is unprecedented. Never before has a group of diverse and independent-minded people presented me with such a request.”

The lords continued to give their opinions, mostly negative towards giving the man they believed to be too powerful more land and authority, but all Daniel could think about was the amount of chores he already had on his plate and how much more would be added.

“Maestro,” Commander Burrows spoke in his head. “The Lucia and her battle group are heading towards Polen Tare with no sign they intend to launch anymore aqua-bombs. The mantas shadowing the warships will continue to monitor the situation. The consensus of the crews is that the Zeuthans will work on solidifying their current holdings and delay, at least for a while, further conquest of the island kingdom.”

“Thanks for keeping me informed. Let’s hope the crews are right, although I think it might be a bit too early for drawing any firm conclusions about El Marzon’s plans. The man is ambitious and sees Serinia and the continent as eventually being a part of the empire and under his direct rule. A man like that will not hold back for long,” Daniel sent in reply.

“I share your thoughts on the matter,” Commander Burrows responded along with a sense of accepting the inevitable. “I will notify you if anything significant occurs.”

Daniel felt the link vanish just as Lord Tamkin mentioned his principal city, Port Valeen, was the nearest major city to the proposed new jurisdiction and how people longing for security would be better served moving to his precinct. There was also something about the queen expanding his region to include the new one, even though she had already stated such expansions would not be permitted.

“Maestro, - Jerremy DeSuan here,” another voice entered Daniel’s head. “One of the people you saved and had evacuated from Serinia is my cousin Fiona DeLarin. Her baby is due in a few months and even so she chose to join her husband, Sir Redolf DeLarin, in the resistance. Thank you for saving her and him.”

“Saving her and the others was something I was chosen to do and would do again under the circumstances,” Daniel responded along with a sense of satisfaction in having made the right choice. “Focus, What Is This, into her womb and see what I found.”

“I know you have been refraining from getting directly involved in a fight that could lead to a greater conflict with the Zeuthans,” Jerremy replied, having discussed the issue on more than a few occasions. Along with the words came a sense of gratitude mixed with satisfaction, growing excitement, and a tiny bit of caution to temper the emotions.  “The choice you made this morning was a major decision with consequences that are sure to ripple out from today in unforeseeable ways. Thank you again for intervening and know you have piqued my curiosity. I will pay another visit to Cousin Fiona.”

“Maestro, “Jennel’s voice popped into his head barely a moment after Jerremy’s link had discontinued. “I was unable to transform a babe in the womb into an Aakacarn and so must conclude the ability is unique to the life-force of an Aakasear. Jenny Grening and her husband still want their child to be an Aakacarn and so she will be the first one I schedule to meet with you for the procedure.”

Daniel was doubly surprised. “I didn’t know they were expecting, but am willing to honor their desire. You will have to get in touch with Simon to work the meeting into my itinerary,” he replied while getting over his shock at hearing the fellow backwoods-Ducaunan couple actually wanted their baby to be an Aakacarn.

“It will be as you say. I will communicate with Accomplished Trenca,” Jennel sent and then ended the connection

“The jurisdiction will begin ten spans west of the Benhannon Northland Holding and will be Twenty-five spans long and five spans deep from the border,” Cleona announced her decision, catching Daniel’s full attention, and then Xan laid out a new map of Ducaun on the table depicting the area described in a blue hue.

It looks like I might need two Jurisdiction Adjudicators.

“You are obviously allowing your gratitude for his healing to affect your judgement in this matter,” Lord Sharmine accused.

“The decision shows partiality; you giving preference to him over the rest of us,” Cale Zane stated. The gray in his sideburns did not detract from his appearance. Daniel had noticed more than a few ladies as well as female servants gazing at the lord with longing in their eyes, something he suspected Lady Zane had also noticed, and the lord wisely ignored.

“No, not at all,” Cleona instantly replied while shaking her head, “I will have better than half a legion of Chosen’s Sentinels to protect my border from Pentrosan incursions. With this decision, Xavier Suchen may finally learn to accept the boundaries set by the ancient Accords of Aakadon. He has reconstituted his Sutton Guard. I understand Runyan Lymin, who was a prisoner of war until recently, is in command and the elite fighting force he is building will be based in Los Collins, a little north of the Foothills of Pentrosa. Lord Benhannon personally led the battle that wiped out General Kall and his legions of the original Sutton Guard and it is my belief General Lymin has taken note of the fact and would not dare to even shoot a crossbow-bolt across my border once word of this decision is proclaimed. Consider this; making Lord Benhannon responsible for my northern defense frees my legions to stand down and yet leaves them ready to respond to any threat, foreign or domestic, while allowing me to be in compliance with the decision made by the Board of Inter-kingdom Relations. Naming any one of you as Lord of the Land in the new jurisdiction would not achieve the same results.”

Even Daniel could not find a flaw in her reasoning and he was looking for one. Perhaps one of the other lords would present a convincing argument to the contrary.

Loren Benton nodded his bald head, a gesture emphasized by his gray-pointed beard. He drew a deep breath, apparently ready to render his conclusion. “The Queen is correct. We other Lords of the Land do not have the resources to protect our districts and also the proposed new jurisdiction on the border. Much as I hate to admit it to you or even myself, my name would not strike the level of fear in the hearts of Suchen and Lymin than does the name, Daniel Benhannon.”

His statement, true as it was, would not help the others to arrive at the same conclusion, which is why Daniel knew better than to ever say such a thing. He did not need his ego stroked, but most of the men in the room certainly did, and on a near constant basis. Rather than admit to being less fearsome, the other lords were more likely to rip into the person who had been held above them in any aspect whatsoever.

“By all accounts people are flocking into Lanta in the south and New Cana in the north. Those towns will soon become thriving cities. His spell-casting power gives him an unfair advantage, making it impossible for my merchants to compete,” Tamkin argued, “And many of the people retired from his muster live in those areas, giving him the ability to assemble an army that would nearly double the size of his regular forces.”

“It is wrong to steal talent from the rest of us lords. The Benfyllon family served my family for generations and now they have all been lured to Lanta to serve Lord Benhannon,” Sharmine complained.

“He can make one of these out of dust,” Jerrod Bolover stated while holding up a gold coin that had Cleona’s image on the front and the royal palace on the back. Several locks of gray-streaked hair fell in front of his eyes as he thrust the currency forward.

Ron Piron nodded vigorously in agreement and added, “It is the only way he could afford to maintain such a huge fighting force.”

“A breeder of Taracopian warhorses has recently staked out a ranch east of Lake Benhannon,” Jacob Tomlin stated the fact as if there was something nefarious about it. He stroked his narrow chin then followed up with, “My breeders of Battencayan horses cannot cast spells to increase the strength and endurance of their livestock.”

Daniel smiled at the lord. “I am not personally in the breeding business, have no desire to get into the breeding business, and have no time to assist Breeder Tarkona in his efforts, but wish the retired Sentinel well in his endeavor. For the record,” he felt the need to make a clarification, “The coins I spend are earned by products created for sale; mostly produced by Accomplished Reginald Bercop, the Benhannon Estate Provisioner. People come from far and wide to purchase his creations. He profits, I profit, and the taxes go to the Queen.”

Daniel once duplicated a Lobenian coin into enough to fill the bottom of a swimming pool, but it was for his father-in-law, and the coins had been made from water not dust. However, no one in the room needed to know about it.

“The transactions are legitimate,” Tromus Jun declared, “Be it as it may, such does not justify the creation of another jurisdiction at the whim of frightened commoners.”

His aristocratic nose was in the air and his contempt for those he considered to be the low-born masses was self-evident.

Daniel decided to ignore the complaints, they would not change Cleona’s mind, and he had bigger things to tackle. As the newly appointed Lord of the Land over the communities along his portion of the northern border, it would be his duty to tour the area at least once in the near future. The people had a right to see and meet their Lord of the Land.

“Daniel Benhannon will immediately assume the responsibilities as Lord of the Land of the Region now to be known as; Lancana. So I have ruled and so shall it be,” Cleona decreed, putting an end to all arguments to the contrary. “This meeting is adjourned.”

She exited the room, but Xan lingered, mingling with the lords and placing himself between the double-doors and Daniel. The Prime’s hand caught the sleeve of Daniel’s coat when he attempted to go around. After all of the other lords departed, the large man explained, “Queen Cleona would have a word with you in private.”

The Prime Minister walked out, closing the door behind him. Moments later, the queen re-entered the room. “Sir Daniel, I received a report of you uncovering the devious workings of Vice-Maestro Tobermin, the restriction you imposed upon him, and the consequences any Eagle will face in the future. It is truly fortunate it never occurred to the unprincipled Accomplished to ask about my daughter. It would have been a disaster if he had discovered Jillian is an Aakacarn.”

Daniel had a fairly good idea how bad the situation could become if the fact was made known to the public. “I can only agree. However, if her true nature does become known to all, anyone seeking to do her harm will be facing me and the full might of the Atlantan Guild.”

Cleona’s lips curved briefly in a smile. “Your willingness to protect Princess Jillian has never been in doubt. It is her standing as heir to my throne that would have been jeopardized. You banned Tobermin from the palace. I added to that and have banned all Eagles, with the exception of Bela Sander, from all of Ducaun. Additionally, for the sake of my daughter, no Aakacarns of Aakadon will be permitted to seek Potentials in my realm. I expect you to enforce the ban,” she stated and then went back out through the royal entrance.

Her expectation would not go over well in Aakadon, but Daniel had no choice other than to relay the restrictions to the Grand Maestro and take direct action if even one Eagle or Aakacarn seeking a Potential violated the ban. He also knew and understood her concern over Jillian’s secret jeopardizing the eventual succession to the throne, but also knew from personal experience how difficult it was to keep the ability to summon and wield Potential from being publically exposed. In fact, he had failed spectacularly.

I am the poppa of a baby girl.

Daniel clung to the thought, trying to focus on the positive event rather than on the restrictions and the new chores that had been piled onto his plate in the course of just one day.

----

Ferren sat in the two-room cell he had been escorted to earlier in the day. The morning had progressed into evening, he supposed. Day and night were impossible to distinguish within the facility.

So far as he had observed, there was no entrance or exit, everyone teleported into and out of the prison. The Maestro had ordered him to be conveyed to Shantear and so Ferren assumed he was deep within the bowels of the mountain, but his assumptions and suppositions did nothing to alter his situation.

His black silks had been replaced by green silk pants and shirt. He had no cloak or outward display of his ranking as an Accomplished. Still, the clothes fit him well, were comfortable, and the green leather shoes were not to his taste in color, but fit his feet.

He had a bed, a table, and a chair. The other compartment was barely large enough to be described as a room, more like a large closet, but it did have everything he needed for the disposing of body waste and maintaining personal hygiene. Spells in the amulets controlled the flow of water, which meant he could use them even after being Silenced. One on-going spell even kept the air smelling fresh.

I have been Condemned.

He could not get the thought out of his mind and could not erase the classical image of the sub-human slaves; hairless beings, robbed of their wills and genders, and bodily twisted in grotesque ways. The Maestro could have turned him into one of those and yet chose to improve on the physical aspects, which Ferren appreciated to a degree. What good is perfect health while sitting in a cell?

Even well-toned muscles would atrophy over time through lack of exercise.

He could close his eyes and point to the Maestro’s exact location, which changed often, although the sense of distance was a little vague. At a guess, the person who had Condemned Ferren was somewhere distant, perhaps hundreds of spans, and yet that could change at any given moment. In the time it took him to think about the Maestro’s whereabouts, it shifted much closer; very close to Ferren’s locality. Teleportation was nothing new to a member of the Serpent Guild and so the rapid change of locations was no mystery.

He had not spoken to his fellow captives as they watched him being escorted through the corridors, not even those he had known for years. If any of them were tortured, they showed no outward signs. Evidently the Atlantans believed Silencing and incarceration were punishments enough, at least until after the trials and sentencings. He could not make himself care.

I have been Condemned.

Part of him enjoyed the privacy provided by the closed door in the nearly solid wall. A shelf under the slot held the empty food tray that would soon be taken away. The only time he could see what was happening outside was when the flap opened long enough for the tray to pass through.

A chuckle escaped. “I wanted to spend some time alone,” he admitted, “and now I have plenty.”

The cell-door opened and in walked the man responsible for Ferren’s condition. Surprisingly, the Maestro was dressed as a lord. “I chose a time when the other prisoners in this section are out of their cells and getting exercise,” he gave the information as if it mattered to his captive.

“Is there a reason for the discretion, why should anyone care who comes to see me, and who would dare question your right to be here?” Ferren wanted to know.

“Your former associates refer to you as being the Ferret. Duggan confessed to giving you the nickname on your journey into the Swamps of Append. She told Agent Tell you were good at digging up all sorts of useful bits of information,” the Maestro replied without directly answering the questions put to him.

Ferren had a talent for hearing between the words. “You do not want my former associates to know you came to see me. I already told you why I did not kill you at our first encounter, so that cannot be the reason for this visit. You either believe I have learned something you need to know about or desire my expertise, although I don’t see how I could possibly be of help while in my current situation.” Or why I would want to help, he thought and had the good sense not to say out loud.

The Maestro nodded, but Ferren did not know if the gesture was agreement with what had been stated or a response to some inward thought. “What do you know about Zeuthan tridents, what does it mean to bear a trident and what do you know about the Nephilim of Zeutha?” The Maestro asked.

Ferren was tempted to refuse to share the little bit he knew about the strange spell-casters from afar, and felt he did not owe the man who had Condemned him any answers, but the information was so useless he decided to respond. “A Potential-Searcher for the Serpent Guild died in Serinia about the time the first vessel arrived. Tarin Conn ordered us to ignore the foreigners as long as the Zeuthans stayed focused on Serinia and out of the war. He fully intended to rule the kingdom of his birth, but decided it could wait until after he defeated you. I have never seen the Aakacarns of that realm carrying tridents, but have only caught sight of a few individuals and so whether or not they use such weapons is inconclusive. The trident seems to be a symbol used by the empire to distinguish Aakacarns from commoners. Every report I have heard tells of tridents on the foreheads of their Melody-Wielders. I suppose carrying such a weapon, especially if you have transformed it into a crescendo, would make an impression on them. I know nothing about Zeutha beyond it being the name of their homeland.”

The Maestro nodded his head, definitely in response to the information. He reached into his coat and pulled out a handful of communication amulets. “These were taken from you by Agent Tell. I want you to contact your associates and learn everything you can about the Zeuthans,” he spoke softly and actually placed the twenty tiny devices on the table.”

Ferren stared at the pile and then picked up the one given to him by Rex Badger. “I suppose after I have contacted the creators of the amulets and gleaned from them whatever they know about the Zeuthans, you want me to learn where they are and give that information to the ISIG. I can see the reason for discretion. If my former associates ever learned I had become your informant, it is unlikely I would live to stand before you in trial.”

The Maestro shook his head. “No, I only need information about the Zeuthans. While I am sure Sam’s agents would appreciate your help in locating rogue Serpents, I think shrinking the number of sources would be counterproductive at this point. Each of those contacts is likely to have contacts of their own.”

Ferren had spent too many years in the Serpent Guild to take any person at their word. Sure, the investigation would start with a limited scope, but incrementally grow over time, and eventually he would be in so deep it would be impossible to be free of the assignment. The big problem the Maestro had to overcome was the fact that nothing in the task would benefit Ferren Duzolta in the slightest and could result in him being killed by his former associates.

I have been Condemned.

He looked the Seven-bolt Accomplished in the eyes. “Give me a good reason why I should take up this task.”

“Your trial is scheduled to take place in three months where you will hear a full list of the charges against you. We both know you are not innocent so the thing to be determined at that time will be your sentence,” the Maestro replied.

Ferren shook his head and laughed until the bitterness of his captivity and Condemnation choked the mirth. “You transformed me into an Aakademned, made me your slave in mind and body, and erased my repertoire. You will either sentence me to die or a lifetime in this cell, which is an extended death sentence for a person in my current condition.”

A life sentence meant he would die in less than two centuries. Which would be better; a quick execution or aging to death alone in a cell?

“I can take the level of your cooperation into account when it comes time to determine the length of your incarceration,” the Maestro responded as if he would actually keep the promise.

It was the kind of promise Ferren would make in order to manipulate an enemy into doing what he wanted. “No, I will not glean information for you.”

Surprisingly, the Maestro smiled at hearing the answer. “Duzolta, I am not asking you to do this for me, I am telling you to use those amulets to dig up information on the Zeuthans.”

Ferren thought it strange to hear such a commanding tone come out of a smiling face, but had made up his mind with no intention of changing it, no matter how mentally unstable his visitor had become. “I will not.”

The Maestro nodded his head as if that was exactly what he expected to hear. “In a few days Agent Tell is going to interview every captive brought in today, including the twenty-six formerly associated with Rex Badger. Unfortunately, he and a group of twelve managed to escape. I will leave these amulets here and you can report to her whatever you learn about the Zeuthans.”

Ferren shook his head. “Didn’t I just tell you, I do not want to do this?”

“Yes, I heard you quite clearly. Did you ever hear a Condemned refuse an order given by the person who had cast the spell on him?”

Ferren opened his mouth to answer, but the Maestro did not give him time, “Your brain and will are one. Your body is yours to command. If it were not so, you could not have refused to obey.”

Ferren thought about his interaction with the man who had Condemned him and had in fact refused a direct command, which should not have been possible. “But you could compel me to do the task.”

The Maestro nodded again. “It would take only a momentary summoning and focusing of Potential to add the compulsion and would take less time than this conversation is taking. Perhaps the fact that I am giving you a choice will convince you I will keep my promise about reducing your sentence,” he paused, glancing at the open door. “Well, I have used up as much time as I can spare at this chore.”

Daniel Benhannon walked out of the cell, leaving Ferren alone with the communication amulets, and a head spinning in confusion over what had transpired.

I defied the Maestro of the Atlantan Guild to his face. The man who Condemned me!

Ferren remembered the rest of the compulsion laid upon him, “You will never again do anything against me or assist anyone in betraying or bringing harm to me, my family, my holdings, or any of my associates in the Atlantan Guild.”

He had free will with a few restrictions and those were based on his definitions of: against, betray, and harm, and those only in regard to a specific group of people. “I can work within the constraints,” he told the empty room while turning the amulet over and over again in his hand.

After placing the communication devices on the sink in the other room, he stretched out on the bed, giving thought to the Maestro’s deal and in time fell asleep without coming to a decision.

Ferren arose early the next day, dressed, visited the privy, and then waited for the food tray to be placed through the slot in the wall. To his surprise, the door opened and in walked an Accomplished of Ducaunan birth whose brown hair was cut short. He had dark brown eyes and the typical pale complexion. The man was six and three quarter cubits in height and powerfully built and although he was in his early eighties, he appeared to be no more than a few years older than Ferren. The Aakacarn had a golden lightning bolt on each shoulder of his green silk shirt, which had gold cuffs, and was one of the last people Ferren expected to see. “Jordan Simms,” the name came out scarcely above a whisper.

The big man smiled. “You remember whose pocket you tried to pick on a street in Zoltair.”

“How can I forget the Accomplished who inducted me into the Serpent Guild?” Ferren replied, while idly wondering about the gold cuffs and display of rank. “As I recall, I did succeed in picking your pocket, but you and Olivia caught me before I could make my getaway.”

Jordan nodded his head. “Yes, those were the days when she and I were Potential-Searchers and before we became associates of Vance Cummin. That is all in the past,” he stated while waving his hand as if wiping away the events of by gone days. “She and I were captured in the second failed land invasion of the Benhannon Northland Holding. The Maestro seized us and we were among the first to occupy cells in this facility.”

“Is that why you have gold cuffs and can display your rank?” Ferren wanted to know.

Jordan held his arms out straight. “These we had to earn, along with the right to display our ranking as Accomplisheds. My Potential reached the present level about two months ago and Olivia gained her second bolt about a month later.” He brought his arms down.

Ferren had to ask, “How did you gain such privileges?”

“We were also among the first to be tried and convicted. She and I were sentenced to twenty years of incarceration. The Maestro promised not to Silence us if we were cooperative and so although my Potential is shielded off, I can summon and cast spells on my person. She and I can continue to cast Ageless every hundred years and so when compared with how long we could live, two decades is not so great a price to pay,” Jordan answered without a trace of shame over having cooperated with the enemy. “The Maestro even permitted us to marry.”

“Why?” Ferren asked, while noting the fact that the Maestro had kept the promise made to Jordan and Olivia. “Not about the wedding, about the rest.”

“I am observing the second law of the Serpent Guild and you would be wise to do the same. Cooperation has given me longevity, authority over Accomplisheds who used to be far above me in rank, and the hope of once again walking free,” Jordan explained. “I came here to give some friendly advice. First, take advantage of the opportunities to leave this cell; second, never attack a guard. The Sentinels have been physically enhanced by the Maestro and are a lot stronger than they appear and they will kill you. Third, your associates believe you are in this cell planning an escape or revolt. This facility is deep underground beside Mount Shantear and above us is a very wide and very deep lake. The Atlantans have made the mountain fifty percent large than it was when in possession of the Serpent Guild and thus created the lake that is above our heads. The only way in or out of this facility is Conveyance; their much more useful version of Teleportation. This is not common knowledge so do not repeat it to our fellow in-mates. I only told you because it is possible you might have some idea about tunneling out of here. My last piece of advice is to say, do not incite anyone to rebel against authority. Troublemakers are not tolerated here.”

The first law of the Serpent Guild was survival of the fittest. Ferren could see where the second law could be applied to the current set of circumstances. “Adapt to survive, I will keep your advice in mind,” he replied.

Jordan thumped him on the back. “You were living the second law in the alleys of Zoltair well before hearing it formally stated. Adapting to survive in this environment should not be difficult for you.”

“Perhaps not,” Ferren admitted. “When are we allowed to leave our cells?”

“After breakfast, when the worker comes to remove the tray; inform him or her you want to exercise. A Sentinel will eventually arrive and take you to the facility provided for that purpose. I suggest you put to rest any notion people have in their minds of you planning an escape or instigating a riot.”

“I will do as you suggest,” Ferren assured him.

Jordan exited the cell, closing the door behind him.

The talk helped Ferren make up his mind. He retrieved one amulet from the sink-top and placed it against his forehead with the ruby in contact with his flesh.  “Ringhiem, this is Ferren,”

A sense of surprise with a trace of hope came with the words, “Ferret, you are the first Serpent to contact me in days. Are you still on the Geist, that floating nest of Serpents.”

“I was on the Geist,” Ferren replied while sending a feeling of sadness. “It was destroyed yesterday morning. Maestro Benhannon took a full broadside assault without being harmed and then killed everyone aboard. A few of us were off at the time and so sheer luck kept us alive. I have not spoken with any of the survivors since then and am alone at this present time.” Every single word was truthful, but with a deliberate pruning of the facts. Ringhiem had the ability to sense lies.

A feeling of commiseration came ahead of the reply, “We are in a similar set of circumstances. Where are you? Two former Serpents can evade the Eagles and the ISIG better than a cumbersome group, especially two who specialize in obscurity.”

Ferren was not above lying to achieve his goals, especially when he could lie convincingly to an expert at detecting falsehood, but retained a personal code of sorts. “I think it best for now that we not reveal our locations to one another. We both know how Truth Speak works. It is possible either one of us could be compelled to reveal what we know about the other.”

“Alas, it is so. You are the best connected Serpent I know. Is there any Nest still operating?” Ringhiem SeLantee asked without any trace of having sensed deception.

“The Badger is still out there somewhere, but his Nest was violated recently and I hear he escaped with only a small part of the sixty or so Accomplisheds who had affiliated with him. Without telling me your exact location, can I assume you are still hiding in Serinia?”

“Your assumption would not be off the mark,” the Accomplished replied. “I am not surprised so large a group could not stay hidden, too bad for them.”

“Is it difficult eluding the Zeuthans? I know so little about them,” Ferren asked the leading question, steering the subject to where he wanted.

“They are only in control of one major city and have built a seaport on the western shore. It is near the spot Grom Fermin lost his fight with Ginnie Cree of the Seekers. Ferren, the Aakacarns I have observed do not seem to have repertoires. They use weapons similar to those created by Tarin Conn for the commoners to use. I have seen potential focused from rings and staffs, but never yet seen one of those trident-headed spell-casters summon Potential without the devices. Consequently, I do not have near as much to fear from them as I do Agents of the Atlantan Guild or Soarers of the Eagle,” Ringhiem sent along with a sense of safety and contentment in his environment.

Ferren deliberately sent a sense of caution along with the words, “As I said, I know little about the Zeuthans, but I do know a lot about the others. If you encounter Atlantans and surrender or give up without lashing out at them with spells, they will spare your life, and you will probably be sentenced to a long period of incarceration. If you are taken by an Eagle, they will take you back to their guild where you will be tried, sentenced to a certain amount of pain as punishment, and then be put to death.”

It was the sort of sentence he would have pronounced if he had been given the authority to judge his enemies. Fortunately for him, the Maestro did not seem to be quite as harsh as Talmon Reese of the Eagles and certainly a great deal softer than any Serpent Guild judge would be.

“I have no reason to doubt your assessment. I now know which of our enemies would be the most lenient, but prefer not to fall into the hands of either group. If you follow your previous assumption, I could probably find you. The invitation stands,” Ringhiem replied, still giving off the feeling of safety and no trace of suspicion.

“We will stay in touch,” Ferren replied and then moved the amulet away from his forehead, breaking the connection.

When Agent Tell showed up in his cell two days later, he told her everything he learned about the Zeuthans. He had taken Jordan’s advice and exercised on a daily basis and also discouraged any talk of the Ferret seeking escape or plotting an insurrection. He had no way of knowing if the information increased the Maestro’s knowledge of the alien Aakacarns or at best merely confirmed facts previously gleaned from other sources.

While Ferren never betrayed the locations of his informants, he had a part in convincing two of the Accomplisheds, who had given him an amulet, to seek out and surrender to an Agent of the ISIG. Those two had been connected to ten more, which also chose to surrender. All of them had been hiding and too frightened to move and so decided to apply the second law of the Serpent Guild. After that, Agent Tell stopped asking for names and left him to do his work. He hoped her report included his part in the surrenders and was in fact banking on it to help reduce his sentence.

He had eighteen amulets to work with, but once word had gotten out that the Ferret was alive and well, hundreds of Serpent contacted him, all of whom he had given communication devices of his own making in the year past. Most of the Accomplisheds were alone and living in the constant fear of capture, thirty-three of them also surrendered to the ISIG, except Rex. The Badger Guild had gained two more members, bringing the number of his faithful followers to fourteen.

Three months of working contacts produced what Ferren considered to be innocuous facts about the Zeuthans; a warship was sighted here or there, a resistance cell being decimated after attacking Port New Aresia, and sightings of people flying on the backs of giant lizards. He had received numerous confirmations about the average Aakacarn-Nephilim truly having no repertoire of Melodies, a fact he was still scratching his head over.

He learned all life-force initiators were created by highly specialized Musicians, specialists none of his contacts had actually seen, only overheard being talked about. He also learned Imperial Discriminators came in three divisions; Spotters, Reapers, and Investigators. The terms were overheard in whispers and so Ringhiem only knew of their existence, but nothing else. The way Agent Tell’s eyes widened at hearing of Reapers and Investigators and had not reacted at all when he had spoken of the Spotters, led him to conclude she already knew of the latter category but not of the others.

He sat in a courtroom within the subterranean facility and beside four of his surviving ex-crewmates. They had all received eighty-year sentences of incarceration and were to remain Silenced without the possibility of having their repertoires restored. He had just pleaded guilty to the crimes read into the official record by the Maestro, who sat in a chair on a dais.

Ferren and four of his fellow former Serpents were in chairs and surrounded on three sides by Sentinels, although only a truly stupid captive would try to escape with a Seven-bolt Accomplished sitting less than twenty paces away. Sero Bagget and Carlos Tiran were standing on the right and left, respectively, of their leader. Simon Trenca stood unobtrusively a little over to the right. Ferren doubted anyone else had taken notice of the chief-aid’s presence.

Would Benhannon keep his promise? Ferren could only hope so, but could do nothing if the man chose to do otherwise.

“Accomplished Duzolta, you pleaded guilty to all of the charges listed against you, saving us the time it would take to present evidence and witnesses. Your list is much more extensive than that of the other former Serpents present and so the punishment should be greater. You deserve no less than one hundred years of confinement and to remain Silenced for the rest of your life. However, in light of the cooperation you have demonstrated, I will reduce your sentence to seventy years,” the Maestro stated, earning a frown from Tiran.

Ferren could not honestly say he was pleased to be spending the next seven decades in a cell, but admitted it was better than ten or life. Due to Ageless, he would be free twenty-nine years before the aging process would resume and could live another hundred years or so after that.

The Maestro rubbed his head and then stared at Ferren until nodding as if coming to a decision. “From this day forward and in the cases of those adjudicated to date, I am willing in the future to hear appeals for a reduction in the duration of the convict’s sentence. At that time I will take into account behavior and the extent of your continued cooperation.”

“You can’t be serious,” Trenca blurted, drawing everyone’s attention.

The Maestro turned to his chief-aid, “It certainly isn’t a joke. The Swirling of Events has been messing with my head all morning and diminished when the notion of hearing appeals came to me and only stopped when I made the announcement.”

His response made absolutely no sense to Ferren, but it snapped Trenca’s mouth shut. The Two-bolt nodded in acquiesce. The only part Ferren needed to understand was that he and his former associates had just been given hope, no matter how obscure the reason. “Thank you, Maestro, for the ruling,” he spoke up for the second time in the proceeding.

He and his former associates were being escorted to the exercise-room and all of them were staring at Ferren with evil eyes. They had to be wondering what kind of cooperation earned him a lighter sentence than theirs. Duggan was big and strong enough to snap his neck in an eye-blink and probably would do so if not for the presence of a squad of Sentinels. No prisoner dared to grab at the nightsticks attached to their belts. The spell within the device would render the recipient unconscious for a day and the weapon could also be used as a club.

Tigress, Duggan, Dawill, and Coultrane would not attack him overtly in front of the guards, but that did not mean they were incapable of staging a fatal accident. Ferren thought it best to ask one of the Sentinels to escort him back to his cell, but before he could get the words out, someone he had not expected to see was coming toward him from the opposite direction. Kala Warner, who as all female Sentinels, wore her dark hair in a single braid hanging below her helmet, was escorting a short-stocky man in black silks, and it was he whose presence had shut Ferren’s mouth.

“Ferret,” Philimin Baannan, called out, “When did they catch you?” The One-bolt Accomplished asked.

“He was caught a little over three months ago,” Ana Tigress answered before Ferren could get then words out.

The Demfilian-born Accomplished frowned and his bright blue eyes seemed to narrow as they fixed on the man he had been in contact with for months. “All this time you have been a captive of the Atlantans and pretending otherwise. It was you who persuaded me to seek out an agent of the ISIG and surrender. Eight of my associates have also surrendered because I believed what you said about the Atlantans and the second law of the Serpent Guild. How many of us have you duped into surrendering?”

Kim let out a bitter chuckle. “At least now we know what earned him the reduced sentence.”

Ursula Duggan moved closer to him but a quick shake of Sentinel Warner’s head made the muscular woman step back, but did not stop her tongue. “Ferren, I did not expect this from you. It is out of character.”

“I am an Aakademned with a certain amount of freewill along with some very specific restrictions. I cannot betray or bring harm to Maestro Benhannon or anyone related or associated with him. He assigned me the task of finding everything I can about the Zeuthans,” Ferren confessed and noted the Sentinels had stopped and were listening to him every bit as intently as his fellow convicts.

Philimin scratched his chin. “That explains why you always asked about the foreigners.”

“I never revealed the identities or whereabouts of my informants. You know I told you specifically not to give me your location,” Ferren stated.

“That is also true, but all that talk about adapting to survive and surrendering to the Atlantans being better than being caught by a Soarer smacks of betrayal to me,” the blue-eyed man replied. “Is any of it true, will Maestro Benhannon be more lenient in his sentencing than Maestro Reese?”

The former member of the Eagle Guild knew the penalty awaiting him in Aakadon.

“He did not lie to you about that,” Dawill stated. “We have all just been sentenced to decades of incarceration. To my knowledge, no former Serpent has been sentenced to death, and the only ones killed were those who put up a fight rather than surrender peaceably.”

“I did not lie to him at all. Kept back parts of the truth, yes, but uttered no outright lies,” Ferren said in defense of his actions. “That being so, I confess to encouraging people to surrender so the Maestro would give me a reduced sentence. He kept his deal with me and that means you all have reason to trust he will hear your future appeals for a reduced sentence, depending on your behavior and level of cooperation.”

”Adapt to survive,” Ana stated the second rule. “Now that I know what the Maestro means by cooperation, I can see why you did what you did and how to improve my own situation.”

“He did not use Condemnation on us,” Ursula probably had a point to make in stating what the others already knew. “Is it because we surrendered and you put up a fight?”

Ferren nodded, “I have absolutely no doubt he wanted to kill me. I could see it in his eyes. The Aakasear brought me to the brink of death and then used Restoration, a modification of Condemnation, to remake me into what you see. I am the only exception he made to the rule of killing those who put up a fight.”

“Why is that?” Kim Coultrane wanted to know.

Ferren gave the question some thought. “I am beginning to think the reason is just as obscure as the answer he gave his chief-aid. We know events swirled around Tarin Conn and something similar seems to still be happening around Maestro Benhannon. Beyond the phenomena, I have no idea but am grateful it contributed to him sparing my life and providing a way to reduce the length of my sentence.”

“It seems the Ferret has found a way for all of us to shorten our sentences. I can easily adapt to an environment that holds the promise of eventual freedom,” Duggan told everyone, which meant she was probably abandoning any plan that would have resulted in Ferren having a fatal accident.

“Cooperating seems to have worked out well for Simms and SuCalla. That Serinian attached herself to the Ducaunan when they were Talenteds and the both of them have adapted to survive events that killed far more powerful Accomplisheds,” Dawill stated. “Following their example might pay off for the rest of us.”

“And any of you choosing to be disruptive would reap the same rewards as those more powerful Accomplisheds you just mentioned,” Sentinel Warner interrupted. “Squad, get these convicts to the exercise-room. I have a captive to process. Move it people!”

Ferren double-timed it down the hall right alongside the Sentinels and his former associates of the Serpent Guild. He still resented having any restrictions, but had the hope of improving his situation. Even so, his mind began pondering the meaning of words. Against, betray, and harm, there had to be intent to do those things. As long as he intended no harm to Maestro Benhannon, it seemed to Ferren the ends would justify the means, leaving him more room to work around the compulsions. After all, it would be a shame to waist the skills he had developed as a follower of Tarin Conn. Ferren served a new Aakasear, but nothing else had truly changed.

-----

Shreve Deraagor, of the Dukedom of Aphrosia, a nine and a half foot tall Imperial Reaper, entered the secluded garden, and made his way through the blossoming fruit trees to the fountain where his County Director was sitting on a bench. Beside him was a tea-set for two. Both Reapers were wearing the scarlet-wool hooded-cloak and matching blouse and pants of their profession, although neither had brought their scythes.

Gavin El Faloon always wore his eight-sided silver badge of office, in the center of which was a golden scythe with a ruby blade. He stood with an obviously forced smile on his face. “I am glad you came.”

Shreve gave a nod of respect due a superior and replied, “Such invitations are rare, seeing as this is the place you go to meditate, and anyone who transgresses here had best have an invitation or a very good reason.”

El Faloon’s smile seemed to turn into something resembling genuine. “It is true, but I sent for you here out of respect. You and I have been on many harvests together, bringing in designated crops, and our garners are full of merits.”

Shreve actually had more merits in his garner, even though currently one in ten of his successes earned a merit to the superior, and he would have the man’s position if Gavin had not been noble-born. They both had silver tridents and were in their forties, although the director was three years older, and his color change occurred a year before Shreve’s Potential grew beyond a bronze. “We have filled a good many warrants, I agree. So what will it be, capture, kill, or is it a capture or kill warrant?”

Gavin shook his head good-naturedly. “You always follow the letter of the warrant, but when the option is capture or kill, you rarely bring in the crop alive. Most Reapers from Aphrosia only kill when warranted or in self-defense, and usually capture when given the option.”

Shreve looked the blue-eyed man from the dukedom of Zefalum in the eyes. “I have no compassion for malcontents, rabble-rousers, or non-conformists. I have never failed to deliver a warranted crop and that means my record is spotless, with not a single demerit.” He knew it was an unusual attitude for one born in a dukedom specializing in healing spells.

El Faloon nodded his head. “You always fill the warrant, which is one of the reason I respect you enough to meet here. Please, sit, and have some tea.”

Shreve sat down as requested. Four sugar cubes were on a small plate beside the steeping pot and a pitcher of cream. He took a deep breath. “The aroma of citrus blossoms is quite pleasant,” he remarked and gestured with a swing of his right arm at the surrounding trees.”

Gavin’s gaze followed the sweep of the hand and Shreve chose that moment to scoop up the four sugar cubes with his left hand while dropping two of his own cubes onto the plate. He then dropped two of the four in his hand into his cup just as the director’s gaze returned in time to see him do so.

“I know you like two, as do I,” El Faloon stated confidently while dropping the two substituted cubes into his cup. “And I agree it is best to drop them in first and then poor the tea,” he added and then filled both cups, leaving just enough room for a spot of cream in each.

Shreve stirred the brew with the silver spoon and then took a sip. “Good tea,” he complimented genuinely. “To what do I owe this honor?”

The County Director of Reapers drank about a third of his tea and then rested the cup on his knee. “Eight days ago, when word of the opportunity came, I encouraged you to apply for a position among the Reapers going to New Aresia.”

Shreve nodded affirmatively. “You did and I took the advice and am waiting to hear the official response.”

Gavin took another sip of his tea. “Consider this official notice. Ten County Directors and sixteen Investigators applied for the same open position and you came in second.”

Shreve’s contacts had already informed him of the decision and who had been chosen. He lost out for the same reason he was not the current County Director of Reapers. “May I know who edged me out of the position?” He asked as if he did not know.

El Faloon drank the rest of his tea and swallowed harder than mere liquid would require, as if concerned about offending an inferior. “I am going to be the one awarded the position.” His pink complexion reddened with inward tension.

Shreve merely raised his left eyebrow and Gavin quickly added, “My first thought when I heard about the opportunity was that it would be a good way to secure my position and feed your ambitions.”

“Your first thought was correct, as your first instincts usually are. What made you change your mind?” Shreve responded in a reasonable tone.

“My instinct was to send you in a different direction. We both know how few opportunities come along. We are as far as we can go. The Area Directors above us are all Golds and could live for decades. There is no room for advancement. You practically leaped up in rank as the people above you either failed to fulfill their warrants, earning too many demerits from their garners, or died in the harvesting of their crops,” Gavin explained his reasons for wanting a successful rival out of the way. “We both have similar talents and the rate at which our Potentials grow seems to be about the same. Our growth rates are above the norms, very few Nephilim attain a silver trident before the sixth decade if ever. My noble lineage is the only reason I have my position. All it would take for you to supplant me is for your trident to turn gold. I made the suggestion to get you off my heels.”

Shreve nodded, having made the calculations well before anyone ever heard of a continent on the other side of the world. “I figured as much, but why did you apply after encouraging me to do so?”

Gavin shrugged his shoulders. “I had second thoughts. The chances I would be selected were very good. Only one person, and he from the Dukedom of Wran-Ra will be above me, and I will be one step from being the Area Prime with the potential to become a Regional Prime. The opportunity only comes once in a lifetime and I had to seize it. Both of us gain by this. I will soon be promoted and you will become the new county director, thus both of us win. The solution serves both of our ambitions,” he finished and coughed.

“I understand,” Shreve assured his rival.

The director smiled. “I must say, you are taking this news far better than I imagined. We worked together enough in the past for me to know you do not give up easily or react well to obstacles in your way.”

“I know you well enough to know you always have second thoughts and that this isolated place is also for delivering bad news,” Shreve replied, and smiled when his rival coughed again. “My potion-initiator rings allow me to whip up all sorts of useful brews, some of which aid me in capturing a crop, and others are meant for healing. Only a Musician of Aphrosia can make new potion-initiator rings, but I am highly skilled at whipping up ordinary potions, especially using my rings in ways few others have thought of.”

Gavin’s right hand moved up to his heart. “Are you planning on eliminating me?” He extended his left hand as if preparing to initiate a spell from one of the rings, but then blinked and shook his head as if having trouble staying focused enough to cast a spell.

Shreve shook his head. “I am planning on doing nothing. The seeds of your demise were planted by your own hand,” he replied and then showed him the two gold rings on his middle finger. “This one with the ruby can be used to make a potion that paralyzes the limbs and neck of a person. It is used when the patient must remain completely still and by me as a means to incapacitate a warranted crop. This ring with the emerald can create a potion that stimulates the heart. It is used to keep a patient’s heart beating. With these two rings and a few plants I mixed in to add the desired effect, I brewed a potion that paralyzes the heart. The second ring on my right pinky creates sugar cubes. It seems silly, I know, but we found that patients will eagerly take healing potions that actually taste good.” He allowed the real sugar cubes to drop from his hand onto the bench.

Gavin glanced at his empty cup. “I s-should have stayed with my first th-thought,” he stuttered and shook his head. “Even if you g-get away w-with this, you st-still will be under Releaus Ra, a n-noble and bearer of a gold tr-trident.”

Shreve nodded agreement with his rival. “Yes, you should have followed your first instinct. As to the obstacle you mentioned, of the fifty-one Reapers going to New Aresia, I will be second in command and by the time we reach our destination, there will be only fifty Reapers and only one of them qualified to be the Area Prime.”

By his calculations, his rival could no longer speak and the grimace meant El Faloon’s heart was beginning to seize up. “I had hoped you knew enough not to become an obstacle to my ambitions, against which I tolerate no restrictions. It was only at that point your death had become necessary,” he stated as Gavin’s eyes glazed over in death.

-----     

Johan El Marzon was in the study formerly belonging to the king of Serinia and sitting at his desk. The walls behind and in front of Johan had cedar shelves full of books. To his right was a window giving a bird’s eye view of Polen Tare and the small fleet of Zeuthan warships at anchor and or docked at a port which spread about seven miles along the east coast.

Shrimp-boats, lobster-boats, and fishing-boats continued to ply their trades, which helped the local economy to a degree. The catches were sold at markets and food supplied to the citizens, inns, and eateries. He desired all the Anakim of Serinia to work at their trades, supplying the basic needs of the population, and so encouraged all such activity, while stamping down hard on rabble-rousers, any sort of disorderly conduct, and the inevitable fools attempting to rise above the stations naturally determined at birth.

The Serinian Lords of Commerce and their merchant fleets had fled to Lobenia, taking their gold with them, and leaving the harbors under Johan’s control mostly deserted. The images on the coins would have been meaningless in Zeutha but their weight in gold would have been well received, after Johan had taken his share of course. Sending the precious shipment along with the reports would have helped to bolster approval of his leadership at the highest levels.

The troublesome kingdom on the southwest coast of the continent used their war-boats to escort the freighters sailing out of the Serinian ports that had not yet been brought into subjection and the fact was galling. The entire island should have been his to rule months ago, but the encounter with Maestro Benhannon instilled a degree of caution that slowed the time-table considerably.

The Lobenian war-boats were escorted by at least one Wager-class patrol-boat and no one knew how many of those cursed modulidae rays. The unique and demonstrably dangerous vessels could be anywhere beneath the waves at any given time.

The imperial response to his request for additional forces gave him confidence he could take on the Atlantan Guild, but would not be enough to defeat the forces of Aakadon. Considering the hidden bomb field of Zeuthan politics, the response meant he had to tread carefully or risk having his plans ruined from that direction.

The current view was of nine Majestics, three Imperial Grands, and five Carriers; each, seven hundred feet long, with a crew of fifty Anakim and thirty Nephilim. The transporters had no aquatubes, but did bristle with the smaller aqua-droplet launchers built into and surrounding the central-castle. The hulls were titanium and the huge paddlewheel at the stern was capable of pushing the vessel at a cruising speed of thirty-five nautical miles per hour. Phodons circled and some perched on the mast at the bow and Dactyls used the one at the stern, either group ready to carry messages or packages as required by their wranglers.

Johan never allowed an obstacle to stand in his way for long; he would go through, over, under, or around, but always moved forward in the advancement of his goals. The time for boldness had arrived and the meeting about to take place would determine the level to be employed.

His cousin, Aaron, stood in front of the desk and to the right. The wrinkles in his normally smooth brow were indications of the fact that he also took no pleasure in seeing the three extra Carriers at the docks. “I suppose this day was inevitable. The eleven other dukedoms, represented by each of my fellow captains of Imperial Grands, would want to capitalize on your achievement. The other ships would naturally place resting-platforms for their own Dactyls to use during the long journey to their home dactylaries. There is no way to stop such messages from being sent.”

The man had earned the command of the newest Imperial Grand, created a mere fifty years ago, when as First Officer he completed a vital mission Captain Lo Carnen would have commanded had he not been found guilty of Malcontent with his natural-born status as an Anakim. The people of the Imperial Dukedom were notoriously less tolerant with malcontents than any other realm within the empire, they being zealous to set the proper example.

   Johan nodded, even though he knew the presence of extra Carriers meant far more than the captain of the Lucia apparently believed. “Their arrival was inevitable after our first reports six months ago of a successful mission in discovering not only the source of the Spell Surges rippling through the world and the existence of this Island Kingdom, but of an entire continent full of Anakim and Nephilim. My second report describing the easy defeat of the monarch of this realm virtually insured the other participating dukedoms would want a share in the spoils. However, I did not foresee Reapers and Investigators being dispatched that were not subject to Duke El Quaren.”

Aaron took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. “I suppose we should be pleased the Spotters are all Aresian and will be working to find Nephilim among the locals. Each Initiate will be credited to Aresia and be in service to you.”

“You suppose correctly. The Reapers and Investigators are of mixed heritage and the Spotters could have been as well. The fact that they are all Aresian is an indicator of the emperor’s continued favor,” Johan explained and glanced at the door. “Have the Musician and Chief-Spotter entered the palace yet?”

“They are outside in the hall and awaiting your pleasure,” the Captain of the Lucia replied while moving toward the door. He stopped and turned with his hand on the latch. “Should I let them in?”

“You should,” Johan affirmed.

The pair of Aresian Nephilim, each eight feet seven inches in height, entered and came to stand before the desk while Aaron remained at the door. The Musician had a baton at his waist and an instrument-case strapped to his back. Every finger had two rings. His fuchsia silk cloak with red and black trim matched his blouse and pants. His brown hair was streaked with gray and the silver trident in the middle of his forehead explained why he had volunteered to make the long journey. Opportunities for advancement came seldom in the College of Musicians in Mars, the capital of Aresia, and Johan’s discovery had opened up nearly unlimited prospects for ambitious individuals to take advantage of. The fact that a man of his sixty years and Potential was still a Musician and not a Master-Musician or a Musician-Conductor spoke volumes about the how seldom openings for advancement came along.

The Spotter’s wool coat and pants were in shades of gray, with the darker accentuating the lighter. A black shirt, belt, and shoes completed the outfit tailored to her womanly shape. Her green eyes were the same as those of the Musician and even though the female Nephilim was thirty years younger, she evidently shared the virtue of ambition. She had the same number of rings on her fingers, but it was the pendant with a sapphire in the center that identified her profession even more than the clothing. Status, the Melody infused in the gemstone, discriminated between an Anakim and a Nephilim, and did so by creating a trident on the forehead of the person possessing ever-increasing life-force Potential. The amber on her forehead indicated her rate of growth in Potential was progressing well within the norms of her age-group, always a good sign.

Johan considered ambition to be a virtue and well understood the motivations of the two Nephilim standing before him, having accepted the mission for exactly the same reason; opportunity. His older paternal cousin, Count Rufus El Marzon, ruled one of many counties within the Dukedom of Aresia and Johan ruled one of many districts within that county. His prospects for advancement were slim in Zeutha, but were abundant where he currently sat. He was on the verge of ruling an area equal to the size of Aresia, although Serinia was longer and narrower. Johan would of course be ruling in the name of his cousin, who ruled in the name of Duke El Quaren, who ruled in the name of the Grand Duke of Carnen; Rollen El Zeuller, the Emperor of Zeutha.

Before introductions could be made, a chime sounded an unfamiliar and yet pleasant melody; signaling someone outside desired entrance. Johan nodded to his cousin, who opened the door. In walked a nine and a half foot tall Reaper and an Investigator who stood six inches shorter. The first had a Silver trident on his forehead and the other possessed rings and a staff only a Silver and above would dare to wield and yet the skin of his forehead bore no sign of his rank. The man’s trident was obviously being hidden by a life-force initiator; perhaps one of his rings gave the illusion of unblemished flesh. The face shown to the public might or might not be his true visage, but probably was his own for the purpose of first introduction.

The scarlet-wool hooded-cloak and matching blouse and pants worn by the taller man declared his profession nearly as clearly as the spell-hardened ebony scythe in his right hand. The blade-shaped ruby contained a Melody that could take a slice out of a titanium hull and the rings on his fingers were infused with spells related to the capturing or killing of his designated crop.

The shorter man, who was four inches taller than Johan, had on a teal suit that made him appear to be a lord or successful merchant. Anyone born in Zeutha would know the cut and fit to be worthy of the high-born, and would also instantly recognize his profession by the color. Anyone bold enough to put on the teal should expect to be taken into custody for questioning and soon regret the experience.

Johan estimated the two men to be in their forties, as was he and Aaron, but other than that they had nothing else in common with the pair of Nephilim; one from the Dukedom of Ra-Anan, with a dark complexion that stood out in a room full of Aresians, and the taller one from the Dukedom of Aphrosia with chalky white skin and amber eyes.

The captain of the Lucia began making the introductions, “Vice-Count Johan El Marzon, I present to you; Musician Stephenus Sandaboll, Area Lead Spotter Loraina Marshaant, Reaper-Area Director Shreve Deraagor, and Prime Regional Investigator, Amin El Seti.”

Those would all be recent promotions to offices created to service the realms to be annexed into the empire, starting with Serinia. Sandaboll, the only one not promoted, had to be wondering why a Musician had been requested. The man must suspect the reason or he would not have volunteered.

“I am pleased to meet you and also by the fact that your teams stand ready to help me advance the rule of the empire,” Johan stated formally.

Tutun El Seti was currently the most powerful count in the Dukedom of Ra-Anan and so it was good to keep in mind the Investigator was a close relative to one so powerful.

Amin nodded his head slightly, as was fitting when addressing a near equal, but superior authority. Like most of his countrymen, he had shaved off his hair, and not just from his head. Body shaving was a custom dating back thousands of years before the ancestors of Zeus created the empire. The descendants of Ra had been the last independent realms to be annexed into the Dukedoms of Zeutha and the men of Wran-Ra and Ra-Anan continued the custom.

“The Grand Duke of Carnen, Rollen El Zeuller, the Emperor of Zeutha, has tasked me with bestowing upon you a new title. You are henceforth no longer a vice-count, but have been elevated to Viceroy of New Aresia, formally known as Serinia.”

Johan was pleased by the news. He had not only risen above his peers, he had skipped above all of the counts and stood only slightly below Duke El Quaren in authority, and yet his joy was tempered by the fact that the response to his request for a thousand Nephilim had been altered. “I am honored and humbled by my Emperor’s favor. Is this why you came with twenty-four Carriers instead of two and eleven thousand more Nephilim than I asked of my duke?”

Amin’s lips cracked into a knowing smile as if he had anticipated that very question. “The last report received from you was of course published to His Imperial Highness and each duke of the twelve realms involved with the mission you have been leading so well. You already have at your disposal the ten thousand Anakim that came on the Carriers initially requisitioned, yet later requested a thousand Nephilim to help in bringing this kingdom of Anakim into full subjection. You also reported how the Nephilim on the continent have been interfering with what, up until a few months ago, was a remarkably successful military campaign. In light of this new development and in the spirit of cooperation, each of the dukedoms has honored your request and so now you have twelve thousand Nephilim at your command.”

Johan nodded acknowledgement. “I see, thank you for making clear to me the reason for what would otherwise be an overwhelming response.”

The point had been made clearly. The newly discovered continent had twelve kingdoms and each participating duke wanted one and the emperor wanted all to be subject to him. Johan never did figure on claiming the entire continent, except in a few whimsical moments, and so it was only the timing that surprised him. He idly wondered if the ten dukes and the Duchess of Maarcia selected which kingdom would be their province.

“Of course,” Amin held up his hand. “I and my team will learn everything there is to know about the continental Nephilim, especially the Chief Conductors they refer to as Maestros, and particularly Daniel Benhannon; the one named prominently in your latest report.”

“That would be helpful,” Johan replied. “There is much we still do not know about the Nephilim of this realm and I welcome your efforts to correct the lack.”

Amin glanced at Reaper Deraagor before making a reply. “Be assured my investigation will be thorough and there is no one beyond the reach of Imperial Reapers.”

Aaron smiled. “Benhannon and his associates will not be so arrogant after learning what it means to be the subjects of such dedicated Imperial Discriminators.”

He did not realize the problem with Investigators, especially those not loyal to the same dukedom; they did not always know when to quit. Fortunately, Johan was still in favor and had kept his ambitions well within the expected norm. He needed to be careful, yet had nothing to fear, and yet had to keep in mind imperial eyes would be on his every move.

“With your leave,” Amin directed his words to Johan. “I will go and begin my investigation.”

“By all means,” Johan replied, “I look forward to hearing your reports.”

“I must go settle in the rest of my team,” Deraagor spoke up in a deathly quiet voice that drew the attention as effectively as a shout. His amber eyes seemed to glow with menace, but probably only seemed so in contrast to his black hair and chalk-white skin.

“Certainly, see to your team,” Johan told him and watched as the Reaper and Investigator exited the study.

The Aresian Musician and Spotter remained. Aaron shut the door and then stood beside the pair. “Your plan to systematically take this land through the interior should go much smoother and quicker with an army of Nephilim at your back, especially with Nephilim of Metrena to speed up work on the rail system. You can conquer the whole island without risking a single ship,” the captain stated in a voice that sounded less sure on the last sentence.

He clearly did not approve of the navy being left out of the conquest and would never want anyone anywhere to have the impression imperial ships held back as if intimidated by a superior foe.

Johan waved his hand, symbolically pushing away his cousin’s concern. “Yes, the additional troops will speed up the process of expanding my rule, and the Nephilim of Metrena will make it possible to move our troops from Port New Aresia to Polen Tare through the interior all the sooner. The many paved roads created by the Serinians will be incorporated by the builders and the fully completed rail system will encompass the island, giving me the ability to project power wherever needed in a swift and timely manner”

Aaron nodded and his frown deepened. “What role will the navy have?”

“The time to move with extreme caution ended when the reinforcements arrived, they were all I was waiting for, and came in a far greater number than I expected.  The navy shall have a part to play. Keljun Soon’s allies will try to place troops in Serinia,” Johan paused, “in New Aresia,” he corrected, “and those transports will have to get past our imperial warships. No one, least of all the Atlantan Guild, should mistake my cautious approach over these last months for lack of resolve or fear of retaliation. In a matter of hours I will have thirty-nine more Carriers with no passengers aboard. It seems to me it would be a terrible waste of resources if I leave them in Port New Aresia. I would much rather have those vessels on this coast.”

Aaron smiled, catching on quickly with how well such resources could be used. “I agree. Those ships would be much more useful on the east coast, particularly the southern portion facing Lobenia.”

“You requested a Musician,” Sandaboll stated in a tone that held a note of question.

Military matters seldom concerned the people who infused Melodies into life-force energy initiators. The Melody performers focused on their specialties to the exclusion of nearly all else, probably because blowing a wrong note often resulted in severe injury or death.

“I had it in mind to use my authority as a vice-count and leader of this campaign to open a College of Musicians on this side of the ocean. Now, by my recent promotion, as Viceroy of New Aresia, I am naming you Chief Conductor of the college,” Johan replied. “You will have to sift through the Initiates our Spotters bring in for any individuals with the necessary talent to become Musicians, but I believe anyone with the ambition to make the long voyage here must possess the necessary pioneer spirit. Am I wrong?”

The Musician stroked his beard. “Two musicians do not a symphony make, but no, you are not wrong. My cousin and I will build the college one Novice at a time. I, Stephenus Sandaboll, accept the honor of being both Master-Musician and Chief Conductor.”

The same individual did not always carry both titles in a College of Musicians, but in the present case the self-promotion was fitting.

“What of you and your Fifty Spotters?” Aaron asked of the Imperial Discriminator.

Marshaant acknowledged the Captain’s question with a glance and then fixed her gaze on the one in authority. “We are here to serve the viceroy and will do so to the best of our abilities. I believe we can be even more successful if certain parameters are broadened. Currently we only test children up to the age five; our success rate makes it impractical to test older children, but that may not apply here where the margin of error is so huge. In Zeutha the candidates have certain rights. We cannot barge in on a woman giving birth. We cannot focus Status on an individual without first obtaining permission of a parent or a duly recognized representative of the under-aged, and a Spotter cannot steal a candidate from another Spotter. Drudges of course do not count unless they are a spouse of an Anakim or a concubine of a Nephilim. The continental Nephilim must have spotters to help them discriminate between an Anakim and a Nephilim and so there is a question of how the law applies to them. Also, no parent in Zeutha refuses Status to be used on their children and so the question is a mere technicality. Who would want to be regarded as an Anakim when he or she is truly a Nephilim?” She asked the question and then turned to Aaron. “No offense meant to you Captain Lo Marzon.”

“None taken, “Aaron graciously replied.

“What I want to know is; since no one in the general population of this realm is a citizen of the empire, do the laws apply to them?” The Spotter asked an important question.

Johan gave the matter some thought and after a few minutes of careful deliberation, meaning he did not believe his decision would reflect badly in an Investigator’s report, he answered, “There are no Drudges on this side of the world to be male or female concubines, so that situation is not relevant.  You and your Spotters cannot steal candidates from one another, other than that, you have absolutely no restrictions in regard to identifying and obtaining Initiates from anyone else anywhere you choose to look.”

Chapter Nine: Tridents

Daniel stood deep in the bowels of the Cantankerin and in front of one of two palm-sized topaz stones mounted on a two-person console that was part of the drive system. The entire compartment was pristine white and illumined by a globe of light floating near the center of the ceiling. Beside him was a tank of what would normally be fresh water, no doubt to keep the two crewmembers from dehydrating. Currently, saltwater filled the container. The liquid was the only remaining sign the vessel had been salvaged from the bottom of the Serinian Channel.

The hood of his cloak was back, pressed flat by the trident-crescendo with diamond points he created a month earlier. A snap holster kept the weapon in place and mostly out of his way, although the stiff golden shaft limited his range of movement slightly. He could pull the trident from his back in an instant and snap it back in place equally as fast, although had not yet used the device. He only wore the thing in an attempt to fulfill Silvia’s vision of him bearing the trident in the sight of the high and low. He had not checked with her but hoped it counted as bearing the trident and thus ensure he would not die anytime soon. The spelled-gold was as hard as Zunean steel; otherwise the shaft would be too soft and useless as a weapon. Even though the trident was mostly for show, he wanted the weapon to be fully functional. Sero had offered to bear the huge energy amplifier, but the Vision had indicated Daniel had to be the bearer.

His head tingled continually, differing with intensity from mark to mark. There was one low and persistent urge to convey elsewhere with no particular destination in mind. He could not shake away the notion there was a place or places he needed to be. The sense of having multiple chores to complete nagged at him as well, yet he had no idea what those tasks were. He could, to a degree, shove those urges and impulses into a compartment in his mind, leaving him free to concentrate on the task at hand, but had not been successful in ignoring the sensations completely.

Leah Barryn was giving him and the Conductors of the Atlantan Guild, along with his non-Aakacarn commanders, a tour of the vessel she had been studying. Her silver belt had a gold buckle, but otherwise her raiment was like those of the other guild members. The Ecoppian-born First Accomplished was darkly pretty and always composed herself with royal dignity, even though she was not related to the ruling family. She literally saw eye to eye with her Maestro, equaling in him height, but with a statuesque - womanly form that drew the eyes of even happily-married men; those who were not wise enough to recognize her as being an Aakacarn. Her bejeweled communication array had a double row of gems. “A pair of Nephilim work in shifts to feed Potential into the drive system,” she was explaining.

The tour had been thorough and proceeded nicely, but Daniel wanted to learn more than what met the eyes, and decided he needed to place a hand on the console and do some spell-casting.

He had increased to twelve the number of harmony lines to most of the spells in his repertoire back when he was living on borrowed life-force energy and later doubled the lines. Each Symphonic in his mind had the first and second-chair parts for multiple instruments; trumpets, Serinian horns, flutes, guitarns, vyolins, cellos, chimes, and even drums of treble and bass. His mother had taught him to play the guitarn and his mind easily could add a six note chord to any melody, which complimented his talent as an Aakasear. Mentally adding a chorded rhythm to a Melody made performing a piece a little harder, adding six more lines to each of those compositions doubled the level of difficulty, and doubling those required that much more concentration.

Using a Melody was a far simpler way to summon life-force energy, so were his previous compositions, but the musically expanded Symphonics required far less potential than the originals and gave him the ability to summon and focus the energy so fine he was sure no one could sense when he was doing so, as long as he was careful. Casting too many spells or summoning more than a trickle of Potential accumulatively would be noticed by any Aakacarn in his vicinity.

Leah had shown him and the others most of the salvaged Majestic and since he wanted to know more, he summoned the potential for What Is This; to see the subsystems of what everything was made of, Find All; to identify everything aboard the ship, and Fashioning; to learn the layout. After the Da Capos were in place, all he had to do was press his palm on the drive console.

He did so and energy for the spells trickled out of him, slowly spreading his awareness throughout the Cantankerin, reaching into every room, including the galley, captain and crews mess, and sleeping quarters. His cognizance moved through every passage, gangway, and bulkhead, even into the bilges. Slowly he learned every nook and cranny, substances used in the making of the ship, the subsystems with their tiny worlds and moons, and each person standing around him, no one else was aboard the vessel. He could also sense the life-force energy within the gemstones on devices scattered about the ship, but not the actual Melodies that initiated the Potential. Other than being half the size, the Majestic was similar to the Imperial Grand, except for the number of lizard towers and aqua-tubes.

He was surprised to learn the aqua-tube in the turret at the bow was not made of metal; it was made of spell-bonded pearls, a method used in the construction of the gemstone buildings in Aakadon. If the Zeuthans did not have spells like Daniel’s Symphonics, Hunger and Change It; which duplicated and could increase the size of the object of focus, then the cost of collecting enough pearls to bond and shape them into a tube of such proportions would be enormous.

“These drive units have only Melodies in the gems, which means the individuals supplying the life-force potential do so without the benefit of amplification. I have not yet seen a crescendo working in tandem with an amulet on this ship,” Franklin Togan stated. He had not seen any before Daniel developed the process and yet had become so adept at creating them it no doubt seemed strange to see an amulet without a crescendo attached.

The Three-bolt Accomplished, of Serinian birth, served as Conductor of the Department of Design and Development. His beard always remained neatly trimmed. It was the color that changed from day to day; bright orange yesterday, purple today, and tomorrow he may choose pink or blue, whatever color appealed to him upon waking. The man was a decade younger than Martin and could pass for a person of no more than forty years of age. It was not surprising for him to be among the first to make the observation, although Daniel reckoned Simon, who was standing quietly off to the side, had already noted the fact.

“Apparently the innovation of adding a crescendo to the amulet has not yet happened in Zeutha,” Martin Varroon, a former Oceanic of the Aqua Guild, stated a conclusion that was likely correct.

The Conductor of the Department of Education and Research had hair and a beard that were as dark as his skin. The tall man, born in the northern kingdom of Ecoppia, reminded Daniel of Terroll Barnes. The Four-bolt Accomplished was also the oldest member of the guild, one hundred fifty-six years of age.

While everyone was discussing whether or not the Zeuthans even had class one crescendos, Daniel decided to use Fashioning to make some alterations to the five hundred-pace long vessel. He mentally performed the Symphonic, Hunger, to draw the little worlds with their tiny moons from other sources. No matter what people thought, he could not make something from nothing; .not yet anyway.

The first change he had in mind was the color. Reaching with his free hand into his cloak, he touched a blue sapphire and then through Fashioning, Change It, and Hunger, transformed the white hull into a seamless gem with the hardness of titanium, and then touched the pearl in his pocket, turning all of the rails and trimmings into pearl to match the aqua-tube, and making them as hard as the hull. The extra substance required had been drawn from the lizard towers, which no longer existed, and water from Crescent Bay, where the ship currently floated after Leah and her team raised it to the surface.

On both sides of the bow he formed the name, TRIDENT, and then created an actual trident, three times the size of the one on his back, within the sapphire hull right under the name. The letters, CANTANKERIN, vanished from the stern.

The completion came with a sense of satisfaction, and yet his quiet labor had not decreased the tingling in his head, not even slightly. He had hoped converting the vessel would count as a completed chore, one that at least contributed toward his continued survival. Evidently not all notions that entered his head were related to the Swirling of Events, which only made identifying a whim from what absolutely needed to be done extremely difficult. His appointed role in life did not come with a list of instructions, leaving him to rely on instincts and the obscure viewings of Seers in order to figure out how to proceed.

“Come this way and I will take you to the turret,” Leah interrupted his pondering and the conversations among the tour group.

Daniel ended his spell-casting and released the Da Capos, having learned everything he needed to know for the moment and deciding to make further alterations as time permitted. No one seemed to notice his having cast a series of spells in their presence.

His chief-aid walked beside him and the Conductors followed their Maestro as the First Accomplished led the way.

Daniel’s life had become too unpredictable after Ruth’s revelation concerning the inward swirling of events for him to bring his daughter on any of his outings. No one knew when he would get the sudden urge to Convey elsewhere and taking her into the unknown was too great a risk, especially when his own survival was uncertain.

“I suspect you appreciate the drive system that can move this ship at more than fifty spans per hour. You were the first to create a paddlewheel-propelled vessel,” Samuel Cresh commented, and in doing so brought Daniel’s thoughts back to the present.

Simon, who had been staring at Leah’s back and perhaps admiring the view, spared a single glance behind at the former Teki. “The Zeuthan design is on the same principals, but on a larger scale, and yet has the same problem Daniel’s jets of air eliminated. For the record, I was the first to make a paddlewheel-propelled vessel on this side of the ocean but it seems to me the people of Zeutha have been making them for years, perhaps decades or more.”

“You are probably right about that, but I do not see a problem with the propulsion system,” Sam replied and then shook his head as it dawned on him what that problem might be. “The grease, the axils require constant lubrication to keep from heating up.”

Simon nodded. “Right, friction is the problem. If our Maestro approves the project, I would recommend he lose the paddlewheels in favor of six jets of air.”

“Six?” Sam’s eyebrows arched up questioningly.

“Four in the rear to push this massive ship forward and two at the front for reverse propulsion. I estimated, given the weight to be moved, the improvement would triple the current cruising speed, and the titanium hull should be able to withstand the increased stresses the higher velocity creates,” Simon answered, while his eyes remained on Leah.

“I would approve of that kind of modification,” Jeremiah Lassiter spoke from directly behind Samuel.

The Conductor of the Defense Department, whose mother was an Ecoppian and his father a Taracopian; both long dead of old age, had skin the shade of his mother and yet his delicate facial features were more like those of a person born in Taracopa. He had three golden lightning bolts on his shoulders.

“How many Sentinels would it take to adequately crew this vessel?” Chas Herling wanted to know.

He had a thin clean-shaven face that was paler than that of an average Ducaunan, and yet was typical for a man of Pentrosan birth. The former Major of the Sutton Guard was in his early thirties and about five cubits tall with dark hair and equally dark eyes. He was also a master of the blade and one of Daniel’s chief strategists. His light blue wool uniform had a broad silver stripe on each shoulder and down each pant leg. On the jacket was embroidered the Benhannon crest. Two gold bars on each shoulder-stripe identified him as the Commander of the Chosen’s Sentinels.

“Doing a bunk count,” Leah called back. “We figure the ship to be crewed by one hundred eleven people, including the captain.”

“It is my belief guardsmen should crew the vessels along with an appropriate number of Accomplisheds,” Marcus Bower added his opinion. Both men always sought to enlarge their responsibilities and wanted their respective commands to be represented in every undertaking.

The big man, taller than Daniel, and broader in the shoulders, did not want to be left out of the conversation. His dark hair and eyes matched Daniel’s own, but the man had a wide beak of a nose. He had a sword at one hip and a daggerlance at the other. His light blue wool uniform had a broad dark blue stripe on each shoulder and down each pant leg. On the jacket was embroidered the Benhannon crest. Two golden falcons on each shoulder-stripe identified him as Captain of the Benhannon Guard. On his head he wore a wide-brimmed dark blue hat with gold trim and at the front of it was the falcon in flight clutching a lightning bolt.

“It seems to me the ships should be part of the navy,” Tim Dukane shared his reasoning, which happened to benefit his branch of service.

They all had to be aware of Daniel listening to their conversations and were no doubt trying to read his reaction to their words. There was a reason for not adding his crest to the hull and his people would find out soon enough.

“Daniel,” the voice of the Grand Maestro came through an amulet given to him for that purpose. “The Maestros have passed a resolution you need to be made aware of right away.”

“Speak on, I am listening,” Daniel sent in reply, almost dreading to hear the news, especially since relations with Aakadon had suffered over the months since he notified them of Cleona’s restrictions.

“The resolution passed four to three; with Maestros Barroon, Cransur, and Kapes voting against it. The measure bans Seekers from seeking potentials outside of Ducaun as long as Aakacarns from Aakadon are not permitted to seek Potentials in Cleona’s realm and the Eagle Guild is banned from the kingdom,” Terroll announced along with a mixture of conflicting emotions. “Barring a single Accomplished from a city had been accepted because a recognized Maestro gave the order and Senior Soarer Bela Sander remained in Ducanton and the Eagles still had at least one talon at the palace. However, Cleona’s banning a guild has resulted in Pentrosa passing a law to ban the Sun Guild, which has a strong presence in Mount Sutek, and then Zune passed a law banning both the Suns and the Eagles. Obviously, those laws are not going to be honored, indeed cannot be followed by any self-respecting Aakacarn. Therefore, I did not disagree with the majority about the need for Cleona’s decision to be amended, but am against the resolution for practical matters; there being no way to stop your Seekers from visiting other kingdoms. Unfortunately, the resolution does allow Maestros to issue arrest warrants for violations. We both know such actions will increase the potential for unpleasant confrontations between our societies.”

Daniel actually agreed allowing kingdoms to ban guilds was a bad precedent to set, but also knew Cleona would not change her mind, not where Jillian’s future was concerned. “The Atlantan Guild will join Aakadon in denouncing and ignoring the laws passed by Pentrosa and Zune to ban any guild from entering their realms.”

“I am glad we can agree on that,” Terroll replied. “What about Cleona’s ban?”

Daniel made no attempt to keep the regret he was feeling from accompanying the words, “My hands are tied until she changes her mind and frankly, that could take years of persuading.”

“Her edict also interferes with the Joint Mission Task Force. Most of the Accomplisheds for our part of the force are of the Willow Guild with a sprinkling of Suns, but some are Eagles, including Jerrian Tobermin. Maestro Cransur is justifiably concerned the tension will spill over into the teams and ruin the cohesiveness of the units,” Terroll stated a very real consequence.

Daniel also agreed with Runyen’s reasoning, but still could see no immediate solution, and yet felt the situation could be managed. “There are no Seekers in the JMTF and so we should not have to deal with arrests breaking the cohesion of the teams. You know I persuaded the queen to allow the Soarers stationed at the compound at Lake Tomlin to remain. She did recognize expelling them from the JMTF would be detrimental to our ability to work together in common cause. While I hesitate to say never, it seems unlikely the joint task force will be called upon to deploy in Ducaun. Anyone who attacks the kingdom, of which I am a Royal Knight of the Realm and obligated to defend, would be foolish in the extreme,” he hoped his old tutor understood what would happen if the Maestros of Aakadon voted to pursue such folly, “it is more likely our teams will be sent to bolster the eventual enforcement of the Board’s decision regarding Serinia and the Zeuthans. As for the arrests, my Accomplisheds will not allow themselves to be taken into custody, but will be ordered to use escape and avoidance spells rather than harmful or deadly ones. Your Accomplisheds would be well advised not to pursue too aggressively. I do share your concerns over the hazards the Queen’s restrictions and the resolution of the Maestros has created. Be assured I will certainly pass them on to Cleona in the hope of persuading her to make a change.” It was the best response he could currently give.

The implementation of his suggestions was easier said than done, he knew, especially since Tobermin could create havoc within the JMTF even without Seekers being involved. Daniel’s chores were not getting easier and the sense of needing to be elsewhere kept creeping back into his consciousness, weighing down the load Terroll had just dumped on him.

A deep sense of disappointment came ahead of the words, “I had hoped for better, but am not surprised. We must be content for the purpose of this meeting of the minds with the parts we can agree on at this time and hope for better later on,” the Grand Maestro responded and with the equivalent of a mental sigh, added, “You know, one of the reasons we require all Aakacarns to renounce the citizenship to the kingdoms of their birth, and join a guild, is to eliminate the very situation you currently find yourself in. Except, as usual, the violation of that tradition is magnified out of all proportion when a Seven-bolt Accomplished, who is the Maestro of his guild, breaks the rule.”

Terroll had a valid point and yet Daniel could not undo accepting the knighthood. His civil rank had been part of the Swirling of Events that eventually led to his victory over Tarin Conn and the Serpent Guild, as well as the Northern Alliance. “Not only do I understand your point, I will demand the same thing of the Accomplisheds in the Atlantan Guild. While I agree my being a Royal Knight of the Realm of Ducaun has complicated our current situation significantly, consider what you would be facing if the Swirling of Events had resulted in the Dark Maestro being victorious.”

“Thanks for the perspective,” Terroll’s reply came along with a sense of bitter humor. “I feel so much better now that we have had this little chat.” A feeling of acceptance accompanied the words, “It is agreed, we will both do what we can to minimize the potential conflicts and preserve the peace between our societies.”

“It is agreed,” Daniel affirmed as the tour arrived at a ladder leading up to the turret. Moments later the Grand Maestro ended the communication.

“The entire ship has been transformed into a giant sapphire with pearl highlights,” Daria Copa, called from near the end of the line. “And the towers are all gone.”

The Three-bolt Accomplished and Conductor of the Department of Communications had long brown hair and was born in northern Taracopa. She spent four decades as an Artisan of the Stone Guild, and at the age of sixty-nine, she appeared to be only slightly older than Sandra, who was last in line. “I have just received word of the change from several of my Accomplisheds at the docks,” the chief Communicator obviously felt the need to reveal her sources.

Sandra Treena, Conductor of the Department of Seekers, stared at her Maestro. Her green eyes widened, reflecting pleasure on a freckled face that was framed by long tresses of flame-red hair. At thirty-two years of age she appeared to be in her mid-twenties, and would continue to appear so for as long as she desired. “You did it while we were in the drive-room,” she stated without a trace of doubt. “Does that mean you are going to approve the project?”

Leah paused with one hand on the ladder. “Is she correct, have you come to a decision on my proposal?”

Jennel Obenport fixed her hazel eyes on Daniel.  “Are you considering my idea of assigning healers as crewmembers on these ships?”

Beside her stood Bernard Kleopis, Conductor of the Department of Emissaries. The Two-bolt Accomplished, a clean-shaven man of medium build and height, was half a century old and appeared to be no older than his mid-twenties. His dark eyes were also fixed on his Maestro; Daniel was used to having people stare at him. The former member of the Aloe Guild rubbed his chin speculatively before adding his voice to the choir. “Off the top of my head, I cannot think of what my Accomplisheds can do aboard completed ships, but am willing to assign any number you choose.”

His was a different and unexpected tune but they all were envisioning something grander in scope than Daniel had in mind and he decided it was time to share his thinking. “This ship is from this day forward to be known as the Trident. Franklin, I only made a few modifications because I am short on time. I want you to remove the paddlewheels without a trace of their having been a part of this vessel. Add four CAPU’s to the rear and two at the front as Simon just recently proposed. The Sapphire is as hard as titanium and covers the portholes and so should have no trouble withstanding the stresses. At each porthole I want your team to create a crescendo. I also want two crescendos in the turret, two at each of the compass points on the bridge, and two at the stern.”

The Conductor’s eyes widened with pleasure. “It will be as you say. I will supervise the project and see that all is done promptly.”

Simon and Leah were smiling, but the First Accomplished’s right eyebrow suddenly arched up questioningly. “Are you going to build a fleet of Trident-class warships?”

Tim, Chas, and Marcus pushed their way forward, but Daniel raised a halting hand. “I am still operating under certain restrictions. This cannot become part of the Benhannon Navy, Guard, or the Chosen’s Sentinels. Individuals from those branches of service may be transported on the vessel from time to time, but will not be part of the crew.”

“Who is going to command and crew this ship?” Tim wanted to know. He must have expected the answer because his face did not reflect disappointment like those of Chas and Marcus.

Daniel glanced at Leah and Jeremiah before answering, “The First Accomplished and Conductor Lassiter will decide who will captain this ship because the ship and any duplicates I may choose to authorize in the future will be under the control of the Defense Department. An Accomplished from the Health Department will be assigned to serve as the ship’s healer and the Trident should also have Accomplisheds from Communications. The rest will be assigned as Conductor Lassiter sees fit.”

“Your fellow Lords of the Land are going to object and see this technicality as merely a way to expand your navy,” Bernard pointed out, correctly.

Daniel nodded agreement. “They will see it so, but the technicality is significant. Cleona sees Aakacarn business as being Aakacarn business,” except where banning guilds for the protection of Jillian is concerned, he thought but did not say out loud, “and views the Atlantan Guild’s growth as increasing the prestige of her realm. However, I do not want to lean too hard on that viewpoint by creating a fleet. This is why the Trident will be the only one we make for now. After Franklin and his Accomplisheds finish the modifications I ordered, along with any they can imagine, the vessel will serve as a template for however many ships may be needed in the future.”

He could see Leah and Jeremiah were pleased he had agreed to modify the ship, pleased he gave control of the vessel to the Department of Defense, but were a little disappointed they would not be getting a fleet anytime soon.

The First Accomplished reached into her cloak and pulled out a device that looked like half a canteen with straps. “We will build the template, crew the ship, and be ready to create more as the needs dictate,” she agreed with the decision and then held up the device for all to see. “This is a miniature aqua-tube. Water is stored in this little reservoir and is the source for the spell, which launches a bead of water that has the explosive force of a Ducaunan-Python’s fang.”

Daniel recalled it was a Ducaunan Navy smith, descended from a long line of pot and kettle makers, who created a cylinder with a cone-shaped head. It was clever the way he made it so the trinitrotoluene would be sparked only when the nose of the cone came into contact with a solid object. He also designed a cover to fit over the cone to reduce the chances of the explosive device detonating by accident and the cover would only be removed when the fang was placed in a launcher.

Tim let out a whistle. “Wow, a tiny bead of water with the power of trinitrotoluene. I would like some of those devices as standard armaments on my boats.”

“For my Sentinels as well,” Chas spoke up.

“And the Benhannon Guard,” Marcus Bower apparently believed his men and women would be left out if he did not speak up.

Daniel nodded approval. “Crescendos can be added to the aqua-bead launchers so non-Aakacarns can use them and the modified version can then be duplicated,” he made the spot decision, but was left with a question, “Does anyone know how the spell causes water to explode?”

“Can’t you just compose a spell that makes water explode?” Sam inquired.

Daniel shook his head. “I cannot even begin to imagine anything made of water exploding and therefore feel no inspiration along those lines.”

Simon shook his head negatively, but most of his attention was on Leah as if he was trying to puzzle out something concerning her. They were fond of each other and perhaps he was hoping to progress beyond the emotion to one more passionate, if so he had some work to do.

Martin, chief educator and researcher, stepped forward. “I will examine the properties of water, beginning with the subsystems, and discover all there is to know on the subject.”

Daniel turned to Leah. “Make sure he gets one of those.”

“The device will not only be helpful in the study of water, it may also progress the study you set as a priority,” Conductor Varroon stated, looking to her as if she needed further persuasion. “The arm-water-bead launcher is a miniature version of the aqua-tube launcher and so should create the same invisible radiated effect as that which burned so many Serinians. Understanding both would only be a matter of adjusting the scale.”

“It will be as the Maestro has ordered. I also believe as you that the study of one will lead to a greater understanding of the other,” the First Accomplished replied and glanced up the ladder. “The turret is too small for our group and so only five of us can go up at a time.”

She led the way up the ladder, Daniel followed, Jeremiah, Sam, and Daria, came up behind him. The white room was illumined by a globe of light. Three chairs had been bolted to the floor in front of a console. The center had three gems; amethyst, amber, and ruby. On the left and right were palms-size sapphires. “The one on the right turns the turret and the one on the left raises and lowers the tube,” Leah explained. “We believe the aqua-bombs are created and launched by the gems in the center. We cannot be sure because our Maestro will not allow us to touch them.”

A force like that should never be used lightly.

“I will allow this vessel to cruise about a hundred spans farther out in the Eastern Ocean to test and measure the power of each bomb, but after that, the use is restricted. This weapon system will not be used without expressed authorization,” Daniel responded, “I, the First Lady, the First Accomplished, and the Conductor of the Defense Department are the only ones with that authority. And Jeremiah, the reason for authorizing the use of an aqua-bomb had better be very good, because I will need convincing after the fact. The Accomplisheds of the Atlantan Guild have enough Symphonics in their repertoires to destroy adversaries in a variety of ways, spells that would not have collateral damage. Have I made myself clear?”

Everyone quickly assured him they understood the seriousness of his words, which was a good thing because he would take a violation of the rule badly. Not even Simon cracked a smile or offered a witty response when the edict was repeated to his group.

When they had all made their way out on deck, Daniel announced, “Since only Tim at this gathering was involved with the confrontation between Manta-One and the Ruby-level aqua-bomb, I want all of you to witness the tests so you have a visual understanding of the destructive power of the devices.”

The admiral nodded agreement. “You have to see it in order to appreciate the terrible power of the bombs and to understand why Daniel is being so strict about their use.”

Daniel tried to ignore the eagerness in the eyes of most of his people, figuring they would understand his concerns after witnessing the otherwise unbelievable power of exploding water. Jennel nodded soberly, having healed folks who had been injured by the invisible and life-threatening effects of the bomb.

“The sapphire is beautiful,” Sandra remarked while running her hand along the wall of the forecastle. “I like the mother-of-pearl trimmings as well.”

“I see you got rid of the useless towers and masts,” Tim shared his observation. “I’ve seen you on a creative streak before and so am not surprised you accomplished so much while standing in the drive-room, but why did you leave the paddlewheels?”

Daniel looked at his chief-aid. “Ask Simon, he has me on a tight schedule.”

Simon shook his head. “Well, Daniel transforming one thousand twenty-three babies in their mother’s wombs into Aakacarns, in a single month, took time that must be made up by his abiding by the changes I am constantly forced to make in his itinerary.”

Jennel shook her head. “Our Maestro has transformed seven hundred fifty-three babes in the womb into Aakacarns,” she made the correction, sure of her numbers.

Simon laughed. “Those were the scheduled transformations. The others came about because that pesky Swirling of Events inside his head keeps giving him the urge to go somewhere there happens to be an expectant mother.”

Daniel interrupted their trivial conversation by briefing them on his conversation with Terroll and the potential difficulties the resolution created.  

“This change does not come at a good time,” Sandra commented at the completion of the briefing. “I told you this morning about the nineteen Zeuthan Carriers off-loading Aakacarns at their new port on the west coast of Serinia and the five at Polen Tare.”

“Yes,” Daniel confirmed she had told him so. “The Nephilim were seen wearing white silk uniforms that varied only in the color of their trimmings; those being: fuchsia, turquoise, sapphire, emerald, black & red, ruby, olive-green, amethyst, amber, violet, sky-blue, and silver; a thousand of each totaling twelve thousand, more than a legion of Aakacarns.” There was nothing wrong with his memory.

Sandra nodded. “Thirty-nine Carriers, the newer arrivals and some of the originals, have been cruising since early afternoon around the southern tip of Serinia and are now headed up the east coast, but well within the territorial waters of the kingdom. The leading vessels should be in the vicinity of Port Teiar, a port not yet under the control of the Zeuthans. The rest of the Carriers are still on the west coast.”

The report no doubt came from animal-scouts her Seekers had in those areas. The additional Nephilim meant El Marzon intended to dig in deep and possibly expand his sphere of influence, but Daniel wondered what use would be made of all those off-loaded Carriers.

Tim looked to Chas and they both nodded as if they had discussed the matter and came to a conclusion. “The ships have tinier versions of the aqua-tube, units that are five times bigger than the unit Leah showed us,” the admiral stated.

“Therefore we can expect the explosive yield of each gun to be greater than a fang’s impact, perhaps by five times over,” Chas added his assessment. “Placing his Carriers on the east coast gives El Marzon quite a few options militarily.”

“If that is the case in regard to the power of the weapon, even a glancing hit would damage a wooden vessel enough to sink it,” Jeremiah shared his conclusion. “I do not believe it necessary to remind everyone the Barracudas and Pythons are made of wood.”

It was his polite way of giving information to someone in the group who might not have known the fact and to do so without embarrassing him or her, although Daniel was certain the reminder was unnecessary. Everyone was looking to him, clearly expecting a response from their leader. “The addition of thirty-nine warships to the vessels that are at the port in Polen Tare cannot be ignored. Starling Cove must be placed on Ruby-alert with all mantas and patrol-boats ready to be deployed.”

Jeremiah and Leah were both nodding approval, and no doubt mentally sending the commands, but Bernard was shaking his head. The chief emissary held up a hand, drawing everyone’s attention. “Accomplished Abba Sukeller, assigned to the Lobenian barracuda, Excelsior, has informed me; his and four other war-boats are escorting an eighteen-ship flotilla to Port Teiar. Five Zeuthan Carriers are positioned to block the freighters from reaching the docks. The other Carriers have continued their cruise up the coast,” he announced and then his normally smooth brow wrinkled, expressing deep concern. “The lead freighter has just been blown to pieces and the war-boats are moving forward of the fleet. Abba says the explosive was contained in a large drop of water with a range only limited by the sight of the wielder. The Barracudas will have to move dangerously close to the enemy ships in order to have even a hope of their fangs being effective. The Lobenian launchers have nowhere near the range of their adversary’s projectiles and have less than a quarter of the destructive power.”

“I just received a similar report from Accomplished Lenore Lioness,” Jeremiah informed everyone present. “The Rover is escorting the Barracudas.”

The Wager-class patrol-boat had been under the command of Lyle Van Kestral, but the young nobleman had signed on for the duration of the war and had gone home to his father’s estate in Taracopa shortly after the conclusion. Captain Yoshua Remonus currently commanded the vessel.    

Daniel pictured the five major ports between Teiar and Polen Tare being blockaded by Carriers. “I must go to Teiar and see if there is a way to foil El Marzon’s plan without starting a full scale war.”

Chapter Ten: Blockade

The tingle within increased, along with the urge to depart without delay. Daniel found it difficult to concentrate and impossible to shove the sensations into a mental lock-box. He needed eyes at the scene.

Sandra nodded her head as if answering a question no one had asked of her and then stated, “Maestro, twenty Pondhoppers are preparing to Convey to the waters not far from Port Teiar. Seeker Kasen Benhalow has volunteered to transport you on his vessel, PH-One-Seventeen. That is, if you do not have the immediate means of gaining a visual.”

Her Seekers had been all over the continent and Serinia in search of Potentials and therefore had more visualization points for Conveyance than any other Accomplisheds in the guild, including the Maestro. Those vessels could be in the area of contention before the patrol-boats made it a span out of Starling Cove.

Daniel had been searching the compartments in his mind for a critter close enough to the desired location, but none were within three hundred spans of where he needed to be. “I will accept his invitation.”

“Maestro, be sure to bear the trident,” Leah admonished him. “As powerful as you are, keep in mind it is possible your life could be taken. Be cautious and do not take any unnecessary chances.”

The explosive sound of displaced air off the port rail announced the arrival of the Pondhopper. “I promise to exercise caution. Don’t worry. I will not be fighting this battle solo. Simon, get to Manta-One, have Carlos Convey the manta to his nearest visualization point, you pilot the ray to Port Teiar, and have Sero work the forward crescendos,” Daniel ordered and then leaped over the rail and down onto the dark blue vessel.

The hatch opened and he entered the cabin. The forty-pace long boat was the brain child of Franklin Togan, which proved Daniel was not the only one in the Atlantan Guild who could develop fresh ideas and better ways of doing things. That fact was why he left room for the Conductor and his team to add innovations of their own to the Trident and actually looked forward to seeing their improvements.

A cushioned-bench started near the entrance hatch, followed the internal perimeter of the boat, and ended not far from where it began. Like with the change Daniel made to the Trident, the portholes were tinted sapphire blue due to the entire vessel being made of the spell-hardened substance.

The Crescendo-Amulet-Propulsion-Units on the boat were duplicates of those on the Wagers, although fashioned down to fit the smaller frame. The pilot’s wristband had the same Crescendo-Powered-Amulets found on the manta ray craft, providing a boat-shaped shield, and Osprey Vision. What made the Pondhopper different than the other two vehicle types was the CPA containing the spell, Conveyance. At the touch of the pilot’s thumb on the sapphire, the entire boat would convey to whatever body of water the Accomplished fixed in his or her mind. One Accomplished and four Sentinels was all it took to crew the thing, it was small, quick, and lethal.

“Maestro, welcome aboard,” Kasen stated formally with the nod of respect one Accomplished gives to another, which was returned.

“Sir Daniel, we stand ready to serve,” Lieutenant Ken Ducaylin declared, along with the three Sentinels he commanded. The four non-Aakacarn men were of Ducaunan birth and three of them had been among those recently restored to humanity from Condemnation, but Accomplished Benhalow and Lt. Ducaylin were veterans of many battles.

Daniel returned their salutes and quickly took in the scene. The pilot was in a swivel chair that would raise him up to the control panel in the conning-dome. The rest of the crew sat on the cushioned-bench.

“Please, come strap in here,” invited Sentinel Carlton Dezane while patting the area of the bench to his left.

Daniel did as requested and watched as Kasen’s seat turned and began to rise. Dirk Pennelton and Dyllon Greenbird were visibly nervous; both perspiring even though the temperature inside the cabin was comfortably cool. Daniel did not know if it was his presence, the fact that they were going into combat for the first time, or both reasons that caused the reaction. He opened his mouth to say something reassuring and then darkness enveloped him, robbing all sensory perceptions, and three heat-beats later, feeling, hearing, and sight returned. He could see ships through the portholes.

The Symphonic, Find All, played in his mind, summoning the Potential, and he used it to send his awareness out in an eight-span spherical radius. Five Carriers, lengthwise to the coast, were firing drop-shape projectiles from eight tinier versions of the aquatube at the freighters; of which fifteen remained. The Rover was concentrating on the farthest Carrier to the north and launching flaming stones and pebbles, and both lances and harpoons of light. The flames did nothing more than scorch the titanium hull, lances from the arrow slits along the side dimpled the metal and with enough concentrated power could eventually punch a hole. The harpoons of light pin-holed the areas they struck before vanishing but would take time to actually do enough damage to sink the ship.

Unfortunately the patrol-boat was taking some hits in return in spite of performing evasive maneuvers. Each blast nearly lifted the Rover out of the water. The bow and stern gunners were strapped into place; otherwise they would have been thrown from the vessel long before the last hit.

The life-force energy contained in the weapons being used by the Sentinels were fixed at about a bolt of potential, and that level was amplified up from the tiny amount required from each non-Aakacarn using the devices. Even without shielding those titanium hulls were tough to penetrate and made sinking the Zeuthan warships a challenge; not impossible, but definitely a challenge.

Two more Carriers were within the spherical radius and heading north, but slowing. The five remaining warships were launching a constant barrage of aqua-drops. The Barracudas took hit after hit as they drew closer to the enemy vessels and were shoved off course with each blast, but still managed each time to be a little closer to the Zeuthans. Ten Pondhoppers quickly positioned themselves between the Carriers and the freighters, and the other ten, including PH-One-Seventeen, began their attack run on the Zeuthans.

Flying lizards; Phodons and Dactyls, were circling in the air above the troop-carriers and high enough up to avoid injury. The attacks launched from both sides were vessel against vessel. No one in the patrol-boat or Barracudas bothered to actually waste energy targeting creatures that could do them no harm. Daniel noticed a Dactyl land on the tower near the bow and a few Phodons land on the tower near the stern of the nearest Carrier, but decided not to worry about the occurrences unless the winged-lizards were to take off later carrying little aqua-bombs.

“Man the guns,” Lt. Ducaylin ordered.

Daniel opened his mouth, but Kasen responded quicker. “Gunners will stay below. The harpoons are not effective enough. Those aqua-drops are draining the Potential from the Accomplisheds working to maintain the shield on their respective boats and so neither they nor I will be able to spare the extra life-force energy long enough for you to sink one of those ships. I am going to focus my attack through the crescendo,” the One-bolt stated and then took hold of the forward amplifier built into the vessel. His response was exactly what his Maestro had been about to order and for the same reason. It was both reassuring and humbling as Daniel realized the Pondhopper crew did not need him.

Accomplished Benhalow sent a beam of light streaking toward the nearest Carrier. The beam broadened enough to encompass the entire central-castle. He ceased the potential after a few moments. “Sleep Time put a few people to sleep near the starboard window of the bridge, but did not penetrate the titanium hull, so the effect was minimal and not worth the life-force energy expended.”

Daniel agreed with the assessment, having sensed the same results. Die Now would have killed the men, but the benefit to cost ratio was not good enough. He could also sense each aqua-drop as they flew through the air and noticed two pass between the shields created by a pair of Pondhoppers and into the protective perimeter.

The blue boats had blocked perhaps scores of projectiles from reaching the merchant fleet, but those two drops each went on to impact a freighter, both of which blew apart in a bright flashes and sprays of flaming shards. Some of the jagged pieces of planking flew into the sails of nearby freighters, setting them afire, and triggering a desperate attempt by the sailors to save their ships. Clouds of smoke soon filled the air.

He could sense bodies in the water; rather, he could sense body-parts in the water. Not a single soul had survived the explosions, nor was any corpse still intact. Fish were nibbling on pieces he did not want to identify and sharks, drawn by all the blood in the Channel, were on their way from the south as the current flowed. The remnants of five crews promised meals for all of the meat-eaters.

Through Find All, he sensed the people on the freighters, the crews of the Carriers, the Pondhoppers, Barracudas, and the Rover. Of the last three he could only sense the shields of life-force energy surrounding them but not the vessels or people within. On the seven hundred-pace-long ships he sensed thirty Aakacarns and fifty non-Aakacarns on each vessel. Most of the Nephilim on the first ship were in the castle section, twenty-four of them at the mini aquatubes; although only eight at time were launching projectiles, due to the current positioning of the ship.

The lead Lobenian war-boat was taking a beating but Accomplished Kesha Levitt maintained her shield, which was the only reason the wooden vessel had not yet been blown out of the water. Daniel wondered how much longer the One-bolt Accomplished could hold out with the spell draining the life-force from her with every hit.

The Barracuda took another blast, lifting the boat out of the water by the sheer force of the released energy, and then it slammed back down. The valiant crew began launching fangs at the third Carrier. One, two, three, four, five, the projectiles slammed into the forecastle, exploding in red-orange bursts and glowing shards of iron. The smoke cleared, revealing scorch marks on the white metal but no damage beyond superficial aesthetics.

Eight mini-aquatubes fired at the same time, each drop slammed into the Barracuda, and in that instant Daniel sensed the shield fail. In that same frozen moment he felt Kesha die, could count each soul on the boat, the wooden planking, the daisy-wheel drive system, and even the food stored in the galley. The next moment all was blasted into tiny fragments and became that much more debris in the water.

Kesha could have Conveyed to safety, but evidently kept the Da Capo on the shield to protect her crewmates even after she passed out, and gave her life to perhaps buy them a few extra moments. In battle one second could make the difference between winning and losing, so Daniel inwardly praised her courage, and mourned the fact that the sacrifice had not achieved her objective. The death of the Emissary did more than foster a desire not to allow her sacrifice to be in vain, it inspired him with a plan of attack; one that actually reduced the tingling in his scalp and provided a destination to satisfy the urge to Convey elsewhere.

This needs to be done.

With every trace of doubt erased, he pulled the trident from the snap-holster, gripped it tight and then mentally performed five Symphonics; Osprey Vision, Die Now, Outer Shield, Freshen Air, and Shatter; all to which he added Da Capos. Peering out of the porthole at the five Carriers, he focused his spell-enhanced vision on the farthest vessel to the south. The close-up view was so keen it was as if he actually stood on the bow and right in front of the castle section.

Through Find-All he sensed the Pondhoppers, all twenty of them, launching lances of light from their crescendos. The amplified and much more powerful spells raced across the distance and in moments punched holes in the hulls of each Carrier. The perforations were small but definitely more effective than the harpoons launched by the Rover. If not for having to maintain the shields, the Accomplisheds no doubt would have invested more personal power in the assaults and with greater results.

The information coming to him from Find All did not distract him from his focus on the Zeuthan warship. He summoned the Potential, pictured exactly where he wanted to be, released the life-force energy, and then all sensory perceptions vanished for the space of three heart-beats.

Daniel stood less than a pace from the central-castle and facing the bow. The starboard mini-tubes were blasting away at the Rover, Barracudas, Pondhoppers, and unfortunately managed to blow up another freighter. The shield provided protection but robbed him of the ability to feel, hear, and smell. He was counting on Find All to make up for those losses and provide details his natural senses would not be able to detect.

He lowered the trident, aiming the diamond points at the carrier a thousand or so paces directly to the north, and then released his full potential through the crescendo, amplifying the power of the spell.

Three beams of light, each brighter than a noonday sun, shot across the distance. The mast near the bow of Daniel’s host Carrier disintegrated a mere moment before the tri-lights struck the other warship. The stern tower of the targeted vessel instantly vanished and then the blue beams reached the central structure, enveloping the huge housing in the same shade. In the next breath all mini-tubes ceased firing and the resulting silence was profound.

He intended to throw seven bolts of potential into the amplifier in order to hurl fourteen lightning bolts of life-force energy at the Carrier, with the idea of stopping the carnage all the sooner. To his surprise, two hundred fifty-six times the power of a One-bolt Accomplished was being narrowly focused at the offending vessel. The harmonic waves emanating outward brought all hostilities to a halt as the massive Ripple-Effect washed through the combatants. Even if people in the vicinity could ignore the three blinding lights shooting from his trident, no living being in the world could ignore the unleashed power of his ongoing assault.

All over the world windows were shattering, crystal objects fragmented, objects of clay broke apart, and creatures small and large were feeling each wave and no doubt uselessly seeking shelter. Birds were flocking away from the focal point, herds were stampeding across open plains, and he knew it was so because many of the creatures in his swirl were fleeing with them. He had no doubt folks all over the world and in faraway Zeutha had to be feeling the vibrations, even in their bones. El Marzon and his army of Nephilim also had to feel the harmonics rippling up the coast.

Daniel did not know when his potential had grown to eight bolts, but knew it had to have happened sometime before he created the trident. The spell used to make a crescendo always assessed the power of the wielder in order to set the amplification factor. Even as he contemplated the why of it all, fractures spider-webbed throughout the castle section of the Carrier, splintering into tinier fragments, and by the time he counted to ten, the titanium housing crumbled into a huge pile of ore and unidentifiable bits and pieces. The warship had become a seven hundred foot long hull with a paddlewheel at the back and a single mast near the bow.

Through Find All he sensed two Nephilim in what had to be the drive-room, and forty-three Anakim in the rest of the ship. The rest of the crew had been in the castle portion and their substances were mixed with other fragments in the huge pile. He also became aware of the activity on the vessel upon which he stood. Nephilim were moving toward the hatches on the port and starboard side, no doubt to confront their unwanted guest.

“Daniel, is that you?” The first question came from Sherree and was immediately echoed by Leah, Simon, Terroll Barnes, every Conductor of the Atlantan Guild, Queen Cleona, and even Daniel’s father and mother.

“Yes, I am making an impression on the Zeuthans,” he replied to all, and then added, “I’m not finished with this chore, but will tone it down a little.”

“A Benhannon never drops a set chore,” Ronn Benhannon told his son. “By all mean complete what you have started and let us know the results after you finish.”

The pause in hostilities ended and lances of light shot out from the Pondhoppers and a pair of harpoons from the Rover, all of those emissions flew into the two Zeuthan ships farthest to the north. Punctures perforated the hulls at and below the waterline, but jets of water instantly sprouted from the port and starboard sides of the vessels. The spells being used were powerful enough to drain the water faster than the lances could poke into the hulls and would likely continue to do so until enough holes were made.

Daniel aimed the trident at the next Carrier in line, but adjusted his personal Potential to allow for the crescendo to emit eight bolts of life-force energy. The tri-beams were less bright and the harmonic waves not nearly as intense, but powerful enough to be felt by every living thing within a two hundred-span radius, and yet still bright enough to hurt the eyes. The rear mast vanished and then the castle was bathed in blue. Cracks formed, grew, and fractured over and over again until at thirty counts of exposure, the structure crumbled into a huge pile. Three Nephilim and forty-one Anakim survived, them being in the lower decks of the ship.

Osprey Vision allowed him to see Dactyls flying off to the north, taking off from the Carriers that were being fired upon by the patrol-boat and Pondhoppers. The creatures must have been summoned down to carry messages to the vessels to the north, maybe even to El Marzon. Unfortunately the aqua-drops continued to pound into Daniel’s forces, the Barracudas, and the freighters. The blue boats shielding the sailing vessels were taking the worst hits, them being unable to perform evasive maneuvers without exposing the merchant fleet. There was no break in the barrage and the Accomplisheds were enduring a constant drain on their life-forces.

He targeted the third Carrier, sending the same spell with the same intensity at the enemy vessel. The aqua-drops ceased at once and the ship that had destroyed Kesha Levitt and the Barracuda was rendered defenseless. At the same time ships that had been moving to the north were heading south and instead of two disabled enemy vessels, the one he was assaulting and the remaining two under heavy assault, he had six fully functional warships that would shortly be joining the fray.

At ten counts in to a sustained tri-beam assault on the castle portion of Carrier three, everyone within the structure died and the Nephilim who had exited the port hatch on the ship upon which Daniel stood ran around the structure. All six had on their arms those bead launchers Leah had shown Daniel. He brought his left hand around, focused Die Now, and beams of light shot from his fingers. Four Zeuthans slumped to the deck, painlessly dying, and the other two drop dead an instant later, which had been all the time he needed to focus two more beams.

Daniel returned his attention to the Carrier, while being aware of the fact the six Nephilim from the starboard side were moving up toward where they could spring around at him from their angle. He knew a few of the crewmembers were inside the structure at the same level as he, but on the other side of the titanium wall, and six more Zeuthan Aakacarns were exiting from the port-hatches. He suspected the groups peering out the widows were reporting to the team leaders because the ones on the starboard side waited and then moved in perfect sync with the ones from the port.

At twenty counts in to the sustained tri-beam on Carrier three, both groups sprang around the structure. In that instant he sensed the release of aqua-drops, not beads like would come out of a forearm launcher. A powerful force shoved him from behind, and as he flew into the air and beyond the bow, he realized his attackers had blasted a hole in the wall and shot him in the back with a spare pearl mini-aquatube, a tactic he might have heard and reacted to had he been able to hear.

He plunged into the shark-infested waters of the Channel. Air within Outer Shield gave him buoyancy, keeping him from sinking below the waves, but did not stop massive jaws with rows of jagged teeth from clamping down on his abdomen. The Great-white clearly hoped to bite him in half but could not close its mouth as it dived, taking him deep below the waves. No amount of struggling lessened the vise-like hold the huge predator had on him and it soon became clear physical strength and stamina were useless. His futile efforts were only wasting time, but only meant a more effective tool needed to be employed.

He performed the Symphonic, Lightning Bolt, in his mind, and focused a tiny amount of Potential in a one-pace radius from his body. The electric jolt stunned the shark, allowing him to wrestle free of the jaws, and quickly swim to the surface. Fortunately, the buoyancy created by the air inside Outer Shield aided in his ascent. Boots were not ideal for swimming.

Through Find All he sensed three aqua-drops hit the Excelsior and an instant later the shield failed and the Barracuda blew apart in flaming shards. Accomplished Abba Sukeller and the Lobenian crew all died quicker than any one of them could draw enough breath to scream. Another freighter was destroyed and the two that had been on fire finally succumbed to the inevitable. Many of the crew members were on lifeboats and rowing towards the dubious safety of the nearest merchant vessel. The Zeuthans did not target the fleeing sailors, which was a small mercy.

PH-One seventeen was focusing Shatter at the Carrier Daniel had been on, slowly destroying the central portion, beginning with the pearl mini aquatubes, which were the first objects on the vessel to disintegrate. Kasen was focusing just enough of his personal Potential to send sixteen times the power of a One-bolt out of the amplifier. It was no doubt the most he dared to use offensively and still be able to defend and power his boat.

The other Pondhoppers; ten from the protective perimeter and four shooting to the port, were focusing Shatter on the two punctured Carriers farthest to the north. The other five sapphire-boats vanished in bright flashes and moments later reappeared on the other side of the two warships, then all of the Hoppers were focusing Shatter at the water-sprouting-vessels. It was doubtful Daniel’s Accomplisheds would finish the job before the six ships cruising from the north arrived. He knew every Aakacarn in the area had to be suffering from dehydration to one degree or another.

Carrier three had been partially disabled and sat dead in the water, the mini-aquatubes were piles of dust, fractures marred the titanium central structure, and every porthole and window pane had been shattered. He sensed thirty-seven Anakim and four Nephilim still alive in the lower decks, but they wisely stayed below and inactive. His mouth was dry, but it did not seem to be the right moment to stop and quench his thirst.

A mere tenth of a mark had passed since he arrived on PH-One seventeen, only a minute or so since he was thrown into the water, and yet it seemed he had been battling for at least half a mark. Be that was it was, the fight was not over, and he had chores to do. The Symphonic, Levitation, played in his mind, summoning the Potential, and he arose from the waves with the trident held high in his right hand. He refocused the power of the crescendo into his shield, causing him to glow bright blue and also made him difficult to be ignored.

Ten more Pondhoppers appeared and immediately headed for the six Carriers cruising from the north. The pilots began focusing Shatter at the castle portions at about the time aqua-drops came shooting at them. Those drops exploded well short, having slammed into a broad shield being sustained by four of the sapphire boats while the other six continued their assaults on the warships. It took less than a minute to disable the pearl mini aqua-drop initiators and it would only be a matter of time for the castle section on each Carrier to crumble.

Daniel noted all the Dactyls and Phodons soaring in the sky. He mentally performed Mind Touch and spread his left hand wide. Five beams of light shot out, striking five Dactyls, and in that moment they became part of his swirl of creatures. He did it again and again, linking his mind five at a time.

After summoning to him and touching a Dactyl and a Phodon, he began using Find All to locate and link with the Phodons and Dactyls beyond his Osprey Vision-enhanced sight. His ability to add creatures to his swirl had grown since he first learned to create the intimate connections. He could add them from spans away, whereas originally he could only do so from a hundred strides at the most.

He hoped at least some of his new nonhuman scouts would be assigned to ships near Polen Tare, giving him the ability to learn El Marzon’s reaction to the assault on his blockade. The Phodons and Dactyls would also be able to provide visualization points for Conveyance.

He also noted the presence of nine more Carriers cruising north eight spans distant. They were the back end of the much larger convoy and currently showed no intent to join the fray taking place in the south. The ships were not posing an immediate threat and yet provided an opportunity he could not let pass by.

By the time he added several hundred of the flying lizards to his non-human collection of scouts, Forty-two rays from Starling Cove arrived from underwater and Manta-One flew into sight from the east. Someone had made a modification. Clear as day he could see the falcon in flight clutching a lightning bolt on the white bottom of the craft. Eleven Carriers had been disabled, most still sprouting water to keep from sinking,  ten were floating barges without central-castles, and Carrier-three remained in the same condition as Daniel had left it.

“Maestro, are you ready to come aboard,” Simon’s voice came through the gem in the amulet given to him. “Or do you wish to remain a spectacle?”

The surviving Zeuthans were still hiding in the bowels of their ships and therefore were unable to see anything going on outside. Daniel refocused Find All forward, extending the range by reducing the radius until he could sense twenty-four spans up the coast without increasing the amount of Potential powering the spell. “I want you to fly the manta to the nearest functional Carrier to the north so they can see what one of you formed on the bottom of my ray. I will already be there by the time you arrive,” he replied.

He then peered through the eyes of Hagara the Phodon, who was soaring above where he desired to be. Through her keen sight he gained the visual needed and using Conveyance, transported to the bow of the Carrier. Three beams of light shot from the points of his trident and struck the castle portion, but with a much more concise focus. His amplified life-fore energy enveloped the entire structure but only penetrated in enough to shatter the pearl mini-tubes, windows, and glass in the portholes, but did not go in far enough to touch a single person.

Eight Nephilim at the forward window extended their arms and sent aqua-beads in rapid fire at the apparition that had caused the damage. The beads exploded in bright flashes and probably thunderous sound, Daniel could not hear a thing. The intensity of the fiery assault made it impossible to see beyond the barrage that was slamming into the flat and razor thin shield he had put into place.

Most of the energy for that shield was coming straight from his personal vat of life-force energy, which also drew moisture from his body at a dangerous rate. He needed to take a drink soon or risk passing out, the growing dryness in his mouth made the fact clear to him. If he did slip into unconsciousness while the Da Capo remained on Outer Shield, the constant bombardment would mummify him just as surely as had happened to Accomplished Kesha Levitt.

Daniel knew he had wielded the trident in spectacular fashion in the sight of all and also knew the current situation could result in his demise if he did not take immediate action.

Two flickers of Die Now from his left fingers sent eight beams, four behind four, and the offending Zeuthans dropped dead, ending the assault. A moment later Manta-One arrived and hovered in place in front of the Carrier. “I am Daniel Benhannon. I and my forces engaged eleven of your warships, essentially leaving them as barges. I will do no further damage to your vessel if you agree to go back and tow those ships to Polen Tare,” he spoke in a spell-enhanced voice.

It took minutes to receive the reply. “I am Captain Lo Racaan. Why should I trust your word?” His voice was also amplified, no doubt by a life-force initiator of some sort.

“Trust has little to do with the deal. If you refuse I will go two spans north and see if the captain of that Carrier is willing to tow twelve barges to Polen Tare,” Daniel replied, being in no mood to haggle or prove honorable intent. The implication of adding of a twelfth barge on the list to be towed would hopefully not be lost on the captain.

Lo Racaan did not answer right away, perhaps consulting with his officers, but eventually he replied, “I will accept your offer to allow us to retrieve our fellow Zeuthans.”

Daniel levitated off the bow. “Simon, I’m ready to come aboard.”

Manta-One flew under him, the hatch formed and then opened. He climbed in and sat in the center seat on the left, then released the Da Capos on the Symphonics, leaned the trident against the empty seat, and grabbed the first of his two spelled-gold canteens.

“We only took a little over a quarter of a mark to get here,” Carlos stated with a trace of disappointment in his voice. “How can I guard your back if you enter the fighting before I arrive?”

Daniel kept on drinking rather than bother to respond. It was not as if he had timed the event. The confrontation lasted long enough to bring about the deaths of many people on both sides and he had no desire to carry the fight further, unless the Carriers to the north were to reverse course and force him to continue.

Sero kept his eyes forward. “The troop-carrier is doing as you directed,” he informed. “It must be our Maestro wanted El Marzon and the ship captains to see what we can do to their warships, otherwise he would have completely destroyed the Carriers.”

Simon nodded his head while piloting the Manta to the south. “He could have Conveyed them to the bottom of the Eastern Ocean, which I recommend he do if this demonstration does not cause El Marzon to modify his plans. Remember, our Maestro’s goal was to prevent this conflict from escalating into a full scale war. Push them hard enough and those Zeuthans will obliterate Lobenia with rapid fire Ruby-level aqua-bombs. I just hope the use of his newest crescendo counts as him bearing the trident in the sight of the high and low.”

The chief-aid had summoned up the reasoning of his Maestro well enough and so Daniel started drinking from his second canteen. “I want the Pondhoppers and Mantas to secure the southern ports of Serinia for the time being,” he sent through his array to every person linked to it and did so without missing a swallow of the cool and refreshing water.

He would need his voice soon enough. An awful lot of people were going to want answers from him about his use of the High-Powered spell and might even expect him to pay for the damages.

“Maestro, all will be as you said,” Sandra sent her response along with a sense of growing concern. “Ginnie Cree is missing. Any mental contact is murky, as if she is alive but no longer conscious or in a constant state of confusion.”

“Where was she when you last heard from her?” Daniel inquired with his own sense of concern growing.

“She and Soarer Dohn DePannan were spying the area around Port New Aresia. She reported the sighting of a Potential. I suspect the Eagle took her into custody.”

Daniel had set up the partnership, as he had done with a few others, during the war in an agreement to share information gleaned about the Zeuthans with Aakadon. While he had been concerned about the units of the JMTF, the idea DePannan would betray his partner never came to mind. “Sandra, you and Jeremiah take over the current operation from me. The goal is for the Zeuthan ships to stay clear of all ports south of Polen Tare. I am hoping the sight of a damaged Carrier towing eleven barges will convince El Marzon a blockade is not going to work out well. I want all two hundred forty rays stationed at Starling Cove in the air. Keep them beyond visual range of the Zeuthans and yet close enough to respond if blighted war does break out. Also, have the rest of our Pondhoppers obtain visuals and be ready to Convey as needed.  I will deal with Maestro Reese.”

Chapter Eleven: Into The Wind

“Fly to Shantear,” Daniel told his chief-aid.

“It will be as you say,” Simon replied and veered to the east.

“Sandra, it is possible both Ginnie and Accomplished DePannan have been captured by the Zeuthans,” Daniel sent, offering a different reason for the Seeker’s inability to communicate.

A strong sense of doubt came ahead of the words, “It is possible,” she conceded, and then added along with a powerful feeling of annoyance, “I last communicated with her yesterday and only discovered her condition recently. I wanted to know how the Zeuthans at Port New Aresia reacted to the harmonics of your spell. Just so you know; enough time has passed for an airboat to transport her to Aakadon. You know the hovering vehicles fly over land and sea. The Willows are piloting those vessels all over the continent and we would not have been suspicious of one more heading home. DePannan could have had her transported out of Serinia, across Lobenia, through Taracopa, and up into the home of the Eagle Guild,” she explained as if he needed a geography lesson and then added with a trace of uncertainty. “I will send a team of Seekers to her last known location to be sure the Zeuthans are not involved.”

He did know the capabilities of airboats; swift-boat models, medium-sized, and the larger cruisers capable of transporting hundreds of Accomplisheds, and also the quick temper of the former Soarer of the Eagle Guild. She was angry at herself, but there was no reason to throw kindling on the fire already growing within her. He wanted Sandra focused on securing the southern ports, not on her former society. “Good, I want to be sure of my facts before any meeting with Talmon and for you to make sure all of the Carriers go to Polen Tare, which is the best case scenario. I am also counting on you to prepare for the worst.”

“I understand perfectly,” the Conductor responded. His was not the choice she would have made, but that would not stop her from respecting his decision. “I have not sensed anymore harmonic waves. Does that mean you were successful in making an impression on El Marzon?”

Daniel figured he was going to be answering questions like hers for the rest of the flight. “I am certain an impression was made. The harmonics caught his attention, the damaged Carriers should provoke a reaction, and we will have to wait and see. If he unleashes total war, I failed to make the right impression. If he makes no more attempts to blockade the southern ports, I succeeded.”

“Understood,” Sandra replied and a strong sense of determination came ahead of the words, “We will locate Ginnie Cree and free her from whoever has taken her.”

“That we will,” Daniel agreed, “that we will.”

The link ended and he focused on the gem in his array containing the life-force energy of the Conductor of the ISIG. “Sam, Ginnie Cree is missing,” he explained the circumstances and then added, “I am authorizing you to discreetly search the Eagle Guild by any means possible, human and non-human.”

“I have been waiting to hear those words for a long time,” the chief Information Gatherer replied with a sense of impatience to get started on the mission. “I suppose you had to wait for the right provocation and I’m sorry Ginnie had to be the one to provide the reason. If DePannan is in Aakadon, his presence in the city would lead me to believe our Seeker is there also.  By the way, did you make the right impression?”

“I would be led in the same direction and the holding cells of the Eagle Guild are where I would go from there,” Daniel replied, and then gave him the same answer he had given to Sandra in regard to making an impression.

After his conversation with Samuel he gave the same response to his parents, the other Conductors, Leah, Queen Cleona, and most everyone else who had contacted him during the event. He promised Sherree he would return to Shantear and be with her and Clarion by evening.

“Now all I can do is wait and see,” he told the Grand Maestro after explaining the incident in Serinia.

“I am glad you toned down the intensity of your assaults. The Soarers and Foresters we have in Serinia reported feeling the High-powered spells you wielded. They estimated the ripple-effect of each of the latter Symphonics to have extended in a radius of at least two hundred-spans, as opposed to the first spell that was no doubt felt world-wide. I have seen images of the various warships of the Zeuthan Empire and have an idea of what you faced and so reserve judgment on whether or not spells of such magnitude were warranted. Maestro Reese is scheduled to meet with El Marzon in three days and should be able to assess the situation and the kind of impression you made. I will brief you on the finer points of their meeting in the near future,” Terroll responded. “Keljun Soon has expressed his gratitude to you for rescuing the merchant ships and securing his southern ports.”

Securing the ports was a goal, although only one port had actually been secured, but Jeremiah and Sandra would be working on safeguarding the rest.

Daniel had acted on behalf of the people of Serinia, not so much for the king, but the end result amounted to the same thing. More importantly, the Grand Maestro gave the perfect opportunity to bring up the other pressing matter. “Seeker Cree has been rendered unconscious and it is possible the same thing has happened to Soarer DePannan. She and he were observing the activities at Port New Aresia.”

Surprise and distress mixed with annoyance came ahead of the words, “I will inform Maestro Reese right away. If El Marzon has taken an Accomplished of Aakadon, he will soon learn the combat capabilities of our airboats. Why did you not inform me of this at the outset of our conversation?”

“The moment my mind reached out to yours through the amulet you hit me with a flood of questions about my use of the High-powered spell,” Daniel replied, which actually had been the case. More importantly, he sensed his old tutor was being completely honest and had no knowledge of Ginnie being taken. “This was my first opportunity to bring up the matter. The fate of each Accomplished is important to both of us. They have been partnering for a long time and I suspect they were or are in the same boat.”

The use of the word, “Boat,” had been intentional, meant to provoke a guilty reaction, and yet with a broad enough interpretation in the context to keep from being offensive if the Grand Maestro truly had no knowledge of Ginnie’s whereabouts.

“Yes, it is possible what has happened to one has happened to both,” Terroll responded with a sense of resolve and no trace of guile. “We will find them.”

The possibility of Zeuthan involvement had moved up a notch on the probability scale, still low in Daniel’s estimation, but definitely gaining in credibility. “My First Accomplished and the Conductors of the departments of Defense, Seekers, and Information Gathering, are all former Eagles, and I assure you will put their best efforts into locating both missing Accomplisheds.”

A sense of rye humor came ahead of the words, “In spite of the fact each of those individuals are considered traitors by their former associates, I am glad at the moment you have the talents of such highly trained experts to call upon; Leah Barryn and Jeremiah Lassiter in particular.”

“Me too,” Daniel replied, and allowed the genuineness of his feeling to flow through the link. “Be assured you will be informed of what they uncover concerning the fates of Ginnie Cree and Dohn DePannan.”

“I give you the same assurance in regard to what the investigation in the Eagle Guild brings to light,” Terroll replied, honestly; a quality backed by the emotions transmitted with the statement.

The conversation ended when Daniel brought the amulet away from his forehead and placed it in one of his many inside cloak-pockets. Simon was piloting the vehicle at about four hundred spans per mark. A Two-bolt would not be able to provide enough life-force energy to propel the ray to or above the speed of harmonics, but for the first time in quite a while Daniel did not feel the need to arrive quickly at his desired destination, although still felt a slight tingling in his scalp.

The intense urgency that had compelled him to hitch a ride on the Pondhopper had steadily diminished with each Carrier that had been disabled and by the time he boarded Manta-One, the only chore left undone was a slight desire to Convey somewhere he had never been to or could even visualize, which would be a preposterous and deadly dangerous thing to do. The risk of merging his substance with a solid object produced, even in him; a known risk taker, a healthy fear for survival.

“I will never do such a stupidly dangerous thing,” he stated under his breath.

It took only a small effort to shove the insane notion into one of those mental compartments, allowing him to focus on the people sitting around him. “Which one of you added my family crest to the bottom of this ray/”

“I promised to carry your standard while you soar over the houses of potentates, whoever and wherever they are,” Carlos answered without hesitation. “The falcon carrying the lightning bolt has now soared over potentates. I consider Zeuthan warships to be mighty potent and people do reside on the vessels so, with the help of Simon and I, you have fulfilled a least a portion of Silvia’s viewing.”

Daniel had a feeling the bodyguard’s simplistic interpretation barely scratched the true meaning of her words, but was willing to accept the reasoning enough to allow the crest to remain. “I like the way you achieved a three dimensional effect on a relatively flat surface.”

“I am glad you approve,” Carlos replied, proudly.

A sense of urgency came ahead of the words, “Maestro, I have learned more about the Imperial Discriminators,” Bonny Tell began a report she must have felt needed to be made right away, otherwise using the amulet he gave her would have been an abuse of the privilege. “The Spotters, Reapers, and Investigators are no longer mysterious personages spoken about in whispers; they are in Serinia, fifty of each, and preparing to deploy. No one seems to fear the Spotters, but the other two groups have a different reputation. The Reapers are used to apprehend or kill warranted individuals and the Investigators function much like we Information Gatherers in the ISIG.”

Her news increased the probability of Zeuthan involvement in Ginnie’s abduction up a few more notches. The Seeker could have been taken by a Spotter or a Reaper. “I am glad you shared this information. We need to learn more, but I want you to be very careful going forward. The Discriminators might possess rings that could render you unconscious or even kill you,” Daniel replied, while transmitting his feelings of concern.

“I am always cautious,” the Agent responded with a sense of invincibility common among young Accomplisheds. Some people would say her Maestro shared that trait, but those people obviously did not know what they were talking about. She went on to say, “El Marzon has also been promoted to Viceroy and the entire kingdom has been renamed, New Aresia, at least in the minds of the Zeuthans. A Chief Conductor, who is also a Master Musician, currently in Polen Tare, is establishing a College of Musicians. He will be training any Potentials taken by the Spotters who have musical talent,” her thought stream paused, but a sense of growing anticipation indicated she had more to communicate. “Maestro, I want to allow a Spotter to find me so I can infiltrate the college. Just think of how much I can learn about the Zeuthan methods of spell-casting,” she finally revealed the reason for her excitement.

The eagerness and sincerity of her words came through clearly and Daniel fully understood her desire. He too wanted to learn more about the Zeuthan ways of summoning Potential and recognized the opportunity as being the best way to attain that knowledge, but his desire to know was being tempered by caution. “I agree we need to infiltrate the college and so will consider the best way to do that, but you and the other agents of the ISIG will not be permitted to take the risk at this time. Your proposal comes too soon after my confrontation with the Carriers and we do not know how El Marzon is going to react. The Zeuthans may strike at us with all of their might within a few marks and Polen Tare could be the focal point of any counter attack we make in response.”

A sense of disappointment and disagreement came ahead of the words, “The risk to me would not be as great as you think, seeing as I can Convey to safety if the need be, yet it will be as you say.” The independent-minded Agent did not agree with her Maestro, but like Sandra, would obey his orders; at least he hoped so for her own safety.

Daniel wondered about her sources. “Please tell me you learned of these things by sources inside Serinia rather than personal investigation.”

“I am at Shantear and will remain here unless you override Conductor Cresh and order me elsewhere. The visual proof I gleaned from my animal scouts in Serinia, but the more in-depth information came from Ferren Duzolta. His contacts on the island seem to be very good at supplying him useful information,” Bonny replied, along with the sense of frustration at the current constraints upon her.

Daniel had no intention of reassigning the impulsive Agent, especially if Samuel had other plans for her. “I appreciate your timely and precise report, keep up the good work. Be sure to share this information with your Conductor as soon as possible. I am certain he will make use of it.”

“It will be as you say,” she replied and ended contact.   

Daniel yawned, having put in a full day’s work, and being in need of at least a few marks of uninterrupted sleep. One would think the real possibility of war breaking out would be enough to steal away any notion of sleeping, but he had people he trusted in place, and knowing so relaxed him enough to feel he could give in to the impulse to slumber. The fact that he did bear the trident and the tingle in his head had diminished to the point he could easily ignore it also contributed to the easing of his mind.

He closed his eyes and seemingly moments later Manta-One was in the staging area of Mount Shantear. “You are scheduled to Convey to the Northland Holding for your regular sparring match with Chas Herling, but it seems that will have to be postponed. It is a little after sunset but I think you should go to your quarters and get as much sleep as you can,” Simon informed and suggested.

“I think he is right,” Sero added his voice to the notion as if his Maestro might need a bit more convincing, and then the assistant cast the spells to form and open the hatch. The ladder sprouted up from the floor moments later.

Daniel glanced at Carlos and the bodyguard nodded his agreement with the other two. “Since you have not eaten at all today, it might be a good idea if you eat a little something before going to bed.”

“I’m not hungry, but will take some liquid refreshment before I go spend some time with my wife and daughter,” Daniel replied, without making any remarks about three males speaking as if they were his mother.

Sherree was waiting when he arrived in their quarters. She was in what he thought of as the company-greeting-room. There was a table and comfortable chairs for people to sit around and chat, but no one ever did. In truth the receiving room was just a place for people to stand while they waited for him or Sherree to emerge from the bedroom. Her open flute case was on the table and his guitarn, fashioned by Ronn Benhannon, was propped against the chair on the left.

Jaim Cutler, thin, and clean shaven with his dark hair cut short, was standing in the middle of the receiving room. His topaz-colored wool uniform with the broad silver stripe on the shoulders and pant legs identified him as a Sentinel. He had been guarding Daniel’s door, bedroom or office, since before the first group of people restored from Condemnation named themselves the Chosen’s Sentinels. “Sir Daniel, Lady Sherree, I will not allow your rest to be disturbed by anything less than an emergency,” the young man stated and then exited the room, closing the door behind him,

“I too have had a busy day,” Sherree announced, after he told her of wielding the trident and finally satisfying the requirement to bear it. Her entire face seemed to light up with the news “Clarian is asleep and now I want to spend some quality time with my husband, especially with that death sentence of a prediction being finally lifted.”

He took a few moments to simply enjoy the way her bangs crossed her forehead, cut slightly above her eyebrows, and the shape of her nose, mouth, cheeks, and chin.

I adore this woman.

She picked up the flute and began playing, Flight of the Whippoorwill, composed by his mother. He took the guitarn in hand and joined in, playing notes in harmony while his talented wife carried the melody. At the finish, he immediately began playing, Riding the Wind, one of his favorite instrumentals. Sherree trilled the high notes, adding a quality his strings alone could not bring to the music.

She placed the flute back in the case right after the tune ended. Her pupils seemed to dilate in order to give her a greater scrutiny of him and the hungry-hawk-eyeing-a-mouse look appeared in hers eyes. Daniel knew the signal, although had not seen it’s like for months. The opportunities for them to be intimate had been far and few between since before the birth of their daughter. “I hope you can put off going to sleep for a while,” she told him while walking into the bedroom.

Suddenly, he had no desire to fall asleep.

The moment he stepped into the room, Sherree threw her arms around him, amber light radiated from her, and into his body. He enjoyed the tingling warmth of her life-force energy and being hugged in the loving embrace. Both of them were instantly cleansed more thoroughly than any bath or shower could achieve and their outfits were laundered and wrinkle free. “That should do it,” she said and ceased the potential.

The bedroom he shared with the First Lady featured a huge bed and was furnished with a writing table, two cushioned chairs, two night tables, twin maple-wood wardrobes, and a turquoise rug covering the floor. To his left was a pair of doors, one led to the privy and the other led to the small room where Clarian slept in a crib. He hoped she would continue to sleep until the hunger in Sherree’s eyes was satiated.

The emerald-eyed beauty removed her silks, all of them, and folded them neatly on her table, and then glanced at him. “Are you enjoying the view?”

“I always enjoy seeing you, clothed or unclothed,” he replied, while shrugging out of his cloak.

Her yellow-gold hair hung all the way down to her bottom as if it had never been cut, which was a result of his restoring her from Condemnation, and a style she had chosen to keep. She was beautiful; shapely curves with smooth-flawless skin over well-toned muscles. The woman showed no signs of having given birth. She had a golden lightning bolt on each shoulder as a result of the spell, Ranking, which measured the wielder’s Potential and created the marks in the flesh accordingly.

By the time his silks were folded on the table, she was under the covers and had rolled onto her side, facing away from his side of the bed. Perhaps he misread her intent. She was no doubt exhausted from her busy schedule and he really did need to sleep.

Daniel crawled into bed and stared at the ceiling. “Good night,” he spoke softly and closed his eyes while trying not to feel disappointed.

The next moment Sherree was lying full out on top of him. He could feel every part of her against his flesh. Amber light radiated into him and the warm tingling of her life-force added another level of pleasure. “You already cleansed us,” he managed to say.

Green eyes twinkled delightedly and her face lit up in a smile. “If we were not married, what I intend to do to you would be considered dirty,” she replied and then brought her lips against his in a passionate kiss.

He had a spell of his own in mind, if he could clear his thoughts enough to concentrate on the notes. He completed, Hearts Beat as One, with difficulty, and focused the energy into her. Their bodies literally became one, breathing, heartrate, and suddenly they were feeling each other’s pleasure. What gratified her also thrilled him and the feedback loop continued, adding more excitement and pleasure.

He had no idea how long they made love, but eventually even people with extraordinary amounts of energy in their life-forces become physically exhausted, and he had been sleepy before arriving home.

After a lengthy session of caressing and cuddling they both rolled over and fell asleep. He dreamed of being near a maple tree, which was wearing its autumn colors. Some leaves were still on the tree and others in a great pile around the base. A wailing wind interrupted the peaceful moment like an infant crying in the night.

Daniel’s eyes popped open. Clarian was crying. He threw aside his covers, dragged himself out of bed, and grabbed the cloak while making his way to her room. He put on the garment, and summoned a globe of light.

Her eyes opened and the dark orbs locked onto him, but she did not stop crying, so he placed two fingers on her forehead and cast, How Do You Feel. “You are in perfect health, little one, your cloth is not wet, and you aren’t hungry or thirsty, what seems to be the problem?”

He spoke in a soft, soothing tone, and then picked her up. The crying subsided as he rocked her slowly in his arms. “I see, you woke up alone, were scared, and wanted assurance you have not been abandoned.”

Her eyes closed and after a few moments of quite, he laid her in the crib. The moment he pulled away, the wailing began again. He put his hands on his hips and looked down at her. “I see; you are not going to let me off so cheaply. You expect daddy to put in a better effort.”

Of course she could not understand what he had been saying to her, but she did respond to his tone, and quieted when he picked her up. He often spoke in calming tones to her, but never used baby-talk. In time, when she was old enough, Clarion would likely perform Memories and then recall every word every spoken to her, which also meant he had to watch his language even more carefully in her presence. If, “Blight it all,” ever came out of her mouth he did not want it to be his fault.

He began to sing, Unicorns and Elephants, a song his mother sang to him when he was a baby. Thanks to his memory spell, he remembered the last month or so of being in the womb, birth, and everything that had happened to him to the present day. Most of those thoughts were buried in the many compartments in his mind, but singing to Clarian brought up his earliest memories without him having to consciously search them out.

He serenaded his daughter until her steady breathing indicated sleep had finally overtaken her. Daniel laid his little girl in the crib and moved sleepily to bed, but did not bother to take off his cloak or pull back the covers. He landed tummy up and was asleep shortly after his head hit the pillow.

Again he was near a maple tree wearing its autumn colors. Some leaves were still on the tree and others in a great pile around the base. A golden leaf dropped, but before it could hit the ground, a breeze swept it back up into the air. The leaf fluttered to the left and then to the right. It fluttered up high, flipped over, and then got caught in a cross breeze and swept in an entirely different direction. Where would the leaf end up?

He had no way of knowing how far the leaf would travel before settling to the ground and no way of predicting where it would land. As he watched the leaf being taken into the wind in great swirling loops, he could hear the sound of a flute; it was coming from his soul. The melody would speed up when a sudden draft sent the leaf off in an entirely different direction. A cello was added when the leaf seemed on the verge of fluttering to the ground. Another zephyr carried the leaf back up into the sky and the tempo increased with the addition of a guitarn and vyolins. The leaf got caught in a whirlwind along with other leaves and Serinian horns joined the symphony. Kettle drums pounded excitedly as the object of his fascination seemed on the verge of finally hitting the ground. Would it land or be swept up yet again? The golden leaf settled on the ground, the Symphonic completed, and five heartbeats later Daniel lay on a sandy beach, wide awake, and with the sun shining brightly in the center of a partly cloudy sky.

He sat up, shading his eyes with his hand. Water rushed up and back, lapping the shore of a lagoon. A flock of Dactyls soared above him with one definite leader at the point. He mentally performed, Mind Touch, summoning the Potential, and then focused the energy at the apparent leader.

“I am Daniel,” he made the introduction.

Sura sees Daniel, her thoughts entered his mind. Daniel does not fly?

“I can after a fashion, but not as good as you,” he replied.

A sense of pride flowed ahead of the thoughts, “Few can. My hatchlings, grand-hatchlings, and even great-great-grand hatchlings do not fly as well as me.”

The thoughts had come with images of tiny Dactyls flapping wildly just to keep up with her.

“Daniel, where are you!” Sherree’s desperate thought blasted into his mind. “The sound of displaced air woke me and I still have not managed to stop Clarian from crying. I have never sensed you being so far away, not even when you were at Crescent Island. You are in the direction of Serinia but so far to the west I cannot begin to guess the thousands of spans between us.”

“I am not sure yet,” he replied, while wondering where he might be, especially seeing it had been the middle of the night in Lobenia and it was noon where he sat in the sand.

His response added a sense of calm to the emotions flooding the link. “How can you Convey anywhere and not know where you are?” Curiosity had entered the emotions being transmitted by his wife.

Good question; how did he transport to a place he had never been before, nor seen through the eyes of an animal scout, nor ever imagined?

Daniel converses with his mate? Sura’s thought intruded on the conversation.

Yes, he replied to her and then to Sherree, “It seems I composed a new Symphonic while dreaming and actually cast the spell upon completion. It was inspired by a leaf being carried to and fro by the wind and..,” he paused as he realized a certain persistent tingle was gone. “It has satisfied the urge to go where I have never been before. It is possible the spell places me wherever the Swirling of Events requires me to be. Evidently it takes a few extra beats to decide where to place me, because it took five.”

A surge of fear flowed ahead of the words, “You could have materialized in a tree or within a hillside or the bottom of the ocean or beyond the skies in the starry blackness. This could have been one of the pitfalls of death Silvia warned you about,” and then the panic seemed to fade as her disciplined mind usurped control over her emotions. “Even if you have fulfilled her Vision enough to no longer worry about her deadline, other threats to your life remain,” she paused again as if to gather her thoughts, and then added, “This is the first time you cast a spell while asleep since you killed the oak tree back when Samuel, Jerremy, and I were escorting you to Aakadon.”

I will never do such a stupidly dangerous thing.

The words came back to him, reprimanding him for making such a bold and definitive statement. Someday he would learn not to throw out words for fate to play with.

He remembered the incident she had spoken of vividly, yet found his current casting more troubling. “True and it stopped happening because I no longer consciously cast spells in my dreams. This time I did not know I summoned Potential until waking up here. I can’t say I like the notion of Conveying to strange places while dreaming. How can I even prepare for something like that? If I had not fallen asleep with my cloak on after tending to Clarian, I would be sitting here naked as the day I was born.”

A sense of amusement, with an undercurrent of concern, flowed ahead of the words, “I can see where this development can be embarrassing as well as dangerous. I would ask you not to do this again, but if you resist the impulse while awake, there is a good chance the Swirling of Events will cause you to Convey in your sleep.”

Daniel thought about her conclusion and found himself in agreement. “I believe you have articulated my predicament well.”

“Husband, your predicament is my predicament. Will you teach me the spell?”

Daniel gave the matter a few moments of thought and decided, “I think, Into the Wind, is a Symphonic that can only be safely used by the Chosen Vessel and so it will remain a spell solely in my personal repertoire.”

“I figured as much. Since you mentioned only having a cloak, I assume it means you have no crescendos of any kind or a canteen to quench your thirst,” Sherree replied, and then asked, “that being the case, are you going to Convey here or are you staying where you are for a while?”

Daniel glanced up at the soaring Dactyls and then at the jungle that started about fifty paces from the lagoon. “I am going to add more critters to my swirl and learn a bit more about this land. A desire to head east has come upon me, not an urge with a tingle; it is more like a curiosity. While I do not have any accoutrements, my vat is full, and I am fully capable of wielding a significant amount of Potential if the need should arise.”

He had not yet informed her of his gaining another lightning bolt; due to their lovemaking prevailing over all other thoughts. He decided to tell her when he returned.

“Very well, stay for a few marks if you like, but come back immediately if trouble breaks out. Clarian has stopped crying and so all is well here,” Sherree replied, and then severed the link.

Another flock of Dactyls came into view and Daniel added the lead flyer to his swirl. “I am Daniel.”

Duros sees Daniel, the male replied.

Duros is mate to Sura, the female Dactyl sent as both flocks suddenly merged. The images accompanying the thought were of the pair mating.

Hundreds of winged-lizards were in view and Daniel took the opportunity to add each and every one to his swirl of animals scouts.

The wild Dactyls had a hierarchy that did not exist among the ones being used by imperial wranglers. These creatures flocked to their parents and seemed to be far more communicative whereas the others flocked to their respective towers on the warships and were not nearly as good in forming their thoughts, perhaps because of the Zeuthan training methods.

His spell simply made him another part of the wild flock, a member all would rally around if he gave the command, but otherwise the fliers went about the business of life as their instincts dictated.

He summoned and focused, Find All, out in a ten-span spherical radius, and discovered he was either on an island or a peninsula. He sensed ordinary snakes and lizards, frogs and bugs, huge varieties of trees and plants, and farther east about three spans inland, he sensed two hundred twenty-seven people, the vast majority of whom were pregnant. The females had gathered around a stone structure and were facing one woman in particular. Curiosity got the best of him, so he decided to get closer to the group. Normally he would only be able to register people with whom he had never had physical contact as being human through Find All, but the human life-forces within life-forces he sensed could not occur in a male.

A gust of wind blew open his cloak, revealing his nudity beneath the silk, and served to remind him he was not presentable. He glanced at the sand under his feet and decided to use it to remedy the situation. The Symphonics, Hunger and Change It, summoned the necessary Potential, and he focused the life-force energy. Topaz light formed around him in the shape of boots, pants, and a blouse, and then, Change It, transformed the sand drawn by Hunger into silk. The new material filled in the shapes he had mentally formed, and in moments he was fully clothed in silk garments that matched the color of the sandy beach. The cloak remained exactly as it had been. Enough sand had been drawn in to make the soles of his boots feel very much like those of his other boots.

He pushed his way through the leafy foliage, steadily drawing nearer the female gathering while his scouts flew up above. A quick request to Sura brought the matriarch down within reach and he touched her, granting him the ability to sense her specifically. She shot back up in the air and he came to within fifty paces of the edge of the gathering. Elephant-ear plants kept him hidden from casual view, not that anyone was looking in his direction; they were all focused on the speaker. She was standing on a circular stage of smooth stones.

The Symphonic, Running With the Wolves, played in his mind, giving him the senses of a wolf. The effect was instantaneous; sight, hearing, and his ability to smell were suddenly far better than any human could match.

“And so we have gathered here this Seardoon-day, as our mothers’-mothers have been doing for over a thousand years, to seek the blessing of the Seardoon on our unborn babes,” the speaker was saying as if she had spoken the words routinely for many years. The elderly woman seemed to have been physically worn down by whatever experiences shaped her, but spoke in a commanding voice, and also had a bulge in her belly that came with late term pregnancy. “This day, above the ones that have come before, is special.” She spoke with an accent similar to that of Sarah Shareen.

Seardoon, Daniel pondered the use of the ancient term. Composer of alterations, he translated, but still had no idea of what it meant to the woman or her listeners.

All of the women gathered had dark hair and pale complexions. They varied in height but without greater contrast it was difficult to judge how tall they were. Their clothing consisted of blouses and skirts in earth-tone colors, nothing bright or gaudy. A dark green scarf rested on the head of the speaker and seven other women wore light green scarves, the rest had their heads uncovered.

“I only came because my mother told me I had to come. What is so special about this particular one? Every week has a Seardoon-day,” confessed a young woman on the edge of the gathering and not many paces from where Daniel was hiding. Half of her left arm was missing below the elbow but other than that the mother-to-be seemed to be in perfect health. She already had a slight bulge in her belly, even though he sensed she was very early on in her pregnancy.

The slightly older woman standing beside her said, “Careea, Deborah is the greatest Clairvoyan on the island, perhaps the world, and she says the invisible surges that began a few years ago were portents of his imminent arrival, especially the one that occurred last night. I would have come even if someone had to carry me.”

“Even if you are right and he does come, who is to say he would come here? This is one of the least important districts on one of the least significant islands,” Careea replied, clearly unconvinced by the other woman’s answer, but their conversation did confirm Daniel had arrived on an island rather than a peninsula.

The speaker’s mouth suddenly snapped shut and she remained quiet long enough for the crowd to begin murmuring. “The Seardoon will give our babes the power of the Nephilim. The Seardoon will bless us all,” she called out in a loud voice. “The Seardoon comes cloaked as the sky and girded as the land. The Seardoon comes!”

Perspiration broke out on her brow and her eyes widened. No one dared to look away from her. Arms rigid, she shouted, “The Seardoon comes; he comes on the wind!”

“Gemilla, what is wrong with her?” Careea asked the older woman.

“This is not part of her typical invocation. I think she is experiencing a vision; one that must be quite vivid and intense,” Gemilla told her, but never took her eyes off the speaker.

A vision, Daniel picked up on the term, and determined Clairvoyan had to be another name for a Seer.

“The Seardoon comes to bless us and our babes. The Seardoon can bestow the power of the Nephilim on us Humes. Yes, the Humes will match the Nephilim in might. The Seardoon comes,” Deborah’s voice intoned with growing intensity. “The Seardoon, the Seardoon,” she repeated, her arm shot straight out, and then the entranced-speaker shouted, eyes widening, “The Author of Change is here!”

Heads turned swiftly in the direction she indicated and Daniel felt the blood drain from his head. Her finger pointed right to where he was crouching. The Author of Change, did he want another title? Did he have a choice? Probably not, he decided and then brushed aside the elephant-ear and stepped into view.

The women closest to where he stood screamed and more than a few fainted at the sight of him. He canceled Running With The Wolves and the volume of sound decreased to a tolerable level. He had not realized how small they all were until stepping among them. The tallest person was three finger-widths below four cubits and would have to look up to even Silvia. Tinies, Drudges, Humes? Daniel had never thought to actually see them. He knew they only existed in Zeutha and that because Sarah Shareen had told him so.

Deborah seemed to snap back to reality. “Seardoon, please come to me,” she called to him with tears streaming down her cheeks and almost breathless; with anticipation or exhaustion he did not know.

The women between him and the Clairvoyan parted, taking with them those who had fainted, and he walked forward among the cowering assembly. No one, with the possible exception of the Clairvoyans, had expected to witness the fulfilment of prophesy, and even they seemed taken aback by the experience. They should all step into his boots and see how it felt to be the one expected to fulfill prophesy; it was a far more uncomfortable position to be in.

“His cloak matches the color of the sky,” one woman with curly hair pointed out.

“And the rest of his clothing is the color of sand,” finished a middle-aged woman standing nearby. She was one of the few who were not pregnant.

“He is tall, even for a Nephilim,” a woman in her second trimester remarked as he passed her by.

“But he has no trident,” one of the non-pregnant, light-green-scarf-wearing, woman near the front protested. “In all of my visions he is powerful and I assumed he would show an outward sign of his true might.” She looked to be in her early thirties and possessed a slender nose and was the only one with light brown eyes. She was also the tallest woman by a finger-width.

“Perhaps he is an Anakim who stumbled onto our gathering,” suggested a skeptic who stood not much taller than his leg.

“Janis, hush. He might hear you,” cautioned one of her neighbors.

“So what if he does?” Janis replied. “Poleena, everyone can see he shows no outward sign of the power Deborah seems to think we should all stand in awe of.”

On impulse, Daniel allowed his potential to radiate bright enough to be seen under the afternoon sun. The reaction was immediate. The path widened by six paces as everyone stumbled back. Several women would have fallen if the ones behind them had not offered steadying hands.

“Convinced?” Poleena inquired, as she pulled the skeptic upright.

Janis snapped her mouth shut and her brow wrinkled in fright.

He moved on and so did not see any more of her response.

“Bernadette, every Clairvoyan on this island and the other three Maidens Isles of Zeutha are seeing what we are seeing; the arrival of the Seardoon walking amid a host of expectant mothers,” Deborah stated. “Close your eyes and see with your inward vision.”

She gave him a much better idea of where he was and a notion as to why.

The younger woman did as she was told and a smile blossomed on her face. “It is as you say. He is the Author of Change.”

A hush fell over the crowd at her words of confirmation.

“He is the Author of Change,” six other women, each wearing a light green scarf, affirmed the declaration.

Daniel reached the front of the gathering and noticed the women had, intentionally or not, sorted themselves into eight distinct groups. One group seemed to belong to Deborah, another to Bernadette, and Daniel guessed the women at the head of the other groupings were also Clairvoyans. Two women stood apart from any group and he had no idea why it was so.

“Welcome, Seardoon,” Deborah greeted him with a bow and everyone else followed her example.

Since dead silence followed, the Author of Change figured it was his turn to speak. “I am Daniel Benhannon. What do you ask of me?”

He refined his focus of Potential so the crowd could no longer see him glowing with the life-force energy being used to sustain the Symphonic, Find All. He needed to be aware of his surroundings and be prepared to react to approaching danger, the more so because he had not summoned a shield and could be struck down like any other mortal man. He felt safe enough for the moment. Perhaps he was as reckless and impulsive as Bonny Tell. At that realization, he performed the music for Personal Shield, added a Da Capo, and focused the Potential, but kept the level below the visual perceptions of even an Aakacarn, although there were none present.

Deborah fixed her gaze upward and had to crane her neck so far back in order to see into his eyes, he sat down on the stone stage, and even then his head was a bit higher than hers. She smiled “That is courteous of you, Sear Benhannon.”

“You may call me Daniel,” he replied, “and so can the rest you.”

“Se-Daniel, we want you to bless our babes,” she told him. Her wrinkled brow had a scar that ran across her forehead and over to her left temple. She had more gray in her long hair than she did black. “This will be my eighth child and I want him or her to have the might of a Nephilim, as has been foretold for generations.”

“I see you planting seeds early, lots of them, far and wide and into the wind.” Silvia’s viewing came back to him and he knew with absolute clarity the reason for his presence on the opposite side of the world.

The greater understanding came with it a realization of the necessary risk he would have to take. Physical contact would be required, which meant flesh had to touch flesh, and he could not do so without removing the shield; at least from his hands. The possibility of physical harm would not prevent him from doing what needed to be done. The chore was set and could not be shirked or fobbed off onto someone else.

“You may want a bit of privacy. I need to touch your forehead and your tummy,” he replied, and willed the shield away from his hands.

Deborah pulled up her blouse, revealing pale-dry flesh bugling with pregnancy. He would say her skin looked to be water-logged without the moisture, something akin to old parchment, but chose not to comment. “All assembled here know what an old woman’s stomach looks like,” she replied, clearly uninhibited by the exposure. The fact that an old woman was pregnant did not seem remarkable on the island.

Daniel placed one hand on her forehead, the other palm-flat over her tummy, and closed his eyes. He summoned the Potential using, What Is This, and focused inward. The Symphonic showed him her metaphysical vat of energy, which he found to be about two-thirds close to being empty of the clear liquid common to all non-Aakacarns. He went deeper to the helix-shaped recipe strands. On each segment were nude images of what Deborah should look like at her current age. Carrying eight children had been a major drain on her body, syphoning from her vital nutrients she needed, and thereby physically aging her quicker than her actual chronological age, which he estimated to be forty-eight. She looked much older. He added, How Do You Feel, to the active spells he was maintaining and discovered she also suffered a degree of long-term malnutrition, which also contributed to her premature aging.

He focused on the contents of her womb, where he encountered a little boy who would likely be born within the week. Daniel narrowed his scan and discovered the baby’s internal vat of energy was nearly full of clear liquid. He had never attempted to change a baby so close to birth, but was willing to try. He scanned deeper, to the recipe strands, and could see the little pictures of what the child should look like, which were exactly the same as the boy in the womb. Daniel focused on one picture and then plunged his awareness into the components. He made no changes to the traits, rather he very gently trickled life-force energy into every component of every strand until all was tinted in topaz blue. As his consciousness withdrew, he noted the boy’s vat had filled to the brim and was a slightly lighter shade of blue than his topaz, and exactly the color of Clarion’s life-force energy.

He glanced at Deborah’s smiling face. “Unless you are fond of it, I can remove that scar,” he suggested, figuring the task would be simple enough to do.

“I could feel your blessing, all warm and tingly, while it was working in my body,” she paused to wipe away joyous tears, smiled again, and then added, “I have grown accustomed to having the scar after all these years, but cannot say I am fond of it. I will accept your offer of blessing.”

Daniel, hands still on her forehead and tummy, sent his life-force energy summoned by the Symphonic, Replace, along with What Is This, into her body. He came again to her vat and filled it to the brim with the blue liquid of his Potential. It would turn back into clear liquid in a matter of days, but would increase the number of years she could live, and yet no more than her vat would allow. He could not enlarge a person’s metaphysical vat of life-force energy, only fill it back up. It took very little time to focus on her recipe strands and have Replace give her the body the Creator intended her to have, had she not suffered malnutrition or given birth to so many babies.

The collective gasps of the onlookers caused him to open his eyes even as he was withdrawing his life-force energy from his patient. He kept Da Capos on each of the Symphonics, figuring the lead Clairvoyan was only the first woman he would be blessing.

“I feel wonderful!” Deborah shouted out her delight. “I feel like a maiden again.”

“He took away more than your scar,” Bernadette informed her. “It looks as if he took away fifteen years or more.”

“Except she did not look this good back then,” one of the other Clairvoyans stated, “and I should know, being as I am not much younger than she.” Gray streaked her hair and she had parchment-like skin, both of which gave evidence to support her claim. He suspected the premature aging to have been caused by a life experience similar to that of Deborah.

“Corren is right, you do look better; so much so Wilferd will hardly be able to recognize his own wife,” Bernadette assured the oldest of her associates.

Deborah took hold of her locks and brought a handful of them into view. “My hair is black as a raven’s wing,” she spoke with a sense of wonder. “Thank you for blessing me so.”

Daniel waved his hand casually upward. “I merely gave you the body the Creator intended you to have apart from the wear and tear life had afflicted on you.”

“The Seardoon has come to bless us and our babes,” Corren shouted out to the crowd. “Too bad the blessing is only for pregnant women,” she added more softly.

“Who else will come forward to receive a blessing?” Deborah called out to the assembly.

A vast chorus of feminine voices responded and more than a few rushed forward, breaking ranks from behind their respective Clairvoyan.

Daniel held up his hand and said, “Halt,” in a spell-amplified voice and the mad rush instantly ended. “I want Careea, Gemilla, Poleena, and Janis, to come forward.”

There was a murmuring in the crowd and it took some time, but the Clairvoyans finally managed to restore a semblance of order, and the crowd parted enough to allow the women he named to approach.

“He even knows our names,” Bernadette made more of the incident than it deserved.

Daniel glanced at her. “The knowledge comes from the art of listening, something any one of you is capable of mastering.”

“As I have told her many times,” Deborah stated in a tone filled with the sense of longsuffering.

By that time the four women were standing before him, although he remained seated. People feared him enough and he did not want to intimidate them further by towering over them. He focused on the youngest mother-to-be. “If you wish, I can not only bless your babies, I can restore your arm.”

She held up the stump of her shortened forearm as tears flowed from her hope-filled eyes. “I wish you to bless my baby and me,” she replied breathlessly, and pulled up her blouse right then and there.

He noted the curve of her waist and a slight bulge in her tummy no one but a person who had seen hundreds of bellies in the first trimester would recognize as pregnancy. She was maybe two months along. He glanced at the much younger-looking Deborah and remembered her comment about feeling like a maiden and decided some disclosures needed to be made. “Everyone,” he again amplified his voice, “There are a few side-affects to the form of healing I employed on Deborah and will soon use on Careea. The hair on the person I heal will grow as if it had never been cut and the healing is complete. Deborah, you feel like a maiden because you physically are one now. It is as if you have never been touched by a man. Also, the transformation I make to your babies will cause them to not only have the might of a Nephilim; it will cause them to grow healthier and faster. You and your families need to understand this or there could be a lot of confusion and false accusations made. The timing will not make much difference to those of you near to giving birth, but it can take months off those of you in your first or second trimesters.”

“Trimesters, he certainly talks like a midwife,” someone in the crowd commented.

His announcement started a new round of loud conversations and from what he could hear in the hubbub, he got the impression they were pleased rather than put off by the disclosures. He cancelled the amplification spell and focused entirely on Careea. “Do you want me to proceed?”

She glanced down at her belly. “I would not be standing here with my tummy exposed if I were not.” Evidently cheekiness came natural to her.

“I will need a bowl of water for her to place a hand in while I work,” he told anyone who felt inclined to honor his words.

Corren did so, placing a large pot of water near Careea’s left hand. The young mother-to-be quickly plunged her arm into the clay container.

He placed one hand on her forehead and the other on her abdomen; palm centered over her navel, and then closed his eyes. He focused the Symphonics, sending his life-force energy into her, and became aware of everything within her body. Her internal vat was nearly full, but he went ahead and filled it to the brim and then used Hunger, to draw what would be needed from the water, and Replace, to force her body to grow the limb in accordance with her recipe strands.

“Look, her arm is growing longer as the water drains from the bowl,” someone pointed out. “And look now, a wrist is forming and I think those stubs are going to be fingers. Yes, look, they are fingers, and they even have nails.”

He ignored the commentator, choosing to focus on the womb. He sent his awareness into each child and did for them what he had done for his own daughter. He withdrew his energy and awareness from his patient.

“Daniel, what have you discovered,” Sherree’s thoughts entered his head.

“I am on an island off the coast of Zeutha and among a gathering of women. I have just begun planting seeds,” he replied.

“I am not sure I like the phrasing. Just exactly what kind of seeds are you planting in these women?” She responded with a strange mixture of curiosity, apprehension, and mostly amusement.

He thought about his phrasing and realized she was toying with him. The emotions traveling through the mental link would have been stronger and very negative if infidelity had been her interpretation. “The women are in various stages of pregnancy and all of them want me to change their babies into Aakacarns,” he explained, and then added, “These women are Tinies, although they refer to themselves as Humes. It looks like this chore will take until sunset, which would be dawn where you are.”

“Humes, how big are they?” The First Lady replied with curiosity prevailing over her other feelings.

“Most of them are well under four cubits and none below three and a half. Other than that, they look pretty much like the Anakim mothers-to-be,” he answered and then thought to ask, “Has El Marzon given any indication of how he will respond to my assault on his Carriers?”

“I informed Leah and all of the Conductors of your journey, but only that you Conveyed elsewhere in response to the Swirling of Events. I merely suspected you might be near Zeutha and I did not know how much you want revealed about the new Symphonic that transported you there. I have been told the Viceroy has repositioned his Carriers to the waters near Polen Tare. Leah, Jeremiah, and I decided the mantas should stay in the region for a while longer,” Sherree responded. “I will contact you again every mark to keep you informed and learn of your progress,” she added and then ended the communication.

Child-like arms wrapped around his neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Careea told him and then her eyes widened at realizing whom she was hugging. She stepped back quickly with red flushing her face.

She had been in relatively good health and so did not look much different than before, except having been completely healed, given energy in abundance, and the muscles of a well-trained athlete.

“You are welcome,” Daniel replied. “By the way, your children are going to be energetic and doubtless a handful to keep up with. You will need the extra energy, speed, and physical strength I have just given you.”

“Are you saying there is more than one inside me?” Careea asked while placing a hand on her blouse above her belly.

“No man can know that,” stated one of the two women who did not seem to belong to a group.

“Bethshela, he is the Seardoon and we have just witnessed him perform two miracles,” the other woman answered her. “I think this particular man can know such a thing.”

“No, Wilna. I have been a midwife for more than two decades, eleven years more than you, and not even I could touch that girl and tell you she was going to have twins, not this early,” Bethshela stated firmly.

“Careea has two sons and a daughter developing in her womb,” Daniel corrected the inaccuracy.

“How can you know that?” Deborah asked, with an inflection of astonishment rather than skepticism.

“The same way I know you are going to have a boy,” Daniel replied. “The full details as to how I know will be taught to the children being trained to use the power I have given them. The information is useless to anyone else.”

Deborah nodded acceptance and smiled. “I have had seven girls. Wilferd loves his daughters dearly but I am sure he will be pleased to finally have a son.”

“The Seardoon must stay among us. Every Clairvoyan on the island will come from the other districts along with expectant mothers to be blessed,” Corren stated as if he had some obligation to devote all of his time to their benefit.

“Every pregnant woman on Sara, Lesa, and Cloe will seek receive the blessing,” Bernadette added to the demands on his time.

“Eventually he will have to make the two hundred mile journey across the water to the mainland. I suppose Ra-Anan will have to be the place to begin, since that Dukedom is the closest. My son,” she paused and patted her belly affectionately, “will be born soon and so one of you other Clairvoyans will have to accompany the Seardoon. I will accompany the Seardoon on some of his later journeys when my son is old enough to be left in the care of his father.”

Corren stepped forward, but no quicker than Bernadette. “He will need someone with experience,” the gray-streaked Clairvoyan told the younger.

“He needs someone with the stamina to withstand the vigorous journey that lies ahead of him,” the younger stated her opinion as if the man they were talking about had no choice in the matter.

Daniel raised his hand, putting a stop to the discussion. “I will appear here every Seardoon-day and give my blessing to all those who ask for it and I believe the groups should come as discreetly as possible. I have many demands on my time and being a man, I can only do a certain number of things at a time.”

“He is right,” Deborah nodded agreement. “This must be done discreetly or the Nephilim will come, declare our babes Nephis, and take them from us. Beyond that, I don’t know how we can make him do differently. The blessings he chooses to bestow will come as he wills.”

Daniel eyed Corren and Bernadette. “When the time comes for me to plant seeds on the mainland, I will allow one or both of you to guide me. I know very little about the culture of this realm.”

“Are you planning on farming?” Bernadette inquired with her left eyebrow arched questioningly.

“As you have pointed out, you are a man. The Seardoon with incredible power, true, but still a man,” Deborah stated, and would probably go on to make a point beyond affirming the obvious. After all eyes were on her, she continued, “Why have you been so willing to bless our children with the power of the Nephilim? You are a Nephilim with no apparent ties to us and yet began honoring our request to strengthen our babes as if you grew up knowing it was your destiny.”

Daniel shifted to a more comfortable position on the rounded stones and then decided to share the reason. “While I did not know of your Viewing concerning the Seardoon, nor even heard the term before hearing you speak it, two talented Seers shared with me their Visions and guidance. I am supposed to plant seeds far and wide and into the wind. At least some of the seeds are Anakim who I must change into Nephilim while they are still in the womb. The viewing is broad and obscure enough to allow for many kinds of seeds, but transforming yet-to-be-born babies into Nephilim is one type of seeds both Seers-Clairvoyans are certain I need to plant.”

“But we are not Anakim,” Janis blurted and then turned red in the face, perhaps remembering her skeptical remarks. “Forgive me for speaking so pertly of you earlier. I should not have doubted your power.”

Daniel waved the matter away with a sweep of his hand. “It is of no moment. Plenty of people have expressed doubts about me. A little skepticism is a good thing. It only becomes foolish if the person clings to it in the face of incontrovertible evidence.”

“She is correct, we are not Anakim. Why are you so willing to bless us?”

Bernadette had also been skeptical of his power, but had lost her doubts after checking her inward vision. The question she asked was a good one.

Daniel eyed the tiny women waiting to hear his response. He did not have to dig very deep for an answer. “There are no Humes where I come from beyond the ocean, other than in ancient tales, so I did not know until hearing Deborah speak of the Seardoon that Humes were to be included in the vision,” he paused, fixing his gaze on Janis, “I am willing to make the transformations when an expectant mother asks it of me and because it is an ability unique to the life-force of an Aakasear. Janis, do you want me to give your baby the powers of a Nephilim?”

“I do,” she replied and raised her blouse.

“A Melody Author,” Deborah translated the term according to her understanding of the word. “Three thousand years ago Gloria Van Helen composed many new Melodies for the empire, but she died long, long, ago and we have had no other composers since then. Part of me wants to doubt your claim, but I am standing here with a blessed babe, looking years younger, and feeling better than I ever have in my life. The possibility of you being an Aakasear is not so hard to believe.”

He went ahead and transformed the tiny mother’s baby into an Aakacarn and then did the same for the each person until he finally came to Vanessa, the curly-haired woman who had remarked about his cloak being the color of the sky. He placed one hand on her forehead and just as he was about to touch her tummy with the other, something leaped up and clamped onto the hand, opposite the thumb.

In addition to the momentary sting caused by needle-sharp teeth, came a fiery pain that spread with every beat of his heart. He glanced at the lizard dangling from his hand, noted the black body with bright orange tiger-stripes, and then his eyes rolled upward and he fell sideways off the stone stage.

“He has been bitten by an inaminute!” He heard Vanessa scream and as his vision faded in and out, he glimpsed a dagger plunging into the side of the offending lizard.

“The Seardoon cannot die like this!” Bernadette’s voice sounded loud and clear but Daniel’s vision had faded to the point he could no longer see.

It seemed as if every vein in his body had caught fire; sending burning pain everywhere blood flowed.

“Someone needs to draw out the venom,” he recognized the voice of Deborah.

Someone took hold of his hand and warm lips encircled the wound, followed by suction, a removal of the lips, and a frantic repeating of the process.

“That’s it, Corren, keep drawing it out,” Deborah’s voice shouted encouragement.

“It is no use, no one survives the bite for long,” Bernadette apparently did not share her optimism, but Corren did not slow her efforts.

The venom was shutting down his organs, causing all sorts of damage to his system, and worse, the toxin was fogging his mind. If he did not clear his thoughts enough to summon Potential, he was going to die.

The pain, his inability to concentrate, and a sense of his spirit on the verge of departing his body, all made it nearly impossible to perform the complex Symphonics onto which he had added so many harmony lines. Heal Wounds, it was one of the earliest spells he composed in order to heal the people of Bashierwood after the attack of the Yetis. It was a simple Melody with a six-note guitarn rhythm. He began the simpler Symphonic, struggling to concentrate on each note even while his entire body writhed in burning pain. All he had to do was perform the spell perfectly through the first stanza, after-which he could add a Da Capo, and wait for his life-force to heal the damage. The plan was simple enough, the execution not so much.

He struggled intensely against the venom, fighting doggedly against the toxin with the same determination he brought to bear when battling Balen Tamm. Corren’s efforts at drawing out the venom helped a little, giving him a few moments more of clarity, which was just enough to finish the first stanza. She gave up, but not before he quickly added the Da Capo, and yet the agony continued. The spell immediately began healing the damage done to his system, yet did not get rid of the venom, and could not stop the nasty toxin from inflicting new damage.

“It has been over two minutes and he still lives,” a voice, possibly belonging to Corren, came from somewhere to his the left. He was too busy focusing on the battle taking place in his body to care who was speaking.

The spell would continue to draw from his huge vat of life-force energy and he could theoretically live a fairly long time off the reservoir, but would likely die of dehydration way before that. Daniel knew he could not defeat the venom as he had the Maestro of the Serpent Guild in a duel of potentials. If the toxin did not kill him, mummification would, and Silvia’s Viewing of his death would be fulfilled. It seemed his actions in the Serinian Channel did not count.

The venom not only assaulted his circulatory and nervous systems, it kept him from thinking clearly. In a moment of clarity, he realized the spells he had been using to heal the various women of their afflictions were still active with Da Capos sustaining them; all he had to do was focus the Symphonics. With the speed of thought, What Is This showed him his recipe strands, Replace began restoring his body in accordance with the tiny nude pictures, and Hunger stole the extra subsystems needed to make the repairs from the venom, completely eliminating the toxin in the process.

He had invested full Potential into fighting his tiny internal foe, consequently, eight bolts of life-force energy, sixty-four times the power of a One-bolt Accomplished, was focused inwardly. Releasing that much power, no matter how narrowly focused, could not be damped down, nor kept from being noticed by every living thing within a certain number of spans.

People screamed, being exposed to a near blinding flash and a harmonic pulse powerful enough to knock everyone on their backsides. The wave had to have traveled hundreds of spans, over the Maiden Isles, and possibly to the shores of the continent. Some folks in the southern Dukedoms might have sensed a powerful spell had been wielded uncomfortably close to their realms and if so would likely send Discriminators to investigate.

More importantly the toxin was gone, along with the pain and harmful effects. Other than being thirsty, Daniel’s body was in the best shape ever, and it was as if the nasty lizard had never bitten him. Corren’s actions had given him the time he needed. His life during those critical moments had depended on the decision she made. Silvia’s warning came back into his mind, “The problem is; the choice will not always be yours.”

He opened his eyes, sat up, and eyed his attacker, “I have never seen anything like that,” he stated and then shifted over to sit on the stage.

The lizard had a big head, compared to the rest of its body, which had been pinned to the ground by a dagger. The hind legs of the cubit-long creature were thick with muscles, which accounted for its jumping ability, but its forelegs were short and stubby. The little beasty could only walk on two legs, but made up for it with speed and viciousness.

All of the women were getting to their feet, most of them noted his miraculous recovery, and having received their blessings; chose to leave before anything else occurred that could knock them on their bottoms again. Whatever the reasons, most of them went away. Vanessa reached down, pulled the dagger free, wiped it clean, and then placed it somewhere under her skirt. “It is an inaminute, so named because once a person is bitten, in a minute the victim is dead.”

Since the creature had made physical contact, Find All revealed hundreds of the lizards within the ten-span radius. “That one was hiding in the cavity at the center of this stage and it nearly did kill me,” Daniel pointed out, and then thanked Corren for her assistance in giving him the extra time he needed to wield Potential.

He could see through the eyes of the Dactyls. Hundreds of creatures were fleeing in every direction away from the epicenter, even those linked to him. “I am well, you can come back,” he sent to Sura and Duros, knowing the others would follow them.

I come, the matriarch replied.

I also come, the patriarch replied. Both Dactyls transmitted a sense of irritation as if their nests had been violated.

The entire flock came back, swooping down, and each Dactyl flew back up with an inaminute limp in its jaws. The immediate population went from hundreds to less than a score of the venoms lizards.

“The Dactyls are killing them. I have never seen such a thing before,” Janis stated. “Nothing much wants to eat an inaminute. Look, they are letting the things drop.”

“They are related to arpies, which are about the same size, only green and annoying rather than venomous,” Deborah informed him. “Are you truly alright?”

Daniel nodded his head. “Right as a spring rain, although I could use a drink of water.”

A bowl of the cool liquid was brought to him and he drank it dry, and the next, and the next, until his thirst was quenched. He fixed his gaze on Vanessa. “You are the only mother-to-be who has not yet received what you came here for.”

She raised her blouse with one hand, reached under her skirt with the other, and pulled out the dagger. “No vermin is going to get in the way of my blessing again. You do what you do and I will stab anything that gets close to either of us,” she replied with a fierceness he had not seen in her dark eyes before.

Daniel gave the feisty mother more energy and then went on to change her daughter into an Aakacarn. After she stepped away, he addressed the remnants of the crowd, “The surge from my spell could have attracted the attention of Discriminators and so do not be surprised if they show up asking questions.”

Deborah nodded. “If they do come I am confident few people on the island can give them any useful answers. None of us intend to volunteer what we know.”

“Since we do not really know how you cured yourself, the most any of us can say is a stranger came, cast a spell, and left,” Bernadette added.

“We certainly are not going to speak of the blessings,” Vanessa stated while rubbing the slight bulge in her abdomen.

Daniel had given fair warning and sensed his chores were complete; each woman present had received the blessing they had come for, but he had a few questions of those who remained. “Most of you on this island, going by the condition of the mothers-to-be, are under nourished and frankly appear much older than your chronological ages, why is that? How is it that Correa is healthier and does look her age?”

“You have no way of knowing this, being a stranger,” Deborah began an explanation, “the Maiden Isles are where malcontent Drudges are exiled to serve as living examples of how hard life can be without the Nephilim to protect the common-born from the natural elements and dangerous predators. We eat what we can grow or catch. If the harvest is good, we eat well, and if it is bad due to drought or vermin we eat poorly. Unfortunately there are a lot of vermin. Also, the waters around the isles are teeming with sea-serpents that can swallow an Anakim whole. For this reason fishing where the catch would be good is prohibitive and limits us to lakes and rivers on the island where the catches are not so abundant. There are many ways to die young on Lilith. The oldest person alive is Isabella Laarin with sixty-one years of life.”

Bethshela shook her head sadly. “At least ten of the women gathered here earlier will die in childbirth. Without your blessing, slightly half the pregnancies would have ended in stillbirths,” she said, while wiping away a tear, and then smiled. “You have given us all hope.”  

“Correa is from my district, North Harbor,” Corren volunteered the information, “which is the only port on the island and where exiles are dropped off. She is healthier because she and her mother were exiled to Lilith after her father was executed by a Reaper. Malroon was found guilty of rabblerousing. His wife and daughter paid the price along with him. The Reaper sliced off Forella’s left foot and well, you saw what they cut off of Correa.”

Daniel wondered if the Nephilim distinguished between complaining and rabblerousing, if not, a lot of people in Serinia were going to be in even worse trouble than he had previously imagined. Most of the stubborn people he grew up knowing on Mount Tannakonna would be in trouble if the Zeuthan’s ever took control of Ducaun. Life for everyone on the continent of Atlantan would change drastically and for the worse. “What did you do to deserve exile?”

Bernadette’s left eyebrow arched up in astonishment, as if surprised he had to ask. “Nothing, most of us are descendants of the exiled. My convicted grandparents arrived ten generations ago. In the Zeuthan Empire nobody rises above their birth status, nor is anyone allowed to travel beyond the Dukedom of their birth, unless they are a noble or in one of the imperial services. No one but a Nephilim or Anakim of noble blood can own land. Drudges are considered property and most often used as laborers. Commoners who possess homes and businesses lease the land and must pay the owners for the privilege. Is this not the way of life where you come from?’

It could have been, Daniel knew, and would have been had Tarin Conn proved victorious. “Anakim rule the kingdoms and the Nephilim provide guidance and protection. We govern ourselves but not what we call the non-Aakacarns. They own land and businesses and no person is considered the property of another. I thought the war we just finished waging had ensured that relationship, but now see only vigilance to the principle will safeguard what we fought to achieve.” 

“I would like to live in a land where a person is not considered property,” Vanessa stated and then sighed. “I live on Lilith, which is owned by the Emperor, and that technically makes me his. I suppose we on the Maiden Isles, being abandoned by the Nephilim, are as close to being free as a Hume can get.”

“But your arrival brings change. Our babies will have the power of the Nephilim and we will no longer be at the mercy of the elements,” Deborah stated with confidence.

Daniel intended for the changes to be much more profound. “You will not have to wait for the next generation. I and my people will increase the yields of your crops and our healers will tend to the sick and infirm among your population. Women need not die in childbirth. I and my teams will work with you Clairvoyants to determine the best way to assist the population without alerting the Nephilim on the continent to the changes we will be making together.”

“All praise to the Seardoon!” the women shouted at once.

The level of acclaim did not sit well with Daniel. “I am only doing the chores assigned to me by the Creator and nothing more. A simple, thank you, will do if you feel the need to express gratitude.”

“Thank you,” Vanessa said and the three Clairvoyants and the two midwives echoed her response.

The sun was an orange ball on the western horizon when a male voice entered his head. “Maestro, the modifications you ordered to be made on the Trident are complete with a few changes of my own you might find surprising,” Franklin Togan announced, along with a powerful sense of smugness.

“I will Convey to you after breakfast,” Daniel replied mentally, and then said to the women standing around him, “I will return next Seardoon-day with a Healer who can focus on the sick and injured while I work the transformations.”

They had no choice but to agree with him and their simple nods of the head indicated they were not going to argue for more frequent visits.

After the announcement Daniel sent to his wife, “I am coming home now,” and less than four heart beats later, he arrived in his bedroom.

He changed into his regular silks and stepped into the receiving room. Simon stood there tapping his foot. “Someday you will actually sleep during your allotted time,” the chief-aid chided his Maestro.

Chapter Twelve: Investigations

Daniel eyed his friend. “My extra-bedtime activities, beyond sleep and other things is nothing new. Why are you really so impatient and glum looking?”

Simon let out a sigh. “Leah is resisting the idea of taking our relationship to the next level. We are fond of each other, more than fond, we love each other, but holding hands and sweet words is as far as she will go. I want to marry her.”

Daniel truly did feel for his sandy-haired friend, having been in a similar situation with Sherree at one point. She had encouraged a certain amount of kissing; describing the relationship as them being, “Affectionate friends,” but his premature proposal of marriage had made her furious and ruined the relationship. It had taken being Condemned by Serin Gell and later being restored to humanity for her to change her mind. Nothing Daniel could have said or done would have changed her decision prior to that experience. Considering his initial failures with her and earlier with Val, he counted himself the least qualified person to give advice on successful courtship, but did have a suggestion.

“Leah is nearly four times our age, has spent about eight of those decades in Aakadon, and is definitely an old-school Accomplished. She believes Aakacarns should never marry and are to remain celibate. She tolerates the changes of traditions I have made as Maestro of the Atlantan Guild, but does not personally approve of them. Many of the Accomplisheds associated with us who were Aakadon-trained feel as she does. You are an exception, being more open to change,” he did his best to explain and then placed a hand on Simon’s shoulder. “I can see she does love you, but it could take years, perhaps decades, before she is ready for the more intimate relationship you have in mind. I have no advice how to win her over and can only suggest patience and persistence.”

Simon nodded acknowledgement and then arched an eyebrow. “Are you going to tell me what the Swirling of Events had you doing for half the night or are you going to make me discover the little details as events unfold, as you sometimes do to Samuel?”

Daniel removed his hand from the shoulder of his friend and told the chief-aid all about the new Symphonic and the events on the isle of Lilith, including the close encounter with death and then added, “You will have to fit the transformations into my schedule this time next week and on into the future. I would rather plan the trips than be transported in my dreams.”

Simon nodded understandingly. “The seeds must be planted in accordance with Silvia’s Viewing and so we really have no choice but to continue what you have started, even keeping in mind the dangers involved. You know, all of us have been trying to get an avian scout to Zeutha, but not even an albatross wants to fly so far from land. I lost a few scouts by having them follow the constant flow of Dactyls and Phodons traveling to and from Zeutha, figuring the message-carriers would know where to land along the way, but the blighted flying reptiles keep eating my birds. I am glad someone finally got close to the continent. Now it is only a matter of time before we will be able to establish Conveyance points.” he stated and then placed his hands on his hips. “These unscheduled trips you insist on making are ruining every effort I have made to create time in your itinerary by reducing your responsibilities. I had hoped after you appointed Esther Cenbosaan to be the Benhannon Jurisdiction Adjudicator in Lancana and Isaac Foxden as the Jurisdiction Adjudicator in Lanta, that your schedule would become more manageable.”

“Try being the one fate throws into exotic and dangerous locations,” Daniel replied, and then opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

Simon followed him out. “No thank you. My days are interesting enough,” he said and lost the smile, his demeanor turning sober.  “Next time, convey to wherever I am, and then you will have someone other than a feisty Hume woman with a dagger to watch your back. You should also be sure to take the trident on your next trip or Silvia’s vision of you dying might come to pass. The failure to bring it could be the reason that part of her prophesy was not satisfied.”

Daniel nodded his head, accepting the advice. “I suppose she and David will also want to tag along.”

“And Carlos and Sero as well,” Simon agreed, rightly adding the other two names. “Sherree and Clarian are in the dining area.”

The bodyguard and assistant joined them after breakfast, along with the official Teki escorts. Franklin Conveyed all of them, including Sherree and Clarian, to the bridge of the Trident. Daniel took hold of his daughter as they passed through the map-room, which had a sheet of what appeared to be glass, but was harder than steel, separating it from the bridge so as not to block the view to stern. The arrangement was similar to what could be found on a Wager-class patrol-boat. A cushioned-bench started near the entranceway and followed the internal perimeter of the bridge, a style like on the Pondhoppers and Wagers; only on a larger scale and divided into sections by chairs. Each seat was in front of the crescendos he had ordered to be added to the vessel and each one also had a personal viewer and wristband.

A gold stand to the right of the wheel had four large gemstones set within and two of them were the amulet part of the CAPUs. The emerald provided forward speed, the amber reverse, and the sapphire contained the spell, Spout a Leak, to empty the bilge water. He had no idea what spell was in the aqua-blue gem. To the left of the broad white wheel stood a binnacle; a gold stand housing the large compass, which had been added to the Wager-class boats at the suggestion of Saul Tarpon of the Benhannon Navy. A large palm-sized diamond had been added to the stand right above the compass. Three stools were formed from the deck in front of the stations, one for the helmsman, one for the driver, and Daniel had no idea why a third seat had been added to the control-station. The command chair was behind them and on a platform to give the captain a better, overall, view. All of the chairs had personal eye-shaped viewers like those on Manta-One and similar wristbands.

“What is the function of that third station and the extra gem on the drive console?” Daniel asked the question while pointing with his free hand as Clarion’s tiny fingers rubbed his cheeks. She seemed fascinated by the feel of stubble; he had not taken the time to shave.

“The third position at the binnacle is reserved for the shield operator. The energy field is pre-shaped to the outer contours of the ship and is set in the diamond part of the CPA.” Franklin replied, and then the former Master Artisan of the Stone Guild stroked his blue beard. “I thought it best to have one Accomplished fully focused on maintaining the shield.”

“That is probably for the best, although, going by my experience, anyone possessing less than three lightning bolts of Potential will be mummified if this ship is subjected to the power of a Ruby-level aqua-bomb,” Sero accurately remarked.

“Even an Amber or possibly Amethyst-level bomb would probably drain the life-force out of a Two-bolt Accomplished,” added a familiar voice.

Daniel turned to face the new-comer. “Jerremy, I did not expect to see you here. Your expertise is in designing bases of operations.”

The young Accomplished’s Serinian heritage gave him height close to Daniel’s, and light brown skin, visible at the moment on a face some women might consider handsome. The rest of him was covered in the blue silks of the Atlantan Guild. He had a golden lightning bolt on each shoulder. The second bolt came as a result of Daniel’s intervention, having increased the young Melody-wielder’s Potential to the next level.

Daniel had done so for all of his Aakacarns whose vats were large enough to contain the required amount of Life-force energy; not everyone’s reservoir had grown to that level, and so could not hold more energy, no matter how much was flooded into the reservoir. The rates of growth involved with increasing and replenishing life-force energy and the volume of the metaphysical container often varied within the individual, and the growth rate of the container also differed, even within the same Aakacarn. It would have taken years for Jerremy and the others, Simon among them, to attain their second bolts. Jerremy would not get a third until his vat could contain nine times the power of a One-bolt Accomplished, currently he could wield a factor of four.

Jerremy nodded and almost succeeded in keeping a straight face, but ruined it when his tight lips twitched into a smile. “You are correct about my expertise and after this tour you will know why I am here.”

Sherree eyed her long-time friend. “You converted this ship into a floating base.”

“You were the first in our class in Aakadon, so I am not surprised you are the first to reach an accurate conclusion, and yet I think even you might be surprised at what you are going to see,” Jerremy DeSuan replied with his nose in the air and a hint of the arrogance that came natural to the high-born. Humility did not come easy to the son of a Serinian Lord of Commerce.

Franklin cleared his throat, drawing attention back to him. “Vernon Benjacobs is a Three-bolt and will be at the station, according to Conductor Lassiter. Be that as it is, this vessel has extraordinary avoidance systems, and will hopefully not be in danger of enduring the power of an aqua-bomb of any level for more than a few moments, thanks to the aqua-blue quartz.”

He went on to give details Daniel heartily approved of, as did Sherree, Carlos, Sero, Silvia, and David. The Teki traditionally lived in wagons and so the idea of a highly mobile dwelling large enough to house a small troupe appealed to them greatly.

When they stepped out onto the weather deck, Daniel took one glance towards the stern and had to will his mouth shut or stand there gaping. “What are those?”

“I think he is referring to the battle-crafts,” Jerremy shared his feigned belief with the Conductor of his department as if the objects in question were not obvious and there might be some other items of curiosity.

Franklin nodded and gestured toward the vessels “Each Spearfish is thirty paces long and four paces in diameter at its widest point. The spear is a crescendo with an amplification factor of seven bolts. An Aakacarn pilots the craft from the cockpit. The one-person vessel is shaped like a spearfish, fins and all, as you can see. The pilot sits, strapped in a seat like on the Manta Rays, with Osprey Vision projecting everything within visual range onto the interior. The Crescendo-Amulet-Propulsion-Unit in the tail is capable of achieving three hundred spans per mark. The vessel becomes difficult to control at higher speeds.”

“I doubt even a Tiny or Hume, whatever, could stand in that thing,” Simon commented.

“The Spearfish is designed for battle,” Franklin responded. “The compartment is only large enough for an Accomplished to sit and pilot the vessel.”

Daniel noted the six attack-crafts on the deck, spaced in three pairs towards the stern, were sapphire blue like the Trident, and sleek like their namesake. “They are impressive, but how do they get from the deck into the water?”

“An additional CPA in the control stick contains, Conveyance. Each Accomplished has at least one porpoise in his or her menagerie and can convey like a Pondhopper. The porpoises are here in the bay and the pilots merely have to obtain visuals from their scouts and can then Convey underwater right off the deck. Each Accomplished is also linked to an osprey and can use the bird to Convey back into place when it is time to return to the ship,” Franklin explained. “Even without the eyes of surrogates the pilots can use Osprey Vision to Convey on and off the deck if they are in visual range of the Trident.”

“Master Togan designed the battle-craft and I had the idea to turn his prototype vessel into functional battle-crafts and station them on the Trident.” Jerremy gave credit where he must have felt it was due and then added, “I created the contoured depressions that allow them to fit so snuggly to the deck and also came up with the idea of stationing seven Manta Rays on the bottom of this ship. Their fins stretch sixty-three paces, port to starboard, and each ray fits into its own contoured impression without interfering with the streamline flow of the ship. I also created all of the CPAs replacing the Zeuthan amulet-powered devises, and all of the specialized Crescendo-Powered-Amulets needed to energize the modifications. This ship truly is a mobile base.”

Daniel had to admit, “It certainly is. I am impressed by the additions and pleased the Trident has turned out far better than I originally envisioned.”

The ship had a sleeker appearance without the twin hill-like paddlewheels that had been amid-ship. The Trident retained certain similarities to a Majestic, but would never be mistaken for the Zeuthan warship formerly known as the Cantankerin.

“Franklin. Jerremy, you and your teams have done a marvelous job,” Sherree remarked while walking over to a Spearfish and pressing her right palm flat on the side. An amber glow indicated she was scanning the battle-craft. “You were correct; I am surprised, pleasantly surprised, at what you have accomplished.”

“Maestro, Buck Duadams here,” the Accomplished, who had recently attained his third lightning bolt without help from his Maestro, identified himself.

At the age of fifty-one, he had the stamina of a man half his years and his neatly trimmed beard and mustache held only the barest traces of gray. The mountaineer had simply rode his horse to the Benhannon Northland Holding during the war and signed up to serve, along with three other like-minded Ducaunans. He did not know he was an Aakacarn until Samuel made the discovery.

“You have my attention,” Daniel sent back through the communication link established by the ISIG Agent. The Information Gatherer never directly contacted his Maestro over trivial matters and so the news had to be important.

“I am sitting on a dock at the port in Kay Toll and watching the ships coming into the harbor. Zoom, one of my gulls, showed me a merchant vessel that recently sailed in from Serinia at the rising of the sun. Even though it is flying the colors of house DeSuan, I can see the folks operating the ship are Zeuthans.”

Daniel wondered if the arrival was part of El Marzon’s subtle response that no one would recognize the danger of until the damage was done and yet could not see how an abandoned freighter sailing into the capitol of Fon Kay could cause any harm, unless, “Are there any Nephilim aboard?”

“Yep, I’d say about half the crew, twenty-five, have tridents on their foreheads, but it was a female who came ashore wearing a teal coat and skirt that struck me as odd.”

“You know it is not unusual for nobles to wear teal, it is a popular color,” Daniel replied. “Being a Zeuthan, I would expect the style of her coat and skirt might be odd to us, and yet considered fashionable where she comes from.”

“Yep, I reckoned so,” Buck replied. “It took me a little while of staring to lock on to what had tickled my attention.”

“Does she have a trident?” Daniel wanted to know.

“Nope, her forehead is smooth and light brown without a blemish. She could almost pass for a Serinian, a short one. You see, it’s the breeze. The wind is kicking up here, throwing unsecured buckets off tables, rocking the smaller boats, and blowing the hats off people’s heads, but ain’t touching her skirt,” the Agent reported. “Ain’t that odd? It makes me think of how you created all those fake yous to trick Tarin Conn so he would have a tough time figuring which was the real you. That took some fancy spell-casting on your part and so I reckon that lady, Nephilim or not, is casting a spell.”

Daniel understood; whoever she was, she was casting an illusion. “Good catch, Buck. She warrants a closer investigation. Be as subtle as you can, but keep an eye on her by whatever means you deem necessary, human or non-human. Be careful, if she has one initiator, she probably has more, and some of them might be deadly. Make sure you inform Samuel about the arrival of her and the Nephilim.”

“I’ll keep my eyes and the eyes of all the critters a-working for me in this city on her. I reckon if she can make me see a skirt rather than whatever she’s actually wearing, it’s likely she could make me see clear skin rather than a trident. Conductor Cresh is spying on Aakadon, but he knows what I found cause I told him. I asked for a strike-force to be ready to back me up cause I reckon I might be needing one,” the Agent replied.

“I reckon you are right,” Daniel responded, feeling better after the communication ended knowing Buck recognized the danger.

“What do you mean by that, Simon?’ Sherree demanded to know. “You cannot just casually mention Daniel nearly died and then change the subject as if it was nothing.”

The Seardoon, the Chosen Vessel, the Royal Knight of the Realm, and Lord of the Land, had not been listening to the conversation taking place around him, and was about to get into trouble.

“Well, that is the way he told it, as if being bitten by a venomous lizard whose victims never survived longer than a minute is nothing remarkable,” Simon replied. “I am sure he was going to tell you sooner rather than later. My guess would be sometime after he shaves.”

Daniel handed Clarian to her mother, a tactic that would at least delay the First Lady from casting a spell at her Maestro. “I intend to shave, when my chief-aid allows time for such a thing, and then planned on telling you about the inaminute and my gaining another lightning bolt.”

“You are an Eight-bolt!” Simon spoke as if he had been slighted in some way. “I thought you were not going to make me learn these little details as events unfold.”

“He is the Chosen Vessel,” Silvia proclaimed as if someone present might not know the fact or needed to be reminded, and then added in lower volume, “He obviously needed more strength to fulfill his purpose and so it has happened. However, he really should have included David and me in his planting expedition, wherever that was. Daniel I told you at this point you could die at any time. Chosen One, nothing that happened today has altered my Viewing in that regard.”

His near death experience helped him come to the realization, but it was a little disheartening to hear her confirm the fact. She loyally backed the Vessel and also made certain he understood her displeasure at being left out of his unscheduled journey.

Daniel glanced at his chief-aid. “Your mouth got us on this subject, why don’t you tell the rest.”

He knew the revelation about him nearly dying had not been a causal slip of the tongue; it was a deliberate attempt to ensure he would not make any future trips alone.

Simon related the events and when he was finished Silvia shared her thoughts, “Now we know what life here will be like if the Chosen Vessel fails.”

“And what life for those living in Serinia must be, or soon will be like in the areas where the Zeuthans dominate,” Jerremy added in a troubled voice. He had relatives in those areas.

“They and all of us depend on the Vessel’s success,” David told him. “With our help he will live to be successful.”

Sherree nodded in agreement and then focused entirely on Daniel. “In light of what we have heard, it is good to know you intend to include your entourage in future trips. Even if you happen to Convey while asleep, upon waking and finding yourself elsewhere, you will Convey back to get your escorts. And for my sake, do not forget that trident,” she spoke with the authority of a wife to her husband, and then added in a slightly less demanding tone, “I want you to shave and take the time to cast Timeless on yourself. I performed the Symphonic on myself before we..,” she paused as if searching for an alternative time reference, and then finished with, “you came home last evening.” A slight pinkness in her cheeks and a lightening of her tone meant her irritation with him was diminishing, perhaps due to the fond memory.

Her reason for not informing him at the time was likely the same as his reason for not mentioning the acquiring of another bolt; they each had something far more interesting on their minds. He had no objection to performing Timeless and had promised Terroll the spell would be used after the birth of Clarion. “I will stop the physical aging process after shaving; it will likely be the last time my whiskers grow until the Da Capo is removed.”

Simon, Sero, and Carlos all nodded their heads. “I have not had to shave since casting the spell and that was over a year ago,” the bodyguard confirmed. “I do not think you will miss using the razor every morning.”

Probably not, Daniel figured.

Silvia closed her eyes, nodded, and then her lids opened. “The creation of Into the Wind was a pivot point and has greatly increased the possibility of your success. It has also increased the number of pitfalls and dangers you and the rest of us will be facing by a similar order of magnitude.”

-----

Amin El Seti stood on the deck of the Lucia under tower three and staring up at the Quetzal as it landed on the platform. He had been up since before dawn and was prepared for the coming interview, having read all of the reports and later questioned various witnesses. His Investigators were working on their assignments. Lewin and Manshon were examining the ruined Carriers floating at anchor in the harbor and questioning the survivors. Amin had received the preliminary reports and knew enough of the previous day’s events to know Maestro Benhannon had been directly involved.

More than twenty Nephilim had been apprehended in the cities of Port New Aresia and Polen Tare, along with their life-force initiators; all of which would require careful study before anyone dared to activate them. The spies had been rendered incoherent, strip-searched, and all of them had golden lightning bolts in the flesh of their shoulders; only differing in number. Eventually they would be awakened to undergo questioning, but that would come after Amin knew more about the mind to mind communications El Marzon had spoken of in their second, that time private, meeting.

Amin used his hands to shade his eyes while Scout Shareen descended to the deck and he smiled inwardly at her wide-eyed reaction to seeing him. The young Nephi had good reasons to be nervous, if his suspicions were correct, and they usually were.

He never allowed his true emotions to be reflected in any way, in face, tone of voice, or in his body language. He often projected emotions for effect in order to provoke truthful responses from the people he questioned, which was a skill the Prime Investigator for the entire southeastern region of the Zeuthan Empire had to master.

She opened her mouth to give the proper greeting, but he spoke first. “Do you know who I am?” He asked and received a confirming nod. “Walk along the deck with me. I have some questions concerning your encounters with Maestro Benhannon.”

His tone held the quality of insistence with the expectation of instant compliance, suggesting refusal to follow his instruction would be unthinkable.

She swallowed hard and her gaze shifted as if seeking a way of escape, which led him to believe his hunch had been correct; she did know more than her reports indicated. She took a deep breath, calming her nerves. “My experience with him has been documented and published, but I will certainly answer any questions you may have,” she replied, smoothly enough to make a favorable impression. She had daring and a certain amount of self-control, which probably contributed to her success as a scout.

Amin began a casual-seeming stroll along the deck, forcing her to match his pace, and since his legs were much longer, she had to step lively to keep up. “After being injured and upon waking to find yourself fully healed and in the custody of a foreign society of Nephilim, you were questioned by a Seeker and a Conductor.”

The scout nodded, “Ginnie Cree and Sandra Treena,” she confirmed. “I gave them my function, name, and the ship of the empire I serve on.”

Her tone had been as flat as a memorized verse. Amin deliberately arched an eyebrow, “That is the answer you gave those two questioners, but the Viceroy, Captain Lo Marzon, and the Nephilim on deck at the time of Benhannon’s visit aboard this ship, all remember his not only recognizing you, but also Leviathan Wrangler Sylin. I questioned him while waiting for you and he has no idea how a man he had never met knew not only his name, but those of his leviathans. How do you suppose the foreign Chief Conductor learned such precise information about your fellow Nephi?”

He watched as she wiped perspiration from her brow. “Maestro Benhannon seems capable of doing many things beyond my ability to explain,” she answered, lower lip quivering slightly until she took a breath and lifted her right hand, flexing her fingers. “I don’t know how he grew these back and I don’t know how he knew Roy’s name or those of Burkos and Bermos.”

Her facial expression and tone reflected an honest answer, yet the slight tremble to her bottom lip made Amin certain she was afraid he would ask her a question she did not want to answer. The scout was hiding something, but what?

She had answered truthfully about her response to the questions posed by the Seeker and Conductor, of that he was certain. He nodded as if her words were accepted as being truthful and then asked, “When you eventually met Benhannon, did he ask questions of you and receive the same answers as the others?” Her written report had indicated she responded with the standard answers to the questions asked by the first two and made no mention of any other questions having been asked of her.

He could see where Captain Lo Marzon and the Viceroy would accept the report as written. If either of them had captured a Jade-level scout, they would naturally leave the questioning to underlings. The likelihood of such an individual knowing anything of importance was very slim and therefore not worthy of their time, nor that of a Chief Conductor or Master Musician.

Her lower lip trembled as it had earlier, and she blinked, again wiping perspiration from her brow. He had hit the sore spot and the scout’s answers going forward would directly affect her future, negatively or positively. She took a deep breath, apparently making a decision to either tell the truth or give false testimony. “No, I answered his questions, but I did not reveal to him anything every person in Zeutha does not know.”

Amin knew she had told the truth, but wondered why she went against her training by answering even the innocuous questions of the Maestro. Perhaps his questions were not as harmless as she believed them to be. “What did he want to know and why did you tell him anything at all beyond your function, name, and the ship of the empire you serve on? I read your report and am reserving judgment on the assertion of his being an Aakasear. Do you believe he is one? Is that why you answered his questions? Was it gratitude for him restoring your hand?”

She blinked several times at the rapid-fire questions and hesitated as she had before when deciding to lie or tell the truth. “I believe he is an Aakasear. Even if I am wrong about that, he is the Chief Conductor of his society of Nephilim and a Master Musician of great skill,” she stated, paused, and then straightened her shoulders. “I was and still am grateful he restored my hand, but it was the opportunity to replace the rings I had lost that influenced my decision. He promised to make me a new one for every question of his I answered.”

Amin understood ambition, it being the most prevalent motivational force in the empire, and something to be encouraged within certain parameters. “I can see why you agreed. Tell me what he asked and the answers you gave.”

“He asked what each ring did, which he needed to know in order to create a new one,” she replied with information he had already deduced in the few seconds which had elapsed since she spoke of the arrangement. He stopped walking, right there on the bow, and stared her in the eyes, which prompted her to be more forthcoming. “He asked about the empire and I told him the Zeuthan Empire was founded four thousand years ago by Zeus. He died millennia ago but his ancestors still rule from the Carnen Plateau. Zeutha has twenty-four Dukedoms and the Anakim and Drudges are ruled by the Nephilim. The continent is on the opposite side of the world from this one.”

Amin nodded. “That does sound harmless, little more than is taught to children on the elementary level. What else did he ask about?”

“He had never heard of a Drudge, apparently they do not exist on this side of the world, and so he wanted to know what they are. He asked if I was one and I explained that I am a Nephi. Of course then I had to explain my origins,” she answered with less discomfort than most of her fellow Nephis often displayed at having to admit to their lower station. The scout seemed comfortable in her own skin, another mark to her credit along with daring and ambition.

He nodded encouragement for her to continue and she added without further prompting, “Maestro Benhannon wanted me to tell him why the Lucia came and I only told him we came to discover the source of the High Intensity Spell Surges that have been washing across our continent for the last year or so. The last question he asked and I answered was if the Lucia was a cruise ship or a warship, to which I answered, a worship. After that I was rendered unconscious and woke up on the cliff where I earlier received my injuries.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver ring with a topaz stone used to make plants grow quickly to maturity. It was a minimal life-force initiator and looked similar to the one on her finger, except on the side of the ring was etched a coil of rope. “It does the same thing as the amber one I am wearing. The initiator creates a rope of air.”

Amin took the ring from her hand, focused a trickle of energy, and a topaz blue rope lashed out. “I can see where a Master-Musician of his obvious power would have no difficulty creating rings the possessor of a Jade trident can safely wield,” he told her and then tossed the initiator back, losing interest in the bauble.

She snatched the ring out of the air and swiftly tucked it into a pocket in her Tricera skin coat. “No challenge at all,” she agreed. A bauble to him was obviously a treasure to her.

Amin ceased the power flowing to his third ring of illusion and allowed his silver trident to appear. “You wrote about the golden trident with diamond tips the Maestro wielded in order to transport himself and his entourage off of the Lucia. You may not be aware of the fact that Benhannon personally wrecked at least three, possibly four, of the Carriers you see in the harbor and witnesses have testified that he did so using a trident exactly like the one you described. There is no question he was the source of the High Intensity Spell Surges we all sensed yesterday, yet the Viceroy was skeptical of Benhannon’s comparison of lightning bolts and tridents in regard to ranking.”

She shook her head, “I have seen the damage, but did not know he used a trident. I also found his comparison to tridents and lightning bolts difficult to believe, especially since he rated himself on the imperial scale. I am less skeptical of his assertion after hearing he was the source of the Spell Surges.”

The scout had not blinked, nor showed any sign of being surprised the young Maestro had personally taken part in the skirmishes. “Most everyone else believes it could not be the same initiator he used to escape from the Lucia. The Surges have led me to believe his equivalents in ranking; largely due to the fact the strongest Surge I can generate is sixteen times the power of a Jade. His initial Surge was beyond my ability to estimate, and that is saying something, but the subsequent Surges were each four times the Potential of a Silver Trident,” Amin informed the scout.

Her eyes had widened momentarily at hearing his assessment, but a quick nod of her head indicated she had accepted the incredible news. “That level ranks him on the Imperial Scale.”

“That is true, unless he has a device that amplifies the Potential,” Amin threw the idea out as if it had occurred to him on the spur of the moment, but was actually another technique to help him determine the extent of her knowledge and truthfulness.

“I thought only a Musician’s instrument could amplify Potential. Does any other kind exist?” She asked with eyebrows raised in astonishment.

The devices were ancient, rare, and in possession of the imperial family. Amin knew of the amplifiers and of their being created thousands of years in the past, but not much more than that. “They exist mostly in the pages of history, dating back to the days of Nimrod the Great, Jubal the Innovative, and Thoth the Intellectual. The amplifiers that remain belong to Emperor El Zeuller. Unfortunately, the making of the device is a lost art and consequently none have been created in millennia.”

Her brow wrinkled as she ponder his answer and eventually smoothed out after some thought occurred to her. “A Melody Author might have the ability to compose the necessary Music to create a life-force energy amplifier. I suggest this only as a possibility, especially since I am having a hard time accepting the fact a person obviously younger than me can rank on the imperial scale.”

Her reaction and verbal response led him to believe she was not holding back any vital information. Amin suspected some truths had been withheld from him, such as the function of the other rings she had asked of Benhannon. The ambitious scout, without a doubt, asked for more than mere replacements, but he had no interest in digging deeper. After all, the rings were created for a Jade and he firmly believed Maestro Benhannon would never give away any initiators that could be used against him or his guild.

Amin was satisfied with the interview and pleased, which affected her future positively. She had demonstrated some of the qualities he often looked for in a candidate, but she lacked experience and certain skills. He agreed with her reasoning on the matter of Benhannon possibly being an Aakasear and for similar reasons.

Amin decided to test her analytical skills with another question.  “It may interest you to know El Marzon has issued a warrant for Benhannon’s capture and the Reapers will carry it out. What do you make of all these developments we have discussed?”

She smiled. “Me, I am a scout, a Nephi with a Jade trident, and know less than any of you about the capabilities of the greater initiators, and nothing about amplifiers. But knowing the Maestro’s skill as a Master-Musician, I would not be surprised if the trident he used on the Carriers is the same one he used to transport from the Lucia, but with more than one use, and with the possible ability to amplify his life-force energy. After all, there were three diamonds on the trident-shaped staff, and each gemstone could contain a different Melody. By the way, he does not need an instrument to wield his Melodies. He can perform them mentally.”

The scout had given the same theory stated earlier by Karl Lewin, about the possibility of three different Melodies in the device, but the Investigator had not speculated about an Aakasear creating an energy amplifier, or the silly idea of mentally performing a Melody.

Amin chuckled at the notion, inwardly, but kept a straight face. “Not even one as young as he is reported to be would be foolish enough to wield Potential so carelessly.”

She reached in and pulled out the ring the Master-Musician had made, “Daniel Benhannon created this right in front of my eyes, soundlessly, and casually. I was terrified but the Seeker and Conductor laughed at my obvious discomfort. I don’t know what their leader is capable of, but do know underestimating him would be a mistake. He is a dangerous person. As I told Roy, the Maestro is compassionate enough to restore my hand and bold enough to take on an Imperial Grand. I would not want to be the Reaper warranted to apprehend such a potent foe.”

Amin gave her response the consideration it was due and came to a reasonable conclusion. “At first blush, Benhannon’s wielding Potential mentally seems extraordinary, but he probably, being a Master-Musician, performed the relatively simple Melodies to create Jade or One-bolt level initiators thousands of times. Such a simple task probably did not require much concentration on his part.”

She nodded acceptance and he made some choices concerning her possible future, but the possibilities hinged on the answer to his next question. “You are a Nephi, but more importantly you are the highest rated scout in the fleet, and therefore a keen observer. I want you to consider everything you have seen and heard since arriving on this side of the world, along with your encounters with the Atlantan Guild and its Maestro. Give me your assessment and what you believe is the most glaring flaw with the Nephilim of this realm?”

She came to attention as if preparing to give a verbal report, as her training dictated. “This is a strange and chaotic realm where Anakim rule kingdoms and the Nephilim are divided into factions. The city of Aakadon seems to be the home of seven Colleges of Musicians, the Atlantan Guild is a separate but equal College of Musicians, and the Serpent Guild was a ninth College of Musicians. Tarin Conn apparently felt they all should be united under his rule and so did five or six kingdoms ruled by the Anakim. The other eight guilds and the remaining Anakim-ruled kingdoms united and we arrived in time to see the defeat of the Serpent Guild and the so called Northern Alliance.”

It was not a bad analysis, especially since it was very similar to El Marzon’s assessment. The young Nephi did not disappoint. She had a great deal of raw talent and yet needed to manage her ambitions and daring. “I am aware of the factions and the war that ended with Benhannon being victorious over his rival. Currently the kingdoms and factions seem to be at peace and the only military conflicts taking place involve our forces fighting the Serinian enemies of the empire, Lobenian interventionists, and the Atlantan Guild. What is the flaw?”

“At this time it seems to me the Musicians of Aakadon barely tolerate Maestro Benhannon and the Anakim kingdoms can no longer be described as united, at least not as closely as they were during the war. The flaw is in their system, it virtually guarantees turmoil will break out sooner or later. What they truly need is the kind of order and stability the Zeuthan Empire could provide, but they have been rooted in these unwieldy and contrary systems of government for so long they don’t know any better. I think they sincerely believe their cause is just and so they fight us. I don’t think they will change their minds unless forced to do so and I believe it will require nothing short of total conquest to bring true and lasting peace to this side of the world.”

Amin approved of her answer, although considered it naïve in respect to motives. “You are correct; their system of government is flawed, and leads to conflict without a central authority to maintain order. Some idealists might fight out of ignorance, some out of zeal for the kingdom of their birth, others out of loyalty to the monarch, still others because they have foresworn themselves to do so, and some fight for reasons of their own. A ruler in particular will fight to preserve or expand his powerbase,” she again nodded, but the moment she opened her mouth to comment, he added, “You are guilty of a technical violation by answering even the innocuous questions of Maestro Benhannon.”

She swallowed hard and then opened her mouth to respond, but he held up his hand, not wanting to hear excuses or further explanations. “You are guilty of leaving certain things out of your report, but fortunately did not make any false statements, or I would have no choice but to take you into custody.”

Her respiration increased and no doubt her heart was beating a furious rhythm, but she stood her ground and did not break into tears or earnest pleading. She impressed him yet again, but he had one more test. “It was clever of you to ask Benhannon to create at least one of the rings you had lost as a replacement just so you could, if pressed, show it to someone like me.”

Her eyes went wide with fear and she reached into her coat as if to surrender the items.

“No, withdraw your hand,” Amin told her. “It made no sense for you to ask him to recreate rings you knew would be replaced after you returned to the Lucia. The navy has spares for the Jade-level wranglers from each of the specialized dukedoms in anticipation of such a need. An Ambitious person, and you clearly are an ambitious person, would also ask for rings she had not yet earned. Do not bother showing them to me, I have no interest in Jade–level baubles, but can respect the fact that you managed to take advantage of Maestro Benhannon.”

Her eyebrows arched in confusion. “I don’t understand. You respect what I did even though the payoff was a technical violation. Am I going to be arrested? What are you going to do with me?”

She demonstrated uncommon poise for one so young and inexperienced and so he decided she had passed his final test. “The things you neglected to include in your report were unimportant and so can be dismissed with this caution, do not presume to know what is and is not important information. You are a scout and it is your duty to observe and report and then leave it to your superiors to determine the importance. That aside, I strongly suggest you learn how to balance your ambitions and how far you dare go in fulfilling them. Balanced correctly, ambition and daring will carry you far, balancing incorrectly will end your career abruptly, and in exceedingly unpleasant ways.”

Scout Shareen wiped the perspiration from her brow and managed a weak smile. “I appreciate your leniency, admonition, and advice,” she breathed in reply, clearly relieved. “I promise to report more accurately and find the correct balance,” she hesitated and then asked, “Would it be out of line to ask why you are extending me these kindnesses?”

“Not at all, I would have been disappointed had you not asked,” Amin replied. “In a year or two, when your tour of duty is over, I think you should apply to be an Investigator for the Dukedom of Maarcia. You possess many of the qualities required of the position; observational skills, daring, ambition to excel, the drive to press on where others hesitate to go, and the analytical skills to put together and understand the facts you have collected.”

“Thank you for saying so,” the scout replied, delightedly.

It was time to deflate her ego. “But you lack experience and as I have already noted, the correct balance between ambition and daring. You possess the raw talent but I do not have the time or inclination to train you. I will follow your progress, meaning my underlings will occasionally brief me, and when I think your skills are up to my expectations, I will give you the opportunity to become an Imperial Investigator.”

Her jaw seemed to come unhinged and after a few moments of gaping, she thought to close her mouth. “I am a Nephi. No one would take me seriously in such a profession.”

Her status would be an inhibiting factor in rising through the ranks, but should not keep her from becoming an outstanding Investigator. “You are correct, which is why I think you would be perfect for the job. No one would suspect you and therefore reveal things in your presence they would never let slip in front of me. Not all investigations are overt, some of them are covert and those are the ones I believe you can excel at. It is up to you to choose what opportunities to seize as they are presented.”

She gazed at the deck and then looked him in the eyes. “I never considered becoming an Investigator, did not think such a thing possible, but will definitely consider it now.”

He could see the ambition shining brightly in her eyes and was convinced she would pursue the goal he had set. “So, you would not want to be the Reaper warranted to apprehend such a potent foe as Benhannon. Are you going to have that attitude when difficult assignments are presented to you as an Investigator?”

She opened her mouth to reply, no doubt an assertion to the contrary, but he did not give her the chance. “Watch closely,” he instructed.

Amin focused Potential into one of his minor illusion initiators and suddenly his bald head was covered in thick-curly hair and his teal suit appeared to be white like the hull of the Lucia. “I possess rings that allow me to disguise my appearance. Admittedly, a Jade is limited in the types of illusion initiators available, but even one of your level can make enough alterations so as to become unrecognizable as the person you are. The Reapers also possess illusion initiators and so serving a warrant issued against Benhannon is not as formidable of a task as you think. He may see the pursuers but I guarantee he will not see the one who captures him.”

“I think I should learn more about being an Imperial Investigator before stating what I would or would not do,” she replied, demonstrating she perceived the point of the demonstration. “I think the arrogant Maestro is going to be in for a very humbling experience.”

“Being caught by a Reaper always is.” Amin affirmed. He had one final question. “You showed no surprise when I informed you Maestro Benhannon was personally involved in the attack on the Carriers and the source of the High Intensity Spell Surges. His use of the trident seemed to be the only item to spark a reaction from you, why is that?”

“I cannot explain the Melody-science involved, but Daniel Benhannon’s method of healing me has had an interesting side-effect; I can close my eyes and point to wherever he is and also have a vague sense of the distance,” the scout replied and then pointed east. “He is currently in that direction and so far away I cannot begin to guess the distance, not without a frame of reference. Yesterday he travelled south of where we are and when the surges washed over us; I guessed they were coming from him. You confirmed my guess and caused me to speculate about the function of the three diamonds in his trident. By the way, last night he travelled so far to the west I cannot begin to estimate the distance.”

Amin had difficulty believing what he had just heard, largely because awareness of one’s healer was not a known side-effect of any Melodic treatment, and yet he had no reason to doubt her testimony. “Is there a reason this side-effect was left out of your report?”

She nodded her head affirmatively as if feeling fully justified in the omission. “After the skepticism I received over reporting his being an Aakasear, I knew no one would believe me about a side-effect I, myself, did not understand at the time. I still do not comprehend the Melody-science, but having experienced the phenomena repeatedly since then, I feel confident enough to report it to you as a fact.”

He did not blame her for repeatedly testing her sense of the Maestro’s presence before making the ability known. The confirmation of facts distinguished truth from speculation. More importantly, the side-effect was a tool to be exploited for however long it lasted. “It seems Captain Lo Marzon is going to lose the services of his highest-rated scout. No, do not panic,” he added when her eyes widened in fear. “You are going to be temporarily assigned to assist my team of Investigators. A place for you and your Quetzal will be set aside on the roof of the building we currently inhabit. With your help we will develop a list of Maestro Benhannon’s most frequent destinations and know when he travels within our reach, which would aid the Reapers in serving their warrant.”

-----

Samuel Cresh appeared just before dawn on the ground-level of the stables of Aakadon and in the section reserved for Talenteds. It was the one place in the Aakacarn city no one would expect him or any other Atlantan to arrive. The white silks he had changed into would make him appear to be one of the students to anyone who happened to see him. He also had a few Symphonics with Da Capos at the ready, should he need to focus Potential in a hurry, but could only maintain three spells at a time without glowing in a nimbus of orange.

The Creator only knew how many spells with repeaters in place Daniel could manage at one time. Since knowing the number would not change the current circumstances in the slightest, the idle thought was quickly dismissed as being unimportant.

The cleanest stables in the world, and these certainly were, smelled of horse and equine waste. The odor would only last until the Talenteds arrived to begin the task of eliminating the accumulation overnight. He had about half a mark before the first student would show up to begin the process and so knew he had to work quickly.

The horses were still stomping, breathing-hard, and snorting distress over hearing the loud-cracking sound of displaced air that had accompanied his arrival, but would soon settle down when nothing else materialized to disturb them. He hoped the loud sound and resulting agitation had not and would not draw unwanted attention.

Swarms of equine-flies buzzed to and fro, feasting on piles of excrement, while others centered on the horses, buzzing around various parts of their bodies, and more than a few flies were being brushed away by swishing tails. The insects were the second reason he had chosen the stables. The current investigation required non-human scouts and the bugs, in spite of certain disadvantages, seemed to be the best choice.

Everyone in Aakadon knew members of the Atlantan Guild used animals to gather information and so were suspicious of ducks swimming in the river or sparrows lighting on a branch. Consequently, it was difficult to get an animal of any sort near the ruby pyramid or the guild headquarters and most especially his former association.

Sam could not take the risk of being found in the city; the warrant for his arrest was still in effect. Any member of the Eagle Guild would arrest him on sight for teaching Daniel a guild-specific Melody and for treason; which carried the most severe penalties.

I hate using flies.

The thought popped into his head as he began adding them to his menagerie. He had used insects in the past and knew what to expect; alien perceptions and in particular the extra effort required to see through multifaceted eyes. If he could link to a fly fresh out of its maggot stage, his host could live as much as sixty days, and that is if it was not eaten at any point in the meantime. That, however, was not what happened to the ones he had linked with a year earlier; they were exterminated.

The intimate connections created by Mind Touch passed onto the offspring without him having to establish a new link to their life-forces and the phenomena worked the same on all creatures, including the insects.

The Talenteds of Aakadon were tasked with controlling the bug population and they went at their work with zeal, especially in the stables, and entire generations of bug-scouts had been wiped out along with all other insects in the area.

He added another group of flies to his army of scouts and after two tenths of a mark he had accumulated hundreds, twenty-three of which had only developed their wings a day earlier, which was about as close to maggot stage as he was likely to get within his time constraints. Mind Touch was no longer necessary and so he removed the Da Capo and mentally performed another Symphonic that might come in handy at a moment’s notice.

“I heard a whip. Were you spell-casting? Did you wield, Rope of Air?” The voice came from behind. “What are you doing near Teresa’s stall?”

Sam turned to face his questioner while feeling grateful he had not been actually in the middle of adding flies to his menagerie and had added a Da Capo on the new Symphonic. “I owed her a favor. She distracted Instructor Gramm, drawing his attention long enough to keep me from getting in trouble and no, I did not cast, Rope of Air.”

The young Serinian reminded Sam a little of Jerremy, only not as tall and without the superior attitude. The Second-level Talented’s dark eyes widened and he smiled. “You owe her big time for that. One would think being bested by one of his students a few years ago would have softened him some towards the rest of us, but no. I think he might be meaner,” the boy replied.

Harmon Gramm had run afoul of Daniel back when the Ducaunan had been a Six-bolt. Sam immediately regretted mentioning the irascible instructor. It would have been better to mention some other teacher. The incident would be famous and so might certain people who had been there to witness the event. Sure enough, the young man stared hard at Samuel and then arched a questioning eyebrow. “Do you know you look a lot like one of the Talenteds who shared a dorm-room with Maestro Benhannon back when he was pretending to be a Talented? DeSuan, no I would remember the Serinian, Trenca; no, not him. One of the others was a Teki; that’s probably why you remind me of him. What was his name?”

“Samuel Cresh,” Sam answered and then focused Sleep Time at the Talented.

The student slumped onto the hay-strewn floor and then Sam focused, “Forgettable,” and the Melody with a three-part harmony erased the past mark from the boy’s mind. If he was lucky, he would be found sleeping by his fellow Talenteds. Bad luck would be if an Accomplished were to walk in and find him dozing when he should have been cleaning the stalls.

Sam’s squadron swarmed out of the stables and he quickly transmitted the command to disperse in the direction of the Eagle Guild, which he had to visualize in order for his aerial troopers to understand. East, west, north, south, left, right; these meant absolutely nothing to a swarm of bugs even with the spell interpreting his intent.

The more intimate connection would come when he fully focused on one individual rather than hundreds at a time. The dispersal had been necessary because a cloud of flies would attract attention, but hundreds of them far enough apart and high enough in the air would be practically invisible to human eyes, and Sam wanted his little spies unnoticeable.

He sat down in front of the stall and beside the sleeping Talented just as a gray stallion moved cautiously forward, extending his head out over the bottom half of the closed gate. Sam read the name above the stall. “I am not going to bother you for long, Tailwind,” he promised and then closed his eyes.

Now for the tricky part, he thought while reaching his awareness out to the swarm. Thousands of moving images of gemstone buildings, streets, and open sky were all swaying from side to side and up and down, assaulting his equilibrium. His entire squadron was struggling against a contrary wind and each fly was having difficulty. It was a good thing he had not taken the time to eat breakfast, his woozy stomach would not have been able to hold down the food.

Why couldn’t the wind be favorable?

He curbed his frustration, knowing the negative emotion could be transmitted to his flies and would be counterproductive. His true frustration had nothing to do with the current conditions and more to do with his failure months ago to capture Rex Badger. Sam had congratulated his Agents, who had done a fine job, and Jeremiah and his Defenders for a job well-done, but felt like a personal failure.

He had earlier assured Daniel his help was not needed in apprehending the former Vice-Maestro of the Serpent Guild and then failed to deliver. The Ducaunan had expressed pleasure over knowing fifty-one Serpents were no longer a threat and had deemed the mission to be a success. He never mentioned the failed promise and yet Sam could not forget.

He had cast Memories on himself and therefore enjoyed total recall, but his tendency to stew over past failures had nothing to do with the spell. He had been doing so years before traveling to Tannakonna with Sherree and Jerremy to eventually discover Daniel Benhannon.

Sam had his Information Gatherers scattered throughout Ducaun and in most of the kingdoms beyond the borders. Too much was happening for him to spend much time contemplating his own moodiness. Buck was onto something important in Fon Kay, Walker Aims and his Strike Team were at the ready to back up Duadams, and Elias Starkas and his teams were on alert for a possible major assault by the Zeuthans.

The ever-eager Bonny Tell had recently reported information gleaned from Ferren Duzolta. She was supposed to be concentrating; using all of her animal scouts to search for any trace of Rex’s whereabouts, but seemed more interested in getting herself captured by the Zeuthans. Fortunately, Daniel stamped down on that urge. Sam sincerely hoped the former mountaineer did not decide to enroll in the new College of Musician.

It would be just like him to throw himself into a situation no sane person would dare attempt.

Operations Coordinator Emmajene Zewakoko, the ISIG’s second in command, was overseeing all of the actions and assignments taking place within the department, otherwise Sam would be doing so, and not in Aakadon on a task he could have delegated to any one of a thousand qualified Information Gatherers. He had confidence in the one hundred year-old former Corona of the Sun Guild. The Three-bolt had spent fifteen years as an Aakademned until Daniel restored her to humanity. She had plenty of field experience and her organizational skills were second to none, so Sam had no misgivings about taking on a task that could make up for his previous failure.

The Maestro often made Sam aware of a matter that needed to be investigated and left it up to him to decide to whom the actual task would be assigned. Consciously or not, Daniel wanted his friend to be directly involved when he said, “I am authorizing you to discreetly search the Eagle Guild by any means possible, human and non-human.”

The Ducaunan might not have meant the task had to be done personally by his chief Information Gatherer, but it was how Sam interpreted the phrasing. He also took his response as a promise to locate Ginnie Cree.

If Sam failed, it was possible the stubborn mountaineer would take up the chore; as he would describe the task. Daniel had made it clear in the past that he would get directly involved in an undertaking if those in his service failed to do the job. Sam needed no more evidence to convince him his Maestro’s attitude had not changed.

Everyone had failed to get a nonhuman scout to Zeutha, but, according to Simon, Daniel spent half of the night on an island a mere two hundred spans or so from the continent and would soon have aerial scouts winging to establish visualization points. It would be better for everyone if he did not personally join in the search for Ginnie Cree and remained focused on the things no one but he could do.

Sam dismissed the negative thoughts and focused on trying to figure out which of his flies to more fully focus on. The hundreds of images of the same buildings from as many angles were dizzying. With considerable effort, he threw his awareness into fly-One-four-three.

It was not as unsettling to look through the eyes of a single fly, but a little too confusing for a human mind to accept. Simon had suggested the idea of picking one faucet as if it was a window and focusing there, but Sam did not like losing depth perception and so chose two faucets close to each other and focused on them. It was as close to human sight as was possible and he experienced little difficulty seeing the city. One-four-three struggled furiously against the crosswind, trying to stay on the course set by her host. She was tiring and he could feel exhaustion as if the effort was his own. His respiration and heart-rate were matching those of his host.

Accomplisheds in the scarlet and black silks walked up and down on the street below. He noted an airboat moving in the desired direction and encouraged his host to fly towards it with the idea of landing out of sight on the covering. The conveyance would at the least get his host a lot closer to the lofty tower of sparkling pure sapphire, home of the Eagle Guild, and do so with minimal effort.

She neared the covering and a sense of alarm raced through her and also Sam. His host had spotted something in one of the other faucets of her eyes. Before he could figure out which one to focus through, darkness, instantly followed by intense pressure and pain, overwhelmed all other sensory inputs, and as quickly as that the link to One-four-three’s life-force ended.

The horse let out a snort of protest and it was then Sam realized he had grunted at experiencing the feeling of being eaten. “Sorry, Tailwind, I’ll try not to disturb you again.”

He shifted his awareness to fly-Two-one-two, went through the necessary adjustments allowing him to see properly, and then could see birds swooping in and eating many of his flies while in midair. He could feel each life-force end and had to hope enough of his tiny spies would survive to reach the Sapphire Tower.

One of the downsides of linking his life-force with that of a nonhuman scout was the sense of sorrow he felt when the creature he shared a bond with perished, even a bug. They would have all been exterminated by the Talenteds had he not shown up, but that fact did not make him feel any better. Still, he was taking nearly as big a risk where he sat as his flies were out in the open air.

  His host struggled against the wind and also a desire to investigate some interesting odors. Flies were worse than vultures in that aspect. A strong gust of wind forced Two-one-two downward and Sam caught sight of a bird flying by where his host had been.

He/it were half flying and half tumbling toward the sidewalk where three Accomplisheds were heading in the direction of the Eagle Guild. One of them had five golden lightning bolts on his cloak. Sam sent a powerful desire to land on the hooded-cloak and his exhausted host complied. The wind and the bird had overwhelmed the desire to investigate the source of the interesting odors and the fly wanted nothing more than to land on anything resembling a safe resting place.

The rest of his flies, Sam figured, must have picked up some of the imperative given to Two-one-two because they all dove toward the street, some hiding in the folds of cloaks belonging to other Accomplisheds; no matter their direction of travel, others landed on airboats, and a few were snagged in spiders’ webs. He had just lost over half of his squadron to the birds. A few of his spies sought refuge among the silks of the other two members of the Eagle Guild, a development that improved his odds of placing spies within the guild headquarters.

“Benhannon seems bent on starting a war with the Zeuthans,” the familiar voice of Senior Soarer Renford Winthrop boomed, as perceived by the hearing senses of a fly.

“This is the kind of thing that happens when an Accomplished involves himself in the affairs of commoners,” Elias DeSumma stated. “Benhannon is appeasing Clarees of Lobenia for reasons I do not fathom. I am certain he is not doing all of this for the sake of Keljun Soon.”

“Soarer Annette Bissent is still at the capitol in Lobenia and recently sent me a copy of a deed and agreement you both may find interesting, documents that might shed some light on Benhannon’s reasons,” Vice-Maestro Tobermin told the two men.

“Say on, I would appreciate some insight,” Renford replied. Documents must have passed between the two, although not in view at Two-one-two’s present position, Sam figured, because the Accomplished went on to say, “Clarees sold Mount Shantear to the Atlantan Guild and look here, Elias, the guild is obligated to pay taxes and come to the defense of her realm.”

Sam’s world rocked up and down as Tobermin nodded his head. “Benhannon has two monarchs virtually drunk on the power of having a Maestro and his guild ready to support their ambitions. As a Royal Knight of the Realm of Ducaun, he must support Cleona. If you look at the signature on the documents you will see just how fully he has obligated himself to Clarees.”

“He signed it, Daniel Benhannon-Oben-Jenna, his legal name in Lobenia,” Elias confirmed he had noted at least one of the signatures.

Sam’s world rocked up and down again in response. “Sherree Jenna-Oben is second cousin to the queen, although would not be in line for the throne even if she had not been an Aakacarn. Daniel Benhannon, being Ducaunan-mountaineer-raised, would feel fully obligated to render aid to the royal family of Lobenia; they are his family now. Believe me, Clarees would not be sending her war-boats as escorts to Serinian merchants if not for the backing of the Atlantan Guild and its Maestro. She is helping Keljun Soon and Daniel’s actions have more to do with his helping her than the king in exile.”

“The obligations you have pointed out make sense, in that they explain much of what seems to be happening with the two queens. Cleona never would have dared attempt to ban any Aakacarn from entering her realm, certainly not an entire guild, and absolutely not the Five-bolt Vice-Maestro of the Eagle Guild; not without the backing of Benhannon,” Renford’s booming voice responded.

“It is exactly so,” Tobermin confirmed without nodding his head, which Sam appreciated.

“Do you think the plans of our Maestro will lower the tensions in the Serinian Channel?” Renford asked, bringing the conversation back to his first expressed concern.

Unfortunately the answer provoked the up and down motion. “Maestro Reese will soon visit El Marzon and I am confident his proposal will be acceptable to the Zeuthan and a deterrent to Benhannon’s current activities in the Channel,” Tobermin bellowed confidently, so it seemed to the hearing senses of a fly.

They entered the Eagle Guild and Sam was pleased when seventy-three of his flies managed to gain entrance before the double doors closed. He sent them off in different directions, giving each a mental picture of where he wanted them to be, along with a smelly image of rotting garbage to better establish the imperative.

“I hope the new policy concerning the Seekers resolves all this nonsense about our guild being banned from Ducaun and the idea any kingdom could ban an Aakacarn from its realm,” Elias not only expressed his hopefulness, he touched on the reason for the current investigation.

The sound of hurricane force winds being drawn into a huge tunnel, as perceived by a fly, came ahead of the words, “The head Seeker, Sandra Treena, is a former Soarer, and is a traitor to our guild. She could be legally detained for trial on that charge. However, the Seekers we know about who serve under her have never associated with a guild of Aakadon. We have no standing to arrest them since the Atlantan Guild is still considered to be a Non-affiliated Coexistent and so those Seekers cannot be guilty of treason or charged as rogues.”

“That is why we can only arrest them if they are caught attempting to locate and recruit a Potential outside of Ducaun,” Elias stated.

“Precisely so,” Tobermin agreed, “and we all know they will not stop searching for Aakacarns.”

“The new guild statute does not mention anything about trials, sentencings, or durations of incarceration,” Elias spoke of discrepancies Samuel knew should have been clearly written in any statute. “Using the Melody, Confusion, with a Da Capo will keep incarcerated Accomplisheds from summoning Potential by preventing them from having a coherent thought. The practice is a necessity when we are required to detain a teleporter, but how long are we to keep the captive person in that a condition?”

A bass rumble Sam recognize as an incredibly loud chuckle escape from deep within Tobermin. “The Maestro has determined the length of incarceration. Every Seeker arrested will remain in our custody until Eagles are no longer banned from Ducaun and as long as no Aakacarns of Aakadon can seek Potentials within the borders of the kingdom. Every captive Seeker will be kept incoherent until the demands are met. Benhannon will soon be begging his queen to relent,” Tobermin thundered with mirth.

“Wake up!” a female voice shouted. “What are you two doing by my stall?”

Sam lost focus on the conversation taking place within the Eagle Guild, his attention snapping back to his immediate surroundings. He opened his eyes to see a young woman with arms folded at the waist and left foot tapping a rapid beat. Her sand-colored hair and blue eyes marked her as being a Battencayan and it was not hard guessing her name. “He came to clean the stalls and I came..,” he began an explanation to gain some time.

“You both fell asleep,” she stated with righteous conviction. “You guys are going to be in so much trouble.”

Samuel had enough of his spies in place and no longer needed to be physically present to continue his investigation. He stood up, smiling at the girl the entire time. “Teresa, I’m not going to be in nearly as much trouble as you two are going to be,” he told her while focusing Sleep Time at her and then Forgettable before she slumped to the floor. He smiled at seeing her head resting against the young Serinian’s thigh.

Sam sent his awareness to Beenie, the mouse living in his office at Shantear, gained the visual, and then focused, Conveyance. Three heartbeats later he was sitting in his chair and listening to Tobermin, DeSumma, and Winthrop.

-----

Ferren Duzolta had just returned from the exercise room when his ever present awareness of Maestro Benhannon’s direction and general distance shifted enough to catch his attention. The man teleported so often Ferren had learned to ignore it the way one tunes out background noise and he only paid attention when the shift placed the Aakasear very near.

It had only been a matter of days since the trial and word had spread how the Ferret earned leniency. A goodly number of his fellow former Serpents had embraced the second rule of the guild. They were adapting to survive, but there were some diehards who considered him a traitor and would end his life if given half a chance. Fortunately the extremists were vastly outnumbered. Still, Ferren did not know how his supporters would react to a secret meeting between him and the Maestro so soon after the sentencing. His associates were a suspicious bunch, as was he, and it would not take much to turn them against him.

The Maestro was out in the corridor and heading in a direction that would soon place him right outside the door. A meeting was going to happen and all Ferren could do was hope it would remain a secret.

What could he want?

Why would a powerful person with vast resources pay a visit to a man he recently convicted and had every reason to despise?

How can it benefit Ferren Duzolta?

Ferren sat down, determined to keep an open mind. After all, the last deal worked out as well as possible. Within moments of that determination, the door opened and the clean-shaven Maestro walked into the cell with a golden trident on his back. “Are you here on business or is this a social visit?” Ferren asked the question and only after hearing the words come out of his mouth did he wonder if it had been the right tone to use, especially after noticing the lightning bolts, four on the left shoulder and four on the right of the blue cloak. “Let me be the first to congratulate you on the increase in rank.”

He made no mention of the huge tri-gem crescendo, figuring the energy amplifier to be commensurate with the increase in Potential. Every Accomplished, no matter the guild, always created a new crescendo after gaining another lightning bolt.

“At this point you are the thirty-eighth person,” the Maestro replied. His dark eyes gave the impression they were allowing him to see into the depths of Ferren’s soul and the disapproving frown indicated the man did not like what he was seeing. “The First Lady, First Accomplished, nearly all of the Conductors, and every person who knows of the deal I hope to make with you, thinks it is a really bad idea, and for many good reasons. I cannot say they are wrong, only that what I am about to propose is a risk worth taking.”

Ferren was intrigued and a little frightened at the same time. He had a feeling the greatest risk would be to him and yet imagined the payoff, perhaps years more off his sentence, could well be worth the peril. “How may I be of service and what will be my reward?”

“You have no idea how badly I wanted to end your life on the battlefield, long before our last encounter,” the Maestro stated truthfully. “A whole lot of my people died directly and indirectly because of you.”

“I saw it in your eyes during our encounter in Fon Kay. No one is more surprised than me that I survived to stand trial,” Ferren replied, equally as honest. “I never expected to have my sentence reduced in exchange for my assistance, but those things happened and you are back with another proposal. Evidently some instinct within you realizes my skills are valuable and killing me would be throwing away a resource you cannot afford to lose.”

The Maestro rubbed his chin as if having second and possibly third thoughts about the wisdom of proceeding. He shook his head negatively as though responding to a silent question. The Eight-bolt shook his head again and said, “I just don’t see a better way. Logic tells me this is a stupid idea and yet the tingle indicates this is the best possible way.”

Tingles; who cares about tingles?

Ferren’s curiosity had reached its limits. “What stupid thing did you come here to ask me to do?”

He knew from past experience the Maestro would ask rather than compel the Ferret. Ferren appreciated the fact and yet lacked the ability to fully trust anyone. Were their positions reversed, he would not be so honest in eliciting cooperation. He would have lied convincingly or demanded compliance.

Daniel Benhannon fixed his gaze on the floor and after a few moments of silence he looked up and answered, “The stupid idea is offering you parole and the opportunity to wield Melodies again.”

Ferren could see why nobody in the Atlantan Guild approved of the idea. “I would never offer to restore the repertoire of an enemy Accomplished, why would you?” He could not keep the skepticism from his voice.

The Maestro shook his head. “Not restore, replace. There is a difference and you are an enemy who cannot harm or betray me or anyone associated with me. That safeguard is the only reason I am willing to make this particular deal with you.”

“Silencing does not work on an Aakasear, Tarin Conn knew it, you eventually figured it out, and then the rest of us. I am an Aakacarn and the rules that apply to me obviously do not apply to you. How can I wield Melodies without a repertoire? I also want to know when the parole you spoke of will be granted. It sounds like a different way of offering to reduce my sentence,” Ferren responded, eager to regain the ability to summon Potential and yet doubtful as to how it could be done.

The task had to be extremely dangerous for the payoff to be so grand and yet he wanted to know if the fulfilment was even possible. The man had a reputation for doing things that others considered impossible and so a cautious amount of hope crept into Ferren’s soul.

“The Symphonic I used erases the repertoire and prevents the person from relearning those combinations of notes unless I use one of my other Symphonics, which I will not,” the Maestro replied. “Be that as it is, the Symphonic does not prevent you from learning new Melodies.”

Ferren gave the response due consideration and then asked, “If I can learn alternate Melodies, does that mean you are going to teach me some of the spells you have composed?”

The idea of building a new and improved repertoire of Melodies composed by the Aakasear had a certain appeal. The reward was so good Ferren almost lost sight of the fact it was a payoff for something so dangerous nobody else would do it, not even the Maestro.

“I have no intention of teaching you any of my compositions, not unless the Swirling of Events compels me to do so, and I have no sense of that happening in the future,” Daniel Benhannon stated. “Your parole can start as soon as this afternoon, which is also a part of the plan nobody likes, and it is on the condition that you allow yourself to be collected by the Spotters. I want you to excel at focusing Potential through the Zeuthan initiators and be sure to demonstrate your musicianship so they will enroll you in the College Of Musicians. You will learn their Melodies, which will be the basis of your new repertoire, and also report all that you learn to me or the Agent assigned to receive the information. Samuel will choose the Accomplished, but until then you will report to me through this,” he finished the proposal by tossing a toe-ring.

Ferren caught the item while his mind raced with the possibilities. If the Zeuthans were to catch him spying for the Atlantans, he would probably die a horrible death. On the other hand, he would be free in a matter of marks, regain the ability to summon his life-force energy, and could adapt to survive and possibly thrive in an entirely new environment. His survival would depend a great deal on how he presented himself to the Zeuthans and how much of a free hand in decision-making he would be granted. An ISIG Agent-handler could get him killed by a mistake in judgment. “Who will be making the in-the-field decisions if I agree to undertake the mission?”

“You will decide how to proceed once you are on the ground,” the Maestro replied. “If you do it right, you will appear to be nothing more than a talented Nephilim learning to be a Musician. I am not requiring you to sabotage their College, only to teach us what they teach you. Some of their Melodies can do an awful lot with hardly any Potential and so I want to learn as much about them as you can discover.”

Ferren heard enough to make up his mind, especially after hearing he would be making the decisions, but felt it prudent to ask for time to consider the proposal. He needed to learn a few things. “The reward is better than anything I could ever imagine under my present circumstances and yet the danger is also great. Seventy years is a long time to wait for my freedom, but I would be alive. May I have some time to make up my mind?”

Those delving eyes bore into him and then the Maestro gave a slight nod of the head. “Use the ring when you are ready to tell me what you have already decided. Unlike with the traditional communication amulet, the gem does not need to be in contact with your forehead. I added a harmony line to allow the device to work on contact with any part of your flesh.”

Ferren scratched his head. “Since you believe I have already made up my mind, what decision do you think I arrived at?”

“You are going to seize the opportunity to again feel the thrill of summoning and holding Potential. The spark that flashed in your eyes at learning you could develop a new repertoire was unmistakable,” the Maestro replied. “The danger is real and yet no worse than what you faced as an active and successful member of the Serpent Guild. I have no doubt you risked your life countless times at the say-so of your superiors and with less benefit to you personally. I’m guessing the delay is so you can communicate with your contacts in Serinia to learn a few things ahead of time and if so, that is probably a good idea.”

Could he see into a person’s soul?

Ferren dismissed the possibility of mind reading and also vowed to do a better job of hiding his emotions. “The desire to again wield Melodies, along with my freedom, makes the risk to my life worth taking. You are correct, my life has been in peril many times, and for far less of a payoff,” he responded and then paused to consider his words. They were being honest with each other and so he decided to speak in kind. “You see me as an expendable asset, which is perfectly understandable. The peril is so great you did not want to risk the life of a single Agent, we both know that it is so.”

The Maestro gave an affirmative nod of the head and walked out of the cell. Ferren retrieved his communication amulets and began consulting his network of informants. Most of them were still in hiding and worried about being captured by Soarers or Agents, but only a few who were in Serinia seemed to be conscious, and only one person he knew of was in Polen Tare.

Ringhiem SeLantee recommended LaJune’s Eatery as being one of the best places for dining upon hearing Ferren intended to visit the city in the near future. The worst places to eat for a pale-faced Ducaunan would be any establishment within three spans of the port.

The nobles who did not flee with the king or when the Lords of Commerce sailed off to Lobenia were making deals with the new ruler of the city. The sighting of any foreigner would soon be reported to the authorities. Life had changed little for the inhabitance of the lower Westside where strangers from the continent were not unusual and the regular tradesmen and commoners lived and worked in relative peace.

His contact in Polen Tare had given him a starting place and a general idea of who to avoid, which helped a great deal. He had asked for time to make up his mind, thinking it would take longer than a quarter of a mark to make arrangements, and so wondered what Daniel Benhannon would think of being notified so soon. The pondering lasted a quarter of a mark, which was as long as he could contain his desire to be free. “I am ready to begin my mission.”

A bright flash and a sound like six whips cracking at once announced the arrival of Daniel Benhannon, his chief-aid, Accomplisheds Bagget and Tiran, and the pair of Teki. “The scouts I had in Polen Tare were all eaten by those blighted winged-lizards. I’m sorry Maestro, but I cannot help you,” the bodyguard admitted.

“There are no scouts near the city,” Trenca confirmed, “not since those warships arrived. I had to send my scouts away.”

The Maestro held up his hand, putting a stop to what could turn into a string of apologies and explanations he clearly did not need to hear. Ferren knew Tarin Conn would not tolerate such talk and figured the younger Aakasear to be no different, except the Supreme Maestro would have less patience and be inclined to make examples of foolish talkers who offered him nothing but excuses.

“I will Convey us to where we need to be,” Daniel Benhannon stated confidently.

“Into The Wind might be safe for the Chosen Vessel to use, but may not be so for the rest of us,” the chief-aid made the remark. A slight widening of his eyes indicated he found the idea somewhat frightening. “One of us might end up in a tree near to where you safely arrive.”

Ferren realized Trenca was speaking about a new teleportation spell of some sort, but was more interested in the Maestro’s reaction to the stated concern. The Aakasear chuckled, shook his head, and then responded, “Where we need to be is an isolated place for which I have a visualization point.”

“Our presence could be discovered,” Accomplished Bagget cautioned while tossing Serinian-style clothing onto the bed. The jangle of coins indicated the pockets were full and someone, probably the Maestro, had anticipated the need.

“We will only be there long enough to transport the Ferret,” the Maestro replied. “We will be in and out in a matter of minutes.”

Ferren began putting on the clothing, someone estimated his size perfectly. He had a concern and dared to give it voice. “Serin Gell had a ring that allowed him to detect Potential being directed at him and the guild has a Melody that can sense the life-force energy of all Aakacarns within the wielder’s vicinity. The Zeuthans could have initiators that function similarly.”

They all stared at him as if surprised he had the nerve to speak, except the Maestro who seemed to be listening and at least willing to consider the possibility. “I hate to say it, but the Serpent is right,” Accomplished Tiran stated with a sour face matching his high degree of loathing. “It might be better if you drop him off and then Convey to multiple locations throughout the city.”

Ferren was not offended by the negative emotion being expressed about him, seeing as the feeling was mutual. He put on the wine-colored jacket that matched the pants he had just pulled up, while listening intently for the Aakasear’s decision.

The Maestro rubbed his chin before replying, “A raid during the current tensions would spark a war none of us wants to fight and yet there is wisdom in making this visit seem to be for a specific reason other than to plant an operative.”

Ferren breathed a sigh of relief over his concern being taken seriously, although had no suggestions to offer as an alternative to random acts of violence. The chaos would cause enough of a distraction to divert attention from him and yet could trigger a full scale war. The knowledge of the Zeuthan methodology would be valuable, but not at such a cost.

“The places we visit within the city must appear to have a greater purpose, not a raid,” the Maestro spoke with the light of inspiration in his eyes. “No lethal spells. Simon, Carlos, Sero, we will use Sleep Time on anyone we encounter. Silvia, David, use the nightsticks. We will cause no damage or loss of life on this mission.”

A slow smile developed on Trenca’s face as it apparently dawned on him what his guild leader had in mind. “You are sending El Marzon another message; one that makes the places we pop in and out of less important than the fact that the Atlantan Guild can invade the city at any time we desire. The fact that you could have done a great deal of damage but chose not to do so will not be lost on him. Better yet, them seeing you bearing a trident might fulfill Silvia’s Viewing and save your life.”

“Will it?” The Maestro turned to the Seer.

“I hope so, otherwise your life could be forfeit at any time,” the female Teki replied in a voice full of sincerity.

“Prepare yourselves,” the Maestro ordered and after the Teki had taken hold of their clubs and the three Aakacarns nodded their readiness, he said, “We go.”

The familiar senses-numbing darkness of in between here and there enveloped Ferren and heartbeats later he was standing in an alley. The sun sat low in the azure blue and casting long shadows as a cool breeze swept through the narrow space between the two buildings.

The view to the east showed him assorted vessels in the harbor and provided his first look at Zeuthan warships, although only a few were visible from his current position. Two of the white vessels had paddlewheels amid-ship and one had a single paddlewheel at the rear like the boats created by the Willows of Aakadon.  Unfortunately, he was on the upper Eastside and a few blocks from the docks; one of the worst places to be in. He would have to move quickly through unfriendly territory.

“Scout Shareen is half a span to the south of us,” the Maestro stated, closed his eyes, and then nodded. “Yes, now I see. She and the Quetzal are on the roof with three Aakacarns wearing teal clothing. After hearing Buck’s report, I am beginning to think that color might be significant; kind of like brown suits being favored by account-keepers.”

Ferren realized the Maestro was looking through whichever creature he possessed at the moment, probably the same one that provided the visual for teleportation. Ferren had conducted the combined potentials required for him to perform the spell many times and retained visualization points, and so was in awe of the Atlantans’ greater advantage. The awe, however, was not as strong as his resentment at experiencing the loss of everything he had worked to attain.

“I do not know the color of their clothes,” Tiran spoke up, “but I do know four Aakacarns are headed this way.”

“Scout Shareen has mounted her Quetzal and is launching into the sky. The three teal-suit-wearers just ran inside the building,” the Maestro said and sighed. “She can sense my presence in the city. I did not anticipate this development, but should have. It was actually clever of Lo Marzon to station her here,” he added and then turned to Ferren. “This is it. You are hereby paroled.”

Ferren took off running and did not look back, knowing the flash and the sound of air snapping in to fill the sudden void meant the Maestro and his team had teleported elsewhere. The Ferret’s freedom would not last long if he did not reach the lower Westside.

Chapter Thirteen: Diversion

Daniel appeared, eyes closed, along with his companions in the tranquil garden center of a hedge-maze. The labyrinth on the palace grounds was his second conveyance point since leaving Duzolta in the alley. The Symphonic, Find All, provided the locations of every Aakacarn and non-Aakacarn within an eight-span radius and physical sight came through the eyes of Donny the Phodon; one of the hundreds recently added to his swirl. He could see himself and the others standing around a fountain surrounded by a padded bench. They were only a few spans north of the first location.

Squads of Nephilim were still converging on the previous location five spans away on the Southside where Simon, Sero, Carlos, and the pair of Teki left more than twenty Nephilim asleep on the ground and hundreds on the attack. Daniel had conveyed from there while under heavy spell-wielding and after determining enough time had been spent at that location. Of the four Aakacarns that had gone to the original arrival point, one remained, one exited the alley to the east toward the port and the other two, one wearing teal and the other scarlet, were trailing far behind Ferren. Daniel sensed their locations while gazing at the city from high in the air.

He could see multi-storied stone buildings of all types and colors, most of them topped with spires, even the red-orange-yellow Tower of Flame where Corona Jojan Baccorana of the Sun Guild resided. Daniel had never met the Three-bolt Accomplished but could sense twenty-one Aakacarns within the residence, one of which had to be the ambassador. It was not possible through Find All to determine if the occupants were of the same affiliation or members of other guilds, but a good bet would be at least one was of the Eagle.

The streets were laid out in a grid, except where they met up with nine circles within circles going around and spiraling up the hills, the highest of which he and his party occupied the west of center. The royal palace sprawled over the exact center and the highest levels of the residence provided an excellent overview of the labyrinth, a situation which could swiftly become troublesome and force a hasty departure, depending on the offensive spells used.

He could see the Imperial Grands, Majestics, and Carriers at the port and at anchor in the bay; including those damaged a day earlier. He also sensed the crews, Nephilim and Anakim, on the warships and tens of thousands of citizens onshore within the sphere of his scanning radius. The damaged vessels only had bugs living in the bowels of the ships and were otherwise deserted.

The eyes of a Phodon were sharper than any eagle or hawk Daniel had in his swirl of nonhuman scouts. He could see tiny ants crawling through a crack in a sidewalk where people scrambled to get out of the way of red-cloaked individuals, each leading teams of Nephilim wearing white silk uniforms that varied only in the color of their trimmings; those being: fuchsia, turquoise, and sky-blue. More than two thousand Aakacarns were involved in the hunt and one was in the air on the opposite side of the city where they had been converging until a moment ago.

Donny was circling higher in the sky than the Quetzal and so Daniel could see the aerial scout as well as sense Sarah through Find All. Before he could count to ten she broke her circular pattern and was darting toward his present location. The teams on the ground began to follow her lead and six Nephilim stayed behind either to investigate or to perhaps assist their sleeping comrades.

A sense of pride came through the mental link with the Phodon. His seven foot wingspan made him feel superior to the smaller Dactyls, although he tolerated the presence of those linked with Daniel. “They follow Donny,” the thought came with an image of the aerial-imperial scout. The idea of not only flying higher than the Quetzal, but also leading the larger predator back and forth across the sky seemed to be amusing the Phodon immensely.

Hundreds of messengers and parcel carriers were soaring in the sky; many of which were linked to Daniel and the rest flying free or under the control of wranglers. Their presence kept Donny from being singled out as the only other creature in the sky than the Quetzal. It was unlikely the Zeuthans would figure out about the links to the creatures, but it was best not to leave any more clues than were necessary.

“I can sense more than eighteen hundred Aakacarns headed this way, including hundreds that were at our previous location,” Carlos informed anyone not using Find All, which certainly included Silvia and David.

“El Marzon is on the top floor of the palace in a room overlooking the bay and eight Nephilim are in there with him, as well as ten Anakim. A hundred more Nephilim are in groups scattered throughout the royal residence,” Daniel shared what he sensed while trying to choose his next arrival point before the pursuers arrived at the maze or someone in the palace happened to glance at the elaborate hedges. “Another couple hundred Nephilim are spreading throughout the city in groups of twenty, perhaps in the hopes of anticipating our next appearance.”

A burst of red light flared up in the air from one of the Aakacarns pursuing the Ferret and Daniel sensed eighteen Nephilim break off from the larger group and head in the direction of the burst. A second burst, that time blue, sent them due west and slightly north of Ferren’s path, which had been a jagged line between buildings in a westerly direction. The new additions were running in a straight line and therefore moving faster than a person skulking from alley to alley. The two Nephilim pursuing Duzolta often paused near random groups of Anakim, probably citizens of Polen Tare, perhaps to seek information about their quarry, and then unfortunately resumed the chase in the right direction. They apparently never caught direct sight of the Ducaunan, but had a fairly good description of him from witnesses. The former Serpent moved as if he knew the pair was behind him, but probably did not yet know about the group running to out maneuver him.

Hopefully the wily Ferret can manage to avoid the developing trap; Daniel pondered and yet was not relying on hope alone. He stood ready to assist Duzolta, should intervention become necessary.

“That scout is right above us,” Simon shared his observation as if no one else had noticed. “I sense thirty Aakacarns exiting onto the roof of the palace and figure we have a minute at the most before they initiate spells of some unfriendly type in our direction.”

If the chief-aid could sense them through Find All, he could hit them with Sleep Time before they could become a threat. Daniel had been about to mention the fact when Carlos spoke up, “They will not get that minute,” the bodyguard stated confidently, and sent a cone of light wide enough to strike the first fifteen Nephilim just as they appeared at the parapet.

Those fell asleep and the other fifteen dropped back, dragging the unconscious Melody-wielders out of sight and a distance they must have felt was out of range. Carlos adjusted and sent another broad beam that passed through the stones of the parapet and put the other Nephilim asleep. Stone walls were no barrier to certain spells; Sleep Time being one of them. Generally an Aakacarn had to see a target in order to hit it and the rule would hold true if Carlos had been wielding only the one spell. The indirect-line-of-sight hits would have been impossible without the Symphonic, Find All, to guide the aim. The white titanium hulls had hindered the lower-powered sleep spell used by the pilots of the Pondhoppers in the battle against the Carriers, but likely would not have been a barrier to Symphonics cast by Accomplisheds as powerful as Carlos and Sero.

Simon glanced at the bodyguard. “I was about to do that,” he protested. “I merely wanted to make everyone aware of the danger first.”

“And I merely thought it best to do the job rather than talk about it,” Carlos countered.

“With Daniel focusing on choosing our destinations, it is up to us to fend off the attackers,” David spoke in a tone normally used to register a compliant. “But Silvia and I cannot help if you strike them down before we can see them.”

His wife managed to put two Nephilim asleep at the previous location and he had scored one just before Daniel Conveyed all of them to the maze. The Seer did not seem to mind Accomplisheds out-wielding her, but the juggler and knife-thrower she married often felt cheated if he did not personally strike down a satisfactory number of opponents; an amount only he knew and a total Daniel never seemed to allow him to reach.

“I could render the girl unconscious,” Simon stated the option while pointing up at the circling scout.

“No,” Daniel quickly replied when it seemed Carlos was about to wield first and comment afterward. “The purpose is to guide the Nephilim to us, away from Duzolta, and for me to be seen with this trident on my back. Her presence serves to move the squads to where we want them to be all the quicker, otherwise they would take more time to find us and we would have to stay here all the longer,” he explained to his over-eager team.

“I was about to tell him so,” Sero responded. He had clearly caught on quickly to what his Maestro was doing; usually Simon was the quickest to anticipate Daniel’s intentions.

Three squads of Nephilim ran out three of the six back exits of the palace and were heading for the maze. Daniel both sensed them through Find All and could see them through the eyes of the Phodon. Each group, wearing white clothing with fuchsia trim, was being led by Aakacarns in red cloaks that were carrying scythes. They did not bother with the entrance; each leader ran to a hedge and began swinging their tools left and right, easily slicing a path that would take their squads directly to the center. “David, in about a tenth of a mark you are going to have an opportunity to increase the number of foes you put to rest,” he informed the Teki. “Three teams are currently coming from the east, so be ready.”

David gave a quick nod and a smile slowly developed in anticipation, but Carlos let out a sigh. “I guess that means you want more of them in here before we begin imposing naps.”

“You have guessed correctly,” Simon responded as if the question had been directed to him. He answered correctly so Daniel let it stand.

The eighteen Nephilim, running slightly north of Ferren’s location, passed him and went farther west than the Ferret, but either did not know they had done so or were perhaps hoping to move farther ahead before spreading a human barrier across his path. “He might require assistance,” Daniel silently pondered the notion while choosing a public park in the Westside to be his next arrival point. A single squad of Nephilim had entered the park and the residents who had been enjoying the shade-trees and wooden food-tables chose to go elsewhere.

“Here they come,” Simon gave warning just before the squads from the palace broke through the final hedge twenty paces apart from each other.

David and Silvia touched the gems in their nightsticks, each sending a blue beam into a red-cloaked leader, and both Nephilim slumped to the ground. Simon focused a beam at the third red-cloak, and Carlos focused on the three Aakacarns coming up behind them.

Through Find All and from above, Daniel sensed and watched as the teams moved away from the three attack points and moved to surround the center. At the completion of the maneuver, flames burned down the inner hedge, and then beams of light shot from staff-wielding Nephilim wearing the white. The multi-color beams shot to within a few paces of Daniel’s head. Those shafts of light slammed into a hyacinth field of energy that grew brighter as more Zeuthans joined the attack. None of them seemed to realize they were feeding Sero’s shield with whatever spells were being used, the types of Melodies were not self-evident; there were no flames, explosions, or spell-generated objects to give any indications. It was possible their purpose was to capture rather than kill.

The pair of Teki aimed their non-lethal weapons, striking down one Aakacarn at a time, and within moments Silvia put to sleep nine opponents while David scored eleven. At the same time Carlos and Simon focused on the rest, shooting beams from their fingers and thumbs, and each dropping ten at a time until all were asleep. Sero focused Forgettable at the slumbering Nephilim, who would have no memory of anything that transpired over the past mark; or hour as the Zeuthans measured time, but would not realize the loss until awakening at the same time of day on the morrow.

Roiling flames streaked from the upper windows of the palace from nearly a score of Nephilim, bathing the dome in an inferno. It was impossible to see beyond Sero’s shield, but Daniel could see through Donny that the wielders were focusing tightly, so as not to hit their fallen comrades, which he approved of. The assault seemed all the brighter in the twilight of the setting sun. The newest assault was clearly meant to kill rather than capture and reflected a change of intent, perhaps brought on by the ineffectiveness of their previous attempts to apprehend their quarry. With Sarah involved, Daniel had no doubt her superiors knew who was leading the raid and that they wanted him dead.

“Maestro, those Zeuthans were mostly targeting you,” Sero stated as if the fact might have escaped his leader’s notice.

“You do realize that if they drop an aqua-bomb on us we are going to die,” Simon evidently felt the need to share his misgivings.

“El Marzon has moved to a rear balcony and is in a position to see us,” Daniel informed his companions. “I think even an Amethyst-level aqua-bomb would kill him, along with leveling this hill, and so consider that threat to be unlikely. I am more worried about the Melodies they have that we do not yet know about and yes, Sero, they were aiming mostly at me.” The possibility of dying at any moment still remained, according to Silvia’s most recent reminders, but death seemed unlikely under the present circumstances.

“So, you agree this is an untenable position,” Simon finally addressed his reason for mentioning the aqua-bombs.

Daniel stared through the eyes of the Phodon at the many squads approaching the circular street around Palace Hill and decided the time to depart was rapidly drawing near. “My repertoire provides me with many options that would make our position in the maze tenable, but if what you really want to know is if I am ready to go to our next location, the answer is yes.”

Simon opened his mouth to give some sort of remark, but Daniel chose to add, “There is a team of twenty Nephilim at the park we are going to, so be ready,” he finished and then focused Conveyance.

Three heartbeats later they arrived seven spans distant and right behind the squad, which had been facing toward the palace where all of the action seemed to be taking place. The displacement of air created a sound that instantly caught their attention. They swung around with their staffs at the ready and a Red-cloak sent a beam of light from one of his rings that struck David in the mouth just as he was shouting, “Sleep!”

He immediately stiffened and fell over with his mouth gaping wide. Silvia bent to see to her husband while Simon and Carlos both focused Sleep Time at the Zeuthan. The combined force threw the Melody-wielder back into the fellow behind him, knocking both to the ground and the other eighteen shot beams of light from their staffs. Sero managed to get his shield in place and the life-force-energy from the opposing Nephilim was absorbed into his energy field.

The scene over the palace changed quickly when Sarah broke off from her flight pattern and flew west. The roiling flames ceased, revealing a blackened fountain with steaming-boiling water. The sleeping Zeuthans were suddenly in danger of being burned by the grassfire created when the dome-shield vanished. Anakim and Nephilim ran from the royal residence to give aid to the fallen while the squads that had been winding up Palace Hill Road stopped and then adjusted to a new course that would take them west. They moved at a ground-eating jog, but had to be getting tired of hurrying back and forth from location to location. Each of them had the extra energy in their life-forces and so possessed uncommon vigor, which meant it would take much more running around to actually exhaust them, but Daniel was determined to give them an excellent workout at the very least.

In the time it took to note the scene at the last conveyance point, Simon and Carlos put to sleep the other staff-wielding squad of Nephilim. Daniel opened his eyes and bent down beside Silvia. The Symphonic, How Do You Feel played in his mind, summoning the Potential, and he touched David’s Forehead, while realizing time at the current location had to be short because nearly eighteen hundred Nephilim were jogging in the Ferret’s direction. Daniel hoped to divert them after allowing the Zeuthans to continue their present course for a span or so before leading them in another direction. Time would soon tell if his hope turned out to be in vain.

“Will he be alright?” the Seer asked.

It had to be frustrating to be able to view events ahead of time, but not the ones she chose to see; only those given to her, which evidently did not include glimpses of her husband’s future.

David’s heartrate and his breathing were normal. Daniel found no physical damage, which verified the type of spell was similar to those he was very familiar with. “The Eagle Guild has a Melody called, Lock Joints, and the spell used on him is similar. I also composed a Symphonic that does the same thing.”

“Can you counter the effect?” Silvia wanted to know.

Daniel shook his head, knowing somethings could not be overcome by sheer power. “The effect of the Melody should wear off within a day. The only one who could release him sooner is the wielder and as you can see, he is asleep over there on the ground.”

Silvia nodded her understanding and remained beside her husband, stroking his face with one hand while holding a nightstick protectively in the other.

Less than half the sun remained above the horizon and darkness would soon dim the visuals. Daniel did not yet know how well a Phodon could see at night but was on the verge of finding out. The discovery would greatly affect how much longer the current exercise could continue and perhaps severely limit the number of viable conveyance points. Even as he contemplated the problem, streetlamps were being lit all over the city with the potential of improving his ability to proceed.

“Daniel,” the voice of the Grand Maestro entered his mind, “Maestro Beyers informed me of a communication she received from Accomplished Baccorana. Your guild is causing a commotion in Polen Tare. It might interest you to know Talmon Reese will be arriving within the mark on a cruiser with a pair of swift-boats as escorts. There are twenty more swift-boats farther behind. The Maestro of the Eagle Guild, with my approval, is going to offer the airboats as peacekeepers to keep you from attacking Viceroy El Marzon’s ships. The goal is to keep the Atlantan Guild and the Zeuthans from going to war with each other. The ambassador believes your team has done no damage and seems to be teleporting to random positions within the city. If this is true, can I assume you have a greater purpose in mind other than to irritate the Zeuthans?”

”I have a purpose,” Daniel replied through the communication link established by Terroll. “The point is to show El Marzon that naval blockades are useless and firing on freighters is a bad idea. My people are using sleep spells. I think the Viceroy is wise enough to realize the damage I could be doing to his forces in the same period of time if I had ordered lethal spells.”

A sense of caution and doubt came ahead of the words, “The Brightest Light of the Sun Guild has also informed me the Zeuthans have switched to wielding lethal Melodies and therefore the violence is escalating. I understand your motivation but just in case Viceroy El Marzon does not grasp the message your current actions are intended to convey, I will ask Maestro Reese to explain your demonstration in actual words. However his explanation will be better received if he can also assure his host there will be no further demonstrations of that sort,” the Grand Maestro made it clear he wanted his former student to cease and desist the ongoing operation.

“The demonstration will be over by the time the Maestro of the Eagle Guild arrives,” Daniel sent the assurance. “I do not believe a future message of this sort will be needed,” he added, knowing if he was forced to come back to Polen Tare it would not be to deliver a message.

A sense of satisfaction came ahead of the words, “I am pleased to hear it and will pass on the information to Maestro Reese. Daniel, try not to start a war. I know your relationship to Clarees is influencing your actions and so I will also have a talk with her,” the Grand Maestro replied and severed the link.

Daniel actually hoped Talmon succeeded in persuading El Marzon to allow Aakadon to serve as peacekeepers and also hoped the current action succeeded in bringing any plans for future naval blockades to an end. The two successes would make it safe to order the mantas in the sky off the coast to return to base and the Atlantan Guild to stand down from the Ruby-alert.

Sero focused Forgettable on the fallen Melody-wielders as the sun fully sank beneath the horizon. Donny could see nearly as well in the dark as he could in the day, but the colors were washed out, except near the streetlamps. However, only in the pools of light were the visuals sharp enough for the purpose of Conveyance.

Through Find All, Daniel sensed Ferren still making his way west with the pair of Aakacarns trailing him. One of the Nephilim sent a green flare into the sky, and then one from the team farther to the west turned south. That fellow ran several streets beyond the one Duzolta was using, but then sent up a red flare. The Ferret, apparently seeing the signal, darted to the northwest, and unfortunately on a course that would take him to the larger group.

Daniel, through the eyes of the Phodon, chose the closest streetlamp to where they would all intersect, pictured himself, Simon, Sero, Carlos, Silvia and her gaping husband, beneath the glowing beacon, and focused the Potential. In less than four beats of the heart they arrived under the streetlamp.

The larger group broke into a run, Ferren stopped in an alley several blocks away, Sarah and her Quetzal headed in Daniel’s direction, and the eighteen hundred Nephilim following her lead continued their ground-eating jog to the west. The two who had been trailing the Ferret were within a few blocks of where he was hiding.

The scout arrived in the air directly above the man she could sense and sent up a ball of teal light, presumably to show her followers where she had gone in the night sky. The sphere circled with Sarah at about ten paces above her head. At that point everyone involved knew the exact location of Daniel and his team. Simon was focusing spells in multiple directions, no doubt adding creatures to his swirl of non-human scouts to increase his and the team’s options going forward. It would have been somewhat of a disappointment if he had not done so.

Sero had his shield in place but with only a trickle of Potential to keep it invisible. The barrier would flare up when outside life-force energy struck the field, thus increasing the power, unless the Zeuthans tossed aqua-drops, in which case the flare up would be fed by his personal reservoir of life-force energy. Just because they had not used an aqua-pellet launcher earlier did not mean the explosive water would not be employed going forward.

“I thought our goal was to lead them away from Duzolta,” Carlos commented. “I sense you have brought us very close to him.”

Instead of answering, Daniel concentrated on the information being supplied to him through Find All. He became aware of hundreds of non-Aakacarns in the buildings around him, dogs, cats, birds, bats, horses, and all sorts of creeping things. He sensed the two Nephilim nearing the alley Ferren was hiding in, the one Nephilim moving from the north in response to Sarah’s signal, and the seventeen running towards the teal light. The eighteen hundred Nephilim were coming from the east but had only passed the park and still had spans to cover before they would become a threat.

“Get behind me,” Daniel told his team, except David who was already lying to the rear.

“What do you have in mind?” Carlos inquired while obeying the command.

Instead of speaking, Daniel closed his eyes and focused Sleep Time in a three hundred degree radius and at about waist high. Topaz blue light radiated from him, shining out, through the stone walls of buildings, and beyond. Men, women, large pets, horses, Duzolta and the two Nephilim about a hundred paces from him; all fell asleep. Daniel’s energy field reached the other Nephilim in the vicinity and they and everyone within range of his casting suddenly had the overpowering urge to slumber. He ceased the Potential and noted how much higher in the air the Quetzal had climbed in order to escape the energy field. Her rider did not know increased altitude would have been no protection had Daniel desired to include her.

“You did not strike at the scout or the huge mass of Aakacarns running towards us,” Simon noted. “Are you by chance leaving them to us?”

Daniel turned to his chief-aid. “I want her where she is for now and the others we will divert after you finish a little chore,” he replied while mentally performing the Music to summon the Potential for his next spell.

“What do you have in mind for me to do?” Simon instantly replied, being ever ready to be of assistance.

“You touched Duzolta the day I captured him, which means you can locate him through Find All. I want you to go to where he is sleeping and then I will awaken the Ferret so you can steer him away from the trap.”

“It will be as you say,” Simon replied and then stood with his eyes closed, no doubt choosing one of the recently added creatures to his swirl to provide the necessary visual. Minutes later he vanished.

Daniel focused his spell at the same instant Simon vanished, and in his place appeared an object of solidified air, an exact replica of the chief-aid.

Heartbeats later Simon arrived beside Ferren and Daniel willed the sleeping Ferret to awaken. Sarah could not miss seeing a flash of light and yet would have no way of knowing what it meant or accomplished. For all practical appearances nothing had changed.

“You do realize he cannot appear inside my shield,” Sero, like so many others before him, explained the limitations of a Musical composition to the person who created it. Perhaps the current situation was making him nervous.

“I do and more importantly, Simon does too,” Daniel replied. “He will take that fact into account. Meanwhile, we need to keep all of the attention on us until the Ferret is well clear of the area.”

“What about David?” Silvia was rightly concerned about her husband.

“The best lit place in the harbor at night is the Port Authority. We will convey there next, put on what I hope will be an impressive but non-lethal display, and then this operation will be over,” Daniel replied, while making the decision. He truly did want to be gone before Talmon showed up. “David should be in his quarters at Shantear within half a mark and you too.”

The Seer nodded acknowledgment. The bodyguard and assistant continued to eye their surroundings, but were also using their own scanning spells to locate any potential threats. Daniel closed his eyes and chose to view the scene from on high. Being in the light made it difficult to see far in the darkness with human eyes, but through Donny he could see a mouse scurrying in the alley about fifty paces from where he was standing. He could also see Simon and Ferren walking briskly between a pair of buildings and come to a stop rather than step out into the street. The chief-aid pointed up toward the circling scout and Ferren nodded. They needed a diversion.

“Scout Shareen of the Grand Imperial Ship Lucia,” Daniel called out in a spell-amplified voice. Sarah and her Quetzal flew in a tighter circle and slightly lower in the starry sky in response, so Daniel added, “My people and I have put scores of your people to sleep and most of them will not remember why they were sleeping outside on the ground, but I want you to know none of them have been harmed,” the announcement seemed to gain her undivided attention and he saw Simon and Ferren run across the street. “I also want you to know that any team in my guild is capable of doing the same and I have hundreds of teams. Keep in mind, we do not need ships to strike at our opponents and the life-force energy wielded here has been deliberately non-lethal,” he added to keep her attention focused on him. “Just so you know; the Symphonic, Die Now, takes exactly the same amount of Potential to wield as Sleep Time. Be sure the information is in both your verbal and written reports.”

He noticed Ferren separating from Simon, first to the south, and then west as if the former Serpent actually had a firm destination in mind. Daniel fixed his gaze, through the eyes of the Phodon, at the Port Authority and pictured him and his team on the roof of the white marble building. He focused Conveyance and transported to the new location.

The tiny teal globe from the west growing larger by the moment had to be Sarah winging the Quetzal toward the port using her sense of Daniel’s presence. Through Find All he knew the eighteen hundred Nephilim following her lead were adjusting to the change. Soon enough, they were all headed toward the port and farther away from the Ferret by the moment. Simon would sense his Maestro had Conveyed to a new location and would respond accordingly.

Every warship, except the damaged ones, was well-lit at night, and each was in clear view of the rooftop. Human eyes had no problem seeing the tempting targets. Daniel sensed the presence of twenty-one workers on the first floor of the seven-story building and every person within his eight-span spherical scan, including the pair of leviathans swimming around the Lucia.

“Maestro, how do you want to proceed?’ Carlos inquired.

“That scout will be here in a few minutes,” Sero shared his accurate observation. “The runners will take longer to reach us but the Zeuthans on the ships are close enough to be a problem the moment they become aware of us.”

Daniel nodded his head. “That is why I want you and Carlos to begin putting the Nephilim crewmembers to sleep right now. Be subtle at first and then more aggressive when Sarah arrives and the captains realize certain members of their crews are being targeted.”

Sero stretched out his arms and ten beams of light shot out, and through Find All, Daniel sensed the same number of Zeuthan Aakacarns fall asleep on the Lucia. The Four-bolt’s assault would continue until every Nephilim above and below deck was asleep.

Carlos followed the example on a nearby Majestic; the Detrimental. Non-Aakacarns could not see the two Accomplisheds being illumined by the Potential they were wielding, but everyone possessing ever-increasing-and-replenishing life-force energy could see them clearly, and the beams of light streaking intermittently at the Nephilim on the warships. His and Sero’s Potentials were obviously powerful enough to penetrate titanium decks and hulls, but the level required to do so could not be hidden.

Squads on the Grand Imperial Ship Lorcia launched aqua-pellets that raced across the distance and slammed into Sero’s Shield; which flared brightly, drawing the energy directly from his personal vat of Potential. Squads from the Grand Imperial Ship Isis added their aqua-pellets to the assault. Daniel handed his trident to the assistant. “Focus the Potential for the shield through this,” he ordered, and then turned to Carlos. “Broaden the beams, drop full squads at a time rather than individuals.”

The subtle attack had barely begun and the counter attack had come so swiftly he could not wait for the scout to arrive. The time to be aggressive had come. More than twenty Carriers began launching the larger aqua-drops at the shield and Sero began licking his dried lips and then reached for his canteen. He would not be able to withstand the assault for long.

The Ripple Effect given off by the shield, powered by eight extra lightning bolts of Potential, had to be washing over the city. All of Polen Tare glowed hyacinth and lengthy shadows were being cast as if a tiny sun had suddenly arisen. Scout Shareen flew her air-steed in a circle far higher and wider than she had done previously and obviously wanted to stay clear of the spell-battle taking place. Donny, feeling Daniel’s growing excitement, was enjoying the obvious discomfort of the Quetzal, and was transmitting a sense of fearlessness mixed with superiority. Hopefully the boldness would dissipate soon after his host withdrew concentration. It would be tragic if the Phodon met a bad end due to a false sense of invincibility.

The rain of aqua-drops slowed as the number of wielders grew smaller and possibly as the Zeuthans in command noted the barrage was not having the desired effect. The shield held and Carlos had every power-wielder on the Imperial Grands asleep and was working on the rest of the Majestics, but it was the Carriers that were the most troublesome. The other ships did not dare use the more powerful aqua-bombs, but the Carriers clearly had no compunction about using their weapon systems to the fullest and right at that moment some of them decided to aim lower.

Great chunks of marble blasted apart as the Zeuthans targeted the Port Authority. The entire building trembled, taking hit after hit, and people on the first floor ran out of the closest exits; some running out on the docks and others running into the streets. Daniel raised his arms and hands wide as if reaching to embrace every ship in sight and then focused Sleep Time, backed by six bolts of Potential. A broad beam of topaz light slowly radiated out from him and spread throughout the entire harbor. It shined on and through the Imperial Grands, enveloped the Majestics, and moved slowly toward the Carriers.

Through Find All he sensed Nephilim and Anakim, Aakacarns and non-Aakacarns, dropping to the decks on the ships they served. People had plenty of time to see the light coming but could not get out of the way. Those who could do so continued to fire aqua-droplets at the building. The entire east wall of every floor was gone and the floors were crumbling. It was only a matter of time before the entire structure would lose its integrity and come crashing down along with Daniel and his team. The brutal assault gradually lessened as each aggressor fell asleep.

The paddlewheels began to turn on the eight Carriers farthest out in the harbor, as if they thought they could avoid the light. Daniel willed the energy to move faster and in moments swallowed up the remaining functional warships attacking the building and the ships seeking to flee. The huge vessels lost all momentum and began drifting in the current.

“That was an impressive display,” Silvia commented. “Between Sero’s shield illuminating the city and Carlos causally nullifying the mightiest warships of the fleet and you taking out all of the Carriers, I think we have made an impression. I also think we should leave before this building collapses under our feet.”

“She has a point,” Sero stated and then went back to quenching his thirst.

Daniel sensed Simon’s presence on the Westside and Ferren stationary within a building full of scores of people. They were grouped in such a way as to hint they were at tables and the place was an eatery or small inn.  Daniel focused on his chief-aid. “I have one more chore and then we will go,” he sent through the new gem in his communication array given to him by the sandy-haired Accomplished.

“I will Convey from here at the same moment you do and while everyone’s eyes will be on the spectacle your departure will create,” Simon replied.

“You can go now,” Daniel suggested.

A sense of, not on your life, came ahead of the words, “I would rather face the Zeuthans than have to explain to Sherree why I Conveyed to safety while your life was in mortal danger.”

Daniel chose not to argue the point. He glanced at Carlos. “I want you to lend your Potential to Sero so he can extend the shield over the entire building.”

“I will of course do as you say, Maestro, but admit to being curious about what more you hope to accomplish here.”

“Extend the shield and watch,” Daniel replied and then kneeled down and touched the roof with the flat of his hand. The Music for Fashioning played in his mind, summoning the potential, and he focused the life-force energy into the building. His awareness flowed down through every floor, wall, room, door- frame, closet, and office. He sensed the rubble that had been made of the outer east wall and the structural damage to each floor and pillars. The marble became as putty to be shaped by his will. He drew all the debris together and used the material to repair the damage. He also repaired the cracks in the foundation that had developed throughout the building while under the heavy assault. On the roof, at the exact center, he drew from the marble around him and shaped the stone into a trident that reached up a hundred paces before forming the diamond points.

“Nice touch,” Sero commented. “That should serve as a monument to what the Atlantan Guild is capable of.”

“And remind them what our Maestro can do,” Carlos remarked.

Daniel glanced at the scout circling in the air above and then at the city. “It is time to go,” he declared and then pictured himself, the bodyguard, assistant, and the pair of Teki at Shantear. He released the Potential and three heartbeats later arrived in the staging area.

“Maestro,” the voice of Samuel Cresh entered his head through the array. “Soarer Dohn DePannan is in Aakadon. I found him a short while ago, leading me to believe Ginnie Cree is also in the city, but not in the cells of the Eagle Guild.”

“I take that to mean you have checked those facilities,” Daniel replied.

“My scouts are all over the cells but she is not in any of them. I am hoping someone will mention her and thus give me a clue where she is being held. Tobermin is involved, I know because one of my scouts is about as close to him as one can get.”

“Did they actually mention her or are we assuming she is there because of DePannan?” Daniel wanted to know.

“Mostly because of DePannan, but also because of Talmon’s policy to hold our Seekers until you persuade Queen Cleona to lift her ban on the Eagles and on Aakacarns seeking Potentials in Ducaun,” Sam responded. “Every Seeker is at risk until the overall issue is resolved, but that will take time. I am focused on finding and freeing Ginnie.”

Daniel agreed with the Conductor of the ISIG about the Seeker being held by the Eagles, but wished there was more evidence of Ginnie’s presence in Aakadon. Given where he had been and what he had been doing in Polen Tare, it was a bad time to confront Terroll with an accusation. Bad time or not, Daniel could not ignore the chore that had just dropped in his lap simply because it was inconvenient. “Hold off on the search and rescue. Meet me in the conference room with Leah and Jeremiah in half a mark. I want a detailed report so I can lay out the facts to the Grand Maestro. The next conversation he and I have will probably not be very pleasant and yet will help me make up my mind on how to proceed.”

Chapter Fourteen: The Sales Pitch  

Ferren Duzolta waited in the corner at dining table twenty-three for his breakfast. The location allowed him to see all of the other patrons without him having to turn his head more than a few degrees right or left. He could observe the goings-on without being obvious about it. LaJune’s Eatery served more foreigners than it did Serinians. Most of the customers were Fon Kayan and had light complexions with light brown hair, although some had a tint of red and a few others were close to being blond. Their presence reflected the success of trade negotiations between Queen Gloria and Viceroy El Marzon. Citizens of her kingdom took up half the tables and everyone else was a blend of people from the other realms.

At the table next to Ferren sat a Zunean couple with black silky hair and almond-shaped eyes. Their clothing was in shades of green, yellow, and white. They were eating fish cakes and seemed to be more interested in their food than anything else. The pair had arrived a day after Ferren and he still had not been able to discover the purpose for their visit so far from their homeland, which was on the far north side of the continent. They rented the room two doors down from his. Perhaps they were celebrating recent nuptials with a grand tour.

A group of Pentrosans took up three tables that had been pushed together. Most of that group had the pale skin, black lanky hair, and the lean-hungry-look common to their kingdom; with one exception. Malcom Gellenspear was the fattest Pentrosan Ferren had ever seen. Somewhere beneath the three chins had to be a neck, even though there was no visual evidence. The man was in the process of eating a jumbo lobster and that was after eating two plates of breaded shrimp. He owned half a score of freighters and had secured exclusive shipping rights to and from Pentrosa; the only person to do so. His efforts could someday open the door to formal trade between Pentrosa and the Zeuthans and make him far wealthier than he already was.

Five squat and broad-shouldered Demfilians occupied table thirteen and going by their fine purple, violet, red, fuchsia, and teal garments; Ferren suspected they were precious metal dealers. “Lian, the color and cut of your apparel is a bold choice these days,” the one wearing purple commented.

The person addressed looked up from his plate, finished chewing the last mouthful, and then stated, “Bergon, I do not care if wearing teal draws stares from every Zeuthan who passes by. The color highlights the blue of my eyes and besides, daring raiment sets me apart from those of you who are too timid.”

“We all have blue eyes,” the third man at the table pointed out, “but you do not see us wearing the color and similar style of an Imperial Investigator. Timidity has nothing to do with it. You are a notorious boundary pusher and some day you are going to stumble across the line.” His garments were violet.

“Malcom is right,” the man in red backed up the assertion. “The actions that took place days ago at Port Teiar and the following Atlantan Guild raid two days ago have the Zeuthans buzzing around like angry hornets.”

Lian laughed at the man. “This lecture is coming from a man wearing the color of an Imperial Reaper. Lewin, you are even bolder than I.”

“I am not wearing the cloak that is part of this ensemble,” the man stated defensively, “doing so would be provocative.”

Ferren appreciated learning the colors of the Imperial Discriminators, although wished he had known before arriving in Polen Tare. He doubted Daniel Benhannon had been aware of the significance back then. His remarks at the time indicated he was only just beginning to suspect the color, teal, to have significance, and no suspicions concerning red.

“Both of you should pay heed to Malcom,” Bergon cautioned the men and then pointed to the fellow wearing fuchsia. “Look at Harold. He is vainer than either of you and yet we do not see him wearing his favorite color.”

That color being red or teal, Ferren did not know and did not care but was pleased the Maestro had provided clothes the color of a fine red wine and not the scarlet of a Reaper. Still, it would have been better to avoid any shade of red, although, so far, Ferren being the only Ducaunan drew more attention than did the garments.

“Gentleman Mongoose, I brought your breakfast,” the baritone voice of Bevous LaJune announced as the owner placed the plate of crab cakes on the table. His shirt, pants, and apron were white.

The honorific was often used by Serinian merchants, restaurateurs, and inn owners when addressing a man of means. The family name he read off the guest registry. It amused the one most often referred to as the Ferret to use the regional Ducaunan name.

Ferren had paid a silver coin for the rented room on the fifth floor on the evening he arrived. LaJune’s is not an inn but did have eight rooms on the top floor for rental purposes. The proprietor and his family lived on the fourth floor, second and third were for storage and the eatery took up the first floor with the dining area and kitchen. The delivery of breakfast was not so much a curtesy as it was time to pay another silver coin if the intention was to stay another night.

Shortly after leaving Daniel Benhannon in the alley, Ferren took the time to inventory the coins jangling in his pockets; the left had been full of copper coins and the right had an even mix of gold and silver coins; all Serinian. He pulled the payment from his pocket and handed it to the proprietor. The tall, heavy-set, man with light brown skin and black eyes smiled. “I take that to mean you will be staying with us another night.”

“It would seem so,” Ferren replied to the middle-aged owner whose steadily decreasing hairline would eventually leave him bald.

Rather than walk away, LaJune leaned in closer. “You are the center of all sorts of rumors. Some folks believe you are a spy for the Atlantans or Queen Cleona, seeing as you arrived during all of the excitement, and others think you are a successful merchant. You pay promptly and tip well, that has most of my staff and regular customers favoring the latter rumor.”

Generosity often caused people to think better of a man, while being frugal had the opposite effect.

Ferren had created a back story and was ready to use it. “I am a sales representative for Lord of the Land Vram Genn Roon. His bovines graze on the finest grains and provide the most tender and tastiest beef. His veal is to die for and the cutlet a-la Serin cooked using his meat is the best anywhere to be had.”

The country lord did have a jurisdiction and herds, but was not much of an economic force beyond his domain, and so was unlikely to have any representatives in Polen Tare to contradict the story.

The proprietor chuckled. “This is a seafood eatery, I suppose you noticed, and that is why you have not bothered to throw that well-rehearsed pitch at me sooner.”

Ferren presented a good-natured smile. “The pitch is a little over the top, but the veal really is good and the best I have personally eaten, although I would not die for it. But you are correct; I did not see anything other than seafood on the menu and so did not try to sell you veal.”

“You seem to have plenty of money, which leads me to believe you have enjoyed some success, and yet you have not left us,” LaJune responded. “How do you expect to sell veal while sitting in a seafood eatery?”

“As to that,” Ferren began in a tone indicating he had been waiting for an opportunity to speak his tale of woes to a willing ear. “I arranged to meet a buyer here and if I succeed in finalizing the deal, I and the man I represent will profit greatly. As you may know, Lord Genn Roon’s jurisdiction is inland and west of Port Teiar. I was almost here when all pandemonium broke out; Zeuthan warships firing on and destroying freighters, Lobenian war-boats and Atlantan patrol boats blasting away at the Zeuthans, and the Maestro of their guild causing all sorts of havoc. Those invisible waves from his spells set my teeth on edge.”

The deception had enough vague elements that were true, from a certain point of view, to make it convincing. With a little help from Ringhiem, Ferren could pitch his proposal at the Zeuthans and enroll in the College of Musicians. The result would be beneficial to him and Daniel Benhannon.

“Mine too,” LaJune admitted, while rubbing his jaw as if reliving the incident, and then lowered his hand. “Things have quieted down now that the Maestro of the Eagle Guild has come to Polen Tare with all those airboats. Benhannon has not been back since their arrival and Viceroy El Marzon seems to attain a greater state of calm as each day goes by without an incident.”

Ferren nodded. “You see my problem. No one is shipping out of Teiar and that means transporting veal before it can spoil is going to be a challenge. The coast rode would take too long and so there is nothing for it but to wait for something like normal shipping to resume. On top of that, the tension seems to have affected my buyer’s ability to get here. I am certain he will come, but know not if it will be today or tomorrow.”

LaJune nodded sympathetically. “These are indeed uncertain times. The powers that be rarely take in to account the effects their actions have on we honest businessmen.”

Ferren perfected another smile. “Even so, people have to eat and you and I are in the business of getting them food. The deal I intend to make is well worth the time invested and your establishment is a fine place to wait. You even provide entertainment.”

The proprietor beamed with delight. “Stokem LeBoe is a talented musician and he does appreciate your tune requests.”

“And the coins I toss him afterwards,” Ferren agreed, and then picked up his fork.

LaJune went back to the kitchen, leaving his guest to enjoy the meal. LeBoe came down the stairs a few moments later and unpacked his favorite of three instruments; Vyolin, Serinian horn, and a flute. The bow moved across the strings and the instrument produced a soulful melody. The man had an impressive repertoire of common tunes; most were played on the vyolin, about a third on the horn, and the flute only when tradition called for the melody to be played on that particular instrument. Ferren lifted his cup of tea toward the man in a gesture of approval, which was met with a nod of the head.

Ringhiem SeLantee walked in just as Ferren finished off the last crab cake. The Two-bolt’s violet suit with purple trim gave him the appearance of a wealthy merchant and no clue of his being a Master of his Potential. The matching hat with a line of gold around the rim added to the persona. He possessed the lean-hungry look of a Pentrosan, passed on by the grandparent he was named after, but his light brown skin and nine and a third cubits in height marked him as being mostly of Serinian ancestry.

LaJune took one look and hurried over to the door. “Gentleman, welcome to my establishment. Allow me to show you to a table.”

Ringhiem’s eyes seemed to take in the entire room in an instant and his gaze fixed on Ferren. “I will sit at that table,” he replied while gesturing with his hand.

The proprietor took quick note of the table indicated and silently mouthed, “Good dealing,” wishing Ferren success. It was a kindly gesture and so received an amicable nod of acknowledgment.

“I will dine on fish filet,” the former Serpent gave his food order.

“Of course, a fine choice, my filets are cooked to perfection,” LaJune replied and then went into the kitchen after seating the man who was dressed as well as a Lord of Commerce.

“Do I need to explain why I waited so long before coming to meet you?” Ringhiem asked the question and then smiled when Ferren shook his head negatively. “Good, it shows your ordeal has not addled your wits.”

“My wits are all I have left. I cannot afford to have them addled,” Ferren replied and then glanced at the other patrons. “I suspected you knew I was here, but understand buying veal in these uncertain times presents problems with shipping. No doubt you wanted to have arrangements in place before making the purchase we agreed on.”

His former associate’s dark eyes narrowed briefly as he took in the words and then he gave a slight nod of the head. “I became aware of your presence shortly after you arrived at this eatery. The chaos that coincided with your arrival did have an effect on my schedule, but I have in deed made the proper arrangements, and am ready to go forward with the deal.”

Ferren did not know how his friend was going to react to the change he had in mind, seeing as the former Serpent had been laboring under the impression they would be working together for the foreseeable future. It was highly unlikely the man would choose to join the Zeuthan Melody-wielders. “Where do you wish to finalize the deal?”

Ringhiem leaned back in his chair. “I will eat my meal and then leave, and you should give me a mark to prepare. I have some associates at SeLaan’s Emporium. The establishment is one block north and half a block to the east. Go inside and ask for Pelar EscaLante. The person you inquire of will direct you to the area on the upper floor where I do business.”

Ferren nodded acceptance and then spoke vague generalities about the weather and bovine products until Ringhiem finished eating his meal and left. By the time three-quarters of a mark passed by, all of the patrons had gone about their business and the only other person in the room was LeBoe. LaJune entered the dining area and walked over to the table. “Were you able to make the deal you hoped for?”

Ferren smiled at the proprietor. “I have in deed. Within the mark I will go collect my payment and then it is on to the next deal to be made.”

“Does that mean you will not be staying the night with us?” The owner’s smile slipped a little, no doubt at the prospect of having to return the money.

“I am not sure how safe it is to travel and so will go out for a while to get a feel for the mood of the city,” Ferren replied and then stood up. “I think it best if you keep the coin to reserve the room should I return for another night, otherwise it would be a shame to come back here and find none available to sleep in.”

LaJune nodded and his smiled brightened. “That is prudent of you. I want you to feel free to use this establishment as a place to do your future deal-making.”

“You have provided an excellent place for me to eat, stay, and conduct business. I will be sure to mention this fact to my associates,” Ferren replied.

The proprietor left the room in a good mood and the musician decided to take a break. He headed into the kitchen, where a free meal would be provided. Ferren tossed slightly more than enough copper coins onto the table to pay for the two meals and then exited out onto the street, after passing by the corner set aside for the entertainer. It could be a day or more before the fellow discovered his flute-case was empty. The man had only played the instrument once on the first day at Ferren’s request and had not touched it since. Daniel Benhannon had provided more than enough money to purchase a flute, but it was important to stay in practice when it comes to thieving and Ferren figured he had given enough tips to pay for the instrument. Good quality flutes were made on the Eastside of the city where a Ducaunan face would mean instant arrest for questioning, at the least. He had an audition to make, which required an instrument, and the opportunity to immediately fill the need simply could not be passed by. In his way of thinking, filling the need justified the means.

The sidewalks were smooth like slate, the streets were cobblestone, and the buildings were all made of brick on the less wealthy Westside. People walked back and forth, going about their business, but with shifting eyes as if not knowing who to trust. The city was under foreign occupation and the citizens were understandably wary. More than a few suspicious looks were cast Ferren’s way. He noted how their eyes widened slightly at the sight of a Ducaunan in their midst. Unlike the nobles farther east, these passersby would not run to a Zeuthan to point a finger, and would rather keep to their own business, unless directly confronted with a Discriminator. Otherwise, they did not want to draw attention to themselves by speaking to one of the occupiers voluntarily.

Horse-drawn carriages and wagons moved along the street, although there were more men riding horseback or at the reigns of a wagon than in carriages. The women seemed to fancy having a cushioned-bench and four wheels beneath them. He noted a pair of cats in a back alley staring as he passed by and the winged-lizards used as messengers by the Zeuthans flying overhead. A dog across the street had been barking until it saw him and went quiet. The shaggy brown canine continued to watch without making a sound. No one else was paying the animals any attention. Insects buzzed around piles of horse-droppings in the roadway, adding to Ferren’s anxiety. Were the flies also spies for the Atlantans?

He entered SeLaan’s Emporium and was glad to be no longer in view of so many eyes. Each of the seven floors had a different variety of merchandise to choose from. A person could purchase furnishings for a home on the first floor, men’s clothing on the second, women’s clothing on the third, men’s footwear on the fourth, women’s footwear the fifth, jewelry of varying quality on the sixth and personal services such as haircuts and makeovers on the seventh.

A man with a neatly trimmed mustache and wearing a pale-blue suit walked up to him. “May I help you?” The tall Serinian inquired, looking down on Ferren, and not purely for reason of height, but must have noted the fine apparel and decided to be polite.

“I have an appointment to see Pelar EscaLante,” Ferren replied. “Can you direct me to her location?”

The man eyed his questioner up and down and then nodded as if answering an inward thought. “You do appear a bit peaked. With just a few of her touches here and there she will make you look your best. Take the stairs over there to the right. She is on the seventh floor, third door on the left.”

“My thanks,” Ferren replied and headed for the stairs.

Being fitter than ever before, he had no trouble moving swiftly up the steps, and soon arrived at the door leading into the area of cosmetics. If he did not know Ringhiem never played practical jokes, he would have suspected something of the sort.

A Serinian woman in a violet gown approached him. Her long dark hair hung nearly to her bottom. She was statuesque and half a cubit taller than Ferren.

He really was not all that short and in nine of the twelve kingdoms he would be about average in height, but the people of Ducaun, Serinia, and Ecoppia were of high stature. His five and a half cubits, eight feet three inches in Zeuthan measurements, meant he was shorter than most of the women of those three kingdoms. It was a circumstance he was well used to and embraced as a positive attribute that had served him well over the years. He looked into her brown eyes. “Ringhiem sent me to you.”

“I certainly did,” the former associate’s baritone voice came from behind, “and it is because she must transform you into a Serinian.”

She began tapping the side of her right temple, apparently doing a quick mental assessment of what had to be done. After a few moments she nodded, having come to a positive conclusion. “With the proper shoes to give more height and a good foundation and toning creams, I can make people believe you were born here. It helps that your eyes and hair are naturally dark.”

“What name did you sign on the guest register at LaJune’s?” Ringhiem inquired.

“Rainer Mongoose,” Ferren replied.

The former Serpent nodded his head. “That is a good Ducaunan name, from the Mount Geble region I believe.”

Pelar cocked her head to the side and smiled. “I think he needs a strong Serinian name. How about, Duncan PreTende?”

Ringhiem scratched his chin. “Duncan is not bad, although close to Ducaun, but the family name is too cute and descriptive of reality.” The man obviously did not know she was joking. He truly had no sense of humor.

Ferren shook his head, knowing he would not need another false name. “We can talk while she transforms me into a Serinian.” He would need the disguise in order to get close to a Spotter without being arrested on sight for being a Ducaunan. It was good his friend had anticipated the need.

Both Serinian’s nodded affirmatively and Pelar guided Ferren to a chair. She went to work the moment he sat down. “I sorely miss the ability to summon my Potential,” he stated while she unbuttoned and opened the upper part of his shirt. Evidently the cosmetic was to be applied below the neckline and then upward.

Ringhiem nodded sympathetically. “I do not even want to imagine what it is like to no longer experience the thrill of holding power to be focused at will. You have a major handicap, to be sure, but are resourceful enough to not only survive, but to thrive without it,” he stated and then his eyebrows arched up slightly. “We may be able to locate weapons created by Tarin Conn for the commoners to use, such would allow you to summon and wield Potential.” He offered a workable solution, although not one the victim of the cursed Melody had not considered multiple times.

Ferren nodded, and earned a frown from Pelar as she was in the middle of applying what she called a foundation. “The Serpent Guild is no more and we are all rogues who will be hounded for the rest of our lives. I came here, not to slink in the shadows pretending to be a Serinian, but to become a part of a greater association.”

Ringhiem blinked as if he was having a difficult time believing his ears and then sat down in a chair opposite Ferren. “Maestro Benhannon will lock you away for the rest of your life and the Grand Maestro will probably sentence you to death. He would be your judge for the simple reason you were not educated in Aakadon and never joined a guild. Those associations are out, which leaves you only one option. The Badger and his tiny association are here in Serinia but have gone silent, not that I blame them. I am sure they would take you in even with your lack of a repertoire. They may possess some of the life-force weapons created by the Supreme Maestro.”

Ferren had to close his eyes while Pelar applied a cream to his lids, but that did not stop him from saying, “I want to locate a Spotter and ask to be tested. The Silencing has erased my repertoire but cannot prevent me from learning the Melodies taught to the Zeuthan Musicians. At the very least I would be able to summon Potential using the life-force initiators.”

The silence stretched uncomfortably and perilously long until Ringhiem drew a deep breath. “I will say this, you never lacked nerve. I prefer the independence of being a rogue, but understand you need to be part of a greater whole and the prospect of regaining the status of Accomplished has an allure you cannot resist.”

Ferren’s reasons were much more complicated, but the assessment had not been too far off the mark, and the positive answer indicated the current meeting would end well. “Does that mean you will help me locate a Spotter?”

Ringhiem chuckled. “I already know where the Imperial Discriminators go in this city. I know where they prefer to catch a meal and where they meet in dark places to coordinate their routes. Gelica Vasmussuan is a Spotter who frequents the Lucky Coin Tavern. If you exit this building and walk ten blocks to the east, you will be there soon enough, and in about three marks can meet her.” He went on to give a briefing of everything he managed to learn about the Zeuthans over the past few days, which amounted to quite a lot.

Ferren nodded and earned a, “Be still,” from Pilar.

“You have time to rethink this course of action,” his old friend suggested, “She could turn you in as a spy.”

“You can open your eyes,” Pilar gave permission and then went to work on his hands.

Ferren looked at his former associate. “I will convince her to recruit me,” he stated with absolute certainty, at least in his tone of voice.

Inwardly he had serious doubts, but knew an Atlantan would swoop down on him like an osprey if he broke the deal he made with the Maestro. Simon Trenca had made that fact abundantly clear when they met that day in the alley after sunset. Ferren knew the animals in the city were possessed by the Maestro and his Accomplisheds, which meant they were watching his every move. Clearly, adding creatures was another reason for all the teleporting from location to location throughout Polen Tare. Ferren had no choice other than to go forward. “I will give them a credible story, one that is not far from the truth, but strong enough to convince them to accept me.”

Ringhiem pursed his lips as if holding back from saying what had entered his mind at that moment. After a ten-count, he sighed, and pointed to a violet suit-coat and matching pants. A white shirt was hanging a little to the right and a pair of white shoes was on the floor beneath it. Completing the ensemble was a violet hat with white trim rounding the rim. “At least you will be dressed well for whatever happens.”

“Thanks for all of this,” Ferren expressed the genuine gratitude he felt. “I will never tell them about you, not willingly.”

“You would not leave this room alive if I believed otherwise,” Ringhiem stated matter-of-factly, without a trace of malice. “However, should the Zeuthans have a Melody equivalent of Truth Speak, and use it on you, know that Pilar and I will be gone from here shortly after you depart.”

“I expect nothing less of you,” Ferren replied. His friend’s response was consistent with the belief in survival of the fittest and the reason the meeting could have ended badly. The readiness to kill if threatened and the precaution of avoiding a lethal encounter were perfectly understandable and exactly the way he would have handled the situation had their positions been reversed. “If I succeed you will have a contact within the Zeuthan society of Melody-wielders.”

Ringhiem finally smiled. “The thought occurred to me and was part of my calculations. Knowing your reputation for infiltrating strongholds, I believe if any former Serpent can succeed in joining the Nephilim of Zeutha, it would be you.”

The cosmetic artist applied the finishing touches and then declared, “Perfect, your own brother would not recognize you.”

“He was an only child and an orphan, but I agree your work is flawless,” Ringhiem told her.

She handed Ferren a cloth bag. “No one will recognize you as a Ducaunan,” she amended her words and then added, “These are the creams I used and the bottle of liquid is the remover. The cosmetics will not come off with water, not even with common soaps. The rainy season is upon us and prudence dictates you use something that will not wash off easily.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence in my ability to infiltrate and the water-proof creams that will allow me to pass for a Serinian,” Ferren replied to each of the Serinians.

Ringhiem and Pilar watched as Ferren changed clothes and then handed him the coins and the flute; which he tucked as far as it would go into an inner pocket of the coat. He passed a standing mirror and winked at the Serinian staring back at him. The shoes gave him three more finger-widths of height, still below average, but tall enough not to ruin the disguise.

Ferren exited the emporium from a different door and headed east. No one paid any attention to him, until about three blocks from his destination, and the two Zuneans from LaJune’s approached from up ahead. They would pass him in moments and there existed a slight chance they might not recognize him as the Ducaunan from the eatery. The couple seemed to be talking quietly to each other and unaware of who they were about to pass.

He inwardly counted to ten as they walked right on by, allowing him to release the breath he had not realized he had been holding. The disguise worked! The small success was a confidence booster. No one sees me as a Ducaunan.

“You might want to slip into this alley with us,” a female voice from behind suggested.

Ferren turned to see the couple had doubled back; worse, they seemed to know exactly who he was. “Do I know you?” He asked the question in the vain hope they would think themselves mistaken.

“Only as a customer of LaJune’s, except you were a Ducaunan when last we saw you,” the male responded and then pointed his right thumb to the rear without turning. “I think we should all be off the walkway before they get here.”

Ferren glanced in the direction indicated and noted four people approaching from the west, two wearing teal and two wearing scarlet. The men being escorted were Demfilians and highly stressed over their predicament. He went into the alley with the pair of Zuneans and they all assumed casual poses as the group came within hearing distance.

“I put on the teal to honor you,” Lian whimpered.

“I left off the cape,” Lewin stated as if that would mitigate the offense. “No one would mistake me for a Reaper.”

“Dressing as an Investigator is an affront to our dignity and a direct challenge to our authority,” the Investigator stated while hustling the man forward.

“By donning the colors of a Reaper you have publically declared your contempt for us, regardless of the fact you chose not to wear a cloak,” the Reaper stated grimly and poked the butt end of his scythe into the perpetrator’s shoulder, enough to make the blubbering man stumble forward but not hard enough to make him fall.

“What, what are you going to do to us?” Lian asked of the Discriminators.

“It is your first offense of this nature and because of your ignorance we will be lenient,” the Investigator replied.

“Th-thank you,” Lewin responded, perking up at the prospect of leniency.

“You will both be brought as you are to the public square in front of the buildings our respective divisions occupy, stripped naked, and then be allowed to walk away. The second offense, should either of you commit such folly again, will result in the loss of a hand. If we believed this affront was deliberate, you both would have been stripped and deprived of a thumb,” the Investigator made clear the official definition of leniency and the consequence of a repeat offense.

“But, but..,” Lian protested.

“You have publicly ridiculed us and now must suffer public humiliation,” the Reaper stated without a shred of sympathy. He paused, bringing all to a stop right in front of the alley.

Ferren nodded to the female Zunean as if in response to something she said. He did not want to do anything to draw the gazes of the Imperial Discriminators or give the impression he was listening.

“I have participated in the humiliation of many mockers and few of those chose to commit a second offense. My scythe has been used to remove hands and thumbs. Not a single person went on to commit the offense a third time,” the Reaper stated, “do not be the first”

“A person can live without a thumb or hand but cannot live without a head,” the Investigator stated and then shoved both men forward.

Ferren counted to thirty, giving the group time to move beyond hearing range. “I am glad this suit is violet.”

The Zunean male smiled. “After today I doubt anyone will wear teal or any shade of red.”

The female eyed Ferren. “I knew it was only a matter of time before every kingdom on the continent had a spy or two in Polen Tare. You are obviously working for Cleona,” she stated in a voice scarcely above a whisper.

He decided not to correct the misconception and finally had an idea of why the couple had travelled so far. “I see Zushong Ki has sent his spies.”

“It was clear to us you were sent here, probably transported by the most famous Ducaunan Royal Knight of her Realm, and then laid low until your contact in Serinia arrived,” the man stated quietly. “Each of the Demfilians that were dining at LaJune’s represents a different gold and silver Lord of Mining. Their commodities are of the same quality, leaving pricing and the making of a better impression on the client the only areas in which to compete, thus their agents’ reason for being so fastidious about their attires. Lian and Lewin might as well sail back to Demfilia after this. No one will buy from them in Polen Tare and this incident might follow them for years.”

Ferren could not make himself care about the fate of the two men, but was even more glad to be wearing violet.

None of them standing in the alley bothered to introduce themselves, knowing each would give an alias. “Our king, like your queen, is staying informed on the activities of these foreign Aakacarns. From what we have learned, non-Aakacarns, Anakim, they call us, are considered the lower class, and trying to rise above our natural-born stations is considered to be an improper aspiration, bordering on rebellious,” the woman shared her findings in a general way. “The nobles living on the Eastside have not figured out they are considered to be commoners and of the same low station as the people living on the Westside.”

The Zeuthan attitude toward non-Aakacarns did not surprise Ferren, especially since it was not far from that of Tarin Conn and every member of the Serpent Guild. Deals were made with ruling monarchs, lords, high military officials, and the like, but none of them would ever have been permitted authority over a single Aakacarn. The king of Zune was one of the dupes that believed he would rule over Cenkataar and Aczencopa as a reward for siding with the Serpent Guild, never realizing he would have merely been a low-level administrator over his fellow non-Aakacarns at best.

Ferren wondered if the Zeuthans could succeed at elevating all Aakacarns to their rightful place over the non-Aakacarns. Unfortunately the Champion of evil won and the Aakacarns on the continent of Atlantan had to live with Benhannon’s point of view. Ferren had a feeling his adapting to survive among the Nephilim of Zeutha would not require a great adjustment in his thinking.

He nodded in response to the woman’s statement. “Their view is not unlike what we would be under if Daniel Benhannon had died on Mount Filia instead of Tarin Conn.”

“Perhaps that is why the Seven-bolt Accomplished has been harassing the Viceroy,” the man suggested.

Ferren took a few steps to the corner of the alley and peaked around. The Reaper and Investigator were blocks away and no longer a deep concern. “My specialty is ferreting out useful bits of information, not speculating about motives. The most interesting tidbits are going to be found near the seat of power, which is where I must go.” He did not bother correcting the number of lightning bolts on the Maestro’s shoulders.

The man nodded his understanding but the woman held up her hand. “A word of warning, an Investigator showed up at LaJune’s half a mark after you left. I am certain everyone but us believes Rainer Mongoose to be a successful businessman; at least that is what the owner, staff, and guests told the Zeuthan when he asked about any Ducaunans they might have seen. Be sure that Discriminator has your description.”

Ferren appreciated the warning and the timing that led him to be clear of the area during the time of that visit. “Rainer is pale-skinned and shorter than I am. Only a pair of highly trained observers would recognize Duncan PreTende as the same man.”

The Zunean spies chuckled. “Right, who would suspect a Serinian who calls himself a Ducaunan pretender?” The woman remarked. “Seriously though, it was prudent to change your appearance.”

Ferren gave her a nod of acknowledgement and then headed east along the street. The pedestrians ignored him, obviously recognizing a well-to-do citizen of the city at first glance and not bothering to give a second. It was the tabby cat in the open window on the second floor of the building across the street that seemed to be staring at him. He noted cats, dogs, mice, and rats in windows, ledges, and alleys all along the ten block stretch. In spite of the disguise he felt as if he had been recognized and was under constant surveillance. None, all, or only some of the creatures could be possessed, but it seemed best to assume all those beady little eyes served as optics for one or more Accomplisheds of the Atlantan Guild.

The giant marble trident on the roof of the Port Authority could be seen over the top of the building across the street. Ferren wondered why the Zeuthans had not yet removed the monument to their inability to capture Daniel Benhannon. El Marzon no doubt had his reasons or the display would have been removed days ago.

The Lucky Coin Tavern had a circular fountain in the entranceway. Brightly-colored fish swam leisurely around and around in the sparkling water. Luck-purchasers had thrown coins into the pool, thinking to improve their circumstances. Most of the coins were copper but a few people must have really believed luck could be purchased and had tossed in silver pieces. A bright orange fish with splotches of white paused, gills opening and closing, while its right eye seemed to be focused on Ferren. He walked by and through the double glass doors, but was tempted to make some gesture to show whoever possessed the fish that he knew he or she was watching him.

The panes had to be new, which was surprising. The Harmonic waves given off by the Maestro’s Melody-wielding near Port Teiar probably shattered everything made of glass in the world and certainly every window in Serinia, including every object that had been manufactured up to that point. The owner of the tavern must have paid a serious amount of gold or was very well connected.

The white-marble tavern had redwood paneling on the inside walls and fifty tables with a set of chairs at each were made of the same imported wood. He made his way to an isolated corner and sat down at a table for two. Many of the customers were on padded-stools at the bar and the rest were scattered in groups at the larger tables. Men and women dressed in their finery, none in red or teal, seemed to be enjoying their meals and individual conversations.

“May I take your order?” A woman wearing a cream-colored blouse with an orange and yellow skit inquired politely. Her long-dark hair hung in braids down her back and those large expressive eyes widened slightly as if her only concern was to serve him.

Ferren picked up the menu that had been lying beside a set of silver eating utensils. “I will start with ale and make a food selection after my thirst is quenched.”

“I will bring your drink immediately,” she replied with a dimpled-smile and walked away.

He noted veal al Serin as a food choice but had not yet worked up an appetite for anything more than a light snack, perhaps a desert. When she returned with the ale, he told her, “I will have a slice of blueberry pie,” and then gave her a copper coin, while placing a silver piece on the table to show he had the means to pay for whatever he ordered.

She smiled and placed the tip in a silk pouch within the folds of her skirt. “I will bring it right away.”

He watched her go while listening to the soft murmur of conversations taking place around the room. Added to the rhythm and tone, was the tinkling sound of silverware scraping fine porcelain plates as the patrons devoured their meals.

Ferren took a sip of ale and then placed the tankard on the coaster. He had marks to wait and had no intention of dulling his wits by consuming too much of the beverage. She brought the pie and he forked the tiniest portion into his mouth. The crust was flakey and the filling, a true delight, and it took a certain amount of self-control to make the desert take half a mark to eat. After another mark, he ordered tea; Keljun Soon-blend, along with thinly sliced fried potatoes to munch on, not that he was hungry. The staff would become suspicious if he sat for long without eating or drinking something. It was not unusual for a man to spend marks of time in a tavern imbibing ale, wine, or other drinks containing liquors of one sort or another, but a person not eating or drinking for the same period of time would definitely draw suspicion, and might be asked to leave.

His eternally slow-seeming consumption of fried potatoes, one at a time, and a generous amount of copper coins to the server, finally paid off when the Imperial entered the tavern and took a seat near the entrance. The Spotter’s wool coat and pants were in shades of gray, with the darker accentuating the lighter. A black shirt, belt, and shoes completed the outfit tailored to her womanly shape. Her green eyes, light skin, and dark hair, he learned from Ringhiem’s briefing, were indicative of a person from the Dukedom of Aresia, the home realm of the Viceroy. She had an amber trident on her forehead and a pendant with a sapphire in the center.

A male server rushed to her table and soon went away to fetch whatever she ordered. Ferren removed the stolen flute from his inside coat pocket and began playing a Serinian favorite; The Tavern-owner’s Daughter. Heads turned to him as he played; three couples went to the center of the floor and danced, while folks at the bar turned around to see the source of the melody. He ended the tune to great applause and more importantly had gained the attention of the Spotter. His second Melody, The Merry Merchantman, earned a standing ovation, and a free tankard of ale.

He stood, took a bow, and thanked the fellow at the bar that had sent him the drink. Ferren had taken no more than a few sips when the Spotter approached him. “You are a masterful player. Are you an entertainer?” She had two rings on each finger and no doubt was ready to focus Potential through any one of them.

He stood and gestured toward the other chair. “Please, have a seat,” and when she sat down, he added, “I have mastery of eight instruments, but can make music with just about any instrument I spend enough time to become familiar with.” He sat back down.

Her green eyes seemed to be studying him, taking in every detail, and her lips curved into a smile. “That was a good and informative answer although not to the question I asked of you.”

Ferren reached into his bag, removed the bottle of liquid, and placed it on the table. “This is the first time I publically entertained a roomful of people, so you may call this my debut, but entertaining them was not the purpose.”

She raised her right hand, fist closed, any one of eight rings could be used against him. “Then for whom did you make this debut?”

It was time to make the real sales pitch. “The performance was for you. Please consider the concert my audition. I want you to test me.”

She leaned back in the chair, yet her fist remained in a position of intimidation, he knew because anyone skilled at focusing Potential could do so with the hand resting flat on the table. “In all the time I have been here, my sisters and I have claimed six men, three women, two male infants and a four-year-old female as Nephilim. Fifty Spotters under the leadership of Area Lead Spotter Loraina Marshaant are all seeking Initiates and not one of us as had a single person of this realm ask to be tested. Why are you asking?”

“I am a former Master-Musician of the Serpent Guild and have nowhere else to turn. If the Atlantans catch me again they will lock me away till the day I die and if Soars of the Eagle Guild catch me, I will be sentenced to years of pain and afterward put to death. I want to, once again, belong to a community of Melody-wielders,” he replied sincerely, without using a single false word.

She rested her hand flat on the table, which only meant intimidation was no longer her intent, and yet permitted her to retain the ability to instantly cast a spell if the need should arise. “We have heard bad things about your guild and its founder.”

Ferren shrugged his shoulders. “The winner gets to write the history. Tarin Conn believed the greater should rule the lesser and the mighty dominate over the weak. Nature itself teaches us survival of the fittest, natural selection. The weak and infirm die off and the strong and healthy live on to thrive. Is that not the way you Nephilim of Zeutha see yourselves in comparison to the Anakim? The rulers of Aakadon and Daniel Benhannon all believe the weak should rule the weak while we who are mighty should uphold the infirm and use our strength to help those who are weakest. The truth is, in nature, supporting survival traits too weak to live on their own will eventually result in a weakening of the species and possible extinction if allowed to continue. Since we are speaking about human beings and not animals, non-Aakacarns do have their rightful place in society but cannot be allowed to rule over superior beings.”

Gelica scratched the side of her head. “We of Zeutha believe Nephilim must rule over the Anakim, you are correct. I hear your words and they make sense, and so have decided to test you now. If you pass, this discussion will continue, if you fail, you will be punished for mocking me with a made-up story,” she stated, and stood from her chair while taking hold of the pendant using her left hand. The right remained in a position to cast a spell on the instant. “Rise, and come to this side of the table.” she commanded.

Ferren immediately complied and stood before her. She placed the pendant against his forehead and moments later he saw the flash, felt a static electric shock, and the momentary burning sensation that meant he had passed the test. He had experienced the same thing when the golden lightning bolt appeared on the skin of his right shoulder after performing the Melody, Ranking.

“You are a bearer of a Jade and must learn what it means to wear a trident. The color will change as the Potential within you grows,” the Spotter spoke formally and then gestured for him to sit, which he did. “I will be taking you from here to the Hall of Spotters in order to formally register you, but not before getting one more answer. You stated, ‘If the Atlantans catch me again they will lock me away till the day I die,’ and that indicates you were their captive prior to arriving here. What are the circumstances of your capture and escape?”

Ferren told her about the destruction of the Geist, adding, “I escaped, although not unscathed. Daniel Benhannon erased my repertoire and my only hope at wielding Potential again lies with you and your life-force initiators. The audition was to demonstrate my skill as a Musician with the hope of learning a new repertoire.”

She began tapping her chin, as if considering options, hopefully ones favorable to him. “Yours’ is going to be a more complicated initiation, you being a Nephilim trained by a foreign society, a situation which requires an interview before a Reaper and an Investigator. An appearance before them would not be necessary under normal conditions, but the Atlantan Guild has caused a great deal of consternation and so there is no way to avoid a formal vetting. However, if you are accepted, I will be credited with identifying a Nephilim and receive a double credit if you go on to be accepted by the College of Musicians as a Novice. First, what is your name?”

The situation was about to become even more complicated. He opened the jar and began using the restorer to remove the cosmetic from his hands. “I am Ferren Duzolta, a Ducaunan-born Aakacarn, recruited and trained from an early age by the Serpent Guild. I disguised myself out of fear of the Ducaunans that I believe are hunting me and who have caused your people to hunt anyone from the kingdom of my birth. I would rather be taken in by you voluntarily than be arrested by an Investigator or Reaper. I am not sure they would be as quick to listen. I have enough skill to continue using this disguise, but prefer to be honest with you. I am tired of hiding from the Atlantans, from the Eagles, and from everyone else.” Again, every single word had been true.

She frowned. “Do you think a female to be less threatening than a male Discriminator?”

Ferren shook his head even before answering, “Not even slightly. I have served under some of the deadliest female Aakacarns in the Serpent Guild. Please correct me if I am wrong. Investigators search for information in regard to lawbreaking and Reapers fulfil warrants issued against lawbreakers. Spotters distinguish between an Anakim and Nephilim, collecting as Initiates those who wear the trident.”

“You are correct,” Gelica confirmed, “Although not even Musicians use the ancient term for Melody Performers to describe themselves.”

“I presented myself to a member of the branch of Discriminators that best fits the circumstances,” Ferren explained. “With your indulgence I will have the opportunity to adapt to Zeuthan methods and phrasing.”

She interlocked her fingers and began tapping her thumbs together. After a long period of silence the movement ceased, signaling an end to her contemplations. “The opportunity will be given, but your being a Ducaunan means the vetting will be even more vigorous.”

“I still wish to go through with it,” Ferren confirmed his commitment.

Gelica chuckled. “Good for you that you do, because your choice in the matter ended when that Jade trident appeared on your forehead,” she paused and glanced toward the kitchen. ”You will be coming with me, after I eat my meal.” The last sentence was spoken as a hard statement of fact.

“Good for you that you are beginning to live up to the terms of your parole,” Daniel Benhannon’s voice commented in Ferren’s head.

“Your eyes suddenly going wide tell me you respect my authority,” Gelica stated at seeing the reaction.

Ferren quelled the surprise and resulting sense of panic that nearly unnerved him. “I have nothing but respect for you,” he spoke to her and mentally sent to the Maestro. “Can you really read my mind?” He silently asked the Aakasear.

She smiled and began eating her veal a-la Serin.

“You triggered communication at least twelve times today; on each occasion when you mentioned or thought about me. This session began during your telling of the Geist. The durations of your mini reports have not lasted much longer than a few minutes, depending on how intense your feelings or how long you keep me in the back of your thoughts, like when you were considering what would happen if you failed to honor our deal,” the Maestro informed him.

Ferren was about to deny initiating the communication, but the truth occurred to him. “The toe-ring is in constant contact with my skin and my thoughts about you open the mental link.”

“The first few times I almost responded because it was annoying, but the bald honesty in your communications kept me quiet, and also convinced me your intentions were to keep our deal. When the vetting starts, if you wish, think of me and I will help you with answers that might be hindered by the compulsions I placed on you. The Zeuthans might see your inability to answer their questions as a refusal to cooperate and at the least convince them you have something to hide; either way the result for you would not be good. We both want you to succeed,” the Maestro provided a solution to a serious problem that could develop in the coming interview. “I hope your gamble wins; telling them your name and former affiliation was risky.”

Ferren knew he would take the offer and also knew he was going to be much more careful of his thinking while wearing the ring. “At this point you know all about my ability to manipulate truth in deceiving ways with only a few lies sprinkled in to make the falsehood believable, no sense in denying it to the person I have been sending my recent thoughts. I have given them enough truth to mask the lies, figuring they might somehow later learn my identity. Even so, your assistance will likely be necessary. It cannot be a betrayal to repeat what you say. That made clear, the middle of those interviews would not be a good time to startle me. If I create the mental link inadvertently, wait till I ask for the approved response before you speak in my head.”

A sense of amusement came ahead of the words, “I will be discreet. I only spoke up this time because of the impediment imposed upon you. By the way, I am sorry about giving you red clothes. You are correct, I did not know the significance then and, you are welcome for the Serinian coins.”

Ferren mentally pictured the link in his mind and then severed it, he hoped. The toe-ring had just become an accessary to be worn only when he wanted to communicate with the Maestro. It was more than a little troubling to know intimate thoughts had been transmitted for days. Ferren wondered if parts of his dreams had also been sent to the person who had Condemned him.

Chapter Fifteen: Maiden Voyage

The Ferret had been taken to a room in the Polen Tare Museum of Arts and History, which evidently served as the headquarters of the Spotters, who were collecting Initiates rather than artifacts. He would likely remain alone until the time of the vetting. Gelica Vasmussuan had indicated it could be marks before the interview would take place and the duration would depend on his answers and how they were perceived. She had also recommended he clean off the cosmetics before the questioners arrived. For the time being, he did not need help, and Daniel had chores to do.

He put thoughts of Duzolta aside and focused on matters requiring his immediate attention. Sero, Carlos, David, and Silvia entered the bridge of the Trident ahead of Daniel. Simon, Tim and Gina followed right behind. Their entrance sparked a series of respectful nods of the head and a certain amount of saluting back and forth.

Zera Logos, a Four-bolt Accomplished of the Defense Department, of Serinian birth, had been an Aakademned for a hundred years, but was a Solar of the Sun Guild before being captured and Condemned. She was among those rescued after the seizing of Mount Shantear from the Serpent Guild. At one hundred forty-one years of age, she appeared to be an athletic, fit and trim, woman in her fifth decade. Her light brown skin held no wrinkles and her long wavy hair was black and well hidden within the confines of her hood. Jeremiah Lassiter, sitting off to the left on the cushioned-bench, gave her command of the Trident. Samuel Cresh sat beside the Defense Conductor.

Standing to the right of the captain was First Officer: Rishard Rooble, a Three-bolt Accomplished. In his eighty-eight years of life, he spent eleven as a Forester of the Willow Guild and later was an Aakademned for fifty-four years. He was restored by Daniel after being found wandering in the wilderness by the Conductor of the Department of Seekers, Sandra Treena, who was sitting beside Sam. Rishard’s Lobenian ancestry gave him blue eyes, red-gold hair, and six cubits of height. The spell, Restoration had given him the body of an athlete, and the appearance of a man half his actual age. He was born with the sixth finger on his right hand.

Communicator Vivian Sparloff, sitting in a chair beside the first officer, had a be-gemmed communication array resting on her dark hair. The twenty-year-old recent graduate to the level of Accomplished was recruited from the kingdom of Pentrosa shortly after the war. The articulate young woman had the ability to learn quickly and could carry on multiple conversations at once; naturally she joined the Department of Communications.

Vernon Benjacobs, a former resident of the Mount Gosian region of Ducaun, sat at the binnacle, the third position on the main console. The fifty year-old Three-bolt Accomplished had been Condemned at age ten by Balen Tamm and had remained in that condition until being restored after the battle at Mount Tirana, where many of the tortured souls had been kept. It was the first pre-war assault involving the Chosen’s Sentinels on the Serpents and had been planned by Chas Herling, who was sitting on the other side of Sandra next to Marcus Bower.

All of the Conductors of the Atlantan Guild were present on the bridge and had brought, at Daniel’s request, twenty Accomplisheds from their departments, not counting those who were part of the crew. The eight groups were in the castle portion but one deck below the bridge, so as not to overcrowd the people who actually would be operating the ship. Every person aboard was excited to be on the maiden voyage, during which all systems would be tested.

At the broad white wheel stood Accomplished Fran Merosa, a Three-bolt Accomplished. Her hood was down, exposing long red hair. She had green eyes that were almost the same shade as Sherree’s and had attained her third lightning bolt recently with Daniel’s help. The Forty-three year-old led the Accomplisheds stationed at the Benhannon Estate until requesting a position on the Trident.

Ship-driver Lou Zuallo, a Three-bolt Accomplished, also of Defense, with dark hair and eyes similar to those of his Maestro, sat ready to operate the CAPU’s. At seventy-four years of age he appeared to be fifty, as a side effect of the restoration process. Daniel had filled Lou’s vat in an attempt to gain him a fourth bolt, but the reservoir had not grown large enough to contain sixteen times the power of a One-bolt. The poor man had been hyperactive and unable to sleep for days afterward.

Eight Two-bolt Accomplisheds were stationed around the bridge to operate the crescendos installed at the compass points. Twenty One-bolt Accomplished were at consoles in the auxiliary-room, the former drive-room in the lower part of the ship. They were all recent graduates and inexperienced, yet desired to serve on the Trident. Ten of them sat in front of a palm-sized diamond and the rest were ready to focus energy into the same number of aqua-blue gems of the same dimensions.

Leah sat on the bench to the right with Sherree, who was holding Clarian. The First Accomplished glanced at Daniel and then nodded to Zera. “Captain Logos, the ship is yours.”

“Helm, proceed east to sector one-zero-four,” she commanded, “Driver, take us up to half speed.”

“As you say, Captain,” Fran and Lou replied.

The Trident began to move, gradually building up speed, and was soon speeding along at seventy-five spans per mark.

“Maestro, I suggest you sit down and strap in,” Zera told him while lowering onto her command chair. “I will be ordering full speed ahead in a tenth of a mark. The ride will get bumpy when we hit the giant swells and thus make it impossible for anyone to continue standing.”

Sherree, Leah, and the remaining Conductors all shifted, making room for Daniel and his entourage. He sat next to his wife and then Simon, Tim, Gina, Sero, Carlos, David, and Silvia filled in the rest of the space.

Farther down the bench sat Daria Copa, Bernard Kleopis, Martin Varroon, Franklin Togan, and Jennel Obenport. They were all bright-eyed and seemingly eager to witness the Trident’s full capabilities and Martin could barely contain his eagerness to test the devices developed from his study of the aqua-pellet launcher. Three duplicate launchers on a swivel; each device increased in size to produce Amethyst, Amber, and Ruby-level bombs, were mounted on top of the forecastle.

Physical sight was uninhibited under the late afternoon sun, but Osprey Vision projected on the walls provided a view much farther and without the glare reflecting off the waves. Daniel could see Crescent Island retreating to the rear and nothing but ocean ahead and to the right and left.

With Clarian asleep in in her arms, Sherree leaned her head toward Daniel and spoke in a quiet voice, “You seem happier since the most recent communication with Duzolta.”

Daniel nodded his head. “Through him I am on the verge of fulfilling part of Silvia’s viewing.”

“Oh, what part?” The Seer had good hearing. She bent forward in order to see past David and the others. “In spite of all your many worthwhile efforts over the past few days, I sense you still have a long way to go in fulfilling my Vision.”

“The Ferret has been collected by a Spotter and now has a trident on his forehead. She told him he was a bearer of a Jade and must learn what it means to wear the trident. Through him I will learn exactly what wearing and bearing a trident means to the Zeuthans,” Daniel explained. It was a positive development. Why would he not be happy? The knowledge would be lifesaving and knowing so made him feel the load on his shoulders was about to become a little bit lighter.

“Thank the Creator,” Sherree blurted. “That time-sensitive part of the Seer’s Vision has been frustrating me for months. Up till now, nothing you or any of us has done to help you fulfill that chore before the literal deadline has altered that part of your destiny in the slightest.”

“Your gamble in sending that scoundrel seems to be paying off,” Sero entered the conversation. “For days all Duzolta did was sit in that eatery. I tracked him earlier through my scouts to an emporium, from which he emerged disguised as a Serinian, and then he went to a restaurant on the Eastside. It was only after I saw the Spotter enter that I realized he intended to keep the terms of his parole. He left with her and I noticed the Jade trident on his forehead,” he paused to look at Simon’s raised eyebrows. “What, did you think you were the only one who added scouts to his menagerie at the different locations in Polen Tare?”

“Yes,” the chief-aid admitted, “as a matter of fact I did.”

“Daniel,” the Grand Maestro’s voice entered his head, along with a mixed stream of emotions, and none of them positive. “I promised to get back to you on the matter of Ginnie Cree upon completing the inquiry.”

It was at that moment the ship reached full speed and instead of riding up and down the ocean swells, it slapped them; hard. The promised bumpy ride had begun.

The last communication, shortly after returning from Polen Tare, had ended in anger. Terroll flatly denied the Eagle’s involvement with the Seeker’s disappearance and resented the accusation against Talmon Reese, who had been in the middle of brokering peace with El Marzon. Daniel, irritated by the reaction, had demanded an investigation, which had been reluctantly agreed to. “I am eager to hear your finding. Please proceed with the briefing.”

“It took a great deal of direct questioning by me to get at the truth, no one lied, neither did they volunteer information, and yet that is something for me to correct,” the Grand Maestro continued with a sense of frustration surging in the mix of emotions. “Ginnie Cree is not being held anywhere in the Eagle Guild, largely because you have so many former Soars and Senior Soars holding key positions in the Atlantan Guild that it is impossible to keep them from teleporting into the headquarters. She is being held in ordinary quarters as a guest of the Willow Guild and kept in a state of confusion. A member of the Aloe Guild is with her at all times and seeing to her physical needs. You have my assurance she will be eventually returned to you in good health.”

There was no sense of regret, sadness, or contrition over the fact that the accusation turned out to be essentially correct in regard to the Seeker’s abduction and presence in Aakadon, her being held by the Willows rather than the Eagles made no difference as far as Daniel was concerned. The hard feelings had not softened in the slightest, but he held a little hope the matter could be resolved diplomatically. He and Runyen enjoyed a good working relationship, he and Talmon not so much. “I appreciate your effort in uncovering the truth. Have you arranged for her release or must I petition Maestro Cransur personally?” The rulers of Aakadon were big on petitions and the duly established, drawn-out, ways to of doing things.

A strong sense of caution surged through the mental link ahead of the words, “While Maestro Cransur voted against the resolution, he feels obligated to stand with a fellow Maestro of Aakadon. Your Seeker will be released when Queen Cleona meets the terms stated in the resolution.”

The Trident smacked a particularly large swell, jolting Daniel in time with the bad news. The tiny bit of hope vanished and was quickly replaced by disappointment, yet the response had not come unexpectedly. Chas Herling, upon request, had worked out a broad list of options and Daniel began pondering them even as he replied, “Maestro Cransur’s position on the matter is regrettable.”

The sense of caution flowing through the link was suddenly tinged with fear. “Before you do anything rash, I must inform you of the danger involved should any of your Accomplisheds teleport into the headquarters of the Willow Guild. The building on the exterior is exactly like the one Tarin Conn destroyed, but the inside has been changed drastically. No room is the same as it was when the former Willows now associated with you were there last. Anyone teleporting into the guild will materialize in a wall or floor. Entering the building in that method is nothing short of suicide. The Stone Guild has agreed to remodel the interiors of every guild, beginning with their own. You and your people will be able to materialize on our streets, but very soon any attempt to teleport inside a building will result in your deaths. I am asking you not to put my words to the test.” A powerful sense of sincerity accompanied the last sentence.

Daniel knew the warning was no bluff. The changes added to the difficulty of rescuing Ginnie, to be sure, but did not mean he would allow her to remain a captive indefinitely. “I will heed your warning,” he sent through the link. “Choices have consequences and Runyon’s and your stances come at a price. I am suspending the Joint Mission Task Force. The Accomplisheds of Aakadon at the Lake Tomlin facility have exactly one mark to pack up and vacate the premises and four to be out of Ducaun. Anyone who remains after that will be held until Seeker Cree is released to us. An honor guard of manta rays will escort the airboats to the border.”

“That is a regrettable decision on your part, Runyan worried you would do something like this, but I realize the suspension is the least of many worse decisions you could have made in response,” Terroll replied with a sense of distress mixed with a tiny amount of relief. “Patience on both side will see us through this crisis if neither side over reacts,” he stated and then severed the link.

The conversation about Duzolta and the possible fulfillment of Silvia’s Viewing had continued during Terroll’s announcement and only stopped when Sherree glanced at her husband. “We all agree that the Ferret being on the verge of joining the Zeuthan Nephilim is a positive development. Why are you suddenly looking so glum?”

Daniel reported the news from Aakadon, ending with, “Begin implementation of response plan; Cree-C-1.”

Daria nodded her head. “I am transmitting your order. Mantas will be at the facility within a quarter of a mark and Darrel Logan is being notified even as I speak. He and his teams at Tomlin will escort the Accomplished of Aakadon to their airboats without prejudice.”

Without prejudice meant in a friendly manner rather than with batons drawn and aimed. Daniel wanted the expulsions to be peaceful. However, that did not mean his Accomplisheds would not have Symphonics with Da Capos in place, should their counterparts from Aakadon have other ideas.

“I expected better from Maestro Cransur,” Simon stated while shaking his head sadly.

“I did not,” Sandra replied, eyes flashing hotly. “My Seekers will succeed in getting animal-scouts inside the walls of the Willow Guild, we will learn the new layout of the building, Convey inside, and through Find All locate and extract Ginnie.”

“Your method could lead to bloodshed between us and Aakadon,” Bernard, Conductor of Emisaries pointed out.

“What, and leave her a captive while you talk to people who will not listen?” Sandra responded, but only glanced at him before fixing her gaze on Daniel, perhaps trying to gage his reaction.

This is what I get for hoping the load would get a little lighter.

He shoved the useless thought aside to make room for a more productive one. “Bernard and his Emissaries will make every effort to negotiate her release while the Seekers, Information Gatherers, and operatives from Defense do everything they can to learn every nook and cranny within the Willow Guild. Armed with information, Chas and Leah will plan a non-lethal extraction, to be used if diplomacy fails. A war with Aakadon would be a disaster and I sense would run counter to the Swirling of Events that has been directing me of late. I want Ginnie freed as soon as possible and in a way that allows us to gain ground rather than lose.”

“It will be as you say,” Leah replied, and her statement was soon echoed by Sherree and the Conductors.

“Captain, we are approaching sector one-zero-four,” Vernon announced.

“Driver, begin speed reduction and bring us to a stop in sector one-zero-four,” Zera ordered.

“It will be as you say,” Lou responded.

The ride became much gentler as the vessel slowed, rising with the swells rather than slamming into them. When the sapphire ship came to a stop, Zera glanced at Daniel. “Maestro, I am asking formal permission to launch aqua-bombs.”

He nodded his head and stated formally, “Permission granted, proceed.”

“All mantas and spearfish are to deploy one span ahead, spread equidistant wide out to a span, and at a depth of twenty cubits,” Captain Logos began the necessary series of orders. “Defense shield up,” she commanded after the vessels deployed, and then Vernon placed his hand on the diamond on the binnacle. “Forward Right Crescendo Operator, place a solidified-wall of air fifty paces high and wide at a distance of twenty spans,” she directed, and Accomplished Jolsen Renling, of Pentrosan birth, focused the Potential through the energy amplifier. “Aqua-tube Operator, acquire target through Find All and launch an Amethyst-level aqua-bomb,” she gave the critical command.

The solidified wall of air had a fixed energy level and would not demand additional power from the wielder, as Sero’s shield had done at detonation. The construct should simply vanish upon impact and do no harm to Jolsen.

Daniel focused Find All forward twenty-one spans, locating the solidified-wall of air. He watched as a streak of light burst from the huge pearl tube, moving far faster than human eyes could follow. It was only the spell that allowed him to note the elongated drop-like dimensions of the missile as it raced unerringly toward the target. Moments later the construct vanished in a flash brighter than ten lightning strikes and no doubt a thunderous roar of detonation. No outside sounds could be heard within the ship’s shield. A quick glance at the crescendo operator showed he suffered no ill effect, for which his Maestro was pleased.

“That cloud billowing upward must already be more than a thousand cubits into the sky and it is still climbing,” Leah commented. “Simon, have you ever seen such a thing?”

The chief-aid shook his head. “No, I was not with Daniel at the time he witnessed the blasts.”

“I was,” Sero stated, “and it was much bigger, although I lost consciousness when the second bomb hit my shield and so can only assume it was just as big.”

“Wow, that was far more powerful than what I calculated it would be, based on the aqua-pellets we exploded,” Franklin Togan stated in a tone of awe.

“Greater than my calculations as well,” Martin Varroon admitted while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Mine too,” Simon mumbled somberly.

“Maestro, I can see why you wanted us to witness the blast,” Jeremiah Lassiter said and then added, “I also see the reason for the restrictions.”

“And you have only just witnessed the lowest level,” Tim pointed out.

The bomb created a huge splash, a fact Daniel sensed through Find All and felt the need to point out.

“Captain, a thirty cubit high wall of water is approaching us at speed,” Vernon gave the warning, proving their Maestro’s guidance had not been needed.

“All mantas and spearfish; launch a thirty-five-cubit high wave at the approaching threat,” Zera ordered.

The seven rays, in perfect unison with the six spearfish, focused nine times the power of a One-bolt out of their crescendos, shoving water up and forward. The Ripple Effect given off by the High-Powered spells sent every living thing nearby in the ocean swimming off in all directions, but would not be powerful enough to reach the coastline. The forty-five pace high wave moved rapidly toward the oncoming splash caused by the detonation and in minutes the two powerful forces met. The taller waved crashed over the slightly smaller one, smothering it down to the size of the average swell, and the success caused several observers on the bridge to applaud. Of course the initial splash sent waves of the same height out in all directions, but the only one that needed to be countered was the one that would have hit Crescent Island and the east coast of the continent.

Daniel noted the only people on the bridge who were not smiling and wide-eyed at the successful firing and suppression of the tremendous force that had been unleashed, were Simon, Martin and Franklin. They were allowing the fact that they miscalculated the strength of the explosion to dampen their spirits. Intellectuals obviously disliked bring wrong, even in a matter of pure academics.

“Forward Right Crescendo Operator, place a solidified-wall of air fifty paces high and wide at a distance of twenty spans,” Zera again directed, and Jolsen Renling focused the Potential through the energy amplifier. “Aqua-tube Operator, acquire target through Find All and launch an Amber-level aqua-bomb,” Captain Logos ordered.

A bright flash from the pearl tube indicated her command had been executed, and Daniel noted through Find All that the elongated-drop was bigger by half, yet the amount of potential used to power the spell was not much greater than that of the smaller bomb. The target vanished in a flash that lit up half the sky as a massive cloud formed, billowing up like a toadstool.

“I dare say that flash would have blinded us all if not for the shield,” Jennel Obenport gave her assessment, which Daniel had no reason to dispute.

“Captain, a sixty-cubit high wall of water is approaching us at speed,” Vernon gave the warning.

Daniel was not worried. He had witnessed, through the eyes of avian scouts, a group of mantas create a tidal-wave of the same height during the Battle of the Taltin Sea. He was confident the vessels currently deployed would be able to suppress the huge wave.

“All mantas and spearfish are to create and launch a seventy-cubit high wave at the approaching threat,” Zera ordered.

The twenty-one crescendos on the seven rays and the one on the noses of the six spearfish emitted sixteen times the power of a One-bolt, creating a wave one hundred-five paces high racing at the oncoming ninety-pace high wall of water. The taller waved crashed over the smaller one, smothering it down as had happened with the previous test.

“Forward Right Crescendo Operator, place a solidified-wall of air fifty paces high and wide at a distance of twenty spans,” Zera directed as she had previously, and Jolsen focused the Potential through the energy amplifier. “Aqua-tube Operator, acquire target through Find All and launch a Ruby-level aqua-bomb,” Captain Logos ordered.

“The blasts are too powerful,” Simon mumbled as the missile shot out of the tube.

Daniel tracked the projectile, twice the size of the previous, all the way to the solidified wall of air. At impact it seemed for a moment like a piece of the sun exploded within the atmosphere, so bright was the flash. He sensed the concussive force creating a splash that shoved water in all directions and in waves that crested at one hundred cubits. Speeding toward the Trident and the east coast of the continent was a wall of water one hundred-fifty paces high.

“All mantas and spearfish are to create and launch a one hundred-ten-cubit high wave at the approaching threat,” Zera ordered.

Simon was shaking his head. “I don’t think they can.”

The One-bolt Accomplisheds on the mantas and battle-crafts focused their full Potentials into the factor seven crescendos, which increased the output sixty-four times, and created a wave that crested at one hundred-thirty paces. Harmonic waves rippled out and would within minutes hit the coast and likely traveled a hundred or so spans inward, impacting mostly on the kingdoms of Cenkataar and Aczencopa. Even worse, the wall of water would not be enough to overt disaster. “Twice more,” the chief aid recommended.

“Do it,” Daniel commanded, figuring the coastal region was better off experiencing loss of sleep, broken glass and pottery than a massive tidal-wave.

“All mantas and spearfish are to create and launch, in rapid succession, two more waves equal in proportion as the first at the approaching threat,” Zera ordered.

The thirteen vessels ahead and spread across a span of ocean again focused their full Potentials into creating a wave equaling the last. The Ripple Effect would have knocked people on the ship off their feet if any of them had been standing. Moments later the second wave followed the first. The original wall of water slammed into the larger tidal wave and was overwhelmed by the greater volume, and only managed to reduce the overall size by about ten cubits. Minutes later the second and then the third wall of water crashed into the huge menace. The rapid impacts hit with such violence they not only countered the larger wave, they created a swell the size of a massive hill washing outward in all directions and unfortunately west toward the Trident.

“Prepare for impact,” Captain Logos commanded. “Driver, ahead at fifty SPM; climb that hill. Mantas and Spearfish, dive, dive, dive.”

“Personal shields on,” Daniel ordered. “Silvia, David, Tim, Gina; you folks activate your amulets.”

The bow began to rise, twenty, thirty, forty-five degrees, and continued to steepen. Gravity pulled everyone toward the stern, if not for the safety straps they all would have slid off the benches. The five hundred-pace-long-vessel tilted at sixty degrees as it approached the crest of the swell and achieved apogee, then the Trident shot two-thirds of the way out of the water. In that suspended moment, Daniel focused a cushion of air that held everyone on the bridge in place. The violent splash down sent a jolt through the hull and water spraying up on all sides, momentarily obscuring the view. He quickly released the energy so the crew could respond to commands.

“That might well have snapped our necks,” Jennel made a relevant remark. “At the very least our Maestro just saved us from whiplash.”

Hopefully the drop did not harm the rest of the crew. Find All allowed Daniel to sense no one had died, but that did not mean people had not been injured.

“Status report,” Zera called out, while the Trident was still bobbing in the water and traveling east at fifty spans per mark.

Communicator Vivian Sparloff nodded acknowledgment. Her communication array would be feeding her information from every segment of the ship. “All stations report; no damage and only minor injuries and those are being healed as I speak.”

“Excellent,” Zera acknowledged and then swiveled her chair around and fixed her gaze on Martin. “Conductor Varroon, the energy released by the bombs, the Ruby-level in particular, was magnitudes greater than you calculated. Given the results of the test so far, it is clear we need to be farther out in the ocean if we are going to test the devices you innovated. How far is a safe distance?”

“I think we should go an additional one hundred–fifty spans,” Simon answered the question. Clearly he was so used to answering questions put to his Maestro that he spoke up presently without considering his presumption might be considered rude.

Martin’s left eyebrow arched momentarily at the impoliteness and then he shook his head as if dismissing the incident. “The chief-aid’s calculation is off by forty-five spans, but his suggested distance gives a large margin of error and allows us time should we be forced to deal with anymore unexpected consequences.”

Zera nodded and swiveled back around. “Helm, continue ahead to sector two-five-four, Driver, take us to up to cruising speed. All Mantas and Spearfish proceed at the same pace to sector two-five-four.”

Her orders were followed by a series of acknowledgements and soon the Trident and its accompanying watercrafts were moving at one hundred SPM to the new testing point.

“Daniel, I am receiving reports from Accomplisheds in Cenkataar and Aczencopa of a series of massive harmonic waves striking from the Eastern Ocean,” Terroll’s mental communication came with a sense of concern and impatience. “Is something happening at your Crescent Island facility?”

“The Accomplisheds serving at Crescent Island also sensed the waves,” Daniel admitted that much; being certain his people would have sensed the Ripple Effects and were capable of drawing accurate conclusions. “I am confident they can figure out the source and if need be send some mantas to investigate.”

“Will you share with me their findings?” the Grand Maestro inquired with a sense of doubt along with the words.

“Maestros Reese and Cransur’s guilds have the resources to gather that information for you. Given their recent lack of cooperation with me, I see no reason to do their chores for them,” Daniel replied, hoping to convey a sense of finality along with the words. No one in Aakadon deserved any explanations and would get none from him. He also did not want them or anyone outside of the Atlantan Guild to know about the existence of the Trident, which was the true motivation beyond the petty emotional desire to withhold information from the captors of Ginnie Cree.

“I had hoped for better but am not surprised by your attitude,” his former tutor replied and then ended the communication.

Daniel did not share the conversation with Sherree or the people sitting on the bridge. He did not need a useless discussion on the souring relationship between Aakadon and the Atlantan Guild. For the time being, Queen Cleona would not relent, the Maestros would not relent, and so the core issue could not be resolved. Meanwhile, there were chores to do.

“Driver, inform me when we are within five spans of sector one-two-four,” Zera ordered.

“It will be as you say,” Lou responded, and after a few minutes stated, “We are approaching the five-span mark you designated.”

“Activate defense shield, reduce speed, and bring us to a stop when we reach sector One-two-four,” the Captain commanded and then touched a communication gem set in the arm of her command chair. “Manta-Thirty-Seven Pilot, prepare to focus Find All in a five span spherical radius of this ship.”

“Accomplished Dennellis piloted one of the mantas sent from Starling Cove to evacuate the resistance fighters in Serinia after the detonation of the Aqua-bomb. I healed him of the same internal burns the others suffered from,” Jennel Obenport explained to anyone who may not have known. “He is one deck below with the other observers. I asked him to come because he will be able to sense any remaining traces of the radiated energy given off by the recent tests.”

When the Trident came to a stop, Vivian announced, “Accomplished Dennellis reports massive amounts of radiated energy, but that the level is gradually dissipating.”

“That settles the question. The Aqua-bombs give off radiation,” Martin stated, as if there might have been any doubt. “We will see when we reach the new testing zone if the same is true for the projectiles launched from the guns mounted on the swivel.”

Zera nodded affirmatively. “Helm, continue to designated sector. Driver, take us to full speed,” which was nearly one hundred fifty SPM.

When the Trident reached the designated sector, Captain Logos again ordered the shield activated, the projection of the solidified-target, and then commanded, “Swivel-Gun Operator Three, acquire target and launch a Ruby-level aqua-bomb.”

Daniel was slightly surprised she called for the most powerful bomb first. It was her choice so he made no comment as the projectile shot from overhead and out across the waves. He sensed the impact, but even through the enhanced sight of Osprey Vision failed to see the flash. The amount of energy released had been much more powerful than the aqua-drops launched from the Zeuthan Carriers and yet nowhere near the explosive force of a minimal aqua-bomb.

Simon nodded his head as if having expected the results. “The power output of that water-bomb is exactly what I calculated it to be.”

Martin and Franklin confirmed the chief-aid’s assertion. Leah unstrapped and stood. “I see no reason to test the others. It is clear the Aqua-bombs operate on entirely different principles than do the water-bombs. As for radiation, the aqua-pellet launchers do not give off radiation when they explode and it is therefore unlikely the upsized devices give off any either.”

Daniel could only agree with her assessment, but wondered about those principals. “What makes the water explode?”

Martin glanced at Franklin, and then explained, “A drop of water has all sort of elements in it but when we looked at the subsystem, in its pure form, we found it is made of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.”

“Hydrogen is the gas used in the Sky-cruisers and is highly explosive,” Franklin added and then nodded for Martin to continue.

“The Melody somehow separates the elements, converts them to gas, and sparks the explosion. That is how water can be made to explode and it is the principal at work in the aqua-pellet launchers,” Martin explained. “Perhaps your spy will be able to learn what we want to know about the aqua-bombs from the College of Musicians.”  

Daniel did not want to wait for Duzolta to eventually learn the theory. It was not even certain he would be taught the Melody and if taught, no guarantee he would know how it worked.

“If we are through testing the weapon systems, are we ready to move on to the next phase?” Captain Logos asked the more immediate question.

Every head turned in the direction of their Maestro. “Guild leaders will accompany me on deck to the turret. I have one final test in mind for the aqua-bomb and then we will proceed to the next phase,” he made the decision after a way to gain the knowledge he sought occurred to him.

Clarian had slept through all of the excitement, not even the Ripple Effect had awakened her. “She experienced them often while in the womb,” Sherree explained when Daniel commented. “Harmonic Waves were blasting all over the world in those critical final months of the war and so feeling them now does not disturb her. I am afraid your daughter will be as daring as her father, fearlessly plunging into dangers that give the rest of us pause.”

“Daniel, you have a tendency to do that,” Simon backed her up, and everyone else following their Maestro to the bow remained silent on the issue, but neither did they disagree.

The turret with the pearl launch tube was to their backs and ahead was open-ocean and clear skies. “We will be exposed out here to the effects of the detonation,” Martin pointed out.

“Maestro, I will summon a shield to protect us, if you like,” Sero offered.

“That will not be necessary,” Daniel replied while summoning the Potential for the necessary Symphonics and then turned to the Conductor of the Defense Department. “Ask Captain Logos to create and launch an Amethyst-level aqua-bomb into the air, very slowly, and out about two hundred strides.”

Sherree glanced at Clarian as if to remind him of her presence, as if he had somehow forgotten. “I think you should hand your trident to Leah, her being a Five-bolt, and therefore able to create a more powerful and sustainable shield, backed by an additional eight bolts of Potential.”

“He is not going to explode the device but would need one created in order to study it,” Carlos assured those standing around him.

Daniel shook his head, having difficulty believing the speed at which they had drawn the wrong conclusions. He was tempted to allow them to keep speculating and answering their own speculations, but was eager to get on with the test, and so decided to finish what he had been about to say before the interruptions. “I am going to catch the bomb in bands of air and then levitate it down here where each of us is going to touch it. Jeremiah, give the order.”

“It will be as you say,” the former Senior Soarer replied, and moments later the tube elevated and an elongated-drop-shaped projectile slowly emerged and floated upward at the speed of a swift walk. He obviously communicated the command through the array on his head.

Daniel focused the Potential and delicately wrapped the device in bands of air, careful not to trigger the Melody, and then focused, Levitation, and floated the aqua-bomb down onto the bow. “I want each of you to touch the bomb and then summon and focus What Is This all the way down into the subsystems,” he told them and then followed his own instructions.

“See, I am right,” Carlos bragged.

Daniel sensed the life-force energy in the Melody that created the bomb, although not the notes, and within that construct he could mentally see all the tiny worlds with their even smaller moons orbiting them. The hydrogen systems only had one moon each and the oxygen systems had eight. He also sensed the life-force energies of Sherree, Leah, Simon, Sero, Carlos, and all of the Conductors flowing into the device. “Summon the Potential for Teach Me and be prepared to attach the link to the life-force energy sustaining the aqua-bomb Melody, but do not focus the Symphonic until I tell you to,” he instructed and when they complied, commanded, “now!”

He then levitated the bomb straight up, gradually increasing the speed, so as not to jar it, and soon was shoving the device with all of his eight-bolts of Potential. Boom, boom, boom, the sound of the missile traveling three times faster than the speed of harmonics thundered and continued to sound as he pushed the bomb at an even greater velocity. He shoved it as far and as fast as he could right out of the stratosphere and kept it going into outer space for a total of five minutes, and then tighten the bands of air with such force the bomb exploded.

The flash was well above the atmosphere and although bright and highly visible, was also the only effect the detonation had on the world. More importantly, Daniel witnessed exactly what occurred within the device.

“The Melody actually splits the central orb in the hydrogen subsystems,” Franklin was the first to find his voice after the incredible display.

“Your method is probably the only way we could have learned of this without dying in the process,” Martin commented.

“And vaporizing whatever facility we were in and all of the people inside,” Simon added his conclusion.

The last two comments stated the very reasons Daniel sent the missile into outer-space.

The chief educator and researcher scratched his head. “I think of Teach Me as an educational tool to link for six minutes to the life-force of the student in order to implant a Symphonic into his or her consciousness. It never occurred to me to link it to the energy sustaining the Melody.”

“Our Maestro does not think like an Aakacarn,” Sero informed the Conductors. “He often has ideas that never occur to any of us.”

“Who else would think of throwing the thing into outer space and detonating it out there?” Carlos added, evidently to strengthen Sero’s point, and to smooth over the earlier incorrect guess.

“Maestro, you timed that explosion well,” Jennel gave the compliment. “If you had waited much longer the Del Segno would have ended the spell before the explosion and we would not have been able to witness the process.”

Daniel accepted the intended praise in the spirit in which it had been offered even though her last sentence was less complimentary. He knew how the Music he composed was supposed to work and in fact every Symphonic used in the test had exactly the effect he intended. The timing from beginning to end had been precise and deliberate; nothing had been left up to chance.

“Maestro, can you compose a similar spell?” Samuel asked.

“Now that I can visualize what is occurring, possibly, but I have no desire to do so, and that means probably not,” Daniel replied. “The Melody powering the Ruby-level aqua-bomb requires slightly more personal Potential than Sleep Time, making the spell highly efficient in that it releases far more power than what is used to create it, but is not worth using,” Daniel explained and then when the chief information-gatherer’s eyebrows came together in confusion, he added, “You could go to the middle of a city like Polen Tare or Ducanton and render unconscious every living thing within a ten-span radius of where you stood and do so without the use of a crescendo. Sam, I am not authoring you to do so or suggesting you would, but am merely using you as an example. What would we gain by blowing up a city and killing everyone in it?  Would it not be better to capture the city intact and the people unharmed?”

“I estimate our Maestro could enter any city and with a fraction of his Potential easily focus Shatter in a ten-span radius, reducing every building to rubble in less than a minute,” Simon needlessly added another example. “He has no need for a Melody that splits the central orb of a subsystem and neither do we.”

“Do you think the composer knew of the subsystem of hydrogen?” Leah inquired with a good question that did not reckon her Maestro as being a weapon of mass destruction, which he appreciated.

“I doubt the Aakasear who composed the aqua-bomb Melodies knew about the subsystems,” Daniel answered. “Gloria Van Helen was the only composer the Zeuthans had since Nimrod and she probably created the gas-bombs in the aqua-pellet launchers and perhaps simply desired to the depths of her soul for a Melody that provided a bigger explosion, the most that could possibly be derived from water. An Aakasear does not have to understand the science, he or she only needs the soul-deep inspiration to create the Music necessary to cause the desired effect. I never had and still do not have a desire to make water explode, although I suppose the central orb of any subsystem could be split if enough Potential was used. Oxygen, a chair, but we are back to the point I made to Samuel; why create and use such spells when there are better ways to achieve our goals without destroying everything.”

He glanced at the new weapon system on top of the bridge. “Keep the guns on the swivel. The gas-bombs can be used at the discretion of the captain, further permission is not necessary, and there are no restrictions.”

“I will so inform Accomplished Logos,” Jeremiah responded. “Martin’s guns could sink even a ship made of titanium.”

Daniel nodded his head in agreement. “That is why the use is at her discretion without restrictions. Let’s go back to the bridge. It is time for the next phase.”

Discussions of the aqua-bomb and the gas-bombs continued all the way back to the control-room, although he did not participate, having said all he had to say on the subject. His mind was on a stormy night where Duros looked out of a cliff-side cave. Jagged bolts of lightning illumed the tumultuous waves off shore in thunderous bursts while the rest of the flock of Dactyls huddled deep within the roost.

Zera gave a nod of respect upon seeing them and then inquired, “Are we ready for phase two?”

“Affirmative,” Jeremiah responded, “Proceed.”

“Mantas and spearfish are to travel five spans ahead of the Trident and then return on the surface. Each of you is to observe the ship through Find All and physical line of sight and report your observations,” Zera ordered, and then glanced at Rishard. “Activate Hidden Shield.”

The spell had the ability to take on the properties of whatever was around it. Anyone scanning the area would only perceive the surroundings. All of the Atlantan Guild underground facilities employed the Symphonic, but it was the first time Daniel knew of the Music being used on anything other than one of the bases of operations. The real trumpet of Tarin Conn was hidden in a secret compartment beneath his office, but that was part of a base of operations.

The First Officer rested his hand on a purple gem in the arm of his chair. Daniel sensed the energy of the low power spell and yet there seemed to be no difference in the surrounding view. He could still see the turret and bow of the sapphire ship.

“Pilots’ reports confirm the Trident is unperceivable at five spans out. They cannot sense the ship through Find All, not even the active spells, nor can they see us with the naked eye,” Communicator Vivian Sparloff announced.

She made the same announcement at four spans out, again at three, and again as the distance shrank. “Water-crafts are half a span away and all report seeing a distortion on the surface,” and then at a quarter-span she announced, “Pilots report the spell displays whatever is on the opposite side of the angle of their viewpoint, as it is supposed to, but they are seeing the Trident as if it is made of crystal, as a colorless work of art in the sunlight. The ship is therefore impossible to hide at close range on a clear day in broad daylight. They still cannot sense the ship through Find All.”

“Hidden Shield is still a useful tool,” Daniel stated, pleased someone had come up with the idea. “At night the Trident will be invisible and in the daylight only visible at short range. This ship should have no trouble evading unfriendly vessels, seeing as even the One-bolt Accomplisheds on board can scan a five-span radius without the Nephilim sensing the energy used.”

“Jerremy came up with the idea,” Franklin gave due credit to the innovator.

“I am not surprised to hear it,” Sherree remarked. “He told us the Trident is a mobile base.”

“As has been established by the tests, the Trident can blow any ship within twenty spans right out of the water,” Rishard proudly pointed out. “No ship can get close enough to see us.”

“True,” Zera agreed, “however it is better to avoid unfriendly vessels.”

Daniel was pleased to hear her say so. “It is best to avoid unfriendly vessels, especially where we are going in the next test. I want this ship to remain a secret for as long as possible.”

“Nothing new about that,” Simon commented. “You actually said the last sentence as if we would be surprised. You always want our newest weapon platform to be a secret for as long as possible. The Mantas, for example, were kept a secret for a long time, and their ability to fly even longer.”

Daniel glanced at the Conductor of the Health Department. “Like Jennel often does, I stated my intention to be sure everybody here understands precisely what I mean in order to clear away any misunderstanding. This ship has the most advanced defensive and avoidance systems in existence and I want them used to the fullest. At this point, no one here can claim they did not know my position on the matter. For the time being, the offensive capabilities of this ship will only be used in self-defense.”

“This ship was not created to start a war,” Leah stated. “Keep the fact in mind.”

“I agree with our Maestro and the First Accomplished,” Sherree added her voice. “We do not want to provoke a war and this ship needs to be a secret. Tensions are high between us and the Zeuthans, between us and Aakadon, between Ducaun and the other kingdoms, and between Lord of the Land Benhannon and his peers. I have no doubt all of those groups will see the Trident as a threat.”

She summed up the reasons quite well, so well a deeper explanation was not necessary, not that a Maestro needed to justify or explain his decisions. He often did explain so people like Simon would know the goal and perhaps find ways to help achieve success.

“Have you decided on a destination?” Captain Logos asked the question as Daniel stepped up to the main console.

“I think he enjoys making us learn these things as they unfold,” Samuel shared his belief.

“Absolutely,” Sherree, Tim, and Gina all replied at the same time in unintended harmony. They looked at each other, smiled, and then nodded affirmatively as if it all had been choreographed.

“I have,” Daniel responded to the question, ignoring the unsolicited comments. “Recall the mantas and spearfish and prepare the ship for stormy weather.”

“The day is beautifully calm,” Simon apparently felt the need to point out.

“It is neither day nor calm where we are going,” Daniel replied.

“Mantas and spearfish return to the ship, all stations go to severe weather alert, and prepare to Convey,” Zera commanded and when the battle-crafts appeared at their places near the stern and the mantas locked into their places on the bottom of the ship, she ordered, “Defense shield on. Maestro, the Trident is ready.”

Daniel stepped up next to Lou, placed his hand on the aqua-blue gem, and immediately sensed the Potentials of the ten Accomplisheds in the auxiliary-room ready to aid in the process. A Five-bolt like Leah could Convey the entire vessel without a crescendo and without the ten Accomplisheds in concert, and an Eight-bolt could do so with even less difficulty, but Daniel recognized the wisdom in using the CPA and sharing the chore. Moving the Trident with their assistance would make the load no more difficult in terms of power than physically lifting a handful of feathers.

Lightning flashed, providing an excellent visual through the eyes of Duros, Daniel pictured the Trident in that exact spot offshore, and then focused the Potential. The darkness of between here and there swallowed the warship whole and three heart beats later the sapphire vessel appeared right where he intended.

Any sound the massive displacement of air created upon arrival had to have been drowned out by the thunderous blasts of lighting generated by the violent storm. Wind-driven rain scoured the deck and the castle section, obscuring the view. Osprey Vision compensated for the darkness but could not provide a clear view through the sheets of rain.

“Where are we?” Jennel asked.

“Seeing as it is nighttime, my guess would be the other side of the world,” Simon answered her question.

“You brought us to Zeutha,” Samuel stated enthusiastically. “This is wonderful! I and the twenty agents you had me select can begin gathering information. I cannot wait to start adding animals to my menagerie.” The former Teki was always in a hurry, a trait his Maestro approved of at the moment.

“This is why I asked you all to bring members of your department on this voyage, especially the ones who have swirls of animal scouts. However, we are about two hundred spans south of the continent and it will be up to your people to reach the mainland. We are just off the western edge of the Isle of Lilith,” Daniel informed. “The Trident has a mission and that mission is to map Zeutha in its entirety, establish Visualization points, learn the customs and traditions of each dukedom, and to work with mostly the Humes of this realm. They are the largest population and considered to be of the least importance.”

“I can see why you wanted the extra Seekers, Agents, and Defenders along on this voyage, but am unclear why you wanted Designers and Developers,” Franklin said while lightning flashed silently outside. The shield prevented them from hearing the thunder but did not stop the waves from rocking the ship.

Martin stepped up beside Conductor Togan and said, “You had me select ten Researchers and ten Educators. Well, Joel and the Researchers I can see helping in the mapping and exploring, particularly the surrounding oceans and the creature therein, but why the Educators?”

Jennel, Daria, and Bernard added their voices, “Why the Healers?” and “Why the Communicators?” and “Why the Emisaries?”

Leah held up her hand. “The Maestro shared a bit of what he has in mind with me and the First Lady. The rest of this discussion should take place below where the teams can hear what he intends. Captain Logos, will you join us below?”

“Certainly,” Zera replied and stood from her chair. “Accomplished Rooble, you have the bridge.”

Rishard moved to the command chair and Daniel led the way out and down the gangway to the lower deck. Joel, the pilot of Manta-Two, walked right up to him. “Maestro, you brought us to Zeutha. Please tell me I can link with the sea creatures in this region.”

Joel Glader sported a black mustache. His thin physique and pale skin, incapable of holding a tan, was a common trait of his Pentrosan ancestry, but his tight musculature came as a result of having been restored from Condemnation. His wide-eyes blinked with excided delight. The idea of a submersible vehicle had been his and inspired Daniel to create the mantas. Joel’s passion before the war was exploring the ocean and so his reaction at the prospect of resuming the research came as no surprise.

Daniel recognized all of the Accomplisheds and greeted each one with a nod of respect and then responded to the plea. “You can begin increasing your swirl of scouts right after this meeting.”

“I look forward to it nearly as much as I desire to hear your plans for us,” Joel replied. “I know you did not bring us to the other side of the world for the view.”

Daniel reiterated his announcement on the bridge of the mission and then added, “The Clairvoyans each have a district and the villages in those areas look to them for guidance and to treat their ailments. They also provide a rudimentary education for the young, teaching them to read and do sums. In a matter of weeks some of the babies I have transformed will be born and more after them will soon enter the world. The Emissaries, Healers, and Educators will have to work with the Clairvoyans to decide the best way to educate the young in the ways of the Aakacarn. I don’t know if you want to have an educator in each district or an Emissary or a Communicator on hand to Convey the Talenteds to Shantear. The Healers will be providing healthcare to the populace,” he began to explain while summoning the Potential to produce the map he created with the help of the local Dactyls.

The three dimensional image appeared in the air. The four Maiden Islands were surrounded by blue waves. “My Dactyls have not flown to the continent and so it will be up to the Accomplisheds serving on this ship to obtain an image. As you can see, Lilith and Sara are to the north of Lesa and Cloe,” Daniel continued the presentation.

“The Isle of Sara is bigger than the other three put together,” Samuel shared what should be obvious to all. “I take it the little speck off the west end of Lilith is the Trident.”

“You are correct,” Daniel replied. “There are about eighty spans of water between Lilith and Sara. The waterways are teaming with dangerous creatures and so the natives cannot go fishing, much less visit one another. The main ports of each island are only visited by Imperial and dukedom vessels that deliver the convicts from the mainland.”

“It looks like about a hundred spans between Lesa and her sister Cleo to the east,” Jerremy stated, correctly. “And Lilith is about four hundred spans diagonally northwest of Cleo.”

Daniel smiled at him. “As a matter of fact you are correct and right in the middle of that divide between Lilith and Cloe I want you to build a full-scale base on the bottom of the ocean. I also want a small facility built under the dwellings of the Clairvoyans where our Accomplisheds can discreetly do their work.”

“I understand you want the teams to concentrate their efforts on the Humes living on these islands and then on the Humes on the mainland, through their local Clairvoyans,” Sandra expressed an accurate conclusion. “What about the Anakim, do you want my Seekers to exclude them from their searches?”

“You are correct we will be working mostly with the Humes, but the probability is so remote that any of them would give birth to a baby Aakacarn it is impractical to seek them out. However, it would not hurt to scan among them for Potentials. The Seekers need to search for older children and adults among the Anakim on the continent because there are none on the islands except those of the crew on whatever vessel drops off the convicts. I have a feeling the Nephilim here are every bit as arrogant as the Aakacarns in Aakadon and those of the Serpent Guild. None of them considered the possibility that they might have missed finding a child Potential among the populace and so they never bothered to test anyone older. You have proven how wrong they were.”

The flame-haired Conductor nodded affirmatively. “I see your purpose. While my Seekers are on the hunt and gathering Potentials they will also be establishing Conveyance points and contributing to the mapping of the continent.”

“Yes,” Leah replied, “And as I understand it, most of our efforts to gain a strong foothold on this side of the world will begin on the Maiden Islands and then spread to the Humes on the mainland. The Drudges, as the Zeuthans refer to them, on these islands and on the continent are mostly ignored. This means we can establish a strong presence on this side of the world right under the nose of the empire, if we are discreet.”

Daniel spread his arms wide. “This would be a good time for everyone to begin adding scouts to your swirl of creatures.”

Silvia pushed her way forward to him. “Your actions just triggered a Seeing.”

Daniel could not tell by her emotionless face if the revelation would be good, bad, or so obscure it could take months to decipher the meaning, although she would be biting her lip if it was a viewing she could not understand. “Speak on, I am listening.”

“I see ivy spreading all over the lands of Zeutha and I know the meaning. The decisions you made today are seeds that have the potential to produce members of the Atlantan Guild in every dukedom,” she gave the exceedingly good news.

“That is wonderful,” Sherree responded, perhaps prematurely.

The Teki acrobat was not smiling and she would be if the Vision was as promising as the First Lady believed. “It has the potential to be wonderful,” Silvia cautioned.

“It sounds wonderful to me. Ivy grows fast and as a former Willow I will do everything I can to speed it along,” Simon gave his assurance.

Silvia nodded her head. “Ivy grows fast,” she agreed, “and also can be removed from the wall faster than it grows. The Chosen Vessel is off to a great start, of that I am sure, but there are too many decision points on the horizon that could have a direct effect on the amount of success and so I cannot say for certain what will happen. The path ahead will be clearer as he reaches and responds to those pivotal moments.”

“Like Simon expressed, we will help bring about the growth and will also have to be careful not to alert the Zeuthans to what we are doing,” Sherree said in less enthusiastic tones than when she had deemed the Seeing as being, “Wonderful,” yet still held some optimism.

A powerful and familiar sense of loathing, mixed with a great deal of personal animosity, came ahead of the words, “Maestro, the interview has been going well but Reaper Deraagor has just used one of his rings to remove my inhibitions and sense of discretion. There is a danger I may divulge more than is prudent. I am going to need your help in order to get through this interview,” Ferren Duzolta sent through the link established by the toe-ring.

“I am ready to assist you,” Daniel sent in reply and then told those standing by, “The moment has arrived and we will soon see if the Ferret can be placed in a position to help me survive what remains of the time Silvia gave me to gain the knowledge or die.”

Chapter Sixteen: Planting Seeds

The toe-ring given to Duzolta was not the typical communication device with Speak To Me infused into the gemstone. Daniel chose to use Teach Me without the Del Segno, which would have ended the Music at a certain point. The Symphonic was actually the original version of Mind Touch before an extra harmony line was added to exclude creating a link to the mind of a human. The original spell was very similar to the ones composed by Tarin Conn in order to link to the minds of his followers or anyone unfortunate enough to travel within his mental reach. Having experienced the presence of the Dark Maestro in his mind, Daniel did not want to do the same to another human being, but had modified the spell to create his swirl of non-human scouts.

Daniel felt only marginally guilty over treating the former Serpent as another creature in the swirl of animal scouts. The chief reason Daniel never taught anyone the spell, not even Sherree, had to do with the fact that he could, with enough concentration, see through Ferren’s eyes and hear through his ears, but had chosen not to do so. In the present case, Duzolta had been reminded the mental link was established by contact with his skin and therefore he had the power to end the connection, which was the only reason Daniel could in good conscience justify the use of the spell. He was not another Tarin Conn like so many of his detractors believed of him.

It had become necessary to create a mental container and place the awareness of Duzolta’s feelings into it. The rush of bitterness and loathing that accompanied his thoughts was too distracting and so a trigger was created; only when Duzolta thought about him would Daniel’s attention be drawn to the box. Unfortunately the Ferret often brooded over his fate and the person in his mind who was the most responsible; consequently the trigger was pulled frequently. The ring was as much a burden to the one who created it as it was an intrusion to the wearer.

While the Accomplisheds on the Trident busied themselves adding marine animals as scouts, Daniel closed his eyes and focused much more intensely on Duzolta than he had done in the past, to the point he could see through the Ferret’s eyes and hear through his ears. The man’s thoughts were fluid and disorganized, which had to be a result of the spell used on him. Normally he had a highly disciplined mind that controlled the intense emotions that always stirred to a peak when he thought of the man responsible for the loss.

Daniel immediately recognized Scout Shareen standing quietly near the door and Spotter Vasmussuan standing off to the right beside a woman dressed similarly, Area Lead Spotter Loraina Marshaant, the name came from Ferren’s vague thoughts. To the right was a bald Investigator, Prime Regional Investigator, Amin El Seti, Ferren again supplied the name. Standing beside Seti was Reaper-Area Director Shreve Deraagor. The head Reaper had a deathly pallor and amber eyes.

“You spin a convincing tale,” Deraagor said with a sneer. “What I want to know is; how long have you been spying for Maestro Benhannon?” The question was aggressive and assumed the charge to be true beyond any doubt.

Numbers began swimming in Ferren’s mind and he seemed on the verge of giving a completely honest figure, the only hindrance was over the word, spying. Duzolta considered the relationship as deals made and kept. Daniel knew a better response, “Do not give him a number. Tell him how you really feel about me.”

“Spy,” Ferren spat the word out as something distasteful. “Spy for a man who robbed me of my Repertoire, who took away everything I achieved?” he replied and looked Deraagor in the eyes. “I have no desire to do anything for his benefit and hope with every fiber of my being that you catch him next time he teleports into this city. Catch, but don’t kill. I want him alive so he can suffer over many years for what he has done to me.”

“The warrant was originally to capture, was changed to capture or kill, and after it was determined no one had been killed or injured in the attack, the warrant has been changed back to capture,” the Reaper informed in bitter tones. Clearly he preferred kill over capture.

“The Area-Director assumes you are guilty because he is rightly annoyed over all the teleporting throughout the city that took place. More than twenty of his Reapers were involved in the pursuit and failed, earning him two demerits. It is the first such in his career and so my fellow Imperial Discriminator has come to hate Maestro Benhannon and has no trust in any spell-caster of this realm” the Investigator explained.

Great, another person who hates me, Daniel pondered. It is a seed I did not intend to plant.

“Ten Investigators also received demerits,” the Reaper apparently felt the need to point out. “The only reason you gained a merit is because you requisitioned the services of this little scout. The two merits she earned are also the only reason Lo Marzon did not receive a demerit even though every other captain in the fleet suffered the loss when they lost their encounters with the Maestro. She is still a part of Lo Marzon’s crew and therefore a credit to him. Everyone who confronted Benhannon and his team directly on the ground was put to sleep and awoke with no memory of the incident. The scout’s tracking ability and her report is the reason we know as much as we do.”

“I acknowledge your point,” El Seti conceded and then focused on the scout. “Where is Maestro Benhannon at this moment?”

“Do not point or say anything,” Daniel sent when he sensed Ferren was about to do exactly that. It would be disastrous if the Zeuthans ever learned he had the same connection as the scout. Duzolta followed the most recent directive and remained silent and still.

“A short while ago he was so far to the east I could not estimate the distance. Currently, he is so far west, beyond the border of New Aresia, I cannot give a number,” Sarah replied while pointing to the right.

“At least he seems to be abiding by the agreement Viceroy El Marzon made with Maestro Reese,” the Investigator replied and then asked, “Scout, you remember each person with Benhannon during the raid, was this man among them?”

Sarah did not hesitate in answering, “I recognized the woman dressed as a menagerie announcer and Carlos Tiran, the Maestro’s personal bodyguard. There was a thin Nephilim and a shorter one with broad shoulders dressed in blue silks and an Anakim dressed in the same type of gaudy colors as the woman. I never observed this man being among them.”

El Seti, seemingly satisfied with the report, fixed his penetrating gaze on Duzolta. “You were not part of the raiding party, of that I am convinced, but my counter-part among the Reapers has good instincts, so I will ask; why should we trust you?”

“Why should they trust me?” Ferren mentally repeated the question.

“How do Serpents trust each other?” Daniel sent in response. He was curious to know the answer.

The flow of Duzolta’s thoughts coalesced around the reason. “You should not trust my word alone. In my former guild, where survival of the fittest is the first law, no one can be trusted to have your best interests in mind. We get ahead by demonstrating useful skills and by building up alliances. The alliances are based on shared goals and self-interest. To get ahead I had to make deals and stick to them. Deal-breakers tend not to survive for long unless they have truly great repertoires and or wield enormous Potential and even then no one will ally with them. They must stand or fall completely on their own. Cenni Quen comes to mind as an example. He fell spectacularly in his task to subdue Daniel Benhannon when the backwoodsman was just beginning to master his Potential and the loner paid dearly for the failure. You do not have to trust me, but you can trust that I will do what is best for me and part of that is keeping the deals I make.”

Duzolta viewed breaking a deal as betrayal, which Daniel saw as another reason the Ferret could not bring harm to the person who erased his repertoire.

“It is best for you to lie so we will not do to you what we have done with the other Nephilim of this realm. Those found trespassing are even now lying in our holding cells,” the Reaper replied in a deathly quiet voice.

“I would lie to achieve my goals,” Ferren readily admitted without any prompting from Daniel. “But in this case the truth suits me better. I really do want to wield Melodies again and have the opportunity to build a new repertoire. The only way for me to achieve those goals is to serve the Zeuthan Empire.”

Area Lead Spotter Loraina Marshaant stepped closer and pointed at Duzolta. “The answers he is giving under the influence of your ring are consistent with those he has been giving over the past half hour, although the intensity and depth of his bitterness toward Maestro Benhannon had been well hidden until now. None of us blames him for those honest emotions, especially individuals in the room who share his feelings. I think Ferren Duzolta should be admitted as an Initiate and presented as a candidate to the College of Musicians.”

Deraagor gave a slight nod, probably in agreement with sharing bad feelings. He stared into Ferren’s eyes and then released him from the spell. “I agree. He can be admitted for now, but I recommend he be under scrutiny until such time as we can be sure he will honor the deal, as he defined the basis of trust.”

“I agree he should be accepted,” the Investigator stated, “and I reserve the right to call on him for questioning in the future, particularly in regard to everything he has learned about Maestro Benhannon. I am certain this Initiate must have gleaned useful information about his enemy. At the least he can be helpful in our understanding of the Nephilim of this realm and their Melody weapons.”

“I no longer have my Melodies, but I remember how to employ them and yes, I know a great deal about those whom I have been at war with,” Ferren assured them as his mind cleared from the effects of the spell. A strong sense of curiosity grew in him and then was followed by recognition, but the thoughts behind the emotions were deeper in his mind and all that came through the mental connection established through the ring was a name; Tarin Conn.

“Daughter,” Loraina Marshaant addressed the other Spotter. “Your find is validated.”

“Thank you Mother,” Gelica Vasmussuan replied and turned to Duzolta. “You must pledge allegiance before these distinguished witnesses.”

Ferren stood with his right hand palm up. “I pledge allegiance to the United Dukedoms of Zeutha and to the emperor, to whom I owe obedience; for he provides order and security on behalf of all.”

Everyone exited the room except Vasmussuan and Duzolta. “You are now officially an Initiate. You will have to first master the standard six rings of power and earn two from the Dukedom of Aresia, afterwards you will be permitted to audition for a place in the College of Musicians.”

Exceedingly rare positive feelings flowed through the link from Ferren. The two most dominate emotions were satisfaction and hope.

Daniel was pleased all had gone as he hoped, but wondered why his head was tingling. The sensation caused him to lose concentration on Duzolta and miss whatever the Ferret said in response. The intense feeling came with a growing desire to perform Into The Wind. “I am not ready to go,” Daniel objected, but the urgency increased with his every attempt to suppress it. His intention had been to stay on the Trident and add some of the ocean-creatures to his swirl of scouts.

“No one has suggested you go elsewhere at this time,” Sherree responded, causing him to open his eyes.

“Why would we go?” Simon asked the question and then smiled like a child who had just been given a confectionary treat. “I just added a giant pregnant sea-snake to my menagerie. Monei is nearly as long as the Trident.”

“The Swirling of Events is pressuring me to perform Into The Wind,” Daniel revealed the reason for his outburst while selecting the Symphonics that might be needed for the impending journey. He was no less disappointed by the interruption than his chief-aid and yet knew making a fuss would not change a thing. It was best to prepare for the inevitable expedition into the unknown without dwelling on whether or not the timing was convenient.

Sherree, with Clarian against her right shoulder, fixed her emerald-green eyes on her husband. “We agreed it is too dangerous for anyone else to convey with you through the use of that Symphonic. However, we also agreed you would go wherever you need to be, obtain a visual, immediately return for your team, and then go back to accomplish the required task,” she needlessly reminded him of their last twenty-three discussions on the subject, as if he might have forgotten. “I want you to perform Outer Shield before you leave here. We do not know anything about the situation or environment in which you will arrive.”

He trusted the spell not to place him in immediate danger and felt she was being overly cautious.  Daniel wanted to use Personal Shield so as not to be deprived of his physical senses. He opened his mouth to explain his reasoning when Silvia stated, “I agree with the First Lady’s instinct.”

“Maestro, Sero and I stand ready to deploy,” Carlos gave his assurance. His readiness to serve was never in doubt, nor Sero’s equal commitment. “Here, take Jammie. This ship is being tossed in a storm and is unlikely to be in the exact same position later as it is now. Rather than take the risk of you materializing in a bulkhead or between decks, it might be best if you allow me to obtain a visual through the cricket and Convey to wherever you are.”

“Great idea,” Sherree expressed her approval.

“I should have thought of that,” Daniel replied, accepting the small container and placing it in a pocket within his cloak. He fixed his gaze on the pair of Teki. “Are you two ready to go on a journey to the unknown?”

“You are joking,” David chuckled. “You might as well ask a fish if it is ready to swim as ask a Teki if he is ready to travel.”

“Very well, I will cast the spell, obtain a visual, and then let Jammie do some sight-seeing” Daniel agreed and mentally began the Symphonic.

The Music completed and he was thrown into the darkness between here and wherever. Five heartbeats later he arrived on a rocky beach and facing a wide-eyed woman who was holding a lantern and shrieking at whatever was coming ashore behind him. He could not hear a sound but the sheer terror on her face, illumined more thoroughly by Osprey Vision, communicated the warning of danger effectively enough. He spun around to see the second largest crocodilian he had ever encountered. It was nowhere near the size of Burkos or Bermos, a mere seventy-five paces in length, but definitely big enough to be startling as it charged out of the surf on four meaty legs.

The jagged scales on the sides and belly were white and ruby-red up along the back; the same red as its glowing eyes. Top, bottom, or all around the raging reptile, each slightly raised sharp-edged-scale would tear into flesh and in mass the beast’s natural armor would act as a meat shredder for any creature attempting to cling to it. Anything big enough to swallow the croc would regret it soon thereafter; the internal death-roll would filet the hapless creature as the indigestible meal ripped its way free from the inside out. Daniel noted all of those details in the first few moments, along with the fact that it was night and he was likely still on the Zeuthan side of the world.

Before he could react to the charging horror, huge jaws opened and he was bathed in flames. If he had arrived with Personal Shield, the heat assaulting him would have traveled through his gaping mouth, nostrils, and ears; baking his brain in an instant. Sherree’s suggestion saved his life. Outer Shield protected him but he could feel the drain on his pool of life-force energy as rocks began to melt and sand turned to glass around him. He had no idea how long the massive creature could sustain the flame and had no intention of finding out, especially since his mouth was going dry, and death by dehydration did not appeal to him. The Music for Mind Touch summoned his internal power and he focused the Potential at the leviathan. Energy flowed from his right hand in a blue beam that covered the short distance in an instant and connected to the life-force of the living blast-furnace. The huge jaws immediately snapped shut, extinguishing the flames.

“I am Daniel, not prey.” It seemed prudent to always establish the, “Not prey,” detail on the outset of any new relationship with a giant predator capable of swallowing a person whole in less than a second.

I am Rahab, queen of all that is around me. She introduced herself along with conveying a towering sense of self-importance, and then responded to his assertion. Daniel-Brightflame is tiny but his fire burns bright and would consume me if I were to take him in. Her last thought carried with it the sense of recognizing a worthy predator; a near equal.

“Rahab is the most formidable beast I have ever encountered and Daniel-Brightflame would rather not consumer her,” he returned the compliment. “May I touch you?”

The massive wedge-shaped head lowered to rest on the glazed rock and well within reach. Daniel retracted Outer Shield from his right hand and touched the snout between the pair of huge nostrils and then focused How Do You Feel along with What Is This into the incredible beast. The creature had an extra organ that seemed to convert and reroute gasses created by the digestive process into something that bursts into flames upon contact with outside air.

Am I not magnificent?

His amazement must have been transmitted through the link. “You are indeed,” Daniel confirmed. “Why did you attack if I am not prey?”

I intended to consume the tiny-she and did not expect Brightflame to appear.

Daniel felt comfortable enough to replace Outer Shield with Personal Shield and then replied, “I startled you; is that what you are saying?”

A sense of indignation came ahead of the thought; I fear nothing. Brightflame surprised me and I burped.

If that was the case, it was the longest belch on record but nothing good could come from challenging the explanation. “I stand corrected,” Daniel quickly replied. The beast had an ego equal to that of an Accomplished of Aakadon and clearly required frequent soothing.

“The Pyro-leviathan bows to you,” a voice from behind interrupted the conversation, although she could not possibly have heard the croc’s thoughts. “Even the Grand-leviathans avoid their fiercer albeit smaller cousins.”

The tiny-she squeaks and has a small flame. Do you wish to consume her?

Rahab was offering her food, a gesture of goodwill. Daniel concentrated to the point he could see himself through her eyes. Something about the red orbs allowed her to perceive images in a different spectrum. She could actually see the life-force energy in another creature. His was a light blue so bright it caused a slight after image on her retinas every time she blinked. The woman appeared as barely a spark. “I prefer not to consumer her and would appreciate it if you do not either.” He spoke out loud for the benefit of the Zeuthan, hoping she was perceptive enough to listen and act accordingly.

Brightflame is correct. The tiny-she would not be satisfying, although it’s presence on my beach without my consent is unacceptable.

Obviously, Queen of all that is around her, included the beach.

“It would please me if you would allow her access to your beach. She is very tiny and occupies little space. Her flame is very dim,” Daniel replied, with the intent of placating the gigantic reptile to keep her from attacking the woman. He doubted the fire-breather could defy a direct command from him, but she could potentially kill the young woman in the blink of an eye, and so it seemed best not to take the risk.

She can stay, so long as she knows this is my beach and she is here at my sufferance.

“My thanks to you, Queen Rahab, I am sure the female understands she is here at your sufferance,” Daniel replied and removed his hand from her snout while ceasing all spells in place for the current visit except Mind Touch, Personal Shield, Osprey Vision, and Find All.

The last Symphonic, extended out in a seven-span spherical radius, allowed him to sense the presence of thousands of people, Anakim and Nephilim, directly to the east of where he stood on the beach. He also sensed horses, birds, crabs beneath the sandy areas that had not been turned to glass, and an unusually high concentration of bugs. Being in a strange land, he wondered what types of creatures were in the vicinity he had never encountered and therefore could not sense through Find All. Rahab was the first leviathan he had physically touched and he had not sensed her until after doing so. In spite of eight lightning bolts of Potential and possessing the most powerful crescendos in existence, he could still die under just the right circumstances. Unfortunately, the Swirling of Events often placed him in those uniquely perilous situations.

Only an insane person would want to be the Chosen Vessel, he reckoned.

Given the circumstances, it seemed best to keep a Da Capo on Mind Touch. Another such confrontation might happen quicker than he could mentally perform the Symphonic. The near disaster averted by the correct choice of shield was the first potentially deadly encounter since his arrival, but might not be the last before he accomplished the newest task destiny had for him. Part of the chore would be to figure out exactly what he was supposed to do, other than follow through with a desire to head east. The sense did not yet arise to the level of a compulsion; it merely seemed like the right way to go.

“I thank you, fiercest of all leviathans, for allowing me to stand on your beach,” the woman wisely stated, causing Daniel to turn and face her. The white satin dress with topaz-blue trim went from neck to ankles following her curves and her long black hair hung freely down her back. She could almost pass for a Serinian with her light brown skin and six cubits of height. He also noted her unblemished brow had no trident. Beyond her was a huge cliff that stretched east and west along the coast and he wondered if a certain amount of climbing would be involved, but so far felt no urge to scale the rocky wall.

“Is there a reason you have not yet allowed the cricket to provide a visualization point for Carlos?” Sherree’s voice entered his head, capturing his attention.

“I encountered a distraction that would have killed me within moments after arriving if I had not heeded your most excellent advice. Outer Shield gave me the time needed to add a Pyro-leviathan to my swirl of animal scouts. Rahab belches at sudden surprises and her burps are abnormally long lasting and highly combustible. Tell Carlos to hold off Conveyance for a minute after he gains the visual.”

Fear and relief warred with each other, but the latter emotion won out just before she replied, “I could see in your eyes at the time you did not want to take my advice. You might not have done so if Silvia had not spoken up when she did. Note this incident and remember to trust my instincts in the future. You never know when you might meet another giant fire-breathing crocodile. I never imagined the existence of such a creature, but know you are often drawn into life-threatening situations. This is the second time you nearly died after using Into The Wind in order to arrive where the Swirling of Events required you to be. I did not need a specific hazard in mind to conclude you would be in danger. Wait for your team and stay safe,” a torrent of love flowed through the link during the brief pause and then she added, “Carlos will give you the minute. Try not to die in the meantime.”

The mental link to Sherree vanished, giving Daniel no time to reply to her last statement. He removed the box containing Jammie and opened the lid, allowing the little cricket to view the surroundings. “Some of my associates will soon arrive. I would appreciate it, Great Rahab, if you would allow them on your beach. We will not remain here long.”

Well, if they do not remain long, they can come.

Carlos would be arriving with or without permission, but it seemed best to alert Rahab. It would not be good to surprise her. “Do you often stroll on the beach in the late marks of the night before dawn?” Daniel asked of the Zeuthan, who was probably about the same age as he, and then he took a sip from one of his canteens.

The woman stepped closer to him. “Rarely, but this night I had a strong desire to come here. For the last three days I have envisioned a man, dressed in the sky-blue colors of this realm, standing on this beach with one of the great dragons of antiquity bowing its head to receive a blessing from his hand.”

Daniel perceived her to be a Clairvoyan. “Going by the terror I saw on your face, I would say the Vision did not show you the events leading up to that point.”

She smiled sheepishly as a slight flush pinked her face. “I arrived to see glowing eyes just off shore and no person on the beach. The Pyro-leviathan launched out of the water and at that point I began to doubt, not the Vision, my interpretation of the timing of it, and then you appeared. When Queen Rahab opened her mouth, bathing you in flames, my doubts increased. It was only after her mouth snapped shut and you stood there unharmed and with an out-stretched hand that my faith was restored. You are the Seardoon, even though your brow is naked. I never envisioned you possessing a trident, but assumed someone of your talent would display one; other than the initiator strapped to your back. It reminds me of the one wielded by the Duke of Posedon, except his is tipped with rubies,” she was obviously a person who talked a lot when nervous, “The jewels in the princely diadem you are wearing must also be initiators and probably the odd baton in the form of a snake on your left hip is one as well. I have not yet determined if the gold-handled knife in the golden sheath on your other hip is ceremonial or functional. I assume the cricket is a pet, considering there are far more useful creatures. Your appearing right out of thin air is not only startling, it, and your ability to wrangle a Pyro-leviathan, are proof enough you can wield Melodies. Even without seeing a trident on your forehead or the color, it is clear you are more powerful than your youthful appearance would otherwise lead me to believe. It is also the only reason I can think of for you surviving her flames with no more consequence than a need to quench your thirst. It is obvious one of your initiators shielded you from her flames.”

Daniel had no intention of correcting her misconceptions. The tingling in his head had not yet subsided and the desire to head east along the beach seemed to be growing. Perhaps he could gain some insight from the Clairvoyan without revealing the things he hoped to conceal. “Life-force energy can be wielded through any of the gems on my person and the cricket belongs to an associate of mine,” he admitted that much, and then asked, “What other Visons have you had concerning the Seardoon?”

The sound of five whips cracking at once announced the arrival of Carlos, Simon, Sero, David, and Silvia. The Aakacarns appeared glowing with Potential and batons drawn, while the Teki stood with weapons in hand; she a crossbow and he a daggerlance. Fortunately none of them showed any signs of surprise at seeing the huge crocodilian. The situation could have deteriorated rapidly had they attacked Rahab, who did not react to their sudden appearance or the noise. The sound of displaced air might not have been loud enough to bother her. She did blink at the Aakacarns, no doubt a reaction to seeing the brightness of their life-force energies.

The young woman screamed in fright, evidently her Vision also did not include events to happen after Daniel touched the dragon of antiquity. It took a short while for her to calm and then she and the acrobat stared at each other. He chose that moment to close the box and place Jammie in the pocket of his cloak and then took a final sip from his canteen. Satisfied, he reattached the container to his belt.

“You are a Seer. I recognize the distinctive aura,” Silvia declared at the same moment the other woman stated, “You are a Clairvoyan, which explains your naked brow. I assume the fellow dressed in similar bold colors is an Anakim and these others, dressed in blue, are Nephilim in service to the Seardoon even though their brows are all similarly naked.”

Daniel took the opportunity to introduce his entourage and then told them, “Behold Rahab, Queen of all that is around her,” when tiny flames began to flicker from between her teeth. It was best not to ignore her. The enormous mouth closed, smothering the little fires, and making it safe to fix his attention on the Clairvoyan. “You have yet to give your name.”

“I am Ianna Lo Larkin, twenty-first daughter of Berl El Larkin, the Duke of Ra-Anan. Judging by your silk clothing and the fact that each Nephilim has a baton, I will assume being an Accomplished is similar to being a Musician-Conductor and I recognize you as the Seardoon, but have yet to hear the name of the man who bears the title.”

“One woman giving birth to twenty-one children must be some kind of record,” Simon apparently could not resist making a comment. He was probably correct and Ianna’s mother had to be a remarkable woman, but there were more important things to discuss.

“You are in the presence of Sir Daniel Benhannon, Royal Knight of the Realm of Ducaun, Lord of the Land, the Chosen Vessel of the Creator, Maestro of the Atlantan Guild, an Eight-bolt Accomplished,” Silvia boldly declared and unfortunately continued with, “You can join him, stand aside, or be destroyed in his wake.”

“No one ever accused Samuel’s cousin of being subtle,” Simon continued his unsolicited commentary. “Think of him as being our Master-Musician and Chief Conductor.”

“Chosen of the Creator; that might explain the purity of his bright white aura,” Ianna replied. “Atlantan is the name of the newly discovered continent I have been hearing about. Your origin in an alien realm explains some of the peculiarities in speech patterns and other things.”

Daniel chuckled. “Peculiar is one of the milder terms that have been applied to me in recent years, but no one describes me as being pure, not even me.”

“Does he not know how he is perceived by a Clairvoyan?” The daughter of the duke asked of Silvia, choosing none of the options the Teki stated, nor did she seem to care about the other titles that clearly held no meaning for her, not even the number of lightning bolts ascribed to each Accomplished.

The Seer nodded. “My mother’s-mother informed him years ago of how we see his aura as being white. She did not mention the purity, probably to keep him humble.”

Ianna nodded and turned back to Daniel. “The purity I perceive has nothing to do with your character. It simply means you have been touched by the divine.”

Daniel remembered the day Ruth explained how the Seers perceived the auras of the two Champions, one as black and the other as white. “I know what you see is something other than the color of my life-force energy, that you are seeing in an entirely different spectrum.”

“It is even as you say,” Ianna responded “In answer to the question you asked of me before these people arrived, I have also envisioned the Seardoon touching the bulge of a pregnant woman and changing the child within to a Nephilim. One pregnant belly appears much like another and so I could not see if the mother-to-be was an Anakim, Nephi, or Nephilim, but I know the Author of Change possesses the power. Each Clairvoyan sometimes see the same events, especially things of great importance, but not always from the same perspective. I also know the Spell Surges we have been experiencing for over a year and the event that happened south of here not many days ago were portents of your imminent arrival, although I did not know from where.”

It was good she did not recognize the involvement of the Humes or what the arrival of the Seardoon meant to them. Her talent as a Clairvoyan told her where to find him, but it was the desire for his help that drove her to the beach.

Silvia and Simon both opened their mouths either to ask a question or make a comment, but Daniel did not give them the chance. “The Seardoon’s ability to change an Anakim into a Nephilim is the only talent you ascribed; does that mean the help you seek has something to do with altering babies?”

Ianna nodded her head. “My mother has conceived again and I am sure my father would reward you handsomely if you ensure the baby will be a Nephilim.”

Evidently giving birth to twenty-one babies was not record enough, she wanted to ensure the record would not be broken, Daniel pondered.

“Maestro, I do not like the idea of you getting anywhere close to a duke of Zeutha,” Carlos rightly expressed his deep concern and earned a frown from the Zeuthan.

“Let me get this straight,” Simon stepped between Daniel and the Clairvoyan. “You want the Seardoon to change the baby of the duchess into a Nephilim and then what? Why should he even get involved?”

“My Father’s wife is a Nephilim and my mother is one of his forty-nine concubines; with them he has sired fifty-seven daughters and forty-four sons, all of them Anakim,” Ianna replied as if the relationship was nothing out of the ordinary. “My mother has borne three daughters, of which; I am the first, and two sons, the oldest of which is also a Clairvoyan.”

Why did the man, any man, need so many mates, and why would so many women put up with the arrangement? Daniel could not imagine the reason.

“He is trying to beat the odds, hoping one of them produces a Nephilim,” Simon shared his theory. “But the odds are not working in his favor. Out of one hundred and one births there should statistically be two Nephilim. The trouble is, while the ratio holds true for the general population, it does not hold true in specific individuals, unless one incredible woman manages to conceive and bear fifty children.”

“One wife and forty-nine concubines,” David repeated the sentence several times as if possibly taking a fancy to the idea, until Silvia rammed her elbow into his ribs. “Right, an arrangement no Teki would countenance,” he agreed while rubbing his chest.

“A Nephilim can only marry a fellow Nephilim, but can have as many Anakim concubines as he can support. It is not unheard of for even a Drudge to be taken as a concubine. The Duchess of Maarcia has a husband and fifty-three male concubines, some of which are Drudges. Simon Trenca is correct,” Ianna confirmed his conclusion. “Only a Nephilim can inherit the title of duke and if my father does not sire a Nephilim, for the first time in twelve centuries the title will pass from the family of Larkin to the most powerful count. In this case that is Tutun El Seti. My father will pay handsomely to keep that from happening.”

“Daniel, I don’t think it is a good idea for you to get involved in local politics,” Simon spoke so quickly it was clear he suspected his Maestro was about to commit to doing that very thing.

The chief-aid’s notion held a degree of wisdom and was a thought that occurred to Daniel while listening to the Clairvoyan, and yet the seeming rightness of the advice did not take into account the constant tingle and growing need to proceed east. He pointed in the appropriate direction. “My instincts tell me we need to go that way.”

Ianna smiled; an expression that seemed to brighten her whole face. “You have pointed in the direction of the palace. I can get us there slightly after dawn by way of a path that is seldom used, unless you can transport us there in that peculiar way you travel.”

A deep rumble caused a vibration, shaking the glassy-sand and glazed-rock beneath their feet, and eerily resonated in the bones. I hunger. The water here is too shallow for prey large enough to satisfy. With no further explanation, Rahab turned and lumbered back into the water, dragging her huge-scaly tail behind her.

“She is hungry,” Daniel explained and then turned to the Zeuthan. “We will follow your guidance so long as it is the direction I need to go,” he replied without going into detail about visualization points or anything else to do with Conveyance. “If our sojourn leads to your father, he and I will talk, and then a decision can be made whether or not to get involved further. I have wealth enough and no need for more possessions, but am sure something can be arranged.”

“It is agreed and the reward can be in a form other than riches. I will take you to him,” Ianna replied, evidently so pleased with the positive response she did not mention the alternative method of travel. She took the lead off the rocky shoreline to a footpath nearer the cliff that paralleled the beach. Daniel positioned himself behind her.

“Are you sure this is wise?” Simon asked from behind and to the left.

“Not at all,” Daniel replied. “I only know this is the direction we need to go. Silvia, do you have any insight to share?”

“The Swirling of Events brought you and the daughter of the duke to the same place. It seems to me we should proceed to where she takes us, especially since he will be the highest Zeuthan official you have yet to meet,” the Seer replied. After a few moments she blinked, taking in a deep breath, horror reflected on her face at whatever she was Seeing, and then a tear leaked from her right eye.

“What is wrong?” David asked, alarmed.

She focused on Daniel. “I See you hanging over a deep ravine by a frayed rope. You are unable to summon Potential and in danger of falling to your death. The rope is a pivot point and unavoidable, one way you survive the fall and the other you do not, and yet fall you shall.”

“That’s it. We cannot go any farther,” Carlos insisted, having absolute faith in the accuracy of her words, especially with the images and the interpretation stated unambiguously.

Daniel knew not to jump quickly to a conclusion where Visions were concerned, but inwardly admitted the timing was a bit unsettling. “Do you have any notion of time, are we nearing the point or will it come after this chore is completed?”

Silvia wiped the tear from her cheek. “I cannot say for sure. The most troubling thing is; when the time comes the decision will not be yours.”

Daniel disliked the idea someone else would make a life or death decision for him, but had been warned such points would be as pits in his path over the long hall and understood he could not avoid the coming decision point any more than he could deny being the Chosen Vessel. The personal danger to him had increased, but her vision did not alter the fact that the Swirling of Events had placed him in the Dukedom of Ra-Anan for a reason. He needed to focus on the choices that were his to make and hope for the best.

“The Clairvoyan could be working with her father to trap you,” Sero suggested a real possibility. “Surely El Marzon has reported about you to his superiors. I think it likely the duke has been notified and would garner great favor if he could present you to the emperor. Think about it, why would the daughter of a duke head out in the wee marks of the morning unescorted?”

Daniel glanced back at his stocky assistant. “It is possible he has been notified and that he could gain favor by turning me over to the emperor, but that would not keep the Larkin family from losing control of the dukedom.”

“True,” Simon acknowledged, “and so we are gambling he will decide in favor of his legacy over fealty, it will not be an easy choice for El Larkin.”

“I did not come all the way alone. My bodyguards are not too far off. I left them because the beach was deserted and their presence might have interfered with what was supposed to happen,” Ianna volunteered the information, confirming part of Sero’s concerns. “Without the Seardoon’s favor, the house of Larkin will lose control of Ra-Anan and the house of Seti will rule. This I have Seen and so it will be,” she gave the traditional seal of declaration on her Vision. “This is no plot of my father’s to trap you. If anything, it is my plot to ensure my father’s legacy. I never heard the name Daniel Benhannon until Silvia made the introduction. I am not even allowed in the room when my father is discussing matters of state.” Her last point had come in tones of frustration.

Daniel expected no easy choices, for him or the duke. He mentally began the notes for Conveyance. “For good or ill, we are going where I need to be; that being so, I will have a Da Capo in place and the Potential ready to focus for a swift departure.”

“So long as we stay together,” David responded, “all should go well. Should and will are two different things so everybody stay alert.”

His points were well spoken, but Carlos, Sero, and Simon were already glowing with Potential for multiple spells and prepared to wield their life-force energies on the instant. They were so tense it seemed the slightest threat would instantly trigger a deadly and destructive reaction. The Aakacarns could not be more alert.

Ianna glanced back while leading the way. “I do not understand Da Capos or such, but perceive you intend to continue following me.”

“You perceive correctly,” Daniel confirmed in spite of his misgivings. Silvia’s revelation was causing him to question his judgment. He could not afford to be indecisive. The fates of too many people, Sherree and Clarian among them, were dependent on the choices he made. His mountaineer upbringing kicked in, strengthening his resolve.

A Benhannon never drops a set chore. I will not stop.

The pre-dawn light outlined tall buildings in the distance and the masts of ships on the harbor. He could see no paddlewheel-driven vessels, which could be taken as a good sign. Ianna was eyeing the cliff and then smiled in recognition. “Yes, see over there. That slight indentation running in a slant up the face conceals a narrow set of steps that lead to the top. The path up there will take us to the palace grounds without us having to enter through the city.”

“A narrow upward passage would be a good place for an ambush,” David gave his assessment.

“The guards we encounter along the way will not ask questions. They are my escorts and would not attack anyone with me, unless one of you makes a sudden and aggressive move toward me,” Ianna gave advanced warning. “I am hoping to get you into the palace and to a secure area as discreetly as possible. My intent is to leave you there until I see my father and explain about the Seardoon and my Vision. My mother is also a Clairvoyan and will help me persuade him to grant an audience. I will then come back for you. At that point you and he can negotiate terms and hopefully all will go well.”

“Since we are forewarned of their presence, any guards we eventually encounter will not have the element of surprise,” Carlos gave his assessment. “I don’t think we need to worry about an ambush.”

“I am guessing the fewer people who know about us, the better,” Sero shared his thinking. “Going by way of the city would draw much more attention.”

“Maestro, do your instincts suggest a different course?” Simon asked an important question.

Daniel closed his eyes and tried to focus in on the sense of where he needed to be. He had a slight pull to the west but it felt more like a fancy than an impulse and so did the notion to go east. The strongest pull now came from the north. “I need to go that way and since a seventy-pace high wall of rock is between here and there the steps seem to be our best option.”

It was probably an arrogant feeling that kept him calm, but he had no fear of an ambush even after hearing Silvia’s newest revelation. The odd thing was, Ianna spoke of escorts, and yet he could not sense any people at the top of the cliff, and that was likely why the Aakacarns in his entourage were not concerned about taking the steps.

“Might as well take the path of least resistance,” David offered his advice.

“I’m not sure seven-stories-worth of steps can be defined as least resistance,” Simon commented, “But it seems to be the best option.”

Daniel opened his eyes, focusing on the duke’s daughter. “Lead and we will follow. Accomplisheds, be prepared to wield Sleep time, Silvia, David, nightsticks only. I think any meeting I may have with Duke El Larkin will go much better if we do not kill people in service to him along the way.”

“The Seardoon is correct. All will go better if we proceed without violence,” Ianna agreed and then moved toward the hidden way to the top of the cliff.

The Seer immediately changed her weapon. David took a little longer and with a certain amount of grumbling that was too low to be clearly heard. He was quite fond of the daggerlance. Daniel followed his guide and paused at his first view of the stairs. The steps carved into the rock were narrow and steep, scarcely wider than Sero’s shoulders, and slightly less than Daniel’s boot in length. The Zeuthan began her ascent without a second thought and he started up a few moments later. The toe of his boot had to touch the next step in order for most of his heel fit on the stair.

To his left was solid cliff and to the right enough rock to block out the view to the beach. Fortunately all of them were in excellent physical condition and so the long way up was not overly taxing, not even for Silvia and David who did not possess extra energy in their life-forces. They reached the top of the stairs in time to watch the sunrise, which prompted the duke’s daughter to extinguish the flame in the lantern.

A thick forest of towering trees was interrupted by a broad path that curved to the left about a hundred strides in the distance. Find All revealed countless creatures common to wooded areas the world over; grubs beneath the surface, critters scampering among the branches, and insects, but no humans within the seven span scanning radius.

“I do not see any guards,” David shared his observation, perhaps not realizing all of the Aakacarns already knew there would not be any.

Something large and incredible angry swooped down from above. Daniel seized Ianna by the wrist, pulling her behind him just before a huge wing clipped him in the shoulder with enough force to launch him into the air. In the moments before hitting the path ahead, he focused Mind Touch at the wild Quetzal, and suddenly thoughts from her mind filled his head.

Violator!

Ravager!

Violator!

Ravager!

The next moment he landed flat on his back and a breath later the Quetzal landed on top of him. Personal Shield protected him from harm and yet had not kept him from being pinned down and unable to move. He heard shouting and managed to turn his head enough to see six ants moving in faster than racehorses and each was the size of a hunting hound. Energy beams flowed from Simon, Carlos, and Sero; immediately three of the huge insects came to a stop in front of the Accomplisheds. David and Silvia each put an ant to sleep with their nightsticks.

The sixth ant spit a glob of goo at Simon. The mass hit him in the chest, instantly dissolving the cloak and silk blouse. Personal Shield kept him from injury. The young Aakacarn was thin since before Daniel met him in the dormitory in Aakadon and he had not gotten any heavier, but had changed a little since then. The Battencayan-born chief aid had lost part of his leg during the war and the limb was later restored by Jennel using Replace. The side effect gave his skinny frame muscular definition, which was suddenly visible on his chest and abdomen.

And while all of that was going on Ianna was shouting, “Stop!”

Spitter actually backed away from Simon and positioned itself between the duke’s daughter and everyone else. Six more ants scurried out of the trees and surrounded her in a protective circle. Her command had absolutely no influence on the angry Quetzal.

Daniel could see Veera’s fear in his mind, fear concerning the eggs she and her mate were building the nest for, and with the tumultuous emotions came images of huge red ants and various scavengers entering the nest, breaking shells, and devouring hatchlings. The place she intended to build the nest was about a span off the path to the left. She desired to raise her young until they could fly and then she and her mate would fly elsewhere.

“I am Daniel, not a violator,” he sent along with a sense of calm and an image of him defending the nest, and out loud he said to the rest who had been calling to him, “I’m alright. She will not harm me. Do not interfere.”

Veera sees Daniel-Nest-Defender.

Daniel willed the shield away from his right hand and touched the newest member of his swirl of animal scouts. He focused How Do You Feel into her and sensed three eggs just about ready to be laid. He moved his awareness deeper and perceived the developing Quetzals; they were all females. After a few moments debating the wisdom of his intentions, he focused What Is This to the point he could see the recipe stands of the tiny Quetzals. The life-force energy of all animals was pale yellow, but after he infused his topaz blue into every recipe strand, the color in the little vats of energy became a baler blue than his and yet with a hint of yellow.

“Your offspring will be strong, swift, and energetic,” he sent to the mother. They would never possess the mental capacity to summon and focus Potential, but would have ever-increasing life-force energy pooling within them. They would also have abnormally long lifespans, provided they were not eaten or killed in some other way.

The tingle in his head had changed the moment he made the transformations. He still had a strong urge to continue north and yet the slight reduction in intensity indicated he succeeded in completing at least one of the tasks required of him on the present journey.

Veera is pleased with Daniel-Nest-Defender. She demonstrated that pleasure by rising up and placing herself between him and everyone else. Veera is not pleased with nest violators.

Her last thought came with the images of ants, the very ones that were a short distance away. Along with the perceived threat came a growing desire to bite each of them in half. Daniel sprang to his feet and moved around the Quetzal. The scent wafting in the breeze from the bugs had a sickly-sweet smell and would nauseate a more delicate stomach. For Veera it was more like an invitation to snack on a tasty treat.

“These are my bodyguards,” Ianna called from her protective circle, on the other side of which was his entourage. “Ra-Anan is a dukedom of insect wranglers, manipulators of bugs both small and great. These belong to my father. His initiator controls them, but they sense I am of his progeny and will obey some of my basic commands, but I have no ring and so my control of them is not absolute.”

“Veera and her mate are building a nest,” Daniel spoke loud enough to be heard by the others. “Is it possible to have your soldier-ants force intruders away from the nest while coming no closer than fifteen lengths?”

Ianna began shaking her head. “The commands for such a task would be too complex for me to communicate. My father is the only one who could direct them to do what you ask.”

Simon, Sero, and Carlos quietly nodded their heads. The ants under their control would do the job. Each Accomplished brought two more soldiers under their influence and Simon added the two still sleeping on the ground. 

Daniel imagined the ants patrolling the area around the nest, but never getting closer than fifteen lengths, and then sent the images to the Quetzal. “They will keep away violators and ravagers. You eat whatever gets past them.”

Eat whatever gets past them. Veera agreed. Eat ants too if they come close.

The words were actually images translated into words by the spell. The pictures were vivid and grisly, her snapping up and devouring all sorts of scavengers, including ants wondering within a wingspan of the nest.

Her wings spanned fifty-five paces from tip to tip and so his instructions would keep the soldiers well beyond the threat of being eaten. “It is agreed,” he sent to her and then she took to the air. “The Quetzals will only stay through the nesting period,” he told the others.

“The ants will see the Quetzals as trespassers, but if they stay out of sight it is possible their presence will be ignored. Right now the patrol is focused on protecting me and will soon forget about the Quetzal. It is your safety and that of your associates I am more concerned with. The colony-soldiers presence in these woods is why no human patrols are needed in this area. Any violators would be torn apart or dissolved before getting anywhere near the palace grounds,” Ianna replied, and then said, “Soldiers; accompany,” and the ants parted to the right and left sides of the path. “You can all approach me now. More ants will be joining us along the way and form up around us.”

Daniel agreed and motioned for her to move ahead of him.

She took the lead and the others closed in behind him with ants ahead, to the sides, and one bringing up the rear. Simon’s silks were back in good repair, which came as no surprise. All Aakacarns were fastidious about their garments and never allowed them to be soiled or in disrepair for longer than absolutely necessary. Daniel eyed the forest as more and more ants emerged. Beams of light below the visual range of non-Aakacarns were lancing out from behind him; deep blue, hyacinth, and cobalt. His Accomplisheds were adding to their swirls, steadily increasing the number of colony-soldiers under their individual commands.

After several turns in the path that seemed to be snaking north, Daniel sensed non-Aakacarns within his self-imposed scanning range. The Anakim could be guards or groundskeepers; he was not concerned either way. Sure, his life was in danger and someone other than he would decide whether he lived or died, eventually, but he perceived no threat from ordinary means on the current undertaking, and those extraordinary circumstances could be days or months away. He was going where the Swirling of Events required him to be. So far, so good, but the question of what to do was still yet to be answered.

Am I supposed to change the baby into a Nephilim or refuse?

Is the purpose of the journey to meet the duke or someone else?

Is he the one who will decide if I live or die?

By the time the winding path through the forest gave way to cultivated grounds, each Accomplisheds added scores of soldiers that would respond to their commands, and hundreds of Nephilim and Anakim were well within scanning range. A squad of guards on horseback trotted their mounts toward the daughter of the duke. Each of them had bronze tridents on their foreheads and was dressed in light blue uniforms with white trim and matching helmets; all in the official color of House Larkin. Each man held a staff of power and seemed ready to wield the weapons without hesitation.

“They will not attack you,” Ianna gave her assurance. “However, it might be best if each of you Nephilim ceases using which ever initiators on your persons hide your tridents. I know Reapers and Investigators have such devices, and so each of you having one is not unheard of, but in this case it might go better if these men do not think you are deliberately keeping your rankings from them.”

Evidently it was inconceivable for a Zeuthan to accept a Nephilim would not have a trident. El Marzon had told Daniel his scale of equivalents would have been more believable if his number of lightning bolts did not place him on the imperial scale, but never mentioned what those colors were. He mentally performed the Music and formed a golden trident of solidified air on his forehead, it being the highest rank he knew of. He then turned to his entourage. “Simon; reveal your amber trident, Carlos, display your bronze, and Sero, show them your silver.”

Ianna nodded approval as each did what they had been told. “I do not know the customs of your land, but believe me the display of your ranking is not considered immodest. I mean no disrespect to Silvia’s mother’s-mother who taught you humility, but this is an occasion where that quality would not serve you well. In fact, I fear my father could not possibly respect or take seriously anyone who approached him with a naked forehead.”

“I perceive no disrespect in your words,” the Seer assured her without correcting the misconception or cracking a smile at anyone attempting to teach humility to an Accomplished.

“Thank you for informing us,” Simon told the Zeuthan. “First meetings are very important and we were ignorant of your custom and were in danger of making a bad impression.”

His words actually came across as being sincere and Daniel would have believed him in regard to the display of rank had he not known better. Ianna nodded understandingly. “It is my intention for this meeting to go well. If the Seardoon had gone in without displaying his rank for all to see, the only other way to prove he is a Nephilim would be for him to wield a Melody. It would be very bad if he were to initiate a spell at court without first obtaining the approval of my father.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Daniel assured her. It meant his Aakacarns could not enter the courtroom while glowing with Potential, seeing as none of them were at the point where they could focus the energy finely enough to be practically invisible. “My associates will keep it in mind as well.”

Three pairs of eyes bored into him with the clear desire to protest, but none dared voice descent in front of the duke’s daughter and with a squad of Nephilim getting closer by the moment. The glows around the trio vanished as they released enough Da Capos to hide the few remaining low-power spells ready to be focused when necessary, but Daniel only ceased the Potential for Osprey Vision and reduced his scanning radius to fifty strides, being certain he could conceal the focusing of all but Conveyance. There was no hiding the brilliant flash upon completion or the sound of displaced air.

The guards suddenly seemed much farther in the distance, which was a bit of a relief. They were too far away to have seen the glowing of Potential. To the right was a grove of peach trees, each in even rows. To the left he noted a wide variety of flowering trees and square-cut hedges. Workers were on both sides, nine tending the garden section and scores of them working the grove. The ants providing the escort ignored the laborers and not a single worker paused to see the little parade.

“They are too far away for me to identify individual riders, But I do hope Sergeant of the Guard Demacki is not among them,” Ianna remarked, staring ahead at the approaching horsemen. “The Anakim daughter of a duke does not outrank a Nephilim and he knows I should not have gone off without human escorts. If he chooses to be difficult, it could take hours for me to arrange your meeting with my father.”

Daniel concentrated on Veera. “I would appreciate it if you would fly straight up and allow me to see the palace,” he sent along with the visualization.

I go, she replied and with a mighty down stroke of her wings, launched into the air, gaining altitude quickly, and granting him an excellent view.

Her far-sight made the home of the duke seem to be within arms-reach. Daniel took that image, removed Terroll’s communication amulet from his cloak, and pointed the communication device toward the ground, and then summoned a three dimensional picture of the pearly white palace and grounds. The image included guards at their posts and patrols frozen in the memory of the moment.

“Wow, that looks exactly like my home,” Ianna remarked, “and everyone is depicted as being where I can well imagine them to be at this time of the morning. Your initiator contains a truly marvelous spell.”

He had used the amulet as a prop. The idea of a Musician mentally performing a Melody struck terror in the hearts of the Zeuthans. Daniel felt the young lady had more than enough scares since his abrupt appearance on the beach. “Show me where you want to take us,” he invited.

The palace was eight broad rectangles spoking from a huge central hub capped by a golden dome. She stooped and pointed to a terrace facing the ocean. “My room is here,” she indicated a window and a door leading directly out from her bedchambers. “The guards that would have been near there are probably the ones who are riding toward us. I wish we were there. It would be so much easier for me to hide you in my chambers while I set up the meeting.”

“Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and count to five,” he told her and then obtained the visual through Veera, pictured all of them on the terrace, and then focused the Potential.

Three heartbeats later they, minus the giant ants, arrived precisely where he intended. “Four, five,” Ianna was saying and then opened her eyes and blinked in wonder. “You transported us,” she breathed, unable to resist stating what was obvious. “I knew you could do something like this, but did not question it when you chose to walk. What made you change your mind?”

It was a fair question. “I am the Seardoon and chose to grant your wish,” Daniel replied, and could not resist shooting his thumb toward the chief-aid. “Besides, Simon likes to get in his morning exercise. It keeps him fit and trim.”

“Yes, and thanks to Daniel I have had two mornings in the space of one day,” the imitation Amber-trident replied. “Traveling with the Seardoon is exhilarating and not for those who long for a sedate schedule.”

“I like traveling from place to place in moments,” David affirmed, “I cannot think of a single Teki who would not.”

Ianna eyed him briefly and then returned her attention to the one she deemed of greater importance. “I should have made the wish sooner.”

Daniel nodded. “Yet it has been granted and now you can go set up the meeting before those horsemen figure out where we went.”

Her eyes widened and then she refocused on the task. “Yes, you are correct,” she replied and led them through her bedchamber and into a receiving room. “You wait here. Do not wander from this room. When the time comes, I will come back and escort you to my father’s court.”

“What about us?” Simon inquired, since she had been speaking exclusively to the Seardoon.

She pursed her lips in hesitation and then shook her head. “The audience will be granted to the Seardoon. I am afraid the rest of you will have to remain here.”

Her response started a chorus of protests, “Absolutely not,” Carlos stated emphatically, “We must all stay together,” Sero insisted, “I go where the Chosen Vessel goes,” David asserted, and Simon added, “He will need his chief-aid.” Silvia remained uncharacteristically quiet; perhaps she already knew the Chosen Vessel would be going without his entourage.

While Ianna’s attention was on them, Daniel opened his cloak and the box containing the cricket so his bodyguard could see and hopefully understand what to do. Affecting a stern tone he stated, “By Jammie, I am only going to be a short distance away and you will know if I need assistance,” and then mildly added, “Ianna, go ahead and make the arrangements, we will wait here, and I will be ready to go when you come back for me.”

The Zeuthan placed the lantern on the table and then hurried out the door without saying another word. Carlos walked over to his Maestro. “You must have suspected something like this or you would have given Jammie back to me.”

It was probably the Swirling of Events that kept him from thinking about giving back the cricket, Daniel reckoned, or perhaps dumb luck, but it either way it was fortuitous. “I am the Chosen Vessel,” he replied, figuring the response to be answer enough.

“I still do not like the idea of you facing El Larkin and who knows how many Aakacarns alone,” Simon shared his justifiable concern. “But at least Carlos will be able to monitor the conversation and we can Convey to you if the situation deteriorates, otherwise I would not allow you to go in there unescorted.”

“Were you concerned about Sherree’s reaction?” Daniel had heard her rebuke him in the past for leaving while his Maestro was still in harm’s-way.

Simon snorted, smiled, and then his face sobered. “Your wife’s reaction has nothing to do with my stance. Years ago I promised a Six-bolt Accomplished that I would help him and even now I have no intention of going back on my word. You asked for it and now you are stuck with me.”

“So that is why people say we should be careful what we ask for,” David quipped.

Daniel gave his chief-aid a playful tap on the shoulder. “You have delivered on that promise time and time again.”

Simon glanced at the floor to collect his thoughts, perhaps hide his emotions, and then looked up. “And you never fail to notice.”

The man had the ability become so unobtrusive people failed to notice he was still in the room, until he made a comment. Being a mountaineer and a natural-born hunter, Daniel noticed the sandy-haired Aakacarn immediately and had taken a liking to him nearly as fast.

“The ants got a little panicky when you created the flash-bang, but now mine are under control,” Sero informed, changing the subject with the update. “I have sent some of them to patrol the area around where the Quetzals are going to be nesting.”

“Thank you Veera,” Daniel sent to his newest scout, “Good thinking,” he said to his assistant.

Daniel-Nest-Defender is pleased. Veera is pleased.

He withdrew concentration, but was aware when she landed and resumed the arranging of her nest. “The Quetzals appreciate the courtesy,” he told the Four-bolt Accomplished disguised as a Silver-trident.

Silvia approached him. “You do realize El Larkin could be the one to decide whether or not you live or die; not only that; you will be bearing the trident, the one on your back and the one on your forehead, in the presence of one of the highest Zeuthan officials on the continent.”

“The thought occurred to me,” he stated. “Do you know for sure he is the one to decide or are you stating a possibility?”

“A possibility,” she admitted, “with a high degree of probability. Since I will not be there to advise you, I counsel you now to earn his favor by transforming the baby into an Aakacarn. Providing him with an heir will cause him to look favorably upon you and that could save your life. A refusal would earn his disdain.”

“El Larkin could have him killed after the transformation,” Simon spoke an uncomfortable truth.

The conversation ended abruptly when Ianna appeared in the doorway. “My father will see you now,” she began and then paused, looking over his shoulder. “It is alright for you to take your baton as long as you do not reach for it and the same is true for the trident on your back, reaching for either would be considered provocative and hostile.”

“I understand and am ready,” Daniel announced.

Ianna led him out and through the blue carpeted hallway, “Just so you know, at the front of the left isle will be my brothers and sisters. They vary greatly in ages. The oldest will be the only one sitting other than my father and the duchess. Grammin is the son of the first duchess; Leandra, who died a little over a hundred years ago giving birth to him. He enjoys being at court but is physically unable to stand for more than a few minutes, so please do not stare at him,”

“I will remember not to stare,” Daniel assured her. “Will all one hundred of your siblings be present?”

“My guess is about half will have arrived by the time we reach the courtroom. You are somewhat of a curiosity,” that was probably one of the mildest descriptions he had heard of himself, “My father sired many more children, but Grammin is his oldest of the one hundred-one living offspring. In Zeutha we only count the living except on memorial days. All of father’s original concubines died years ago and many of the children they bore him.”

Daniel had imagined a man with a multitude of children and Ianna being among the oldest, but clearly that was not the case. “How old is your father?”

“My father ascended to the title and received the Eternal Ring at the age of thirty-eight. He has ruled for slightly over two hundred years and has aged twenty during that time. The current duchess, Decolina El Larkin, his paternal third cousin, married him a hundred years ago, she being the only other Nephilim in the family,” Ianna explained, while leading to the right around the corner.

Daniel supposed a ring that aged a person one physiological year for every ten chronological years would earn the name eternal, even if it did not stop the aging process completely. Her father had the potential to live another four or five centuries and being a Nephilim, would be increasing in life-force energy right up until the day he died.

Daniel wondered if the initiator contained the Melody mentioned in the transcript discovered by Terroll in the library of the Grand Maestro. Cara and Careena’s family kept the longevity spell a secret, but might have taught the Music to others or created initiators for certain individuals. “Who created the Eternal Rings?”

“The rings were made by Jubal the Innovative and are only given to dukes and duchesses upon assuming their titles, and that includes the Grand Duke of Carnen; the Emperor. The Eternal Rings are the only such initiators in existence, but other age-slowing rings are created in the Dukedom of Ky and can be purchased. The cheaper rings can extend the life of a Nephilim by decades and some of the more expensive initiators can sustain the wearer for several centuries,” Ianna answered and then added as they passed by closed doors to the right and left, “A gold trident on the forehead of one who appears to be no older than me, suggests you have something similar. Some exceptional people in their twenties attain an amber trident, but none I have ever heard of wears a bronze. Gold is beyond imagining.”

Daniel allowed the trident to flash from gold to silver to bronze to amber to jade and then back to gold. “I do possess something similar, but that does not mean you should make too many assumptions about me based on appearances.”

“I will keep that advice in mind. Mother has often chided me for drawing conclusions without enough facts to substantiate my claim,” Ianna replied. “You just reminded me of how little I actually know about you. One more thing, the diadem on my father’s head has three initiators; a ruby, diamond, and an emerald. The center gem is from Carnen and is infused with a Jade-level spell that produces lightning. The device is powerful enough to reduce a living man to a smoldering corpse. Does your diadem possess a similar initiator?”

Daniel shook his head. “The gems in my array have a different function, but the lightning bolts on my cloak are more than a display of rank. Your father will not be the only person in the room who could put on a shocking light show, but I have no intention of doing so. Neither me nor my associates will offer violence against your father.”

“I probably should have asked you that sort of question sooner, but your honesty reassures me the Seardoon has good intentions and will keep his word,” she replied, and then guided him around another corner and toward a pair of double doors guarded by two Nephilim.

Their blue uniforms were similar to those worn by the Chosen’s Sentinels. The insignias were different and with white instead of silver trim, but otherwise the sky-blue was barely distinguishable from Daniel’s topaz. Each guard had a bronze trident on his forehead, eight rings on his fingers, a staff in his hand, and a really big red ant at his side.

Something about the aggressive stance of the six-legged soldiers gave the impression they were ready on command to spit globs of acidic goo to melt any transgressor down to a grisly pile of sludge. The guard on the left opened the doors and Ianna led the way inside without incident.

Scores of courtiers stood to the right and left. In the center stretched a crimson carpet. The people were dressed in blue and white, differing only in patterns, materials, and trim. A few people wore linen, some silk, but most of the men were wearing fine wool. Nearly everyone had a trident on their foreheads, but obviously none of those were of house Larkin. The females all had straight black hair and a cut similar to Ianna, while every male, even the boys, was completely bald. Some of the women had colorful beads stringed in their hair.

At the other end of the carpet were two chairs on a dais and upon the largest was a huge man who when standing would probably be close to seven cubits. The topaz trident on his forehead placed his rank on the imperial scale, but Daniel did not have enough information to compare it to lightning bolts. The duke could pass for a man in his late fifties, rather than two hundred fifty-eight, and the duchess beside him must have been his daughter’s age when she accepted the Eternal Ring. The bejeweled Nephilim had a silver trident on her forehead and a bulge in her stomach.

Three pregnant women stood to the right of the chairs and each mother-to-be was dressed similarly to Ianna, except with gold trim along with the blue, and all of the pregnant women, including the duchess, had an oval cut-out in their dresses that proudly revealed their bare abdomens. Two of the females were younger than Daniel by several years and the third looked to be older by decades. She had to be Ianna’s mother.

“You only mentioned my changing your mother’s child into a Nephilim.” He stated under his breath.

A slight smile curved Ianna’s lips. “If you can only transform one, I want it to be hers,” she replied in an equally quiet voice.

He could not blame her for wanting to increase the prestige of her mother and decided to let the matter drop, especially when something far more interesting caught his attention.

A pair of red ants came forward and then stood to the left of the dais and the largest was the size of a horse, while the other matched the height of a pony. Daniel recognized a queen and one of her mates. The soldier had wings, which was typical of many types of ants in mating season, but it was doubtful those little gossamer extremities could beat fast enough to lift that bulk from the ground.

At the extreme edges, right and left, stood twenty guards with staffs in hand, bronze tridents on their foreheads, and soldier ants at their sides. All of them were wide-eyed and tense as if ready and expecting to spring into battle. The courtiers on both sides of the isle had beads of perspiration on their brows. They knew who had just entered the room. The only person seemingly unaffected was the old fellow over to the left who was sitting in a chair. Grammin’s eyes were wide, but his expression conveyed curiosity rather than anxiety.

People began talking excitedly among themselves and Daniel’s memory was storing away the excited chatter while his attention was on the royal bug. He sent a dim beam of light, thinner than a human hair, streaking into the head of the monarch, and linked her life-force to his. “I am Daniel, who us to be obeyed.”

A flurry of images shot into his head. “I am Me, Queen of the colony, and I see Daniel-Who-Is-To-Be-Obeyed. The last image was of her head nodding in respect to him, even though physically the big bug had not moved.

No one in the room noticed his wielding of Potential and so he focused on her consort, made the same connection, and sent, “I am Daniel, who is to be obeyed.”

The images coming from the pony-sized ant translated into, I am Soldier/Mate-Of-Queen, and I see Daniel-Who-Is-To-Be-Obeyed. The last image was of the huge insect bowing to the floor in respect even though physically, like its queen, the big bug had not moved.

It would not be necessary to add any more ants from the colony. He who rules the queen rules them all. And in addition, from that day forward, every egg from her would produce an ant linked to his life-force. Daniel could not be more pleased, especially since the tingle in his head decreased; meaning he had accomplished another task, but still had more to do.

“Seardoon, the time has come to announce you,” Ianna warned him. “This is not the time for your mind to wander.”

It certainly was not.

“Who has come to see the duke?” A deep resonant voiced asked.

Daniel noticed the speaker, a Nephilim in a blue silk cloak over to the right at the front of a row of courtiers. Beside him was a man wearing a blue suit with teal trim and beside him a man in a blue wool cloak with red trim. At a guess, one was an Investigator and the other a Reaper, but of the dukedom, not the empire. The first had a gold trident on his forehead and the other two had silver.

“Daniel Benhannon, Chief Conductor and Master-Musician of the Atlantan College of Musicians,” Ianna proclaimed.

“At least he is dressed appropriate to his station,” a nearby voice in the crowd commented.

“Let him approach the honorable Duke Berl El Larkin,” the speaker responded.

“He is Rimerole El Zahren, the Chief Conductor of the College of Musicians in Dasia, capitol of Ra-Anan,” Ianna spoke softly and with only a slight movement of her lips.

Daniel gave a nod of acknowledgement as the two of them walked the carpet and then stopped short of the three steps leading up to the judgement seats.

The duke leaned forward. His dark eyes narrowed during the brief scrutiny. “Escarra and my daughter have given me to understand you are the Seardoon and possess the power to not only discriminate between an Anakim and a Nephilim before birth, you can transform an Anakim into a Nephilim while the babe is still in the womb. My concubine and her daughter are the only reason you have been brought before me as a guest rather than under heavy guard and disarmed.”

Your daughter is the only reason I came here unescorted, Daniel thought but did not say out loud. “I am not surprised my name is known in this court and appreciate the courteous reception. The reports from Viceroy El Marzon and Imperial Prime Regional Investigator, Amin El Seti were certain to reach one as eminent as you. I noted a thousand Imperial Legionaries in white with sky-blue trim arriving at Port New Aresia and attribute those Nephilim to your dukedom.”

The duke gave a slight nod of the head. “They are soldiers of mine that have been reassigned by me to serve in the Imperial Legion and are a response to the Viceroy’s reports you mentioned,” he did not mention El Seti, who was of his dukedom and possibly related to the count. “Your society of Musicians has become a hindrance to the expansion and I am curious as to why you are here. My daughter testified not many minutes ago that you appeared out of thin air right in front of her, which verifies one of the reports of you vanishing from within the Grand Imperial Ship Lucia. I see the famed trident-initiator that has been accredited with the fete.”

Daniel gave a nod of respect and then replied, “I don’t know if the reports mention the fact that I did not interfere with El Marzon’s foray into a sovereign nation until after he launched a Ruby-level aqua-bomb and then again when his carriers attacked freighters in the process of exercising free commerce. Until those unacceptable incidents, I was content to let leaders of other guilds and monarchs of the realm handle the politics. Be that as it is, the reason I have come is to fulfil my role as the Seardoon.”

“What is the role of the Seardoon?” Duchess Decolina asked with a certain amount of skepticism.

He did not blame her. He had plenty of skepticism when Ruth first told him about being the Chosen Vessel. “According to the Clairvoyans, both yours and mine, I am destined to transform babies in the womb into Nephilim. I have yet to do so on this continent, but have performed the task many times on Atlantan where I come from. I transformed my own daughter from an Anakim to a Nephilim while she was forming in my wife’s womb. Clarian is a little over four months old and is healthy and growing stronger by the day.”

The duke fixed his gaze on Ianna’s mother. “Escarra, are you certain this man has the power to do what I have been told by the Musicians of Aphrosia and the Chief Conductor of the College of Musicians in my own dukedom is impossible?”

“His aura is pure white, indicating he has been touched in some way by the divine, and he is the Seardoon, but other than his being touched I can offer no explanation as to how he can perform such a spell,” she replied while holding her belly as if the little fellow within had chosen that moment to get in some kicking.

“The ability has to do with the peculiar essence of my life-force,” Daniel offered an explanation. “I am an Aakasear and even though members of my society can perform the Music I composed; only I have been successful in making the transformations.”

Rimerole El Zahren barked out a laugh. “There are no Authors of Melodies in this day and age. Chaos always follows the arrival of one and such would be unmistakable,” he stated.

“You mean like incredibly powerful Spell Surges and the ability to thwart the invincible Imperial Navy,” Ianna interjected.

“The report did say he personally stood against the full might of the Lucia and sank the Cantankerin. Maestro Benhannon, yes I know your Atlantan title, are you responsible for the Spell Surges we experienced here three days ago?” The duke took back control of the conversation.

“I arrived offshore to the south of here, initiated spells involving some of the formidable creatures on this side of the world, and then left,” Daniel admitted with a huge pruning of facts. “I never encountered such beasts before and so used far more life-force energy than was necessary. The trident produces a tremendous amount of power.”

“Your presence before me now indicates a willingness on your part to discriminate the status of Escarra’s babe and transform the unborn child into a Nephilim if necessary,” the duke stated, getting to the heart of the matter, rather than debate the Aakasear issue or speak of initiators.

Daniel glanced at each of the pregnant women. “I am willing to do the same for all four.”

El Larkin smiled for the first time in the meeting. “That is a generous offer. What do you want in exchange for the service?”

“I have precious gems and metals aplenty, so no amount of wealth you could offer interests me. My price is an amicable relationship between you and me, your dukedom and my guild. I do not believe it is too much to ask in exchange for guaranteeing the Larkin family will never lack a Nephilim again,” Daniel replied, earning a laugh from the duchess.

She composed herself enough to state, “Even if you transform my child into a Nephilim, there is no way you can guarantee he or she will live long enough to wear the Eternal Ring. A babe born this year might live three centuries but cannot live four, even using one of the best rings available from the Dukedom of Ky.”

Daniel nodded agreement. “I can change every child Duke El Larkin sires into a Nephilim, not just the ones that can be done today. For as long as I live, I can perform this service,” he added, hoping to give the duke a very good reason to keep his benefactor alive.

The ruler of Ra-Anan folded his hands in his lap and sat back straight in the seat. “Your offer is tempting, but I cannot break fealty with my emperor, not even for such a boon.”

Daniel never expected the man would do such a thing. “If I thought your oath to your emperor could be so easily dismissed, neither would I trust you to honor any agreement with me. I am proposing something more akin to a non-aggression pact. I may need a friendly port on this side of the world.”

“We do not even know if he can perform the transformations,” the Chief Conductor raised a valid point.

The doubts were expected and not an obstacle. “I will make the changes today, before the honorable duke announces his decision. In a matter of months the children will be born and your own Spotters can verify each child to be a Nephilim.”

El Larkin began rubbing his chin, deep in thought. It was clear he wanted to take the deal and was trying to somehow figure a way to enter an agreement that did not violate his oath to the emperor. After a few minutes of pondering he rested his fist on his knee. “You have not been listed as an enemy of the Zeuthan Empire and so I have some leeway in forging a tentative relationship with you and your guild that can begin with a non-aggression pact. A thousand of my Nephilim, as you noted, are currently serving in New Aresia under the command of Viceroy El Marzon and I cannot guarantee he will not use them aggressively against you. Is this understanding strong enough for you to begin the process? If so, this agreement will be contingent upon the results. The Spotters of Ra-Anan will verify the infants are Nephilim and our pact will be in force, so long as your status in relation to the Zeuthan Empire does not change to that of an enemy.”

It was probably the best deal that could be made under the circumstances. “I understand the limitations as you described them and am willing to make the transformations,” Daniel replied.

“Good, when can you begin?” The duke’s response indicated he was eager to collect the initial benefits of the agreement.

“I can begin immediately,” Daniel was quick to answer. “Where do you want me to work?”

Berl El Larkin waved his hand to the left. “Perform the service right here and begin with my wife.”

Decolina arose from her seat with the dignity of a queen, walked down the three steps, and came to a stop in front of Daniel. He reached into his cloak and removed the communication amulet given to him by Bela Sander. It seemed best to use it as a prop rather than terrify everyone in the room, they were tense enough. “I will need to place one hand on your forehead and the other with the amulet against your belly,” he informed her.

“You may proceed,” she granted permission.

He did so and focused What Is This and How Do You Feel into her. The baby boy would be born in two months if left to the natural process. “Your son is an Anakim. I will now transform him into a Nephilim,” he announced and then focused on the recipe of the child; infusing topaz life-force energy into each strand.

He removed his hands from her person. “Your son is now a Nephilim.”

“How did it feel?” One of the pregnant teenagers asked.

Decolina’s face was beaming with delight. “Heilina, the spell is warm and tingly, almost embarrassingly pleasant. Be assured you and Selera will enjoy the experience,” she responded and then turned to her husband. “Berl, did you hear? We are going to have a son.”

“Yes, I heard and am thrilled by the news,” the duke replied and smiled for the second time.

“I want to be next,” Helina insisted.

Daniel made the transformation for her and Selera, both would give birth to a female Nephilim within a month. He focused the Symphonics into Ianna’s mother and discovered the woman, although overly plumb, was under nourished. The boy and girl in her womb were demanding nutrients her body needed. “The first three expectant mothers are in their third trimesters. You are in your second and the pair of Anakim in your womb is the reason you are as large as the other women.”

“Are you saying I am carrying twins?” Ianna’s mother must have had trouble believing her ears.

Daniel nodded his head. “Yes, a boy and a girl.”

“That explains why this pregnancy had been the most difficult,” she replied, apparently satisfied with his response.

“Escarra has proven to be my most fertile concubine,” the duke remarked. “Your powers as a Clairvoyan first attracted me to you and I see the babies you have borne me as a bonus. Well done.”

Daniel changed the twins into Nephilim and then summoned and focused Replace into her. Using the excess fat, he followed the recipe her body called for and when he ceased all spells, she appeared to be many years younger.

The spectators began exclaiming about the change in her before she realized what he had done. “Mother, he has taken years off your body,” Ianna told her. “Thank you Seardoon for doing so.”

The duke’s eyes widened in pleasure; everyone was pleased, except Rimerole who kept saying, “It is impossible.”

“Seardoon, I thank you for this double boon. Your arrival has truly been a blessing,” Escarra told him with tears of joy flowing from her eyes.

Daniel nodded acknowledgement of her gratitude, but the smile he could not suppress stemmed from the fact that the tingling in his head had stopped, and was replaced by the sense of a job well done. It was similar to when as a boy he completed his regular set of chores and had the rest of the day free to do whatever he wanted.

“No spell can reverse aging,” Rimerole stated emphatically. 

His skepticism did nothing to alter Daniel’s good mood. “I agree. The spell allowed me to take some of the excess fat and use it to help her physically be the best that she can be. The evidence is before your eyes.”

The time had come to make the disclosures. “I feel you all should know the growth of each child will accelerate and all of them will have the same color potential and ..,” Daniel began.

“The life-force energy of each Nephilim is unique,” the Chief Conductor interrupted. “For all of them to have the same color is impos ..,”

“Rimerole, when are you going to tire of declaring everything this man does or says as being impossible?” Duke El Larkin did not hesitate to interrupt the interrupter. “Maestro, do you have an explanation as to why the hue of the life-force energy of each child will be the same?”

It was time to see if an even greater incentive could ensure the man would want his benefactor to remain alive. “The spell infuses my life-force into the forming child, it was the same with Clarian, and has been so in every babe I have transformed. The hue is a slightly paler shade than my topaz.”

“What happens if you die?”  Selera asked the question with her left hand pressing her abdomen.

It was the question Daniel had been counting on someone asking him. “There are Melodies that continue after the person who performed them dies and others that will end when the performer dies. If I die, the children will revert back to Anakim. Certain Musical truths are universal and Chief Conductor El Zahren can verify this is so.”

Rimerole seemed pleased his expertize was finally being recognized. He nodded and with all dignity stated, “While I cannot speak to this spell in particular, I can say the Maestro of the Atlantan Guild is correct about the universal principals governing Melodies. If he dies it is all together possible the effects of the spell will cease.”

“How old are you?” Decolina demanded an answer. “How can you guarantee house Larkin will always give birth to Nephilim if you die of old age in less than a century?”

Daniel rubbed his chin. “It seems Aakasears are not fond of growing old and since my tutor from Aakadon, who is the current Grand Maestro, chose not to teach me the Melody, I composed my own, and am even now under the influence of that spell. I am twenty-two years old and will physically appear to be so for a very long time. The only way any of these children can outlive me is if I die from some other means.”

Rimerole opened his mouth as if to make a declaration, but then shook his head, and left whatever he was going to say unsaid. “Someone my age cannot possess a gold trident, it is impossible,” Ianna gave an opinion formed from what she no doubt considered to be her vast years of experience.

Daniel shifted his gaze to her. “I did caution you about making assumptions about me based on appearances. Both my rate of increasing capacity and my rate of replenishing are extraordinary.”

“Why should we believe that or your claim of being an Aakasear or any of the claims you have made?” The Reaper finally joined the conversation.

Daniel glanced at him and then fixed his eyes on the duke. “Believe or disbelieve, it matters little to me. I have performed the agreed upon spells and Escarra’s improved health is a testament of my unique talent in Melody-wielding.”

“Yes, it certainly is,” the Investigator agreed. “At this point all that remains is for you to remain a guest of the palace until at least one of the children is born and his or her status as a Nephilim can be established.”

The duke nodded his head. “Pothefur is correct. You and your companions will be given quarters within the palace, with only a few restrictions.” The ruler gave the impression he would not take, “No,” for an answer.

“Simon, make sure no one is standing in the middle of the room,” Daniel sent to the chief-aid through the gem in his array. “I sense our hosts are about to become insistent. Tell Carlos not to convey into the courtroom, I do not want to start a quarrel. This must be done quickly so have whoever has a critter on the Trident ready to Convey us there when I join you.”

“I take this to mean you have fulfilled the purpose of this outing,” Simon replied, along with a sense of optimism mixed with a certain amount of tension. He probably would not be able to relax until they were all safely aboard the sapphire ship.

Daniel focused his attention on the duke. “While I appreciate the invitation, my duties as Maestro of the Atlantan Guild prevent me from accepting your offer of hospitality. I already know the babies will be Nephilim and trust that you will stick to our agreement. We will keep in touch in the spirit of cooperation and for now, I bid you farewell, and suggest you all shield your eyes.”

He pictured himself standing in the center of Ianna’s receiving room and focused Conveyance. Three heartbeats later he arrived in the midst of Simon, Sero, Carlos, David, and Silvia. Before Daniel could get a word in edgewise, darkness again swallowed him up, and less than four heartbeats later he appeared in the map-room of the trident. He was suddenly inundated with countless questions flying at him from a score of zealous enquirers, Sherree foremost among them. The diversity of queries was not the reason he hesitated to respond, it was the tears streaming from the Seer’s eyes and the fact that his awareness of Duzolta had vanished.

Chapter Seventeen: Hanging By A Thread

“Why are you weeping?” Daniel asked of the Seer. “The pressure in my head is gone, I felt the sensation lowering in intensity with each chore completed, and the purpose for which I appeared in Ra-Anan has been accomplished. I even appeared with a trident on my forehead and one on my back before the highest Zeuthan official in the land, his courtiers, and even some of his Anakim; which should count as me being seen with a trident in the presence of the high and low. All of that leads me to believe something else is amiss.”

He allowed the fake trident on his forehead to vanish. The questions that had been flying at him came to a stop when the people doing the asking realized he was not going to answer before Silvia responded. Perhaps his brief summation satisfied some of them. She sniffed a few times, wiped her eyes, and took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. “The symbolic rope from which you are dangling over the pit has frayed even more and you are hanging by a thread. I thought for sure your audience with El Larkin would sway the Vision more in your favor, but it has not. The question of life or death is still unsettled.” She clearly had difficulty containing her bitter disappointment and the tears were a reflection of her sincere concern for him.

“Blight it all!” Sherree shouted and probably would have slapped the table in the center of the map-room if a wide-eyed Clarian had not started crying at her outburst. The First Lady took a deep breath, calming her nerves, and then spoke soothingly to the baby. When their daughter was calm, she leveled a glare at the Seer, and after a few moments fixed her eyes on Daniel. “I regret the word but the emotion is completely justifiable. Every time we think you have accomplished the requirements of her Vision, she tells us it is not enough and you are still going to die at any moment. I am not blaming her and realize it would be worse if we fell into a false sense of security, but it is frustrating to know nothing we have done in all these months has changed your fate.”

“Perhaps his abrupt and startling departure has something to do with why the Vision has not been altered in his favor,” Simon speculated. “Ianna did warn you not to initiate a spell at court without her father’s permission. They might consider your actions as provocative and hostile.”

Daniel took a moment to listen through Queen Me. “The duke is agitated and guards have just returned from Ianna’s receiving room. They informed him that you all have also departed from the palace. So, yes, he is angry and some folks around him are expressing outrage that I had the audacity to wield a spell without his authorization,” he shared the visual and then explained, “They wanted us to remain as guests of the palace until after the first birth and gave me the impression a refusal would not be accepted. I preferred the strategic withdrawal to an almost certain spell-battle, even one I am sure I could’ve won.”

“Under the circumstance, I believe you made the right choice,” Leah assured him, “and especially now knowing your life is still at high risk. You might not have survived the fight that had seemed so winnable.”

“Could the unauthorized use of Potential be the reason the Vision has not changed?” Sherree demanded of the Seer.

“The Zeuthans are as mired in their traditions as are the Accomplisheds of Aakadon, so El Larkin may consider the insult significant enough to warrant the death of Daniel or at least enough to make the decision a fifty-fifty possibility,” Silvia replied with a stiff upper lip. It was not the first time she had been required to speak unpleasant words in order to reveal what needed to be heard.

“Maestro, you must have added a scout or two while away from us,” Sero rightly concluded.

“I am glad he did, especially one in the courtroom of the duke,” Carlos expressed his approval. “Maestro, informing El Larkin and his court that the babies you transformed would revert back to Anakim if you die was a masterful stroke.”

“I added the colony queen to my swirl,” Daniel stated, while having trouble accepting his handling of the duke as masterful in light of Silvia’s reaction.

“The queen is a great addition,” Jennel expressed her approval, but then her left eyebrow arched up questioningly. “Will all of the babes you transformed return to being non-Aakacarns if you die?”

Daniel snorted a stifled laugh, which was the result of a nervous reaction rather than humor. “I have no idea and by no means am I dying to find out, but the reversions are possible and seemed worth mentioning as if a certainty to the duke. I figured it would give him a good reason to keep me alive.”

“That is a good reason,” Silvia agreed. “Maybe he simply did not believe you.”

“I listened in through Jammie,” Carlos revealed to the crowd. “The duke, his wife, concubines, daughter, and even his Chief Conductor believed it to be so, of that I am convinced, and even I believed it. El Larkin is angry now, which might be why Silvia’s Viewing has not altered, perhaps he feels he has publically been made a fool of, and his pride is wounded. Maestro, you transformed five babies, yet the duke will not know that until after the first one is born and determined by his Spotters to be a Nephilim. He could not possibly remain angry after all five children turn out to be Nephilim. At that point his continuing joy will hinge upon you remaining alive.”

Sherree smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you Accomplished Tiran. Husband, this means all we have to do is keep you away from Ra-Anan until after the babies are born.”

Daniel had a feeling her solution would depend on the Swirling of Events, but barring the supernatural arm-twisting he had no reason to return to the dukedom until after the births, and so nodded affirmatively. “Good idea. All Simon has to do is alter my itinerary, making sure a trip to Ra-Anan stays off the list for a few months, and then all should work out well.”

Simon laughed while shaking his head. “That would be a first. Since when have you ever stuck with my carefully worked-out schedule for so much as a day?” He stopped to dramatically wave a finger at his Maestro. “I can feel the cracks forming even now.”

He had a point about the difficulty in scheduling, especially when the Swirling of Events interfered, but not even his attempt to lighten the mood made any difference on the glum faces in the map-room.

Leah frowned. “Daniel, do you really think the solution is that simple?”

He eyed the Conductors standing around him along with his wife, his entourage, Tim, Gina, and then responded to the First Accomplished, “Nothing in my life has been simple since I cast my first spell. My current peril is just another consequence and something I and those with me at the time will deal with when the moment comes. That being so, it would not hurt to stay away from Ra-Anan for a while.”

Silvia’s concern had driven thoughts of Duzolta into the deeper recesses of Daniel’s mind, but they came back as he considered the successes of the day. “By my way of reckoning, the last twenty-four marks have been positive for the Atlantan Guild and a lot of chores have been finished to satisfaction. We are on the greatest warship ever created and set to expand our association on a global scale. The Ferret will soon help us understand the imagery concerning the trident that has stymied our efforts to fulfill that part of the Vision. I, for one, believe this is no time for moping. Simon has the right idea; lighten up and enjoy the moment.”

“I’m glad someone got my point,” the chief-aid remarked.

The success of Ferren’s interview boded well for the former serpent’s future and meant the break in the link likely had a simple explanation, rather than being dire. He probably took the ring off. Daniel smiled and the genuine quality of the Chosen Vessel’s feelings acted like radiant sunbeams breaking through storm clouds. His mood reset the tone and even the First Accomplished could not maintain her frown and came very close to smiling, not quite, but close.

-----

Ferren brought the Jubal-flute to his lips. The black instrument had a reed on the mouth piece of what had to be the longest flute ever made. It had eight holes for fingering notes with gold valves along the side extending to four more holes farther down the shaft. The twelve holes provided an astonishing range of tones and the addition of the reed produced a sound that was truly pleasing to the ear.

He played the notes from the page as written. The wide ranging tones and frequent rhythm fluctuations required rapid finger changes. The average musician would have difficulty performing the melody perfectly for the first time and without ever hearing it performed, but Ferren was a master. His audience of one nodded his head approvingly at the completion.

“Your skill is truly remarkable. After a single day of practice you play the tool of our trade as if it were as familiar to you as the flute you arrived here with,” Musician-Instructor Bartimus Sandaboll, remarked. He bore an Amber-trident on his forehead and had the distinction of being the second cousin of Stephenus, the Master-Musician and Chief Conductor. The fuchsia silk cloak with red and black trim matched his blouse and pants. The hood was down, revealing neatly-trimmed black hair and ears that were slightly larger than average.

“You know I could have mastered these even quicker,” Ferren replied, indicating the eight rings on his fingers. His garments, minus a cloak, were the same as the plump Musician’s.

Bartimus smiled indulgently. “I understand your eagerness, but for you learning to focus Potential through an initiator was a small part of the lesson, the rest was and is about strictly following the rules. An Initiate cannot begin the study of the next ring until the morning of the third day after mastering the previous ring. Most trainees need the adjustment period and usually require more time, not less. The fact that you did not need the time does not make you an exception to the rule. Similarly, and pertinent to you at this point, all Melodies must be performed on the instrument named after Jubal the Innovative. You may use a flute, guitar, violin or any other instrument for ordinary melodies, but the rule states we use a Jubal-flute for Melodies and so it is the tool of our trade. If you want to know, why, the answer will always be; it is the rule,” he explained in his Zeuthan accent; saying violin instead of vyolin and guitar instead of guitarn. “It may not seem so to you, but going from a Spotter’s find to a Novice-Musician in one month is extraordinarily fast. Then again, you were a Musician in your former association and I take that into consideration. I must caution you, ambition is a good quality but it must be tempered with self-restraint and that I perceive will be the greater challenge for you going forward.”

They sat at a table in a small room in the building formerly known as the public library but had become the unofficial home of the College of Musicians. Ferren, being the only Novice, had the undivided attention of the Instructor. The nine other adult Initiates were still working to earn their rings and none of them were likely to become Musicians. “Rule breaking in my former association often proved fatal for the violator. I will not allow my impatience to override my instinct to survive,” the Ferret responded, while laying the instrument on the table.

The Instructor chuckled before replying, “You have been given a copy of the rules and therefore know mentally performing a Melody is the only violation that could earn you the death penalty and that if someone died as a result. The penalties for all other violations are unpleasant to experience but nothing severe enough to cause death. I am sure you will manage to survive my tutelage,” he paused and nodded reassuringly. “Going by the way you performed that last melody; one that is far more difficult than any Jade-level Melodies you will be called upon to perform, I have no doubt you will soon graduate to Musician and receive your cloak, and begin creating life-force initiators for the new recruits. You have reason to celebrate even as everyone is excited about the completion of the High Velocity Rail System in record time. It is now possible to go from Port New Aresia on the opposite side of the island to Polen Tare in less than two hours. You and the Nephilim of Metrena have finished your tasks ahead of all expectations; of course they had four thousand Nephilim from the United Imperial Legion to lend their Potentials to the job, while your achievement was a solo endeavor.”

The addition brought the total of Nephilim legionnaires in the city to just over six thousand, but Ferren did not care about matters unrelated to his present circumstances. The final test had not been as challenging as he expected, not that he would complain. Every Talented trained in the Serpent Guild, Aakadon, and probably the Atlantan Guild, were required to master musically complicated melodies before they would be allowed to study any Melodies that summoned Potential. The thought of failure never occurred to him. He smiled because it was expected after receiving the praise for his achievement and then asked, “When will I be allowed to work toward earning my cloak?”

“I can see the eagerness in your eyes,” Bartimus replied, “It is a good thing the rules do not require a waiting period after performing the prerequisite Melodies.”

Ferren was confused. “I only performed one; your response suggests there were some I have not yet played.”

The Instructor nodded his head affirmatively. “There are in fact five melodies, but in my capacity as your tutor I have a certain amount of flexibility. After judging your musicianship, I gave you the most difficult piece, and you performed it perfectly. It is clear to me the other works would be less challenging and therefore a waist of my valuable time. The sooner you earn the cloak, the sooner I can give you the Jade-related work I am forced to do now in addition to my teaching duties and other Amber-related work. The fact that my decision aligns with your ambitions is purely coincidental.”

“I am grateful your goals further mine,” Ferren replied, feeling quite at home. After all, it was the basis upon which members of his former association worked together and built up alliances.

The Instructor stood from his chair. “I will bring you the Jade Book of Melodies to study for the rest of the day and into the night, if the extra time is necessary. Tomorrow I will supervise your performance of the first five Melodies. The fire spells; six, seven, and eight, are more dangerous and special preparations must be made before I can allow you to summon and focus such deadly Potentials.”

Ferren’s former repertoire had a few fire spells, one written by Nimrod and the others by Tarin Conn. It would not be the first time the Ferret focused deadly Potential through an instrument, but it seemed prudent to behave as if he approved of the overly cautious lesson-plan.

The very idea a Master-Musician would need such precautions was insulting and yet he knew his goals would be better served by pretending the questioning of his skill and the attack on his dignity had not occurred. In the Serpent Guild, a One-bolt Accomplished often had to swallow his pride in order to survive among people with greater repertoires and higher Potentials. “I appreciate the expedited schedule and am eager to begin the process of building a new repertoire,” he responded with what he hoped conveyed a sense of exuberance.

The appreciation and eagerness had to do with the prospect of learning new Melodies and nothing to do with the schedule, but those true feelings were strong enough to assuage his irritation over the insult and cover the falsehood.

The Instructor gave a single nod of approval and walked out. Ferren reached into his pocket and removed the silk pouch containing the toe-ring. He loosed the drawstring and allowed the device to fall into the palm of his hand. The physical contact would be enough to establish the connection. “Maestro, I passed my final test and will soon be given the Jade Book of Melodies.”

A sense of carefully restrained hope came ahead of the words, “You have been out of contact for quite a while, but I was confident you would be working toward your goal of creating a new repertoire. Given your tenacity, I am a little surprised you took a month to arrive at this point.”

“I mastered the rings as each was given to me and the required instrument after practicing with it for half a day,” Ferren replied and did not care his irritation also was conveyed along with the words. “I progressed as quickly as the Zeuthan rules allowed. That being so, I am not sure how useful the equivalent of One-bolt Melodies will be to you, but in keeping with the deal, I will share what I learn. By the way, you have not yet assigned an Agent to handle these relatively minor conversations. I would think a Maestro had better things to do.”

“It seems you advanced at the quickest pace possible. I decided the information you gain is worth my time and believe another level of communication is unnecessary,” Benhannon replied with the exact same amount of carefully restrained hope, meaning he was masking his true feelings.

“And here I thought it was because the Melody in this ring is not the one normally used in a communication amulet, that the unique device creates a connection to my mind similar to what I shared with Tarin Conn. I recognized the feeling after the Reaper removed his spell.”

A sense of caution mixed in with the previously restrained emotion came with the words, “My response is still true but the other reason is also true.”

“Upon later reflection I realized, like you have done with many of Tarin Conn’s ideas and Melodies, you took his work and made it more efficient. You responded to the questions asked of me as if you were seeing through my eyes and hearing through my ears. The only question I remember specifically directing at you had to do with why they should trust me,” Ferren sent and again allowed his irritation to be transmitted with the words. “I’m not feeling the connection as deeply now, but believe you could possess me as thoroughly as any of the animals at your command. I do not control the trigger that opens communications between us.”

“Yes, the Symphonic in the ring does what you say. However, you control the connection by removing the ring,” Benhannon admitted. “The trigger does exist in my mind for the reason I previously gave you. The interview would have gone poorly for us both if Speak To Me was in the gemstone. Yet, even after realizing the depth of the connection you are using the ring to communicate with me now.”

Ferren deliberately sent a burst of rage through the link ahead of the words, “Because we made a deal and breaking it would be a betrayal and you made sure I cannot betray you.”

“Do you blame me?”    

Ferren laughed bitterly. “I blame you for destroying my life, but not the tricky way you have been handling me. I would be doing far worse to you if our positions were reversed.”

“We seem to understand one another well enough,” Benhannon replied with the same masked emotions, yet with a thread of truth underlying the words. “The deal stands and the information you gather, no matter how trivial it may seem to be, will have value. For instance, what does wearing or bearing a trident mean to the Zeuthans? I remember the Spotter telling you that was something you will learn. How do the Nephilim initiate the equivalent of High-powered spells using Jade-level Potential? The second question seems more important than the first, yet we never know what tidbit of information will fill in a critical gap at an important moment, so share what you learn even if it seems useless.”

His response triggered a memory of a conversation between the Maestro, Trenca, and the Teki Seer. Ferren also recalled the first visit in the holding cell. Gaining information about the trident had been causally thrown in then and just now, but the words in the alley gave the symbol much more significance. “I will share the Melodies, traditions, and the meaning of trivial things such as bearing a trident as I learn them. Our deal stands. I walk freely and am again wielding Potential through the rings and will soon build a new repertoire just as you promised. My part is to pass what I learn on to you. There is nothing more to report at this time, so I will end this communication and get back to you later,” Ferren replied without transmitting any emotions that would allow Benhannon to sense the man he Condemned had figured out why the trident was so important.

The ring went right back into the pouch and then into the pocket. Hopefully the speed at which the connection was severed kept the Maestro from probing deeper into the thoughts of his host. Ferren, being familiar with the feeling of the more intimate connection, was reasonably sure Benhannon had not gone so far as that.

Instructor Sandaboll returned carrying two books; one an old tome with parchment pages and the other a newer hardcover about a quarter of the size. He placed both on the table and then shoved the second one in front of his student. “Take a look at the first Melody and tell me whether or not you can read the notes,” he directed.

Ferren opened the book and the first spell was titled, Rope of Air. He could not perceive a single note and so flipped the page and could not read the notes for, Waken the Sprig, and so kept flipping pages. He could not read the Music for Spout a Leak, Ball of Light, Levitation, or Sparking the Flame. Twenty pages into the Jade Book of Melodies he was able to read the notes for some Melodies but not others. “A good many of these spells were a basic part of my repertoire and the Silencing has affected my ability to perceive the notes, but I can read these other Melodies,” he admitted, feeling dejected. How was he supposed to create Jade-level initiators if he could not perform the Music for the basic rings?

Bartimus nodded and smiled as if expecting the problem. “The only Aakasear both of our societies have in common is Nimrod. I suspected many of his Melodies would be taught in your former institution as they are in ours and have therefore been permanently erased from your perception.”

Ferren slammed the book closed. “So my career is over before it has even started.”

The instructor gently placed the tome in front of his student. “Gloria Van Helen was a member of the College of Musicians in Posedon. The signs of her being an Aakasear manifested early on in the form of rule breaking. She had a difficult time conforming to the norms we strictly follow, but her true talent came to be known when she modified the Melody for ring six and it performed exactly as she intended. The fire-spell would have cooked the brain of anyone else daring to alter the Music.”

“Aakasears chafe at following rules so they make up their own and expect others to follow them. I know, having been involved with two,” Ferren shared his experience. “How does that characteristic relate to my problem?”

“I see increasing patience in you is going to require more of an effort on my part,” the Instructor replied. “This tome is an ancient copy of a copy of a book written by Gloria Van Helen. The fact that she was easily bored with monotonous work, like performing the same Melodies the same way day after day to create life-force initiators, is the reason she may have the solution to your problem. I could turn this into a lesson on patience and make you wait days or a week for the information. Do I have your attention now or are you going to keep interrupting me?”

“Thank you for anticipating my problem and coming with a possible solution. I would appreciate it greatly if you continue to educate me while I quietly sit here and listen,” Ferren replied, realizing he deserved a much worse reprimand. His instructors in the Serpent Guild would have inflicted mind-numbing pain to emphasis their point and to make the lesson more memorable.

Bartimus cleared his throat and then continued, “She added flourishes and increased the tempos, so the Melodies take exactly the same amount of time to perform and her versions became so popular with her fellow Jades she wrote them down. It is possible the modifications are different enough from the originals to count as new and therefore keep the Silencing spell used on you from erasing them from your perception. Open the book and tell me if you can read her version of Rope of Air.”

Ferren carefully opened the ancient tome and smiled as he read the notes out loud to his tutor. “You have saved my budding career. I can perform the Melody,” he stated with honest pleasure and then turned the next page of brittle parchment with the reverent care it deserved. “I can read Waken the Sprig as well. This is the most valuable book I have ever held in my hands.”

“I am glad you appreciate my personal property and expect you will continue to handle it with care,” the Instructor replied and then his green eyes narrowed. “The original work is in the library of the emperor and each duke has a copy. There are only twenty copies of those copies in existence and I am one of the few historians to possess one, which brings me to your assignment. You will go page by page through both books and you will copy Gloria’s versions into your Jade Book of Melodies. Anyone else who looks at your changes will see notes on top of notes, but you will perceive only what you have copied. Afterwards, give me back my undamaged book. It had better be in the same condition as it is now.”

Ferren deeply appreciated the lengths to which the Zeuthan was going to help him. “I am fortunate to have an Instructor who is also a historian. Words cannot adequately express my gratitude.”

Bartimus brushed the remark away with the sweep of his hand. “Providence is in your favor because not many historians know of the existence of this book or that Gloria Van Helen wrote one. However I did this more for me than for you. There is no Jade-level Melody beyond your ability to perform flawlessly as written and I already know you have been focusing Potential through instruments for years. The lesson I spoke to you about earlier is a formality required by the rules, but your only real challenge is to complete the assignment I just gave you, and when it and the formalities are met the cloak will be yours. As I told you already, the fact that my decision aligns with your ambitions is purely coincidental.”

   “I am grateful your goals further mine,” Ferren replied in the way he had before, yet with a greater understanding of the kindness involved.

Bartimus pulled a writing instrument from an inner pocket of his cloak and laid it on the table. He stood, gave a nod of his head, and stated, “I have other duties and so will leave you to work on your assignment.”

“Instructor, will you answer one more question?” Ferren called out as the man reached the door.

Bartimus turned to face him. “What do you want to know?”

“Gelica Vasmussuan told me I would learn what it means to wear and bear a trident. Will you tell me what it means to you?”

“You are in the process of learning,” he began, imparted the meaning, and then exited.

  His answer sparked mental warfare between Ferren’s deepest desires and the constraints governing his actions. He remembered every word of the conversation that had taken place in the alley; “Them seeing you bearing a trident might fulfill Silvia’s Viewing and save your life,” Trenca had said. “Will it?” The Maestro had asked. “I hope so, otherwise your life could be forfeit at any time,” the Seer had replied.

If his life was forfeit at any time a month ago, then his life had to be hanging by a thread by now, Ferren reasoned. All I have to do to get my revenge is absolutely nothing.

The temptation to withhold the critical information continued to build as he began the assignment. The mental distraction did not affect his ability to copy the spell accurately into the Jade Book of Melodies, but did escalate the growing conflict centering on definitions. He pondered the meaning of against, betray, and harm, trying to see how they applied in the current situation. Someone else would be acting against Benhannon, not Ferren, and someone else would be causing harm. Doing nothing did not violate either of those restrictions; it was the other word that caused the turmoil. No matter how he tried to redefine betrayal, and he did try hard, in the end it was the deal that settled the matter.

The trickster got me to agree to that blighted deal; otherwise failing to share the information would not be a betrayal!

He cursed several more times; not realizing he had paused half way through copying the second Melody until after the depth of his outrage was expressed. He had to share everything taught to him by the Zeuthans; it was maddening but true.

The Maestro would surely be smart enough to hunker down until the knowledge was imparted. The spell compels me to reveal to him what he needs to know in order to survive, no matter how painful or personally harmful and yet there are degrees of harm. I am compelled to choose the least, but the timing of the telling is up to me, he reasoned.

Ferren made up his mind; the communication could wait until after he completed his assignment. It seemed the only avenue of revenge open to him was to make the Eight-bolt wait all day and into the night for the information. Ferren could not imagine anything capable of killing the Aakasear within that timeframe and so the idea did not violate any of the restrictions.

Chapter Eighteen: Into the Pit

Daniel took a knee on the roof of the Willow Guild and placed the palm of his unshielded hand on the smooth emerald surface. Samuel squatted beside him. Most of the lights in the city were out and yet individual lights could be seen in multi-colored hues in the windows of various buildings, illumining the nocturnal-minded occupants. Strong gusts of wind whipped the hood of Daniel’s cloak back while the rest of the silk garment flapped wildly as if about to take flight. A particularly strong gust nearly toppled Sam onto his bottom, but with some fancy footwork and a steadying hand he managed at the last moment to keep from falling.

Sero, Carlos, and Bonny Tell were aboard Manta-One, which was practically invisible in the night. The dutiful Agent worked to maintain the Hidden Shield that kept the resident Aakacarns from sensing the presence of the craft, crew, and the CPA’s operating the systems. It was the first time that particular spell had been used on a ray, an idea accredited to Chas Herling. The innovation did nothing to hide any harmonic waves and so only a minimal amount of Potential could be used while they were within Aakadon.

“Be very subtle or the Accomplisheds might sense what you are doing,” the Conductor of the ISIG shouted in order to be heard over the wind. “All of this will be for nothing if they discover we were here. The Eagles are liable to move Ginnie to another building and it could take who-knows-how-long to figure out where. Worse, if they learn about the existence and function of Hidden Shield, the Senior Soarers will be ready the next time we try something like this. That scenario assumes we get away at all.”

Daniel held three Symphonics in his mind with each Da Capo tied to his life-force. Personal Shield was already in place; Fashioning, and Find All were ready to be focused at will. He shifted his gaze to the former Teki and sent the reply through the gem in the communication array, “Do you want to do this?”

“I would love to do this, but a month of trying and none of us in the ISIG, and no one working for Sandra or Jeremiah, have been able to get a scout into the building,” his frustration over the fact was transmitted along with the words, but the emotion was suddenly curbed by a feeling akin to seeing a light in a dark place. “You can focus the required Potential finely enough to learn what we need to know in a relatively short period of time and do so without getting caught.”

“Precisely, this is why I am on the top of a skyscraper in the middle of the night rather than sleeping in my bed beside Sherree,” Daniel sent along with the feeling of; tell me what I don’t know. “I’m going to begin now.”

He sent his awareness into the gemstone building, taking in the area of the roof and slowly downward, sensing through Fashioning, the rooms and corridors, empty offices, closets and cupboards. Find .All allowed him to sense objects; plants of all sorts and hundreds of Aakacarns on each level as his spells moved steadily from chamber to chamber and from floor to floor.

Most of the occupants were lying in horizontal positions on beds formed of precious and exotic woods, which was not surprising in a guild known for making plants grow. The Willows loved fine-wood paneling; that was for sure. Very few rooms had bare walls. He recognized Senior Forester Galloway sleeping on the thirty-sixth floor. Barnabas and Runyan Cransur were the only Willows in the building Daniel had shaken hands with in the past, the rest he sensed as Aakacarns, but not their genders. A few minutes later he sensed the Maestro asleep in his chambers on the twenty-ninth floor.

“Remember, this is an information-gathering mission. When you locate Ginnie, please do not attempt a rescue. We will take what we learn and with Chas, Leah, and the other Conductors, develop a plan,” Sam apparently felt the need to add the unnecessary reminder.

Duzolta had made contact earlier in the daytime and would hopefully learn what needed to be known about the trident, but there was no telling exactly when that would happen. With his life still hanging by a symbolic thread, Daniel had no intention of charging recklessly into danger, and yet his fellow Atlantans continued to speak to him as if they expected to the contrary.

He would only charge off at great need and after a cautious examination of the surroundings and certainly not alone. Sero and Carlos were at the crescendos of the manta and ready to defend him against any threats and Sam was squatting in the wind on the top of the Emerald Tower for the same reason.

Daniel gave a nod of acknowledgement while continuing his dual scan of the Willow’s headquarters. He sensed two Aakacarns in a room on the eighteenth floor who were lying so close to one another and active it was clear the couple were not Accomplisheds of the old school variety.

“I can see a light in the office on the top floor of the Eagle Guild,” Samuel mentally sent through the gem. “Talmon Reese is still awake. If he becomes suspicious and uses Sight of An Eagle, he will be able to see us from the window.”

“I am not familiar with that spell, but going by the title it must be similar to Osprey Vision,” Daniel sent with eyes closed and while continuing his downward scans.

“It is a spell only known to an Eagle or as in my case, a former Eagle. I could see farther using it but the Melody requires six times more potential than your Symphonic,” Sam explained. “Seeing Talmon makes me wonder if there are Soarers posted on roofs at other points in the city. If so, I expect they will be watching the streets bellows us. Shyann DeCanny keeps filing useless petitions to see Ginnie and verify her well-being, but trust me when I say there is not an Eagle in the guild who believes we will stick strictly to negotiations and endless requests. They know we are going to eventually resort to teleportation in an attempt to rescue her and thus Soarers and Senior Soarers must be on watch even at this mark of the night. They will be listening for the sounds of displaced air, which is why we flew here stealthily in the first place. I am telling you this because the slightest flicker from either of us could draw unwanted attention.”

“Thanks for the warning. It is good I have you to watch my back,” Daniel replied, leaving off the fact he knew why they had flown rather than Conveyed and also had expected a heightened surveillance by the Eagles. The interruptions were not helpful, but having the extra pair of eyes certainly was.

His awareness passed through offices and dining areas, kitchens and storage rooms, as well as a massive terrarium that took up most of the open central space of the third and second floors. The Willows enjoyed an exclusive indoor park with a waterfall and pond in the middle. The offices and reception area on the ground floor were empty. The first and second below-ground levels were sleeping quarters and most of them were occupied by slumbering Aakacarns.

“The longer we are here, the more likely it is we will be discovered,” Sam needlessly informed as part of his nature. He was always in a hurry to complete a set task and whenever he had to wait even short periods; time seemed to slow to a crawl from his perspective.

Daniel’s awareness reached the sub-basement and among the private quarters he sensed a familiar person in a room with three other Aakacarns. “I have found Ginnie. She is in the eighth bedroom down the hall between the stairway and lift-shaft. I am surprised there are so many Aakacarns who sleep in the basement.”

“The Sprouts will be on the lowest level and Saplings above them. Those levels in the old building were deserted but after Tarin Conn’s visit the Maestro decided things would be different,” Sam sent through the gem in the array along with feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and anxiousness.  “You found the Seeker. It is time we get back aboard Manta-One and leave this place.”

Daniel refused to quit before the chore was done. “I now know every nook and cranny of the building, can tell you the materials it is made of, and where every person is at this exact moment. However the model I could make will not be good enough to provide Visualization points for Conveyance. We need more information,” he replied and then sent his awareness into the water pipes and deep underground into the bedrock. It was best to give Chas as much information as possible; perhaps he would see an opportunity others did not.

It came as a surprise when the pipes did not bend toward the Mighty Hirus, but continued straight down. He followed them for a span and then became aware of a deep river flowing south. All of the pipes of Aakadon were tapped into the pure water source. He spread his awareness out several spans in all directions and sensed bedrock east and west and endless water to the north and south. He did not dare invest the amount of Potential it would require to discover the source or the end point.

“I can see people on the roof of the Eagle Guild. All it would take is one glance in our direction and they will see us,” Sam sent the warning and touched Daniel’s unshielded hand as if the mental communication might not have been enough to gain his attention.

Instead of answering, Daniel ceased his scans, stood up, and walked toward what looked like a giant crystal manta ray. He was half way up the left fin when Sam caught up to him. “I take this to mean you have deemed the chore completed,” the Conductor sent mentally rather than revert to shouting.

The hatchway formed and Daniel climbed down into the ray. Bonny stood from the pilot-seat to give place to her Maestro, but he motioned for Samuel to take her place. “The chore is done. I’ve been awake for two days at this point and want to get a little sleep, but first I will transfer what I learned so you can present our findings in the meeting,” Daniel told him and then focused Teach Me at the Conductor, implanting in his mind the ability to create a three dimensional construct of everything surveyed in the study of the Willow Guild.

“I will not let you down,” Samuel assured him and then took a seat at the controls.

Daniel ceased all of the spells he had been maintaining and sat down in the center chair to his right while Bonny took the other. She flipped up the desktop and put on the wristband to power the eye-shaped viewer, but he reclined and closed his eyes.

“Take us out of here real slow,” Carlos spoke as if he was the only one who realized the need for caution.

“Be assured I intend to,” Sam replied while easing the manta into the air. “Agent, keep that shield on us until I instruct you otherwise.”

“It will be as you say,” Bonny replied.

“I half expected our Maestro to swoop to the rescue the moment he located Accomplished Cree,” Sero evidently felt the need to express his thoughts.

“I reminded him of the mission and in spite of his mountaineer heritage, he actually listened,” Sam told the crew as he piloted the ray higher into the starry sky.

Daniel was about to comment when a sense of high anxiety, mixed with resentment, entered his mind along with the words, “After our previous communication I asked my Instructor, Bartimus Sandaboll, about wearing and bearing a trident. You spoke of the information as being unimportant on other occasions, but, going by the conversation that took place when you teleported me into Polen Tare, I have come to realize the information is vital to you,” Duzolta announced with regret.

“Have you learned what it means to wear and bear a trident?” Daniel chose to ask the question rather than admit how vital the information truly was to him.

A host of negative emotions flowed through the mental connection ahead of the words, “All he would say is that I am on my way to learning, but I am certain he can explain now rather than in dribbles over time.”

Daniel did not have a lot of time. “If gaining the information is going to take time, why are you contacting me now?”

Intense frustration flowed ahead of the words, “Because the compulsion you laid on me. Even though it would not be me acting against you and I want to let you die, it momentarily occurred to me I agreed as part of our deal to share the Melodies, traditions, and the meaning of trivial things such as bearing a trident as I learn them; to do otherwise would be a betrayal,” he explained and then intense bitterness shot through the link. “Blight it all! That blasted compulsion kicked in and now I must tell you there is an opportunity to gain the information right away.”

Daniel could not afford to miss any opportunities. It seemed the Swirling of Events had been working in his favor in regard to his dealings with Duzolta all along, beginning with their encounter in Fon Kay. The realization pleased him enough to counter the Ferret’s storm of negative emotions. “Explain exactly how the knowledge can be gained from the instructor right away, especially if he insists on being parsimonious with the information.”

It took a few minutes for Duzolta to calm his feelings and then a sense of satisfaction surfaced as the dominant emotion. “He can be trapped and compelled to impart the information. I have been preparing for my final exam as a Novice-Musician and will soon earn my cloak and be a full Musician. The test was scheduled for tomorrow but he just entered my quarters and announced it was time; after waking me out of a deep sleep. He cited something about Musicians being instant in season and out of season; that we must be ready at any time to perform our function.”

“Do you have a Melody that can compel him?” Daniel wanted to know.

“No, but you do. Listen, if you can see through my eyes, you can visualize well enough to teleport. I cannot harm you, much as I would truly like to, and I know you can quickly overwhelm the equivalent of a Two-bolt Accomplished. All you have to do is use your version of Truth Speak on him and he will tell you everything you need to know. You can be in and out of here in less than a tenth of a mark with no one the wiser but you and me.”

Daniel greatly missed the days when the Swirling of Events drew whatever he needed to him. It was blasted inconvenient with the reverse situation and him having to go where he needed to be. In spite of the compulsions he did not fully trust Duzolta and yet the opportunity to finally fulfill the requirement to bear the trident properly and survive could not be allowed to pass by. “The Ferret has found a viable way for me to learn what it means to wear and bear a trident,” he announced to his companions.

“He cannot be trusted to have your best interests in mind,” Carlos responded. “His viable way might be detrimental to you.”

“He is a Serpent still, in heart,” Daniel agreed, “But the compulsions I laid on him require his cooperation in this matter,” he added and went on to explain the plan.

“I will go with you,” Bonny stated, earnestly.

“I am his bodyguard, it is my place to go,” Carlos declared.

“I am his assistant, I will go,” Sero made his case for being included.

“No, it has to be me,” Sam insisted.

“This opportunity will not last long,” Daniel told them. “Manta-One needs to be well away from Aakadon before any powerful spells can be used and so needs a pilot and a crew. In addition, you have a presentation in the morning to prepare for. Duzolta cannot harm me and I can easily subdue a Nephilim with an Amber-trident and..,”

“I am sure you can,” Samuel interrupted, “but you, Conveying unaccompanied into hostile territory is out of the question, even if we risk losing this seemingly golden opportunity.”

“And Bonny will be going with me,” Daniel finished what he had been about to say.

“She is?” Sam seemed surprised.

“I am?” the Agent seemed even more surprised than her Conductor. “You usually want to keep me away from dangerous situations.”

Daniel turned to her. “This will be an information-gathering mission and therefore well within your area of expertise. You will cast Honesty, I will question the instructor, and then you will remove the memory of our visit from his mind. Should things go awry, we will have each other’s backs. There will be an element of danger, but unlikely to be anything beyond our combined efforts to handle.”

“I am pleased to have earned your confidence,” she replied and smiled as if a great prize had been awarded to her.

Daniel focused on the ISIG Conductor. “Will you lend me the services of your Agent?”

Samuel did not take his eyes from the view ahead, but nodded agreement. “Bonny is a little over eager at times and yet is very good at what she does. I will not worry over your safety with her beside you.”

“I am focusing Hidden Shield so she can cease her effort and go with you,” Sero informed. It was good of him to take on the chore.

Daniel concentrated on Duzolta to the point he could see through his eyes. “I see the Instructor sitting across from you on the other side of the table. I want you to gaze around the room.”

“Why, don’t you trust that he and I are alone in the room or is it me you do not trust?” The Ferret’s reply came with a sense of rye humor, but he did do as instructed.

Using the Ferret’s eyes, Daniel made sure no one else was in the room and even listened through Ferren’s ears. “You will soon begin to learn the things involved with bearing that trident on your forehead,” Bartimus Sandaboll stated.

“Now I trust you and he are in the room alone and for the record, I never have trusted you. I am counting on the restrictions I put into place to keep you from betraying me,” Daniel sent without varnishing the truth. “I will be arriving shortly behind and to the left of Sandaboll.”

“I will do my best not to flinch,’ Duzolta replied with a profound sense of satisfaction mixed with his usual feelings of resentment.

Daniel performed the Music for Find All, Personal Shield, and Conveyance, summoned the Potential, and then pictured him and Bonny standing on either side of the seated instructor. They arrived three heart-beats later.

Bonny shouted, lights flickered from multiple points in the room, and for a moment Daniel sensed the presence of twenty-one more people within the confined space. They were against the walls. In that same moment Ferren burst out laughing as Daniel slumped to the floor while struggling to put together enough words to form a cohesive thought. Images and thoughts from animals linked to him only served to make matters worse. The mental containers in his head were gone and his consciousness was lost in the overwhelming input of information, none of which was he able to make any sense of.

----- 

Sherree Jenna-Benhannon’s reoccurring nightmare continued. Daniel was hanging naked somewhere in the east over a pit full of Inaminutes and the frayed rope was on the verge of snapping.  It broke and he plummeted amidst the venomous lizards and they proceeded to bite him viciously. The scene changed and she stood watching as he faced three fire-breathing crocodiles. The pyro-leviathans burnt him beyond recognition. The theme of nearly all of her dreams over the five months since learning of the Teki-Seer’s troubling Vision was of Daniel dying in one horrible way after another.

The scene changed again with him far to the west and walking over leafy ground. He took another step and fell into a hidden pit occupied by Red-cloaked Reapers. Each of them swung their ruby-bladed scythes. Sherree screamed as if feeling the cuts. Clarian’s voice joined in the mourning and her cries were inconsolable.

The First Lady’s eyes popped open as she realized the baby really was crying. Without another thought she sprang out of bed, grabbed her cloak, and ran into the nursery. She picked up Clarian with the intent of scanning to find out what was wrong, but then noticed the ever-present and comforting sense of Daniel’s direction had vanished, which was impossible, unless; “No, he can’t be gone!”

She knew creatures linked to him all over the world would be raising a raucous. From the smallest critters in and around Atlantan to the giant ants in the Dukedom of Ra-Anan, the animals would be swarming and scurrying in distress. Birds of prey as well as Quetzals, Dactyls, and Phodons had to be taking to the sky and screeching their outrage. Leviathans had to be thrashing their tails in fury while Sasquatches and Yetis bellowed in alarm.

It took a few moments for the horror to set in and then tears gushed from her eyes, yet her dreadful conclusion needed to be verified. She rocked Clarian back and forth while heading back into the master bedroom and then grabbed and put on the communication array. The gem given by Daniel was inactive. She knew what that meant and knowing so seemed to twist her innards into a wad. “This cannot be happening! He cannot be dead,” she told herself and then remembered where he should have been and with whom. “Samuel, I cannot feel where Daniel is. Terroll would not kill him even if you all were caught scanning the Willow Guild.”

Deep sorrow flowed through the link. “He should have been safe. Bonny went with him. It was just an information-gathering mission that should have lasted minutes at the most and suddenly I cannot feel him anymore,” he paused. “Carlos and Sero also felt their sense of his direction vanish.”

“Bonny went with him, where?” Sherree demanded an answer.

Grief and fear came ahead of the words, “The College of Musicians in Polen Tare.”

“What!” The thought was not transmitted as a question. The sudden rage Sherree could not contain had flared to great heights and the single word contained all of that emotion. “How could you let Daniel go into a Zeuthan stronghold with only a One-bolt for backup?” She vented more of her anger and grief and then calmed enough to ask, “Have you tried to contact her?”

Regret blended into the emotional turmoil. “She is not dead but seems to be in a mental fog so dense I cannot get a response. Bonny must have been captured along with him,” Sam replied and then went on to explain the reason Daniel had gone and ended with, “It should have been impossible for the Ferret to betray him, maybe the little Serpent has also been caught.”

“Should have been impossible does not mean treachery played no part in this,” Sherree replied. “Everyone involved with harming my husband and Agent Tell will soon feel the wrath of the Atlantan Guild.”

“They certainly will,” Sam agreed and then Sherree ended the communication, rather than vent any more of her feelings on him.

“I cannot sense Daniel’s direction and am unable to communicate with him,” Leah’s troubled thoughts came with a sense of anguish and pain. “I have not felt anything like this since what happened after we captured Shantear. The loss of my connection to him woke me out of a deep sleep.”

It was at Shantear where Daniel had been drained of every drop of his life-force energy. Sherree refused to accept his death then, but felt she might have no choice in the present. “I cannot feel him either. The difference between then and now is his being away from us and in hostile territory,” she added and then told where he had gone.

Leah’s reply came and was lost amidst hundreds of voices that suddenly assaulted Sherree’s mind. Each person sought some assurance from her their Maestro was alive and well. “He is gone, that’s all I know,” she replied, being grateful the response was mental rather than spoken. She had no voice at the moment. It was painful to even think the words. “Leah, I am calling for a meeting in the conference-room of the Benhannon Estate. I want all Conductors there in five minutes and have someone Convey Chas Herling from the Northland Holding.”

“We will be there,” the First Accomplished replied, while projecting a profound sense of loss.

Red-faced and eyes-squeezed shut, Clarian only stopped crying long enough to take the next breath. It was clear she sensed the tragedy, even though the Symphonic, Restoration, had never been used on her. Sherree laid her daughter in the crib long enough to get dressed and then picked her up. Holding the baby she and Daniel had begotten seemed to bring a little comfort, but not enough to stop the flow of tears.

Jaim Cutler was waiting for her in the greeting-room.  She and Daniel no longer used the duplicate room deep below the estate, not since he killed Tarin Conn, and so the Sentinel guarded the door. His eyes were red and he seemed to be struggling to hold his composure. “Sir Daniel always comes back to us,” he spoke as if to encourage her not to give up hope and perhaps him as well.

Sherree wiped her eyes, yet they only teared up again. “This time he really does need to do the impossible,” she replied and then, it happened.

She could sense his direction and the resulting emotional whiplash stunned her for a moment. The man who captured her heart was to the west and she could point straight to him. Joy filled her soul to the brim. “Daniel, thank the Creator you are alive,” she sent with all the love in her being, and yet she received back a whirlwind of images, incoherent words, and a sense of confusion.

She took some comfort from the fact that his captors had the necessary skills to revive him, but feared death still lingered at the door.

“I told you he always comes back!” Jaim shouted and laughed as tears flowed down his cheeks. “Impossible only means Sir Daniel has not yet done it.”

Clarian’s eyes opened, the crying ceased, and she hiccupped. Her dark orbs reflected contentment and there was absolutely no doubt the earlier distress and present relief were tied to her father. Sherree handed the little darling to Jaim. “Watch over her for a while. I am going to be in a meeting,” she told him. “Sir Daniel might need a little help maintaining his most recent and previously impossible achievement.”

The young Sentinel’s eyes went wide at holding such a small child, but then he looked into her eyes and smiled. “I will guard her with my life while you figure out how to help her daddy stay alive.”

“I will do my best,” Sherree assured him and then mentally performed the Music for Conveyance, pictured the conference-room below, and three heartbeats later arrived in her place at the table.

Leah appeared a few moments later and the rest of the Conductors arrived one minute ahead of schedule. No one complained about people Conveying directly into the room. Chas walked in with Accomplished Paul Preidor, a Three-bolt Accomplished and second in command of the Aakacarns assigned to the Benhannon Northland Holding. Tim and Gina Dukane arrived with Marsha Obennen and Marcus Bower walked in with Jared Benfyllon; whose own office was a few doors away.

“Daniel is alive,” Leah announced in a voice trembling with nervous relief. She cleared her throat and continued. “I say this for those of you who do not share the sense of his direction. He is being kept in a mental fog, which means he cannot concentrate enough to cast a spell and is unable to communicate. Agent Bonny Tell is in the same condition.”

“The trouble is, we do not know how long either of them will remain alive,” Sherree was quick to add and then fixed her eyes on Samuel, who flinched as if he had been slapped. “Conductor Cresh, give us a detailed account of how Daniel came to be in the College of Musicians in Polen Tare.”

A whip-cracking sound announced the arrival of Simon Trenca in his customary place at the other end of the table. “I take one night off and Daniel gets himself killed and then apparently revived before I could finish getting dressed. Since I do not have the sense of his direction in my head, I must depend on others who do have the ability to tell me what is going on.”

“His heart was stopped for two-point eight minutes,” Jennel informed. “He should suffer no damage to his mind. Our Maestro is in Polen Tare along with Agent Bonny Tell, they are captives, and that brings you to where we are in the meeting. I will add as a related matter of interest, several expectant mothers informed me of how the babes in the wombs kicked and squirmed in distress during that period of time. The unborn children are linked to his life-force in a way I do not understand.”

“I appreciate the update,” Simon replied. “My heart nearly stopped when Leah first told me he was dead and I could only breathe again after she told me he revived. I think that was the longest two-point eight minutes of my life.”

“We feel the same way and are not keen on revisiting the experience,” Sherree responded and then glanced at Jennel. “Clarian also felt our loss and seemed to know instantly when Daniel revived. That relationship is something to be explored at a later date. Conductor Cresh is about to brief you all on events leading up to the current crisis, but each of you should also be thinking about how we are going to rescue Daniel or else the next time the connection breaks he may not revive.”

While Samuel relayed the events leading up to the capture of Daniel, Sherree reached into the pocket of her cloak and removed the amulet given to her by Terroll Barnes. “Grand Maestro, I regret contacting you at this late mark of the night, but events are taking place that you need to know about.”

A sense of confusion flowed back through the link as if the recipient had not quite made up his mind whether or not he was dreaming, but then a sense of awareness came ahead of the words, “It has been months since you and I communicated in this manner. What ground-shaking event merits the First Lady of the Atlantan Guild contacting me?”

“Daniel has been captured by the Zeuthans while on an information-gathering mission. We intend to get him back,” she replied.

A sense of annoyance flowed through the connection. “Please tell me he did not go back to Polen Tare after assuring me he had no intention of doing any such thing. His agreement is the basis upon which Maestro Reese negotiated the current peace between your guild and the Zeuthans.”

Much as Sherree hated to admit the fact, she knew why Daniel had gone and could not truly blame Samuel for letting it happen. “The information is a matter of life and death and Daniel had to go to the College of Musicians in order to obtain it,” she responded and then went on to explain about Silvia, Ruth, the reversed Swirling of Events, and the terrible Vision that had been haunting her dreams.

Anger, frustration, and a sense of understanding flowed through the link. “At least I now know why my former pupil intervened in Zeuthan affairs all those months ago after steering clear of any involvement up to that point. You and he see the Viceroy and his people as the thieves you are obligated to stop and believe Daniel will die if he fails,” Terroll paused and then added, “I cannot understand why the Creator placed so much power into the hands of people who are so young, inexperienced, and frankly naive. On the say-so of a Teki and her grandmother you and he have brought your guild to the brink of war. Your actions have been based on their dubious interpretations of vague dreams and look where listening to them has brought you,” he paused the scolding, and then continued, “Well, what is done is done. I will have to notify Maestro Cransur and see if he is willing to negotiate a way out of this mess. I am certain Talmon will not get involved again after hearing his last effort has been ruined. It may take a long time to persuade El Marzon to release Daniel, but we will try.”

The soaring arrogance of many Accomplisheds did not allow them to give credibility to any non-Aakacarns. It was inconceivable anyone could possess a talent denied to them. As far as she knew, no Aakacarn had the ability of a Seer. Sherree understood Terroll’s point of view and also knew him to be wrong. “Silvia has predicted hundreds of events over the past few years and has never, much to my consternation, ever been wrong. Ruth was the first person to recognize Daniel as being the Chosen Vessel of the Creator and was the one who made him aware of the fact while the rest of us were living blissfully in ignorance. Your disbelief does not invalidate their Viewings,” she sent as calmly as her frayed nerves would allow.

The sense of frustration returned. “I cannot be of help if you insist on maintaining that mindset.”

“Grand Maestro, you misunderstand the purpose of this communication,” Sherree sent in reply. “This is not a petition for help; rather it is a courtesy call. You need to contact Cransur and Reese and tell them to get their assets away from Polen Tare. The Atlantan Guild is going to war.”

She placed the amulet back in the pocket, cutting off the communication as Tim was saying, “We are talking; Pondhoppers, patrol-boats, and mantas.”

“We will allocate all but ten percent of our resources,” Gina added. “As they say in the mountains, someone has to hold down the fort.”

Chas and Marcus had their heads together and nodded as if reaching an agreement. “Do you have something to share?” Sherree asked the pair.

“Captain Bower has agreed to send four thousand Guardsmen to the Benhannon Northland Holding to secure Lancana while the like number of Sentinels joins in the invasion of Polen Tare,” Chas Herling replied. “As Admiral Dukane just said, someone has to hold down the fort.”

“First Lady,” Simon called her attention. “Everyone else has stated what their part will be. What is it you intend to do?”

Sherree performed the Music for solidified air and formed a replica of the eight-bolt crescendo customarily strapped to the back of her husband. “Whether Daniel likes it or not, I will bear the trident in the presence of the high and low on his behalf.”

-----

The Ferret enjoyed seeing the expression of shock on the face of the young Aakasear as the man realized he had been duped, which was all the vengeance Ferren Duzolta was likely to get. “I tricked you,” he thought with a great deal of satisfaction and yet dared not say the words out loud in present company.

“You have proven your trustworthiness,” a deathly grave voice said from behind and to the right as every Reaper in the room inactivated the initiators that gave them the ability to alter their appearance, even to the point of invisibility. “The ring seems to do as you described. The device actually grants him the ability to see the location surrounding the wearer. This explains how he teleported all over the city. Benhannon must have spies throughout Polen Tare. Be assured the Investigators will find the culprits,” Deraagor added and then laughed. “He has been snared by a device of his own making.”

Ferren turned and stared into the amber eyes of the head Reaper. “I did not dare remove it from the silk pouch without sufficient protection. As I told you, the Maestro would come personally to collect me within minutes of this stolen ring being in contact with my flesh.”

Instructor Sandaboll stood and bent down to touch Benhannon. “You were also correct about the personal shield. The flesh of his face feels hard as stone and so tightly focused beams would have failed to subdue him without being accurately aimed at the nostrils. The wider beams you recommended penetrated the weak points in his defenses and the female’s as well.”

“I wanted him captured alive so he could suffer many years for all that he cost me,” Ferren replied without the use of a single false word, although he had kept back a great deal about the workings of the ring.

“You earned your cloak this evening after being surprised by the timing of the test, which as you know by now, was a small part of the test,” Bartimus responded. “This person cost you a great deal, but you are now a Musician of Zeutha and in a position to gain with us far more than was lost.”

“Your contribution in the capture of Benhannon will be noted, earning you and the College of Musicians double credits.” Deraagor stated and then glanced at the female. “I expected more Nephilim. Do you recognize this person?”

Ferren nodded his head. “She is Agent Bonny Tell of the Atlantan Department of Internal Security and Information Gathering. It is rare for her to be involved in the security aspect. During the war she was known more for gathering information,” he replied and then went on to name the people who usually accompanied the Maestro.

“As a reward for this service, I will allow you and your Instructor, who was also willing to act as bait, to accompany us to the Hall of Reapers and observe the processing of this night’s harvest,” Deraagor announced, and then turned his attention on his fellow Reapers. “Which of you incapacitated the warranted individuals?”

One man with a neatly trimmed black beard and a bronze trident on his forehead stepped forward while pointing at Bonny. “The Melody in my initiator is keeping her incoherent.”

“Excellent work, Fletchinan, you get a double merit,” the lead Reaper told him.

A young Reaper, about Ferren’s height, stepped forward. The Jade-trident could not be over twenty-five years of age and was obviously new to the profession. “The Melody in my initiator is keeping this man incoherent.”

“Excellent work, Zeboth, you will receive a triple credit. This is a good recovery on a fledgling career that had been off on a shaky start,” Deraagor responded.

“Thank you for granting me and the rest of us the opportunity to redeem our reputations. I know there are many other Reapers you could have used on this harvest,” Zeboth replied.

As Ferren understood the system, the only way for Deraagor to recover from his two demerits was for the twenty to recover from theirs; the other eighteen would each get credit for participating. His decision had been motivated by self-interest and had the benefit of helping them. He gave a nod of acknowledgement and then fixed his gaze on Benhannon. “The reports from Ra-Anan indicated he appeared at court a month ago wearing a gold trident, yet his brow is naked now. One of his initiators must be cloaking his status. Well, no matter, those devices will be stripped from him and her during the processing. Zeboth, Fletchinan, levitate your crops and let us be on our way.”

Ferren followed the Reapers out of the building, down into the newly created tunnel system, into the Hall of Reapers, and to a room occupied by the most important people on the island, as well as Scout Shareen and Gelica Vasmussuan.

El Marzon grinned at seeing Benhannon levitated into the room and onto one of four shiny metal examination tables. “Area Director Deraagor, you and your associates have redeemed yourselves. The monument of your previous failure will be removed from the Port Authority and placed on the roof of the Hall of Reapers as a memorial to your success.”

“I thank you Viceroy for the honor,” the head Reaper replied.

Chief Conductor Stephenus Sandaboll nodded his approval, as did Area Lead Spotter Loraina Marshaant, who stood beside Prime Regional Investigator Amin El Seti.

Ferren watched as the Reapers controlling the Melodies stripped away amulets, belts, and crescendos belonging to the Maestro and Agent, and placed those on the bare table. The other table had blouses and trousers of linen, apparently the garb of captives.  The cloaks, blouses, and pants came next, leaving the pair in their underwear. His were blue like the rest of his silks and hers were white with a lilac flower pattern.

Both Reapers frowned and then proceeded to give the captives a thorough patting down. “All of their initiators have been removed and yet their tridents remain hidden,” Fletchinan announced.

“Strip off his undershirt,” Amin El Seti’s suggestion came with the distinct tone of command.

Deraagor nodded his approval and Zeboth removed the blue shirt. Ferren noted the eight golden lightning bolts on Daniel’s shoulders, but was in no way surprised to see them.

“They both have the bodies of athletes,” Bartimus commented.

Every eye in the room seemed to be instantly drawn to the paunches at the waists of the Master Musician and Instructor.

“It is a common trait among the Atlantans. Their leader is a Master of the Blade and believes in being strong in both body and mind,” Ferren volunteered the information. “She is obviously one of those who follow his example.”

“His belief is an unusual mindset for a Musician, but I can see the merit,” Deraagor replied and then glanced at Benhannon’s naked chest. “Obviously he was not hiding an initiator under his shirt.”

Ferren stepped forward. “He is a trickster and enjoys it when his opponents underestimate him. Most of his earliest victories came about for those reasons.”

El Marzon arched an eyebrow as if questioning the truth of the statement or the veracity of the informant. “Explain,” he commanded.

“As I understand it, Maestro Benhannon appeared at court in Ra-Anan wearing a golden trident on his forehead. When he displayed the gold status to them you can safely bet he felt it was high enough to impress the Duke and yet low enough to make everyone underestimate his true ranking,” Ferren replied and then motioned with his hand toward Daniel. “It is against our rules to perform a Melody mentally, but he does so routinely, and it is therefore likely the shield is being maintained by a Da Capo tied to his life-force.”

“Surely not even he would be so foolish,” the Chief Conductor suggested.

“Musician Duzolta speaks the truth,” Scout Shareen backed up the assertion. “The Master Musician has performed Jade-level Melodies in my presence without the use of an instrument.”

Deraagor laughed. “I told you we should kill him. Look, a child could smother him with a pillow.”

“The Emperor received the same reports we did and is waiting for the births to see if the babies are Nephilim,” El Marzon replied. “The Duchess and two of the three concubines will give birth any day now. We do not dare kill him at this point in time.”

“It is possible a Nephilim will be born to the duke by natural means and only be accredited to Benhannon,” the head Reaper continued his argument.

El Seti shook his head. “One Nephilim might be due to natural forces, but three would prove he did change the babies, and two more a month from now would prove his claim beyond any reasonable doubt. Much as I sympathize with your desire to end this man, I am forced to agree with Viceroy El Marzon.”

Deraagor pointed at Ferren. “He has just told us the Melody is tied to Benhannon’s life-force. The only way we can eliminate the shield is for his life to end. By law we must verify the status of the accused. You know what it means if he actually wears a gold trident.”

El Marzon drew in a deep breath and after a few moments nodded and replied, “What do you propose?”

The chief Reaper pointed to a ring on his right hand. “I can stop his heart long enough for the Da Capo to fail and then restart the heart.”

“I do not want to risk the wrath of the emperor should you fail to revive Benhannon and it later turns out he really can transform Anakim into Nephilim,” El Seti replied, clearly considering the negative ramifications.

Part of Ferren wanted Daniel to die, but he was compelled to say, “Try it on Agent Tell first.”

El Marzon turned to the Chief Conductor. “The newest member of your College is proving to be a veritable source of useful information and suggestions,” he stated and then gave the order, “Area Director Deraagor, use your ring on Agent Tell.”

“It will be as you say,” the amber-eyed Reaper replied, and sent a beam of light into the left nostril of the young woman.

She gasped; her entire body twitched and went still.  Fletchinan placed the palm of his hand on her stomach and after about two minutes nodded. “The shield is gone.”

 “Start her heart,” El Marzon gave the order, which the Reaper quickly obeyed.

The Agent took a breath and then another and another. The experiment worked and surprisingly, Ferren found the fact that she lived to be pleasing on a certain level.

“Sister, the honor is yours,” Loraina Marshaant insisted.

“Thank you, Mother,” Gelica replied and then moved to the table.

The pendant touched the Agent’s forehead, followed by a flash, and when the spotter removed the initiator, a Jade trident marked Bonny’s status.

 “Now perform the same procedure on Benhannon,” El Marzon commanded.

Deraagor focused a beam into Daniel’s right nostril and the young Aakasear gasped, twitched, and then lay still. Zeboth place his hand on the Maestro’s stomach and after two minutes announced, “The shield is gone.

“Restart his heart,” El Marzon gave the order.

Deraagor did not move. “This man should die. I am telling you, reviving him will be a major mistake.”

“Even though his death could ensure my cousin will be the next Duke of Ra-Anan,” El Seti spoke up, “I must insist the law be followed, especially since you are not the only one who will have to give an account of this to the emperor. All of us in authority here in New Aresia will be standing right beside you.”

The Reaper focused a beam into Daniel’s left nostril and much to Ferren’s relief and consternation, the Maestro began to breathe. The conflicting emotions were not easy to hide.

Gelica touched her pendant to the Maestro’s forehead and then her mouth dropped open at seeing the trident.

“Are you sure this man is twenty-two years-old?” the Chief Conductor asked after getting over the initial shock.

“His age has been verified by multiple sources,” the Investigator answered in an even tone and a face devoid of emotion, which was clearly a trained response to hide his true feelings.

“There are only three, well, now four Sapphire-Tridents in the world,” Marchant stated while shaking her head in disbelief. “This is beyond my experience.”

“I told you we should have let him die,” Deraagor said and then sighed. “Now it is out of our hands.”

El Marzon kept staring at the sapphire trident. “His Potential truly is on the imperial scale,” he finally declared and then eyed the other leaders in the room. “We must board one of the high-velocity rail-cars and get to Port New Aresia as quickly as possible. Each of us needs to send our swiftest Dactyls to our superiors in Zeutha. Hurry, we have no time to lose,” he stated and most everyone followed him out.

El Seti paused at the door. “Scout Shareen, you have served with distinction and this credit will impact your career positively. However, your services are no longer required. You may return to the Lucia,” to which the scout nodded her head. “Musician Duzolta, you are to catalogue those items and also the one’s confiscated from the other Nephilim of this realm. Be sure to include the function of each,” El Seti added in a tone that expected obedience.

“It will be as you say,” Ferren replied.

The scout and the lead Investigator departed at the same time. Ferren was left with Bartimus and the two Reapers responsible for keeping the captives. “The rail-car will get them to the coast faster than any courier could fly,” the Instructor stated. “They want this matter resolved as quickly as possible.”

Ferren glanced at Benhannon and then asked, “Why the hurry?”

“It is against the law for a person of a lower status to order the death of a person of a higher status. The accused would have the right to challenge the accuser to the Justice-Mortis. No accuser in the history of the empire has survived the challenge,” the Instructor explained. “Messages will be sent to the three Sapphire Tridents and the only Diamond; our emperor. The Duchess of Maarcia, the Duke of Aresia, and the Prime Imperial Investigator, each wear a Sapphire trident, and they are centuries old. Rollen El Zeuller is over five hundred years-old and wields the greatest Potential.”

“I understand,” Ferren replied. “From what I overheard, the emperor wants to see if Daniel Benhannon can transform an Anakim into a Nephilim, which should bode well for his continued existence.”

Bartimus shook his head. “It boded well right up until that sapphire trident appeared on his forehead. While on the standard scale, he was not a threat and the transformations were worth the risk. I believe, barring a secured oath of fealty to the emperor, the verdicts will be unanimous and Daniel Benhannon’s life will end shortly after the official responses arrive. He has slightly longer than it takes to send the messages and receive the death warrants, less if the emperor’s verdict arrives first.”

“What security could ensure such an oath?” Ferren wanted to know.

The instructor shook his head as if the answer should have been obvious. “The life of his child would be required in order to guarantee his fealty. She would be taken and raised in the court of the Grand Duke of Carnen; Rollen El Zeuller, our Emperor, and if Benhannon defaulted she would die. I am doubtful the offer will be extended and that this young man would ever agree to the terms.”

Chapter Nineteen: To Wear a Trident

Sarah Shareen made it to the roof of the Hall of Investigators in time to see a car leave the station of the High Velocity Rail System. The vehicle sped away fifty percent faster than Sweettooth could manage on his best day. Amin El Seti and the other leaders would be many miles gone in a matter of minutes and well on the way to the west coast. The good impression she made should help her future career, which was a good thing, but her current service held priority.

She concentrated on Rigel to the point she could see through his eyes. The scene from the perch on the tower he normally shared with Rosebud was of ocean starboard and land to port. The Lucia had begun the journey to Port New Aresia earlier in the day and was currently cruising along the north coast. The ship should reach the southern bend in a matter of hours. Satisfied with what she learned, Sarah withdrew concentration and focused on the rooftop.

The Quetzal lifted her head toward her rider and through the mental link sent an image of the pair soaring in the sky along with the sense of pleading. The air-steed had been on the ground for three days while Sarah was composing charts of Daniel Benhannon’s direction. His actual locations with regard to distances had been nothing but speculation and in the end played no part in his capture. Still, she appreciated the experience of working with the Investigators and the fact her talents had been noticed by high officials.

Not bad for a Nephi.

The thought entered her mind, yet it pleased her none of the Nephilim had used that phrase, and had behaved toward her like they would any other wearer of a Jade trident. She and the Quetzal were wide awake and even though she could go to bed and fly to New Aresia at dawn, Sarah felt the desire to soar just as keenly as her steed. She vaulted onto Rosebud, who launched into the air barely a moment after the command was sent from Sarah’s mind.

Clouds blocked the stars and moon. The lights of the city and the few on each of the vessels at the port were the only sources of illumination, other than the lighthouse on a small island in the bay. She imagined the giant trident on the roof of the Port Authority would be relocated to the Hall of Reapers by dawn, proclaiming the triumph over the Maestro who had so publically eluded the Imperial Discriminators in the past.

Two Imperial Grands were in the harbor along with the small fleet of Majestics and Carriers. She noticed the cruiser from Aakadon and scores of the smaller swift-boats in among the much larger warships. Their presence was supposed to ensure the Atlantan Guild would never attack, but Sarah wondered about the effectiveness of the deterrent in light of the Maestro’s recent capture.

The dual rails went from the newly-constructed station adjacent to the palace and out to the west in a near perfect straight line. Lights spaced evenly along the way made the HVRS easy to keep track of from the air at night. She normally would not risk an inland flight in the darkness, but the rails provided an opportunity she could not resist. Rosebud would encounter not a single obstacle on the flight to the west coast. They could reach Port New Aresia about the time the Lucia made her southern turn.

A thought sent the pair soaring to the west and then the sky behind them lit up in a multihued brilliance that demanded attention. Sarah turned the Quetzal and had difficulty believing her eyes. The cruiser and swift-boats were launching globes of light into the air and the rainbow hues were coloring the bottoms of clouds and illuminating the bay and all of Polen Tare.

Gongs sounded across the city and alarm bells began to toll. Every imperial ship went on high alert and she noticed members of the United Imperial Legion exiting from the three grand hotels that had been confiscated in the name of the empire. Those six thousand were combining with a like number of Anakim imperial soldiers and looked to be positioning themselves to defend the area around the government buildings. Teams of Nephilim from Metrena were spell-forming protective barriers from the stones of the streets.

An explosion of sound drew her attention back to the bay. A sapphire ship appeared out of thin air. Countless streaks of light indicated the surrounding Carriers were launching aqua-drops at the vessel. The strange ship had the dimensions of a Majestic and included a turret on the bow with an aquatube, the only things lacking were the sail-less masts and paddlewheels. The bombs struck and the entire vessel glowed brilliantly as the powerful explosions assaulted the ship from all sides.

The fiery barrage ended, smoke drifted off in the wind, and amazingly no apparent damage had been done, not so much as a dent or a scorch mark marred the gem-like quality of the hull. Sarah had never seen the like. No vessel should have survived the unrestrained assault of an imperial warship, much less eight.

Energy beams shot out from every place she could see a porthole on the enemy vessel and those blasts of life-force energy hit all eight Carriers, sinking three and critically damaging the others until the swift-boats interposed themselves. The sapphire ship ceased hostilities, clearly unwilling to strike at the vessels of Aakadon.

A turret on the castle section took aim at the only offending Carrier in direct line of sight and three flashes indicated missiles had been launched. The projectiles flew across the distance and slammed into the Carrier, Caliber. The resulting explosion tore into the titanium, ripping into the hull as if it were no denser than pine-planking, creating a huge and jagged opening amid-ship and below the waterline.

Before the swiftly sinking vessel was half beneath the waves, thundered boomed and hundreds of smaller Atlantan war-boats appeared in among the ships in the bay, modulidae rays were dropping out of the clouds, and hundreds of Wager-class patrol-boats were heading into the harbor.

Sarah knew if she could see hundreds of those lethal rays in the sky, there would probably be a like number under the water. She did a quick assessment and soon developed serious doubts about a favorable outcome to the developing battle, which led her to another conclusion.

A single aerial scout could not possibly shift the battle that was unfolding before her eyes. “Rosebud, the Atlantan Guild does not seem to be deterred very much by the Accomplisheds of Aakadon and we must report this invasion to the authorities.”

The Quetzal immediately banked to the left in a one-eighty degree turn and shot to the west. Sarah dearly hoped the Atlantan airborne rays would choose not to pursue a lowly scout and be more interested in rescuing their Maestro. Any one of those flying mantas could knock her and Rosebud out of the sky in an instant.

-----

Sherree stood on the bridge of the Trident with the pair of Teki standing right behind her. She could not deny their request to take part in the rescue. Through Find All she sensed the Swordfish and mantas under the water, the Pondhoppers and Wager-class patrol-boats on the surface, and the rays being led by Leah in Manta-Thirteen that were diving beneath the clouds.

Sero, Simon, and Carlos each led a squad of Defenders, appearing at Conveyance points closest to the government buildings. More importantly, she sensed Daniel’s presence in a room below ground level within the royal prison. Samuel and teams of Agents were also part of the ground forces and all of them would be working toward freeing their Maestro and Bonny Tell, whose presence Sherree sensed to be mere paces away from Daniel. Chas Herling stood beside the captain along with Daria Copa; he and the Conductor of Communications were coordinating all of the attack forces.

“Crescendo Operators, keep firing at targets of opportunity,” Captain Logos commanded, while doing a good job of hiding her frustration.

Sherree regretted informing the Grand Maestro of the attack. Instead of withdrawing the forces of Aakadon, he and his Maestros chose to warn the Zeuthans by launching all those spheres to light up the battle zone. It had come as a surprise to arrive at night in virtual daylight and be instantly fired upon. To make matters worse, the cruiser and swift-boats, all glowing with shields conjured in concert, were defending the Zeuthans.

The Eagles were not focusing aggressive spells at the forces of the Atlantan Guild, but the Foresters piloting the vessels kept maneuvering into the line of fire. The Pondhoppers and patrol-boats had to steer around the interfering vessels in order to score a hit and the crescendo operators on the Trident often had to hold fire until a clear shot was presented.

Quetzals, Phodons, and Dactyls shared the sky with the mantas, but were largely ignored, due to the fact she knew some of the creatures were scouts for her husband, and he might need them. If he regained consciousness, using one of the winged-animals would be the best way for him to acquire a visualization point for Conveyance.

PH-One-Twenty-seven was attempting to maneuver around a swift boat in order to acquire a clean shot at a Carrier when a second Carrier let loose with a barrage of aqua-drops. The Pondhopper vanished in a flash, Conveying to the other side of the bay, and the missiles went on to slam one by one into the swift-boat. The shield held against the first four hits, the fifth overwhelmed the Accomplisheds, and the sixth shot in, resulting in a fiery explosion that instantly ripped the vessel and crew into tiny roasted fragments.

Sherree knew the leaders of Aakadon would hold the Atlantan Guild accountable for every death brought about during the invasion and do so without taking into account they had been warned to withdraw. Even so, she smiled when two Majestics cruised past the swift-boats that were attempting to protect them and while a hundred Nephilim on the decks of each Zeuthan vessel launched aqua-drops at the Trident.

The shield, backed by the added Potentials of the ten Accomplished in the auxiliary room, shrugged off the explosions as they had the much heavier barrage launched by the first group of Carriers upon arrival.

“B-turret, launch hydro-gas-bombs at those two ships,” Captain Logos ordered. She also smiled at the opportunity the enemy offensive had presented.

Three flashes of light, followed by an adjustment of the guns, were followed by three more flashes. Sherree sensed the first three drop-shaped projectiles slam into the bow of the first Majestic. The turret crew had launched all three sizes and when those gas-bombs hit, the energy released tore into the titanium. The explosion twisted metal, ruptured upward into the aqua-tube, and suddenly the entire bow was open to the bay. Water rushed in and the stern lifted thirty, forty, ninety degrees, and shortly after that the entire ship sank out of sight.

The second salvo struck the other Majestic amid-ship and the explosion tore half way through the width of the vessel. The damage was above the water-line but a submerged manta created and shoved a ten cubit wave at the opening, flooding the lower decks. The crew should have time to lower the lifeboats before the doomed ship took its final journey to the bottom of the bay. No Atlantan would attack the survivors, but the surrounding turmoil made it impossible to guarantee their safety.

“Target those Imperial Grands,” Chas called out.

“We do not have a clean shot at them,” Captain Logos replied.

“Have your mantas and Spearfish attacked the Isis from below and bring this ship toe to toe with the Lorcia,” the Sentinel Commander suggested.

Zera gave the orders and Sherree sensed the attack crafts assigned to the Trident cruise beneath the surface vessels, friend and foe alike, and initiate life-force energy beams at the bottom of the huge warship. Multiple fractures spread from each contact point and the thick hull split open in scores of places. Water rushed in those spreading gaps and within moments the Grand Imperial Ship Isis sank beneath the waves with no opponents on the surface having a clue as to what caused her demise.

Leah and her mantas attacked Zeuthan vessels from above, where the swift-boats could not interfere with the targeting. Four Majestic and six Carriers fractured and fell apart as a like number of mantas, floating in the air above them at forty-five degree angles, focused Shatter through all three of their energy amplifiers. The unshielded vessels and crew were soon reduced to tiny bits and pieces; only fragments of organic matter remained floating on the surface.

“Helm, set course for the Lorcia, Driver, ahead at one tenth speed” Captain Logos ordered.

“It will be as you say,” Accomplished Fran Merosa replied while turning the broad white wheel.

“It will be as you say,” Ship-driver Lou Zuallo replied without hesitation.

“The Willow Guild Cruiser is in the way,” Silvia pointed out as if someone might have failed to notice a vessel one hundred paces long with four levels above the main deck and two huge daisy-wheel propellers on the back end.

“Have you ever played the game of Dare?” First Officer Rishard Rooble asked the Seer and then continued without waiting for a response. “The Forster pilot will have to give way because we will not. All crew prepare for impact!”

White waves streaked away from the bow as the Trident sliced through the water toward the Imperial Grand as if nothing stood between the two warships. As the distance shrank, the Accomplisheds from Aakadon showed no signs they would move out of the way. Sherree suspected they really did not believe there would be a collision; that no one would dare strike them.

“Two degrees starboard,” Captain Logos called out.

The bow of the Trident turned at the last moment and slammed into the stern of the hovering cruiser. The much lighter vessel came around, crashing violently into the side of the sapphire ship, and was soon left behind. Even though both vessels were shielded and suffered no hull damage, the Accomplisheds of Aakadon within had probably been thrown around violently.

Sherree was pleased, seeing nothing in the water between the Trident and the Imperial Grand. The Lorcia did not alter her course, did not even move. She raised an Aqua-tube and launched a projectile. The drop-shaped missile sailed across the distance and struck at about the same time Captain Logos shouted, “Convey,” and a brilliant flash along with a mighty concussive force threw Sherree to the deck. The event was followed so swiftly by darkness and the loss of all sensations; she did not have time to be shocked the Zeuthan Captain had launched a Ruby-level aqua-bomb close enough to doom his own ship, nearly every vessel in the harbor, and the city of Polen Tare containing thousands of his fellow Zeuthans,

-----   

The Ferret watched as the two Reapers dressed their charges in the linen blouses and trousers. “By your accomplishments this night, that cloak you are wearing is well-earned and has brought honor to the College of Musicians,” Bartimus stated and then announced, “I am going back to the college, are you coming?”

Ferren glanced at the table. “I am wide awake and unable to sleep after all this excitement. It will not take me long to catalogue these items for the Investigators,” he replied and added after affecting a convincing smile, “I appreciate your words of praise.”

The Instructor nodded acknowledgment and headed out the door. Ferren sat down at the table and his eyes immediately went to the black mamba. The Jade Melodies in his repertoire could be greatly amplified by the most powerful life-force energy enhancer ever created, but would also require him to perform the spells mentally, and thereby risk the death penalty.

Benhannon’s diamond-bladed knife, baton, and trident were also Maestro-level amplifiers. Ferren suspected the sapphire baton belonging to Agent Tell to be a factor four, which he knew to be standard issue to even One-bolts of the Atlantan Guild. The amulets appeared to be basic communication devices, as was the array the Maestro had been wearing, but the items on the table did not hold interest for long.

Ferren felt no compulsion from the restrictions imposed upon him by the Maestro, no imperatives to help the Aakasear any further. There was a slim chance the emperor would accept an oath of fealty and so the decision to live or die rested solely on the Maestro, regardless of the fact Ferren doubted the man would ever agree to use his daughter as collateral.

Inaction did not equal harm or betrayal or even a move against Benhannon, his family, or associates, and yet, Ferren began to consider the remark Bartimus had made about loss. Daniel did cost Ferren everything he had achieved, but was also the one who made a life as a Musician of Zeutha possible. Ferren Duzolta was no longer Silenced and had a new start with associates who, unlike those in the Serpent Guild, were far less likely to kill him over a single failure.

The resentment that had become the dominant feeling in his heart seemed less substantial, more like an unpleasant memory, and a sense of appreciation took root and began to grow. He drew a certain amount of satisfaction from having lured the Aakasear into a trap, but the desire to see him pay more dearly was being diminished by a reluctant but budding respect.

The man is a trickster, but so am I. He kept his deals and so did I. He showed mercy when I would not have done the same. Do I want to show him mercy now?

Ferren made up his mind and picked up the mamba while shaking his head, having difficulty with the notion he had chosen to risk ruination to save a former enemy. Thunder boomed from the direction of the bay and added to the ominous nature of his decision.

This could get me killed and not only at the hands of the Zeuthans.

He stood from the table and turned. The Reapers were facing their charges even though neither Benhannon nor Tell was aware of anything going on around them. The scythes were leaning in the corner near a rack-stand, from which the scarlet cloaks were hung. The larger initiators were not a problem. It was the smaller ones that presented the difficulty.

The rings used by the Zeuthans ensured the captives would remain incoherent for at least twenty-four hours and so the guards really had little to do for the next twenty-three, which was when they were likely to re-initiate the spells. There were only two ways to revive the Atlantans before that time; the Reapers choose to awaken them sooner or the initiators must be destroyed.

Ferren approved of their zeal in watching the captives, especially with all of the attention focused on them and not him. He rubbed the eighth ring on his finger, which contained the most powerful Jade-level fire spell at his command, and knew it would be inadequate. One chance was all he would get and so the strike had to be quick, precise, and overwhelmingly successful; anything less would mean his doom.

He mentally performed, Roiling Column of Flame, and focused the energy through the ruby eye of the crescendo. Two narrow-churning pillars of fire shot out horizontally, streaking within the blink of an eye to each hand of the unsuspecting Reaper. He screamed as the intense heat instantly cremated both appendages, melted the rings, and cracked the gemstones that then fell to the floor. The Imperial Discriminator lifted both arms in horror as he stared at the pair of blackened bones that stopped at the wrists.

Fletchinan spun around; no doubt ready to initiate a spell, but Ferren sent roiling columns of flames at the hands of the older Reaper, burning away the appendages, and destroying all of his rings. The man stared wide-eyed at his smoldering wrists and then both men yelled, “Traitor!”

Even though they had only cauterized stumps with which to put up a fight, they ran at him in a fury and with murder in their eyes.

-----

Thousands of memories out of sequence and without context, images of places, plants, animals, aquatic creatures, and insects, all assaulted the mind. Faces of people flashed faster than could be identified. Words jumbled to the point of being incomprehensible. Voices, squawks, screeches, roars, and howls of alarm made it impossible to focus on any one particular thing.

Somewhere in the chaos a thought began to form; I – am – Daniel.

With the fact nailed down, he began creating mental containers and then came the chore of shoving all of those thoughts, images, and sensations that were not his own into those lockboxes. The task seemed to take forever but he suspected only a few moments had actually passed. Every detail leading up to his capture was suddenly fresh in his mind and fed a growing anger he struggled mightily to hold in check.

He became aware of sounds around him; men screaming, seemingly unceasing thunder claps, and explosions. Harmonic waves washed over him from multiple points and it all added up to mayhem of the Aakacarn variety. The seriousness of the situation allowed him to reduce his anger to a simmer so he could concentrate on the chore at hand.

The Symphonic Music for Outer Shield played in his mind, summoning the Potential and then he did the same for Freshen Air and Sleep Time. However, answers would be required and the need for executions could be determined afterwards, and yet an interrogation required the ability to hear and so Daniel replaced Outer Shield with Personal Shield.

He opened his eyes and sat up. A horribly wounded young Reaper was facing a table where Duzolta stood holding the black mamba created by Tarin Conn. Twin columns lanced out at a second Reaper, incinerating his hands and destroying the rings. Both men shouted in outrage and then ran at the Ferret. Beams of light from two of Daniel’s fingers shot out, touching the Zeuthans, dropping them in an instant. They were better off asleep, rather than awake and feeling the agony of their losses. Neither imperial was facing the prospect of execution.

A moan drew Daniel’s attention to Bonny. Both of them were barefoot and dressed in white linens, but it was the Jade trident in the middle of her forehead that surprised him. She shook her head repeatedly and he figured she was trying to reorganize her mind as he had done; only she had more animals in her swirl and would take a little longer to reach full awareness.

“I did this for you,” Duzolta shouted and tossed the mamba.

Daniel caught it in his left hand, surprised the Ferret would give up the only thing that could possibly help him survive the next minute or so.

“Can I kill him?” Bonny requested permission. Clearly she was fully recovered.

“If he as much as flickers with Potential, do not hesitate,” Daniel replied without taking his eyes off Duzolta. “By the sounds from outside and the frequency and intensity of the harmonic waves, Bonny and I will be departing soon. You have one minute to explain your actions and that only because I became aware soon enough to see you attack the Reaper.”

Ferren swallowed, hard, and raised both hands pleadingly. “I was compelled by the imperatives you placed on me to make you able to properly wear a trident. Fooling you was the only way I could think of to make it happen. Look at your reflection in the metal table.”

Daniel did so and in spite of the imperfect image, he could see a sapphire-blue trident right in the middle of his forehead, and the sight did not please him at all. “Keep explaining, you have thirty seconds.”

“It was not enough to make a trident and carry it around with you, nor was it enough to create an illusion of a gold one to impress the court in Ra-Anan. You needed to wear the trident as a Zeuthan would; one that discriminates you from the Anakim and establishes your true status for all to see. Only a Spotter could give you a proper trident and luring you here was the only way to make that happen in time to save your life,” Duzolta explained hurriedly and then added, “I chose to save you just now, not by compulsion, but out of respect for you,” he went on to explain about the emperor’s probable response to a young Aakasear with a sapphire trident on his forehead and concluded with, “So you see, I have thrown away everything by helping you just now. Even if you kill those Reapers, I will never be able to explain how you got away and why you allowed me to stay behind.”

“Maestro, I hate to say it, but I believe he is right about what wearing a trident means to the Zeuthans,” Bonny gave her opinion while donning her cloak and then asked, “What does it mean to bear one?”

It was impressive the way she managed to dress while watching for a flicker of Potential from the Ferret. Her inquisitive eyebrows conveyed an interest in the answer and the steadiness of her gaze indicated she was quite prepared to kill him.

Even in the face of her willingness to end him, Duzolta seemed to realize more than a minute had passed and clearly took his being a live as a good sign. “Bearing the trident must be experienced by the wearer. A Jade has certain responsibilities, Amber-tridents have an even greater load, and each level on up the scale bears its own responsibilities and must be learned as the wearer grows in Potential. The Maestro wears a Sapphire trident and will never know what it is to bear a lesser one, but certainly will learn by experience to bear a trident that is one step below the Diamond on the emperor’s forehead.”

The entire building shook under foot, so powerful was the force of the explosions taking place outside. It seemed as if lightning bolts were striking as frequently as raindrops. The thunderous turmoil indicated it was time to join the fray, but Daniel was not quite ready to go. “Agent, erase the last tenth of a mark from their minds,” he said while pointing to the sleeping men.

“It will be as you say, Maestro,” she replied and then carried out the order while he collected his belongings, put on the boots, and donned the cloak over the linens as Bonny had done.

He imagined himself laying on the table with the Reapers standing watch over him. Bright blue light radiated from him and immediately the Zeuthans’ hands burst into flames, destroying the appendages and initiators. “It is difficult to hold an Aakasear in stasis. The trap always inspires a way to win free,” he informed the pair. The imaginary Ferren sent a roiling column of flame from one of his rings that passed between the two reapers and struck Daniel, but was absorbed by the glowing shield. Three beams of light shot out from Daniel’s hand, striking the Reapers and Duzolta, rendering them unconscious.

He performed Teach Me and focused the spell on the Ferret and the Zeuthans, implanting the new memory into their minds. “It seems as if it really happened,” Duzolta commented. “I actually have two competing memories of the event.”

Daniel nodded his head. “You do, but they will have only the one. Now you all have the same story to tell and it should be enough make it possible for you to remain with the College. That is; if you and they make haste to get out of Polen Tare.”

“Maestro, those sounds are indicative of a battle taking place outside. I sense the Atlantan Guild has come in force to bring us home,” Bonny informed with great urgency, as if he might not have figured out the cause of all of the commotion.

Daniel nodded acknowledgment and then knelt down in front of the younger Reaper and awakened him. “As a mercy I am going to restore your hands,” he told him and then used Replace to grow a new pair of appendages, but drew the necessary energy from the Jade’s vat of life force energy, leaving him about a quarter in the metaphysical container, and very thirsty.

Daniel then did the same for the other Reaper, leaving the Bronze-trident three quarters full, and also very thirsty. Explosions and numerous peals of thunder were an ominous accompaniment to the words, “I must go and assist my guild in the taking of this city. I have no more time to waste dealing with you three. My people will deal with you after the battle.”  He turned to Bonny and told her, “Outer Shield,” and then summoned his own.

Without saying another word, he acquired a visual from Donny the Phodon, performed the Music for Conveyance, pictured him and Bonny in the new location, and then focused the Potential.

Three heartbeats later they arrived on the roof of the royal prison. He added Find All to the Symphonics being held with Da Capos and became aware of every person within a seven-span radius of where he stood. Most of the members of his entourage were within blocks of the building along with teams of Defenders. Simon was leading a group of Agents, as was Samuel and many other ISIG leaders. They were fighting to break through the defensive perimeter established by thousands of Nephilim who were backed by thousands of Anakin soldiers. Aggressive spells flew back and forth, damaging buildings, blowing deep holes in the streets, toppling streetlights, and spreading fires throughout the battle zone.

He noticed a new transport facility adjacent to the palace and a vehicle shaped like a crossbow-bolt exiting out on one of two concrete bridges. The constructs were built in tandem and extended out to the west and well beyond the radius of Find All. The super-sized bolt contained a little over five hundred Nephilim and there were four more vehicles just like it inside the facility.

The sky was full of mantas and glowed with a rainbow mix of colors while the flashing lights beneath the waters of the bay were indicative of more rays taking part in the battle. He noted there were far fewer Majestics and Carriers on the surface of the harbor; most of them were on the bottom and the few he did not sense that should have been at the port must have been destroyed beyond recognition. The Willow Guild swift-boats had fewer ships to protect from the Pondhoppers and patrol-boats and so they were attempting to act as shields for the remaining Majestics and Carriers. The Accomplisheds of Aakadon were not foolish enough to focus aggressive spells at an Atlantan Guild vessel. Regrettably, for them, they lacked the wisdom to get out of the way.

Mantas led by Leah took up positions above the swift-boats and were focusing Shatter at the Zeuthan warships while Spearfish and a team of mantas focused on an Imperial Grand farther out in the bay. Within minutes the huge vessel sank beneath the waves and the two Majestics and nine Carriers targeted by the rays above crumbled apart, joining the remnants resting on the watery bottom.

He sensed Sherree’s presence on the Trident and then turned his head in the direction of the sapphire ship, which was located half a span on the other side of the bay. The ship that was supposed to be a secret was in the process of boldly shoving aside the Willow Guild cruiser that had been shielding the remaining Imperial Grand. Daniel noted not a single soul on the deck of the thousand-pace-long warship and remembered the last time he had seen the like.

“Bonny use this,” he said and then tossed her the trident.

She snatched the crescendo out of the air and immediately targeted the defensive perimeter around the prison. A beam of light shot from each diamond point and in little more than a blink of the eye three Nephilim slammed into the ground and would never rise again.

Daniel did a quick assessment and it took hardly any time at all to determine the Zeuthans were all but beaten, which explained the exodus from the transport station. He did not sense the presence of Lo Marzon in the city, and it was possible the defense was entirely up to individual captains and local commanders, none of whom showed any signs of conceding defeat. There was only one way they could change the outcome.

He mentally performed the Music and focused the Potential through the mamba, creating a huge spherical shield that formed ahead of the Trident’s bow and encompassed the entire Imperial Grand just before a quick flash from an aquatube indicated a bomb had been launched. Less than a second later a second flash, blinding in its intensity, lit up the entire sphere. The life-force requirement for the spell instantly went from demanding a fraction of a lightning bolt of Potential to pulling all eight of his and the thirty amplified by the ruby-eyed crescendo. The concussive force was so powerful the shield rammed into the bow of the trident and the sapphire ship vanished in a flash of its own, then reappeared several spans out in the Serinian Channel.

His mouth went dry and he drank from his canteen in an effort to stave off dehydration. The harmonic waves knocked everyone below off their feet and resulted in a brief cessation of hostilities. Unfortunately, the power of the Ruby-level aqua-bomb had nowhere to go. It was being contained in a sphere four thousand paces in diameter and everything within the brilliant globe was in the process of being broken down into its subsystems, including the Imperial Grand.

He reached into his cloak for the array and placed the communication device on his head. “Everyone, Bonny and I are free,” he sent through all of the gems and received a flood of responses filled with relief, love, and joy, even from the usually unemotional Conductor of the Defense Department.

“Daniel, thank the Creator you are free!” Sherree’s voice thundered above the others.

“You are glowing as brightly as the sphere,” Simon sent his response along with an emotional torrent consisting of relief, elation, and concern. “Everyone can see where you are.”

The exact same mix of emotions came ahead of the words, “Maestro, I am so glad you freed yourself.” A strong sense of apprehension came from Leah as she added, “You will soon be a target for every Zeuthan around that building. Please Convey elsewhere before they get to their feet.”

Daniel was generating thirty-eight bolts of potential and sending harmonic waves crashing all over the world and also knew he had a tiger by the tail. He could not let go or everyone within seven to ten spans of the blast would die and if he held on, the spell would kill him and everyone would still die.

Folks on the continent had to be looking out and wondering why the sun seemed to be rising in the west. Any citizens  of Polen Tare who were not cringing under their beds and dared to look at the spectacle would be blinded by the light; Daniel would have been blinded if it were not for Outer Shield and even then he had difficulty staring directly at the brightest ball of light ever to be conjured.

“Bonny, it is all I can do to hold this shield and probably not for much longer. Use the trident to levitate the sphere into outer space,” he called out to her, and then noted after a glance she was getting shakily to her feet.

“Your ripple effect knocked me down,” she admitted while picking up the trident. “Even now it feels as if I am standing hip deep in the mighty Hirus River and struggling mightily not to be swept away.”

No doubt people all over the city were experiencing the same feeling, but nothing could be done to lessen the impact. The alterative was to be instantly burned from existence for those closes to the blast and horrific death for folks even on the outskirts of Polen Tare.

“I do not have any life-force energy to spare on Conveyance,” Daniel sent through all eleven gemstones in his array. “Neither can any of you transport me away without exposing everyone here to the explosive power I am keeping in check.”

Bonny aimed the eight-bolt amplifier, sending a beam of light out of each diamond point, and struck the sphere just as four thunderclaps sounded from each corner of the roof. Simon, Sero, Carlos, and Samuel each ran forward leading a team of five Accomplisheds. They quickly set up a defensive perimeter around the young agent and their Maestro.

Cracks began developing along the rooftop as energy beams, balls of flame, and spells of all sorts were being focused from the thousands of Zeuthans in the streets below. Most of the Nephilim were members of the imperial legion, but some squads were marines and launching aqua-pellets. Most of the ground forces did not have a direct line of sight from their angle and so all of those hostile spells were being aimed at the upper floors between them and their intended target.

The damage ceased when all of those beams, fire-spells, and aqua-pellets slammed into a hyacinth sphere that encompassed all but the lowest floors of the prison. Fortunately for Sero, some of the life-force energy required to power the shield against the pellets was being drawn from the other aggressive spells. “I’ve got your back,” the Four-bolt Accomplished announced.

Unfortunately for Daniel, the strain of containing the unleashed power of a Ruby-level Aqua-bomb was growing greater by the moment. It was hard to believe only one minute had passed since the blast occurred and even more difficult to believe he could last two or three more.

Bonny raised the angle of the trident and the globe that was slowly draining the life out of her Maestro began to rise into the sky. When the three tines were straight above her head, she grunted at the effort of focusing even more of her energy, and then smiled in triumph when the sphere shot upward with greater and greater velocity and punched into the cloud above.

“Maestro, I sense Duzolta in what seems to be a tunnel leading to the public library that houses the College of Musicians,” Simon stated and then asked, “Do you want him pursued?”

Ferren, this is your opportunity to get away with your witnesses,” Daniel thought but could not send. The Ferret was not wearing the ring.

“No, he overpowered the Reapers and freed Bonny and I,” Daniel replied through the array because his mouth was too dry for verbal communication. “Daria, tell Chas we are taking this city away from the Zeuthans and to leave the transport system intact. Let the thieves heading for the station flee to the west coast. The military forces are to be defeated. We will accept nothing less than their unconditional surrender.”

“It will be as you say,” the Conductor of Communications replied. Her feelings of relief and elation had not diminished in the slightest.

Within moments of the command, Sandra and two hundred groups of Seekers Conveyed into the city and each of her Accomplisheds brought with them twenty members of the Chosen’s Sentinels, evidently the Commander had anticipated just such an order. The battle for the streets of Polen Tare was suddenly heightened to a much greater level of intensity with the addition of forty-two hundred men and women; all of which were armed with offensive spells. Lances of light immediately shot from the drawn daggers and struck the barricades created by the Zeuthan defenders.

Daniel finished one canteen and began drinking from the other while sensing the movement of the sphere and keeping track of the struggles taking place around him and out in the harbor. Several thousand Zeuthans had died in the streets surrounding the prison, leaving a little over thirty-eight hundred Nephilim fighting the Sentinels, Defenders, Agents, and Seekers of the Atlantan Guild. Half of the enemy concentrated on their defenses while the other half continued to focus their Potentials at Sero’s shield.

Three Majestics and thirteen Carriers were surrounded by Willow Guild Swift-boats and the Cruiser, all of which were attempting to Shield the warships. All of them were surrounded by Pondhoppers and Wager-class patrol-boats. Daniel sensed the Tim and Gina on the Wager and Duncan Hawk on the RiverDancer among the invasion force. Mantas hovered in the air above the Zeuthan vessels and were in the water underneath them. The opposing captains knew they were in a kill zone and wisely chose to cease fire.

After a few more moments of futile strikes at Sero’s shield, legionaries began entering the prison from every access point. Soon, hundreds of them were streaming into the building and making their way unchallenged up the eight stairways leading to the top floor

“I am sensing over a thousand Nephilim have entered the building at this time with the intent to ascend to our position,” Samuel announced. “The leading groups are between the third and fourth floors. I estimate we have no more than a tenth of a mark before they will be here with us.”

The approaching threat added a certain level of anxiety to the mix but did not alter the fact Conveyance was out of the question until Bonny completed her chore. “You will have to hold them off. Agent Tell and I are otherwise occupied,” Daniel sent rather than speak. His canteens were empty and his throat parched.

It seemed as though marks of time were going by as he waited for that glowing ball to travel beyond the sky as the Zeuthans moved upward, drawing ever closer to the top floor. When the deadly container finally punched through the stratus sphere, he ceased the Da Capo, and all the energy of the aqua-bomb was released into outer space.

This has to count as working to stem fires that will otherwise grow.

It might not be the only fire he would have to stem, but Daniel figured it was by far the biggest fiery blast ever to be held in check by a mortal, if only for a few minutes.

The flash illuminated the clouds in every direction as far as even Osprey Vision-enhanced eyes could see. “Carlos, get us out of here,” Daniel sent through a communication amulet just as the group of enemy Nephilim arrived on the roof.

The darkness and sensory deprivation of in between here and there enveloped him and three heartbeats later he appeared in the map-room of the Trident. He noticed Jammie the cricket on the table and realized the Conveyance point had been predetermined.

The thunderous sound of twenty-six bodies displacing that much air in the confined space drew the immediate attention of everyone on the bridge. Sherree bolted through the door, slamming against Daniel with enough force to knock him back a couple of steps, and wrapped her arms around him; all barely an instant before he ceased the Potential on Personal Shield. He wanted to feel her warm embrace.

She looked in his eyes, did a quick assessment and then said, “Get him some water!”

Thirty canteens were shoved at him and he took one, which happened to belong to Sero. The water soothed Daniel’s raw throat and by the time he drank the spelled-silver container dry, he was able to speak. “Thanks for dropping in. Bonny and I were wondering when you all would join the party.”

“We never received an invitation so Sherree and Leah decided we should crash,” Simon replied. “I see you both collected party favors on your foreheads.”

Silvia pushed her way through the crowd. “You have moved on from the pit of death and I See the trident you wear fulfills my Vision,” she announced joyfully and then added, “You must continue to bear this symbol of your status in the presence of the high and low,” she stated formally, and then a smile dimpled her cheeks. “The first obstacle to the fulfillment of the larger Viewing has been overcome and the more difficult parts lay ahead, but I am so happy the pall of death has been removed for the time being.”

Sherree placed both hands on her hips. “What do you mean, for the time being?”

The tiny Teki Seer did not blink. “Nobody, not you or me, is guaranteed tomorrow. That said, I see no portents of the Chosen Vessel’s early demise, but you must admit he has a knack for landing in life-threatening situations.”

“Maestro, the Zeuthans have surrendered the city. They are being held under heavy guard and the last vehicle has departed from the station, Duzolta was on it. Do you want the rails destroyed?” Jeremiah Lassiter sent through the array, along with a great deal of satisfaction added to the positive feelings reflected earlier.

Daniel was pleased for the interruption; it saved him from having to comment on his propensity to plunge into peril. “I want the transport system to remain intact for now, if only to eventually send the soldiers and legionaries to the west coast. I sense the presence of two thousand two-hundred-twenty Nephilim and four thousand seven-hundred-thirty Anakim in your custody. We will only detain them for as long as it takes to arrange their release.”

Daniel made a decision. “We are not going to give the east coast of Serinia back to the Zeuthans,” he stated out loud and through the gems in his array. “Conductor Kleopis will soon contact Serinian officials in Lobenia and arrange for their return and a security agreement to help keep El Marzon from taking back what we have gained today.”

“It will be as you say,” every person around him replied, along with everyone linked to his array.

Epilogue

Ronn Benhannon stepped away from the small fire where his wife Miriam sat talking to his daughter-in-law, Sherree. They were doting on Clarian, which he had been doing before glancing at his son.

“She has Ronn’s eyes,” Miriam asserted.

“To be more precise, she has her father’s eyes, who has his father’s eyes,” Sherree responded, to which Miriam agreed.

Daniel stood about fifty strides away and staring down the path toward the dark mountain that had formed shortly after the war. A foolish group of Serpents thought to create a stronghold from which to destroy the birthplace of their greatest enemy. Samuel and his agents soon reduced the new formation to a dark and jagged peak, devoid of plant growth. A good number of dead trees leading to the blighted area could be clearly seen from the slope of Tannakonna.

The concert performed by Daniel, Miriam, and Sherree had been delightful and he appeared to enjoy playing the simple folk tunes he had grown up hearing, but now seemed troubled.

Ronn approached as his son, who stood with the guitarn strapped to his back and gazing at Sore Tooth Peak. “I believe you have been enjoying the past three days with us. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from your shoulders and now it appears to be back again.”

Daniel turned and the blue trident on his forehead vanished. He had showed what he obviously considered to be a blemish upon arrival and soon after made it vanish. “I needed to get away after the incident at Polen Tare. I solved some problems and created more in the doing, but here I do not feel like an Accomplished or a Knight of the Realm or the Chosen Vessel.” He was even wearing the clothing of a Ducaunan Mountaineer; red-dyed buckskin shirt with blue-dyed buckskin pants and a blond straw hat. His wife always dressed as an Accomplished or in a gown befitting a lady of Lobenia or Ducaun, which was her current choice of apparel.

Ronn nodded his head understandingly. “You needed to reconnect to your roots. Tannakonna has not been your home since three Talenteds persuaded you to accompany them to Aakadon. You have been back a few times and well received as a celebrity, but no longer part of the community,” he replied and gestured toward the women folk. “You and Sherree and Clarian are welcome here and I have decided to build a hall from the cottage I built for your mother to the duplicate one you created next to it.”

Daniel smiled. “My old room is not big enough for the three of us, so I formed the cottage, but it is only meant to be temporary, not a presumption on your hospitality.”

“I want the cottage to remain so you know you have a place on Tannakonna where your presence is desired and welcomed. Hospitality is extended to people who do not live here. You and Sherree and Clarian are family and the cottage is yours and hall will be a physical representation of that connection, as well as a way to get from one cottage to the other without trudging through snow or rain,” Ronn explained.

His son nodded. “I appreciate the sentiment and the not getting wet part,” Daniel replied, but his smile began to fade.

“What is troubling you?” Ronn asked.

The blue trident returned to Daniel’s forehead. “The Swirling of Events started messing with my head during the last song. This time the urge is pulling equally strong in three entirely different directions and it reminded me of my responsibilities. I have many chores to do and much as I love sitting and playing tunes around a campfire, I must soon get back to work.”

Ronn rubbed his chin in thought. “You need to set your priorities and arrange the chores accordingly. What three places are you being pulled toward?”

“Zeutha, Aakadon, and Fon Kay,” Daniel replied. “You may have heard I am not popular in any of those places at the moment or likely to be any time soon.”

“No, I suppose not. The Zeuthans have declared you an enemy of the empire, the queen of Fon Kay is angry over the interruption in her trade deal with El Marzon, the Maestros are furious over the loss of one of their boats and crew, and yet those facts are not going to stop you,” Ronn stated with confidence, knowing his son well.

Daniel nodded. “Difficulty is not an excuse to drop a set chore,” he replied with a phrase spoken to him often in his youth.

“Clearly, the issue is not difficulty, choose the one you can accomplish the quickest and then move on to the next,” Ronn suggested.

Daniel rubbed his chin and after a while nodded his head. “There are too many unknowns for me to determine which would be the quickest, but I do know which will bring me the most satisfaction.”

“That seems like a good place to begin,” Ronn assured him. “Remember, a job well done brings satisfaction. Out of curiosity, which place have you chosen to begin at?”

Daniel’s smile returned and it was clear the difficulty of the task did not bother him overmuch. His mountaineer spirit had been revived and he was eager to pursue his prey. “Terroll is not going to like this. My list of chores begins in Aakadon.”

The End