Authors: John Buttrick
Simon appeared speculative, at least considering the possibility. Tim and Gina burst out laughing, and Daniel’s parents were holding their breath, no doubt wondering what else their son has gotten himself into. Samuel sat back in his chair, arms hanging limp at his sides, perhaps needing time to absorb the information. He finally sat up and looked directly at the man declared to be the Chosen Vessel. “How big is your swirl?” Oh, he knew plenty about the Chosen. Legends of the Creator’s champion were stories he grew up with.
Tim and Gina sobered at the question, and possibly because no one else was laughing. The response meant an Accomplished of Aakadon, one who was born a Teki, believed what he had been told.
“My swirl is big and growing. I was told by your grandmother that what I need will be drawn to me. I don’t know where I’m going to get an army of Aakacarns, but I trust her understanding of how the swirl works,” Daniel told him to the horror of his parents.
“Daniel, tell me what you were chosen to do?” his mother demanded, like her approval hung in the balance, as if his friends had talked him into doing something dangerous
and she could put a stop to it.
Daniel sat back in his chair. How do you tell your mother her son has been chosen to defeat the most powerful Accomplished ever born and his entire guild? He opened his mouth but it was Samuel who spoke first. “He must lead us all in the battle against the other vessel, the champion of evil.”
Ronn was shaking his head. “You must be kidding, the champion of evil is buried beneath Mount Kelgotha, and even if he breaks free, it is you Accomplisheds of Aakadon who must confront him. Leave my son out of your affairs. He has started a new life and doesn’t need to be dragged back into yours.”
Lovely speech dad, Daniel thought. Too bad the Chosen Vessel business was not optional.
Gina leaned forward on the table. “Daniel, I would think you had enough titles. Do you really need this one too?”
The conversation was growing tiresome, contributing nothing toward the mission ahead, and Daniel wanted to focus on what needed to be done. He glanced at Samuel, who was giving him the same look as Silvia and David, like seeing a living legend and expecting miracles. “Being the Chosen Vessel is not a title, it is more like a description of a fact. I don’t even care if people accept me, their belief or unbelief doesn’t change a thing. I am who and what I am. Being Chosen isn’t something I can renounce,” he tried to make them understand. “Samuel, stop looking at me like I’m suddenly superior to other mortals. Being chosen doesn’t make me more virtuous than anyone else. I’m a man with good traits and bad.”
“Like the need to shove people aside because you are the only one who can possibly handle the situation,” Tim offered up in support of Daniel’s point about traits. His grin made it clear he rather enjoyed being helpful, as did his tone.
There was some truth in the statement. Daniel did have a tendency to jump into trouble with the idea he was the most capable person to straighten out the mess. Three dead bodies in the shed out behind the inn have tempered that trait. He could not control everything and needed help. Back at the estate he needed Jared and Marcus, and on this mission he needed the men and ani
mals who were accompanying him.
“Thanks Tim, for pointing that out,” Daniel told him in mock irritation.
“No problem, that’s what friends are for,” Tim sat back with his hands behind his head.
Ronn Benhannon frowned and ran his fingers through his hair like a comb. “We must accept what is. You have been chosen for a task and we will help you do it. Let’s get back to how we are going to bring that rascal Serin Gell to account.”
Daniel smiled at his father, appreciating the way he whittled right through the excess and got down to what was to be formed. “I intend on hiring boats to take us up the Hirus and into the Taltin Sea. We’ll land on the Ducaunan side of the border and make the rest of the trip on land.”
Simon was nodding his head affirmatively. “That is exactly the route I told them you would want to take. We should come ashore at Valeen and trek thirteen spans east to where we will be south of Los Collins. Once there we can head north across the border into the Foothills.”
Daniel was a bit surprised at how his friend had planned so well. “That is pretty much what I had in mind. So, now we need to hire some boats to transport the entire company. I’m sure you and Samuel know enough basic wind spells to help the sailing vessels along. All you need to do after that is choose a pair of boats and secure the rest to them with ropes of solidified air.”
Simon was grinning from ear to ear, “An excellent idea, which is why I asked your parents, along with Tim and Gina, to hire enough boats to do the job. All is in readiness.”
Daniel was amazed. It was almost like having Jared along. “You’ve all been busy.”
“What, did you think we were sitting around waiting for you to arrive?” Tim demanded in a light hearted way.
“You, yes, the others, no,” Daniel replied and was pleased when Gina laughed.
Daniel enjoyed the lightening of the mood yet still had some wrinkles to iron out. “The next step is to choose which two vessels will have one of you power wielders on board.”
Samuel gestured at Simon. “He made the Javelin, the flagship of our flotilla.”
“Simon you are a wonder,” Daniel reached across the table and patted him on the arm. He remembered that was the name on the bow of the unusual riverboat.
“Well, I didn’t do it without help. In fact I could not have done it without the Benhannon family’s assistance,” Simon replied, sharing the credit with others, even when most of it belonged to him.
Daniel looked to his right and left, wondering what part his parents played in building a boat of any kind, especially one so unique. “You helped him?’
His father smiled and shook his head, not in denial of the fact, it was more like unbelief his son was so surprised. “Think of your roots, both Benhannon and Dupiron blood. Oh, the Creator only knows where your internal power comes from, but you got the rest from us. Your mother plays the guitarn and composes music. You inherited your musical talent from her.”
His mother laid her hand on his arm. “You are the son of a carpenter, a man who makes things, and can take a hunk of wood and shape it into anything that takes his fancy. You inherited that from your father.”
He really should not have been surprised. Both of his parents were creative people, and spending more time with them could be exceedingly fruitful. Who knows what all their combined talents could accomplish?
“That’s right, I made what they designed. Your father came up with the over all design of the boat and your mother had the idea of the shelters and the most interesting innovation of all, the waterwheel. It was even her idea to make it wide rather than tall and narrow,” Simon readily and happily admitted. “Your father carved the model and I used it to form the Javelin from a tree.”
Samuel patted the sandy-haired Aakacarn on the shoulder. “He is a wonder. I can’t imagine the amount of potential and concentration it must have taken to create something so big on dry land and then launch it.”
Daniel could. He glanced at Tim, who winked, and knew they were both thinking about the Wager, a boat Daniel made not so long ago. Simon’s hand moved, opening his cloak and revealing the baton Daniel had given him, a level four crescendo with six bolts of amplification, and the source of the extra potential.
His father leaned toward him. “The Javelin is the fastest riverboat in the world and it can easily pull the boats we hired. With Simon and Sam taking turns powering the waterwheel, we can get where we need to be by late afternoon, and ride the horses the rest of the way. This is far better than having to ride over two hundred spans to reach our destination.”
“Agreed,” Daniel replied, while thinking about the part of hi
s swirl that was heading north.
His friends and parents began discussing the journey and pondering what they would do once they actually confronted Serin Gell. It was an interesting conversation but it was time to check in on certain individ
ual creatures within his swirl.
The birds were resting in the local trees, except the owls which were dining on any rodents they laid eyes on that were not part of the swirl. The bears, wolves, foxes, coyotes, and cougars were heading north. Daniel focused on Ranger to get an idea of where the cougar was going.
Ranger and Flash go where Daniel will be.
The thought came back along with the image of the Foothills that had been initially given to Wisp and Echo. Evidently the mental map given to the pair of ospreys was so strong some of the other creatures in the swirl received it as well. A quick touch on the minds of the bears, wolves, foxes, and coyotes confirmed they had the same notion as the cougars. The new recruits had not received the image of the Foothills and yet they ran along with the rest. Daniel could not decide if he should discourage them or just let them be.
You are free to go where you choose,
He sent to them all, and received a sense that going north is what they chose to do, so he focused on the next group.
All of the sasquatches that traveled with him were beyond the town, not stopping when he did, and still moving north, getting farther away by the moment. His sense from them was the same as with Ranger. The ones he was most curious about were much farther south. Looking through Gurrumble’s eyes, Daniel counted thirty-two more sasquatches traveling with him that were not part of the swirl.
Gurrumble biggest male, others follow, he take them to Daniel/Alpha.
The sasquatch’s thoughts informed him. “What of those with Serena/Alpha?” Daniel wondered.
They stay, rest follow Gurrumble. Serena/Alpha not notice.
The sasquatch replied, causing Daniel to be amused.
She probably took it for granted that all of her sasquatches were still moving with her and might not realize so many had wondered off, especially if she is in the habit of keeping them out of sight and down wind. Considering the way members of the Serpent Guild use yetis and sasquatches as fodder on the field, he doubted she cared what happened to the ones she ordered to remain behind. Daniel thanked the male and was satisfied with what the big guy was doing. His shaggy friends were so far south it was doubtful they would catch up with him any time soon, but eventually the thirty-one new recruits would be added to his swirl, and bring the number of sasquatches
linked with him to ninety-one.
He opened his mind to Echo. The full moon illuminated the landscape below as the raptor soared in a broad circle. A man was slowly making his way down a grassy hill toward the Foothills. On the other side of the slope were nine people, seven men and two women setting up camp. These had to be the ten sighted last night by Wisp. Daniel stifled a chuckle. He knew killing Balen Tamm would splinter the Serpent Guild and this was the proof. Jak stealing the trumpet from Serena while this group spies on Serin Gell. Daniel had no doubt what was going on below. Had the fellow walking down the hill been an ally of the Pentrosan, he would have walked boldly to the entrance and not have his company hiding from view on the other side of the hill. The nut to be cracked is what to do if those ten united with Serin Gell and hindered the rescue mission. Daniel had a feeling there might be no way to accomplish what had to be done without some High Powered Melody wielding. He knew what the consequences of that would be, but that was a bridge to be crossed when arrived at.
He sent his gratitude to Echo and then concentrated on Wisp, who had ventured farther south, about three spans. It was important to know what lay between the Ducaunan border and the Foothills. Far below in a clearing of trees was a compound with eight barracks capable of housing fifty men each. A group of twenty-six riders came in from the south, followed shortly after by another eight. This was clearly a military outpost but the men were in buckskins rather than uniforms. These must be the ones who were raiding Ducaunan communities and farms along the border! General Tallen and Sir Laurence had been sent to deal with the situation.
“Daniel, are you alright?” his mother asked while touching his forehead and causing him to open his eyes and lose concentration on Wisp.
He blinked and smiled. Everyone was staring at him. “I’m right as rain.”
Tim’s lips quirked up and a mischievous twinkle flashed in his eyes. “If you were still linked to
Tarin Conn I would have slapped you just now.”
“We were all caught up with giving our opinions on how to deal with Serin Gell and I realized you were not offering any suggestions,” Gina explained. “That’s when we noticed your eyes were closed.”
“Perhaps you were leaving that part of the mission to us Aakacarns,” Simon suggested. “That would be prudent. Even so, your experience in wielding power in combat can be helpful. While Sam is an Accomplished of the Eagle Guild and his repertoire well suited to this kind of mission, I think even Talmon Reese would seek your advice at this point.”
Samuel was nodding his head in agreement, Daniel’s parents were watching him as if he might have caught a fever, while Tim and Gina were staring at him in amusement, like in the old days when they were out doing things they shouldn’t and he was the one caught and so had to come up with an explanation. Tim knew about Daniel being an Aakasear and a fully functional Six-bolt Accomplished, and probably told Gina. Daniel could tell by the way their lips quirked in an obvious attempt to keep from laughing, that they knew he had been up to something.