Symphonic Odyssey
: Vol. Four: Odyssey’s Outset: Verse One-Hundred Sixty-Six

Cypher listened with interest as Elaine explained. That she was actively trying to be random certainly explained this weird setup she had, and he felt a little more secure in the fact that Elaine wasn’t actually a crazy person. After a few moments of silence, Cypher continued.

“So, if I am an Oracle, then does that mean I’ll keep seeing the future? And if so, does it mean I can control when and where I see the visions?”

Elaine thought for a moment and said, “Eh, now that, I don’t know. Your mother’s visions started when she was about 6 years old. You seem to be new at this or you wouldn’t be so confused about it. I’d say, and do keep in mind that I’m just some lady and not an expert, that you have the same quality of visions your mother had.”

Elaine took another sip of her quickly emptying mug, “Now whether or not you’ll be able to control them, I don’t know. Serenade never really went in-depth with an explanation of her powers. You’d have to ask her. If you can fuckin replace her. Who knows where she could be.”

“Yeah about that,” said Cypher, “You know full well that my mother is alive. Why is that? Everyone else seems to think she died with my dad.” Elaine laughed loudly.

“Good! That’s what we planned for. The goal was never to have the world realize she was alive. That would throw too many variables into her visions. The fewer people knew about her, the more accurately she could predict her own future. With everyone thinking she’s dead except for those Order dickweeds, she would be able to chart a somewhat stable course for herself,” replied Elaine.

“But just what is she doing? Why did she leave me all those years ago?” Cypher said, almost shouting. He reeled himself in and took a deep breath. “Sorry, it’s just,” he began.

“No, no, I get it. Mommy issues. Hell, probably some Daddy issues as well if I’m not mistaken,” interrupted Elaine. “Err, anyways,” she continued, “it isn’t as simple as she just decided to leave you. Serenade was devastated after Fenix sent us away. You have to understand that the situation called for her to leave you with her sister. There was simply no other place that she could send you where an Order spy couldn’t easily replace you.”

“You have a Null affinity. That all on its own meant that she couldn’t protect you where she was going. I suggest you get over those abandonment issues and stop acting like it was such an easy decision. You’ll feel a lot better if you do,” finished Elaine.

Cypher got a bit upset at that, but decided to let it slide, after all, she did warn him. Besides, she wasn’t saying it to be hurtful, it was just the plain truth. Cypher could accept her words only because deep down he knew she was right.

It had happened, it was the past, and it was time to let go of that event if he ever wanted to properly move forward.

Elaine saw that Cypher was deep in thought, and a strange look lingered on his face. Not wanting to maintain the awkward atmosphere, she cleared her throat and continued, “Now, as for your father, well… What can I say about the captain?” Elaine inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly as she patted her knees.

“Fenix was a bit of an oddball. He had a whole host of crazy techniques and abilities that always seemed to come in handy at every turn. Of course, you no doubt inherited some of his power as well. I look at you and it’s hard not to see him. You have his eyes, his strong jaw, and even his hair. Although, you keep yours much tidier than he ever did.”

“You said I inherited some of his power, but just what do you mean by that? What abilities did he have? Furthermore, how did he manage to get so powerful so quickly?” asked Cypher, and Elaine simply gazed into the distance with a sad expression.

She sighed, “Well, I’m not gonna be the one to spill the beans completely. If you did gain some of his powers then you’ll replace out as time rolls on. You’ve already expressed three of them,” she finished, holding up two fingers.

“The first was obviously your affinity. Fenix was a Null Conductor as well, although, where you favor fire, Fenix favored the wind. He did some impressive things with his storm spells and I still can’t wrap my head around some of them even though my own element is Wind.”

Cypher looked at her suspiciously and she continued, “Oh don’t start that questioning shit with me. I’m more important than you might suspect, figuring out which element your Null leans more towards was about as easy as scratching my ass. That said, your use of lightning is lacking. You need to diversify.”

“Now, where was I? Oh right! Duh, anyway, the second thing. I’m sure you can guess this one, but it’s actually your Orrium,” began Elaine as she pointed toward Cypher’s stomach. “You Ceraunus men are known for having absolutely massive amounts of Zight. It’s pretty unfair actually. You fuckers can do all sorts of things with that kind of power. Yet, you’ve only been using it to abuse the ranking system and cast above your level. Total bullshit.”

Cypher chuckled and nodded. He couldn’t really argue that fact. His ability to abuse the normal ranking system was quite handy and made for a nice surprise when he fought new opponents. Still, she was right, he only used it for that purpose alone, but he hadn’t considered using it for other things.

Once someone realized that he could cast above his rank and continue to fight, the element of surprise would be gone and they could adjust accordingly. He made a mental note to ask her about how he could use it differently. She was already rambling on again before he could get a word in.

“The third thing is less obvious, but also something you’ve used recently. That would be the Ark Fusion technique. Now, THAT is a piece of magick that could really come in handy for normal ass people like me, however, it isn’t something anyone can just learn. You have to be born able to do it.

“In this world, many people are born with certain abilities that other Conductors simply can’t learn. They can be imitated somewhat, but never truly copied. Of course, that’s what makes your techniques all the more impressive. Ark Fusion isn’t something that can be imitated, because it isn’t natural, but it isn’t unnatural either.”

“What does that mean?” Cypher asked, interrupting her before she could finish her thought. She sighed again and looked at him with an annoyed expression. She pulled her hair back and wrapped it in a bun as the early morning sunlight began to pour into her window. They had been talking for a while at that point and Cypher had completely forgotten about the time.

“I’ll tell you if you shut the hell up and let me finish!” she replied angrily.