Symphonic Odyssey
: Vol. Four: Odyssey’s Outset: Verse One-Hundred Eighty-Three

“Your father served the kingdom well and his name will go down in history among the greatest of Conductors, but he didn’t only serve the kingdom. In all honesty, your father belonged to a secret group of Conductors known as the Radiant Corps. I know this because I too am a member.”

Cypher was confused at first, “Radiant Corps?” asked Cypher and Elaine nodded.

“Originally, they were formed to aid in the fighting during the Ark War. Legends say that these original members were so powerful that none could stand against them. They defied all logic when it came to the world of Conductors. It is said that five of these legendary warriors held strong against an army of One-thousand Rank 4 Conductors, and walked away with little more than a scratch.

“And my father was in the same order as one of these mighty knights?” he asked in astonishment.

“Obviously,” she returned. “But there is still more I have to tell you.”

As the newly lit fireplace crackled, burning bright with the glow of charring timber, Elaine began speaking in a somber tone.

“I was with your father the night he died. In fact, so was your mother and another of our group. It was our last mission together and it is a night I will never forget. Will you listen to my story?” asked Elaine, and Cypher nodded and took a seat on the floor in front of the fireplace.

Elaine began speaking slowly, but she soon immersed herself in her tale and Cypher could only listen with intensity at the story of his father’s final mission.

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“Elaine, we have to go! Come on!” Yelled Fenix Ceraunus.

“Coming master!” returned Elaine as she descended the stairs of Castle Georem’s second floor. As she reached the bottom she noticed that her master had changed into his traveling gear. His black hair was held in place as usual by his signature blue and gold headband, the token of a mission long since passed.

The look on his slightly aged face told of the many battles he had been through, and his dark eyes held a look of deep thought and regret. “Elaine, there’s been a change of plans. Instead of waiting for King Arneau to make up his mind, we’ve been ordered to move out and finish off the Order ourselves,” he said as he walked up to Elaine.

He handed her the missive containing their orders and as she finished reading it, she grew furious. “Master, you cannot be serious! This is a suicide mission! They can’t command us to throw our lives away!”

Fenix gave her a sheepish look and held himself in a guilty posture. “We… well we weren’t exactly ordered to do this Elaine. I volunteered.”

Elaine backed away slightly and looked at him with a hurt expression. “But master, why?” Her expression changed to one of confusion as she struggled to understand her Master’s thinking.

“Sequinnen thinks the Order is planning an attack on Seven City in order to gain a solid foothold in Dellorim for future conflicts. It’s a foolish attempt to be sure, but you and I both have family there, and I cannot allow even a single person to die by an Order sentinel’s hand if they should somehow breach the defenses. As I said, this is strictly voluntary, so if you feel you’re not up to the task, you can always say so.”

Elaine thought for a moment and looked at Fenix with a mix of anger, helplessness, and determination. “You really are a sonofabitch sometimes Fenix! I guess I have no choice but to come with you. I can’t just let you go to your death like that. Besides, you’re right, we have to protect the city. If the kingdom won’t take action, then we have to!” said Elaine.

“Besides,” she continued, her face wickedly smiling. “What kind of pupil would I be if I let my master go on one of the most dangerous missions of his life alone? I could hardly show my face around the others! As a member of the Radiant Corps, it’s our sworn duty to stop these hooded shitheads!”

Fenix clapped her on the back and smiled, “Excellent! I knew I chose the right person to be my 3rd in command. However, we can’t involve the other members of our team. They lack the strength to handle this kind of mission. They would only perish. We have to take Evan, he’s our way in, but other than that, we have to keep this a secret. Can you do that Elaine?” he asked.

Elaine nodded and he continued, “Good. Now, our intel shows that the Order has gathered in Dex for unknown reasons.” The two quickly headed to a more private area to continue their conversation.

They arrived in the far eastern tower of the castle and set up privacy barriers so that they could speak unheard. “We’ve estimated there to only be about twenty or thirty members left in the Usurper Sect. The other Sects are just as dangerous, but for now, we can wait to take them out. That said, the intel suggests that there are Captains there as well.”

“All of them will be Rank-Four or higher, so we’ll have to be extra careful not to alert them too soon. I imagine that there are only ten or so Captains left, so I should be able to handle them if my plan works out. As for you and Evan, you’ll have to face the remaining members. Of course, they’ll only be Rank-Two and Three Conductors. You shouldn’t have a problem with that. They mostly only have numbers on their side.”

“Wiping them out won’t be easy, but I trust you two can handle it. Things will get serious.” finished Fenix, casting a frown over the map they were studying. Elaine looked over the plans he had prepared and spoke up.

“Why don’t we just destroy Dex? I mean, it’s full of thieves and murderers anyway. It would solve two of the Kingdom’s problems at once. You and I both know that King Arneau has been looking for a reason to siege that place.” she asked.

Fenix sighed and replied, “You are right about that. It would be much easier to destroy the city and be done with it. However, there are also innocent women and children there as well, to say nothing of the men who have been forced into that kind of environment. We can’t simply throw their lives away for our cause and the Order knows this.”

“Stealth will be our saving grace on this mission. If we knock the gates down, who knows what they might try. Plus, our group will be very small. Sequinnen won’t allow reinforcements to join us, they might be needed elsewhere.”

Elaine nodded as Fenix continued, “I suggest that we sneak in through the eastern wall and ambush them in the dead of night. Most of the townsfolk will be off the streets then and casualties should be low. As you can see here,” he said pointing to a spot on the map, “this is the oldest and weakest part of the surrounding wall.”

“Only a small explosive force will be needed in order to get in. They won’t even hear us coming if we play our cards right. This tactic will not only save lives, but it will also give us a better chance of survival.”

Elaine shook her head, “What happens if they know we are coming?” she asked.

“That’s why we aren’t waiting on King Arneau to give the order himself. We have no way of knowing who is and isn’t a spy for the Order. Since we’re using our internal information networks, we’ll be able to take them completely by surprise. However, if by some chance they do know we’re coming, then we fight and win, or we die trying,” he replied.

Elaine paused for a moment, and raised an eyebrow at Fenix suspiciously, “Does Serenade know about this?”

Fenix froze and sighed. He lowered his head and replied, “Hopefully no, and I would very much like to keep it that way. She’s at home with Cypher right now. If she knew about what I had in mind she wouldn’t want me to go, or worse. She would want to come along.

“Knowing Serenade that makes a lot of sense. She would come to your aid without a second thought. Then again, she does have Cypher to look after these days. Maybe telling her isn’t the worst idea you know,” said Elaine.

Fenix only gave her a stern look. “Please Elaine, don’t involve her in this. Trust me will you? I’ve been in worse situations and made it out alive.”

Elaine sighed and looked away, “Fine…” she replied. However, in her heart, she knew that she had to notify Serenade, even though it went against her master’s wishes. This mission would be extremely dangerous. There was a real chance of death this time around.