Symphonic Odyssey
: Vol. One: Servant of a Hopeless Household: Verse Forty-Four

If his trust was misplaced in Alvin, the Galvans would be furious. But with a deep breath, he once again gathered up his resolve and clenched his fists resolute in his decision.

“Er… well, we don’t have to make an attempt with the more dangerous methods. If you promise not to mention it to Eiden or his father, I did manage to learn something on my own. If they found out though, they would probably beat me again or worse…” Cypher muttered.

At this Alvin lit up, “Ah, you have my word dear boy, nothing that transpires here between us will reach the ears of the Galvan family. Of that, you can be sure. Show me what you know and we can go from there.”

The understanding and gentle way in which Alvin spoke to him reminded him of Molly, and a pang of sadness washed over him as he remembered her. Rarely did he receive such kindness and it served to spur him on to impress Alvin if he could.

“While I was working in the manor, I managed to… err… shall we say, ‘borrow’ a book about magick while Eiden was busy with other things. From it, I learned how to cast a spell. According to what I learned it’s a rather simple one but it isn’t very powerful and I haven’t been able to practice it. They tended to keep a watchful eye over me most of the time.”

“Eheh, a little knowledge thief eh? I was much like you in my youth! Knowledge should never be bogarted by the powerful and kept from those who seek it out. It exists to be learned by its very nature and shared with everyone! Ah, but never mind my ramblings. Just do your best, if you can direct the spell inside the stone that should be sufficient. You won’t be able to retrieve the energy, but that should give you an idea of how to channel Zight on your own and return it to your Orrium without losing it in the future,” Alvin looked on, expectant, and adjusted his glasses again.

At his prompting, Cypher focused again and began to chant the words of the spell he had learned. “Solo, Verse one, Crackle of lightning bolt!” As he chanted and focused on the rune in his mind, a strange power welled up inside him. It seemed primal, alien, and untamed, but somehow intimately familiar. As Alvin had said the sensation was something he wouldn’t and couldn’t easily forget.

The Zight rose from a point just below his navel with a quivering sensation and worked its way through his limbs. Now that he knew what to look for, there was no doubt that his Orrium was open and flooding him with this new power. However, unlike when he had first attempted the spell, the force behind it seemed far greater than he had intended it to be.

The air crackled between his palms, and with a flash, shot forth into the crystal sphere. A thin line of lightning surged violently back and forth between his hands where he firmly gripped the stone. It then wound its way all throughout the crystal sphere forming a static cloud of streaking energy.

The Gaelin stone vibrated then, so much so that his hands began to shake. Then with a sharp peal of sound similar to a bell, it glowed a bright grey and pulsed several times just as the archway had done.

Alvin let out a gasp, followed by a strange, confused noise, and as the pulsing continued he stopped as a look of worry spread across his features. The crackling energy seemed to surge around the confines of the crystal faster than before, gaining speed with each passing second and a large crack appeared on its surface.

At that moment he snatched the stone from Cypher’s hands and hurled it high into the air, chanting softly but quickly as he did. As the stone soared higher tumbling end over end, it let out a low groaning creak and exploded.

The blast sounded like shattering glass and sent a large bolt of lightning streaking across the sky which was followed by the low rumble of thunder. A mist of crystal dust began to fall from the sky, the remnants of the Gaelin stone catching the sunlight and glimmering in various hues of color, almost like a rainbow.

The dust settled around them, stopping in midair as if caught upon an invisible dome and slowly slid around its boundaries to the ground around them. A few flowers began to smolder as large clusters of dust accumulated on them but none burst into flame.

When the last of the radiant dust finished falling, Alvin ceased his chanting and turned to look at Cypher with wide eyes. “That… that was unexpected…” Alvin stuttered. “You said that it was a simple spell, didn’t you? Then I have to ask, how much Zight did you put into it? Are you alright?”

Cypher paused and looked at his hands. There seemed to be nothing amiss and while he felt a bit hungrier than he was beforehand, he seemed to be fine. Although a sense of dread filled him at the destruction of the Gaelin stone. There was no doubt that it was his fault.

“I’m okay I think. But please forgive me for destroying the Gaelin stone, I didn’t mean to, really!” Cypher quickly bowed and hung his head low as he apologized.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make up for the loss of such a rare and valuable item. Just tell me what to do!”

Alvin was clearly taken aback at Cypher’s hurried apology. He scratched his beard and took his glasses off to clean them with a cloth he pulled from inside his robes, astonishment still clear on his face.

“No, no, by all means, please raise your head it’s quite alright. I just… I didn’t expect such a violent reaction. You can’t be much older than twelve right? A spell that powerful should have emptied your Orrium and left you heaving with exhaustion on the ground.”

“The fact that you’re standing there as if nothing is wrong is simply incredible, I had no idea the power of Null was so potent. The stone is hard to manufacture to be sure, but not beyond an organization such as ours. We have dozens more. The only question that remains now is what to do with you.”

He began pacing back and forth before the fountain, mumbling to himself anxiously.

“If this is… But no, that couldn’t be could it? What if… No, but perhaps… In time we will have to… At ‘Verse one’ no less… He did say solo, right? Yes… I’m sure of it but… Wait a minute… No, it couldn’t be. Could it?”

His mumblings continued on like that for several moments before he stopped, and stared at Cypher, clearly appalled by his own behavior.

“Forgive me, I have been overly rude. You must be so confused. First things first!” Alvin reached out and grabbed Cypher’s hand, shaking it firmly.

“If I have not scared you away and if you still wish to, I would like to formally welcome you into the Guardian Hall Academy. It would be an honor to sponsor you and help cultivate your growth into a fine Conductor one day!”

Cypher was confused for a moment, but at Alvin’s words, he smiled and nodded vigorously.

“Of course! I would love to! The honor would be all mine! Though I hardly feel worthy of such a generous offer,”

“No, no! You see I have long wished to nurture the growth of one such as you and the elders will be quite pleased to know we have a Null user in our midst. Come! Sit here and we shall fill out the necessary paperwork!”