Symphonic Odyssey

“Magick, as we use it today, falls into several different categories and each field works primarily with one of the centers of power in the body. That center of power is, of course, the mind. Now that your Athenaeum has had a chance to settle and you’re rested we can continue where we left off. I know yesterday was rough, but don’t think that I’ll allow you to slack off.”

Alvin had arrived with the first light of dawn the next day. Cypher groaned as he realized that he had slept through the rest of the afternoon and all through the night. The morning had been chaotic and he had not even had a chance to do his morning routine which left him feeling sluggish.

While his body was still in the process of waking up, his mind on the other hand had never felt sharper. He discovered that he could think much faster than he had previously and ideas and concepts seemed to come to him easier as well.

Other changes accompanied this increase in mental fortitude. He could make out little details that he hadn’t noticed before such as dust motes that floated in the air around his apartment which bothered him greatly. He could see the many frayed, or torn threads in his pack by the door of his room. It would have to be replaced soon as it was almost about to rip in some places.

Beyond that, he discovered that without even closing his eyes, he could view his athenaeum by simply thinking about it. He could remember things that had happened much more clearly, as he could access the memories directly. Though as if unwritten, some memories ended abruptly or were denied to him altogether. Even the lantern above the central bookshelf was much brighter than before.

After asking Alvin about it, he learned that in his version of the Athenaeum, that lantern represented his reserves of mental energy. He warned that as Cypher used spells or otherwise depleted this energy, the light would grow dimmer. If the light went out, Cypher would fall unconscious on the spot.

He also added that if by some chance he was able to remain conscious and continued to use mental energy, it would cause his life functions to falter and eventually fail. Resulting in permanent damage to his athenaeum or even death. Cypher noted that particular bit with extra attention and vowed to keep close tabs on the lantern’s luminosity. He wouldn’t be so careless as to allow the light to go out, not if he could help it.

Alvin had brought a small breakfast and while the two ate, he quizzed Cypher about what they had discussed in their previous encounters. Now that his mind was sharper, he was able to recount everything with decent accuracy and Alvin seemed pleased at this.

Alvin continued his lesson on magick and Cypher listened intently. He was instructed to keep taking notes, despite being sure he would remember everything. Alvin wanted to make sure that nothing was lost on him as he hated to repeat himself.

“First up and most common among Conductors is Arcane Magick. This field consists of attack spells like fireballs, wind blades, water bullets, and more. It focuses on the manipulation of the raw elements and is quite useful once you get the hang of it. As a Conductor, most if not all of your destructive capabilities will come from this field. Your lightning bolt spell, while advanced, falls into this category.”

“It’s important to remember that as you learn spells, their effectiveness will increase or decrease depending on which element opposes your own. You have the Null affinity, and as such your limits when it comes to the other elements are fairly balanced. However, even you are still bound to the elemental cycle just like the rest of us.”

“Given that you were able to learn and master the lightning bolt spell tells me that you most likely favor the element of fire. That means that water elemental spells will be the least effective for you. They will consume more Zight and mental energy if you wish to perform them. Following that, Wind will be your second strongest element after Fire, while Earth will be your third after wind.”

Cypher wrote as quickly as he could, his letters sloppy but legible as he tried to keep up with Alvin’s explanation. While his writing was indeed sloppy, it was much better than before thanks to his new mental prowess. It was as if his brain and his hand were more deeply connected than before.

“Next up is Restorative Magick. These spells are the second most common in the arsenal of Conductors and are arguably just as important as the first field. With this field, you can cast wards and barriers to protect yourself, or objects and places. With enough mastery, you can even negate other Conductor’s spells altogether. It is also where the bulk of the healing arts lies and focuses mostly on the body.”

“You’ll find that if you explore this field, you can do more than heal injuries. You can change your physical traits. Eye and hair color, skin tone, and even your skeletal structure. You’re really only limited by your imagination and the laws of the world. You could not, for example, give yourself wings or talons.”

“Unlike arcane magick, this field utilizes the use of the Light element. Unlike the standard four, light elemental magick seems fairly consistent in its costs and effectiveness unless you possess a talent for it of course. Unlike the core four elements, light and darkness are available to all Conductors and are not typically an affinity one can possess.”

Alvin paused to take a sip of his tea while Cypher jotted down the last line. He was keeping a good pace as Alvin explained these finer details and was pleased with how much his writing was improving as he went along. The letters didn’t seem so squiggly anymore, and his quill was moving in even lines along the page.

Alvin started again, “Enhancement magick consists of spells that empower people, objects, or even other spells. Strength, speed, durability, magick resistance, and more can be manipulated by this field of study. You can even make weapons and armor stronger or enchant them to possess certain abilities, spells, or wards.”

“This field is a sort of a hybrid of sorts and many Conductors who specialize in it debate whether it should even be categorized on its own or lumped into restorative magick. Either way, I suggest you give this particular field a chance. It could serve you well. Now on to diminishment magick.”

“This field is the polar opposite of the previous one, and as such can remove or sabotage the effects of enhancement magick. It can also be used to break down the matter of the world into its base components. It’s quite helpful in potion making I’d say. Overall, it certainly has its uses but it is more of a niche area. I wouldn’t suggest pursuing a course in this field unless you have a knack for it. Besides, it’s more of an advanced field and has a higher learning curve. For now, it’s just good that you know about it.”

Cypher felt that if anything, this was a field that would be quite handy, and jotted it down, underlining it to emphasize its importance in his mind. Not that he needed to of course. In theory, it could potentially be the most useful of the branches of magick aside from the arcane field. He would keep an eye on it in the future.

To say that he was bored was an understatement. Sure these things were important and he was excited to learn about them, but he wanted to actually know how to use them as opposed to lengthy explanations on each one. However, he trusted Alvin and allowed him to continue without complaint. He was after all his sponsor, the least he could do was show some respect.

“-and that is why the power of Mystical magick should not be underestimated. Who knows when you’ll need to control a spirit, warp the senses of your opponent, or turn away the undead.” Alvin sipped his tea again and added an extra sugar cube to the cup before refilling it.

Cypher cursed in his mind as he realized that while thinking, he had been ignoring Alvin. He had caught the tail end of his explanation and hoped that it wouldn’t be something he needed to know later on.

“This of course brings us to the final branch of magick…” Alvin paused as if considering something and his eyes seemed to convey an emotion that Cypher could not quite put his finger on. Alvin hesitated before he began speaking again, but continued after a moment as if nothing was amiss.

“This field is not taught in full at this academy. Nor will you find information on it through legitimate avenues in Dellorim. It is a mostly repugnant power and I urge you to avoid its finer teachings as best you can.”

Cypher froze at this. ‘A branch of magick not taught in full?‘ he thought, a drop of ink splattering the page as he held his quill aloft in confusion. The implications of that bothered him. At the academy, it was encouraged, almost fanatically so that one should learn all they can to the best of their abilities. To have an entire field of magick limited was strange, and so Cypher waited with held breath for Alvin’s explanation.

“Retvial magick is fueled by the darkness element and is used in necromancy, curses, soul trapping upon death, and worst of all catastrophe magick. I and every other teacher at this academy will refuse to teach you more about these parts of Retvial magick.”

Alvin’s tone was cold and distant as he continued, “These details of the field are illegal here in Dellorim. Trust me when I say that you want nothing to do with them. They are foul abominations that taint the very structure of magick and twist the laws of nature into unholy abominations.”

Now he somewhat understood, it sounded as if it was truly a horrible form of manipulation. To be able to trap someone’s soul against their will, or to control their corpse like some kind of twisted puppet seemed detestable to Cypher.

Curses fared no better, as even he knew enough to know that they were bad news. A chef in the kitchens back at Galvan manor had been executed just behind the training field under the mere accusations that he was trying to curse the Galvan family. It was never confirmed to have been a truthful claim, but the execution had been carried out immediately and without warning.

Something that serious couldn’t be taken lightly. However, what caught Cypher’s attention most of all was the mention of catastrophe magick. Not wishing to anger Alvin, he asked cautiously about it and he made sure to get his meaning across clearly.

Alvin frowned and crossed his arms. He thought for a moment and Cypher once again worried that he had upset him. Alvin surprised him though and began to explain after brushing his hands through his hair and letting out a long sigh. His mood, however, seemed to grow heavy and his voice lost the cheeriness Cypher had grown used to hearing over the past few days.

“Catastrophe magick is one of the most powerful and unpredictable forces in this world. To even use it you need to be at least a rank-three Conductor of the darkness element. Even then, the risks to the caster are just as great as they are to whomever such spells are being used against.”

“I thought you said that the elemental affinities of light and darkness weren’t ones that Conductors could possess. Isn’t that a contradiction?” Cypher asked.

Alvin sighed again and clicked his tongue in annoyance. “That is not exactly true, I said typically. There is a difference you know. One can convert their elemental affinity to either light or darkness but it’s extremely difficult to do and more often than not ends up killing the person in the attempt. There are also a select few born into this world who naturally have the affinity but they are what we call ‘stunts,’ as in, their ability to learn and master Magick is stunted and they’re unable to rise above the first rank in all of their centers of power.”

“Do not ask me more about this Cypher, I beg you. It’s for your own good. However, keep this in mind, if you ever encounter a user of catastrophe magick run away. At your level, you cannot hope to compete with that kind of reckless power and live to tell of it.”

Cypher nodded in agreement. It was clear that Alvin was unwilling to answer any more questions about Retvial magick and so he was content to let it drop there. Alvin continued however and to Cypher’s surprise seemed much more willing to discuss this new topic.

“There are however parts of Retvial magick that we do teach here at the academy. If only to help our students understand the feel of Retvial spells and how to possibly counter them. There are only two, and they are sealing and summoning magicks.

“Through sealing magick, one can lock away the abilities of other Conductors weaker than themselves, or block off entire areas from outsiders. The limits are quite unknown when it comes to what can or cannot be sealed away. It is difficult to master and even harder to find those rare diagrams. We only have two such diagrams here at the academy. However, this is also how spells are cataloged and passed down from one Conductor to another.”

“I take it then that summoning magick allows you to-” Cypher began but was interrupted by Alvin before he could finish. His tone was increasingly cold and distant.

“Yeah. Through summoning magick, a Conductor can call upon previously captured fantastic creatures or items they’ve marked with a special seal. Even entire buildings can be moved this way although it is quite costly. Now if you’re done with your never-ending stream of ridiculous questions, we should move on.”

Cypher hesitated then and tensed up as Alvin slammed his binder onto the table in front of him. Alvin paused, staring at the binder for a moment, and frowned again. His face grew red and anger clearly bubbled just beneath the surface of his normally cheery demeanor. “Never mind, just forget it. I need a few minutes. Go over your notes, I’ll be back.”

Alvin’s mood seemed to darken dramatically and stood up from the couch. Without a word he stepped outside onto the balcony that overlooked the mountains and began to smoke from a pipe, he had pulled from within his robes. Cypher could only look on with a sour feeling in his stomach.