Cypher had killed several people in the past. He had even absorbed the souls of a small group of people. A lack of empathy wouldn’t be a problem for him in the upcoming battles. If his life were threatened, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill those who threatened it. The same went for his loved ones. He would cut down anyone he had to if it meant protecting them.
Alex too had suffered just as he had, and Cypher knew that his friend had what it took to do what needed to be done. His concern was Melodi. She had yet to take a life, and while Cypher knew she held the power to do so, he wondered if she also had the resolve. But if they were going to get out of this mess alive, they would have to cast aside all hesitation and strike swiftly and accurately.
Obviously, stealth would be the key at the start of the operation. Luckily that was something he had some experience with. Conductors might be more attuned to their surroundings than common bandits, but if he used his new slew of spells that Elaine had shared with him, he would be able to fool the Order Conductors.
“Cypher,” said Elaine, snapping him out of his thoughts. “I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to be focused and well-organized on your mission tomorrow. I hope for your sake that this plan goes off without a hitch.
Cypher helped her unload and restack the spellbooks she had brought along back onto the bookshelf in her living room. “Don’t worry, Elaine, I’m pretty sure I have a solid plan to work with,” he replied. Elaine took off her tattered robes and hung them on the coat rack.
“Many brave Conductors have said those exact words before heading to their early graves. But bravery means nothing when you’re fucking dead. Try not to end up like them, yeah? You might be different from them. After all, none of them were trained to the best of my ability, but that doesn’t make you perfect.”
“Still, you are my greatest apprentice, and I trust in your power. But, that doesn’t mean victory is certain. If you’re going to do this, I need you to take your head out of your ass and smell the reality of the situation, not your own ego. To that end, I have a little gift for you,” finished Elaine.
She walked over to a storage trunk and, after setting aside some books, she unlatched the locks and opened the trunk. Cypher noticed a shimmer of several colors, and his eyes widened as she pulled the item into view.
“What the hell? Where did you get that?!” asked Cypher. “Was Alvin here? Did he bring it by? More importantly, do you know what it is?!?” Cypher kept asking more and more questions, but Elaine smacked him in the head to silence him.
“Shut the hell up and let me tell you dammit!” Cypher quickly shut his mouth as he rubbed the back of his head and motioned for her to continue.
“Sorry Master,” he said, choosing to use the honorable title to maybe calm her down.
Elaine only scowled and continued, “This is an Ark Cradle Cypher. To be more exact, it’s your father’s Ark Cradle. It is a powerful item that can endow one with a special armor capable of increasing strength, speed, reaction time, and so much more,” she handed Cypher the Ark Cradle, and he held it aloft and looked at it carefully.
It was identical to the one he had found in the ruin and he wondered how his father had gotten his hands on one. More surprising though, was that it was capable of providing the qualities Elaine had mentioned. He turned to her and asked, “How do you use it?” he asked.
Elaine stood up, took it from him, and slapped it onto his waist. He felt his Zight drain ever so slightly as the iridescent belt appeared around his waist. “Normally, one would take their Ark and place it here,” she pointed to the upper portion of the ‘X’ at the center of the buckle.
“After that, you simply turn it to either the sword or the shield and the belt will provide you with an armor set that is focused on either attack or defense. However, regardless of the mode it’s in, it is capable of both reliably well,” she grabbed Cypher’s Ark and tried to place it into the slot.
However, it didn’t fit, and she sighed. “Well, normally you could place an Ark in here, but his one is tuned to your father’s Ark. Without it you can’t use a fresh set of armor, so try not to damage this one too much when you use it, it can’t be repaired. For now, this thing still has a lot of juice left in it, and it’ll feed off your own power to grow stronger in the heat of battle as well as absorb ambient Zight that enters the environment.” Elaine stepped back and spun the “X” to the sword side of the plate. “All you have to do is say: ‘Ignite!’ and it’ll activate.”
Cypher took a deep breath and repeated the phrase. A warmth soon spread from Cypher’s waist to every other part of his body and with a soft flash of light, a glittering set of armor appeared on him. Elaine moved him to a nearby mirror and flicked the back of his head. “Remember that phrase, it’s how you equip the armor,” she said.
Cypher got a good look at himself. The armor consisted of a black leather chainmail padded undersuit with dark red and silver metallic plates covering the thighs and upper arms. It glowed with a thin but powerful layer of wards that Cypher could innately tell granted immense defensive capabilities. Pauldrons that came to sharp points stuck out from his shoulders on each side and matched the color of the plates.
A similarly colored cuirass covered his torso, but it was more flexible and light than any other metal he had ever seen. However, it also felt incredibly dense and sturdy. The gauntlets and boots, which matched the rest of the armor, fit him perfectly, and his neck and head were protected by a sturdy stylized helmet that only allowed his eyes to be seen.
Each piece gleamed in the light, and beautiful interconnected patterns of fire dashed across the surface. The tips of the flames flared out and formed symbols that glowed with soft light.
Each piece had clear arkstones embedded into the surface, and shone with a brilliant luster, as energy flowed through each one. He was stunned by the sheer beauty and majesty of this armor. It seemed a crime to wear something so beautiful into battle. Yet, he also felt immense strength flowing through him. It was almost as if nothing could hurt him now.
However, that was only a fleeting feeling and Cypher shrugged it off, not willing to become complacent. Elaine patted him on the shoulder and said, “Extinguish!” A moment later, and the armor vanished and Elaine pulled off the Ark Cradle and handed it back to Cypher.
“From this moment on, this armor belongs to you. Take care not to squander this gift, I have no doubt that your father intended for you to have it.” Cypher admired the Ark Cradle and stared at it with a strange sense of wonder and pride. However, he felt like he didn’t deserve such an incredible gift.
“I don’t know if I can accept this. I may have taken up my father’s sword and the other treasures of my inheritance, but this feels separate from all that.”
Elaine shook her head and spoke, “Don’t go thinking this is just some idle gift. I’m not stupid enough to hand this to someone who’s just going to die. I’ve decided to give this to you for three reasons. The first is that you have proven yourself to be one of the brightest and most skilled students I have ever taught.”
“The second is because I know that you of all people need it more than it needs to be locked away from the world. The third and final reason is that it is indeed a part of your inheritance. It might have been left in my care, but it belongs to you now. It always has. Your father was an incredible Conductor Cypher, but he had many secrets.”
