“Welcome students new and old, to the Guardian Hall Academy. Most of you already know who I am and certainly, most of what I’m about to say. However, for those of you who do not, allow me to introduce myself before I begin in earnest. I am Sequinnen Dardallus, headmaster of this fine academy.”
“For decades I have strived to maintain a proper balance of learning, discipline, and proper conduct within these ancient halls. I do not appreciate, nor will I tolerate rudeness or insubordination in any form. That said, I do not wish you to think me some ruthless tyrant bent on making you all miserable. Quite the contrary. It is my wish that you enjoy your time here and learn all you can, while there is still time.”
“You see, our country, nay, the world itself is in a dire need of powerful and well-studied Conductors. I fear, as I always have, that a great evil will one day fall upon this world I love so dearly. You can see it all around you every day if you only look around you. Darkness creeps across the land, be it in the hearts of men, the maws of Zightbeasts, or even in the long-forgotten places of the world.”
Cypher sat mesmerized by Sequinnen’s words. It was as if it was impossible to pull his attention away for even a moment. However, no spell controlled him, it was not magick that forced his attention. Cypher listened of his own free will and was eagerly inscribing each word within his mind. Frankly speaking, he was excited to be here and eager to learn all he could.
Sequinnen paused and closed his eyes, pacing the stage before he spoke again, “Thus, it falls to me to make sure you are prepared for the world you will enter when you leave this academy and forge for yourselves a future we can all be proud of. A future we can protect with the sweat of our brows, the Zight in our Orriums, and if need be, the life in our veins!”
He paused then, his arms locked behind his back. He stared intently, scanning the room for a few moments, locking eyes with everyone he stared at, including Cypher. The pressure of such a gaze was almost enough to make him faint, but he held his composure and only wavered for an instant before Sequinnen looked away.
“When you leave this academy, let there be no one who can say that you are not skilled enough, that you do not know enough, or that your power is insufficient! No! Instead, let them envy your might! Let them be secure in the knowledge that you have overcome the odds and achieved what far too many fail to do.”
“The life of a Conductor is not an easy one. There are no shortcuts on the path of Conduction and as with anything worth doing, there are risks you can either choose to flee from or face head-on. Life as a Conductor is more often than not a short and cruel existence. Thus it will be up to you to forge your own path despite any dangers you may face.”
“I expect each of you to give it your all and devote yourselves entirely to your craft. When you are out in the world, there are no second chances, there are no safety nets to save you if you fall. You will have only the skills you learned here to guide you on your path to the heroic ranks of Conducting.”
“I ramble on, reciting this speech each and every year because I feel that it is important that each of you, first-years and seniors alike know these things. Many of you, despite your best efforts, despite how hard you try, or how many hours of practice and study you put into your training, will never step into the realm of heroes. The fourth rank will elude almost all of you if you are not steadfast, and dedicated each step of the way.”
“I say this not to discourage you, but to inspire you! Power beyond your wildest imagination lies beyond the doorstep of the fourth rank, you need only to reach out and claim it! But power alone is not what you should strive for!”
“Power on its own leads to destruction, a lesson the Guardians of old gave their lives to teach us. Let the desire to protect those whom you love guide you on your path. Let the desire to protect this land beat within each of your hearts as much as it does within my own,”
“Compassion for all living things combined with the willpower to achieve the impossible… That is the key to your success! The Seven Guardians, those precious few who reached the realm of the Relic ranks knew this! It was etched into their very souls! They did not give their lives so that we could allow the darkness of the heart to reclaim the land. They did not die so that we could spoil their memory with an endless quest for power. That is not what being a Conductor is about I assure you.”
“At this academy, erected by my ancestor and named in honor of those mighty existences, you will discover for yourself what it truly means to be a Conductor. If you fail to meet my expectations for you, I will not hesitate to expel you immediately and without warning. None of you are special in my eyes. None of you are so wealthy that you can weasel your way past our ever-watchful eyes. Your family name and connections are worth next to nothing here!”
“The Elders and I shall be watching each of you very closely. However, you are only human… for now. As is expected you will eventually make mistakes along the way and you will stumble. We do not mind if you stumble. We do not even mind if you fall from time to time. The important thing is that you are able to stand back up and try again, to continue reaching for ever-larger goals.”
Sequinnen crossed his arms in front of his chest and stood still for a moment. He then radiated a powerful aura, one that pressed upon the minds of everyone in the room. The sheer force of it was enough to make Cypher sweat and panic rushed through him. Pain then followed, sharp, deadly, but obviously tempered. A few students near him grasped their heads, but before anyone could cry out, it vanished.
“That was a mere sliver of the power you may come to possess. How many of you felt pain? How many of you feared for your lives? This is the threat that awaits you out there. I am not the only rank four Conductor in this wide world, and there are many who would not stop at a mere demonstration, to say nothing of the various Zightbeasts who roam this land. Once again I remind you to employ compassion in every action you take from today onwards.”
“I will leave you with these words, so remember them as you embark on your journey to the top. Failure is the first step to greatness. Without failure, you can not learn humility. Without humility, you cannot learn compassion and without that, you cannot ever hope to reach the heroic ranks!”
At this, he turned and walked to the empty chair in the middle of the stage and sat down. One by one the Elders rose from their chairs and walked to the center of the stage. Each introduced themselves and gave speeches of their own, most much shorter than Sequinnen’s. When they were finished, he again rose from his high-backed chair and smiled at all of them. He spread his arms and spoke once again.
“Now that these rigid formalities are out of the way, let us enjoy the fruits of labor the fine chefs below have arranged for all of us. Do not hold back and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow, lesson drafting begins and classes will start first thing next week. Take this weekend and reflect on how you can best achieve your goals!”
He clapped his hands twice then, and the room went dark. A strange feeling took hold of Cypher and he felt bolted to his chair. Noise filled his ears, and for a moment the world felt like it would fall away as he sat motionless and unable to move. Another few moments like this passed and as the light returned to the room, he found that the rows of chairs had spread themselves out and tables loaded with food and drink had appeared.
Never had such a vast spread of food been presented before him. Roasted fowl of all types and boars cooked to perfection sat upon silver platters surrounded by glazed berries and vegetables. Large goblets of sweet liquids sat next to each plate before the students and a great feast began. Bards, dancers, and performers appeared from entrances to the side of the great hall and began playing music and entertaining all those present.
Cypher ate the delicious food eagerly, hardly pacing himself as his fork and knife moved wildly, stopping every now and then to watch and listen as the newcomers performed their arts. Illusions and sleight of hand were common among their acts, as well as a few bits of genuine magick that shocked and astounded everyone who watched.
Time passed this way as students, teachers, and elders alike ate and talked the afternoon away. Many of the people around him offered their names and sought his in return, and more than a few asked questions about what had happened in the courtyard. He did his best to answer without revealing the full scope of what had transpired. He didn’t feel that they needed to know everything as it had been a private affair, but his summations seemed to quell their curiosity well enough.
After the main courses vanished into their stomachs, desserts of all types appeared and the feasting continued for a bit longer before many started to depart. Cypher felt heavy and sluggish but was well satisfied. Despite how delicious the food had been, the sweet smell of the many desserts was starting to make him feel sick.
He was tired now and wanted to rest and contemplate everything that had happened. He rose from his chair, bidding the few remaining students at his table farewell, and set out to look for Velruud.
