Symphonic Odyssey

The days rolled by quickly as Cypher prepared to leave with Eiden. Their one-sided training had continued during the last week leading up to the trip. After fighting strong opponents like Gelath the Ghostly in Gett and the Rank-Two horned wolf at Gelrin Cliff, Cypher felt like he could gain nothing more from holding back against a weak one like Eiden.

Eiden on the other hand felt like he had gained much more skill than he actually had, and Cypher found himself thinking of other things while Eiden ran drills against him. It seemed as though Eiden was taking his training more seriously now, the boy was even improving according to Jelroy. Although, both Cypher and Jelroy knew that no such thing was actually happening.

Eiden didn’t have the same drive to improve that Cypher did. He simply expected the world to unfold around him simply by the virtue of being a noble. Reality would hit that boy hard and the illusion he lived in would come crashing down around him one day. But Jelroy wasn’t employed by Galex to ensure that Eiden’s future adventures would be easy, only to prepare him for the entrance exam to the Academy. Whether he failed or not would be entirely up to Eiden himself.

While Eiden felt as though he was getting stronger, his behavior towards Cypher, on the other hand, had returned to its previous state now that Galex was busy with the investigation. Cypher took it with a grain of salt and once again dealt with it in silence. Although he was quite tired of the heir constantly flipping the switch on him. He much rather preferred it if he knew what to expect on any given day. He was opting to internalize it all and use it as kindling for the fires of escape burning inside him.

So much was unknown about what he would be going into, as none of the books he had stolen over the years had mentioned exactly where Guardian Hall Academy was or even what it might be like there. Cypher had his suspicions about life at the academy, but nothing concrete to go on. His lack of education on matters outside the grounds annoyed him. Despite this, bits and pieces of a plan wormed their way through his mind as he sparred with Eiden.

The outskirts of the Galvan property weren’t as thoroughly guarded as the grounds, and on most nights packs of horned wolves could be heard howling in the distance. Even though they had cleared out a medium-sized pack a few weeks before, their numbers were barely affected. Cypher wagered that he would have to deal with more of them and even other beasts in the wild should he manage to make his escape from the academy.

During the last week leading up to their departure, Eiden’s mother, Tyrina, had brought Cypher a bag to carry his few meager belongings in, unaware that he already had one. Eiden would be at the academy for the next five years and, as far as she was concerned, Cypher would be with him. He knew that he would never again find himself here at the manor. He certainly didn’t plan on coming back no matter what happened.

Still, she couldn’t know that, and thus, she had articulated in no soft terms how his room would be filled by a replacement servant. She continued to say that if he left any of his garbage behind it would either be given to his replacement or thrown away with the rest of the trash. Cypher had taken that opportunity to do exactly as she suggested and packed up his belongings. He had chosen to discard the bag she had provided beneath his bed. It was smaller, more ragged, and he had no room for it anywhere else. It did not even have any straps sewn onto it.

He stuffed the small box his birth mother had left for him at the bottom of the medium-sized bag Jelroy had provided him. Various birthday gifts Molly had given to him like the remains of the wooden sword or a jacket she had made followed soon after. His armor was among the last things to be packed away.

The leather armor was bulky and the vambraces barely fit inside. Still, after arranging the items carefully and realizing that he’d have to wear one of the arm guards, he was pleased with the final result. Lastly, he placed a small carving knife on top of the other items and secured the flap on top. He was ready to go.

Cypher had planned to escape shortly after arriving at Guardian Hall Academy, and he knew that he would have to spend some time alone outside. He didn’t have room for much else in his pack right now but felt that he would be able to steal a few days worth of supplies for his time in the wilderness if he wore his armor. This had worried him at first. But after going over in his mind the various tips and survival tricks he had learned from his stolen knowledge, he was confident that he would be fine. At least, for a short while. He wasn’t completely helpless after all.

What he really needed was a map and an idea of where the nearest town or village might be in relation to the Academy grounds. That would have to wait until he arrived there, however, as none in the Galvan manor would be willing to give him such a thing without a series of questions he didn’t wish to answer.

So it was that the final day arrived before they would leave. In the morning before sunrise carriages would be waiting to take them to their destination, and Cypher felt as if a swarm of butterflies was whirling around inside his gut. As nervous as he was, it paled in comparison to how Eiden must have felt because the boy was near constantly nagging Cypher about mundane things.

“Make sure you pack my things well, bastard. If I forget anything because of your incompetence, I’ll have you carted back to the manor and you’ll be stuck scrubbing toilets until I return,” scolded Eiden as he rifled through a series of scrolls, checking each one before stuffing them all into another of his many bags.

“Of course my lord, I won’t forget anything on the list you’ve provided me,” Cypher had responded with slight annoyance. Eiden had issued the same warning four times now and Cypher was quite tired of hearing it at that point. That said, the list was rather extensive, and even Cypher knew that Eiden wouldn’t be allowed to bring this many things. The dorm rooms were only so big and noble blood or not, Eiden wouldn’t be given larger quarters or storage space.

The list Cypher had been given included several weeks worth of clothes, nine pairs of boots for various occasions, all of Eiden’s books and quills, and even ten rolls of parchment. All of it took up several chests worth of space, and these were only the things he would absolutely need during his time at the academy.

Five years was a long time, and no doubt Eiden would need more than what he brought with him today. However, the academy as Cypher understood it would provide most of the things students would need to complete their courses. Eiden was simply being overbearing.

After an hour and a half, Eiden’s things were stored in suitcases and trunks, and packed upon a carriage. All of which Cypher had been tasked with loading save for the heavier items which he could not lift higher than his chest. He found the work bothersome and annoying but decided to just ignore the feeling and get the work done. With his plans of leaving already in motion, Cypher didn’t want to risk doing anything that might get in the way of that happening.

With so little time left before he left, there was no point in causing a scene or putting up a fight now. It was better to just keep his head down and do as he was told.

“Make sure you’re down here waiting before sunrise. I’ll not be late for MY exam because some bastard servant decided to sleep in for a few extra minutes. Now go away. My sisters will want to spend some time with me before I leave, and I’ll not be burdened by the likes of you. Oh! Helen, Yvonne, let’s have some tea, shall we? I’ve been saving an exquisite brew for just such an occasion.”

With that Eiden ran off to join his sisters who were playing nearby, leaving Cypher alone with his thoughts.

“Don’t choke,” Cypher muttered under his breath as Eiden ran out of earshot. A few hours later and after a final quick check of his own belongings, Cypher found himself in bed unable to sleep.