Duck!
Cypher bent down and narrowly dodged a golden sword flying towards him. The sweat trickling down his face intensified, another sword taking the opportunity to attack him.
Ofcourse, his new companion didn't miss the attack. Above Cypher, Rain flew high and observed everything in its vision before relaying the information back to Cyphers mind.
As a result, the boy achieved something akin to 360 degree vision. Easily seeing the entire arena, even in his blind spots.
Flipping over the last sword in a display of incredible acrobatic prowess, Cypher regained his footing and slashed the sword into particles of light before it could attack him again. A smile lit up his face, his training now completed with amazing results
Ofcourse, Clementine was warching and had been controlling her power to operate her swords. While she hadn't used even a quarter of her full power, she had used enough to kill any regular caliber one Dreamweaver.
"As expected, you've already outgrown my training." Her wry smile didn't mask her emotions. A brief memory flashed in her eyes, that of a blonde haired boy jumping excitedly when he discovered that he had completely finished her challenge,
"Mother did you see that! My power is unfathomable!" A childish voice full of niavity wrung in her ears, innocent and pure.
"Umm, lady Clementine?"
Cypher pulled her out of her daze.
"Ohh, yes dear. You've outgrown my training. I can feel your close to breaking the next chain?" The power radiating off Cypher made it obvious he was about to ascend another rank.
"I believe that by the end of the day, I could be ready to complete the first layer of my alter." Cypher replied.
Every chain broken represents another potential powerhouse in the church. Ofcourse, it would not go without some sort of celebration and acknowledgement.
"Well then, congratulations. Tonight the we will hold a grand celebration in the main hall!
The cardinal will personally give you your new rank once you ascend."
Not many Dreamweavers get such an honour, only those like the cardinal or Clematine with clear talent recieved such lavish treatment.
Cypher had already known about it, having designed a custom outfit for himself for the occasion , "AHH, I almost forget!"
Reaching into his cloaks pocket, a piece of paper with intricket designs and labels was pulled out,"I worked on this all night, do you think the church can handle it?"
"Hmm...,"The saint looked at the drawings and scrutinized every section," It's slightly unorthodox, but the armour and protection is good enough. It should be done by tonight."
"Thank you Clematine." Time was drawing to a close. This training session was longer than most and had lasted 3 hours, draining his energy.
Caw!
Rain flew down and landed directly on Cyphers shoulder, it's eyes looking directly at Clematine with an uncaringly empty gaze.
He had begun to assimilate with Cyphers personalised more and more, though still not quite as intelligent as his partner.
"Very well. I'll report to my father and have the tailors make your clothes. If you want to talk to me or have any questions, come find me." Clematine swiftly turned back and walked off. As a saint, she was relatively busy and had to deal with insurgencies from the cult and impose the law on the city.
Since he had nothing left to do and didn't have the energy to finish his Alter until the afternoon, Cypher simply left to rest before the ceremony.
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In a grand hall, reminiscent of a tradition chapel with two rows of seats filled with both low level and high level members. Even the Beastmaster Orion had attended, though he had fell asleep on his bench.
Above them lay a dome like see through ceiling that made the glory of the statue of Endo visible to all that looked up to the sky.
Ontop of an ornate stage decorated with white glowing stones and intricate patterns of lavish swirls and towering angelic statues, a man stood tall. His presence exuded both extreme authority and oppression. His iron mask hid his eyes in darkness and his white robe made him appear as more of an angel than man.
Supreme Cardinal Vanderwald looked down on the crowd of people that had gathered. Each one was either a Dreamweaver with ferocious combat ability or they were low level priests that hadn't awakened yet. These low level individuals were responsible for daily preaching and adminstration such as planning supply routes to the military or handling documents in the church, they were still somewhat respected despite their lack of strength.
Though cardinal Vanderwald had run the church since his own father's death on the battlefield, he still wasn't fully satisfied with the way things had turned out. The loss of his grandson was an unparalleled blow to the church second to none. He had been a prodigy much greater than Clementine and even Vanderwald himself, capable of being the perfect heir to the position of Cardinal.
'This boy might just be the key...' Vanderwald frowned as he watched a boy walk inbetween the two rows of seats, heading straight towards the stage with swift confidence. His outfit displayed similarities to the traditional white robes of the church, however their was black ascents around the ascents of the cloak.
Perhaps the most striking feature was the mask that hid his face from vision, featuring an almost entirety white bird like appearance. It's long protruding beak and tinted glass lenses made the boy look menacing despite his age.
'Bur somethings not right about him...' Although Vanderwald couldn't exactly decent why he felt uneasy, his monsterously enhanced senses picked up on the subtleties of Cyphers behaviour. His smile seemed fake...to perfect. His heart never beat faster unless it was forced to fight.
'He's far to ruthless for a peasant...even I had some aversion to killing when I was young. Perhaps he's just demonstrating loyalty?' None of Vanderwalds thoughts made it past his mask.
As Cypher made his way to the podium, hushed whispers from those gathered sounded through the hall. His new appearance was a unique shift from the usual attire, his mask having been designed to mirror Rain who was perched on his shoulders. Although it did have a an air filtration system much like a gas mask. Even his robes were constructed with thin chainmail mesh that prevented normal slashing attacks from doing damage.
Stepping up onto the podium, he faced Vanderwald and bowed his head to show respect,"Lord Cardinal, your subject awaits your guidance."
The act seemed to signal everyone to stop and listen.
"Everyone of my faithful soldiers! Today we are celebrating the achievements of Cypher Ren. Through his hard work and talent, he has the opportunity to do what takes most years of work! We'll witness his ascension to caliber 2 on this very night. I believe that in the coming campaign, he'll need your full support on the battlefield!"
The crowd nodded at the order. It was rare to see Vanderwald praise anyone, and they didn't hesitate to respect his decisions.
"Now then, we shall begin with the ceremony!" His shouts caused a chain reaction as the lights of the hall fizzled out untill the room was engulfed in darkness, only the glowing eyes of the Dreamweavers remained.
Without any order, those gathered began to chant and recite from the holy scriptures they had studied for years, their whispers growing louder and louder as Cypher sat in a mediating pose and entered his soul space.
Across the endless white desert. A massive undertaking was about to finish. Cypher conjured the sorrounding sand and begun his painstaking work to craft the final brick of the first layer of his Alter.
'Almost..." Time trickled by, each moment filled with tension. The light inside his soul core frantically slammed against the walls that confined it, cracking the chain even further.
Vrum...
On the outside, Cyphers body floated off the floor with waves of energy radiating off him. Even beneath the tinted glass of his mask, his eyes continued to glow brighter than the sun.
Vrum
His soul space rumbled and shook in joy, the brick now laying above Cypher as he waved his hand causing it to fly into its designated position.
Not even a moment after it made contact...
Chink!
The chain split apart, violently falling from the sky...
Beneath his mask, Cypher released a real smile. Genuine joy coursed through his veins like a drug. This power was possibly the most addictive force he had ever felt.