"If that's the case," began Cypher, "shouldn't I be able to push my power to my father's limits then? Someone at the peak of the fifth rank like him would have been nearly unstoppable, wouldn't he? I could have then handled Gaizeal easily, right?"
Syntinnial shook his head, "No, your body wouldn't be able to handle the strain and the transformation would simply end. The Ark Cradle won't allow its user to surpass limits that would kill them. It isn't that the belt is sentient, just that its preservation properties would activate, thus ending the transformation before one could make use of that surpassed limit."
Cypher looked a little annoyed but looked back at Syntinnial as he carried on, "Your limit without canceling the transformation should be somewhere just beyond the third rank. Think of it as being a pseudo-Rank-Four Conductor. You were almost there, but not quite. In fact, your current state now could be considered being a pseudo-Rank-two Conductor."
To Cypher that seemed to be about right. He was sure that his power had reached the limits of the third rank before the end of his battle with Gaizeal. He had been busy balancing so many things at the time that it was difficult to gauge exactly how powerful he, and by comparison, his opponents had been with absolute perfection. Now that he had time to think back he could understand more clearly.
However, a question now bothered him, and he gave rise to it rather quickly, "You know an awful lot about these Ark Cradles. It might be basic knowledge, but it's still impressive all the same. In your own words, you imply that more Ark Cradles exist. Should I be worried about fighting another Conductor using one? Namely, the Order. If they have one of these and a Zweicore, as well as being at a higher Conduction rank, would I even stand a chance?"
Syntinnial thought for a moment and then answered, "If that were the case, no. You would be obliterated before you could even respond. However, the location of every Ark Cradle is well accounted for and monitored. If one had fallen into Order hands I would have been made aware of it long ago. You don't need to worry about an Order member using that power against you."
Cypher crossed his arms. That answer didn't please him. In fact, it only made more questions arise in his mind. He looked at Syntinnial curiously and quickly decided on his next line of questioning.
"That's just the thing," began Cypher, "how do you know that? How do you know any of this? Alvin was clueless when we discovered that first Ark Cradle and he is one of the most informed men I know. He even had a few friends examine it to see if he could understand it better and they still learned nothing. I get that you're a powerful Guardian Apprentice and have lived a long time, but I can't really believe that you just heard all this through rumors or in passing."
"Hmm, quite so Cypher, and well said. There is much still to say on this matter. As I have already promised I will tell you everything I can," replied Syntinnial. Cypher nodded and made himself more comfortable as Syntinnial wove his tale.
"It all began long ago, during the Ark war," began Syntinnial, a look of nostalgia on his face as he let the light shine across the Ark Cradle in his hands. "My comrades and I were locked inside the Chamber of Seven and forbidden to interfere with the war between the light and the dark. Just as we seven apprentices did not directly participate in the war, Zeonidus, for some reason, remained passive as well.
"Instead, he aided those who actively fought against the peace of the world, his pawns. He fueled them with spells, power, and wisdom unknown to mortals. By doing so, he had practically ensured his victory since none could stand against such a terrible use of power. We, that is to say, I and the other apprentices, couldn't simply stand by and allow the shadows to take hold of the world. We had no idea what might happen if that was allowed to continue.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"So, after a heavy debate, the seven of us, with me as the catalyst, combined our strength and sought to ally with warriors who would even the odds and tip the scales back in our favor. It began as a simple spell, one made to bypass the spells the guardians themselves had laid upon us, a tricky endeavor since they were masters of worded magick and a full rank above us.
"Things were going as expected during our casting of this powerful magick, but as we worked, the spell grew and fed on our will to save those who needed our help. We chanted and poured our power into the casting of this spell for an entire decade. When at long last the spell was finished, five sets of powerful armor lay before us. We knew then that we had created something of great power, but we could never have known how great it truly was."
Syntinnial continued with another sigh, "Although we could not actually leave the chamber of seven, this armor we had created was not bound by any such laws, and so we entrusted it to those who we felt would use it to its full potential. The five warriors we chose were pure of heart and strong of will. Together they fought to bring peace back to the land. We knew that they could use the armor to end that war, one way or another.
"As incredible as it sounds, the legend of how they fought against a thousand Rank-Four Conductors and won, is not a myth or exaggeration. When we forged those first five armor sets, we imbued them with more power than originally intended. Not only did they gain most of our power, but they also gained the powers we never intended. Truly the spell we wrought was incredible indeed.
"The five warriors fought long and hard as we watched from our prison. Many battles came and went over the decades. However, humans are limited in how far they can go up the ladder of the ranks and time eventually took its toll. When the time came for them to die, they each passed the armor on to a new group of warriors who carried on where their predecessors left off.
"At that time, however, the original armor we had forged was quite damaged. We Guardian Apprentices were worried that it would eventually be destroyed, and our efforts would have been wasted. That said, the resourcefulness of Conductors never ceases to amaze, and surprisingly, this new generation of warriors was able to use the original armor sets' fragments to forge the first of the Ark Cradles.
"The one you hold in your possession contains a fragment of that original armor at its core. It is because of that core that you're still alive. As I'm sure you've already guessed by now, that legendary armor was quite similar to the one produced by this device you possess now. Though the armor produced by the Ark Cradle is quite different in its own right," said Syntinnial, handing the Ark Cradle back to Cypher.
"After the forging of the first Ark Cradles, the power, and fame of those warriors brought many new faces to their cause, and their numbers were increasing by the dozens each day, though not all members received an Ark Cradle. Only the leaders were granted access to such power, and eventually, they called themselves, The Radiant Corps. It is in part because of those brave men and women that the Ark War came to a close.
"After we apprentices were released from the Chamber of Seven, my comrades scattered to the winds and left me to lay claim to the title of Celiest, master of the Radiant Corps. I continue my duty even to this day. When your great ancestor became a member of the Corps, and later leader of an entire Radiant Satellite, I knew he would be special."
Syntinnial paused, noting Cypher's confused look, and then nodded. "Right, you wouldn't know what the hell I'm talking about, would you? You see, just as the Order has Chaos Cells, we have our own elite groups known as Radiant Satellites. They serve a similar purpose to the Order's Chaos Cells and monitor each region of the continent. Though our Radiant Satellites uphold the peace and protect the world, while those within Chaos Cells seek to undermine our efforts."
Cypher nodded slowly. He was starting to understand more and more about the Radiant Corps. Elaine had done little to inform him of what it was they actually did or how they worked. Instead, she opted to only tell him of their existence and that his father was once a member.