I figured there would be some who can't wait for the arrival into Symphonia any longer, so I wrote 2 chapters at one time. There's a good bit of information in this one, but I hope you enjoy! The story truly begins now.

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Opening his eyes, Itsuki froze at the sight before him. Rather than a man-made building, he was instead in the middle of a forest, so peaceful and full of life that he felt immediately at ease rather than in danger. Behind him was a grove of apple orchards, completely decorated with red fruit as though these were Christmas trees being sold from the stores on Earth. In front of him appeared a spring filled with crystal clear water that seemed to be the definition of real sparkling water. He only managed to snap back to his senses when he heard that voice in his head calling out to him once again.

???: “Master, we have arrived in Demeter’s forest. Welcome to Symphonia.”

Itsuki: “Ah, thanks. It’s a really beautiful forest. Oh, can I finally learn who you are?”

???: “Indeed Master. Allow me to show myself first.”

A small orb appeared out of Itsuki’s body and slowly materialized into a little pixie no taller than 1 foot. Her short pink hair and prismatic translucent wings were accented by the sheer white dress she wore. When she gazed right at Itsuki, he could see her eyes being just as green as his, and she began to speak.

???: “Master, my name is Veritas. Despite the way I look, I was once what your world considered a valkyrie. I am the Valkyrie of Truth who served under Apollo. 40 years ago, I fought Ares in order to buy Apollo time to release the Muses and grant his blessing to you. As a result, I was killed. The world does not know, however, that Apollo attached me to his blessing, granting me a second life to serve you. Thus, I asked you to keep it quiet in the presence of Hermes. That frivolous god could not keep a secret even if his life depended on it. I’m sure Cassandra learns everything from that loose-lipped god.

Itsuki: “I see what you mean…wait…you were the one feeding me those lines about Artemis’s pudding and what not huh?”

Veritas: “Very astute Master. Hermes, moronic as he is, should have known that the eye of Apollo is incapable of delving that deep into the truth of a person. I just dislike him and wanted to play a prank on him. It was all true though.”

At this moment, Veritas crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks in a way that Itsuki could only describe as cute.

Itsuki: “Hmm can we do something about that master part? I kind of get this itch from that. Could you just call me Itsuki?”

Veritas: “But master, you are my master. Using your name like that would be disrespectful!”

Itsuki: “Well, I as your master wish for you to use my name. In exchange…I’ll call you Veri! Veritas seems a little stiff. We will be journeying together from now on anyway right?”

Veri: “Sigh. Just as stubborn as Apollo I see. Very well, Itsuki. I do enjoy the nickname by the way. Regardless, I believe it is time for me to explain your Conductor class to you.”

Itsuki’s eyes began gleaming with excitement, and he plopped himself under the nearest tree in order to learn what he could do in this world.

Veri: “The Conductor class is the most important class in all of Symphonia. It is proof of your ability to lead musical performances, but it also shows your ability to fight battles. It is the ultimate chess piece. You are currently the only conductor left in this world ever since Apollo was sealed away. All other conductors lost their powers and have subsequently passed away after the 40 years. Now, in Symphonia, there is no such thing as stats and the like. Our world is no video game. If you get a cut, you have an injury. If you were stabbed in the heart, it would be instant death rather than a critical hit. Vitality is the primary measure of strength, as the more stamina you have, the longer you can fight. Any skills you use will take an appropriate amount of vitality, and once over your limit, you will faint. Is that clear so far?”

Itsuki: “I get it, but can I really be of any use? I’m not an athlete…”

Veri: “Hahahaha, did you forget what world you’re in? You’re in Symphonia, a world where music is power. When I was a valkyrie, I had stamina through training. You, however, can both train your stamina and reduce the strain skills have on your vitality. Wonderful is it not?”

Itsuki: “Phew. That makes me feel a lot better. Ok, please continue with the explanation.”

Veri: “Very well. The conductor class has quite a few perks, one of them being paradigm shift. You will be able to use 3 fighting modes, each with its own strengths and weakness. Legato form is the highly offensive blade form, where you overwhelm the enemy by constantly striking him. Thus, you leave him no chance to retaliate. It is ever flowing, chaining blow after blow. In all honesty, it is my favorite form of the conductors.”

Itsuki: “Is it safe to assume the other 2 modes are Staccato form and Pizzicato form?”

Veri: “You get a gold star! Staccato form is a support form. It involves blocking and repelling the enemy from your long ranged fighters while casting supports at allies and spells at the enemy. In terms of fighting a war, this was the form of choice. Finally, Pizzicato form is a long ranged archery form meant to kill your foes from far away or act as long ranged help for your frontal bruisers. Since all conductors have the blessing of Apollo, their archery skills are indeed formidable. So with all that said, can you understand why conductors are so useful?”

Itsuki: “Yup! Definitely! But, am I stuck in one form in a battle or is it easy to switch between them?”

Veri: “A conductor is the ultimate chess piece because he can freely switch between the forms. In music, you control the tempo and rhythm of the piece, and you can freely change the form if you truly wanted to. It is the exact same here. Control the tempo and rhythm of the battlefield, and choose the proper form for the proper situation. It’ll take a lot of practice, but I think you’ll be just fine. Now, to unlock the forms, you need to meet someone who’s fighting style is similar to that form itself. Since I adore fighting head-on without pause, I can unlock your Legato form. Here we go!”

A blue light shone in Veris’ hand, and I could feel strength welling up inside of me. Legato form huh? Whoa! There’s a skill list in my head now!

Itsuki the Conductor

Skills

Music Creation: Using the power of a conductor orb granted by the gods or the strong feelings embedded in an object along with the essence of a musical composition, one can create new skills.

Rhythm Break: Everyone has a natural rhythm that is unchangeable. Read the opponent’s natural rhythm and interfere with it. Causes the opponent to be momentarily stunned.

Glissando Steps: Switch to a sliding motion that makes your movements difficult to read and hard to catch.

Rhythm Overtake: Fully internalize a song and synchronize one’s body to it, allowing for an abrupt change in tempo and natural rhythm to confuse foes.

Legato Form

Accelerando: Gain an explosive burst in movement and attacking speed.

Clavichord: Put all of one’s strength into a downward motion to hammer the enemy to the ground. Can double one’s strength for the hit.

Mezzo: Simultaneously strike high and low, allowing your foes to block one but not the other.

Staccato Form LOCKED

Pizzicato Form LOCKED

With eyes as excited as a kid in a candy store, Itsuki asked Veri,

“Veri Veri! These skills sound amazing! For Music Creation, can I really make all the skills I want??? I can’t believe the skill names are so awesome! Rhythm Overtake sounds like a skill that I would use all the time! And And…”

Veri: “Itsuki, calm down for a second. Yes, your skills are great, but you can only use them to half of their potential at this moment on a good day. You need to train your ability to use your skills to feel the true power of your skills. Fighting is all about technique, strength, and instinct. You have none of these right now, but I will make sure you do. For Music Creation however, I am sorry. The number of conductor orbs that exist is very low. Ares made sure to destroy all the ones he could find to stunt the potential of the Conductor of Apollo. If there are any around, only a god would have one hidden somewhere.”

Itsuki: “Hm…that’s ok. I’ll just work hard! My dream hasn’t changed! I will be the best conductor in this world!”

At this moment, Itsuki’s golden locket he received from his mother began to glow, as though it were trying to call out to Itsuki. A warm light began to envelope him, and his surroundings changed into a prairie full of wild flowers with a gentle wind. A figure stood in front of him, a figure he had not seen for 6 months.

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Please give any constructive criticisms or comments! This story is just beginning, and I have some ideas for down the road, but this is my first fiction. I will probably just got wherever my writer's head takes me. By the way, my favorite character right now is Hermes just cause I can make him as snarky and mischievous as I want. Too bad he won't show up for a while. Also, the battle system is there because I don't want to deal with levels or stat gains and things like that. No one shows up to a fight like hey my strength is over 400. So sorry about that if you find it confusing. I'll do what I can to make it better if it is. Thanks for reading!