* * *
Toular Galgandar hid his mockery as he watched the supposed eccentric preparing his defense. No mana was expended and no constructs of any kind were created. Even his strange weapon was… a construct of some base metal and wood, although he was uncertain how the weapon even worked as it stood in two parts and was … well, he truly could not comprehend its purpose. The metal construct was curved by a string for some reason, and did not appear to be useful as a spear, staff, or club. The small thin wooden object certainly appeared to be a weapon, but its small size and weak build left him quite uncertain of how it could be used. At least he takes his preparation seriously. Toular hid his smirk, keeping a carefully neutral and polite smile on his face. He had no intention of offending the eccentric.
The eccentric stood on the battle wall like an eager recruit awaiting their first battle and Toular barely held in his smirk, turning away to hide his slip although such a slip would still be seen by a true eccentric even if he was turned away from him. He made sure to not flinch, stiffen, or hide his action in obvious ways, flipping his gaze to a colleague on his opposite side from the eccentric. Without showing any of his tension or inner fear, he turned back to gaze out over the field, returning his gaze to the neutral smile. As time passed, his relief grew internally even as his outer appearance remained bored.
He then looked back at the eccentric, now much more cautious but with even greater disdain as it was obvious that the eccentric was no eccentric. The man was now sitting with his apprentices, too easy in his interaction with them and without concern with their utter disrespect exhibited between all three nor did he attempt to remonstrate his apprentices for their utter disrespect of the First in Line for Matriarch.
Suddenly, the eccentric looked over at him and Toular found himself frozen as only moments later, the man was walking towards him, speaking.
“Hello. I’m Joe. What’s your name?”
Toular found himself locked in uncertainty, but maintained proper face for the Galandar clan as he quickly scrambled to reply. With a respectful bow, Toular replied, “I know you, eccentric. It is an honor to meet you. Welcome to the Galgandar clan home. I am Toular Galgandar.”
“Toular. It is nice to meet you. Please just call me Joe. What do you do here?”
Toular found himself nonplussed, uncertain how to reply at all, “Uh, I am grateful for your willingness to share your name. I… do … I live here?”
“Ah. This is your home. I understand. Then what do you practice or do? Amongst my people, we ask what’s your job? But I’m uncertain the appropriate way to ask. How may I ask after your primary occupation?”
Toular found himself at a loss, not understanding the eccentric, “I… apologize, but I am uncertain how to reply.”
The eccentric paused, also seeming confused before once again replying, “Uh… examples of jobs amongst my people would be certain things such as teacher, blacksmith, warrior, soldier, or leader.”
Toular bowed slightly, acknowledging understanding, “Then I would likely be considered a warrior or soldier according to your people.”
“Oh. Moderately cold. That is very moderately cold. So you help defend your city?”
Toular once again found himself lost in the eccentric’s strange words, choosing to disregard the strange reaction to his cultivation. He spent some time attempting to see if the eccentric was mocking him, but his honest reply lacked all malice, and he simply chose to ignore the statements. Nor did he wish to lose face for his failure to understand, simply answering the question, obvious though it was.
“Yes, eccentric. I am a defender of the city.”
“Then, may I ask some questions? Or do you have any advice for how to defend well? I am new to monster tides.”
Toular hid his shock well, bowing and replying instead, “I would be more than grateful, eccentric.”
For the next bell or two, the eccentric asked inane and childish questions as Toular struggled ever harder to withhold his disdain, not wishing to mock the eccentric nor lose face for the clan, but simultaneously losing all respect for the man during the conversation. It was the first time he actually felt relieved for a monster tide when the farseers called out its beginning. Tuolar bowed and backed away, grateful to end the conversation. What a useless man!
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“Apologies, eccentric. The monster tide comes. I must prepare.”
“Ah. It’s time, huh?”
The eccentric turned and stared at the tide, actually seeming to stutter in fear and this time, Toular let the smirk flicker across his lips as he turned away, returning to his post. Who is this fool, and how has he deceived the Matriarch so completely? The Matriarch must be held accountable for such foolish actions. How could she… Toular’s step stuttered, then froze as tension immediately swept through him. He rapidly and consciously leaned on his Intelligence, desperately trying to find where his unconscious fear came from, focusing on recalling the last several moments. Even with extensive effort of his Intelligence, it took several recalls and intense study to recognize where his fear had come from and his mockery and disdain disappeared.
He’d felt the presence of the eccentric as easily as any other, with the Matriarch proving to be the most adept at suppressing the Presence of any he knew. The eccentric hadn’t suppressed his Presence at all, even appearing as a simple mortal. However, as he’d walked away, returning to his post for the oncoming wave of monsters, the eccentric’s Presence simply disappeared. It faded, slowly at first, then seemed to simply flicker to nothing. The man was no longer there.
Toular rapidly turned around and froze once again when he found the eccentric standing almost exactly where he’d left him, but his presence was absolutely gone. Toular felt his breathing rapidly increase in fear even as his heart rate spiked and he blinked staring at the eccentric. A flicker of motion beyond the eccentric caught his eye and he looked beyond to find the Matriarch and all her staff staring as well at the eccentric, although the Matriarch had a soft satisfied smile. When his gaze flickered past the eccentric, the Matriarch noticed, looking back at him before her smile grew into outright triumph before she nodded to Toular and she turned away, preparing her defenses as she raised ward, shield, enhancements, and her various pools and reserves
Toular, shaken by the eccentric’s incredible mastery, was no longer certain of his position. He returned to his post rapidly and set his ward and shield, but only a single enhancement. He had no pools or reserves. He took a deep shuddering breath before preparing himself as best he could, watching the oncoming wave but the entirety of his senses focused wholly on the eccentric to his right. His efforts proved in vain, however, as he could feel nothing, with only his eyes revealing something there.
The man proved utterly calm, stepping to the very edge of the battle wall, carelessly bringing up his table and bucket full of the strange wooden weapons he had. He settled and waited. Calm death atop a wall.
“Why is your right undefended? Where is the eccentric’s defense between you and the Matriarch?” his superior called out with restrained harshness.
Toular clenched his teeth, stifling himself, the interjection as a breaking dish in a quiet room. He didn’t quite jump, but quickly replied, his Whisper of the Wind forming around his lips as he spoke softly into the wind sylph before releasing it to return.
“The eccentric is there. He has no defenses I can detect.”
Whisper of the Wind was no true telepathy, so Toular would have to wait for several moments for the wind sylph to carry the message to his friend and superior. It also proved to be quite… prone to all the weaknesses of messaging not of telepathy’s ilk, as it could easily be intercepted, thus he kept his reply cautious and respectful.
“You cannot detect them… or he has none?”
“I … do not know. He waits for action but has no fear.”
That gave pause and the conversation did not continue for several moments and when the reply came, it was very cautious and quite a bit more respectful.
“The great eccentric is… the defense holds well?”
Toular’s response was carefully measured, “I cannot feel his presence. He is awaiting as we…”
Toular’s reply died on his lips, the wind sylph dutifully waiting until the mana cost grew too great and the sylph died in a violent wafting of wind, his message lost. The eccentric had begun to attack long before any other on the wall would be able to do so.
His inattentive gaze on the monster tide was ripped away when he realized the eccentric was preparing to attack, and he found himself staring with a dry throat as he raised his strange curved spear and set the small wooden spike against the string and curved spear, resting the wooden shaft on his hand holding the curved spear. The eccentric then simply held it in place for another few moments before lifting the entire contraption upwards, the miniature wooden spear pointing at the monster tide. He then pulled the wooden spear back to his ear, causing the metal spear to somehow bend even more. How… why does he bend the spear? He then noticed the string and realized he was pulling the string back, bending the metal spear. The eccentric held his place for a few moments, his breathing seeming to slow, then stop. And then, suddenly, the miniature wooden spear disappeared.
Toular immediately turned his gaze to the monster tide, shock shuddering through him as he did not comprehend the attack at all. But as his gaze settled on the wave of monsters advancing upon them, he suddenly noticed one of them stutter, then fall. Toular found himself gasping lightly, fear rippling up and down his spine as he saw the miniature wooden spear embedded in the eye of one of the creatures. An assassin’s attack! I felt… sensed nothing! There was no mana spell! No killing intent. There was… nothing! Was it a teleportation attack? How did he… Infusion is impossible at range, but... no mana spell either? How!?
His inner monologue cut off when he noticed a streak of brown smear across his vision before suddenly resolving itself as another embedded miniature wooden spear in another monster’s eye. Its death came shortly after, not even a breath later as it stumbled and fell. Toular felt his confidence die even as his fear grew. He watched the eccentric work.
“Is all well? What has happened? Your wall has fallen silent? Report!” His superior proved much less restrained.
The burst of the Whisper of Wind on his ear startled him once again, and he replied quickly, his superior’s tense worry obvious, “All is well. The eccentric has engaged and killed two already.”
“How?!”