He then drifted into his own thoughts, his mind whirling at possibilities and what it would mean, but found himself unable to satisfy his curiosity nor explain the impossible connection back to Earth. His mind wrestled with it for quite a bit until Gwenvair’s mother joined them later, knocking politely before entering. Joe didn’t notice at all, but Gwenvair’s overly loud question to her mother brought Joe back to the conversation.
“Mother. Have you heard of a meditative pugilist greater job named tai chi?”
Her mother looked at Gwenvair carefully, eyes searching before she turned to stare interestedly at Joe, “Tai chi? No. There is no tai chi job after meditative pugilist, only healing monk. A truly powerful and excellent skill.”
Joe caught on, and nodded to Gwenvair’s mother, putting effort into appearing grateful, “Thank you. Either no one has found such a job, or it is new, but there is now a new tai chi meditative pugilist job.”
The Matriarch nodded, polite and controlled, “Much thanks for being willing to teach our clan this … detail.”
Huh… bigger deal than I thought… right… gotta be a bit formal?
Joe nodded his head back, exactly at the same level as she had… then added a bit more, as she was a clan leader, and he was not. He then replied, “You are more than welcome. It is very much worth passing this information to you.”
She nodded again, a slow bow, then seemed to somehow relax in such a way as to have the Matriarch disappear and just become Gwenvair’s mother and, he hoped, a pretty good friend now greeting them. Her attendance had him no longer able to pursue his thoughts on what it meant for Tai chi to exist on this planet, so simply decided to take the job that was newly available. I really … want to know what the connection is. Library came up after I spoke about it… but I’ve never brought up Earth Eastern martial arts. It’s… odd. He set tai chi to one of his jobs then quickly looked at available jobs in the physical combat line, starting at the top. He found mercenary with an available upgrade job after it and immediately took it, although he frowned when he saw the name: grunt. Seriously? Grunt? Why? Is it related to… well… it is a mercenary line of jobs then? Joe was careful to keep his eye roll at the name purely mental, not wishing to offend the others.
In any case, he quickly set his four jobs and turned to the conversation with the Matriarch. He no longer had an excuse or option to ignore the conversations and she was politely trying to engage him. She was here, so the time to return to their defense of the wall was likely imminent and he had no time. Joe dismissed his status with the jobs now chosen and turned to engage the Matriarch in polite conversation, the time passing quickly before Gwenvair’s mother looked at Gwenvair quickly, somehow passing a message to her, which caused Gwenvair to sigh and call their breakfast to an end.
“We… have to go. It’s our shift on the walls.”
Gwenvair’s mother was replaced by the Matriarch, as she nodded in agreement, “True, First in Line. We must to the wall.”
Joe chuckled, hiding his shock at the interchange but agreed, “Then off we go!” But… how did they… do that? Is telepathy real?
The other three said nothing, but stood quickly to follow behind, and they soon made it to the entrance and filed outside. Joe allowed the others to file out ahead of him and things were going well for a bit until the first few out of the door came to a stop and people piled up in the exit. After a few moments, the people finally shuffled out, sidling to the side and making a wall, all facing towards the disturbance outside the door.
Joe, being the last, found himself sidling around for a bit until he could get around the wall to see what was happening and sighed when he saw what was causing the commotion. Telnia was sitting in the front yard facing his door while bowing extremely, her forehead literally pressed into the grass in the front yard. Behind her, her dozen staff members were arrayed around her, also bowing, their own foreheads pressed into the ground as well. Joe clenched his teeth.
“Everyone, stand up. Now,” Joe ground out, firmly with a hint of volume, “Telnia. I have rejected your apprenticeship. Go home. You attempted to murder me. How could you ever think I would consider anything from… with… uh… You know what, just go away! I want nothing to do with you!”
Joe then immediately turned and stalked away, anger radiating from him. He ignored the shuffling movement behind him, but grinned with some surprise when he found Gwenvair jogging up to walk beside him, Kilniara only a step behind. The Matriarch glided behind both, moving quickly as well, somehow, but without any rapid movement of her legs, which made Joe very curious how she could move so fast. The two guys were rather a bit noisier, but still stumbled up to stand beside Kilniara before the two began rough housing and chatting, completely ignoring the situation. Kilniara, Gwenvair, and her mother all looked at him carefully, searching his face. Gwenvair’s mother seemed to have come to a realization quite quickly, nodding to herself as she turned and took over leading them to the wall. Kilniara and Gwenvair took a bit longer, searching his face carefully and Joe stared back at them, some confusion beginning to show on his face, before both the girls looked at each other and began giggling, rather exuberantly.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Joe found himself quite confused, “What?”
His question only increased their laughter and Joe pressed, “What? Why are you laughing?”
Their laugher grew ever more boisterous and Joe knew a losing battle when he saw it, clenching teeth while hiding an embarrassed smile. His reserve fueled more laughter but this time the two girls seemed to take pity on him, Gwenvair slipping around to his other side while they continued to laugh so both could rest a hand on a shoulder while they walked.
Kilniara spoke first, fighting through her laugher, “It’s nothing, Joe. It is just a surprise. You are a very strange man.”
“I’m strange?”
Gwenvair quickly interjected, “But in a very good way. It was… a joy to see.”
“See what?”
Gwenvair’s smile brightened, “Your strength.”
Joe fell silent at that, a bit confused, but decided to cut his losses and nodded, simply offering quiet, confused, but sincere thanks.
* * *
Telnia waited until the eccentric had turned and walked away. She refused to stand, her staff wisely remaining bowed as well, waiting for her response. She wrestled with anger for a time, having to accept his accusation of murder silently, but inside she raged. How could I have known you were a clanner! You should have spoken sooner, you fool! I would have never attacked had I known. You forced me to such appalling behavior and then blame me? Blind fool claiming innocence for stupidity when… For a time, she lost herself in her rage, mind spewing her anger into the void until she finally released it all and was able to calm. He is worthy. Calm yourself. There is … work to be done.
After hearing their retreating forms and judging they were sufficiently far away, she raised her head slightly to measure the distance. Finding the eccentric and his party leaving her, she stood, carefully dusting off her clothing and carefully rearranging her clothing so as to best display herself. Now … time to begin my assault.
Her duty to appropriately offer her apologies complete, she brought her people along, following after the eccentric at an appropriate distance. Her people followed closely behind, and this time, she cared little for them or her surroundings as her entire focus was on the eccentric.
He arrived at the wall, massive compared to her family's small town of Soonesia. She kept her displeasure hidden but always found lesser species insistence on massive walls or taking over and controlling everything around them slightly amusing. Despite that, she kept a pleasant demeanor as she did not know when the eccentric might turn and see her. He climbed the stairs easily, his apprentices following behind and Telnia stopped, carefully watching his climb and following the path of his apprentices to find which direction on the wall they went. Once their direction was determined, she turned away.
“Return home. Bring breakfast!”
She stalked back home, keeping her composure so as to maintain an appropriate image. Arriving at her villa, she walked in then vented, throwing her belongings to the awaiting divan violently before stalking off to her room.
“I expect my breakfast immediately! Bring it to my room.”
She stomped to her room and slammed the door on her way, shouting out once again, “No one comes in except for the food!”
She fell to her bed, stifling a cry of frustration as she pounded the bed, then breathed deeply for several moments to bring herself under control. A few moments later, a knock came at the door.
“Come in!” Telnia shouted gruffly.
The maid entered quickly, but cautiously, with the second maid following behind to set up a table quickly. The two worked rapidly but silently and soon left the room. Closing the door behind. With a huff, Telnia stood and moved to the table to eat her meal. She did not enjoy it.
She waited a good Great Bell for a decent amount of time to pass, too anxious and frustrated to enjoy her time. She lay on her bed the whole time before she rose and prepared to leave, once again touching up her clothing and makeup to make certain she was prepared. She would have him.
The walk to the wall was interminable, yet so bland as to leave no memory since she soon found herself climbing the steps to the top of the wall. She came to the top and began to search for the eccentric and was surprised to find him so quickly, his apprentices sitting protected behind the shield wall. He stood on the wall, using some strange weapon that fired miniature spears over the walls. These spears were obviously thrown away as he had hundreds and thousands of them, none of which returned to his hand. These small spears flew so rapidly from the weapon that she almost couldn’t keep an eye on them.
Telnia held her breathing under control, but her shock still thudded through her chest as her heart pounded at what she saw. His miniature spears were frightening, the feeling of terror radiated from the tips left her breath gasping against the pressure she felt. She stopped and looked around, looking for a place to rest and wait. After looking around, she hid her grimace before finally sitting on the staircase as the eccentric’s apprentices did so.
Her staff arrayed around her, awaiting her needs, but she found herself caught, eyes remaining focused on the eccentric as he continued to strike again and again without end. Morning came to an end and the noon meal was only a bell or two away when the eccentric’s attacks changed. Telnia immediately stood, shuddering, even as the entire wall reacted to the eccentric’s attacks, a wave of flinching and awareness rippling down both ways along the wall. There was no surprise, however, and as the ramifications of that new bit of information filtered through her thoughts, her calm shattered as she began to pant in fear tinged with awe. This is… normal!
The aura of power that now emanated from the spear points was now infinitely stronger, its strength without peer and deadly to any who would stand in its path. His strikes, however, continued and continued. The increased deadliness did not limit his endurance nor speed as he continued to fire spear after spear into the enemies below the walls. Soon, curiosity got the better of her despite the danger from an attack, and she found herself sidling up to look down over the wall, watching as his spears shot through the air as fast as lightning. When they struck the beasts, she gasped in surprise to see the beasts immediately die, the attack deadly in only a single strike.