Chapter Eighty Four
Gunlan Mousenker Galgandar, second in line for Patriarch of the clan of Galgandar and the city of Coushar, fidgeted in his chair. The past week had been overly stressful despite the fact his plans were proceeding well. His mother should soon be overwhelmed but the eccentric caused him to grow ever more nervous. The news from the wall was disconcerting. Single handedly killing a massive boss slime and a guardian city killer. His true concern came from the fact that the eccentric had handed the entirety of the city killer’s corpse to the clan. Gunlan couldn’t figure out how that would ultimately impact his plans, but it certainly wasn’t a positive for his plans. Gunlan fidgeted. He fidgeted for the entire week and did so even when news of the tide’s ending reached him.
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Gwenvair sped rapidly towards her mother before she came to a stop before the Matriarch and bowed.
“Matriarch?”
Her mother saw and acknowledged her, but remained focused on her current reports from the clan generals, as was only appropriate. She remained bowing while awaiting for her acknowledgment from the Matriarch. A moment later, the Matriarch turned towards her and indicated she could report.
“May I ask for privacy.”
Her mother accepted her request and hid her surprise well, but Gwenvair could tell her mother was surprised. Her privacy enchantment was drawn from her bag and the bubble formed over them quickly, the hazy shield protecting them from sight and sound.
“Report,” the Matriarch ordered.
Gwenvair bobbed her head, “The eccentric reports he is capable of defending against the tide master.”
The Matriarch quirked an eyebrow before glancing towards where Joe rested, “Even now?”
Gwenvair nodded, “He … claims to have killed the boss slime and guardian giant without using any mana.”
Gwenvair hid her smile, finally satisfied seeing her mother truly surprised as she gasped and stared at her. Her mother breathed deeply a few times before speaking.
“I thought it possible… but… I was certain he was simply… Truly?”
Gwenvair’s smile shone through with this and she nodded eagerly, “From his lips.”
“You believe it?”
“He said he could fight the tide master.”
Her mother stared at her carefully, “Trustworthy?”
Gwenvair continued, “He was not concerned in any way for the fight.”
“Truly.”
“You’ve asked that twice now, Mot… Matriarch.”
Her mother smiled and waved her hand, “It is… surprising.”
Gwenvair giggled, “Very much so.”
“You… trust him?”
Gwenvair nodded, “He seemed… very certain.”
“And losing him?”
“I do not think we will.”
Her mother searched her carefully before nodding, “If you are certain.”
Gwenvair nodded, “Kilniara agrees with me.”
Her mother nodded, “Then allow him if he is willing.”
Gwenvair bowed, returning to her report, “He requests Allanar.”
“Acceptable. Support him in all he needs.”
Gwenvair bowed once again and sought permission to leave before immediately seeking out Allanar. As she was leaving, the Matriarch called out to her once again.
“Return with the apprentices once the eccentric has prepared.”
Gwenvair bowed once again before seeking out Allanar. It didn’t take much effort as Gwenvair was able to pass the search on to others and command Allanar to her side. He arrived only a few moments later.
“First in line for Matriarch. How may I be of service?”
“Allanar. The eccentric seeks your aid once again to fight the tide master.”
Allanar’s eyes widened, excitement seeping through even as his breathing increased slightly, “The eccentric seeks to defeat the master?”
“Yes, if you are willing.”
Allanar’s smiled, “More than willing!”
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Gwenvair bowed and Allanar turned towards the eccentric.
“How may I be of service, eccentric?”
As the eccentric and Allanar spoke with one another, Gwenvair turned to the others.
“Mother asked if we could watch the end of the tide with her?”
Kilniara smiled brightly and jumped up, “Sure!”
Garnedell nodded as he stood while Zilnek hid his nervous fear and stood. All four turned to the upper wall and walked towards the Matriarch, leaving Allanar and the eccentric in discussions with one another. They arrived at the Matriarch and she engaged her privacy field again, the haze of the dome giving them some visual privacy from outsiders but not impeding their own sight at all, which allowed the Matriarch to relax a bit and Gwenvair found her mother standing by her side.
Both her and her mother ignored the others, eyes glued on the eccentric as he conversed with Allanar. Allanar applied several enchantments at the eccentric’s recommendations before both slid over the edge of the wall. With the eccentric now heading to battle, her mother and her returned to looking over the field, watching the end of the tide.
The monsters charged across the field in a frenzy, throwing themselves without concern against the wave of death spread across the field. The walls held dozens for every one that used to hold the line and the magical effects that spilled over the field overlapped in waves of destruction easily destroying the beasts as they almost threw themselves to their deaths. As they always did, the monsters struggled to destabilize the lines for the incoming tide master although this tide had already failed. No one really understood why the monsters felt compelled to always attack, even the tide masters, but the key was always to hold as well as possible and clear the monsters faster than they appeared so as to allow for a cleared field when fighting with the tide master.
The eccentric and Allanar did nothing, simply holding the line at the city wall directly between the tide master and the wall while the elites on the wall and the guards below it held the line against the last of the frenzied monsters. The monsters began to pool up around the wall and defenses, the monsters bubbling up in defense of the tide master. They swelled up in a massive clump surrounding the eccentric and the line of defenders. As the monsters began targeting the wall in front of the tide master, the monsters to the sides began to find themselves without any backup, slaughtered and soon the field behind them was empty. The defenders along the wall and at the base of the wall collapsed and fell back, resting, the last of the monsters now completely clumping in on where the eccentric stood.
With the clearance of the fields on either side, many of the elites also collapsed with the guards below the wall, but Gwenvair’s mother left the privacy field and began crying out orders. Gwenvair didn’t hear any of it, of course, because of the privacy field. Once the orders were given, the Matriarch came back through the privacy field and her mother joined them at their side. While Gwenvair hadn't been able to hear her, she easily recognized the contents of the orders as the elites who found their field clear were called to help defend against the last of the monsters. They came closer and began defending from the wall above the eccentric, a massive amount of magical strikes of various elements thundering down from the wall and quickly obliterating the last of the monsters. Soon, quiet fell on the field, the guards stepping back from the last of the monsters although many of them began shuffling uneasily as all eyes turned to stare at the tide master across the field standing under the leaves of the trees at the forest edge.
After a moment of pause, the elites on the wall began preparing their strikes. Those that could advance closer, rapidly did so, using flight or other forms of movement, closing enough to release their strikes. With that, the noise of battle returned as lightning, thunder, and flame streaked across the ground towards the creature. The creature did not move, nor take any other action to defend or evade. The strikes homed in with lethal focus before striking the beast and reflecting off of it immediately. Her mother cursed.
“Reflection!” Gwenvair cried!
“Not much concern for the eccentric,” her mother reassured her.
“But no softening for him, either!”
Cries filled the air as those who’d struck desperately spun away from strikes reflected back against them. The creature was quite accomplished in its defense, making sure to send fire attacks at ice and water while earth struck wind and wind pierced after those who’d sent earth. Gwenvair felt her despair deepen.
“It’s strong!”
Gwenvair’s mother sighed, but then frowned, “Yes.”
She then left the privacy shield and called off the assault, while sending out others to help as some had been struck with attacks and staggered from being struck by them. The Matriarch then slipped back inside the privacy shield to be with them once again. The elites limped back home to lick wounds but the eccentric walked across the field with purpose, now already having finished climbing the corpses that littered the corpse wall that the eccentric almost always made when he was on defense.
Once past the corpses, he began walking across the field, Allanar behind him but falling further behind when the eccentric waved him back with an arm and a few words they could not hear. The eccentric walked with confidence, without fear or even a twinge in his spirit. As usual, he was a hole in the world with nothing radiating from him. His control of his spirit was astounding, and she could only breathe softly watching him walk across the field towards the tide master.
When the eccentric arrived at the guards’ line, a soft call from him had the line part to allow him through and he continued walking across the field with purpose and quite slowly. Behind him, Allanar paused at the guard line, waiting but as the eccentric continued walking out, Allanar gathered up a contingent of guards and followed behind, obviously needing to be closer to offer his help to the eccentric. When the eccentric had walked a bit out from the guards, the tide master’s gaze had immediately locked on the eccentric, waiting silently in watch. As the eccentric continued to walk out, the tide master seemed to come to a decision and began approaching the eccentric carefully. The many people on the wall breathed with its movement, followed by a cry of concern and questions as those who did not understand sought answers from those who were worried. Gwenvair felt her own fear rise but could see her mother was quite upset, more than was necessary from what Gwenvair could understand.
“A fallen? A surprise, but certainly not… outside the eccentrics capabilities?”
Her mother glanced down at her, sadness and worry easily evident, “A shadowed fallen.”
Gwenvair’s breath caught, “Shadow!”
Her mother nodded.
Garnedell rushed up to Gwenvair’s side, whispering softly, “You must… someone must warn him!”
Gwenvair looked back with a worried frown, “He would not know?”
Garnedell shook his head quickly, “I’m… certain he would not.”
Gwenvair looked to Kilniara, whispering in light of Garnedell’s seeming stealthy concern, “Kilniara! Would Joe know of Shadow?”
Kilniara glanced up at both of them, a look of horror growing on her face, “Shadow! The tide master is Shadow?!”
“Kilniara! Does Joe know?”
Kilniara began to blather, her fear evident as she stared at both of them and began begging, “You must stop him! Please. You must…”
Garnedell spoke up again quickly and urgently, “I told you. You must warn him. He would not know shadow. He must be warned.”
Gwenvair quickly nodded then rushed to her mother’s side, explaining everything. While her mother did seem confused, she simply nodded, saying nothing, although she quickly left the privacy field to seek out a messenger. Kilniara’s fear devolved to tears, and Gwenvair barely held her own in. Kilniara’s arms around her helped but she found the comfort did not mitigate the tears at all as they flowed ever more, the two holding one another tightly. Joe! Be careful!
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