Galloran the mind-reader

Galloran shifted in his seat. I wouldn’t tell you, unless I thought the information could become relevant for you someday.

Okay.

You know that I can hear your mind, even thoughts you do not intentionally send.

Yes. You did it a moment ago.

To an extent, I can do that with torivors.

She thought about the implications. The realization hit her hard.

You know what they’re going to do before they do it!

He nodded. When we fight, I watch what they are about to do. I’m moving to counter them before they are moving to strike. I watch how they adjust, and I adjust accordingly. It requires focus and expertise with a sword. Even knowing each movement in advance, one small miscalculation would destroy me. I have always been a student of the sword, but fighting my first lurker was how I learned to fight as I do. I saw the duel as the lurker saw the duel, and learned to fight as it fought.

Rachel stared at the faint scars on his strong hands. I noticed that you seemed to know shortcuts or something. You defeat people so easily.

I have now bested three lurkers. Each battle has been easier than the one before. That is not to say that the fourth won’t kill me. But I have learned much. I learned during this fight that I can engage a lurker more effectively with a single sword than with a pair.

You can’t read just any mind, Rachel sent.

I can’t read most minds. Sometimes I’ll catch unpredictable glimpses of what an opponent means to do. But if I couldn’t reliably spy on the minds of lurkers, the first one who came for me years ago would have slain me in an instant.

Chapter 27