THREE HUNDRED NINE: Squad Symbol
Next Chapter: August 17 (approximate)
******
“Dust blockers,” said Seth, opening a box smaller than her palm to reveal two translucent crescents.
“This is the ear set for him,” said Divin.
Alden bent forward to give them easier access to his face.
The dust blockers adhered to the skin beneath his nostrils. Divin was soon pressing two metal dots onto each of his ears, one at the lobes and another near the tops. They pinched, but Alden didn’t have enough attention to spare to notice for more than a second.
“This is a decent weapon, so keep it in its case until you need it. We’d like to return it for someone else to use, and there’s a much higher chance of it being damaged once you take it out of here.” Tilliver handed Alden a black brick with rounded edges and a glossy finish. “Link it to your lenses and check that it recognizes its command phrases in your voice.”
“Do I need to put it on first?” One end of the brick was the access point to equip the device inside.
“No,” said Tilliver. “Just holding the case and saying the words is fine.”
“Maybe not knowing how to turn on a weapon is a sign it shouldn’t be taken,” Emban murmured.
“Link,” said Alden, looking at the weapon case. “Activate wegyta rings. Wegyta on. Wegyta off. Compress.”
A line of white flashed on top of the case and disappeared. Alden’s new lenses registered the presence of the weapon briefly. They should link to it on their own now if he actually put it on. They’d also just registered the ear protection and com dots Divin had applied.
If one fell off or stopped working he should get an alert. Otherwise he didn’t need to think about them.
“Looks good,” he said, putting the case into a pouch, already attached to his belt, that fit it perfectly. Accessing it should be as easy as opening a flap and poking the brick.
I don’t need to think about that anymore for now either.
Ignore the ear pinch and Emban’s prickly mood. Don’t dwell on the hints of worry that had begun to creep into Tilliver’s voice and Seth’s, too, as they came ever closer to the moment when they’d all board the flyer that loomed over them, shading the supplies the votaries had prepared from the setting sun.
Maybe it was sobering for them to see the Avowed they’d summoned—as far as this exercise was concerned anyway—putting on the protective equipment. Maybe they had some regrets now that their team was ready to go and he was here, a weapon they hadn’t practiced with.
That’s fine. It’s not going to be fixed by me worrying, too.
He was curious about everything happening around him, concerned about a hundred mistakes he might be making right this moment or very soon, and almost every inch of him was dressed in something new that would have claimed his thoughts on an ordinary day. But Alden was trying to find the frame of mind that would make him a better Bearer, and that meant letting go of what wasn’t helping.
Look at each of them. Look at the team as a whole and strip my role down to the essentials so that I can do those well.
Zero in on what it means to be their Bearer.
Trying to zero in and give himself over to the task ahead called to mind several instances when doing that had mattered.
Even this part, before anything has happened, is training.
He wouldn’t always have life or death trouble forcing him into a certain mindset. He wouldn’t always have an entruster he cared about as much as Kibby or Stuart.
I wonder if I’ll be able to get closer to my best with these guys than I can in gym with people I know better.
It occurred to him that even that wondering might be a negative influence on his skill, and he set it aside as well as he could. Later, he’d do things for his own sake, like analyzing his performance and considering what it all meant for his skill and his future.
From now until I get done with this, I’m choosing to serve my entruster. Entrusters.
They were going to swap around as needed. Tilliver might be first. He would have slightly less to do than the others because, as Alden had guessed, his skill was a poor match for numerous weak enemies.
For now anyway. He’d told Alden on the way over that he’d be able to make an army with it one day.
The knight had a couple of weapons in the pockets of his brown coat. Alden knew one of them was a repulsive blast generator that he hoped not to use for the same reason he’d just reminded Alden not to be overzealous with the wegyta rings. In the greater scheme of the battle taking place out here, their trip to reach the thing that was making a single hilltop more chaos-resistant was moderately important at best. They needed to be prepared enough to deal with surprises without wasting tools that could benefit others more.
Tilliver-gare. The Inspired Sculptor. I could guard your back so that you get to bring all this gear back for other knights.
Alden watched the pale-haired knight head up a ramp into the battered-looking flyer to check on something.
Divin and Seth were going over their own final checklists verbally with each other. Seth had changed into her uniform before they left the boat. She wore a dull purple coat and pants, and the metallic red net that Alden had taken for a simple accessory when he’d first seen it in her hair was now wrapped around her wrist. He’d caught that she could use it to improve her skill’s functionality somehow, but he didn’t know more than that.
Recaller of Storms and Driftseed. I’m not sure what you two might need from me, but I’ll try to stay alert and notice if something comes up.
And Emban-art’h. You…
She had a small bow made of dark wood. Her auriad was wrapped around it. The weapon was a work in progress. It was meant to grow closer to her and more protected by her as she used it so that, like an auriad, it could be taken wherever she herself could go without being damaged. Alden hadn’t yet seen any arrows among the supplies. He was thinking she might fire off something more magical. He’d find out later. She wasn’t inviting questions right now.
Emban might need someone to look out for her while she establishes a groove. Maybe interruptions are problematic for her. I’ll be aware of that possibility, keep little things out of her way. She definitely needs someone to bear the burden of her bad temper and hurt feelings. Can’t do that magically, but I can do it the ordinary way.
He tried to think of something worth saying to her that wouldn’t be fake or irritating.
I’ll come back to that. Bithe…he keeps looking for Noh-en. Where did he send her off to?
Bithe had asked Stuart’s former classmate and friend for something right after they’d arrived, and she’d run to go do whatever it was in the large turtle shell-looking structure that was the center of activity for this staging area.
There were only a few other knights around. Another young-looking squad had just flown in. And a few minutes ago, they’d seen someone levitating a huge “dead” hazard mimic toward an outbuilding. But mostly it was votaries who were bustling around this place, their activity providing limited hints about what was happening elsewhere.
Earlier, eight wizards had rushed to unload cargo from an unmanned flyer that had failed to take off when it was supposed to. That had seemed pretty urgent. Alden had watched them while he put on the protective plates the squad had requested for him.
Dark gray and so thin and light he was already forgetting they were there, the plates were an upgraded version of the kind Stuart had introduced him to when they were practicing to beat his nightmare bokabv. They went directly on top of his new clothes or on specialized bands, and they’d shatter so that he didn’t. He carried replacements in his backpack so that he could lose half of them before he needed to worry.
“Did you all hear that update from Opnee?” Tilliver asked, coming back down the ramp. “They’re doing fine. And there’s nothing unexpected happening on our field according to the latest report. Let’s get out there before that changes and get this done.”
Alden had not heard the latest update or report.
Is it normal for the Avowed in the mix not to, or did they forget to check some box that loops me into the same information stream?
“I don’t have access to that,” he said. “I don’t need to know what’s happening elsewhere to do my job, but if it’s something I’m meant to be getting…”
Tilliver was giving Alden another one of those looks that made Alden suspect he was having second thoughts. “I don’t know what you’re supposed to…don’t you need to keep the things you monitor to a manageable number?”
He said it with excessive delicacy.
“I don’t know how much Avowed are supposed to have access to either,” Seth said. “Divin?”
Divin shrugged. “I’m sure whatever we want is fine for today. If we do something improper, they’ll tell us after.”
Emban was somehow making her own silence come across as a “told you so.” Alden thought it had to do with the aloofness of her posture. He also thought it was a failure as The Bearer of All Burdens to be worrying about Emban’s posture at a time like this.
“Just remember that I don’t have all the details you do, and tell me when anything significant to our quest happens. Having me with you doesn’t have to be complicated. I’m here to increase your options. Use my talents to accomplish the goal. I’m not going to be upset about the minor stuff.”
“Noh-en! Finally.” Bithe’s voice came from the other side of the flyer. “Is that it?”
“It just came through.”
Alden made note of the fact that Bithe was getting something else, but he doubted he’d be able to cram even one more item onto his mental list of important thingamajigs other people had in their pockets. Knowing all of his own tools plus a couple for each of them was already a lot.
Tilliver looked like he was about to say something else.
Please don’t get cold feet right now.
“Alden! Here.” Bithe had just come around the nose of the flyer with something in his hands. Noh-en was behind him. “This is for you.”
“For me?”
The box was small enough to be held in a single hand, but Bithe presented it on top of both palms like a gift. It wasn’t a fancy protective case. It was made of a molded, papery-feeling material Alden thought of as Artonan cardboard whenever he encountered it. He took it and opened the lid.
Alden expected something like a potion injector that he’d forgotten to request. Instead, the box held a piece of enchanted gear he’d only seen once before, in his own mind, when he’d taken it from the cabinet where he’d made his equipment choices with Mother’s help.
It would be worn on his forearm, not quite to the elbow. Rigid, grayish green pieces were marked by whorls of silver, the gaps between them revealing a gray sleeve that was supposed to fit snugly, covering his wrist and becoming a half-glove at the base of his hand. It hooked over a thumb, but left the other fingers untouched.
“This is a kelsithe,” Alden said. “The kelsithe. I thought you couldn’t get it.” He touched it lightly. The rigid pieces had an almost leathery texture, but the whorls were smooth as glass.
“I tried and found out I could,” said Bithe. “The owner had offered it to the Rapports shortly after she finished crafting it. But that was sixty years ago. It would have been understandable if she’d become sentimental about it since then. It’s been a <<conversation piece>> in her office, and I couldn’t honestly say it was something anyone needed. But she agreed. Try it on.”
Alden quickly stripped a couple of protective plates off of his left sleeve so that he could shove it up and put the kelsithe on a bare arm. It went on like a glove, but with almost no friction. He had to raise his hand to keep it from sliding right back off.
“There should be a feeling,” said Bithe.
“In your mind,” Tilliver added.
“You shouldn’t listen to us. Focus,” said Divin.
Seth had come to stand beside Bithe. Noh-en was staring at Alden again. Even Emban had an eye turned.
“I know,” he told them. “Give me a moment.”
He’d done this once before, when Mother was explaining how it worked. The kelsithe drew his focus to it. He needed to allow that to happen, and when it seemed like everything else in the world was about to fade out of his awareness…
The sleeve suddenly tightened, gripping his arm like a second skin. His sense of his surroundings returned to normal.
“That was swift, wasn’t it?” Divin said.
Seth nodded. “Well done!”
Alden wasn’t sure he deserved compliments for this particular performance. Connecting to the kelsithe was a little like getting distracted by Sympathy for Magic and then finding himself on the inward path for a few seconds. He was either practiced at this kind of thing or susceptible to it, depending on how one looked at it.
“Does it work?” Bithe asked, a trace of eagerness in the question. “You should try it.”
He was already stepping back to make room.
Emban had turned the second eye toward Alden as well.
It’s no wonder they’re interested.
A kelsithe was an archaic shielding device. Elegant, cleverly designed, magical as anything…but still worse at its job than a bunch of modern options. It was like Alden had asked for a trebuchet in a time when missiles could fly between continents. Sure, medieval siege engines were cool, but even the most overstocked war game wasn’t going to have one lying around.
Alden lifted his hand and targeted Bithe. “You’re my entruster now. Entrust it to me?”
“I do,” said Bithe.
What’s a good, easy shape? I want to look like I know what I’m doing. It’ll make them all feel better about taking me and trusting me to help.
This specific kelsithe had been made to work well for humans. Stuart had imagined Alden using a standard one, but Mother had said Alden wouldn’t be able to overcome the learning curve quickly.
This one and I are supposed to get along.
He let his thoughts rest on the part of the kelsithe that covered the base of his palm. He pictured the silky fabric flowing away from him to form a shape he’d seen a lot of today.
And the kelsithe did flow. It felt like a cool breath against his arm and hand, and a material so airy that it confused the eyes spilled forward from his palm into a six-foot wide vatha shape. Its edges sharpened almost as soon as Alden had the thought that it was looking too indistinct, and he preserved it in that form for everyone to admire.
A vatha made of fabric that almost seemed to be mist. He could make out what was going on through it but not with perfect clarity.
It really preserves fine! It made the shape I want so quickly! It’s even better than I thought.
“Isn’t it great?!” he exclaimed before anyone else could get a word in. “Wow! That was easier than I expected. Look. I can… ”
He unpreserved, made the vatha grow a foot wider, preserved, unpreserved again, and then turned the kelsithe into the next shape that popped into his mind—a larger version of his own outstretched hand. The fingers were all distinct, if a little too fat. He preserved it again and moved his whole arm back and forth to make the kelsithe hand wave.
The only downside was that when he had it preserved he lost mobility in that wrist like he was wearing a cast.
“Are you all sure you don’t want him to have something else?” Noh-en spoke hesitantly. “If you want something highly mobile, there are petals of orl here. If the morphability is important, we have a Nureme’s thesis. And there’s so much defensive jewelry.”
“He needs a physical object, not a protective effect,” said Bithe. “And he has to hold it for his skill to work on it. It’s an extremely useful tool for him with some additional safety if he misjudges what his skill can handle.”
Bithe gets it.
“Can you make it a vatha again?” Seth asked, amused. “We’re thinking of declaring them our squad symbol.”
“No we aren’t!” said Bithe.
“We are,” Tilliver and Emban both said at the same time.
Alden obliged them once before withdrawing the kelsithe.
They sent Noh-en off with the slybark shield Alden would no longer be carrying, then finally boarded the flyer. The vehicle had cushioned chairs for eight and enough space in between that they could have easily packed in twice that many human or Artonan-sized people. The interior was clean and quiet. Alden wouldn’t quite call it luxurious, but it did seem more like a waiting room than a vehicle that took people into chaos. The windows were covered by external plating, and there was a pilot station if someone needed to fly it manually, but other than that, it was just a place to sit.
Alden took a chair next to Bithe’s. It molded to fit him. Pretty comfortable.
The ramp retracted, and the door sealed. It was even quieter now. He had no sense of motion, so when most of the windows suddenly turned on, revealing themselves to be viewing screens, he was startled to see that they were already in the air.
My window didn’t come on. One near the front hadn’t either. It must represent some chaos damage.
He remembered, with concerning vividness, the way it felt to turn on something in Ro-den’s lab facility and find it was broken when it had worked only hours before.
Carry the stuff you want to keep into the vault to buy it time. More will be broken tomorrow. Eventually, everything will break. Everything.
He took a huge breath in and made himself catalog all of his supplies again while the Artonans were talking about the work of the other knights who were down below them. Their flight time would be longer than it needed to be. They’d circle for a while before dropping down into their field, as if they’d had to travel further across an alien world to get to where they were going.
About twenty minutes from the sound of it.
This really isn’t like gym class is it?
Who’d have known a plane ride could turn so immersive with just a few broken screens?
At least they’re not going to mimic the actual feel of chaos.
He’d asked about that and been told that knights got enough of the real thing. Nobody needed a practice dose during their downtime, too.
He let his gaze rest on the kelsithe. He’d spend the flight imagining how different shapes would be effective.
“You probably don’t need a reminder,” Bithe said, “but don’t be too reckless with it today. If it breaks, we can’t fix it easily at all, so…”
“I’ll be careful,” said Alden, looking over at him. Bithe still had his bangs clipped back, but barely. It looked like they were trying to escape. “If we return it in good condition, some other piece of gear will be available tomorrow because of that. Whatever its equivalent is.”
Because they’d taken Alden on this trip, another Avowed had been marked off of the availability list. When they brought Alden back alive, then that Avowed could be available again after a rest period. A similar exchange must be happening with the kelsithe. Alden imagined Noh-en sticking the slybark shield in a closet and telling the other votaries to pretend it had gone on this flyer with them.
“I meant be careful with it because it’s yours now, and I don’t know how you’d get another one. If you break it, we’ll have to teleport you straight to Konstantin Roberts so that you don’t lose it. And we’d have to treat that as you dying for the quest, I think. I doubt some of the other knights would have a lot of confidence in our decisions if they saw something like that.”
“What do you mean it’s mine?”
“I didn’t make that clear?” Bithe smiled. “I didn’t ask for the owner to donate it to the Rapports as a weapon. I told her I wanted to give it to an Avowed who’d done me a favor. She knows it was a personal request and that you’ll keep it. It’s like your lenses and the other things you bought for yourself today. Nothing happened with our supply inventory, and it will go home with you.”
Alden wrapped his right hand around the kelsithe.
This is a real gift, not a just-for-today gift. That’s an extremely…he was mellowed. Is he still mellowed? He doesn’t seem to be. Can I really accept it?
“I’m glad you told me something you wanted,” said Bithe. “I wanted to protect Uro-bor Elder, but then that pathetic animal broke his own mother’s wand. You knew what to do when I didn’t. And the timing…it was a bad time for an added wound. You saved me from one.”
I can accept it.
“I’ve got a kelsithe now!” Alden felt himself beaming. “I’ll guard you with it.”
“That’s nice,” said Bithe. “Isn’t it nice of him and nice for us, Emban?”
Alden might have missed things every now and then about Artonans’ tones, but he didn’t miss that.
Bithe was still smiling, but Emban was getting heat.
She shifted in her seat. She swallowed. “It’s nice,” she said. “We truly did need you during the Here to There.”
Whoa. He got her to unwind.
Alden lifted the kelsithe, and after getting his focus right, he made another vatha with it. This one was only twice the size of his hand.
“Your squad’s symbol,” he said. “For luck.”
******
******
The main observation station for the Rapport III training fields was a floating building, circular and palatial, with viewing decks around the exterior and conference spaces within. Traditionally, the leader of the knights who’d cleared their portion of the fields quickest during the previous event was the one who chose where it hovered. Ryada-bess sat on the edge of a deck, watching the orange light of late afternoon color the sands of a beach that was going to need extensive repairs after the knights down there were through with it.
They were some of the more senior hn’tyons participating in this event. Balls formed of crushed fake-demon bodies were rolling along the sand, sometimes going up and over the dunes into the pulverized scrub and grass. The balls gathered material until they were so large that they left channels in the ground that looked like empty river beds from above. And then they collapsed into mounds. A few of the fakes would struggle free. Some of the animated-element types they were using in this field were incredibly sturdy. But the escapees would all be picked up and crushed into another ball, or they’d be broken down by a spreading transmogrification skill that was turning anything that didn’t belong in the area into sand.
It almost seemed that the whole beach was trying to crawl inland in response to the assault of the balls.
Ryada had been watching for a while.
She tipped her head back to get the last drop of sermuntha juice out of her glass, then got to her feet.
“Leaving me?” asked a friendly older knight she’d met for the first time today. He was twenty years her senior, and he was unaware that she was struggling with herself to an unusual degree. Sitting out on the deck with him on a cushion nearby had been peaceful.
“The squad I was with before my last binding will be arriving at their field soon. I’m going indoors to watch and hear anything that might be said about them.”
“Where are they?” he asked. “It’s always a pleasure to see what you newlings are doing.”
She sent him the information.
“They’re close to the situation that’s just developing in the float-stone hills.” He paused. “It looks like there are two fields of more experienced squads in between their quest location and that surprise, though. May they have a smooth journey!”
Ryada nodded to him and headed inside.
Indoors, depending on where she chose to go, she could listen to older knights and votaries discussing the battles, or she could find groups of peers to watch with. There would even be someone giving a talk on weapons and armor here tonight.
She chose one of the larger rooms, where the viewers were focused on what was happening in Jatyam-en’s region. She might hear someone say something insightful about her squadmates that she could share with them later. And there were enough people here that she wouldn’t feel like she had to talk to fill any silences.
Jozz-art’h raised a cup of wevvi to her as she came through the door. It looked like he’d just arrived himself, since he seemed to be scanning all the faces in the room. Makee-en made eye contact with him and beckoned. Ryada didn’t think Jozz looked thrilled about that, but he went.
A three-dimensional display of the whole region rose from the floor. Viewers could walk around waist-high hills and look down on valleys, as if they were koobas searching the land for prey. Younger knights and declared were naturally clinging to the edges of the room to allow the people who had a superior grasp of what was happening to have space closer to the map. Hearing what they had to say could be worth more than getting the best view anyway.
When Ryada entered, they were talking about a few different points of interest.
A stalled ground vehicle in an inconvenient spot—they wished the trio of knights who’d been stuck there had called for help instead of trying to make their own way out.
A skill being used expertly to keep the chaos simulation from spreading out of control in their southernmost field—that knight would need to hold out a little longer.
Jatyam-en’s management of everything so far—good. They were proud of him.
It sounded as if some trouble with setting up the world keeper had been resolved.
“Is that the flyer bringing help for the people fighting the crazy ewtwees? I mean…the float-stone hill demons that are more difficult than anyone expected?”
Makee-en must have really wanted to be part of the conversation. That was a question he could find out the answer to just by looking himself.
His words drew some eyes to the tiny image of the flyer. It looked like a bug buzzing over the map.
“I don’t think the ewtwees are crazy,” said a woman Ryada didn’t know. “They’re just enjoying their job.”
“They’ve been carving slashes into the cave wall whenever they retreat,” said someone else.
“Demons scratch things.”
“It looks more like a scoreboard.”
“If they’re roleplaying particularly intelligent and…competitive…demons, then the participants will figure that out and respond accordingly. There are supposed to be surprise challenges. I do enjoy the unexpected problems so much more when they’re happening here at home.”
Jozz spoke up. “That’s not the flyer with the backup squad on it.”
Ryada had just realized the same thing. “It’s my squad. Their flyer isn’t acknowledging the update that tells it to avoid passing over that field.”
She wanted to warn them, but the observers here couldn’t participate in what was happening down below.
“Can the ewtwees damage something that high up?” Jozz asked.
That was a valid question since what the different types of demon could do had to be figured out through observation. The ewtwees had just dug their way out of that cave recently. Their capabilities and tendencies were still largely unknown.
“Someone will notice the flyer soon and send a message by spell or—”
The sentence from the woman who’d defended the ewtwees’ work ethic ended abruptly. A blip of light rose up from the hills below the flyer.
If that’s an attack from the ewtwees, thought Ryada, it’s going to miss.
She was correct. The flyer passed over it.
But chaos wasn’t fair.
******
******
“We stay together,” said Tilliver.
“We stay together,” Aden repeated along with everyone else.
“We get to the top of the hill.”
“We get to the top of the hill.”
“We head to the world keeper with our treat, and celebrate a good —- ”
It felt like a giant slammed a fist through the bottom of the flyer.
[Ear protection active.]
Shaking.
Bithe speaking so rapidly he was incomprehensible while he slapped at something on Alden’s chair.
A sudden envelopment from the seat like Alden was being wrapped in pillows.
Except for his face. On that, there was so much wind.
In front of his eyes, there was nothing but sky.
“Alden!” Bithe’s voice said in his ear. “We’re falling!”
Yep, thought Alden. That’s what this is.
******
Comments (217)
I think the noise I made at the end of the chapter as I giggled with joy was literally "hee hee hoo hoo ha ha" Bithe is going to get bullied a lot for the vatha thing isn't he. Also I hope Alden gets good use out of this new tool! Was going to say I can't wait for the next chapter but I saved them up because I am a MAD GENIUS
I am very excited for the chapter that is Ignacio and the roommates puttering around the apartment on a lazy Sunday. Wondering if Alden is ever going to show for flying practice.
if it is any sort of resolution of the cliffhanger, we should riot.
People making predictions about what is going to happen next chapter makes me question my reading comprehension skills. They are already out of the flier and falling to the ground and Alden seems to be completely wrapped in his safety airbag chair... so how the heck are people predicting he somehow uses his new shield to form wings on the flier to save it...
Let them dream
I’m reading stormlight archives recently. One of the characters in this story is named Szeth, he’s a scary guy whose eyes and veins glow white when he uses his powers, wears a white hooded robe, and has a big sword Sometimes I misread Seth and in my minds eye there’s a guy glowing white with a big sword standing in the middle of some teenaged artonans + Alden
Lol. Contracts made with Seth would be the most secure thing ever, considering which order he is. I think a Knight Radiant or any sufficiently Invested individual would be very resilient to Chaos too, probably.
Do the colors of the newling hn'tyon squad members costs mean anything besides colors they feel drawn to? I'm starting to imagine them all arrayed like Power Rangers (or Animorphs!). We've got Bithe in red, Tilliver in brown, Seth in dull purple, Emban in cream, Divin in pink, and Alden in black. Vatha squad, fly!
Sleyca replied to me a few chapters back, confirming that uniform colour is entirely personal preference, at least in universe. But them being power rangers feels more epic so headcannon can be that. Black ryeh-b’ts are known for their rebellious natures, so will that show that Alden is bucking the trend that all ryeh-b'ts are meant for housekeeping?
The treat is meat petal
"We stay together", they chant in unison, and then almost immediately get scattered apart by chaos' blow. “We get to the top of the hill”, they repeat, and they're dumped several fields away instead. “We head to the world keeper with our treat, and celebrate a good —- ” Tilliver begins, and they don't even make it to the starting line before their plans fall apart. I can't wait to find out what happens next.
Will they manage to regroup promptly? How will they get to the top of the hill now? Will the treat survive long enough for Alden to bear it? Will the world keeper even be working when they finally make it there? I hope there is a thunderously awesome afterparty with no Olgets to sour the sweet, and that Stu gets to come join Alden in enjoying the comraderie of celebrants he actually likes and trusts. Maybe that will help some of the declared and newling knights hanging out watching to see Stu a little differently too.
I just woke up from a dream that Stu was at the training too, and he was *outraged* that everyone was treating Alden like just a normal Avowed instead of the soon-sworn hyntyon that he is (despite having just told Alden less than a day ago that they aren't ready for people to know yet), and when some important knight was refusing to give Alden some of the resources knights would have and couldn't understand why Stu was mad about it, then Stu was trying so hard to get them to treat Alden *properly* that he accidentally told them all that Alden was a knight. Oopsie-oopsie!
Because of current discussions and "reforms" in my country, I wonder how avowed retirement is handled by the contract, do we know? Are you expected to serve until you die, or until your 60s? Will rejuvenation-treatments add time to your service?
I suspect it is serve till you die, but the built-in counterpoint is that its the contract(s) that recommend avowed for service. No matter how powerful an avowed is, hundreds of levels or whatever, if the situation needs someone who needs physical endurance, a younger person will be called to serve instead of an one nearing death from age. I forget when in the story this was mentioned, but there is a resource world where the contract terms state that those who have reached adulthood cannot be summoned due to cultural reasons, as they cannot be seen by anyone.
Happy approximate day!
Fingers crossed for tomorrow!
I don’t often enjoy alternate viewpoint chapters, but the section last chapter from Noh-en’s perspective was so good, I think I will go read it again while anticipating the next chapter.
Two thoughts about Bearer: (1) Alden hopes to be able touch/carry things with his authority. I do not believe Bearer was build to do that, but not only can a skill be modified by it‘s user directly, mother is able to change skills upon request (normally with the help of skill-scientists). So, Alden should ask her to add this function when he affixes! Let Mother give him templates for… invisible tentacles XD (2) When Snake predicted that Alden would be able to catch bullets I was sceptical. But, what does he need? Speed of thought/perception. That should be covered in part by the „defogging package“, the rest by enhancing his thought processes, what he chose last time might even be enough. Speed of body with focus on hands (but not only hands) He needs to invest more points, but chances are great that he will (because he likes his enhancements). He does not need strength, or anything else, I think. So… catching bullets in less than a year is definitely possible, I think :-)
I strongly suspect that carrying via authority will be masterable (after all, he’s presumably done it with Zeridee). But…since he’s proven he can also preserve via touching with a carried object (a racket/etc) you've made me realize commissioning a set of Doc Ock tentacles and using them to preserve things would be a) cool as heck and b) an excellent start to his Evil Bunny Supervillain arc Assuming the kelsithe isn’t already that flexible/manipulable on its own. Looking forward to seeing that…unfold.
Probably already mentioned, hoping for a driftseed + kelsithe (vantha wings on the flyer) combo to make the crash managable.
I am pretty sure the inbuilt safety measures are already engaged. At least the ending sounded to me like airbags-adjacent things, Alden just has not encountered them yet. Though of course they can be broken because of the „chaos“.
I miss the school, but this arc is scratching that itch
Would be nice if Alden could convince himself that the Kelsithe has been permanently entrusted to him. As long as he chooses to "serve" the knights, it might always be bearable.
Imagine if Alden could get entrustment from the art’h forest and could wield a portion of the authority that has been invested in them by generations of knights.
It's time for an opinion poll about the (simulated) crash that could well happen! What do YOU think will happen to Team Vatha in the next chapter? Upvote what you think is most likely! [Full disclosure: for Doylist reasons, I think that (1) Alden and at least a majority of Team Vatha continue towards the goal. (2) There will be a forced landing. (2.1) On the off chance that there is no forced landing, Alden will have nothing to do with saving their flyer.]
Alden prevents the crash, without meaningful input from any of the knights.
Huh while rereading on RR, C289: “But a knight or an Avowed sent officially into chaos would have better equipment than this, he told himself as he approached the starting line. An actual shield of some sort that then gets double protected by my skill? A morphable one.” Just 20 chapters later and he’s wielding a kelBithe! Such a better quest reward than Kon’s sippy cup. Though a holy grail and a magic shield do both seem appropriate rewards for helping knights…
Thanks for the chapter!
MASTER AND COMMANDER and SUPER SUPPORTIVE crossover: “Alden!” Bithe’s voice said in his ear. “We’re falling!” "You surprise me, sir," Alden answered.
If it wasn't an airbag seat, he could have used the kelsithe in parachute shape!
I was thinking he could make the kelsithe into a platform the others could sit on while Alden is running, but that would actually be unconfortable for Alden, keeping one arm still while running. Probably better to use the rope to make a backpack-platform.
Hm, I wonder whether the freefall will unEntrust the kelsithe, or the air resistance pressing up will make it so Alden is still meaningfully holding it.
If Alden got an argold for each time he's experienced a loud noise, got into a tight space, before suddenly falling through the sky in an emergency, he'd have two argold, which isnt a lot but its weird that its happened twice. I slightly hope he lands in water to match even more with his emergency summon at leafsong, and then he'd get a chance to use his practice of using his preserved item to break his fall while diving.
Can you remind me of the first time it happened?
I’m getting superhero vibes in this arc, so much more than in Alden’s superhero school! It’s all the knight skill names that sound like superhero names. And the special gear and special weapons. And Alden going into Bearer mode, it feels like he just put on a superhero mask!
The Knights are the real superheroes. The Earthlings are just cosplaying
Edit Suggestion: Bithe speaking so rapidly he was incomprehensible while he slapped at something on Alden’s chair. ->Bithe speaking so rapidly he was incomprehensible while he slapped at something on Alden’s chair. (Double Space)
It's also interesting that Bithe says about the Kelsithe: "I didn’t ask for the owner to donate it to the Rapports as a weapon." He doesn't call it a shield, and the Slybark Shield is referred to as a shield, specifically.
I think most people wearing it would go very terminator 2 with its use.
Alden says "Esh-Erdi said this is when I should take the opportunity to appreciate the sky!" That should be the last line! (Edit: now that I have read others comments, I see lots have called this kind of line out)
Fun to see that the ewtwee are the chaos within the chaos.
Before the most recent chapter, the newest member of Bithe’s squad was just Divin. Now? Now she’s Sky Divin
So, the Artonans talking about the insane ewtwee are about to get a dose of the insane Earthling? Doing totally not insane things.
Can you refresh me on what we know about the ewtwee?
The Kelsithe is neat. A tiny bit like a limited version of the Green Lantern’s power. I guess we know what tool Alden is going to be working to master in gym now!
"This isn't a million Arnold cannon Instructor. First, it's a shield and second, it not that cheap." - I could see Ash accepting or even approving of it's use.
Picture Alden returning to school with the kelsithe on his forearm, tattoo on his shoulder, a silver ring on each finger, and his auriad wrapped around a hidden body part. He's turning into a bad-ass wizard. Soon he'll have an additional tattoo with Stuart (spikes and thorns?) and perhaps a vatha tattoo?
I'm half expecting that Alden is going to push his luck with how long he stays helping the squad and end up teleported straight to his first class with no interim change back to his usual clothes. His first class being outdoor gym.
I wonder if Emban's auriad is going to be the bowstring of the bow, or if it's meant to cast the ammunition, or both. Makes me wonder about Reinhard's bowstring
I thought it would be wrapped around it like a grip since an auriad tries to be sticky and helpful when casting it could aid in holding onto the bow. If it was to be the string itself, Alden may not have recgognised it as a bow and just said curved piece of wood. As for ammo, i guess we'll find out soon if matter can be created by magic or just transmuted. She will fire arrows of some sort, as her description of her skill was "The first arrow falls short. The last pierces the sun". and she did say she defined for objects, so spell effects may not work. Or, she may have a magic quiver that behaves like Aldens ingredient pouch, where it behaves like a bag of holding, and lots of arrows can occupy a small phyiscal space.
A perfect opportunity for Alden to appreciate the sky.
Other Alden would have no problem here. Clearly the better Alden.
So, is the kelsithe like Emban's bow and auriads? Does it grow more durable the more it bonds with Alden, or would he a need another one designed specifically for that purpose? The crafter who made his current one would probably be happy about such an assignment once Alden goes public with his soon-sworn status. Considering how quickly she agreed to donate the weapon to a human that helped a knight, she might prefer if the tools she crafts are being put to good use.
I would expect that at a minimum, the kelsithe would need to be modified to bond with Alden that way. That behavior isn’t the baseline expectation for Artonan-made weapons. Having an unused tool bonded to you is annoying; some wizards even get their auriads severed after school.
“Alden!” Bithe’s voice said in his ear. “We’re falling!” A chance to appreciate the sky!
All this knight stuff is great fun, but apropos of nothing, people I talk to on the phone constantly mishear my name as “jeffy” and I can’t even be mad about it. Thanks, Sleyca
PHONE MOVES!
Another great chapter. I love this story so much. Also, how likely is it that the ”friendly knight” Ryada was talking to is Esh?
Quite unlikely. Esh is pretty famous and would be recognized. Also, that guy got through like three whole sentences without any jokes.
Oh god one of the ewtwee's is going to try to take the kelsithe aren't they.
Is it shiny? Maybe Alden could make a large multifaceted object as a distraction. Plan Disco Ball!
Ha can't wait to see the gym instructors reaction to the kelsithe when he shows up with it to class as his new weapon. Or Ash's reaction for that matter. Hah.
I have been eagerly waiting for Alden to get a tool designed for his skill. Yes, it may be an old fashioned tool. But it looks like it’s a perfect fit for him.
An elegant weapon, from a more civilized age. 😁
Do we think it will be possible for Alden to make the kelsithe grow closer to himself and more protected as he uses it so that, like an auriad he can take it more reliably into chaos? I'll hypothesis that it depends on if the process for Emban's bow starts during creation or if it can start anytime once something is magical. Maybe a bit of both? Like auriads seemingly needing a process to be created and made ready for wizard bonding, or what we saw of Uro-bor Elder's wands growing closer to Uro-bor Elder with use, and being told about the expected fading of that closeness with lack of use once one was handed to her friend. It also kind of feels like soulbound or growth items in games?
These are great questions! I honestly thought the bow was one of her Defined objects and, as long as she doesn't drop the Definition, as she uses it more it'll basically be like an auriad, but on re-read number 5 I'm no longer certain. I hope we find out!
That was waaay too short omg i need to know what happens next hahaha fantastic chapter ty!
Quick, someone check the sky hooks!
I hate cliffhangers. I love the suspense - but your telling me I have to wait ~5 days for more? 😭 I wish I could just binge read this whole story over a couple weeks like I did when I found it two years ago.
Oh man. Takes me back. The amount of rereads I’ve done of Soup is crazy.
Like a beach, I too tend to crawl in response to an assault of the balls
The 17th is to far away ... cough cough ahem... i mean the 20th is to far away i kid i kid but this is the beginning of the glow up with Alden getting kitted up!!!
Senior Knights present? Turning animated elementals into sand? Is the Quatanery here? Or are they merely simulating a power that sounds like hers? A lot of unpack in this chapter. Loving the live action fog of war shenanigans and the overactive fake opposition.
Turning things into other things is transmogrification. Life to water, for example. Alis seems more like a ground shaper.
I’m predicting that *if* there is skill growth this chapter. It’ll be in the definition of entruster. If Alden chooses to serve the whole squad, the squad is unified in one purpose, and he is well-aligned to do so, it could be possible that he doesn’t need to switch between individual members of the squad. Like a flower taking solar rays from à binary star system.
Also! Very funny to me how this played out at the end: Woman we don’t know: “C’mon guys, the ewtwee aren’t THAT bad, you just have to adjust on the fly!” Jozz: “Oh, it’s the support to help make that situation better!” Nope Ryada: “Oh, they’re flying there on accident bc their flyer is damaged. Someone will help” Nope Jozz: “Oh, they surely can’t attack a flyer that high up!” Nope Everyone: “Oh, the attack is going to miss” Nope And then everyone looks at the woman as though she is somehow responsible for a chain of events no one in the room could have conceived of on purpose.
Ten to one odds Mother did this to Alden on purpose
Alden, volunteering himself to do something. Mother, rolling dice for the loot table quietly in the background.
So Joss is one of the viewers. One of the people who is an expert on the family of skills in which Bearer belongs. Interesting...
I picked up on it, too. Emban, Jozz, Noh-en from Rapport I are present.
What’s the technical term for a cliffhanger when the cliff gets destroyed by chaos, and everyone that was hanging on to it starts to fall?
Chaos Hang?
wait, wait, WAIT. Did Alden just casually preserve and unpreserve without asking his entruster again after each canceled preservation? Did this happen before? Is it because of Kelsithe (but its technically still the same entrusted object)? Or am I misreading and he is asking to entrust the object again, but its just not written?
He is just using the entrusted shield as it is intended. No unpreserving.
I wonder if we're all over thinking the fall here, The thing on the chair that Bithe hit was probably the eject button. Or was the rapid speaking a spell impression? Since its a flyer for "combat", is the squad now in drop pods.
He activated an airbag.
No me podes cortar el capítulo ahí.
-> You can't cut the chapter off there. [Somewhere, Sleyca is cackling madly.]
“ Bithe was still smiling, but Emban was getting heat.” I don’t know what that means. “being put under pressure” maybe?
Turning red or likely purple in the face?
Hahaha! There's Alden's luck for you. Not even really on the play board yet and now they're falling through the air.
I'm pretty sure this is lucky for Alden. And also intentional interference by Mother. It gives him an opportunity to help his team right off the bat, and then provides a highly-challenging yet achievable scenario for him to learn and bond with the team.
Perhaps Alden's practice with origami will help him form complex shapes rapidly with the kelsithe :)
Really Sleyca? "Some would say not to comment on the beauty of the sky while falling through it to your death, but I think that might be the best time of all for it.” and: “I don’t care if you stay. If the vathas carry us into the sky, grab onto Seth. She’ll save you.”
Those quotes are awesome to remember now!
As always, I hope that Alden gets a chance to shine here. I want all accolades for him. In other news, I started reading this from the beginning, out loud to my 10 year old daughter. She is always asking for just one more chapter. It's so good.
I am started reading it to my boys 8 and 9 and they do the same.
Suddenly Sympathy for Magic may not be that useless excessive old glasses, at least, for some Avowed.
Good point! It's nice to see it actually being useful for once
I wonder if a kelsithe can be made into a giant paper plane?
Surely! Although it would be very fragile, and I think preservation of an object prevents it from being functional as a glider. Like, even if there are forces acting on the plane, Alden’s authority is designed to take the full brunt of them. Otherwise he couldnt do stuff like block an oncoming cement brick like w Heloìsa.
So with the Squad Symbol they have turned their rabbit into the Flagbearer. Checks out. It must be an aspect of his skill to carry the flag. Only this time the Flagbearer is armed. And out for blood~
Feed the Ewtwees to Victory, Vatha Squad!
Alden: “Your squad’s symbol,” he said. “For luck.” Mother: *Cackles*
Forgot to specify which kind.
Ooooo baby. This chapter was so exciting. Slowly introducing us to hazards and Alden’s mindset. Alden getting the coolest gift!! The setup for a real chaotic battle!!! What does the brick do???? I’m excited to see!
Also, Sleyca’s going through something apparently? Or at least can’t devote the normal amount of work to Soup for a time? Maybe? I don’t know, but Sleyca is a very generous and considerate author when she doesn’t have to be. She deserves however much time she needs to carve out for herself. Even if chapters become biweekly.
In the heat of the moment... Alden can preserve the kelsithe in various forms. But does he need it entrusted to him? After he's taken it off and put it back on? After his entruster changed? If he preserved something else? Alden during this exercise is very likely to just use/preserve kelsithe forms without thinking about it, and presto, some of his perceptions and limits shift.
If he were to put it down or switch entrusters or preserved items, he'd need to have it entrusted again. For the moment it's still his active preservable item.
> Zero in on what it means to be their Bearer. > Trying to zero in and give himself over to the task ahead called to mind several instances when doing that had mattered. Chapter 40 (Zero In): > “Something’s wrong,” Alden said. “Something’s wrong with the System.” > He didn’t understand what was happening. > You just zero in on your part of the job, and you let everything else go. > Hannah had told him that once, when he asked her if she ever got scared during a mission. > Zero in. I have to zero in. > He shoved the crushed berries into his pocket. He targeted the older girl. Her sister was in her arms now. Her father was speaking, but the words were getting translation garbled into something completely unrecognizable. > Alden still didn’t know what had caused the barrier to activate. He couldn’t see any threat. And Thenn-ar’s injuries offered no clues. It looked like her arms and chest had been burned. It seemed like something the barrier itself might have done instead of some attacker. > Zero in. Focus on what I’m supposed to be doing. > He hopped once to keep his skill active. The symbols were still in front of his eyes. They weren’t changing. > Although they probably did anyway. There were only so many responses to match the situation after all. > Zero in. > But there wasn’t anything left to zero in on was there? How were you supposed to do your part when your part was nothing? Alden looked around the warehouse. He didn’t know what he was hoping to see. > Help, maybe. But there was none. > He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm down. He wasn’t the only one staying here. All of the others were, too. He shouldn’t make it worse for everyone else. > Zero in. > There had to be something he could do so that he didn’t feel quite so helpless and terrified.
Off to a good start I see!!! Battle Plan - meet enemy!
Ash is going to be so damn jealous 😆
According to Esh, a perfect opportunity to appreciate the sky...
In a chaos zone when something goes wrong it can be chalked up to "chaos is random and chaotic". But this isn't a chaos zone, it's a training zone orchestrated by the Contract. Which means when an unexpectedly dangerous situation suddenly starts developing en route to their destination, then their transport communicator fails earlier than expected, then a wayward attack is diverted to strike their transport... you have to wonder what exactly the Contract is planning.
Presumably if nothing were to interfere, the flyer would plummet from the sky and simulate smacking into the ground. The knights would be whisked back to base, be given a pat on the head, and told to try better next time. I'm guessing that they'll think of something though. Unless next chapter is: THREE HUNDRED TEN: Total Party Kill
Bithe is so cuuuuuute, oh my heart. Good luck with the incident, Vatha Squad.
Completely unrelated to the current chapter but I had the thought yesterday and it's not leaving. Artonan music probably has a lot of polyrhythms with their dual threaded minds it would be pretty simple.
Parachute? Giant vantha for a paraglide (with, of course, an extension to rope in Blithe)? Here’s where it would get tricky — can Alden convince his skill that the burden is Blithe instead of what he is preserving? I mean it’s not that much of a stretch if you think about it a certain way. He is still bearing his burden (and using his skill to do it), just not encompassing it in his magic…
Squadies unite!!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaàaaaaaaaaaaa I HATE falling out of the sky!!!!!!!!!
"Fly, yes! Land, no!"
OK, I see three obvious ways to 'survive' this. Driftseed might make them float, Divin-Zadja is a Sky Shaper, so can use wind, and Alden might be able to make a glider - though it'd need to be pretty big. They might be able to use all three at once. Then, also, I bet all knights get taught a Featherfall spell (though they might not have the authority). If even one can put Featherfall on Alden, he can carry the rest of them, and their weight won't 'count'. Finally, the flyer's existing safety features might be enough. It's some kind of ejection seat with parachute equivalent? If that works, better to save their resources.
Hm, actually, how would BoAB work with a glider? Would it just make the glider ignore air resistance, as a force trying to act on Alden's burden? Or could Alden choose to just have it preserve the structural integrity?
TFTC!
"Ryada had been watching for a while. She tipped her head back to get the last drop of sermuntha juice out of her glass, then got to her feet." I like the attention to detail, considering her skill is 'Life to Water'.
I wonder if some of those clever, competitive, acquisitive ewtwee will see this human Avowed's gorgeous kelsithe and his Forgetful Traveler's bag and become covetous. Esh did say Alden was underestimating that aspect of their culture back when he sneaking glances at Alden's essay...
forget the bag. alden is going to get stolen by fox girls.
"The owner had offered it to the Rapports shortly after she finished crafting it. But that was sixty years ago." "This specific kelsithe had been made to work well for humans." The Rapports had voted against humans being courted into a Contract with their peoples' empire over what, ninety years ago? Back then, the Rapportsfolk were likely holding even tighter to their principled refuse to summon human Avowed for anything Avowed of other species could handle instead. And this kelsithe maker turned her craft to modifying how she made a tool of elegance and exceptional magic so it could be used specifically by a human to shield themselves and others, and she *offered it to the Rapports*, and they didn't take it. That was a very specific kind of wish to put out into the world and have rebuffed.
I bet Mother has been waiting a long time to quietly nudge an exceptional human Avowed to ask a hn'tyon for its use and prompt them swallowing the Rapports' prior pride and go back to the one who made the gift and wanted them to change their stance enough to work with a human who could use its protection and partner with them in their fight against chaos.
I think it is a bit weird that they send a flyer with a damaged communication system. On the other hand, this is also training for logistics. Hopefully being inside a destroyed flyer is just a very uncommon occurrence and is trained for. Considering chaos being chaos. The expensive Avowed initiation gift of a one-time safe environment bubble comes to mind here. I am interested in the brick Alden got, that is somehow a weapon. Will we see the B-Rank Rabbit defeat an S for the first time? Though it'd be super funny if Alden’s contribution to the fight will be by chugging shinies at the foxes for distraction. :) The main problem will be for Alden to think of all the cool stuff he can do. We readers get to think a whole lot of time about what can or will happen, but Alden doesn't. I loved how he, back during the school entrance exam, figured out a usefull aspect of his skill AFTER a fight. This situation has many similarities. :)
I think everything that travels into a chaos area that isn't directly protected by a knight's authority will start to acquire wear and tear at an accelerated rate: chaos eats at the integrity of everything. This flyer is simulating one that's spent enough time in Goldbush's chaos to be pretty battered and a bit unreliable. That's good practice for having to make do with the equipment on hand.
Alden's thoughts on what it means to be someone's bearer might be suddenly shifted considering his entruster just gave him a super-valuable permanent gift that is possibly perfect for him. Perhaps sheer gratitude might impact the way he interacts with his skill? As well as the tied concept of both protecting his entruster according to their wishes, while simultaneously making sure that the kelsithe itself doesn't come to any harm (per Bithe's explanation). Don't let the kelsithe break, but also don't let the kelsithe break. Bithe took the time to explain his desires quite clearly, which, combined with the gratitude aspect, might be significant. Also, Kon may be a bit jealous when comparing Alden's super flashy transformer shield to his sippy cup - though maybe Bithe wants to get him a gift as well :P Edit: Also begs the question of whether Bithe is powerful from an authority standpoint, and how that will interact with Bearer per Stu's explanation that the authority of the entruster is relevant to the output of the skill.
The thing about a sippy cup is that you can use it at any time, any where. Crack a bottle of 25-year-old Highland Park , and the sippy cup lets you share it with all 30 of your closest friends. I'm guessing that Kelsithe stuff only has combat and combat-adjacent uses.
Thanks for the chapter. Fun fact, humans already have dust protection in the nose. It's called nose hair. XD
Then why do people keep telling us “always use protection”?
The kelsithe! Ryada! The gifted kelsithe! Bithe he being the beating heart of the squad! Animated-elements, koobas and ewtwees, oh my! This was so good. My eyes were glued the entire chapter. The Whisperer of Refuge making an appearance was a nice surprise. Emban’s tool is so, so cool. Almost like a meister tool, but more like a physical facet of her own Skill? Is she an archer? I’m dying to know what Tilliver’s Skill is. The Inspired Sculptor? It makes me think of someone molding or carving something, but what does Inspired mean in this case with relation to an army? Drats! I’m imagining Alden using his kelsithe as a parachute to land like he’s fallen off a ton of flyers, Mission Impossible style Thank you for the chapter, it was amazing. Can’t wait for the next one so I’ll be re-reading this one a million times lol
I'm imagining Tilliver turning mud into clay soldiers and animating them with earth shaper powers. For his ultimate form, look up the terracotta army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
Will Alden form a vartha shield or flat surface made to fly by the storm keeper to land them smoothly or can he enclose all in a giant bubble and land them safely ( he would be outside the bubble however, so might not be a good idea). Or is the flyer meant to keep them safe if crashed? It’s going to be a looong week of hanging on a cliff.
He could support the bubble from the inside? I'm hoping for a giant paper airplane tho
I love that after an entire chapter of Alden trying to get into the right headspace for Bearer they’ve almost certainly just accidentally pressed the Trauma Turbo-Bearer Button. I wonder what sort of landing strategies we’ll see…
I’ve got a mental image of Alden creating a giant Vatha with his new gadget and using it like a glider or parachute
Their powers: He decided to ignore what they were talking about for the next few minutes and sort out some of what he’d already heard. Accessing his notes, he started with their names and what he’d gathered about their skills. Emban-art’h was The Definer of Grooves. Alden had learned the basics of what she could do when they flew paper airplanes together. Repeated actions leading to more potent effects. “The first arrow falls short. The last pierces the sun,” was in his notes about her. She could define grooves for herself, for objects she held, and a short while ago, he’d learned that she could do it for another person. Right…they said she wanted to help Tilliver-gare with his jump. Later, one of them said something about how many options Emban’s new “swap” ability would open up. And…I don’t even remember making a couple of these other notes, but I think it must add up to her being able to transfer a groove she’s made through her own actions to one of the others. Firing an arrow twenty times, then giving someone else the bow. Or maybe running up that hillside, using her skill along the way to run faster and faster, and then passing the groove on to someone behind her so that they can catch up? He might not have it exactly right, but it was a start. Then Bithe. The Vatha Lantern. “That which mesmerizes only to burn.” Instead, it should be called Sexy Moth Summoner. The vatha boat situation got funnier the more Alden thought about it. He wondered if Bithe had known this kind of thing would happen before today, or if he was going to come out of his mellowing and have to process what he’d done. And the fact that everyone who lived along the river knew about it. They must have passed Esh-erdi’s house by now. There was no way Esh saw a boat covered in ten thousand vathas cruise by and didn’t want to know what was going on. Alden glanced at Bithe. The knight was still happy. He was contributing, but he was delivering compliments to everyone almost as frequently as ideas. Everything they suggested sounded good to him as long as it didn’t involve people splitting off from the group for too long. He said that he couldn’t believe he’d been so upset after this morning’s failure, and he was sure they were going to do well this time. He caught Alden looking at him and smiled. His bangs had been clipped back. They made a little puff on top of his head. You poor dude, thought Alden, smiling back. I know you want your squad to get along. I bet you were trying to destress and accelerate your camaraderie with the new member of the team. But people are going to remind you about that time you accidentally made a vatha boat until you’re a grandpa. Moshk would be gossiping about it at the pitcherhouse tonight. Then there’s Seth-wereft. He’d caught the name “Driftseed” for her skill. He was inclined to think that was a shortened version of the full name because they did abbreviate one another’s skill names to make the conversation faster. He looked at all the notes he’d written so far whenever he knew she was the one they were talking about. I’ve got multiple references to things floating. She said something would be too far away for her to use it once. There was that one mention of her “loosening up the stubborn ones so that Bithe can pull them in, too.” He remembered her hand sticking out the boat window and the weird movement of the vathas right before he boarded. He’d been attributing most of that to Bithe’s skill, but actually, hadn’t she said she would get rid of them so that Alden wouldn’t step on them? That wasn’t just them being afraid and scattering. It was them drifting. In response to her skill. So she makes things float around. I don’t know how much control she had over them individually. But it seems like she can apply it to an area. Or maybe to a category of nearby lifeforms or objects? “All vathas, drift now!” Something like that. He felt like he suddenly understood at least ten percent more of the plans they’d been hatching. They were anticipating lots of small enemies surrounding them. If Bithe could attract piles of weak demons, then he could burn a bunch of them. Seth-wereft could make the ones he didn’t instantly kill all float around helplessly so that they couldn’t do damage. And the others could clean up? That’s a start. Divin-zadja had helpfully introduced herself to Alden as Divin-zadja, The Recaller of Storms. With a name like that, Alden was going to assume that she was on her way to being something apocalyptic, but for now, she was probably more like a Sky Shaper with extra features? At least an S-rank Sky Shaper, he decided. Mega Vandy? No, more like Vandy’s mom. She seemed to have been to Goldbush more often than the rest of them, so he thought she might be several affixations in. Postor whose last name I don’t know can be left out since he’s not participating. And then there’s Tilliver. Alden had learned his last name was gare. His skill…he had one. He hadn’t said its name, though. And they weren’t talking about him doing much at all with it, unless Alden was missing it every time. He mentioned not liking the flockers and wanting something else. Assuming that was a nickname for swarms of little demons, then he must want to fight something bigger? Maybe he’s better on individual targets. He missed a jump, so I can’t imagine him like a Brute. I’ll pretend he’s an Adjuster with a single-target damage spell until I hear something to the contrary. So there they are. Definer of Grooves, Vatha Lantern, Driftseed, Sky Shaper, Adjuster. What else did he know? Most of them had only been knights for a year. Possibly two. This was a squad that had been put together in hopes of finding compatible partners for inesvul. Their power is probably comparable to each other since the bond was a goal. Wait, if that’s the case, then maybe Divin-zadja isn’t that much stronger than the rest of them? And I don’t think Emban’s stronger than Stuart, so… He downgraded Divin-zadja from Vandy’s mom’s level back to Mega Vandy. They weren’t a squad that repaired the natural environment. Maybe with Postor and Ryada they’d had options along those lines, but these five together seemed more like a group that needed to focus on demon-clearing. Their objective was very simple. They needed to get up the hill, getting rid of demons along the way, and then they were going to collect the thing on top and take it to the world keeper or protect it until someone else could come pick it up. The treat.
That's what Alden gets for calling for luck. His luck is always very very good, and simultaneously very very bad. Maybe they'll crash into a pile of gold, lol.
I think it's pretty obvious they will crash into the knights that got lost on Goldbush. How? Ask Gorgon.
LMAO Haven't slept the night before reading this chapter so I'm a little loopy, buuuut, at the last scene my intrusive thoughts won the day and I immediately heard Palworld flying meme playing over the falling wind shear. LMAO oh I need sleep.
Quick, summon a Fenglope
Gasp, Stuart will be so happy Alden got the fancy archaic shield glove 🥊
I knew Bithe would get the kelsithe! Gosh I feel like such a good reader
*head pats*
Alden, introducing his Earth friends to his Artonan friends Alden: this is Stu, I've officially promoted him to be our age, he's chill as hell Boe: bring it on, motherfucker, I'm the best friend Stu, with genuine sweetness: oh, don't worry, that's fine! I'm going to marry him! we shall have a spring wedding! Boe: (lunges teeth-first) Alden, firmly ignoring whatever the hell is going on over there, Stu's a knight, he can handle himself, right, right?: and this is Bithe, he summons moths, which is honestly so much cooler than it sounds (though admittedly I'm not sure what its intended purpose is) Jeremy: Mothman? Bithe: vathas, actually Alden: Jeremy, no Jeremy, pupils blown, vibrating: Mothman Bithe: um Alden: Jeremy, I swear on my authority, if you slap his ass just because you're horny for cryptids Bithe: um?!
On a related note, I've decided that actually for no good reason whatsoever I totally ship Jeremy and Bithe. I could not swear to it, and I am in no way invested enough in being right to find it, but I'm pretty sure Jeremy has worn a cryptid tee on screen. And I'm just saying, Bithe could use some silly but fervid devotion.
I want magic ear protection that activates automatically when needed. Last time Alden found himself falling during a training exercise, he discovered Rabbit Recall. This time they've got pillowy airbags, the Driftseed skill, and possibly a vatha-shaped hang glider, so there's lots of possibilities! I love the stakes here, where there's no question as to whether our hero will survive this "cliffhanger", since it's an exercise where Mother has promised her protection. But it's been shown how important it is to Alden and his team that they succeed, and plot armor only protects against physical injuries.
Another parallel to the obstacle course could be the floating islands. These "demons" are in "float-stone hills" which may or may not be floating, but the alignment is conceptually there
You can't end it there. You just can't.
Sleyca doesn't often put us on the edge of a cliff, but oh boy, when she does, she does it well!
Nice to get some low intensity action, think most of the action arcs have been 99.9 this feel less stressful though I bet Alden disagrees
A stress-free, low-intensity plane crash.
Wow, I really didn't expect him to get his dream weapon/tool so easily. But I also didn't realize its as useless for everyone else as it is. I thought it was hard to get him one due to usefulness and beint in use, not because nobody bothers making them anymore lol.
I wonder if it was made for him, or more precisely, human Bearer... '“The owner had offered it to the Rapports shortly after she finished crafting it. But that was sixty years ago.' And 'This specific kelsithe had been made to work well for humans. Stuart had imagined Alden using a standard one, but Mother had said Alden wouldn’t be able to overcome the learning curve quickly.'
Alden: Can I get this limited edition rare as hell mid level tool that happens to be, like, made for my build? The Moth Men (patent pending): I mean, we can ask, but, like. No. Alden: No, I know. I'm in no way expecting it. But if I didn't at least ask if I could play with it, self-loathing would fill my veins like stuffing sap. The Moth Man Himself (persuasion pending): Hey, so I asked, because, y'know, you gotta, and also said pretty please, and actually I got you one for keeps. Alden, tearing up: Really? TMMH: My dude, you saved the worst day ever from being the worster day ever and did it with good grace and have been super chill about me being a dick at the start of it. I will move mountains for you. Also, do you know where I can sign up for the Rabbit Habit newsletter? Alden, fully crying: Holy crap, man, that's so cool of you, I love i- wait, sorry, the what?!
You’ll get in trouble if you keep just copy pasting the chapters
> Divin shrugged. “I’m sure whatever we want is fine for today. If we do something improper, they’ll tell us after.” LMAO, proper discretion, never heard of her.
Learning mindset
One of the senior knights has a katamari damacy skill, complete with still-wiggling critters stuck in the ball. That’s hilarious and terrifying.
I have to wonder how they would react to the Katamari games and all of their wonderful absurdity.
See you all next soup day.
Approximately the same bat time, same bat channel
I always appreciate how Sleyca has a symmetry between the opening and closing. In this case I think it's the ear set that they're putting on him near the start which is helping him once they're falling. As an outside observer it feels unfair that they took such a big hit at the start of their trial. I hope that it makes the outcome feel all the better. I really want to see Squad Vatha succeed!
agreed. It will be a good learning moment for the knights to monitor their channels for updates.
Alden shaped solutions to this prblem could be a glider or a ball made from the Kelsithe depending on it's max size but the Stormbringer will probably handle arieal navigation. I'm excited to see where she sits in terms of Vandy, V-Mom and full on Gloom status for power ranking.
Also _Driftseed_. When your skill is named after a floaty thing, I think she's good. (Tilliver gets to help with the Ewtwees, he'll be happy about that.)
Alden did always want a thin opera gloves to use for his skill. Now he has a magic one! Also his skill requirement to not already be holding the object about to be entrusted has definitely been retconned. There were debatable moments on the obstacle course, but entrusting the kelsithe is blatantly already being held.
Good point - and it’s also his longed-for roll of wrapping paper for gym class! Actually an origami-based magically morphable paper shield ticks a whole lot of boxes, you can see why Bithe, Alden, and Stu all knew it’d fit his skill so well
Well, this is an interesting development! Looks like Alden will have his work cut out for him, with a harder challenge than expected! Good thing he has his shiny new kelsithe to work with! Thanks Bithe! And thanks Sleyca! Excellent chapter!
This chapter was SO GOOD Thanks Sleyca!
"Ewtwees are species of sapient beings that resemble fennec foxes. They have prehensile double tails and wear jewelry. They are known to enjoy shiny objects." for those wondering
From C80: “Someone shot the ewtwee Avowed a couple of days after this aired.” “That upset me so much the first time I heard about it. I know the ewtwee just dug the bullet out of her armor and then added it to her memories necklace. But how could anyone shoot one of them? They’re one of the most harmless aliens. She thought the bullet might have been a gift that was delivered too quickly.” — a) Alden, as Esh later commented, certainly doesn’t grok the fullness of Ewtwees b) The “most harmless alien” Ewtwee who shot him down is soon going to be able to hang an Alden on her memories necklace as a too-quickly-delivered gift if his origami-paper-flyer skills aren’t put to work on his new shield rapidly
Esh is going to be devastated if he doesn't get to watch this live. EDIT: Desperately hoping that Alden comes off as extremely capable of violence in this section and Jozz has to be like "Were Stu and Alden actually out for blood?" EDIT2: Maybe the most interesting outcome of this exercise would be something along the lines of: 1. Alden helps the squad overcome to Ewtwees and complete their mission, possibly by blocking a couple ranged attacks. 2. Alden 'dies' in the process protecting one of the squad members. 3. Everyone involved has to deal with the question of whether it was right to involve Alden given that without him other squad members may have 'died' but he would have survived. i.e. If this were real and not an exercise, and they could guarantee exactly the same outcome, would it be right to do so.
Is it coincidence that when Ryada was describing an unnamed knight she'd just met... I instantly assumed it was Esh?
This is familiar territory for Alden by now. At least he's not getting stranded for real this time.
I’m so hyped up I can feel warm blood flood down to my feet LOL
Typo: "“We stay together,” Aden repeated along with everyone else." -> Alden
Typo in the above sentence: Alden -> Punzee-thorn
Aargh! Not another week until partial resolution of this amazing moment?!
As a side note, I am all in on the Bithe friendship redemption arc
Yeah, that really turned around convincingly.
“It looks like there are two fields of more experienced squads in between their quest location and that surprise, though.” Whew! Those squads definitely mean Alden won’t be getting caught up in that surprise. We all thought that, right?
Surprise chaos event < Surprise human avowed
Ironically this would be -less- of a cliffhanger if there were a cliff to, you know, hang onto. Gonna be a long (approximate) week 😬
Free-falling all week!
Now would be a brilliant moment for Alden to send Stu a screen shot.
lmao
Ooo the kelsithe is such a perfect design for Alden’s skill! Thank you for the chapter 🙂↕️
I don't recall, can anyone remind me if Alden has a landing strategy?
He has about 48 seconds to create one, which Gus assures us is more than enough time for any well-prepared rabbit.
My mental pronunciation for kelsithe is kel sidhe, especially now that we know it transforms. Excited to see everyone's reaction back on Earth to Alden breaking out the museum piece next Gym class--I imagine he'll want to get permission to use it in class if it's going to be his long-term gear. It's only probably like twenty times the cost of the weapon a teacher suggested he bring! And they wouldn't want to upset the nice squad of Generals that granted it to him in exchange for services rendered.
His gym teacher is going to lose his magitech-loving mind.
YUMMMMY SOUP
quick alden, use your inner jeffy! activate sky moves!
He can create a vatha now... so wings could work? Like a glider, maybe.
Now Alden got a magic shield!
It’s like Captain America and Green Lantern had a lil’ morphing baby buckler together
Soooooup! It warms my bones and soul. Tyft soup!
Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Once again I am the herald of the soup bowl
Sooooup! Huzzah! Now to read it :)
Words from the moon have arrived!
Praise be!
Souuuuuuup!
SOUUUUUUP YIPPEE 🥳
Heck yeah! Lets go!
Yay!
SOUPper is up!
Thanks for the chapter.
Thanks!
soup time
Yayyyyy