Published at 29th of November 2025 6:46 pm

Chapter ONE HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR: Echoing Klerms

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

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Well? Evul asked, stealing an ink brush from the tray in front of Emban. She twirled it once, then dragged the tip of it around one of her middle fingers. It left a slender spiral of red ink in its wake. You braved Stus wrath to go have a look at the two of them. What did you learn? What do you think of Human Alden?

That was my next brush. Emban didnt look up from her work.

They were the only ones in the formal dining room. Evul sprawled on top of the table in front of Embans tray, which was full of brushes with colorful enameled handles. She was using them to ink an intricate pattern of lines onto a hexagonal white card.

As for the human, I think

After a moment, Evul rolled over to face her, propping her chin on her hands. Think faster.

Its hard to think of anything but the fact that youre lying on the dining table like a roast.

Live long, my young cousin, and learn that everywhere can be your lounger.

What if the Avowed walks through? Emban lowered her voice. How will he feel seeing a powerful hntyon rolling around and painting meaningless designs on herself? He may never sleep at ease again.

Didnt he just watch you get covered in fruit juice?

That wasnt my fault! And Im sure he doesnt hold me to the same standard.

Baby Stus new friend seems very casual on our calls, said Evul. She waved the brush shed taken under Embans nose. Tell me about him.

I barely spoke to him. Emban said. But he seemed

Evul sat up. Do you not like him? Is he bad for my brother? Should I bury him in a hole so deep that even Aunt Alis cant find him? She gasped. Does he not like Stu? Is he faking it?

Emban set the brush shed been using aside.

Alden was inoffensive. He seemed very interested in Stus spell, despite how long he must have been sitting there watching. I just expected him to be

Taller? Hairier?

Special, said Emban. Or impressive. In some immediately apparent way. For Stu to become so attached and insistent about himI know he spent too much time contemplating the human boys death because your father scolded him about that ridiculous situation during his school entrance exams.

Stu does like his contemplating.

And I know that Alden must have depth of character, for him to have earned Grandaunt Aliss favor. She lowered her voice even further. But Stus expectations for a lasting friendship dont make sense, do they? Hes a Ryeh-bt whose passion must be something like lab assistant work. Stu doesnt even like laboratory classes. They have absolutely nothing in common that I can think of. And their lives will be even less alike next year, three years from now, thirty.

Evul rolled over again and sat up, wearing a thoughtful look. That could be one of the things Stu likes about him.

The fact that theyve got nothing in common?

The early years of your knighthood are the hardest, said Evul. Theres nothing like the closeness you feel with your first few squads. You carry each other. But you lose people so unexpectedly.

Emban looked away.

Human Alden might not be able to walk with Stu, but hell be a lot easier to keep safe.

Do you think Stu thinks that way? Emban asked.

Maybe not! Evul said brightly. But Im thinking that way now! We can summon Human Alden every day to keep Red Alden company, and that way nothing bad will ever happen to either of them.

I suppose thats true. I dont know how Stu might feel about that

Dont worry about it. Go back to decorating your bonfire cardswhy are you decorating those?

Emban swept her hands slowly over the tray. Ive decided this is the perfect hobby. Over the next few weeks I will make hundreds of these.

Evul peered at her. Thats your idea of the perfect thing to do to sort your thoughts after your second affixation?

Yes. Its taken me a while to pick, but this will be ideal.

You could go to all the best parties. I could introduce you to people. Why dont you try some pleasure travel? Oooodemand that an Exquisite Tongue of Knowledge tutor you to sleep every night. Or if you want to make things, Kofa dug a cave into the side of a cliff one year.

Im going to make a card for every guest at my parents Summersending feast. Someone is sure to say, The cards are almost too beautiful to burn this year! Embans eyes lit. And Ill say, I made them for you with my own hands. Every line has been touched with my thoughts on the importance of sacrifice. Think of me as you burn them.

Emban picked up another brush.

Eventually, Evul said, So the thing thats going to keep you motivated over the coming days is adding a coat of misery to a Summersending ceremony?

Im only adding a coat of perspective. If misery is the result Emban shrugged.

As long as it makes you happy, I support it! I do retract my offer of taking you to parties with me, though.

******

******

Two learning cushions, both made by the Craftswoman Enyl-tirg, rested side by side in front of the cottage window. Alden and Stuart knelt facing each other.

All right, said Stuart. Tell me everything you can about your skill. That way I can help you practice! And we might come up with ideas for defeating some of your classmates together.

Alden wanted to tell him then.

Stuart had just shared his own skill. It was important and personal and

And I cant fully reciprocate.

He didnt know if he would have.

Probably not, right? If Im not lying to myself. Its just too soon. And too dangerous.

Most of the control Alden had over his own future relied on him not showing anyone else what he was until he was ready. He was way too aware of that.

But of his two enormous secrets, the skill would have been the one he was a little less afraid of sharing. Especially if he didnt mention the authority sense along with it. And at this particular moment, knowing that he wouldnt be able to do that without permission from Joerankled.

Why does Worli fucking Ro-den get to control how I talk about myself? Why should he?

Alden only knew the truth about his own skill because of the wizard. Most likely, he would have spent years not knowing without Joes intervention.

It wouldnt have been forever, though, would it? Having an authority sense, leveling at this rate, I would have figured out something was up with my skill on my own a lot faster than Joe expected.

Because it was a useful talent, because Gorgon had recommended it, and because it had saved Kibby, Alden would have tried to top the skill out. He might have gone down some side paths, but not that many before he noticed that Bearer just kept growing and growing.

Who knows what the System would have shown me to manage me? And when? It could have been worse than Im thinking. But stillhe could have locked everything else behind the tattoo, all the other tidbits, without making it impossible for me to tell another person what my own skill really is.

I hate Ro-den right now, he blurted.

Stuart, who had been kneeling there like a model of respectfulness and patience, looked understandably surprised by the response.

We can gossip about him if youd rather do that than talk about your skill? he said hesitantly. Maybe not on the learning cushions, though

No. Alden shook his head. I justof course Id rather tell you about my skill. Ill tell you what I can about all of my Avowed abilities. UmIll start with the smallest one. I have a spell impression that makes temper spheres scream and turn invisible. I can show you. Ive got a sphere in my bag. Hold on just a moment.

He forced himself to stop dwelling on the fact that he was still bound to keep his mouth shut by wizard who had changed his mind about using Alden some more in the future and told him to forget all of their lessons and take the easy road for a few decades.

That kind of thing will drive me nuts if I let it.

Instead, he leaped up and hurried across the room to grab his messenger bag from the other side of the bed. When his hand wrapped around the glass ball in the bottom of the bag, he had a surge of unfamiliar discomfort. When he identified it, he didnt know what to think.

Am I seriously embarrassed to show Stuart my spell impression? Because its so much less than what he showed me?

He didnt want to be that way about it.

Ive never managed to do anything very useful with this one, he admitted. Yet. Although Brutes do enjoy borrowing invisible balls and throwing them at people. Ill justyou might want to cover your ears.

Alden tossed the ball onto the bed and activated the impression. His fingers and lips moved. His focus narrowed. The temper sphere turned invisible and shrieked.

And thats it.

He let his arm drop back down by his side and stared at the dimple in the sandy-brown bedspread where the invisible sphere lay. So. Thats a thing I do. I can make it scream as many times as I want before the invisibility wears off.

He seriously doubted Stuart was staring at his back thinking, How pitiful.

But Alden hadnt expected to be thinking it and feeling it quite this hard himself. Even though he didnt like the way the spell impression felt and he wasnt passionate about it, hed enjoyed showing it off to Jeremy the first time hed used it. Making something invisible was still interesting.

Its just different because Stuart knows more about everything. Thats all.

There werent a lot of Ryeh-bt spell impressions I wanted from the list the Contract offered to fill out my affixation, he explained.

The silence stretched until it was so uncomfortable he considered making the damn sphere scream again.

You couldnt find anything you wanted more on the list? Stuart asked finally. Was it so limited?

I Alden swallowed. I was annoyed by it at the time, but that was a personalthere were spells I would enjoy having so much more. There really were. A lot of them.

The Rabbit spell impression list hadnt actually been bad. It had been a good list for Rabbits. But Alden had automatically dismissed all of the low-rank household spells as boring and useless.

Because I couldnt use them to get into CNH or fight crime.

He could have taken a spell that fluffed pillows, dusted surfaces, or straightened stacks of paper and used it a hundred times by now.

Whats this spell impression for anyway? he asked. Do you know?

No. Stuarts voice was a little higher than usual.

I swear I can hear him blushing back there. Alden looked around. Sure enough

For some reason, the sight of Stu-arth squirming on his cushion and turning purple like the terrible liar he was, made Alden feel instantly more at ease.

Whoa! Your facedid I take a spell for something completely awful? Youve got to tell me now.

Its not! Stuart said. Its useful. Its good.

What is it?

Aum

Are you trying to think up an amazing use for it?

Stuart cringed.

Alden walked back over to kneel on his cushion again. Im sorry, he said. I didnt mean to start my show with the spell impression I regret picking. And then I acted weird about it. Im really fine.

Stuarts hands were resting on his thighs. They tightened into fists. I dont want you to have any regrets.

Thank you, but Alden scratched at the fading mark where his injured left hand had been mud-healed. Thats probably unavoidable, isnt it? In my case. Let me back up. You know that Im going to superhero school now, and you also know that I dont actually think I want the job. At least not the version of it most people are there hoping for. The hero schools are just the best places for skill development, and I want to develop mine. Thegunds still bothering me.

You want to challenge yourself, said Stuart in a serious voice. To master your abilities.

Yes. But what you dont know is that I used to think I wanted a superhero job. I admired a superhero I knew. She was confident and kind, and shewas good at being inspiring. So I wanted to be more like her. I wanted to support other Avowed with my powers and together wed stop evil people from hurting innocent ones. Wed bean English phrasemore than the sum of our parts.

Stuart was listening with a fascinated expression.

When I was selected by the Contract, that was what I wanted. And I still think its a good ideal, especially the part about not being on your own when youre fighting something bad. Im just not sure its what I want for my future anymore.

I was naive.

Im a little envious of you, Stuart. When you talk about your choosing season, I want it for myself so much. If I could choose my talents now, for the person I am nowId spend years thinking and getting to know myself before I picked. If that was an option. He closed his eyes and sighed. When I was selected, I was just so focused on the wrong things. I didnt realize how much I was rushing, but I was rushing. My friends and I thought affixing as soon as possible during my class-trading period would give me extra time to practice with my new abilities before I had to leave to go to Anesidora. Which would give me a better chance of getting into the school I wanted. Which would give me the job I wantedand that seemed like the most important thing. And it was exciting. So I didnt ask myself enough questions, and everything fell into place quickly.

I decided on my skill in just a few days

A strangled gasp of horror made Aldens eyes snap open. And then he almost fell backwards off his cushion at the sight of Stuarts nose a millimeter from his own face.

Stuart! You have a habit of sneaking up on!

What planets days?! Stuart shouted in an appalled voice.

Alden stared at him. Are you hoping Ill name one with a slower rotation than Earth or the Artonas?

Yes.

Still leaning back, Alden couldnt help but roll his eyes at the intensity in Stuarts voice. Earth days. Obviously. And yes. I know. Youre weaving a friendship with a big idiot.

Stuart brought his hands up to his cheeks and finally returned to his starting position on his own cushion.

Are you <<miserable>>? he asked in a whisper.

No.

Do you hate yourself?

No! And you look sick. Like youre the one who ate a container full of oil. I promise I dont hate myself. Or being an Avowed. Or my talents. And my skill is way more important than the rest of what I chose anyway, and itsexactly the kind of power I wanted for myself back then.

If Gorgon had described the skill in vivid detail instead of giving just a name, Alden doubted hed have hesitated to grab it. The special skill that could get stronger than others, the one that resembled Hannah Elbers power, the one that demanded sacrificeId have eaten it up. Id have thought a lot of the things that worry me now were positives.

The fact that it was a rare skill that would capture the interest of important Artonans would have given him pause. The possibility of being always, or almost always, on summons away from Earth would have occurred to him. And the entrustment requirement might have made him hesitate, too.

But other than that

Going from having nothing to having the ability to do magic was thrilling for me. I dont want you to think it was some awful moment. Almost every child on Earth hopes theyll become Avowed at some point. I just didnt guess right about how my life would go after it happened and how Id change and grow up because of it. He watched Stuarts face. I didnt mean to upset you.

Would you change your skill nw? Stuart asked, voice still a little faint. If you couldno! Im sorry for asking. Its not an!

Its fine. Im the one who took the conversation here.

I wanted to be forthcoming about the things I could afford to be forthcoming about.

I want to tell you stuff about myself. And my answer isI dont even know how to wish Id chosen a different skill. Everything thats happened to me this year has happened because I chose that skill. I wouldnt just undo it.

If I did, I would be a different person, with different friends, in a different place.

I wouldnt know anything. Id probably be a Brute or an Adjuster down in F.

I would have gotten over being rejected from Celena North by now, and Id either be focused on prepping for uni tryouts or I would have met some people and encountered some ideas that made me switch gears.

Maybe Boe would have told me the truth about himself sooner. Maybe I wouldnt have tried CNH at all. Maybe Id be an unregistered living in Chicago because a few extra months influenced me in a different way.

Those might-have-beens didnt really matter.

I dont want to live in a universe where I never helped Kibby escape from that place. Or in one where I dont ever get to catch zansees in jars with a future knight of the Mother Planet.

Stuart sat up straighter.

I dont hate myself, said Alden. I dont hate my skill. Its a great one. I just recognize that everything flowed from that one choice that I made so quickly. Andhere I am, a slightly different person wishing that it didnt feel like so many of the most important decisions in my life were already made.

When Stuart didnt say anything else, Alden cleared his throat, Anyway, whats the spell impression for? Back when I chose it, I imagined myself using it as some kind of distraction in fights.

We could find a way for you to do that with it!

Thats not necessary. Just tell me what its actually good at. If you know.

Stuart clasped his hands together. I think they use temper spheres that way in Jatonta forkilling <<a seasonal pest known to infest houses in large numbers>>.

Alden re-read the translation.

So its excellent! Important! Stuart was saying. Nobody wants an infestation!

Part of my authority is eternally boundto pest control. I can kill one particular kind of alien roach using an overpriced glass ball.

Does the loud sound scare them to death? Do wizards really need an Avowed to come do that for them? Maybe its supposed to be part of a larger housekeeping package. Make the beds, mop the floors, scream the seasonal infestation to death.

He snorted.

Are you <<devastated>>!? Stuart said. Dont be dev

Im good! Im great! Alden laughed. I can kill things for people in Jatonta. Thanks for solving the mystery. Lets talk about my better magic.

******

The best way to show off Bearer was to show what hed been doing with it for the last few weeks, so Alden shared all of his gym highlights with Stuart.

It was eye-opening in a lot of ways. Stuart was even more focused than usual, and he was asking a ton of questions about everything. But although hed had such firm opinions about some of Aldens regular classes, he made only a few judgments when it came to gym. An occasional comment on weapons he recognized, several on whether or not a spell impression had been used to its best effectbeyond that, he actually had a much worse sense of whether Aldens classmates were doing well or poorly than Alden did himself.

I feel like Im introducing a kid to a new sport. Only the kid is familiar with a similar sport featuring racehorses and this one is being played by, like, dachshunds.

Do you feel you did well there? Stuart asked, replaying the moment when Alden had lifted one of the heavy bags off the scaffolding and brought it down with his paracord.

I was showing you that to talk about distance limitations. When Im shielding something that extends a long way from my body, like the cord does here, I tire myself out faster. This was actually at the very beginning of term. Let me show you something I started to figure out last week. Here. Look.

Alden shared the video of him catching the tennis balls.

Im proud of this, so I saved it for last. This is the newest, most impressive thing Ive discovered about my skillwell, the most impressive thing that I can actually do somewhat on purpose instead of waiting until Im nearly dead and in a crisis mental state.

Morrison Waker was flinging a Wimbledons-worth of tennis balls at the Alden on the video.

He minimized the image on his own interface so that he could more easily see Stuarts reaction.

Notice my eyes are closed! Notice how cool and magicky my skill and I are being together!

He knew just how Stuart had felt showing off his bean-transport spell earlier.

Dont get too excited. He probably wont realize whats happening at first. We had to watch the replays a few times before Lexi noticed.

Your eyes are closed! Stuart exclaimed the second the Alden on the video shut them.

They are!

How did you do that?!

He does think its cool!

I was really focused, and I felt like I was in the zone. Sorry, I cant think of how to say that in Artonan right now. And something important was here.

Alden made a gesture hed seen Kibby use a couple of timesa grabby motion with both hands beside his own ears. It was the equivalent of saying an idea was right in front of your nose or that you were on the verge of a breakthrough. So I focused on the fact that Instructor Waker was throwing things at me

Stuart looked surprised. Were you not focused on that already? He was throwing a lot of yellow balls at you.

I didnt phrase that well. Im just happy you noticed and Im talking too fast!"

He threw so many. Theyre very yellow.

Yes. I know. What I meant to say was I stopped thinking of it as him throwing weapons at me. I started thinking of it as him throwing something to me. And there was this feeling of getting it

You were only getting some of them.

No. Getting it is a way of saying truly understanding in English. So I was getting it more than normal. My skill. And it felt like the gym faded away and what really mattered was Instructor Waker being my entruster and me being the

The Bearer of All Burdens.

He almost said the words. But they wouldnt come.

He hadnt meant to say even this much, but here they were. And Alden wanted to share something real and important hed noticed about his skill. With someone. With Stu-arth, who had spent the past day sharing real and important truths of his own.

What am I doing? I just thought about how this was a bad idea even if I kind of want

The secrecy contract had stopped him. The gremlin was awake now and giving him the mental equivalent of a suspicious look, like it thought he might be thinking of trying something forbidden.

Ro-den told me I might be summoned into a bullet. He said Stuarts father would somehow make my life an endless misery if he ever found out about my skill. I shouldnt want to.

Hed probably only gotten this far into his explanation because hed had no intention of arriving at this moment when hed set out. And now he was just kneeling here with his mouth hanging open and his thoughts scattered.

Alden? Stuart asked. His eager expression morphed into an amused smile. What is it?

Alden stared into his rust-colored eyes.

I mean its probably for the best, right? a voice in his head said. What were you going to do? Trust him with your life this fast?

Alden took a breath. He shut his mouth.

The endless misery was probably something obvious. Like being summoned a lotor being forced to train the skill for the good of the Triplanets or something. Everything nder the Intensity 99.9 category probably qualifies as endless misery to Joe.

Alden? You just stopped talking so suddenly. Are you all right?

I hate Worli Ro-den.

<<Echoing klerms>>! Stuart exclaimed. Whats he been doing on Earth to make you keep saying that?

Nothing. Hes working so hard that half of the people on Anesidora think hes a hntyon.

Stuarts face scrunched. You should correct them.

I will. But let me tell you some things about Ro-den. I was so happy to see him on Earth because I didnt expect to get the chance to meet him again. And I did go to a dangerous chaos moon to pick berries that he wanted. He paid me, butI thought since so much had happened, maybe wed talk about some of it.I wanted to drink some wevvi or some tea and tell him how his loyal assistants died. Because I thought he might want to know where their bodies fell so he could honor them. And I wondered if he personally knew Kibbys new guardian. I just wanted to make sure they were a good person who would take good care of her.

Tea, a short period of socialization, him acting like I was a person instead of a broken tool he couldnt safely use anymoreobviously that was crazy of me. He ran away from me like I was a demon, and I had to chase him into an elevator and force him to talk to me. And then he told me he would speak to me for the time it took to go up twenty floors and then never again.

Stuarts mouth was hanging open now.

Alden replayed everything hed just said in his head. He adjusted his position on the learning cushion. Thanks for letting me drop all of that on you. It just surprised me that he would treat me that way.

He hurt your feelings.

Alden grimaced. He did a little.

Stuart made a doubtful humming sound.

More than a little, Alden admitted. I didnt think we were friends. But I thoughthe would respect what Id been through enough to give me some of his time without acting like everything was about him. Or something like that.

Last week, said Stuart, he made us practice identifying the elemental alignments of a <<residue>> embedded within the fourth <<bowel>> of a dead <<large quadrupedal animal from Left Bagru>>.

Yuck.

My arm was almost too short to reach.

Alden blinked. You had to reach? You couldnt use a spell? Or a knife?

He is a <<foul>> instructor. I could sense the alignments from the exterior, but he kept acting like there was some secret within that I might be missing. I was afraid to be mistaken, so I had to reach inside and feel around like everyone else. He shuddered. If you want, Ill tell you all the rumors my classmates shared about him after that lab.

Tempting. Very tempting.

Our time is too precious to let him steal any more of it, Alden said. Wouldnt you rather throw things at me and see if we can get my skill to work like it did in that video?

Stuart nodded. I would.

Me too.

They stood from their cushions, and Alden headed over to the bed to pick up the temper sphere hed tossed there.

Alden.

He turned back.

Stuart stared at him for a few seconds. Im going to say this even though it may not need to be said. It will be heavy for me if I dont.

Alden drew a sharp breath.

It would upset me, said Stu-arth, if you ever accepted a skill or a spell that didnt <<perfectly suit>> you, just because it was the best available on a list offered by Earths Contract.

Then, he smiled.

Alden didnt know what his own expression looked like, but he was sure it wasnt bland.

I dont know much about the options human Avowed have, Stuart added, but I do know its possible for me to increase those options for you. And it wouldnt be hard. So if you didnt ask, and you ended up with another spell impression that you didnt even know the purpose ofit would upset me. A lot.

Alden found his voice. Or someones anyway. It sounded like it belonged to another person when he finally used it. Thank you. I understand.

Yes?

Alden placed a hand over his chest.

Im glad, said Stuart. And stop being envious of my choosing season while youre busy with one of your own. When you were standing out in the storm and we spoke of life purposes

As the two of us tend to do, thought Alden.

I was thinking how good it was to talk to someone who recognized that he had important choices to make, too. You should contemplate. And I wont bother you about it unless you ask me for advice. Thats how a choosing season should be.

******

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