Published at 14th of November 2026 9:43 am

Chapter THREE HUNDRED FIFTEEN: What Grows Unseen V

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It had been almost a year since Stu had visited the observation station. The bottom floor was as he remembereda place where people from every Rapport mingled, making new acquaintances or reconnecting with old ones. Teleportation alcoves were scattered throughout this level of the station, and hed arrived in one situated below one of the displays that showed events taking place on the fields below them.

The viewing options were more artistic down here than in the rooms above where people gathered specifically to discuss the battlefield scenarios. The display over the alcove moved like soft wax. Grass, stones, and fur grew out of the white surface as it morphed to show a top-down view of a ewtwee hiding, or attempting to hide, from two approaching knights and a griveck who must be the one Alden had met.

The three votaries siting on a nearby sofa were talking about their studies instead of watching, and Stu only watched for a moment before the alcove hed just exited stole his attention.

Should I have left Eeaner like that?

I could go back.

Hed had the same thought repeatedly on the cart ride to the summonarium and then while waiting his turn to leave the university. Alden and Embans squad were moving cautiously, so theyd probably be fine, and it would take them until nearly this Rapports dawn to get the extraction they were hoping for.

If something important should be done with Eeaner-ket, then Stu had enough time to go back and do it.

But does he want something important from me? He acts like he doesnt. Mostly.

Stu had both hands wrapped around his box of klerms.

Klerms are because of Alden. Whats Eeaner doing collecting them? He mustve felt ridiculous dumping them out of the plants. Hes trying to be nicer to me than I realized.

How much was he trying? Was it only a whim today? Or a more significant longterm effort that Stu had failed to appreciate?

He was angry at the thought of me treating him lightly, yet hes always irritated when I expect serious behavior from him.

I dont know

He turned away from the alcove again because he couldnt figure out what he was supposed to do if he went back right now.

Ill contemplate it.

Usually, deciding that about a matter helped him set it aside. Now, even with his eagerness to discover what people here were saying about Aldens actions, he still had half his mind wanting to mull as he checked with Ryada-bess to find out where she was watching from.

He crossed a floor decorated with a pattern of inlaid shells, passing more seating and more artistic displays. The dining area was on this level of the station, and it was noisy as he walked through the widely spaced tables on his way to a staircase that should take him almost directly up to where Ryada was.

Stu!

Jozzs voice. Stu knew it before he looked away from the stairs and saw his brother at a table deeper within the dining room. And it wasnt only Jozz. Two sisters, three cousins, and the woman who was beloved by Uncle Tesens oldest son were also at the table with him.

Jozz was the youngest and the only knight among them. They seemed to have just begun their third meal. A plate that held glazed yolk buns was being passed around, and one of the attendants was keeping an eye on them while he added stalks to the fragrance arrangement at an empty table.

Stu went to them. Their table was at the edge of one of the windows set into the floor, but there wasnt much to see through it. Dark marshlands seemed to flow beneath them as the station repositioned to whichever field had been deemed most interesting.

Jozz smiled at Stu. Hed been smiling at Stu a lot since hed gotten back home, but he hadnt unsaid that Alden couldnt be a real friend.

Stu was waiting.

I called out to you twice before the third time caught you, Jozz said. Whats put worry on your face? Have a bun. Sit if you like. Aymeg Dad was going to dine with us, but he got pulled into a conversation with one of the undh knights. It may be a lengthy matter since they took it up to one of the conference rooms.

Stu took a yolk bun but not Aymegs seat.

Im worried about my housemate at school. He sent an authority greeting to each of them as the rich, sweet bun filled his mouth. I was in a hurry to get here after my classes, and I think I spoke wrongly to him.

I havent heard you say much about your housemates recently, said Jozz.

He still doesnt like them much, said one of the cousins. Its a bit sad, dear Stu. Dont you want to find new ones? The students I lived with during my first year at DawnStep were with me all the way through to high graduation, and we felt close as family by then.

Theyre both votaries from this Rapport, though, said Jozz. It must be different at LeafSong.

I dont dislike Eeaner-ket, Stu said. I dislike some things about him, but he wants to include me in the social events he enjoys. Hes smart and among the most talented in our year.

Not as talented as you, I imagine, said Jozz.

No. He may be in his own ways.

Really?

I thought I was in good company as his housemate at first. He said things that made me believe he considered a life of service like ours. But not long after school began he stopped talking like that and revealed himself to be unserious

Stu looked at the box in his hands. I thought he was being frivolous again today, but he was making an effort to be warm to me. I shouldnt have told him Id change my expectations of him. It upset him.

You told him youd expect less of him in the future? asked Jozz.

I thought he wanted me to.

After he was warm to you?

He did something thoughtful for me. He could feel the vibrations of the klerms moving in their box. Hes been planning a party he says is for me. It may actually be for me, in his mind.

Really, Stu

Ill contemplate what happened at length and discuss it with him, said Stu. Id like it if I could weave something happier with Eeaner.

He found a bud of optimism within him. Maybe upsetting Eeaner had led them both to something better.

Anyway, he said, I dont dislike him. And dont put your thoughts on my housemates at LeafSong with so much else going on. Have you all seen what my friend Alden has done? Hes with Embans squad so you must have! Hasnt he acted wonderfully? Its his first time here, and he wasnt expecting to do something like this today. He found his way to them. He killed a demon. He saved Bithe!

The rest of them only arrived recently, Jozz said gesturing around the table. They came to watch the samefaces.

They have a quest together later, said one of Stus sisters. We have taken a look at Embans squad though. The highlights. Alden Ryeh-bt does seem to be a highlight.

Ive been watching the fields for longer, said Jozz. Your human has done well. I dont know much about what a Ryeh-bt of his species and his age should be able to do, but hes been a help to them. Hes not fearful. Hes put in as much effort as any of them have tonight. And he told Bithe to think of himself as a krethkan filling, which were all going to remember.

Everyone at the table chuckled.

Yes, said Stu, his mood lifting to new heights at the thought that they were all properly seeing Alden Thorn. Or as properly as they could with the knowledge they had at present.

I understand why you like him so much, said Jozz.

Stu beamed at his brother.

And he uses his skill versatilely. The preservation talent with the requirement for another persons participationsomeone was inspired by one of the old ones maybe. How did you get Emban to invite him along with her squad, though? I hope you didnt make her feel at fault for that disgreement they had about you. She can be hard-tongued, but she had a point from the sound of it.

The last bite of soft bun seemed to toughen in Stus mouth.

Embans point that day was that Alden was incapable of understanding me well enough to say what he did. She was wrong.

But maybe Jozz hadnt heard the story accurately. Or he was encouraging peace between cousins. Hed just been complimentary to Alden, and Stu had already been prickly to someone who didnt deserve it today.

Stu swallowed his bun and his need to make his brother clarify what he thought Embans point was.

I didnt encourage Emban to do anything. Alden has been in Rapport III for a couple of days. He must have met Embans squad here. I think she probably wanted to apologize to him.

Is taking an Avowed on a training quest a good apology? asked a cousin.

Oh, it would be for Alden! said Stu. Cant you see how hes developing his abilities through the struggle? And he

Why was Alden in Rapport III for days? asked Jozz.

This is his weekend, said Stu.

Consternation sank hooks into Jozzs eyebrows. Its not your weekend. You didnt invite him to spend days in a Rapport by himself, did you? Nobody would do something like that.

I didnt invite him at all. But its annoying that you think

No. I must not be prickly.

I didnt invite him, Stu said more slowly. Alden weaves relationships with knights who arent me. And they are enriched by knowing him. And they invite him places. I need to go watch him now. Maybe we could watch him together later, any of you, if theres time after your meal?

Wait! You havent heard the good news. Im sorry, Mmin. I should have let you tell him as soon as he came over.

Stu knew what the good news would be, but he was still respectful of the moment. He grabbed the last bun from the plate that had just been set down and looked at Mmin-wisth. The sweater she wore tonight didnt show her many academic accomplishments. Her green ear jewelry swung gently as she pushed her chair back from the table to show him her hands on her stomach. A new life for the siblinghold, she said.

I honor you and will love that new life, said Stu, reaching across the table to pass her a piece of yolk bun hed just pinched off.

It would have been more pleasing to his sensibilities about what the ritual should entail to give her the whole thing. But hed given Aunt Alis a whole awa root hed grown and roasted himself, and that had not gone like hed expected it to.

Thank you. And thank you for not feeding me a root the size of my head, said Mmin after shed swallowed the offering.

Ive been told that our family is too large for pregnancy offerings that cant be eaten in a single bite.

I heard you being told that.

Everyone in the house heard him being told that.

Stu sighed. I learned. Will you finally take our name when the baby is born, Mmin?

Im enjoying letting your cousin persuade me, she said.

Youd already pinched a piece before she told you she was pregnant, said Jozz. Is word spreading through the family so fast?

I knew last week. Stu had been visiting his husenots, and shed come into the room. I could sense it. Im excited the siblinghold will be full of children soon. If you need anything from me, Mmin, Ill help.

Hed be one of the adults, responsible for little cousins, sisters, and brothers whenever their days intersected. He wanted to teach them what Sina had taught him. And what his father had taught him. And maybe even some of the things his mother had taught him.

I guess you wont be Baby Stu for much longer, said Jozz. Eeaner-ket was it? The housemate?

Yes, said Stu. Enjoy your meal.

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Stuart could sense a whisker on a real mouse if he were trying as hard as I am right now. He could probably sense its rodentness and its cheesy mouse thoughts and however many friends it has out here.

Come on. Where are you?

Alden, Bithe, Emban, Tilliver, Seth, and Divin were climbing another hill. At this point, it was getting difficult for Alden not to think of them all as stupid hills that should be leveled for the betterment of people everywhere. Surely nobody in Rapport III actually liked them?

I recall really liking them a few hours ago. I must have been crazy.

He knew that, deep down, he must still be a hill enjoyer. But without his inhaler, his wordchains, a drive to get to his lost entrusters side, and that fresh plane crash survivor energy, it was a different experience.

Plus the Artonans were all stumbling around listlessly in between warning whispers or whistles. Alden was beginning to think exhaustion was contagious.

Maybe I should cast the chains again.

Hed stepped in a hole and fallen onto his hands and knees a few minutes ago. That kind of thing wouldnt happen if he had My Body Becomes My Assistant. But there was the moral quandary now. They were really close to where they thought they could get rescued, he had a lot of protection with him in the form of five surly, stumbly knights, and making some ordinary class volunteer at the Palace of Unbreaking into an S-rank klutz for hours when he didnt really need to

Hold on. I can still pay for chains myself if I ever want to. So if I realize I used one wastefully, its not like I cant make amends.

Should I cast my wordchain again? he asked.

Everyone was still on a rope behind him except for Emban. She was out ahead on her own, checking for threats.

The one that makes me graceful, Alden said. Its not excessive this far into our trip, is it?

If you can cast it again, you should have already, said Tilliver.

All of us making it back to safety without any serious injuries or worse is worth much more than the cost of a wordchain, Alden, said Bithe. Once we ended up here instead of where we thought we were going, using everything we can use became necessary.

Thats what I meant, said Tilliver. He says it better. Ignore whatever I told you earlier about saving weapons and armor for others, too. Were in the wrong place, and weve done more than enough fighting. Nobodys going to accuse us of wasting anything.

Youre right. Thats all obvious. Ive gotten a little tired, so I wasnt thinking as clearly as I should. Well pause while I cast it.

His hands still moved easily for him. They looked more impressive when the rest of him was sluggish and heavy.

He remembered how swiftly Jel-nors hands had moved with her auriad.

A well-trained wizardss hands. I like mine better.

Were almost to Demon Goat Valley, said Divin.

Alden had called it that in English. Now everyone called it that in English. It probably had some elegant Artonan name that they were repeatedly insulting.

I could eat a demon goat, Divin said.

I developed a taste for some of the plants that mutated in Worli Ro-dens laboratory, said Alden, starting his climb again with more certain steps. Only two people alive have eaten Thunder Lettuce. And it was good. Now Im thinking, what if Thunder Lettuce was actually stabilizing the lab a little? What if it was somehow Thegunds version of the treat we were supposed to find tonight? What if planting a whole field of it could have saved the moon and the universe?

I feel less inferior now that youre making it so obvious you need rest, said Seth. Youve half carried us all this way, and you seemed immune to fatigue. But now youre imagining you ate a thundering plant that held the solution to chaos.

Its not sounding that far-fetched to me tonight.

I assure you it is beyond far-fetched, Alden Thorn.

The lab did belong to a Distinguished Master known for his chaos research.

None of them said anything to that.

About the small animal I saw earlierit was on this hillon the other side. But it could be on this side now. If any of you see something that might be it.

It was probably only an animal, Alden, said Bithe.

But, you know, a griveck came through here. So youd think normal animals would be too scared to move a muscle until next summer. Alden thought this was a very reasonable point. That tiny creature was running around right in front of me. What if it was a hazard mimic giving me a clue?

We will say if we see anything, Tilliver said. As we have every time we saw something.

Okay.

He could tell they still werent interested in his mouse, though. Their eyes, even disbelieving, probably stood a better chance than his nascent sensing abilities, but he kept working on it.

There they all are behind me. Theres the ground beneath my feet.

Reaching out with his authority in an active way couldnt happen in this company, so he just tried to be receptive.

Stuart says I can be good at this kind of thing with enough practice. Hed be disappointed if I didnt try.

Being able to disappoint someone was underrated, he decided. You could only disappoint another person if that person had taken a look at you and developed expectations for you.

Stuarts expectations had to be as Intensity 99.9 as the rest of him.

I dont mind, thought Alden. It used to scare me, but now I think I like it a lot.

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They all look so tired! Ryada said, not even a shadow of weariness in her own voice as she and Stu sat under a soft heated blanket together on the deck where hed found her.

Hed suggested going in to listen to commentary about the squad wherever they could find it, but shed wanted to stay out here. And now that theyd been together for a while Stu couldnt imagine anything better was happening indoors.

Her interface and his eyerings showed them the exact same scene. Nobody else ever walked by on this part of the deck. The blanket and her body heat were very comfortable, and except for her not keeping her share of the crumbs from the krethkan theyd ordered brushed away, she was near perfection as a companion for this activity.

What is Thunder Lettuce? she asked. I know you must have heard about it before.

Its not the solution for chaos I hope, said Stu. Since it all would have died in the explosion. He says it made their breath smell terrible. Maybe its like lisnit?

We need to know, said Ryada.

He makes an alternative out of Earth foods with similar flavors.

He must bring us some, Ryada declared.

Yes he must, Stu agreed.

Hes quite curious about that animal he keeps mentioning. She found another krethkan in the basket theyd put under the blanket with them. She bit it in half. They should look for it even if they think its nothing. Of course its probably nothing, but if something is bothering one member of the squad, then dealing with that is part of what we should do. Everyone moves better together if they feel like their ideas are being heard. And hes put himself through much trouble for them.

Youre very considerate, said Stu.

He didnt dare comment on the animal because Alden had a particular look of concentration that Stu thought he recognized. What if he knew the animal was something out of place in nature?

Where they are now is actually where some of your brother Jozzs friends were supposed to have their quest tomorrow. Maybe they still will. All of the assignments are being mixed up now because so much has changed.

She bit the half a krethkan in half again. Jozz missed seeing Aldens run through Demon Goat Valley she quick-laughedwhen it was happening. I thought half the people in that room must have seen it, but then I realized I was the only one watching. So I came out here. There was only one other on this part of the deck, and he was better company. Not as much fun as you, however.

Watching with you is a deep and wide improvement over trying to catch up on everything I missed between classes.

Well go meet them when they finish, said Ryada. With krethkan. What filling do you think best represents Bithe?

Do we hear two people stirring a cauldron to trouble a newling knight?

Ryada and Stu both startled at the question. Esh-erdi had appeared on the staircase that led up to where they sat. Lind-otta was behind him.

Lind, I do think theyre plotting against this unfortunate Bithe. Isnt that great?

Esh-erdi, said Stu. Hello. Alden served wevvi from your house to everyone.

Did he? I missed that. Ive been focused on the more active moments since I found out what hes doing. Did you send him to the training fields?

Stu shook his head. When I left him earlier he wasnt thinking of doing anything like this at all.

Esh-erdi smiled. Hes carving deeper and faster than I thought he would.

May we enjoy your company for a while? Lind-otta asked.

Of course, said Ryada. Im Ryada-bess.

Excuse me, said Stu. A message has just come.

It was from Aymeg.

[Stu, weve heard youre on the observation station. Please come speak to me and Veln. We want to discuss something with you.]

Is it a message from one of your enemies? asked Ryada. Youre frowning.

No. Its my parents. Veln and Aymeg are here, and they want to talk to me about something. They were loved ones, not enemies, but what dreadful timing. Ill try to hurry back. Watching the end of it with all of you would be close to perfection. Truly. Ill be right back.

He untucked himself from the warm blanket and strode to the stairs.

There and back quickly. Lift number four up to the conference room theyre in looks like the fastest way. Is it too much to hope that they just want to congratulate me on my wise choice of friends?

Probably.

Its more likely something about Emban.

If theyd discovered the missing demon hide, theyd have wanted to talk to him at home with all of his parents. Not here and suddenly.

He headed in, and soon found himself going back through the dining area, glancing over to see if his family was still at third meal.

Only a couple of them were lingering.

If Stu got a moment alone with Veln Dad hed show him what Alden was doing and explain just a few

Stus feet stopped.

What did I just see? Only a couple of family members lingering at that table?

No. That was

He turned. Slowly. And saw Jozz, posture relaxed after a good meal, talking to Eeaner-ket, who sat so stiffly in his chair and with such a frozen smile on his face that Stu couldnt be entirely sure his brother hadnt made him drink a potion that caused immobility.

Jozz wouldnt do something like that. But he also wouldnt invite someone Stu had just told him about to Rapport III and then talk to him about Stu without telling Stuwhich was what seemed to be happening.

Maybe, they are talking about something else.

such as what?

They are talking about me.

No.

This isnt right. I dont understand what hes trying to do, but I know its not right.

He was on his way to the table in the next instant.

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