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TOR BOOKS BY BRANDON SANDERSON Elantris THE MISTBORN TRILOGYMistbornThe Well of AscensionThe Hero of Ages BOOK THREE OF MISTBORN BRANDON SANDERSON This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.... |
and end his monstrous life. He had given up on trying to break free. Three years. Three years as an Inquisitor, three years imprisoned in his own thoughts. Those years had proven that there was no escape. Even now, his mind clouded. And then It took control. The world seemed to vibrate around him; then suddenly he coul... |
Well of Ascension. It called itself Ruin. Marsh smiled as his prisoner began to cry; then he stepped forward, raising the spike in his hand. He placed it against the whimpering man's chest. The spike would need to pierce the man's body, passing through the heart, then be driven into the body of the Inquisitor tied belo... |
large. It had taken a great deal of work to surround the entire thing with a defensive mound. Fatren had barely a thousand real soldiers—it had been very hard to gather that many from such a small population—with maybe another thousand men who were too young, too old, or too unskilled to fight well. He didn't really kn... |
and fine stone from the lord's manor at the city center. Very little of the stranger was visible beneath the thick, dark cloak he wore to protect himself from the ash. Fatren looked over the top of the bulwark, studying the stranger, and then he glanced up at his brother, shrugging. The ash fell silently. The stranger ... |
pause. "Who are you?" The newcomer turned, meeting Fatren's eyes. "My name is Elend Venture. I'm your emperor." With that, the man turned and continued down the embankment. The soldiers made way for him; then many of them followed behind. Fatren glanced at his brother. "Emperor?" Druffel muttered, then spat. Fatren agr... |
"Your men look well trained. I didn't expect that. Do any of them have battle experience?" Druffel snorted quietly, indicating that he thought this stranger had no business being so nosy. "Our men have fought enough to be dangerous, stranger," Fatren said. "Some bandits thought to take rule of the city from us. They as... |
the street black, clustering atop the city's stooped, one-story buildings. "Who are you?" Fatren asked quietly. "I am who I said," Venture said. "I don't believe you." "But you trust me," Venture said. "No. I just don't want to argue with an Allomancer." "That's good enough, for now," Venture said. "Look, friend, you h... |
stronger than you are. Expect that. Fortunately, the creatures fight without coordination between individuals. If a koloss's comrade is in trouble, he won't bother to help. "They attack directly, without guile, and try to use blunt force to overwhelm. Don't let them! Tell your men to gang up on individual koloss—two me... |
bulwark?" "The fortification is impressive, Lord Fatren, but ultimately useless. You don't have the numbers to defend the entire perimeter, and the koloss are generally taller and more stable than men. They'll just take the bulwark from you, then hold the high ground as they push down into the city." "But—" Venture loo... |
now, it tasted the stench of his own excrement on the sides of the chamber, but he didn't dare turn off this sense. It was one of his only connections to the world around him. The "cell" was actually nothing more than a grate-covered stone pit. It was barely large enough to hold his mass. His captors dumped food in fro... |
came pouring down through the grate. He waited, expectant, until the grate unlocked. Though he had no ears, he could feel the coarse vibrations as the grate was dragged back, its rough iron finally dropped against the floor above. What? Hooks came next. They looped around his muscles, grabbing him and ripping his flesh... |
has granted you this chance to die because of your years of extra service!" TenSoon paused. A trial would be public. So far, only a select few knew the extent of his betrayal. He could die, cursed as a Contract-breaker but retaining some measure of respect for his prior career. Somewhere—likely in a pit in this very ro... |
cut down the first koloss. It was a smaller beast. Like all of its kind, it was human-like in form, though it had oversized, drooping blue skin that seemed detached from the rest of its body. Its beady red eyes showed a bit of inhuman surprise as it died, Elend yanking his sword from its chest. "Strike quickly!" he yel... |
How did I get here? he thought, not for the first time. I'm a scholar, not a warrior. Half the time he thought he had no business leading men at all. The other half the time, he figured that he thought too much. He ducked forward, striking. The koloss anticipated the move, and tried to bring its weapon down on Elend's ... |
resistant to emotional Allomancy, particularly when they were already being manipulated by someone else. However, when he did break through, he could take complete control of them. That, required time, luck, and a determination to fight tirelessly. And so, he did. He fought alongside the men, watching them die, killing... |
kill, and this drew them to her. Vin was just fine with that. She screamed as she attacked, if only to add some sound to the too-silent battlefield. Koloss tended to stop yelling as they entered their frenzy, growing focused only on killing. She threw out a handful of coins, Pushing them toward the group behind her, th... |
give her a massive, instantaneous burst of strength. Duralumin, when used with another metal, amplified that second metal and made it burn out in a single burst, giving up all of its power at once. Vin burned steel, then Pushed outward in all directions. Her duralumin-enhanced Push crashed like a wave into the swords o... |
fighting humans would have an effect on the koloss similar to Vin's mysterious strength—the creatures wouldn't understand how such a small force could hold against them. They wouldn't see the attrition, or the dire situation of Elend's group; they would simply see a smaller, inferior army standing and fighting. Vin tur... |
night, rainy and shadowed. Spires and towers. A pain in her side. A long night spent captive in the Lord Ruler's palace. Kelsier, the Survivor of Hathsin, dying on the streets of Luthadel. Vin burned electrum. This created a cloud of images around her, shadows of possible things she could do in the future. Electrum, th... |
sleek turtle's shell. The Inquisitor turned, smiling, and Vin cursed. That dorsal spike—driven directly between every Inquisitor's shoulder blades—was their weakest point. Pulling it free would kill the creature. That, obviously, was the reason for the plate—something Vin suspected the Lord Ruler would have forbidden. ... |
the Inquisitor was thrown away with a sudden, violent Push. He's so powerful! Vin thought, watching the surprised Inquisitor fall. Elend was no ordinary Allomancer—he might not have learned perfect control yet, but when he flared his metals and Pushed, he could really Push. Vin dashed forward to attack as the Inquisito... |
feel it. Feel him pressing on her emotions as he sent out a general wave of power, Soothing thousands of koloss at once. They all stopped fighting. In the distance, Vin could make out the haggard remnants of Elend's peasant army, standing in an exhausted circle of bodies. Ash continued to fall. It rarely stopped, these... |
Breeze sat beside a small table, sipping his wine and eating grapes. He wore one of his customary nobleman's suits, complete with a dark jacket, a bright red vest, and a dueling cane—with which he liked to gesture as he spoke. He'd gained back most of the weight he'd lost during Luthadel's siege and its aftermath, and ... |
of truth he was searching for. Surely one of them would tell him what had happened to Tindwyl's spirit without contradicting itself on a half-dozen different points. But, for the moment, he felt self-conscious reading in front of Breeze. So, Sazed forced himself to sit and wait patiently. The room around him was ornate... |
If such a thing exists. "It certainly is taking them long enough," Breeze said, eating a grape. "One would think that after all the talking we did to get to this point, they'd know by now whether they intended to sign the thing or not." Sazed glanced toward the elaborately carved door on the other side of the room. Wha... |
armies, more resources, and better Allomancers. This people will be far better off once Lekal signs that treaty. What is wrong with you, my dear man? You argued all these same points not two days ago at the negotiating table." "I apologize, Lord Breeze," Sazed said. "I . . . seem to find myself feeling contrary of late... |
was it. And, like all Terris stewards, he'd been castrated as a child. The hereditary power of Feruchemy might very well die with him. There would be some small trace of it left in the Terris people, but given the Lord Ruler's efforts to breed it away and the deaths of the Synod . . . things did not look good. The meta... |
gotten over . . . what happened." Sazed nodded. On the inside, however, his thoughts were more bitter. Yes, you saw destruction and death, my friend. But the woman you love is still alive. I could have come back too, if I hadn't lost her. I could have recovered, as you did. The door opened. Sazed and Breeze both turned... |
its spikes to kill you?" "That was odd. Perhaps he felt he couldn't get to the axes in time." "Here, look." Elend glanced back. The Inquisitor had the standard spikes—three pounded between the ribs on each side of the chest. But . . . there was another one—one Elend hadn't seen in any other Inquisitor corpse—pounded di... |
area of livability was shrinking. Hope, Elend thought forcefully. She needs that from me; she's always needed that from me. He tightened his grip on her shoulder, then pulled her into an embrace. "We'll beat it, Vin. We'll find a way." She didn't contradict him, but she obviously wasn't convinced. Still, she let him ho... |
group. Have them carry your wounded back to the city. However, make certain not to let your men attack or punish the koloss. They are our servants now, understand?" Fatren nodded. "Let's go," Vin said, eagerness sounding in her voice as she looked over at the small city. "Lord Fatren, do you want to come with us, or do... |
to find out where he had gone, then come help, but he hadn't been able to wait. Not with thousands of lives at stake. Thousands of lives . . . and more. They eventually reached the gates. A crowd of soldiers who had either arrived late to the battle or been too afraid to charge stood atop the bulwark, looking down with... |
steel, Elend could see two faint blue lines pointing to metal plates hidden behind the stone. Two stronger lines pointed behind him, toward a large metal plate set into the wall, affixed very securely with enormous bolts bored into the stone. "Ready?" Vin asked. Elend nodded, flaring his iron. They both Pulled on the p... |
but it wore off quickly. It was not a method to make permanent allies. "Lord Fatren," Elend said. "I want you to think carefully about what you're arguing for. What would happen if I did leave you? With this much food, this much wealth down here? Can you trust your people not to break in, your soldiers not to try selli... |
who spoke of the perfect dreams, of the great things we'd accomplish. I was always the idealist." "Emperors don't have that luxury," Vin said quietly. Elend looked at her, then sighed, turning away. Vin stood, watching Elend in the cold lantern-light of the cavern. She hated seeing such regret, such . . . disillusionme... |
thought that fighting wasn't hopeless." "People struggle, Elend. Even a dying beast will still keep fighting, will do anything to stay alive." "You have to admit that these caverns are a good sign, though," Elend said. "A good sign?" Vin asked quietly, stepping closer. "Elend, I know you're just trying to find hope in ... |
seemingly endless shelves—were important. However, there was more. A large metal plate was set into the back wall of the rough-hewn cavern. Vin read the words inscribed on it out loud. " 'This is the last metal I will tell you about,' " she read. " 'I have trouble deciding the purpose of it. It allows you to see the pa... |
is." Elend met her eyes, and she knew he understood her. The caches had grown progressively larger and more valuable. Each one had a specialized aspect to it as well—the first had contained weapons in addition to its other supplies, while the second had contained large amounts of lumber. As they'd investigated each suc... |
it. The answers would be there. "Taking Fadrex won't be easy," Elend noted. "Cett's enemies have entrenched themselves quite solidly there. I hear a former Ministry obligator is in charge." "The atium will be worth it," Vin said. "If it's there," Elend said. She gave him a flat stare. He held up a hand. "I'm just tryin... |
when we have an entire empire to feed! Vin stopped. Her fingers—made far more sensitive by the tin she was burning to help her eyesight in the dark cavern—brushed against grooves in the plate's surface. She knelt, leaning close, to find a short inscription carved in the metal, at the bottom, the letters much smaller th... |
However, Marsh had always considered himself to be a practical man, and he forced himself to acknowledge the truth. He was never going to gain enough control over his body to kill himself. Ash fell as he walked through the camp. Did it ever stop these days? He almost wished that Ruin wouldn't ever let go of his mind. W... |
his eyes and gasped, drawing first breath into remade, full-sized lungs. The world was a thing of wonder and of . . . light. He had forgotten that, during the months of near madness. He pushed himself to his knees, looking down at his arms. Then, he reached up, feeling his face with a tentative hand. His body wasn't th... |
clothing—and those who did wore only open-fronted robes. Kandra tended to wear little while in the Homeland, as that allowed them to better display their True Bodies. TenSoon saw two sparkling rods of metal embedded in the clear muscles of each Fifth's shoulders—all three had the Blessing of Potency. The Second Generat... |
had spent ten centuries enslaved to humankind, serving the Contracts in an effort to keep themselves safe. Most of the kandra hated men for their situation. Up until recently, TenSoon had been one of those. It's ironic, TenSoon thought. But, even when we wear True Bodies, we wear them in the form of humans. Two arms, t... |
permanently. And this presented a problem, for ever since that night when Vin had taken the power of the Well of Ascension, the mists killed. Elend had had trouble believing Sazed's stories two years before, when the Terrisman had come to Luthadel with horrific reports of terrified villagers and mists that killed. Vin ... |
could feel his Allomantic touch on those around him as he approached—his Soothing would make the people's pain less acute, but he didn't Push as hard as he could have. She knew from talking to him that he didn't feel it was right to remove all of a person's grief at the death of one they loved. "My lord!" she heard Fat... |
exposed while traveling with five thousand tired villagers along one of the Southern Dominance's most obvious routes. She walked a short distance away from the townspeople—she never rode—and tried to find something to distract herself from thinking about the deaths the evening before. Unfortunately, Elend was riding wi... |
right, Human," she said, curious. "How long have you been alive?" He walked for a moment, so long that Vin thought he had forgotten the question. Finally, however, he spoke. "Don't you see my bigness?" "Your bigness? Your size?" Human just kept walking. "So you all grow at the same rate?" He didn't answer. Vin shook he... |
noticed the line ahead bunching up; the crowd was slowing. Curious, she dropped a coin and left Human behind, shooting herself over the people. The mists had retreated hours ago, and though night was again approaching, for the moment it was both light and mistless. Therefore, as she shot through the falling ash, she ea... |
We found the storage cavern as well." "Praise the Survivor!" Demoux said. Vin frowned. At his neck, hanging outside his clothing, Demoux wore a necklace that bore a small silver spear: the increasingly popular symbol of the Church of the Survivor. It seemed odd to her that the weapon that had killed Kelsier would becom... |
ready?" "Yes, my lord," Demoux said. Elend nodded, suddenly looking very tired to Vin. "My lord?" Demoux asked eagerly. "Did you find the . . . other item? The location of the final cache?" Elend nodded. "It's in Fadrex." "Cett's city?" Demoux asked, laughing. "Well, he'll be happy to hear that. He's been complaining f... |
Seconds and their machinations as possible. It was ironic indeed that TenSoon would end up on trial for the most heinous of kandra crimes. His guards marched him right into the center of the Trustwarren—onto the platform itself. TenSoon wasn't certain whether to be honored or ashamed. Even as a member of the Third Gene... |
for the Seconds. The doors behind TenSoon opened, and hushed voices sounded, feet rustling. He turned, smiling to himself as he watched them enter. Kandra of various sizes and ages. The very youngest ones wouldn't be allowed to attend an event this important, but those of the adult generations—everyone up through the N... |
this. And why not? After centuries of preaching that the Third Generation is filled with miscreants? They've tried all this time to overcome their mistakes with us—mistakes like giving us too much freedom, letting us think that we were as good as they were. By proving that I—the most "temperate" of the Thirds—am a dang... |
Larsta believed that life was about seeking the divine, he read. They taught that art draws us closer to understanding divinity. Since not all men can spend their time in art, it is to the benefit of society as a whole to support a group of dedicated artists to create great works, which then elevate those who experienc... |
of the possibilities—if the ash were red, the rivers would run like blood. Black is so monotonous that you can forget about it, but red—you'd always be thinking, 'Why, look at that. That hill is red. That evil force of doom trying to destroy me certainly has style.' " "I'm not convinced there is any 'evil force of doom... |
of the Church of the Survivor." Breeze hesitated. Then, he smiled. "So I overdid it a bit, did I?" "A tad." "It's difficult to tell with you, my dear man. You're so aware of my touch on your emotions that I can't use much Allomancy, and you've been so . . . well, different lately." Breeze's voice grew wistful. "Still, ... |
meet the scout. Sazed and Breeze waited patiently. "Scout report, Lord Ambassador," Captain Goradel said, walking up to Sazed's horse a short time later. "The emperor's army is just a few hills away—less than an hour." "Good," Sazed said, relishing the thought of seeing something other than the dreary hills of black. "... |
not matter. Perhaps that was part of why Breeze had finally accepted having a relationship with Allrianne. Either way, it was obvious from the way he looked at her—from the way he held her with a delicate, almost reverent touch—that he loved her very much. Our social structure is breaking down, Sazed thought as the col... |
arrival." Sazed smiled to himself, then gestured toward a chair so that she could sit. "You can keep shaving," she said. "It's all right." "Please," he said, gesturing again. Vin sighed, taking the seat. "You never answered my question, Saze," she said. "Why do you keep wearing those steward's robes? Why do you keep yo... |
last of the Keepers. It has been a year since the Inquisitors attacked my homeland, killing even the child Feruchemists, and we have seen no evidence that others of my sect survived. Others were out of the city, certainly and inevitably, but either Inquisitors found them or other tragedy did. There has certainly been e... |
Vin. Sazed picked it up, wondering what Vin intended to say by leaving him the picture. Finally, he folded it up and slipped it into his sleeve, then returned to his shaving. The First Contract, oft spoken of by the kandra, was originally just a series of promises made by the First Generation to the Lord Ruler. They wr... |
was assigned to the man Straff Venture by paid Contract," TenSoon said. "He gave me over to the whims of his twisted son, Zane. It was Zane who commanded that I kill the kandra OreSeur and take his place, so that I could spy on the woman Vin." There were a few hushed whispers at her name. Yes, you've heard of her. The ... |
have no place anymore, it seems," TenSoon said. "None of us do, now that the Father is dead. We have no right to complain, for we helped it happen." "How were we to know this man would succeed when others hadn't," a Second sputtered. "He paid so well that—" KanPaar cut the other off with a sharp wave of the hand. It wa... |
Father is dead!" one of the Seconds snapped. "How could you serve our Contract with him?" "He is dead," TenSoon said. "That is true. But the First Contract did not die with him! Vin, the Heir of the Survivor, was the one who killed the Lord Ruler. She is our Mother now. Our First Contract is with her!" He had expected ... |
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