Part 74 (1/2)

Those koloss . . . Elend thought. . . . Elend thought. The ones we drove away from Fadrex, plus more, are coming directly in this direction. There are even more people here than there were in Fadrex. And they don't have a city wall, or many soldiers at all, to protect them The ones we drove away from Fadrex, plus more, are coming directly in this direction. There are even more people here than there were in Fadrex. And they don't have a city wall, or many soldiers at all, to protect them.

”Have you been able to figure out what happened in Luthadel, Demoux?” Elend asked quietly, pausing in a darkened area between campfires. It still felt so strange to be out with no mists to obscure the night. He could see so much further-yet, oddly, the night didn't seem as bright.

”Penrod, my lord,” Demoux said softly. ”They say he went mad. He began finding traitors in the n.o.bility, even within his own army. He divided the city, and it turned into another house war. Almost all of the soldiers killed one another, and the city half burned down. The majority of the people escaped, but they have very little by way of protection. A determined group of bandits could probably wreak havoc on this whole group.”

Elend fell silent. House war, House war, he thought with frustration. he thought with frustration. Ruin, using our own tricks against us. That's the same method Kelsier used to seize the city Ruin, using our own tricks against us. That's the same method Kelsier used to seize the city.

”My lord . . .” Demoux said tentatively.

”Speak,” Elend said.

”You were right to send me and my men back,” Demoux said. ”The Survivor is behind this, my lord. He wanted us here for some reason.”

Elend frowned. ”What makes you say that?”

”These people,” Demoux said, ”they fled Luthadel because of Kelsier. He appeared to a pair of soldiers, then a group of people, in the city. They say he'd told them to be ready for disaster, and to lead the people out of the city. It's because of them that so many escaped. Those two soldiers and their friends had supplies prepared, and they had the presence of mind to come here.”

Elend's frown deepened. Yet, he had seen too much to reject even such a strange story. ”Send for these men,” he said.

Demoux nodded, waving for a soldier.

”Also,” Elend said, remembering that Demoux and his men had been sick from the mists, ”see if anyone here has any Allomantic metals. Pa.s.s them out to your soldiers and have them ingest them.”

”My lord?” Demoux said, confused, as he turned.

”It's a long story, Demoux,” Elend said. ”Suffice it to say that your G.o.d-or somebody-has made you and your men into Allomancers. Divide your men by the metal it turns out they can burn. We're going to need all of the Coinshots, Thugs, and Lurchers we can get.”

Sazed's eyes fluttered open, and he shook his head, groaning. How long had he been out? Probably not long, he realized, as his vision cleared. He'd pa.s.sed out from lack of air. That kind of thing usually only left one unconscious for a short time.

a.s.suming one woke up at all.

Which I did, he thought, coughing and rubbing his throat, sitting up. The kandra cavern glowed with the quiet light of its blue phosph.o.r.escent lanterns. By that light, he could see that he was surrounded by something strange. he thought, coughing and rubbing his throat, sitting up. The kandra cavern glowed with the quiet light of its blue phosph.o.r.escent lanterns. By that light, he could see that he was surrounded by something strange.

Mistwraiths. The cousins of the kandra, the scavengers that hunted at night and fed on corpses. They moved about Sazed, ma.s.ses of muscle, flesh, and bone-but with those bones combined in strange, unnatural ways. Feet hanging off at angles, heads connected to arms. Ribs used like legs.

Except, these bones were not actually bone at all, but stone, metal, or wood. Sazed stood up solemnly as he looked over the remnants of the kandra people. Littered across the floor, among the jumbled ma.s.s of mistwraiths-who oozed about like giant, translucent slugs-were discarded spikes. Kandra Blessings. The things that had brought them sentience.

They had done it. They had held to their oath, and had removed their spikes rather than be taken over by Ruin. Sazed looked over them with pity, amazement, and respect.

The atium, he thought. he thought. They did this to stop Ruin from getting the atium. I have to protect it! They did this to stop Ruin from getting the atium. I have to protect it!

He stumbled away from the main chamber, regaining his strength as he made his way to the Trustwarren. He paused, however, as he approached, noticing sounds. He peeked around a corner, and looked down the corridor through the open Trustwarren doorway. Inside, he found a group of kandra-perhaps twenty in number-working to push back the plate on the floor that covered the atium.

Of course they didn't all become mistwraiths, he thought. Some would have been outside of the hearing of the Firsts, or wouldn't have had the courage to pull their spikes free. In fact, as he thought about it, he was even more impressed that so many he thought. Some would have been outside of the hearing of the Firsts, or wouldn't have had the courage to pull their spikes free. In fact, as he thought about it, he was even more impressed that so many had had obeyed the command from the First Generation. obeyed the command from the First Generation.

Sazed easily recognized KanPaar directing the work inside. The kandra would take the atium and would deliver it to Ruin. Sazed had to stop them. But it was twenty against one-with Sazed having only one small metalmind. It didn't seem like good odds for him.

However, then Sazed noticed something sitting outside the doors of the Trust-warren. A simple cloth sack, of little note save for the fact that Sazed recognized it. He'd carried his metalminds in it for years. They must have tossed it there after taking Sazed captive. It lay about twenty feet down the corridor from him, right beside the doorway into the Trustwarren.

In the other room, KanPaar looked up, staring directly toward Sazed's position. Ruin had noticed him.

Sazed didn't pause to think further. He reached into his pocket, grabbed the steel lock, and tapped it. He rushed through the corridor on inhumanly quick feet, s.n.a.t.c.hing his sack from the ground as kandra began to cry out.

Sazed snapped open the sack, and found a collection of bracelets, rings, and bracers inside. He dumped them out, spilling the precious metalminds to the floor and grabbed two particular ones. Then, still moving at blurring speed, he dashed to the side.

His steelmind ran out. One of the rings he'd grabbed was pewter. He tapped it for strength, growing in size and bulk. Then, he slammed the doors to the Trustwarren closed, causing those now trapped inside to cry out in shock. Finally, he tapped the other ring-this one iron. He grew several times heavier, making himself into a doorstop, holding the ma.s.sive metal doors to the Trustwarren closed.

It was a delaying tactic. He stood, holding the doors shut, his metalminds depleting at an alarming rate. They were the same rings he'd worn at the siege of Luthadel, the ones that had been embedded within him. He'd replenished them following the siege, before he'd given up Feruchemy. They would not last long. What would he do when the kandra burst through the door? He searched desperately for a way to bar or block the portal, but could see nothing. And, if he let go for even a moment, the kandra inside would burst free.

”Please,” he whispered, hoping that-like before-the thing that listened would give him a miracle. ”I'm going to need help. . . .”

”I swear it was him, my lord,” said the soldier, a man named Rittle. ”I've believed in the Church of the Survivor since the day of Kelsier's own death, my lord. He preached to me, converted me to the rebellion. I was there when he visited the caves and had Lord Demoux fight for his honor. I'd know Kelsier like I'd know my father. It was was the Survivor.” the Survivor.”

Elend turned to the other soldier, who nodded in agreement. ”I didn't know him, my lord,” said this man. ”However, he matched the descriptions. I think it was really him, I do.”

Elend turned to Demoux, who nodded. ”They described Lord Kelsier very accurately, my lord. He is is watching over us.” watching over us.”

Elend. . . .

A messenger arrived and whispered something to Demoux. The night was dark, and in the torchlight, Elend turned to study the two soldiers who had seen Kelsier. They didn't look like highly reliable witnesses-Elend hadn't exactly left his best soldiers behind when he'd gone campaigning. Still, others had apparently seen the Survivor too. Elend would want to speak with them.

He shook his head. And, where in the world was Vin?

Elend. . . .

”My lord,” Demoux said, touching his arm, looking concerned. Elend dismissed the two soldier witnesses. Accurate or not, he owed them a great debt-they had saved many lives with their preparation.

”Scout's report, my lord,” Demoux said, face illuminated by a pole-top torch flickering in the night breeze. ”Those koloss you saw, they are are heading this way. Moving quickly. Scouts saw them approaching in the distance from a hilltop. They . . . could be here before the night is over.” heading this way. Moving quickly. Scouts saw them approaching in the distance from a hilltop. They . . . could be here before the night is over.”

Elend cursed quietly.

Elend. . . .

He frowned. Why did he keep hearing his name on the wind? He turned, looking into the darkness. Something was pulling him, guiding him, whispering to him. He tried to ignore it, turning back to Demoux. And yet, it was there, in his heart.

Come. . . .

It seemed like Vin's voice.

”Gather an honor guard,” Elend said, grabbing the torch by its shaft, then throwing on an ashcloak and b.u.t.toning it down to his knees. Then, he turned toward the darkness.

”My lord?” Demoux said.

”Just do it!” Elend said, striding off into the darkness.