Read Online Mistborn #03 The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson - Free Book Online
Authors: Brandon Sanderson
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"Why'd they stop?" Fatren asked, standing in front of his men as Vin and Elend approached across the ash-stained ground
"I promised you a second army, Lord Fatren," Elend said. "Well, here it is."
"The koloss?" he asked.
Elend nodded.
"But they're the army that came to destroy us."
"And now they're ours," Elend said. "Your men did very well. Make certain they understand that this victory was theirs. We had to force that Inquisitor out into the open, and the only way to do that was to turn his army against itself. Koloss become afraid when they see something small defeating something large. Your men fought bravely; because of them, these koloss are ours."
Fatren scratched his chin. "So," he said slowly, "they got afraid of us, so they switched sides?"
"Something like that," Elend said, looking over the soldiers. He mentally commanded some koloss to step forward. "These creatures will obey orders from the men in this 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 you want to supervise your men?" Elend asked.
Fatren's eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do?"
"There is something in your city we need to claim."
Fatren paused. "I'll come, then." He gave some orders to his men while Vin waited impatiently. Elend gave her a smile, then finally Fatren joined them, and the three walked back toward the Vetitan gate.
"Lord Fatren," Elend said as they walked, "you should address me as 'my lord' from now on."
Fatren looked up from his nervous study of the koloss standing around them.
"Do you understand?" Elend said, meeting the man's eyes.
"Um . . . yes. My lord."
Elend nodded, and Fatren fell a little behind him and Vin, as if showing an unconscious deference. He didn't seem rebellious—for now, he was probably happy to be alive. Perhaps he would eventually resent Elend for taking command of his city, but by then, there would be little he could do. Fatren's people would be accustomed to the security of being part of a larger empire, and the stories of Elend's mysterious command of the koloss—and therefore salvation of the city—would be too strong. Fatren would never rule again.
So easily I command, Elend thought. Just two years ago, I made even more mistakes than this man. At least he managed to keep his city's people together in a time of crisis. I lost my throne, until Vin conquered it back for me .
"I worry about you," Vin asked. "Did you have to start the battle without me?"
Elend glanced to the side. There was no reproach in her voice. Just concern.
"I wasn't sure when—or even if —you'd arrive," he said. "The opportunity was just too good. The koloss had just marched an entire day. We probably killed five hundred before they even decided to start attacking."
"And the Inquisitor?" Vin asked. "Did you really think you could take him on your own?"
"Did you?" Elend asked. "You fought him for a good five minutes before I was able to get there and help."
Vin didn't use the obvious argument—that she was by far the more accomplished Mistborn. Instead, she just walked silently. She still worried about him, even though she no longer tried to protect him from all danger. Both her worry and her willingness to let him take risks were part of her love for him. And he sincerely appreciated both.
The two of them tried to stay together as much as possible, but that wasn't always feasible—such as when Elend had discovered a koloss army marching on an indefensible city while Vin was away delivering orders to Penrod in Luthadel. Elend had hoped she would return to his army camp in time 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 . . .
"Why'd they stop?" Fatren asked, standing in front of his men as Vin and Elend approached across the ash-stained ground
"I promised you a second army, Lord Fatren," Elend said. "Well, here it is."
"The koloss?" he asked.
Elend nodded.
"But they're the army that came to destroy us."
"And now they're ours," Elend said. "Your men did very well. Make certain they understand that this victory was theirs. We had to force that Inquisitor out into the open, and the only way to do that was to turn his army against itself. Koloss become afraid when they see something small defeating something large. Your men fought bravely; because of them, these koloss are ours."
Fatren scratched his chin. "So," he said slowly, "they got afraid of us, so they switched sides?"
"Something like that," Elend said, looking over the soldiers. He mentally commanded some koloss to step forward. "These creatures will obey orders from the men in this 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 you want to supervise your men?" Elend asked.
Fatren's eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do?"
"There is something in your city we need to claim."
Fatren paused. "I'll come, then." He gave some orders to his men while Vin waited impatiently. Elend gave her a smile, then finally Fatren joined them, and the three walked back toward the Vetitan gate.
"Lord Fatren," Elend said as they walked, "you should address me as 'my lord' from now on."
Fatren looked up from his nervous study of the koloss standing around them.
"Do you understand?" Elend said, meeting the man's eyes.
"Um . . . yes. My lord."
Elend nodded, and Fatren fell a little behind him and Vin, as if showing an unconscious deference. He didn't seem rebellious—for now, he was probably happy to be alive. Perhaps he would eventually resent Elend for taking command of his city, but by then, there would be little he could do. Fatren's people would be accustomed to the security of being part of a larger empire, and the stories of Elend's mysterious command of the koloss—and therefore salvation of the city—would be too strong. Fatren would never rule again.
So easily I command, Elend thought. Just two years ago, I made even more mistakes than this man. At least he managed to keep his city's people together in a time of crisis. I lost my throne, until Vin conquered it back for me .
"I worry about you," Vin asked. "Did you have to start the battle without me?"
Elend glanced to the side. There was no reproach in her voice. Just concern.
"I wasn't sure when—or even if —you'd arrive," he said. "The opportunity was just too good. The koloss had just marched an entire day. We probably killed five hundred before they even decided to start attacking."
"And the Inquisitor?" Vin asked. "Did you really think you could take him on your own?"
"Did you?" Elend asked. "You fought him for a good five minutes before I was able to get there and help."
Vin didn't use the obvious argument—that she was by far the more accomplished Mistborn. Instead, she just walked silently. She still worried about him, even though she no longer tried to protect him from all danger. Both her worry and her willingness to let him take risks were part of her love for him. And he sincerely appreciated both.
The two of them tried to stay together as much as possible, but that wasn't always feasible—such as when Elend had discovered a koloss army marching on an indefensible city while Vin was away delivering orders to Penrod in Luthadel. Elend had hoped she would return to his army camp in time 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 . . .
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