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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 passed out fro usually only left one unconscious for a short ti one woke up at all

Which I did, he thought, coughing and rubbing his throat, sitting up The kandra cavern gloith the quiet light of its blue phosphorescent lanterns By that light, he could see that he was surrounded by soe

Mistwraiths The cousins of the kandra, the scavengers that hunted at night and fed on corpses They moved about Sazed, masses of muscle, flesh, and bone--but with those bones coles, heads connected to ars

Except, these bones were not actually bone at all, but stone, metal, or wood Sazed stood up solemnly as he looked over the re the juiant, 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 1removed their spikes rather than be taken over by Ruin Sazed looked over them with pity, aht They did this to stop Ruin fro the atium I have to protect it!

He stuth 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 nu to push back the plate on the floor that covered the atium

Of course they didn't all becoht So 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 obeyed the comnized KanPaar directing the work inside The kandra would take the atium and would deliver it to Ruin Sazed had to stop the only one sood odds for hi 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 TheySazed captive It lay about twenty feet down the corridor froht beside the doorway into the Trustwarren

In the other roo 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 inhuround as kandra began to cry out

Sazed snapped open the sack, and found a collection of bracelets, rings, and bracers inside He du the precious rabbed two particular ones Then, stillspeed, he dashed to the side

His steelrabbed was pewter He tapped it for strength, growing in size and bulk Then, he sla those now trapped inside to cry out in shock Finally, he tapped the other ring--this one iron He grew several ti the massive metal doors to the Trustwarren closed

It was a delaying tactic He stood, holding the doors shut, hisrate They were the sae of Luthadel, the ones that had been ee, before he'd given up Feruche 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 hi 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 Deht for his honor I'd know Kelsier like I'd know my father It was 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,over us"

Elend

A ht 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 ca 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," De concerned Elend dismissed the two soldier witnesses Accurate or not, he owed thereat debt--they had saved many lives with their preparation

"Scout's report, my lord," De in the night breeze "Those koloss you saw, they are heading this way Moving quickly Scouts saw the in the distance froht is over"

Elend cursed quietly

Elend

He frowned Why did he keep hearing his na into the darkness So to hi back to Demoux And yet, it was there, in his heart

Come

It seeuard," Elend said, grabbing the torch by its shaft, then throwing on an ashcloak and buttoning it down to his knees Then, he turned toward the darkness

"My lord?" De off into the darkness

De in a hurry