“Maybe they actually killed each other off,” Straff said cheerfully, climbing into his saddle, breath puffing in the crisp morning air. Around him, the army was forming up. Fifty thousand soldiers, eager at the prospect of taking the city. Not only was there plundering to be done, but moving into Luthadel would mean roofs and walls for all of them.
“Perhaps,” Janarle said, mounting.
Wouldn’t that be convenient, Straff thought with a smile. All of my enemies dead, the city and its riches mine, and no skaa to worry about.
“My lord!” someone cried.
Straff looked up. The field between his camp and Luthadel was colored gray and white, the snow stained by ash. And gathering on the other side of that field were koloss.
“Looks like they are alive after all, my lord,” Janarle said.
“Indeed,” Straff said, frowning. There were still a lot of the creatures. They piled out of the western gate, not attacking immediately, instead gathering in a large body.
“Scout counts say there are fewer of them than there were,” Janarle said after a short time. “Perhaps two-thirds their original number, maybe a bit fewer. But, they are koloss. …”
“But they’re abandoning their fortifications,” Straff said, smiling, Black Frayn warming his blood, making him feel like he was burning metals. “And they’re coming to us. Let them charge. This should be over quickly.”
“Yes, my lord,” Janarle said, sounding a little less certain. He frowned, then, pointing toward the southern section of the city. “My … lord?”
“What now?”
“Soldiers, my lord,” Janarle said. “Human ones. Looks to be several thousand of them.”
Straff frowned. “They should all be dead!”
The koloss charged. Straff’s horse shuffled slightly as the blue monsters ran across the gray field, the human troops falling into more organized ranks behind.
“Archers!” Janarle shouted. “Prepare first volley!”
Perhaps I shouldn’t be at the front, Straff thought suddenly. He turned his horse, then noticed something. An arrow suddenly shot from the midst of the charging koloss.
But, koloss didn’t use bows. Besides, the monsters were still far away, and that object was far too big to be an arrow anyway. A rock, perhaps? It seemed larger than …
It began to fall down toward Straff’s army. Straff stared into the sky, riveted by the strange object. It grew more distinct as it fell. It wasn’t an arrow, nor was it a rock.
It was a person—a person with a flapping mistcloak.
“No!” Straff yelled. She’s supposed to be gone!
Vin screamed down from her duralumin-fueled Steeljump, massive koloss sword light in her hands. She hit Straff directly in the head with the sword, then continued on downward, slamming into the ground, throwing up snow and frozen dirt with the power of her impact.
The horse fell into two pieces, front and back. What remained of the former king slid to the ground with the equine corpse. She looked at the remnants, smiled grimly, and bid Straff farewell.
Elend had, after all, warned him what would happen if he attacked the city.
Straff’s generals and attendants stood around her in a stunned circle. Behind her, the koloss army barreled forward, confusion in Straff’s ranks making the archer volleys ragged and less effective.
Vin kept a tight hold on her sword, then Pushed outward with a duralumin-enhanced Steelpush. Riders were thrown, their beasts tripped by their shoes, and soldiers sprayed backward from her in a circle of several dozen yards. Men screamed.
She downed another vial, restoring both steel and pewter. Then she jumped up, seeking out generals and other officers to attack. As she moved, her koloss troops hit the front ranks of Straff’s army, and the real carnage began.
“What are they doing?” Cett asked, hurriedly throwing on his cloak as he was placed and tied into his saddle.
“Attacking, apparently,” said Bahmen, one of his aides. “Look! They’re working with the koloss.”
Cett frowned, doing up his cloak clasp. “A treaty?”
“With koloss?” Bahmen asked.
Cett shrugged. “Who’s going to win?”
“No way to tell, my lord,” the man said. “Koloss are—”
“What is this!” Allrianne demanded, riding up the snowy incline, accompanied by a couple of abashed guards. Cett had, of course, ordered them to keep her in the camp—but he had also, of course, expected that she’d get past them eventually.
At least I can count on her to be slowed down by getting ready in the morning, he thought with amusement. She wore one of her dresses, immaculately arranged, her hair done. If a building were burning down, Allrianne would still pause to do her makeup before escaping.
“Looks like the battle has begun,” Cett said, nodding toward the fighting.
“Outside the city?” Allrianne asked, riding up next to him. Then she brightened. “They’re attacking Straff’s position!”
“Yes,” Cett said. “And that leaves the city—”
“We have to help them, Father!”
Cett rolled his eyes. “You know we’re going to do nothing of the sort. We’ll see who wins. If they’re weak enough—which I hope they will be—we’ll attack them. I didn’t bring all of my forces back with me, but maybe …”
He trailed off as he noticed the look in Allrianne’s eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so, she kicked her horse into motion.
Her guards cursed, dashing forward—too late—to try and grab her reins. Cett sat, stunned. This was a little insane, even for her. She wouldn’t dare …
She galloped down the hill toward the battle. Then she paused, as he had expected. She turned, looking back at him.
“If you want to protect me, Father,” she yelled, “you’d better charge!”
With that, she turned and started galloping again, her horse throwing up puffs of snow.
Cett didn’t move.
“My lord,” Bahmen said. “Those forces look almost evenly matched. Fifty thousand men against a force of some twelve thousand koloss and about five thousand men. If we were to add our strength to either side …”
Damn fool girl! he thought, watching Allrianne gallop away.
“My lord?” Bahmen asked.
Why did I come to Luthadel in the first place? Was it because I really thought I could take the city? Without Allomancers, with my homeland in revolt? Or, was it because I was looking for something? A confirmation of the stories. A power like I saw on that night, when the Heir almost killed me.
How exactly did they get the koloss to fight with them, anyway?
“Gather our forces!” Cett commanded. “We’re marching to the defense of Luthadel. And somebody send riders after that fool daughter of mine!”
Sazed rode quietly, his horse moving slowly in the snow. Ahead of him, the battle raged, but he was far enough behind it to be out of danger. He’d left the city behind, where Luthadel’s surviving women and elderly watched from the walls. Vin had saved them from the koloss. The real miracle would be to see if she could save them from the other two armies.
Sazed didn’t ride into the fight. His metalminds were mostly empty, and his body was nearly as tired as his mind. He simply brought his horse to a halt, its breath puffing in the cold as he sat alone on the snowy plain.