The Well of Ascension

Allrianne finds her father Cett’s retreating army and convinces him to march back to Luthadel to take advantage of the situation. They were chased out of the Western dominance home, but she argues that they can gain an advantage by supporting whoever wins the battle over Luthadel.

A mist spirit follows Vin, Elend, and Spook. Spook acts oddly; he is increasingly withdrawn and upset about something.

Straff wakes up after three days and orders his army to withdraw so that the koloss will attack the city.

Sazed and Tindwyl save strength, increased senses, and other powers in their metalminds to prepare for battle. The crew members all engage in their own preparations and conversations over how to handle the invasion, and Sazed and Tindwyl admit to their feelings for each other.

Vin awakes in their tent to see the mist spirit hovering over Elend, but it dissipates before she can stab it. Spook informs them that they’re being followed by five men.

Clubs learns that the koloss are fighting among themselves, indicating that their rage is building and that they will attack soon. They order their soldiers into position. When Straff learns of the impending koloss attack, he turns his army back toward Luthadel. Sazed observes as the koloss surround the city.

Vin learns that the men following them are Jastes and his human soldiers, having fled the rampaging koloss. They seek safety with Elend and Vin, but Elend becomes enraged at Jastes for putting so many innocent people at risk and executes him, convincing Jastes’s men to follow him instead. Spook also reveals that their trip is a trick by Sazed, whose intention was to get Elend and Vin safely out of Luthadel. Vin reflects on this and realizes that the Well of Ascension may not be in Terris. The Allomantic pulses have grown weaker, leading her to think that the Well is in Luthadel. She races ahead to Luthadel with her powers, and Elend and Spook follow.

Each of the crew members does what they can to support the defense of the city. Breeze soothes the city’s soldiers to give them hope and confidence. He and Clubs wonder at their new roles as city leaders after being thieves their whole lives. Sazed helps lead soldiers at one of the gates; he tries to convince civilians to leave the gates, but they insist that Vin will come and save them. They call Sazed the Holy First Witness, something he reflects on later. Sazed joins the fighting himself when the koloss break through the gate. Vin races to the city.

Straff’s general, Janarle, suggests helping the city against the koloss and is horrified when Straff orders him to let the koloss fight for a few hours and tire themselves.

Sazed learns that the gate where Tindwyl fought has fallen, but he continues to fight. As Breeze and some soldiers flee another gate, a koloss kills Clubs, driving Breeze into hiding in a building. He feels guilty for his cowardice, but his friends find him and head for refuge. Sazed continues to fight and is shocked when Vin arrives, provoking celebratory chanting among the skaa. She beats the koloss in that area so badly that they flee.

Vin continues fighting, but the koloss are too many even for her. As a last resort, she burns duralumin as she did with TenSoon and is suddenly able to control all the koloss in her immediate area. Lord Penrod refuses to allow Sazed and those with him to seek refuge in his keep, but Vin’s arrival and her control of the koloss convinces Penrod to send soldiers to help. Sazed searches the city wall for hours before finding Tindwyl’s body; as he mourns, he realizes that he no longer believes in any of the religions to which he has dedicated his life of study. He has lost all hope.

The next morning, Straff sees that the koloss now defend the city rather than attacking, and he suddenly sees Vin streaking through the sky, aiming straight for him. She lands and immediately executes Straff and some of his officers.

Allrianne continues to try to persuade her father to return to Luthadel, but he refuses until she rides off alone, risking her own life.

Vin’s display of power in killing Straff and some of his men convinces those watching to surrender to her. As Cett also approaches, Vin uses their perception of her to pressure them into accepting Elend as their leader—but this time, as emperor rather than king. Sazed watches as this plays out, reviewing the Hero of Ages legends and thinking that they were always wrong that the Hero would be a man.