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The Well Of Ascension Chapters 45-46


Child Bahkbar

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Part 4

Chapter 45

Sazed and Tindwyl are still at it. They've been at it for weeks now, and Tindwyl has been awake for practically the entire time. Just one more example of the awesome practicality of feruchemy.

They've made some pretty decent progress. The mention of the names "Rabzeen" and "Anamnesor" in the rubbings have given them a link between Kwaan's inscribings and the histories from their Tinminds. The Rabzeen was apparently fortold to be of Khlennium, and he was supposed to either fight the conqueror, or be the Conqueror. He was also said to be "not of his people, yet fulfilling all of their wishes." Whatever the fudge that means. Yes, I said "fudge". What of it?

Tindwyl, ever the sceptic, reveals that she does not believe in the prophecies that she's spent all this time studying so fervently. She especially does not believe that Vin is some mystical hero, or that there even is such a thing as the Hero of Ages, as it's just too convenient. She does, however, believe that the deepness is a real, recurring, non supernatural phenomenon, and that the histories may hold the key to repelling it once more.

Sazed, on the other hand, is kind of obligated to believe the prophecies. He's still not sure weather or not Vin is the Hero, though. Tindwyl kindly reminds him of what happened the last time some smart chull assumed he had found this supposed Hero, but it's pretty clear that they're never going to completely agree on this, so they, as mature adults, agree to disagree.

Tindywl and Sazed then move on to the subject of Cett's sudden removal from the city. Tindwyl, like Elend, thinks this may be a good thing, but the usually optomistic Sazed, aka "Mr. Maybe the Koloss aren't so bad after all", has dark premonitions. He says that they need to be done with this research as soon as possible.

When they return to their research, they find a passage ripped out of the corner of one of the pages. Upon further investigation, they find that the exact same passage has been torn from every single written recording of that passage, including the rubbing. What's even more creepy is that the tears are completely identical. Eery.

Fortunately, Sazed has the passage memorized. It's the one that says Alendi must not be allowed to reach the Well. Why, it's almost as if someone, or something, actually wants Vin to reach the Well, and there's only one creature that could be capable of making tears like this. The Misty Death. But if it truly wants Vin to reach the Well, why did it try to kill her earlier? Also, with it being invisible and all, it's safe to assume that it's been watching the two of them for a while. If that's the case, how is it that it is unaware of their feruchemical abilities?

Vin shows up with damnation near Zane-level timing. After promptly requesting that Tindwy leave the room, Vin asks Sazed about...love. She thinks she's bad for Elend, and wonders if sure should break it off. Sazed, despite being a complete novice in these matters, manages to give her some decent advice.

Vin also wants to know how to proceed if she's found someone else who may be more compatible with her. Ha! If Sazed actually knew the bastard, he'd be able to tell her with confidence that Zane isn't "right" for anyone. He doesn't, unfortunately, so he can't really help her in this matter. She's helped him, though; Sazed now knows that there is indeed another mistborn. Will he tell Elend? Hell no!

After Vin leaves the room, Sazed opens the door to find that Tindwyl was eavesdropping on their entire conversation. She makes some sniding, but true, comment about Vin's stability. Or lack thereof. Sazed defends his young freind, of course, but Tyndwyl points out--rightly so--that she's raised fifteen daughters. How many has Sazed raised? I think I may have forgotten.

They prepare to return to study, but before they can even start, Elend shows up, excusing Tindwyl from thhe room. He also wants to talk about his relationship. Why the heck do they come to Sazed for relationship advice? Are they not aware of the fact that he's a eunoch, and has never actually been in a long-lasting relationship? I mean, wouldn't someone else be more appropriate. Like Ham; He's actually married, and has been for a while.

Elend asks the same questions that Vin did, minus the :second option:. Sazed gives Elend a slightly better answer than he gave Vin, using a rather clever, non sexual, analogy regarding locks and keys. Elend complements him greatly, and Sazed becomes the first character besides Vin to flush in embarrassment. I was beginning to think that she was the only one capable of such displays.

Anyway, Elend allows Tindwyl back into room, and they're finally free to return to their study. Sazed is still destracted by thoughts of the young couple, though. While thinking of them, Sazed suddenly realizes that if Vin really is the Hero, he needs to get her and Elend away from the city. To save them from the grisly demise that surely awaits them here. With that in mind, he abandons his research and begins crafting a few letters...

End Of Chapter 45

"The two are not the same." I'm not sure why, but this line sent chills down my spine.

Chapter 46

This chapter hits it off... with Breeze, which is nice, because there's always something new to learn about him. Like how he experiences light-headedness sometimes when he gets up, or, like how he's a full blooded noble! I suppose this explains why he wasn't willing to pose as a nobleman way back in "The Final Empire". How he's managed to keep this a secret for so long, I do not know.

Anyway, he's recieved a letter from Sazed. A letter that smacks of secrecy, treachery, and deceit. So he arises from his comfy abode with Allrianne and makes his way to the meeting place--but not before feeling a twinge of guilt for his forbidden relationship with the teenage girl.

Anyway, when he finds the room, he finds two guards stationed in front of the door. He suspects a trap at first, but once he's reasonably sure that simply entering the room won't be incriminating, he walks in.

Once he enters, he promptly asks Sazed if this is some kind of trap. Sazed obviously doesn't understand the grievous errors he's made, so Breeze kindly points out how obviously "hidden" this meeting is, and offers a bit friendly advice on sneaking around properly. Seriously, what's the point of the guards? It's not like they'd dare to stop Elend or Vin from waltzing in, anyway.

Clubs is the next to arrive, and Ham shows up not long after him. Sazed apparently invited every member of the Crew except for the former king, the Mistborn, and the Spook. If that doesn't spell treachery, then I don't know what does.

Dockson is the last to show up, and he most certainly has treason on his mind. He's obviously in a rotten mood, too. He says that they should transfer their services to Penrod. To Preserve the city that Kelsier bestowed upon them--to preserve the work that they've put into this city. Funny, because handing the city to Straff would undo just about everything they've done here, and it's the last thing their beloved Survivor would have wanted them to do.

Dockson's blatant traitorism provokes Ham, and they quickly begin to squable. So much so that Breeze has to step in and give each of them a mental slap before things get too heated. Meanwhile, Sazed, the orchestrator if this meet, watches the exchange between the two "cornered animals" speechlessly.

Breeze says that Straff isn't going to slaughter them, so Dockson's plan won't save them. He then goes on to explain to the group that death by koloss is what awaits them.

Dox suggests that they just give the city to Straff to avoid this. Isn't that what he was already advocating with his suggestion to work with Penrod? Besides, as Ham points out, Kelsier would not approve. Not that what he'd think really makes that much of a difference; he's dead, after all. Been dead for over a year, actually. What really matters is that Straff is a heartless, soulless monster, and handing the city to him would be almost as bad as dying by Koloss.

Breeze makes a slightly less stupid suggestion; Hand the city over to Jastes. Ham doens't like that idea, though, because that would be permitting the Koloss to enter Luthadel, which would be a bad thing as they are apparently ruthless savages, the lot of them.

Clubs ends the argument by making the "Fight and die!" suggestion. Sazed seems to agree with this course of action, pointing out that their deaths will at least have meanings. Their sacrifices will inspire future Skaa generations in their struggle for freedom. But... they'll all be dead, so how will they know that they even made a difference in the end? How can they ensure that their sacrifices are not in vain? He has a solution to that as well.

Someone has to survive to "tell their legacy", and to organize further resistance. Ham and Clubs say they won't leave their men, and Dox isn't leaving either, so Breeze steps up and agrees to go. He's not letting honor kill him--Not yet, anyway. Unfortunately for him, though, Sazed was actually referring to Elend and Vin. He basically says "Sorry, buddy, but you're gonna have to die with the rest of us." Now, How is that even remotely fair? They can get themselves killed if they want to, but what right do they have to force Breeze to make a martyr of himself? I say if he wants to be a wimpy, cowardly, yellow-bellied, cravenous, candy-assed, pansy, then so be it!

Anyway, now that they've apparently decided that death and slavery are the most appealing options they have remaining, they begin to make plans on how to convince Vin and Elend to flee. Also, Sazed wants to send Tindwyl with them, and Breeze wants to send Allrianne. They're still hoping that Straff will save the city at the last moment, but that seems like something Cett would do, but Straff is no Cett. He's much, much worse.

The perspective now switches to Vin, who is currently standing outside of Kredik Shaw, trying to make up her mind. All the while, that damned thumping continues to intensify.

As she enters the palace, she wishes that she could be a ruthless, heartless, monster like Kelsier. Wishes that she didn't feel this guilt all the time. I guess she's forgotten that Kelsier wasn't always that way. He had his heart ripped from his chest when he watched his wife beaten to death before his very eyes. Does she wish to enjoy a similar experience? I'm sure she will, before this book is over.

She ponders which is better: To be like Kelsier, or to be like Elend. She has to make a decision. It's too late for her to be exactly like Elend, as his hands are as-of-yet unbloodied, but that doesn't mean she has to be like Kelsier. Why does she have to be like anyone? Why can't she be her own person?

As Vin walks through the hallways, she sees footprints. Probably Marsh, doing whatever it is he's been doing here there past several days. He's been here a while, and Inquisitors apparently do have to eat, so I wonder where he gets his food from. Has he been steeling? Get it? Steeling? I'm so funny.

Anyway, Vin enters the Rashek's hidden abode, still trying to make up her mind on which man to be with. (I'm on team Elend! Squee!) She realizes that Rashek must have faced a similar(not really) difficulty. He had to chose between living the rest of his life as a farmer, or becoming a god and enslaving his own people; Vin has to chose "which man to spend her nights with." Yeah, their choices are both equally burdensome, and totally comparable!

Vin eventually sees that standing loitering in this room isn't going to magically solve her dilemma, and she leaves, wondering why she even came in the first place.

The Mad Bastard sleeps with metals in his tummy, because dying someday soon is better than dying today. As it turns out, this inadvisable life choice ends up saving his life. Straff finally makes his move and has some of his men stage an late night attempt on Zane's life, and thanks to his unhealthy practice, they do not succeed.

Zane has apparently been expecting this for a while. In fact, he actually seems to have been looking forward to this day. He's been having a man keep watch every night for God knows how long. After dispatching with Straff's worthless assassin's, he pays the man a lavish amount of money, then goes to meet with his father for the very last time.

Zane finds Straff waiting in his tent, prepared to die with dignity, honor, and manliness. Not. Straff begs, offering Atium, and even legitimacy. Zane doesn't care for his promises, but for some reason still rebels against his god's urges. He instead tells Straff how to capture the city, an informs his father that he'll be taking Vin with him tonight. When Straff asks him why he doesn't end his life, Zane replies that a man should not kill his father, and with that, he leaves. I...I don't... huh?

Zane goes to retrieve his hidden stash of atium and his mist cloak--which was a gift from his beloved father. So he does have one! He doesn't wear it, though, because he doesn't like the way it chafes against the lump in his chest. Actually, it's not a lump. It's a spike. An Inquisitor's spike! What the hell is he doing with one of those!? How did he even get it? Who gave it to him? I thought Rashek was the only one capable of creating Inquisitors. If that's the case, why would he do this to Straff's son? Also, if just one spike is enough to make a man as powerful as Zane, why Inquisitors have three?

Another problem just occurred to me. Does this mean that all of the Inquisitors here "god's" voice? If that's the case, then the Zane-God is in need of a new title. From here on out, he shall be called "Zod!" Not to be confused with the Kryptonian Super villain, of course.

"Time to go," Zod says, and for once Zane is swift to follow His orders. Leaving his Mist cloak behind, he flys off to find Vin and begin a new chapter in his life. I smell a conclusion coming up real soon.

End of chapter 46

Kwaan wrote that Alendi believed as the other world bringers did. Why wouldn't he? Sure, his old mentor suddenly turning against him should have given him pause, but from what Kwaam has written. It seems like Alendi had gone too far to turn back at this point.

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"Also, if just one spike is enough to make a man as powerful as Zane, why Inquisitors have three?"

Actually, Marsh said he had eleven spikes, as I recall. Zane was a Mistborn before spiking, though.

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Ah, that's right! Thanks, I'd forgotten about that.

There are so many better questions about their purpose, but I can't help asking, "How do they sleep with all those spikes in them?"

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