The Sunlit Man
by Brandon Sanderson
Contents
413
Overview
Zellion confronts the Cinder King, who stages a public “honor duel” but secretly cripples Zellion with a heavy-gravity bracer. The Cinder King broadcasts the fight as propaganda, healing rapidly while pummeling the slowed Zellion. The lopsided spectacle pushes Zellion toward the rising sun, heightening immediate mortal danger and political control.
Summary
Zellion approaches the Cinder King to accept a one-on-one duel, feeling exposed without his armor and keenly aware of Auxiliary’s absence. Expecting treachery, Zellion dodges initial sniper fire and moves for cover.
Union officers and Charred rush him with nonlethal pellets and clubs. They briefly clamp a freezing bracer to drain his heat, then attach a device to his leg before withdrawing. The Cinder King addresses Union via broadcast, theatrically removing the visible bracer to imply a fair fight.
Zellion discovers the hidden device is a Scadrian-style weight bracer cranked high, making his body feel several times heavier. Slowed and weakened, he struggles to guard as the Cinder King—healing rapidly from wounds—lands punishing blows and taunts Zellion about “strength.”
Zellion lands a single solid punch, but the Cinder King’s Investiture erases the damage. Framed as an honorable duel, the fight is actually staged propaganda: the king wields hidden advantages while demanding a showy death. Zellion’s Investiture and stamina flag, bloodied and staggering.
Pressing the spectacle, the Cinder King drives Zellion back through the streets and angles him toward the rising sun, escalating the immediate threat while reinforcing his public narrative of dominance.
Who Appears
- Zellion (Nomad)Protagonist; accepts the duel, is secretly weighted by a gravity bracer, and is beaten and driven toward the rising sun.
- The Cinder KingAntagonist; stages a public ‘honor duel,’ cheats with a hidden weight device, heals rapidly, and uses the fight as propaganda.
- Union officers in white coatsAssist the setup; strike nonlethally, attach the bracer to Zellion, then withdraw to preserve the illusion of fairness.
- The CharredEnforcers who help subdue Zellion with clubs before the duel spectacle begins.