Chapter 61

Elend arrives back at the besieging camp outside Fadrex, exhausted and stained from battle, where Hammond greets him. He wrestles with the mist spirit’s earlier warning against attacking, uncertain whether to trust it or how to interpret its gestures toward his metals.

Surveying the camp and his forces, Elend confirms he has added 28,000 koloss to their strength, bringing the total to 37,000—enough to break Fadrex. Hammond reports that a messenger verified Vin is alive, and Elend explains he can also infer her survival from the koloss he’d entrusted to her, which would go wild if she died.

Hammond relays devastating scout reports: many conquered cities are lost, people starve, refugees die on ash-choked roads, and whole regions fall to quakes, lava, and fire. Leaders like Lekal are dead, the Northern Dominance is in chaos, and the South burns. Elend resolves they will not give up, even as he recognizes the severity of the collapse.

Pressed by Cett about their intentions, Elend decides he must act despite the mist spirit’s warning. Reasoning that siege delays risk both Vin’s life and the cache, he orders a surprise dawn assault with the koloss smashing defenses first, followed by soldiers to secure the city, rescue Vin, and access the storage.