Rhythm of War (9781429952040)

by Brandon Sanderson

  “I don’t think they care about your tricks,” Design said.

  “Everyone cares about my tricks.”

  “But you can make the coins vanish with Lightweaving,” she said. “So it doesn’t matter how many you hide in your belt. And if you do something amazing, everyone will assume it was done with Surgebinding!”

  Wit sighed, tossing four coins in the air, then catching them and presenting one solitary coin.

  “They don’t even use those for money here,” Design added. “So you’ll only distract them. Use spheres.”

  “Spheres glow,” Wit said. “And they’re tough to palm.”

  “Excuses.”

  “My life is only excuses.” He wound the coin across his knuckles. “The illusion without Lightweaving is superior, Design.”

  “Because it’s fake?”

  “Because the audience knows it’s fake,” Wit said. “When they watch and let themselves be amazed, they are joining in the illusion. They’re giving you something vital. Something powerful. Something essential. Their belief.

  “When you and the audience both start a performance knowing that a lie is going to be presented, their willing energy vibrates in tune with yours. It propels you. And when they walk away at the end, amazed but knowing they’ve been lied to—with their permission—the performance lingers in their minds. Because the lie was real somehow. Because they know that if they were to rip it apart, they could know how it was done. They realize there must have been flaws they could have caught. Signs. Secrets.”

  “So … it’s better…” Design said, “because it’s worse than an illusion using real magic?”

  “Exactly.”

  “That’s stupid.”

  Wit sighed. He bounced his coin off the ground with a metallic pling, then caught it. “Would you go bother someone else for a while?”

  “Okay!” Design said excitedly. She moved off his coat and to the floor, then zipped away. His audience of corrupted windspren trailed after her. Traitors.

  Wit started down a side hallway, but then felt something. A tingling that made his Breaths go wild.

  Ah … he thought. He’d been expecting this; it was why he had left the tower, after all. Odium couldn’t find him there.

  He hiked to Elhokar’s former sitting room and made himself available—visible, easy to reach. Then, when the presence entered the nondescript stone chamber, Wit bowed.

  “Welcome, Rayse!” Wit said. “It’s been not nearly long enough.”

  I noticed your touch on the contract, a dramatic voice said in his head.

  “You’ve always been a clever one,” Wit said. “Was it my diction that clued you in, my keen bargaining abilities, or the fact that I included my name in the text?”

  What game do you play here?

  “A game of sense.”

  … What?

  “Sense, Odium. The only kind I have is nonsense. Well, and some cents, but cents are nonsense here too—so we can ignore them. Scents are mine aplenty, and you never cared for the ones I present. So instead, the sense that matters is the sense Dalinar sensibly sent you.”

  I hate you.

  “Rayse, dear,” Wit said, “you’re supposed to be an idiot. Say intelligent things like that too much, and I’ll need to reevaluate. I know you adjusted the contract, trying for an advantage. How does it feel to know that Dalinar bested you?”

  I shall have my vengeance, Odium said. Even if it takes an eternity, Cephandrius, I will destroy you.

  “Enjoy that!” Wit said, striding toward the door. “Let me know how the brooding treats you. I spent a century doing it once, and I think it improved my complexion.”

  So interesting, Odium said. How did I never see you there, in all my planning … Tell me, whom would you pick as champion? If you were in my place?

  “Why does it matter?” Wit asked.

  Humor me.

  Wit cocked his head. There was something odd about this change in tone from Odium. Asking whom Wit would choose? Rayse wouldn’t care to know.

  Never mind, Odium said quickly. It matters not. Whomever I pick, they will destroy Dalinar’s champion! Then I will use him, and my minions on this planet, to finally do whatever I wish!

  “Yes, but where will you find that many willing horses…” Wit said, continuing on his way out the door. He started whistling as Odium’s presence remained behind. That had gone exactly as he’d imagined. Except that last part. He slowed, turning the words over in his mind.

  Was Rayse growing more thoughtful? Wit didn’t need to worry, did he? After all this, Odium would be safely imprisoned, no matter what happened. There was no way out.…

  Unless …

  Wit’s breath caught, but then he forced himself to keep whistling and walking.

  A power slammed into him from behind. A golden energy, infinite and deadly. Wit’s eyes went wide, and he gasped, sensing something horribly wrong about that power.

  I have made an error, I see, the power said, soft and thoughtful. I am new to this. I should not have pushed for information. It’s all about giving you what you expect. Even a being thousands of years old can be tricked. I know this from personal experience now.

  “Who are you?” Wit whispered.

  Odium, the power said. Let me see … I cannot harm you. But here, you have used this other Investiture to store your memories, haven’t you? Because you’ve lived longer than a mortal should, you need to put the excess memories somewhere. I can’t see your mind, but I can see these, can’t I?

  For the first time in a long, long while, Wit felt true terror. If Odium destroyed the Breaths that held his memories …

  I don’t believe this will cause you actual harm … Odium said. Yes, it seems my predecessor’s agreements will allow me to—

  Wit stopped in the hallways of Elhokar’s old palace on the Shattered Plains. He searched around, then cocked his head. Had he heard something?

  He shook his head and continued forward, looking for an audience. He flipped a coin in the air, then caught it before snapping his hand forward and spreading his fingers to show that the coin had vanished. But of course it was secretly in his other hand, palmed, hidden from sight.

  “Storytelling,” he said to the empty hallway, “is essentially about cheating.”

  He tucked the coin into his belt with a quick gesture, keeping up the flourishes of his other hand as a distraction. Then he heard a pling as something slipped free of his belt. He stopped and found one of his fake coins on the ground, the ones that could be stuck together to appear as one.

  But just one half? That should have been safely tucked away in the little pocket hidden in his shirt. He picked it up, glanced around to see that no one had noticed the mistake.

  “Pretend you didn’t see that, Design,” he said.

  But she wasn’t there on his coat. Storming spren. Had she slipped away when he hadn’t been looking? He put a hand to his head, feeling an odd disorientation.

  Something was wrong. But what?

  “The challenge…” he said, tucking away the fake coin, “is to make everyone believe you’ve lived a thousand lives.… Make them feel the pain, the sights, the truths…”

  Damn. It was wrong somehow. “You use the same dirty tricks for storytelling,” Wit whispered, “as you do for fighting in an alley. Always be ready to hit them where they aren’t prepared.”

  But no one was listening. Hadn’t there been a couple of Sja-anat’s minions following him earlier? He vaguely remembered … Design chasing them away?

  Wit stared around himself, but then felt something. A tingling that made his Breaths go wild.

  Ah … he thought. He’d been expecting this; it was why he had left the tower. Odium couldn’t find him there.

  He hiked the short distance to Elhokar’s former sitting room and made himself available—visible, easy to reach. Then, when the presence entered the nondescript stone chamber, Wit bowed.

  “Welcome, Rayse!” Wit said. “It’s been not nearly long enou
gh.”

  I noticed your touch on the contract, a dramatic voice said in his head.

  “You’ve always been a clever one,” Wit said. “Was it my brilliant prose that clued you in, my keen bargaining abilities, or the fact that I included my name right there for you to read?”

  What game do you play here?

  “A game of sense.”

  … What?

  “Sense, Odium. The only kind I have is nonsense. Well, and some cents…” He glanced down at the coin he still held in his hand, then cocked his head.

  I hate you.

  “Rayse,” Wit said, looking up, “you’re supposed to be an idiot. Say intelligent things like that too much, and I’ll need to reevaluate.… Anyway, I know you adjusted the contract, trying for an advantage. How does it feel to know that Dalinar Kholin, a simple mortal, has gotten the better of you?”

  I shall have my vengeance, Odium said. Even if it takes an eternity, Cephandrius, I will destroy you.

  “Enjoy that!” Wit said, striding toward the door. “Let me know how you enjoy the time with yourself. The Beyond knows, no one else can stand your company.”

  It doesn’t matter! Odium roared. My champion will destroy Dalinar’s, and then I will use him and my other minions here to do whatever I wish!

  “Yes, well,” Wit said from the door, “once you’re done, at least try to remember to wash your hands.” He slammed the door, then spun and continued on his way. He tried to find a tune to whistle, but each one sounded wrong. Something was fiddling with his perfect pitch.

  Odium’s presence had remained behind. Was … something wrong?

  Don’t trouble yourself, he thought. This is working.

  After all, Wit’s first face-to-face meeting with Odium in over a thousand years had gone exactly as he had imagined.

  THE END OF

  Book Four of

  THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE

  ENDNOTE

  Burdens, Our Calling.

  Songs of Home, a knowledge:

  Knowing a Home of Songs, called our burden.

  —Ketek written by El, Fused scholar of human art forms, to commemorate the restoration of the Sibling

  Poem is curious in its intentional weighting of the last line, where Alethi poets traditionally weight the center word and build the poem around it. Singers, it can be seen, have a different interpretation of the art form.

  ARS ARCANUM

  THE TEN ESSENCES AND THEIR HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS

  The preceding list is an imperfect gathering of traditional Vorin symbolism associated with the Ten Essences. Bound together, these form the Double Eye of the Almighty, an eye with two pupils representing the creation of plants and creatures. This is also the basis for the hourglass shape that was often associated with the Knights Radiant.

  Ancient scholars also placed the ten orders of Knights Radiant on this list, alongside the Heralds themselves, who each had a classical association with one of the numbers and Essences.

  I’m not certain yet how the ten levels of Voidbinding or its cousin the Old Magic fit into this paradigm, if indeed they can. My research suggests that, indeed, there should be another series of abilities that is even more esoteric than the Voidbindings. Perhaps the Old Magic fits into those, though I am beginning to suspect that it is something entirely different.

  Note that I currently believe the concept of the “Body Focus” to be more a matter of philosophical interpretation than an actual attribute of this Investiture and its manifestations.

  THE TEN SURGES

  As a complement to the Essences, the classical elements celebrated on Roshar, are found the Ten Surges. These, thought to be the fundamental forces by which the world operates, are more accurately a representation of the ten basic abilities offered to the Heralds, and then the Knights Radiant, by their bonds.

  Adhesion: The Surge of Pressure and Vacuum

  Gravitation: The Surge of Gravity

  Division: The Surge of Destruction and Decay

  Abrasion: The Surge of Friction

  Progression: The Surge of Growth and Healing, or Regrowth

  Illumination: The Surge of Light, Sound, and Various Waveforms

  Transformation: The Surge of Soulcasting

  Transportation: The Surge of Motion and Realmatic Transition

  Cohesion: The Surge of Strong Axial Interconnection

  Tension: The Surge of Soft Axial Interconnection

  ON THE CREATION OF FABRIALS

  Five groupings of fabrial have been discovered so far. The methods of their creation are carefully guarded by the artifabrian community, but they appear to be the work of dedicated scientists, as opposed to the more mystical Surgebindings once performed by the Knights Radiant. I am more and more convinced that the creation of these devices requires forced enslavement of transformative cognitive entities, known as “spren” to the local communities.

  ALTERING FABRIALS

  Augmenters: These fabrials are crafted to enhance something. They can create heat, pain, or even a calm wind, for instance. They are powered—like all fabrials—by Stormlight. They seem to work best with forces, emotions, or sensations.

  The so-called half-shards of Jah Keved are created with this type of fabrial attached to a sheet of metal, enhancing its durability. I have seen fabrials of this type crafted using many different kinds of gemstone; I am guessing that any one of the ten Polestones will work.

  Diminishers: These fabrials do the opposite of what augmenters do, and generally seem to fall under the same restrictions as their cousins. Those artifabrians who have taken me into confidence seem to believe that even greater fabrials are possible than what have been created so far, particularly in regard to augmenters and diminishers.

  PAIRING FABRIALS

  Conjoiners: By infusing a ruby and using methodology that has not been revealed to me (though I have my suspicions), you can create a conjoined pair of gemstones. The process requires splitting the original ruby. The two halves will then create parallel reactions across a distance. Spanreeds are one of the most common forms of this type of fabrial.

  Conservation of force is maintained; for instance, if one is attached to a heavy stone, you will need the same strength to lift the conjoined fabrial that you would need to lift the stone itself. There appears to be some sort of process used during the creation of the fabrial that influences how far apart the two halves can go and still produce an effect.

  Reversers: Using an amethyst instead of a ruby also creates conjoined halves of a gemstone, but these two work in creating opposite reactions. Raise one, and the other will be pressed downward, for instance.

  These fabrials have only just been discovered, and already the possibilities for exploitation are being conjectured. There appear to be some unexpected limitations to this form of fabrial, though I have not been able to discover what they are.

  WARNING FABRIALS

  There is only one type of fabrial in this set, informally known as the Alerter. An Alerter can warn one of a nearby object, feeling, sensation, or phenomenon. These fabrials use a heliodor stone as their focus. I do not know whether this is the only type of gemstone that will work, or if there is another reason heliodor is used.

  In the case of this kind of fabrial, the amount of Stormlight you can infuse into it affects its range. Hence the size of gemstone used is very important.

  WINDRUNNING AND LASHINGS

  Reports of the Assassin in White’s odd abilities have led me to some sources of information that, I believe, are generally unknown. The Windrunners were an order of the Knights Radiant, and they made use of two primary types of Surgebinding. The effects of these Surgebindings were known—colloquially among the members of the order—as the Three Lashings.

  BASIC LASHING: GRAVITATIONAL CHANGE

  This type of Lashing was one of the most commonly used Lashings among the order, though it was not the easiest to use. (That distinction belongs to the Full Lashing below.) A Basic Lashing involved revoking a being’s or objec
t’s spiritual gravitational bond to the planet below, instead temporarily linking that being or object to a different object or direction.

  Effectively, this creates a change in gravitational pull, twisting the energies of the planet itself. A Basic Lashing allowed a Windrunner to run up walls, to send objects or people flying off into the air, or to create similar effects. Advanced uses of this type of Lashing would allow a Windrunner to make himself or herself lighter by binding part of his or her mass upward. (Mathematically, binding a quarter of one’s mass upward would halve a person’s effective weight. Binding half of one’s mass upward would create weightlessness.)

  Multiple Basic Lashings could also pull an object or a person’s body downward at double, triple, or other multiples of its weight.

  FULL LASHING: BINDING OBJECTS TOGETHER

  A Full Lashing might seem very similar to a Basic Lashing, but they worked on very different principles. While one had to do with gravitation, the other had to do with the force (or Surge, as the Radiants called them) of Adhesion—binding objects together as if they were one. I believe this Surge may have had something to do with atmospheric pressure.

  To create a Full Lashing, a Windrunner would infuse an object with Stormlight, then press another object to it. The two objects would become bound together with an extremely powerful bond, nearly impossible to break. In fact, most materials would themselves break before the bond holding them together would.

  REVERSE LASHING: GIVING AN OBJECT A GRAVITATIONAL PULL

  I believe this may actually be a specialized version of the Basic Lashing. This type of Lashing required the least amount of Stormlight of any of the three Lashings. The Windrunner would infuse something, give a mental command, and create a pull to the object that yanked other objects toward it.