#maps stormlight

[cosmereplay]

Maps cover by cosmereplay

I wrote a parody song about Maps! It started out with "wouldn't it be funny if Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was about Maps the bridgeman" and it quickly got sad. Just imagine Kaladin singing this over his body I guess. Cover art by @dragontrill

[knight-of-skyloft]

RoW ch. 74:

RoW ch. 92:

[fiendkeep]

5. Map

More stormlight archive, with the sacred throuple

[il3x]

can you believe Les Friction wrote Dark Matter without even knowing about Odium

"Tear down the hallows Take back eternity,"

"Don't stop, don't think, don't look back You're a bolt of lightning in the sky now Don't stop, don't think, don't look back I've pulled you in, prepare to die now"

"Bring me your soul, bring me your hate In my name you will create Bring me your fear, bring me your pain You will destroy in my name"

[shouldprobablybereading]

[koravelliumavast]

There is so much detail in the Urithiru maps/cross-sections(?) it’s crazy.

[aokozaki]

[holding copies of Chaos;Head NoAH and also some Brandon Sanderson Cosmere books] What do you mean you can have powers without first being deeply traumatized?

Trigger events are just such a natural way of powers happening to me that whenever i read anything else with superheroes im confused when people just like. Have powers.

[onlycosmere]

Brandon Sanderson: Nazh was born, as a character and as a concept, out of Isaac annotating maps, and wanting to have somebody... 'Cause Isaac was our original cartographer, been doing the maps ever since Mistborn, of basically all of the Stormlight books, until he started bringing some people in to do some of them.

Not just Stormlight, but all of the Cosmere books.

So if there's a map, or (particularly in the Stormlight books) ephemera, Isaac has had his hands in those, and he likes to add little easter eggs, and he came up with this persona of this character who was doing this. And we knew we wanted these to be in-world artifacts, but we also knew that we needed somebody who was kind of recovering these for some thing, and I'm like, "Well, this works very well with Khriss, probably compiling these and finding artifacts from planets and bringing them back to Silverlight."

And so, that's kind of where Nazh was born. I borrowed him once before for Secret History; he makes a small appearance in Secret History. Larger appearance here. Isaac and I have talked through his history and his future, and as early as years and years ago (probably seven, eight years ago), I'm like, "What about this?"

And that's when Nazh joined Starling's crew in his current incarnation.

Isaac Stewart: I think it was with Alloy of Law where we realized we need somebody annotating some of these, now and then. One of the reasons was, when you're doing a map of a city the size of Elendel, we couldn't really put these tiny street names, and things like that.

So we're like, "Well, we need somebody annotating this." And many things crashing together, but that was one of them.

[cosmerelists]

Top 10 Reasons that Kaladin is a Cat

I already argued that all Stormlight characters are cats. But while writing that list, I kept coming up with reasons why Kaladin specifically is a cat. One might argue that he is most feline of all Stormlight characters.

Which is exactly what I am about to do. So here’s why Kaladin is DEFINITELY a cat.

1. He likes to be high.

As I pointed out in my original list, Kaladin LOVES heights--just like cats do. He’s happiest when he can be taller than everyone else, high up in the sky.

2. He’s good at climbing.

Cats are very good climbers, and so is Kaladin! There are two scenes in which Kaladin must scale an impossibly vertical wall, which he does using Stormlight. Cats use their claws, but it’s basically the same.

3. He hates to be wet.

Kaladin is NOT fan of the rain. He may be pro-storm, but he hates the Weeping, during which a continuous drizzle makes everything wet and gray and sad. Cats also do not like being wet. As you know if you’ve ever had to wash one.

4. He hates to be locked up.

Cats do not like closed doors. If you dare to cut off their divine right of passing through any doorway, they will scream their displeasure. Kaladin is also not a fan of closed doors--like when he was locked up in prison for a while and found himself very unhappy in captivity. 

5. He once tore a piece of paper to shreds just to be an asshole.

Have you ever had a cat look at you directly in the eye as it knocks something beloved off of a shelf or scratches your couch or violently attacks the Steris pin you just got from your Cosmere box (that last one might just be me)? Well, this reminds me of when Kaladin was in the slave wagon, and the slave trader guy asked him to help with directions and handed him a map, and Kaladin just tore it to shreds. Very justifiable and cat-like behavior, if you ask me.

6. He is not impressed by you.

Cats are not impressed by kings, as the saying goes. And neither is Kaladin. In Book 2 when he found himself working for the Kholins, he spent his time being DEEPLY unimpressed, especially by Adolin. It was like Adolin had a cat-bodyguard.

7. He has self-healing abilities.

Cats use their purring to self-heal: apparently it helps them. Kaladin uses Stormlight, which is less cute. If only he purred instead.

8. He pretends not to be hurt.

It is very difficult to tell if a cat is injured--they’re good at pretending that they’re not. And even before he could just wave a hand to heal himself, Kaladin also had trouble admitting when he was too hurt to move around. I’m thinking especially about the end of Book 2 when he hobbles around while everyone else is marching to the center of the Shattered Plains, all the while thinking to himself that he probably shouldn’t be moving around. But he does anyway.

9. He is very graceful and tends to land on his feet

In fact, Kaladin likes to land in a straight-up hero pose.

10. He likes to pretend he’s solitary, but he needs friends.

Cats are supposedly solitary creatures, but if you’ve ever had a cat, you know they tend to want to be around you. Maybe they’re just chilling in the windowsill across the room, but they’re still hanging out. Cats in the wild sleep in a big pile. They’re actually more social than their reputation claims. And in a similar way, Kaladin tries to give off big solitary energy, but really, he does better when he’s around his friends, even if he’s just sulking at the table while Adolin and Shallan talk. 

[useless-prophet]

Mapping Radiant Orders (Stormlight Archive) to the Fears (Magnus Archives)

Because I really like categories, and some of the orders/fears just work together so nicely! And also, both end in archives, which just makes me happy for no real reason. Yes, I know there are 14ish fears and only 10 orders, so some fears will just have to sit out :(

Windrunners: The Vast. Endless sky to fall through... forever... especially since the use of Lashings is not technically "flying", but "falling" towards a different direction.

Skybreakers: Though the Vast does fit the flying part of their powers, the Hunt better embodies the determination of Skybreakers to hunt down whoever breaks the law, to any end necessary. I mean, just look at Nale and what happened in Edgedancer.

Dustbringers: Dustbringers want to break things, and have the handy dandy surge of Division to do so. Desolation is the first fear that comes to mind, given the common themes of destruction, but I could also see a pretty strong relation to the Stranger. Dustbringers don't break things for the mindless purpose of breaking things, but to find out how they work. The inside. Sounds a little like the mechanical contraptions and the changelings of the Stranger? Except the Stranger usually breaks people, and the Dustbringers... well, actually, they probably could as well.

Edgedancers: A tricky one at first, because the edgedancers are so darn good all the time. But given that their oath is "I will remember the forgotten", the step to Lonely, while a little paradoxical, is not a large one - most Edgedancers (like Lift), were once the people who were forgotten by society.

Truthwatchers: Ah, what could make a better match than the Truthwatchers and the Eye. Both committed to seeking truth and knowledge, while the Eye represents the ideals of a Truthwatcher taken too far, such seeking truth is not merely a tool to create positive change in the world, but an end within itself.

Lightweavers: Again, Stranger is vaguely tempting because of the Lightweavers' capacity for disguise, but I think that Spiral better represents the illusory aspects of their powers in tricking the mind, as well as the deep lies that Lightweavers often have to confront within themselves.

Elsecallers: As an order whose oaths deal with reaching one's self-potential, Elsecallers are... difficult to lump into a fear. The surge of Transportation matches the Spiral's connection with doors, but Elsecallers are anything but unsure of one's own mind. But Elsecallers do make excellent strategists and scholars because of their rational nature, meaning that the Web is not a bad fit.

Willshapers: Willshapers are all about freedom, self-determination, and the capacity to choose whatever route you want to walk. The Vast and the Lonely fit into the idea of exploration and freedom against being bound by society or a greater power, but we've already used those. The Buried is the opposite of the Willshapers, but unlike the Edgedancers, I think that there's such a difference in ideals between the two that they can't be reconciled in the same way. If you have a solid argument for a better fear, I'd love to hear it.

Stonewards: You know what's always there for you? A Stoneward. You know what's also always there for you? The ground, if only because you're trapped inside a cave that's slowly crushing the air out of your lungs and will never let you go. The rocky resemblance is just too good of a fit.

Bondsmith: Another hard one. Unity is not really a big theme among any of the powers, except maybe Corruption in the sense of a hive and some of its twisted feelings of love. But there is something that all living things are united in - death, aka the End. Is this crazy to map them to? I don't know, it's the best I've got.

Some of the orders just don't work that well with the fears, but I gave it my best shot. Opinions? Arguments? I'd be glad to hear them :)

[strikerez]

An example of something that isn’t left justified and has cold in the south is Roshar, from the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson:

Almost all of this map is in the Southern Hemisphere of the planet.

The Stillness, from the Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, isn’t left justified and has cold stuff in the north and south:

These are just a couple I know of off the top of my head. But there aren’t a whole lot of big name series with maps like this.

hey, just asking because i'm curious,

but how many people have noticed that a lot medieval fantasy maps are left-justified?

i mean i know its probably europe, but it's enough of a trope for tvtropes to have an article about it.

a lot of these are orientated with cold weather to the north and the sea to the west.

even the ones i found with ocean orientation not to the west, the cold weather is to the north.

i just thought it was interesting and wanted to share

edit: i think the only reason i noticed this is because very few maps look even vaguely like where i live in the s. hemisphere :p

cold weather is to the south and it gets hotter the further north you go

some examples i found:

middle earth - lotr

eragon

wheel of time

westoros - got (looks like britan and europe)

[mistywitcher]

So, I have just come home from Alton Towers (a theme park) and of course my autistic brain went a bit nuts in the queues so here is my take on what stormlight characters would do at a theme park lol:

Adolin: absolutely loves everything about the place, gets stupidly excited and practically runs from ride to ride, gets pissed off when the others don’t move fast enough and THERES ONLY A 15 MIN QUEUE SO COME ON LETS GO! he screams and whoops on rides and eats too many donuts and candy floss. yes he is sick at the end of it but so fuckin worth it.

Shallan: enjoys the vibes of the park, absolutely fascinated with how each area is themed and sketches in the queues. she’s more reserved on the rides than Adolin, but does laugh hysterically on them instead of screaming.

Navani: yes she enjoys the park, but is more interested how the rides work. Dalinar has to restrain her from asking a million questions to the ride staff. she goes on the odd ride but is usually quite quiet, focusing on the feeling of the mechanics. she has a secret love of shitty churros lol.

Renarin: fuck the theme park, only goes to please everyone else. it’s too loud, too many colours and there’s people everywhere. NO, ADOLIN, I WILL NOT GO ON THAT DEATH TRAP. he is the personal bag watcher while everyone else goes on. The only thing he does enjoy is the carnival games and is a weirdly good shot, so wins shit tons of stuffed toys.

Kaladin: tolerates the group holiday. went on one big ride, felt terrified and mildly sick and decided to only go on small ones after. weirdly loves water rides, gets fuckin so hyped on the river boat rapids. he wants to enjoy the day more, but can’t help worrying a bit every time the others are on a ride in case it goes wrong.

Jasnah: weirdly enjoys the park and actually lets loose a little. she appreciates the idea of creating false reality for entertainment, mixed with the cleverness and thrill of the rides. absolute control freak tho, and has a detailed map and schedule for the day.

Dalinar: activates full on Dad mode. has everyone drank enough? there’s a lot of walking, has everyone brought appropriate footwear? SHALLAN PUT SOME SUNCREAM ON OR SO HERALDS HELP ME. actually loves the rides tho, and follows all the rules of the park to the letter. sits next to Adolin on a ride once and ends up going nuts and screaming with him.

Hoid: disappears for periods of time and refinds the the group now and then. he hacks the arcade games and keeps coming back with more coins. no one questions it when one minute he’s sat on a ride next to them and the next he’s suddenly not there…

Thats all I’ve got, but please feel free to reblog/tag with more characters lol, or to add to this ahahahhaha!

[cosmerenewbie]

cosmerenewbie reading journey update

(07/11/24)

I have finished The Way of Kings. I finished it around two weeks ago! The ending was craaaaaazy.

Spoiler free thoughts:

a somehow satisfying ending to a book that felt like 1000+ pages of exposition. gave me a *massive* book hangover, I was craving WoR sooo bad after.

Spoiler-y thoughts (under cut)

The parshendi are the voidbringers??? Taln is back???? God is dead, & Odium (who tf is Odium) killed him????? Hello?

I started Words of Radiance a few days later, & am still getting through it!! I am a little over 400 pages in (right at the start of part 3.) so far I am liking it as much as TWoK, but is it definitely different. I am really liking the focus on Shallan, she is soooo fascinating. That being said, she is a bit less likable than Kaladin (which I understand is likely intentional), & so I have definitely been taking WoR a bit slower compared to TWoK. To be honest, starting WoR so shortly after TWoK might not have been the best move.

I ended up taking a break partway through to read other things. I have adhd, & it can be important for me to have palate cleansers & not try to force myself to read something I’m not feeling at that moment.

During this break, I’ve started Elantris, which I am really enjoying. It feels a lot more light-hearted that WoR, which is nice for the mood I’ve been in. While it is a bit clunkier that the stormlight archive, I am engrossed enough by Sanderson’s amazing world building to not care too much.

So far, my current thoughts on Elantris are:

I <3 Sarene

I want a Seon!!!:(((

Theological elements go hard (is this smth Sanderson is known for? Bc hey also went hard in TWoK)

Why is the map in the book so shit

How can a book w such a dark & lowkey gross premise feel so cozy & lighthearted

Cosmere homies pls interact!!! I want to make friends who also like these wonderful books (as asking a friend to get into the Cosmere is admittedly a bit of an ask)

[tinyreviews]

Writing Tips: Write like Brandon Sanderson 

Brandon Sanderson is a prolific American fantasy author with multiple bestsellers, including series like "Mistborn" and "Stormlight Archive." He is known for his high pace of releasing books, impressive worldbuilding, attention to magic systems, and epic endings known as the “Sanderlanche”.

Below are some writing tips attributable to Brandon Sanderson:

Plotting: 

Start with an everyperson. Through them, ease the reader into the magic world.

Promise: Establish the tone, character arcs, goals for the rest of the story, opening brackets/subplots.

Progress: Must reflect on the promise and advance towards its fulfillment, or risk reader disengagement.

Payoff: Closing brackets, delivering more than expected, with twists.

Types of Plots:

Mystery: Build a mystery, reveal clues, and solve it.

Travelogue: Use a map to show progression and goals as characters travel through your story.

Relationship: Develop relationships from quarrelsome beginnings to adventurous journeys, ultimately fostering closeness.

Time bomb: Create tension by having a known goal with a looming deadline.

Heist: Characters strive to obtain goal by over coming obstacles through the “yes but” and “no and” methods.

Characters:

Prioritize character flaws and growth over superpowers.

Increase in likability, proactivity, competence as the story advances.

Sanderson's Laws of Magic:

First Law:

An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader understands said magic.

Clear rules and limitations for magic systems are crucial.

Second Law:

Limitations on characters' abilities are more interesting than the powers themselves.

Creative constraints are more compelling than a character being just powerful.

Third Law:

Expand what you already have before you add something new.

The more you can make your reader feel like they've learned and mastered, the better. If every time you add something new, you need to explain it, your story will feel like it's treading water.

Sanderlanche:

Sanderson is known for closing multiple plotlines simultaneously in a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. 

These moments are usually revelations to mysteries, epic battles, and resolution of character arcs.

Overcoming Writer's Block:

Write a chapter to throw away.

Write a dialog between you and a character.

The Important Thing As a Professional Writer:

A professional writer writes consistently and habitually.

Majority of writers publish many books before having a hit book.

Sanderson wrote 13 books before he sold a book.

This is part of my Writing Tips series. Everyday I publish a writing tip to this blog.

[sam-glade]

Writeblr Intro

Hi! My name is Sam (they/them), and I write SFF.

About me:

I'm queer, in my late 20s, and I live in Europe.

Pets? Two cats + 1 orange braincell

Favourite food? Please don't make me choose.

What I write? Hard fantasy with excessive worldbuilding

Favourite books? The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson. The Traitor by Seth Dickinson. Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Uprooted by Naomi Novik.

Fiction I probably won't enjoy? Romance. Middle grade. Most High School YA. It's just not my cup of tea.

Outside of writing? I'm a mathematician-turned-programmer who wishes they've gone into a more creative career

Silmarillion blog: @ward-of-irmo

Personal blog: @careening-mind

Read all the snippets I've posted under this tag.

DMs/Asks/Tag games? Yes, please

This blog is a mix of things related to my writing, from snippets, through info dumps, to historical trivia and inspirations for the setting. Also, cats.

I'm happy to do beta swaps.

About my writing:

Expect themes of found family, battling inner demons, finding one's identity and strength. But also, superpowered sword fights and epic locations. Don't expect romance front and centre, and don't expect characters who are minors. Most of my characters are openly queer; I enjoy seeing people I can identify with partake in fantasy adventures, without their identities being a burden.

I write multi-POV stories, 3rd person only. I'm not that keen on seemingly unrelated POVs coming together, but I love seeing group interactions through the eyes of a different person each time.

I like turning 'what if' questions into stories - what if the Chosen One was chosen by the villain? What if a Bronze Age civilisation experienced a first contact with an alien race? What would crime-scene investigation look like in a setting where people turn to dust upon death? I also love learning, and I learn by researching random areas that are tangentially related to my writing projects.

Are my fantasy settings too realistic? Maybe. Am I having fun writing it? Definitely.

About my WIPS:

The Sunblessed Realm

Hard fantasy, queernorm setting inspired by Slavic folklore and the history of Central-Eastern Europe. The age of heroes has passed. The heroes remain alive.

A list of all stories and longer snippets in this setting that I've posted.

Days of Dusk trilogy [Tag]

Swords used to be the protectors of the world, channelling the power of the Elements to fight against the Primeval Darkness. Now that the threat is contained, they are perceived as a danger themselves. Their powers are feared, while any advantages they can give are made up for with developments in science.

Info dump posts: Map || Magic system || Fashion || Architecture || Cast || Rites of passage

⚔️Gifts of Fate ⚔️

Intro post || [Tag]

The Witcher x Fullmetal Alchemist

Genre: NA hard fantasy

Pitch: The hero was chosen by the villain to become might incarnate. With all due respect, he'd like to decline.

Expect gratuitous superpowered HEMA fight scenes mixed with fridge horror.

Progress: First Draft done at 107k, beta readers' feedback received

⚔️The Prince's Shadow⚔️

Intro post || [Tag]

NA military fantasy.

The hero of the first instalment was deemed to dangerous to live or be killed. The Army's spymaster and the Chief Strategist set him up to die a hero's death.

Note: This was the first story I've written in this setting, with the pitch being 'the hero has just saved the world and needs to figure out what to do with his life'. It has evolved a fair bit since then.

Progress: Needs rewriting, now that the prequel is written.

⚔️Prodigal Children⚔️

[Tag]

Political fantasy.

The last - the only - war fought by Swords took place two millennia ago, and the memory of its horrors kept the princes motivated to stop it from happening ever again. When an uprising in one of the princedoms spills over the borders, it again becomes a real threat.

Now with more intrigue and sapphic romance.

Progress: First Draft done at 128k

To do: I've got feedback to incorporate

The Truth Teller [Tag]

Intro post

Urban fantasy version of the Eastern Bloc.

Three thousand years later, the heroes of the previous stories have passed into legends. There are no more Swords to protect, Crystals to heal, or Elemental Dancers to mend and build. There are only Knacked, shunned by the society.

Progress: Outline done, writing started.

Other

The Fulcrum

First Contact Sci-Fi from the point of view of the alien species. While their civilisation is comparable to early Iron Age ones on Earth, don't worry, they have nukes.

Progress: First Draft - 24k/100k

To do: more research

[shakesthewizard]

Untitled Stormlight OC Fic, pt 2: Shalebark

@cosmereplay, for your consideration.

---

One Year Later

“Give up, Sahan,” said Rek. “You’ve got no options left. You’re beaten.”

“Like hell,” she bit at him, black hair falling in loose curls in her face. “The day I stand down to you is the day the Storms wipe this city of the map.”

Rek barked a laugh. “I admire your tenacity. If you insist, I suppose I can indulge a deathwish.” He extended his hand, rushing for her. Sahan braced, then stared in shock – he wasn’t moving how she’d predicted. No, something was off about his approach. It was almost as if...

She swept forward in retaliation, meeting his arrogant dance with a furious attack of her own. It was a risk, she knew, but she had no choice. If she was right, then he had entirely failed to see her opening. With no small amount of pride, she saw his face grow slack as he realized his mistake. Then, suddenly, she had him. He went still.

“I’ll admit, you had me on the ropes,” she said. “But true victory requires an iron will. And you just don’t have what it takes.” With a final blow, she left him defeated.

Rek sat back in his chair and laughed. Sahan grinned diabolically, taking a drink from her cup.

On the table between them was a small, square stone board, inlaid with a grid of etched lines. Within the square spaces outlined therein was a tangle of flat, rectangular stone game pieces, stacked on top of one another in what resembled towers of books.

“I told you,” Sahan gloated, “I’ve got a knack for these things.”

“And I should have believed you,” Rek conceded with a smile. “Storms, but you’ve got a mind like an axehound's jaw, woman. Two games and you’ve already got it mastered.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say mastered,” she said. “But I appreciate the complement. Now, I believe we’re about to open, and you’ve just won an extra shift.”

Rek groaned, standing. He moved away from their table near the bartop while she cleared and stored the game in a series of cinch bags. “Where shall I store this?” she asked.

“Under the bar will be fine,” he said, taking chairs from tabletops. “Open the doors, will you?”

After setting the board and bags on a shelf underneath the back side of the bar, Sahan obliged, lifting the heavy crossbar and pulling open the heavy stone doors. Immediately, a small crowd of low-Dahn lighteyes began trickling into the tavern. Guardsmen, scribes, and minor military officers made their way inside, jackets unbuttoned and hair loose.

Sahan weaved her way back behind the bar into the storage room, where they kept barrels of wine, extra chairs, and spare clay cups. She sat on a stool, letting the slightly muffled sound of the crowd wash over her.

The entry to the storage room was at an angle such that she could see out behind the bar and about half of the body of the room, but it was difficult for patrons to see inside. It made for a great roost on nights like these – when she had no work to do, but had to stay anyway. Tonight was a Highstorm night.

This tavern, the Shalebark Bloom, was also a storm shelter. It was a favorite of ninth and tenth Dahn lighteyes, who enjoyed having a place to socialize with those of their own station, without cramming into public shelters with the darkeyes.

She observed Rek as he began tending bar. They were quite a pair, in her estimation. He was in his early thirties, contrasting Sahan’s twenty-two. Where her hair was a permanently damp Alethi black to her shoulders, Rek had a receding line of red veden hair, kept short. She also technically outranked him, being herself a tenner to his first nahn, but she felt no shame in being something like his protege. When she’d first come to Kharbranth looking for work a year ago, he’d given her a place behind his bar and hadn’t asked questions. They’d been friends since, and he had made it his quest to search all of Roshar for a game of skill he could best her at. He hadn’t succeeded yet.

She didn’t startle when she noticed the spiderwebbing pattern of cracks crawling up the stone doorframe separating her den and the bar. She just reached into her pocket and retrieved a small, rectangular block of flint.

Dusk spoke. “Not going to mingle?”

“Nope,” she replied casually. She took a shallow breath, drawing in a pinch of stormlight.

“Hoping to see someone?” He asked, somewhat jokingly.

She snorted as she coated her thumbnail in light. “Not likely. She’s bound to be feasting with some noble house tonight. Besides, the storm will be hitting any second now. Doors are closed.” With her stromlight-covered nail, the flicked the block of flint. The magically enhanced friction between her it and the stone caused a small flurry of sparks to spill onto the stone floor.

At the bar, the men – there were three of them, it looked like – were still talking to Rek.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Dusk said. “It’s not why you have the power.”

“I never agreed to power,” she argued.

“You said the words.”

“You don’t want me to stop. You just want me out there, jumping from rooftops and performing feats of daring-do.”

“I emphatically do not want you jumpting from rooftops,” Dusk hurried to reply, a curl of smoke rising from the maze of fractures that were his body.

“I don’t hear you denying the other thing.” Flick; more sparks. A flamespren rose up from the ground, red like hot iron and dancing slowly, lethargically.

“As a matter of fact, I think a little daring-do would be good for your health.”

“Well I don't. I...” Sahan trailed off.

At the bar, Rek had gone still, his arms raised in a gesture of surrender. The men across the bar had grown aggressive, looming over him.

Cold ran down Sahan’s spine. One of the men – tan, with thaylen eyebrows – thrust a finger at Rek’s chest, scowling.

Dusk crackled. “Kid?” She was stock-still. The stormlight within her was pushing her up, to her feet. She forced herself not to move with an effort of will. It was like holding her breath too long underwater.

“Sahan,” Dusk hissed urgently. “Help him.”

The noise of the crowd hadn’t faltered; no one had noticed the altercation. No one but her.

She stayed still. “Dusk, I-”

She watched as Rek took a cloth sack from one of the men, filled it with spheres, and handed it back. She could see his hands shaking even from so far away.

Dusk’s voice was quiet when he spoke again; he almost sounded younger. “Please, Sahan.”

The last of her stormlight puffed from her lips. “No,” she said. “I won’t.”

The men, satisfied with their takings, turned and walked out of the Shalebark and into the riddens.

part 1