Preservation

Kaladin

I have been intending to contact you for some time, as we share similar roles

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Kaladin studied the young Vin. Surely she'd recognize his name if not his face. Even the remote villages had heard of the legendary Kaladin Stormblessed, an unfortunate byproduct of his status at the first, and leader, of the Windrunners,

However, he saw no recognition in her eyes. Where could she be from? Or rather, what was this "New Empire" she spoke of?

Kaladin shook his head. It wasn't his job to think about these things. He was a soldier, and a broken one at that. In fact, he wasn't technically a soldier anymore, despite his fight at Urithuru.

Vin studied their surroundings, not taking her hand off of her dagger.

She has good survival instincts, Kaladin though. He still thought that she'd been a street urchin, but from her reaction, that appeared to be an uncomfortable past.

"What is this place?" she asked.

Kaladin frowned, "You don't know? I'd assumed you were from here."

Vin stared at him, incredulous. "Me? Live here? No thank you."

"I guess we're both lost then." Kaladin sat down. This seemed to be as good a place as any.

Vin sat across from him, still wary.

She doesn't trust anyone, does she? Kaladin though. Then again, I guess I'm the same. Being a bridgeman, followed by a bodyguard, had done that to him.

As they sat there, Kaladin's thoughts turned to Syl, worried. Their bond was what gave her the ability to think. He could feel her somewhere, but he couldn't pinpoint the location. It was more of a vague feeling than the usual sense.

As he thought, Kaladin went back to trying to find Syl. He concentrated, trying to pull Syl to him. He's done something similar at the beginning of the siege of Urithuru. He'd been doing this when Vin had surprised him. That girl could be quiet, maybe even as quiet as Lift.

Kaladin felt Syl respond quietly, like she was aware of him, but only faintly. Just like how he felt her, like a faint pressure on the back of his mind.

Kaladin focused, bringing his full weight down on their bond. He felt Syl responding, reaching out to him as well.

Kaladin thrust his hand out to the side, trying to summon Syl as a Shardblade. Mist formed in the shape of a blade in his hand, before flickering and dispersing.

Kaladin released his focus, disappointed, an emotion mirrored by Syl. At least she wasn't mindless. He he opened his eyes, only to be confronted by a very confused Vin.

"What was that?" she demanded.

Kaladin sighed, "I was trying to summon my spren," Kaladin explained.

Vin's brow furrowed, "Your what?"

"My spren. You know, windspren, flamespren, gloryspren..." Kaladin trailed off, seeing Vin's completely bewildered expression. "Do you, not have spren where you come from?"

Vin shook her head. She looked down, seemingly contemplating something. She then glanced at his hand, still confused.

"And what was that thing you did with your hand?"

Kaladin looked at her confused, "I just-" he shook his head. "That was me summoning my spren."

Vin's brow furrowed, "This "spren" is a sword?"

"Well, she can manifest as one. As well as many other things." He smiled, remembering that feeling, floating in the air, Sylspear in his hand, his body bursting with Stormlight.

His smile faded, remembering who he'd been fighting. Szeth, the Assassin in White. The man who had killed King Gavilar. The man who had single-handedly killed over half of the worlds monarchs, nearly plunging Roshar into chaos.

And the man that now defended Dalinar Kholin, the leader of the Coalition, and the best chance they had against Odium.

He still wasn't sure how Szeth was alive. Kaladin himself had run him through with the Sylspear, dropping his corpse from high in the sky of a Highstorm.

And he was also a Skybreaker now. While Szeth being a Knight Radiant should have been comforting, when taking into account that the rest of the Skybreakers, including the Herald Nale, had betrayed them to Odium, it was actually more concerning.

Still, he'd apparently been honor-bound to follow the orders of whoever had held his Oathstone. And despite their differences, honor was something Kaladin understood. He was bonded to an Honorspren after all. Szeth also apparently sworn himself to Dalinar as his Third Ideal.

But most importantly, in Kaladin's eyes, Syl trusted him, so Kaladin tried to do the same.

As Kaladin sat there, another though occurred to him. He hadn't been able to summon Syl, but what about his Shardplate? After all, it was supposed to always be worn, just intangible until he wanted it. So, maybe it has been transported to this place with him.

Kaladin raised his hand, preparing to summon a gauntlet, but hesitated. How much did he trust Vin? He'd told her about Syl because he'd assumed that she'd already known about spren, and she'd already seen the Sylblade, if only a form made from mist.

But did he want to reveal his Plate? It seemed like a risk, but Vin didn't seem to be one for betrayal. Sure, she'd keep him at arm length, but she didn't seem the type to stab him in the back.

And if she knows I can summon Plate at any time, he thought, then maybe she'll think twice if she ever does want to betray me.

With that out of the way, Kaladin tried to summon his plate. An intricate gauntlet appeared on his hand, the edge of each piece emitting a bright blue glow. He flexed his hand, testing the functionality of the plate. It appeared to function normally.

At the sudden appearance of the gauntlet, Vin scrambled back. She whipped out hers daggers resting in a crouch. Kaladin looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected her to react with such skill.

"What is that?" she hissed, glaring at the gauntlet like it was a predator.

"It's Shardplate," Kaladin explained, holding his arm out twords her. "It's made out of manifested spren, like the blade I tried to summon earlier."

Vin eyed it suspiciously, sitting back down. "So, is this the spren you were talking about?"

"No, Plate is made of lesser spren, windspren in my case. Syl is is a Honorspren."

At his command, the gauntlet split into glowing streaks of light. The windspren spiraled around him, laughing, before fading from view.

Vin opened her mouth in awe, watching the spren. What was an everyday event for him, seemed to be wondrous experience for her.

Kaladin began to speak, but then Vin stiffened. She whipped around, staring off into the distance. Kaladin followed her stare, seeing nothing. Then he heard it, a soft whine, almost like a wounded animal.

The pair of them scrambled to their feet, drawing weapons as a speck appeared on the horizon. The speck streaked twords them, flying at unbelievable speeds, growing larger by the second.

The object slowed as it neared them, before it began to drop twords the ground. It had a cylindrical base that slowly tapered off in a cone. There was a small dome on the top and a pair of motionless wings to either side of the center.

As it neared the ground, legs protruded out from the bottom, resting on the ground. The dome popped up, revealing a young woman sitting inside.