YubNub Social YubNub Social
    Advanced Search
  • Login
  • Register

  • Day mode
  • © 2025 YubNub Social
    About • Directory • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Android • Apple iOS • Get Our App

    Select Language

  • English
Install our *FREE* WEB APP! (PWA)
Night mode
Community
News Feed (Home) Popular Posts Events Blog Market Forum
Media
Headline News VidWatch Game Zone Top PodCasts
Explore
Explore Jobs Offers
© 2025 YubNub Social
  • English
About • Directory • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Android • Apple iOS • Get Our App

Discover posts

Posts

Users

Pages

Group

Blog

Market

Events

Games

Forum

Jobs

Daily Caller Feed
Daily Caller Feed
36 w

FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Hamas Firing On Humanitarian Aid Flight
Favicon 
checkyourfact.com

FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Hamas Firing On Humanitarian Aid Flight

A video shared on X claims to show Hamas firing on a humanitarian aid flight. H×mas firing at humanitarian aid airdrops ? They hate airdrops, because the aid gets directly to civilians. H×mas prefers UNRWA aid instead, because it gets distributed through H×mas, and they make money out of it. pic.twitter.com/nj85iWarA1 — Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) October […]
Like
Comment
Share
Daily Caller Feed
Daily Caller Feed
36 w

CARLA SANDS: Peace Through Strength Requires American Energy
Favicon 
dailycaller.com

CARLA SANDS: Peace Through Strength Requires American Energy

'Energy dominance is not just about supplying our needs'
Like
Comment
Share
Daily Caller Feed
Daily Caller Feed
36 w

REPORT: Police Arrest Man For Putting Pen Camera In Women’s Bathroom At Church
Favicon 
dailycaller.com

REPORT: Police Arrest Man For Putting Pen Camera In Women’s Bathroom At Church

Prosecutors said the accused illegally filmed at least 24 people
Like
Comment
Share
Strange & Paranormal Files
Strange & Paranormal Files
36 w

SHAPESHIFTING WINGED 'GOBLIN' Followed Chicago Family & Witness For 45+ Years!
Favicon 
www.phantomsandmonsters.com

SHAPESHIFTING WINGED 'GOBLIN' Followed Chicago Family & Witness For 45+ Years!

This account was originally forwarded to me in November 2017. It has been updated recently after the witness contacted me.The following list includes the locations where the witness had seen/encountered this winged being throughout the years. Her family has also witnessed the same being on numerous occasions:- Racine Street, Chicago 1970- 1751 W. Berwyn St, Chicago 1970-1974 (several sightings)- 1713 Catalpa Ave, Chicago 1974- 1864 N. Heritage St, Chicago 1975- Lake Michigan while fishing on the shoreline, northern Indiana 1977- Ravenswood Hospital, Chicago 1978 & 1979- River Park, Chicago 1979 & 1980- Des Plaines, Illinois 1980- Massillon, Ohio 1980- Lake Michigan 1981- Meadow Bridge, WV 1982- Fort Randolph, WV 1982- Charmco, WV 1983- Hines, WV 1984- Leslie, WV 1984- Orint Hill, WV 1985- Statesville, NC 1987-2017 (several sightings)- Cabin in Pigeon Forge, TN in July 2017 (last sighting)"It's a shape shifter, but I think it's original form is about 7 foot tall creature with wings that span 12 feet or so total. It has a goblin-like face and ears with bat-like wings, but way more flexible. It's real dark brown, almost black in color. It has red eyes that almost glow in the dark. It has claw-like feet and very long fingers and arms. Arms are not connected to the wings, they are separate. Wings are more like on its back like a birds. Has a long tail and pointed at the end. It's extremely fast in this form.Other forms it transforms into are:- A moth-like creature. In this form its hands and wings are attached and it's closer to 6 feet tall with long teeth.- It also takes the form of a bat but bigger, 3 feet in size with red eyes and black in color with long teeth. It's not super fast in this form but faster than a human being.- It can also take on a goblin-like creature, hands and wings are separate. Gray and black in color with long teeth, human-like hands but long claws and sharp talons on its feet and drools. Red and brown eyes 3 1/2 foot tall. Slowest form, however it's still as fast as a cat when it needs to move. Licks itself in this form, like it's cleaning it's claws. Has a tail maybe 2 feet long.It has been inside several homes we have lived in. It hates dogs. It perches up high to avoid being seen. It hides in the shadows, like it's stalking you, similar to a feline. It has an odor almost like a musty or moss-like scent. Once you smell it you never forget it. It's mean in nature and likes to show it's in control. No matter the form, it also has a loud screeching sound. It's hard to explain. No, I do not have a photo of it and I cannot explain why my family has seen it so many times. I have no answers but I know it's real.Example of an incident, which occurred on the Lake Michigan shoreline in north Indiana. I was about 10 years old (around 1977). We had gone to visit my cousins and went fishing. We cleaned the fish at the lake and left the fish heads and scales on the river bank. This being flew down ate the remains. My cousin said as long as you give back it won't bother you. They had seen it several times before."NOTE: When the witness and I talked, she described that the winged being lived in a vacant warehouse next door to their home on 1751 W. Berwyn St. in Chicago (Anderson neighborhood). This occurred during 1970-1974, and the being was observed many times by the family. When the family moved, it continued to follow them near their new location. The being made itself known to the witness after she became an adult. No one has been able to obtain a photograph. She and the family wish to remain anonymous, though the witness has been very forthcoming to me during our conversation and subsequent follow-up emails. It's obvious to me that she wishes for the encounters to end. LonHave you had a sighting of a winged humanoid or huge bat-like creature in the Chicago, Illinois metro area / Lake Michigan region? The entity has also been referred to as the 'Chicago Mothman', 'Chicago Owlman' & 'O'Hare Mothman' or 'O'Hare Batman.' - Chicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive Map - Please feel free to contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com - your anonymity is guaranteed. Our investigative group is conducting a serious examination of his phenomenon. We are merely seeking the truth and wish to determine what eyewitnesses have been encountering. Your cooperation is truly appreciated.**********WEIRDEST OF THE WEIRD 3 - CHILLING ENCOUNTERS! | LIVE CHAT | Q & A (REAL EYEWITNESS REPORTS!)PHANTOMS & MONSTERS VIDEO LIBRARYPOLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote & comment on paranormal, cryptid & unexplained mysteries!LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS & MONSTERS REPORTS & CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHAREPHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS & MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonOUR SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSBigfoot and Other Cryptid Videos on YouTubeLYCANS! - PENNSYLVANIA'S CRYPTID CANINES UPDATE'KILLER BIGFOOT' HUNTED BY U.S. SPECIAL FORCES / GLIMMER MAN / MANTIS HUMANOIDSCRAWLER HUMANOIDS - GRUESOME INVADERS! (REAL EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS!)WEREWOLVES: DO THEY EXIST?'DOGMAN IN OUR YARD!' - AN OHIO FAMILY'S 12-YEAR SAGA WITH CRYPTID CANINESHey, folks. Thanks for the congrats on 'The Mothman Revisited' episode on Unsolved Mysteries. As a result, we are receiving more sighting reports and are very excited and grateful for the new information!I sincerely thank the Unsolved Mysteries team and Netflix for allowing us to tell the world about this phenomenon.If you have information about this or any other cryptid or unexplained sighting or encounter, please feel free to contact me by email or at 410-241-5974. Thanks again! LonCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistChicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive MapHey, folks. Please feel free to share your thoughts & comments on the recently uploaded video of the CHICAGO MOTHMAN. I'm interested in what you have to say. Thanks. LonEXCLUSIVE VIDEO of CHICAGO MOTHMAN RECORDED----------Become a Phantoms & Monsters Radio Insider - just $2.99 monthly, and receive these perks. Thanks for your support!-Members-only live chats-Exclusive members-only videos-Priority reply to members' commentsHave perks suggestions? LMK-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. Lon Noted UFOlogist Dr. Raymond Keller believes the idea of extraterrestrials and even ultra-dimensional beings from many different planets and alternate realms living and working among us clandestinely is more than just another conspiracy theory.Available on Amazon.comSan Francisco Book Festival Honorable MentionNew York Book Festival Honorable MentionAlso available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs,CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.This blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS & MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms & Monsters - All Rights Reserved
Like
Comment
Share
Strange & Paranormal Files
Strange & Paranormal Files
36 w

8-FOOT-TALL, FLUORESCENT-GREEN 'TRANSPARENT' HUMANOID Encountered by Police Officer
Favicon 
www.phantomsandmonsters.com

8-FOOT-TALL, FLUORESCENT-GREEN 'TRANSPARENT' HUMANOID Encountered by Police Officer

I received the following account from a former Stephenville, Texas police officer who encountered a bizarre tall, fluorescent-green humanoid while on patrol."Back in 2001, I was employed at the Stephenville, Texas Police Department as the patrol night shift sergeant. My shift was from 7pm - 7am. On this particular night, I had been at the police department for a short break. I walked out to my patrol car and left heading east. I drove one block over and noticed something on top of the post office that caught my attention. I stopped my patrol vehicle in the street between two vacant parking lots. The post office was located one block to the north of my position. This was a cloudless night and very clear. My driver-side window was down and was in direct line and view of what I was observing.I first saw something light green getting larger as it was heading across the roof of the post office toward my direction. As I watched it, I began to realize it appeared to exactly resemble a person walking. It stopped at the edge of the flat roof of the post office on the side facing me and stopped. The best description I can give of the thing I saw is the following:It appeared to be about 8 feet tall. I base this on the height of the post office wall in proportion to the thing's height. The body of the thing had a regular build to its height, meaning a person who has who was in good shape. Not fat or skinny. The most extraordinary item was the thing was transparent. The lines of the thing were fluorescent green which gave it somewhat of a mass but was still transparent. The thing had great 3D detail. Every feature except for the height appeared to be human. The clothing appeared to be what I would describe as a jumpsuit. But again, it was all one color and made up by its green outlines. The thing appeared bald to the best of what I remember. The thing stood at the edge, put its hands on its hips, turned its upper body, and began looking back off to the west as if it was observing something. It then turned and began looking off to the east for a few seconds. All I could think was that I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I hoped it didn't see me. A few seconds later it looked down directly at me. I didn't feel fear. I don't know if I could actually see a smile or just had that feeling like it was smiling and saying, "Well you saw me." I never felt threatened. The thing turned and began walking back the way it came. I remember saying to myself, like hell you're getting away.I drove to the back side of the post office (northside). The walls of the post office are about 25 feet tall on all sides. I knew it couldn't jump down. I called the fire department which is located next to the police station and told them to bring a ladder truck over to the post office because I believed someone was on the roof. Another police unit left the police department and set up watching the opposite sides of the building. About 5 minutes later the fire department arrived. I told the others to stay down and I would check the roof. I climbed up on the roof and there was nothing. I searched the spot on the roof where it was standing and the path it walked and found nothing. I believe the roof was graveled but can't remember for sure. The officer and fire department personnel I'm sure thought I was nuts thinking someone was up there. I dared not tell them what I saw. So I sat on this for years and only told a few close friends about the experience. Since the internet has come out I have tried to research any other sightings such as this but have found nothing. I can say this with the utmost confidence. I know what I saw. There was too much detail in the thing. This was a very clear night. The thing had a dark sky behind it so it was easy to see, not to mention its size.I have been retired from the PD for 4 years now. I run my own business and do private investigations and security contracts. If you have had any other reports like this I would greatly appreciate a response. This has bothered me for years and I just would like to know what y'all think I saw or what it could have been. Thanks in advance! If you need an exact time and date the police department should have made a call report on the incident. The month and day above are just a guess. I can't remember. But the year should be close." S**********WEIRDEST OF THE WEIRD 3 - CHILLING ENCOUNTERS! | LIVE CHAT | Q & A (REAL EYEWITNESS REPORTS!)PHANTOMS & MONSTERS VIDEO LIBRARYPOLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote & comment on paranormal, cryptid & unexplained mysteries!LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS & MONSTERS REPORTS & CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHAREPHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS & MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonOUR SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSBigfoot and Other Cryptid Videos on YouTubeLYCANS! - PENNSYLVANIA'S CRYPTID CANINES UPDATE'KILLER BIGFOOT' HUNTED BY U.S. SPECIAL FORCES / GLIMMER MAN / MANTIS HUMANOIDSCRAWLER HUMANOIDS - GRUESOME INVADERS! (REAL EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS!)WEREWOLVES: DO THEY EXIST?'DOGMAN IN OUR YARD!' - AN OHIO FAMILY'S 12-YEAR SAGA WITH CRYPTID CANINESHey, folks. Thanks for the congrats on 'The Mothman Revisited' episode on Unsolved Mysteries. As a result, we are receiving more sighting reports and are very excited and grateful for the new information!I sincerely thank the Unsolved Mysteries team and Netflix for allowing us to tell the world about this phenomenon.If you have information about this or any other cryptid or unexplained sighting or encounter, please feel free to contact me by email or at 410-241-5974. Thanks again! LonCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistChicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive MapHey, folks. Please feel free to share your thoughts & comments on the recently uploaded video of the CHICAGO MOTHMAN. I'm interested in what you have to say. Thanks. LonEXCLUSIVE VIDEO of CHICAGO MOTHMAN RECORDED----------Become a Phantoms & Monsters Radio Insider - just $2.99 monthly, and receive these perks. Thanks for your support!-Members-only live chats-Exclusive members-only videos-Priority reply to members' commentsHave perks suggestions? LMK-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. Lon Noted UFOlogist Dr. Raymond Keller believes the idea of extraterrestrials and even ultra-dimensional beings from many different planets and alternate realms living and working among us clandestinely is more than just another conspiracy theory.Available on Amazon.comSan Francisco Book Festival Honorable MentionNew York Book Festival Honorable MentionAlso available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs,CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.This blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS & MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms & Monsters - All Rights Reserved
Like
Comment
Share
Classic Rock Lovers
Classic Rock Lovers  
36 w

Favicon 
www.classicrockhistory.com

10 Most Rocking Prince Songs

Our list of the top 10 most rocking Prince songs takes a deep dive into an artist who has been celebrated as one of the greatest musical talents of the past fifty years. While most discussions around Prince center on his groundbreaking catalog, which fused pop, soul, R&B, and rock into a sound that was entirely his own, one of the most common oversights is the lack of recognition for his extraordinary guitar work. It may have been in 2004, during his electrifying performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where he delivered one of the most iconic The post 10 Most Rocking Prince Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.
Like
Comment
Share
SciFi and Fantasy
SciFi and Fantasy  
36 w

Wind and Truth Read-Along Discussion: Chapters 25 and 26
Favicon 
reactormag.com

Wind and Truth Read-Along Discussion: Chapters 25 and 26

Books Wind and Truth Wind and Truth Read-Along Discussion: Chapters 25 and 26 Shallan’s snooping leads to a major bombshell, and we get a glimpse of some fascinating trophies… By Paige Vest, Lyndsey Luther, Drew McCaffrey | Published on October 28, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Happy Monday to our loyal readers, our cherished Sanderfans and Cosmere Chickens! And welcome to another Wind and Truth read-along discussion. Last week we discussed the events of chapters 23 and 24, where a disguised Shallan managed to gain entry into the secret lair of the Ghostbloods, and young Szeth danced in our first flashback! This week, we’re here to discuss what’s going on with Shallan and Dalinar in chapters 25 and 26. Check out the social media section at the end of the article to see if we spotlighted one of your comments!  Note that this post will possibly contain full Cosmere spoilers, so beware if you aren’t caught up on all Cosmere content. And please remember, when posting or commenting about these preview chapters on social media, to follow your platform’s spoiler rules. Your comments here, however, don’t need to be spoiler tagged, so feel free to comment as you will down below! Paige’s Summary and Commentary Chapter 25 is titled “Purposeful Danger” and opens with Shallan descending into the depths of Narak to a large underground room filled with Ghostbloods. Oh, it’s real now! The Thaylens she admitted to the hideout while masquerading as a guard stop to admire several of Mraize’s prizes that he’s collected from various worlds. Shallan turns to find Sja-anat looking at her, reflected in the glass of another display case. Sja-anat smiles at her and then vanishes. Rather unsettling, isn’t it? Considering that we know little about Sja-anat’s plans or endgame. What is she doing there? Working for the Ghostbloods or spying, as Shallan herself is? It’s interesting to think about. Shallan skulks around the edges of the group, scoping out the room and noting both people she had known were in the society and those who were new to her. She sees Iyatil crouched, surveying the room, and when she attracts the woman’s gaze, Shallan crouches as well, mimicking her posture, hoping to avoid Iyatil’s attention. Mraize plays with some kind of contraption that shoots large, heavy-looking arrowheads, and another Ghostblood mentions that it’s a Thaylen weapon, intended to deliver a payload. Shallan sees Mraize with a bolt with a gemstone on it and she realizes that with anti-Stormlight, it could be used to kill a spren or a Radiant. Mraize also pulls out his seon, which takes on the likeness of Felt, who tells those assembled that Mishram’s prison is in the Spiritual Realm. Shallan can’t stop the shockspren from manifesting around her. She realizes that Felt and the seon, Ala, had been Ghostblood spies all along. Mraize announces that Cultivation has visited Dalinar, who will go to the Spiritual Realm and that he, Mraize, will follow him, along with Iyatil. Then Iyatil herself crosses the room, approaching Shallan; she bends down and speaks to her in a language that Shallan doesn’t know. We jump to Dalinar, of course, because we must be left in suspense, worrying that Shallan may have been discovered by Iyatil after just a few minutes! Dalinar is speaking with Navani in the garden room and she asks him if she’ll lose him if he ascends to Honor, which is quite a heartbreaking possibility to contemplate. After how many years of a loveless marriage to Gavilar, and all the years of being alone after he died, she finally gets together with Dalinar only to lose him again? Hasn’t Navani been through enough? Hasn’t she sacrificed enough? Does she have to give up Dalinar, as well? ::Paige has sad feels:: Navani asks why it has to be him that does this and, of course, Dalinar thinks that he’s the only one who can do it. He feels that something has been guiding him and that the contest may not be the most important thing right now. Wit pops in and offers his thoughts. He thinks that Dalinar needs to see—to relive—the history of Roshar since the humans arrived, which will allow Dalinar access to truths and revelations that even Wit doesn’t know. And bloody hell, but Wit knows a lot—to think about the secrets that even he doesn’t know about is kind of mind-boggling. Wit also mentions that he doesn’t know why the Stormfather would lie. I thought that was unsettling back in the prologue when he lied to Gavilar; it’s still concerning to know that he’s lied to Dalinar. Navani again wonders what would happen were Dalinar to take up the shard, and Wit chimes in: “Dalinar would Ascend,” Wit said. “His mind would expand to see with the eyes of deity. The Shards are not omniscient—it is relatively easy to hide things from them. But they are . . . blessed with a near-infinite capacity to understand. To see into the future, in its many permutations, and to comprehend what that means.” We saw Taravangian’s ascension, and frankly, it was alarming. Of course, the pruned Blackthorn isn’t as scary as Taravangian was—smart Taravangian, at least. So perhaps Dalinar ascending wouldn’t be as frightening? Perhaps. What do you all think, Sanderfans? What unexpected realizations might Dalinar have if he takes up the shard of Honor? Will he also think he has a plan to save everyone and fix everything? Or might he really be able to solve the problems of Roshar without being a creeping, creepy creep? I just don’t know. He speculates that if it doesn’t work, he could find another to give the shard to but Wit says that’s not a likely scenario… that once one holds the power of a god, it’s not so easy to give it up. I mean, could you see Taravangian seeing reason and deciding to give up Odium’s shard because he’s just a little crazy with all of that knowledge and power? Yeah, neither could I. Forgive me from highlighting another section, here, but it’s better read from Brandon than from me: “Surely it has been done,” Dalinar said.Wit grew distant, a faint smile on his lips. “Once. It wasn’t a full Ascension, but a mortal did give up the power once. It proved to be the wrong choice, but it was the most selfless thing I believe I’ve ever witnessed. So yes, Dalinar, it is possible. But not easy.” Is he talking about Vin? I kind of feel like he’s talking about Vin. I could be wrong, but she did take up Preservation for a minute, right? So that’s got to be who Wit’s talking about, right? Or am I overlooking something, Sanderfans? Moving on, Navani tells Dalinar that she’s going with him. Because of course, she is. And is he really going to argue with her? No. No, he’s not. Wit wants to stage a test run into the Spiritual Realm and suggests that they find a place lower in the tower, in case it doesn’t work. That way, they won’t have as far to fall. …I’m sorry, what? Chapter 26 is titled “Hunting the Hunter” and thankfully, we return to Shallan, who tries to think of how to field Iyatil’s question or order, which the woman repeats after a moment. After Iyatil glances toward the other mask-wearer, the man, Shallan takes a chance and simply responds with “a curt nod,” which seems to satisfy Iyatil. She goes to speak to the other off-worlder and Shallan follows. Iyatil and the male Scadrian have a hurried conversation and Shallan understands none of it. To save her own… assets, her interior Veil voice encourages her to find a distraction, so Shallan stares at a doorknob and when it’s obvious that it’s her turn to speak, she points and whispers, “Sja-anat.” This has the desired effect of pulling Iyatil’s attention from the conversation that Shallan doesn’t understand. Iyatil checks out the doorknob and seeing nothing, she leaves the others to go talk to Mraize. Shallan is left alone when the male Scadrian follows Iyatil, leaving her to pretend to study the doorknob. Then, who should show up in the shiny doorknob but Sja-anat. She tells Shallan that she’s clever for managing to get out of that conversation without being able to speak their language. Shallan holds a whispered conversation with the Unmade and flat out asks her whose side she’s on. Hey, someone’s being direct and trying to get useful info? Well done, Shallan! Sja-anat says that she fights for “survival” and that Odium has proven that he doesn’t care about her or her children. She basically suggests that Shallan should join her. It’s rather refreshing to see her lay the cards out on the table this way. How do you feel about Sja-anat and her seeming rejection of Odium, Sanderfans? Iyatil and Mraize approach and, surprisingly, Sja-anat does not hide. Iyatil tells the other Scadrian, Lieke, to stay and entertain the others while she and Mraize (with Shallan following) enter the alcove occupied by Mraize’s trophy case. Only it’s not his, it’s Iyatil’s, who points to the glass and Sja-anat’s reflection. She asks Sja-anat why she’s there when she’s supposed to be watching the Bondsmiths. The Unmade answers that she would draw attention from the Sibling so her children watch instead. Then… ::drumroll:: Mraize drops a bomb right on Shallan’s head. He reminds Sja-anat, who is questioning why they’d want to risk becoming lost in the Spiritual Realm, that she had told him that “our spren could guide us.” Yup… they’re Radiant, bonded to Sja-anat’s children. Shallan remembers being the one to arrange Sja-anat’s meeting with the Ghostbloods. Radiant reassures her and tells her not to be too hard on herself for this unforeseen consequence. Meanwhile, Sja-anat warns Mraize and Iyatil that Mishram is not “fond of humans,” which we gleaned when she appeared to Shallan in Shadesmar. Angry Unmade is angry. Then Mraize asks Sja-anat if Shallan is hunting them. The Unmade confirms that she does hunt them and does not look at Shallan! She’s totes covering for her. I love it! Then Iyatil tells Mraize that he fixates too much on Shallan, that her attention will be on protecting her loved ones. She sends Mraize away and tells Shallan (still in disguise, of course) that something is wrong with him: “I do not think he has been replaced with a duplicate, but I do question his loyalty to our cause.” Wait, what? Replaced with a duplicate? She’s his Babsk and she thinks it’s possible to “replace” someone that she knows so well? To the point that she can’t tell if it’s really him? How…? Then Iyatil talks of finding Mishram for her purposes and says that Thaidakar can protect his land if the Shards can be controlled. She asks Shallan if this will fit her plans as well and Shallan doesn’t know how to answer so she nods again. Then Iyatil focuses on Shallan and, presumably, realizes that her eyes are wrong. Shockspren appear as she realizes it’s not her cohort behind that mask. She shouts: “Radiants! We are discovered!” Wait. Radiants? Are they ALL storming Radiants? Holy guacamole on a chouta, Sanderfans… the Ghostbloods have leveled up in the most dangerous way. How can Shallan and her Unseen Court go head to head with Radiant Ghostbloods? What do you all think of this development? Please, please discuss all the things in the comments because we want to see your thoughts on these super interesting developments!  Lyndsey’s Commentary For chapter 25, all four Herald portraits are of Jezrien (Jezerezeh), Herald of Kings, patron of the Windrunners. His attributes are Protecting/Leading, and his role is King. This doesn’t seem to relate to Shallan’s section, but it does relate to Dalinar’s part. He’s talking about ascending to hold the Shard of Honor, and leading/protecting the entirety of the world, if not the Cosmere. Chapter 26 is also a pretty obvious choice, with all four portraits being of Battah (Battar), patron of the Elsecallers. Her attributes are Wise/Careful and her role is Counsellor, and if Shallan’s not the embodiment of care and wisdom in this chapter, I don’t know who is. The Almighty has given us the limbs to move and the minds to decide. Let no monarch take away what was divinely granted. The Heralds also taught that all should have the sacred right of freedom of movement, to escape a bad situation. Or simply to seek a brighter dawn.I continued on my way, contemplating dust and the nature of desertion. For I, as king, had walked away from my duties, and it was different for me. Had I not renounced a throne the Almighty had granted, and in so doing, undermined my very own words? Was I abandoning that which was divinely given me? —From The Way of Kings, fourth parable Interesting that these excerpts are coming now, when Dalinar is considering abandoning his duties as “king” and seeking a higher power. Felt Felt was a Ghostblood. Reminder that Felt was one of the men that went with Dalinar to visit the Nightwatcher, and was with Adolin and Shallan on their trip to Lasting Integrity. I’ll let Drew go into more detail about his status as a worldhopper. Dalinar From Jasnah or Adolin, perhaps those words would have been a challenge. A question why he always put himself in the center of the issue. He found such questions ridiculous—who else could he trust with a problem of such magnitude? Someone needed to walk the difficult roads, and—as ruler—it was his duty. Hubris vs. responsibility… it’s a fine line to walk, to be sure, and a fundamental part of Dalinar’s personality. Where does the line between tyrant and leader fall? Is he right about his understanding of when to lead vs when to delegate responsibility… or is his ego getting the better of him? Sja-anat I am on the side of preserving a world for my children. And who can blame her for that, truly? The more we see of her, the more I question whether she’s the villain she’s been labeled. Though… that said, what villain really considers themselves to be a villain? Taravangian also only wanted to protect his own, and look at the atrocities he committed to provide that protection… Iyatil & Thaidakar (Kelsier) He works to protect his homeland above all else, but once we find Mishram for my purposes, he will see. Master Thaidakar can only protect his land if the Shards can be controlled. Something gives me the feeling that Kelsier wouldn’t be terribly pleased with this secret being withheld from him. He always has been the type to appreciate his compatriots having plans and agency, but this seems to be going too far. Drew’s Commentary: Invested Arts & Theories All right, Cosmere fans. Here we go. Straight away, we follow Shallan down into this new Ghostblood lair, and we’re treated to Mraize’s Cosmere Goodies 2.0. (Well, not Mraize’s. Iyatil’s. We’ll get to that.) First, we have to break down what exactly we’re looking at, here. Housed in a small room full of glass-fronted cases, each unlabeled artifact had its own shelf lit by a handful of chips. A silvery horn or claw from some great beast. Brandon leads off with something sure to get some eyebrows raised: Dragonsteel. This is almost certainly from a dragon, just like we’ve previously seen in Tress of the Emerald Sea on the great scholar dragon Xisis. A chunk of light red crystal, like pink salt—though of a deeper, more vibrant color. Here we have some Roseite Aether, again as seen in Tress of the Emerald Sea (and The Lost Metal). This actually showed up in Words of Radiance as well, the first time Shallan saw Mraize’s collection. Knowing what we do now about how Aethers work, though, raises the question of whether this is the same bit of Roseite Aether, or if Mraize/Iyatil/the Ghostbloods have another source of it on Roshar. It sure doesn’t seem like TwinSoul is visiting them, given what we find out in The Lost Metal. A violet stone egg, partly crystalline, with silver swirling around its shell. Then we get our first big question mark. This object doesn’t resemble anything we’ve seen in published canon (or really anything in readily available unpublished canon, either.) My gut instinct upon reading this was that it’s a dragon egg, hence the silver swirl. That’s an easy leap to make, with a Dragonsteel claw or horn sitting right next to it. But there’s a wrench in that possibility. This Word of Brandon indicates that his plan, at least a couple years ago, was to have dragons be born like humans and live the first stretch of their lives entirely in human form. But curiously, he waffles a lot while answering the question, leaving room for some changes. What if the birth of a dragon depends on who the parents are? Maybe a female dragon mating with a human male could end up with a hatching situation, and the inverse being a live birth? Or perhaps this is a Sho Del egg. In canon, we’ve still seen very little of them—just a couple brief glimpses in The Sunlit Man and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, along with the MeLaan epilogue in The Lost Metal. They certainly have some draconic qualities, and they don’t seem to have the same ability as dragons when it comes to shapeshifting. It could also be something entirely new, something Brandon is saving for something more in the future. Maybe The Isles of the Emberdark will hold an answer? Maybe we have to wait for the Dragonsteel series itself… A fat, succulent leaf that pulsed red and seemed to radiate heat. Another one that doesn’t have an easy answer. There are a couple of places in the known Cosmere with noteworthy vegetation, and Words of Radiance showed that the collection includes the Tears of Edgli flower from Nalthis. But this leaf, emitting heat, doesn’t really line up with anything we saw in Warbreaker; nor does it immediately fit with the local flora of Patji in Sixth of the Dusk. It seems we have a couple new things to keep our eyes peeled for in forthcoming Cosmere publications. A vial of pale sand she now recognized as having a very practical application. Unfortunately the final item named in the collection is a well-known quantity at this point, so there’s not much room for speculation. White Sand has become more and more of a ubiquitous tool in the Cosmere, though that brings its own ramifications. The Lost Metal shows that Autonomy is aggressively moving against Scadrial, yes, but Wind and Truth takes place before Mistborn Era 2—and Arcanum Unbounded indicates that there was some sort of blockade or closure, preventing visitors from reaching the world. Word of Brandon is that that was only temporary, but we don’t know when the restriction was lifted. Certainly during the events of Secret History it was still closed off, which we know thanks to Khriss’ comments to Kelsier. How long has Iyatil been working on this? Perhaps she visited everyone’s favorite tidally locked planet before Autonomy said “no thanks” to foreigners? A quick aside for a random theory on a throwaway line: If there is room for my children, there will be room for yours. Is Shallan pregnant? Anyway… “My trophy case. I see her reflection.” And there’s the boom. Of course all this was Iyatil’s rather than Mraize’s. She’s the boss, after all—Shallan just gets fixated on Mraize because he’s the one who steals the spotlight. Speaking of stealing the spotlight, it’s easy to forget all the neat little things in the trophy case when this just happened: “You said our spren could guide us,” Mraize said, stepping closer to the mirror. Whoo boy, things just got a whole lot more difficult for Shallan and the Unseen Court. Mraize and Iyatil, bonded to Enlightened spren sent by Sja-anat… they have a serious Investiture arsenal at this point. Mraize holds Breath, as we saw in Rhythm of War. He’s got an Aviar, he’s got anti-Light, and now he’s in control of two indeterminate Surges. And now the jig is up, and Shallan is surrounded by a bunch of Ghostbloods. Fan Theories Lyn: In the weekly discussion thread over on Reddit, Saruphon has this interesting theory based on the epigraphs: From this i predicted that someone will get to leave Roshar at the end of WAT, maybe Odium (in case odium lose) or the knights radiant (in case Dalinar lose). … This is Alethi Right of Travel, but BS putting this here foreshadow that someone or some group will get right of travel to leave Roshar even if their team lose (likely Knight Radiant) As for hilarious off-the-wall tinfoil hat theories that will cause me to eat one of my many renaissance faire hats if it’s right, we’ve got redshadow310 speculating: What if Stick is a shardblade? In an earlier chapter it’s mentioned that abandoned blades fade in the physical world after time. What if they don’t fade completely but the perception of them changes? A deadeye radiant spren, abandoned on an isolated beach for millennia begins to perceive itself as a stick like all the other driftwood around it and changes form. I’m not saying it’s impossible. Sanderson’s thrown some pretty wild curveballs at us, after all. But mark my words, if this turns out to be true, I’ll be consuming a cap. I think Mastpar speaks for us all when they say “I would die for Bippy!” I have similar thoughts about Molli the ewe which can be summed up thusly. We’ll be keeping an eye on the comment sections of posts about this article on various social media platforms and may include some of your comments/speculation (with attribution) on future weeks’ articles! Keep the conversation going, and PLEASE remember to spoiler-tag your comments on social media to help preserve the surprise for those who choose to wait for the full release. See you next Monday with chapters 27 and 28![end-mark] The post <i>Wind and Truth</i> Read-Along Discussion: Chapters 25 and 26 appeared first on Reactor.
Like
Comment
Share
SciFi and Fantasy
SciFi and Fantasy  
36 w

Read Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson: Chapters 25 and 26
Favicon 
reactormag.com

Read Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson: Chapters 25 and 26

Excerpts Wind and Truth Read Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson: Chapters 25 and 26 Read new chapters from the new Stormlight Archive book every Monday, leading up to its release on December 6th By Brandon Sanderson | Published on October 28, 2024 Comment 1 Share New Share Brandon Sanderson’s epic Stormlight Archive fantasy series will continue with Wind and Truth, the concluding volume of the first major arc of this ten-book series. A defining pillar of Sanderson’s “Cosmere” fantasy book universe, this newest installment of The Stormlight Archive promises huge developments for the world of Roshar, the struggles of the Knights Radiant (and friends!), and for the Cosmere at large. Reactor is serializing the new book from now until its release date on December 6, 2024. A new installment will go live every Monday at 11 AM ET, along with read-along commentary from Stormlight beta readers and Cosmere experts Lyndsey Luther, Drew McCaffrey, and Paige Vest. You can find every chapter and commentary post published so far in the Wind and Truth index. We’re thrilled to also include chapters from the audiobook edition of Wind and Truth, read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. Click here to jump straight to the audio excerpt! Note: Title art is not final and will be updated as soon as the final cover is revealed. Chapter 25: Purposeful Danger The Almighty has given us the limbs to move and the minds to decide. Let no monarch take away what was divinely granted. The Heralds also taught that all should have the sacred right of freedom of movement, to escape a bad situation. Or simply to seek a brighter dawn. —From The Way of Kings, fourth parable Walking into that safehouse was like stepping into a memory: that of Shallan’s first meeting with Mraize. There, she’d entered the basement of a building that shouldn’t have had one. Here—after following Shade through the entryway—she headed down another set of stairs cut into the stone. They were smooth and well-shaped, dark with lichen, with some crem buildup at the corners of the steps—indicating that water had occasionally seeped in during the many years this place was unoccupied. Using a diamond for light, Shade took them down, and Shallan wondered at the ancients who had crafted it. Why would you build downward, risking flooding? The air was damp in here, though the stones weren’t wet, and she soon smelled incense. At the bottom of the stairs Shallan found the Alethi woman who had been sent to spy on Dalinar. The actor, an acolyte Ghostblood who had probably been teased with membership like Shallan. The woman was studying Mraize’s trophies. Housed in a small room full of glass-fronted cases, each unlabeled artifact had its own shelf lit by a handful of chips. A silvery horn or claw from some great beast. A chunk of light red crystal, like pink salt—though of a deeper, more vibrant color. A violet stone egg, partly crystalline, with silver swirling around its shell. A fat, succulent leaf that pulsed red and seemed to radiate heat. A vial of pale sand she now recognized as having a very practical application. Secrets, each stoking her hunger. She’d been strung along with the promise of a feast of answers, ideas, even dreams. Worlds full of people for her sketch collection. Shade let the newcomers linger to look at the trophies, but Shallan feigned indifference, leaning against the wall and glancing through the eyeholes in the mask toward the glass case beside her. There, in the reflection on the glass, she glimpsed a shadowy figure with white holes for eyes. Sja-anat, one of the Unmade, was here. She studied Shallan in turn, existing in this realm only as a reflection, then smiled in a knowing way and vanished. Storms. Did she know who Shallan really was? There wasn’t time to wonder, as Shade waved the two newly arrived Ghostbloods into the next room. Shallan risked following—though Shade remained behind with the actor—and closed the door after them. The room beyond turned out to be large, bigger than the building above, though the ceiling was relatively low. It was entirely stone, with little furniture, and her door was in the northeast corner. The southern wall—to Shallan’s left, maybe forty feet away—was stacked with bales of hay, targets on each one. Maybe twenty feet ahead of her, seven people clustered around a lone podium. They chatted softly, and Shallan’s breath caught as she saw Mraize with the group, fiddling with some contraption. His very silhouette still intimidated her. He had a lean strength that never quite matched his fine clothing—which today was a coat, shirt, and trousers, with a ruffled portion of his shirt bursting out below the neck. Bright red, like blood from a slit throat. Remember your breathing, Veil whispered. Keep it up, kid. Shallan nodded absently and did her breathing exercises, calming her emotions. Half of the act of an imitation like this was about emotions, and not drawing the wrong spren. She could do this. No need for anxiety. Mraize barely glanced over as the two newcomers joined six others. Shallan hung back, breathing calmingly and scanning the room, the mask sitting strangely on her face and blocking some of her field of vision. Where was Iyatil? There. She saw the woman watching the group from beside the north wall, giving her a full view of the room. Short and masked, Iyatil crouched on the stone ground. Others, particularly those from Alethi culture, might have mistaken her for a guard, but she was the master, and Mraize her second. Storms. Where Mraize was an overt, blatant kind of dangerous—always holding some sort of weapon, talking about hunting and death—Iyatil was the quiet kind. The kind that watched from the shadows, ruminating on the sounds you’d make when stabbed. Shallan stepped forward, because standing in the doorway would draw attention. She forced herself to adopt the proper gait, and found her counterpart—the third masked offworlder—watching from all the way across the room by the west wall. He prowled forward, passing a stand of burning incense, and approached the two newcomers where—Shallan could barely hear—he offered them a drink. The guard slunk to a bar set up against the east wall near Shallan and started mixing the drinks. This was a trained assassin—and Mraize was having him… mix drinks? Was this a way of intimidating the others? No. No, the Ghostbloods were relaxed. They just needed drinks, and the assassin was the one available to get them. “Ah,” Mraize said as the large contraption in his hands clicked. “There.” He hefted it and placed a small, heavy arrow into it. The device was a kind of crossbow, though larger and bulkier than the ones Shallan had seen. Intrigued, Shallan stepped closer. Then she checked Iyatil and the other masked offworlder. They were watching not the device but the people. Right; Shallan tried to do the same, moving along the north wall, behind the group of people, who faced the targets. “Mraize!” said Aika, the Thaylen trader in a skirt and vest. “You said this meeting was urgent; why are you playing with a new toy while we have drinks?” “Had to wait for stragglers, Stolen Purse,” he said, with a smile. “And a good drink, well studied, is an excellent start to any difficult conversation.” “Feels strange,” said the other Thaylen, “to have so many of us together. How long has it been?” “Since the briefing on the Everstorm,” said the man wearing the patterned regalia of an Azish vizier. “The year before it arrived. Honestly, I’ve missed you all. Mraize, we have Oathgates now. We should meet more often.” “Meeting is dangerous,” Mraize noted, raising the crossbow to sight at one of the targets. “Mraize, love,” said a woman, Veden like Shallan by her accent, “you enjoy danger, don’t you?” Shallan took a Memory of her; aside from the vizier she was the only one of the group not in Hoid’s stack of drawings. “I enjoy purposeful danger, Icy Tongue,” Mraize said—Shallan knew he had a nickname for everyone. Not a code name, just a quirk of his. “Danger with value and lessons. Foolhardy danger, without purpose, is a waste. A whorehouse for the emotions.” He triggered the crossbow, which shot the larger-than-average bolt into one of the hay bales. “You missed the center, Mraize,” one of the others said. “Hence the practice,” Mraize said, reloading the device. As the assassin delivered drinks, Shallan worried what she was expected to do. Hopefully not fetch drinks. If she had to ask someone their preference, she didn’t like her chances of imitating Iyatil’s accent, which she’d heard only a few times. Best for her to avoid saying anything. She prowled along the wall, smoke from one incense burner wafting in her wake. Iyatil glanced at her. Panic erupted in Shallan’s chest, like daggers suddenly slid between her ribs. Calm, Veil reminded. She did her best, maintaining her poise, and picked a spot, then squatted, mimicking Iyatil’s posture. Moving had drawn attention, so she determined to stay still. Blessedly, that seemed the right move. Iyatil’s attention immediately returned to the group, and the other assassin settled back against the west wall and watched with folded arms. “Is this device the reason we’re all here, risking discovery, Mraize?” Icy Tongue asked, sipping her drink. “No,” he said, raising the weapon once more. “This is merely a diversion.” He released and hit the target, though not at the center. “Any of you ever used one of these?” “Crossbow,” the Azish man said. “Common guardsman weapon.” “No,” Icy Tongue said. “That’s a Thaylen hand ballista. Heavier than a normal crossbow, intended to deliver a payload.” “Exactly,” Mraize said, nodding to her. “They were developed to carry oil or a flaming brand to set fire to enemy sails. Never been terribly effective, unfortunately, but they’re enjoyed by some enthusiasts. My father had a few when I was young.” He held up the device, studying it. “A modern weapon, relying on mechanical strength rather than strength of arm.” “It’s obviously difficult to aim,” one of the others said. “I have trouble seeing why you’re so interested in it.” Mraize casually loaded another bolt. Shallan studied him from where she crouched. His actions always had a purpose. What was the lesson here? Storms, even when he wasn’t watching her, she felt intimidated by him. Worse, she felt an icy chill at the nape of her neck and—despite trying not to—glanced at Iyatil. Who had been looking in her direction. Shallan glanced away immediately, breathing as calmly as she could. An anxietyspren appeared anyway, a twisting black cross. Did Iyatil suspect? The spren wasn’t an immediate tell, as one could come because you were worried about basically anything, but… Storms. Storms, storms, storms. These were experts in the very arts that Shallan, as Veil, had pretended to know. Sweat ran down her face, and the mask suddenly felt heavy and suffocating. Her breath kept getting caught, the heat of it puffing around her cheeks and leaving her skin damp. She wanted to rip the mask free. Did you notice, Veil said, that he left his trouser leg tucked into his sock? Shallan glanced again at Mraize, and it was true. In dressing, he’d let his right sock catch the back of his trouser leg. In the face of her panic, it was an almost comical detail. Veil chuckled. He’s just a person, Shallan. They all are. How does Mraize try to control you? “Through intimidation,” she whispered. “Intimidation, secrets, and an air of mystery.” And if you refuse to give him any of those benefits? Then… Just a person. Iyatil too. People, and highly confident ones, who could make mistakes. They wouldn’t expect Shallan to be here—would never assume her capable of taking the face of one of their best. Even the most skilled swordswoman, Radiant said, can lose a duel. They might be good, but if they suspected you, they’d have done something by now. You’re doing it. You’re doing it, Veil said. I mean, look how silly he is. He really wasn’t—it was a small mistake, one people commonly made. And she was in over her head, she knew. But this had to be done, and that little mistake Mraize had made, it was a sign that he was flawed. Shallan chuckled softly, and the anxietyspren vanished away. “Did you know,” Mraize said to the others, “that on some worlds the crossbow became the default weapon for an entire era of warfare? While the weapon is generally slower to reload, it requires less training to use than a bow. With the right design it can pierce steel, so instead of the archer who practices all their life, or the regal lighteyes in plate armor, such battlefields are ruled by the farmers with two months’ training and a technological advantage.” “Until a Shardbearer marches through their ranks and lays waste to the whole lot,” said the man in the Alethi uniform. “You know Aladar tried crossbowman ranks once? Sure, they’re powerful—but slow. Best used with a full pike block for support. And if there’s one man in Plate on the other side, those crossbowmen draw him like rain draws vines.” “Interesting words, Chain,” Mraize said, sighting with his hand ballista and loosing again. “Words spoken with the wisdom of the past—excellent at teaching us to deal with the world as it has existed. And only as it has existed.” He looked to Iyatil, who gestured for him to continue. He set the ballista down and opened the front of the podium. A glowing sphere spren floated out—much like the seon that Shallan had discovered in her communication box. It changed shape, becoming an older man’s face, with mustaches. Wait… did she recognize him? “Tell them,” Mraize commanded. “We’ve found Restares,” said the floating, glowing head. “He told us, and Shallan, the details. Mishram’s prison is hidden in the Spiritual Realm.” Storms. That was Felt. One of Adolin’s soldiers. Coldness enveloped Shallan, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of disconnect. Felt was a spy. Felt was a Ghostblood. It was good no one was currently looking at her, because she couldn’t keep the small shockspren away. All that time she’d spent trying to find the spy—an entire trip through Shadesmar—only to decide she was herself the spy. While Mraize had sent a backup. Of course he had. Storms… she felt suddenly violated, knowing Felt had been watching all along. “That’s the important bit,” Felt continued. “Ala has been chatting with Restares, who has all kinds of things to say once you press him. Ala’s pretty fed up with him, since little of it seems relevant, but I’m taking notes anyway.” Ala? The seon? Wait… “Thank you,” Mraize said. “Ala and you have done well. You will be compensated.” Ala was a Ghostblood too? It certainly sounded that way. On one hand, Shallan’s sense of betrayal deepened—but on the other, she was relieved. The spren had put up quite an act of being a frightened prisoner, but if that wasn’t the case, then maybe Shallan didn’t have to feel so bad for her. “I don’t want your rusting coin, Mraize,” Felt said. “I never wanted any part of any of this. Though Ala specifically asked me to tell you she wants a pony. I… I think she might be joking?” Mraize smiled. “Keep the Herald captive. Further instructions will come.” He made a gesture, and the face faded back to a glowing sphere, which hid in the podium again. “The prison is in the Spiritual Realm?” one of the group said. “So it’s impossible to reach.” “Hardly,” Mraize said. “Iyatil and I received intel from a very special contact yesterday, indicating that if we watched Dalinar we would have a chance to enter the Spiritual Realm. We thought we might need our newest recruit to nudge him into it, but that wasn’t necessary. Dalinar met with Cultivation herself, who urged him to seek Honor’s power. He will be stepping into the Spiritual Realm soon, and Iyatil and I will follow. Until we return, Zora, this cell is yours. You will take the seon and report directly to Master Thaidakar.” The Azish vizier nodded. The Thaylen woman he’d called Stolen Purse folded her arms. “You’ve never specifically left someone else in charge before.” “This is true,” Mraize said, calmly reloading his hand ballista. “So… you think this is dangerous?” the woman continued. “I know it is,” Mraize said. “We might not return. Or if we do, hundreds of years could have passed here. But we will find Mishram’s prison.” “Wait,” said Icy Tongue. “Mraize, how does this help Master Thaidakar’s plans?” Mraize didn’t reply, instead sighting his target and loosing. He finally hit the red center circle. “We should be working on our plan,” Icy Tongue said, “to transport Stormlight offworld, now that we know it can be blanked of Identity and transferred between realms. How does chasing down some ancient spren further Master Thaidakar’s orders to provide him a renewable source of Investiture?” Shallan leaned forward. She’d already known that the Ghostbloods wanted the power of the Radiants and the versatility of Stormlight. That explained a great deal—such as, for example, recruiting Shallan. But there was more. Why was he so interested in Mishram? She reached into her sleeve, fingering the spanreed she’d hidden in there, strapped to her arm. She sent three quick flashes—a warning to the others to be ready, but not to come quite yet. She was close. Mraize didn’t answer. He readied his weapon for another shot—though he selected a bolt with a gemstone affixed to it, near the head. What had they said? That these hand ballistas were designed to deliver a larger-than-normal payload? Oh, storms. A gemstone by itself was meaningless. But if he managed to get hold of the anti-Stormlight that Navani had developed in Shallan’s absence… He launched the bolt, and hit the target straight on. The wisdom of the past is excellent at teaching us to deal with the world as it has existed. And only as it has existed. Mraize wasn’t showing affection for an old, obsolete piece of technology. He was practicing with a weapon that, suddenly, could be used to kill Radiants—and their spren. “Once in the Spiritual Realm,” Mraize said, “Iyatil and I will watch Dalinar. If we stay close to him, most likely he will lead us to the prison.” “How can you know that?” Icy Tongue asked. “Because I do,” he said. “Master Thaidakar has approved this course—and you eight will lead in our absence. That is all you need know.” “Pardon,” said Icy Tongue, “but we’re Ghostbloods. No secrets, Mraize. Those are the rules.” “Master Thaidakar’s actions,” Mraize said, “prove he does not believe in this rule. Sometimes information is dangerous, and must be kept sheathed like a fine blade.” Shallan leaned forward farther, but then caught something from the corner of her eye. Iyatil was in motion. The short woman crossed the room and stooped beside Shallan, where she whispered something. In a language that Shallan did not recognize. * * * Dalinar sat with Navani in the garden chamber, both of them in chairs at the center, facing one another. He held her hands, vines moving around them without wind or touch. Navani said they were dancing to rhythms Dalinar couldn’t hear. “Well?” he asked. “What do you think?” “I don’t know, Dalinar,” she said, squeezing his hands. “What happens if this works? Will I lose you?” “If I were to Ascend to Honor,” Dalinar said, “I don’t think you’d lose me. Cultivation spoke to me earlier, and according to Ash, Honor often interacted with the Heralds.” “I don’t mean losing your presence,” she said. “I mean losing you—your love, your humanity. I don’t want to be selfish, and we will do what the world needs. But I have to ask. What will it mean, Dalinar? And does it have to be you?” He didn’t know the answer to either question. They both leaned forward, him resting his forehead on hers. Contemplating. Deciding. Fearspren wiggled out of the stones around his feet. “All this time,” he whispered, “I’ve been trying to become a better person, Navani. Through the course of it, I’ve discovered terrifying truths, and I’ve shared them with the world. That our god died millennia ago, that humankind stole this world from those who owned it. Answers that once were easy now prove difficult. “I am scared of this step, but I want to provide answers again regardless. I feel that something has been guiding me all this time. Something I can’t explain, something beyond Honor. I know someone has to step up and do this. The contest isn’t enough. There’s more, and I think I’m the only one who can find out what it is. I spent a great deal of time searching for how to become a stronger Bondsmith, and I think that was a step toward a greater truth of what I actually need to become.” She gripped his hands, and he loved her for the way she gave his words some thought, and didn’t contradict him immediately. But also for the way she didn’t immediately agree. Wit finally returned, slipping in. Dalinar and Navani pulled back from each other, and he could see the concern in her eyes. “Love,” he said, “we don’t know if this will work. We don’t have to make all the decisions now.” “Sometimes,” she said, “it’s good to ask the questions long before you need the answers. I can’t help thinking that we’re dabbling in things well beyond our capacity, Dalinar. The powers of gods? Several of my scholars inadvertently detonated themselves just last month, working on anti-Light. Now you’re contemplating going somewhere that frightens even Wit.” “To be fair,” Wit said, leaning against the wall near the door, “a great number of things terrify me. I mean, have you considered—really considered—how insane it is that society entrusts you mortals with children? After… what, two decades of life, half of it spent in diapers?” “Wit,” Navani said, “people don’t spend ten years in diapers.” “See?” Wit said. “I’m roughly ten thousand years old, and I barely feel comfortable with my knowledge of how to care for an infant. It’s a wonder any of you make it to adolescence…” “Focus, Wit,” Dalinar said. “The plan. The Spiritual Realm.” “We’re out of our depth,” Navani said. “Like an army struggling against an enemy with far more modern equipment.” “Or a scholar trying to read complex ideas in a language she has barely studied,” Dalinar added. “But we have only eight days before I need to face Odium, and I’m certain the Stormfather is hiding things from me.” “The Sibling agrees,” Navani said. “They keep pointing out the Stormfather’s inaccuracies and our incorrect understanding of historical events.” “The goal,” Wit said, “is for you to relive those events. So you can find out the truth of Honor’s death, and uncover secrets even I don’t know.” He frowned. “I don’t know why the Stormfather would lie though.” “I don’t think… he ever expected anyone to be able to contradict him,” Dalinar said. “He never thought the Sibling would reawaken.” He met Navani’s eyes. “So long as the Heralds are mad and Wit is useless—” “Hey!” “—the Stormfather could provide the sole narrative. We have to find the truth, Navani. We have to know what happened to Honor.” “Which brings us back to the central question,” Navani said softly. “What does it mean to replace him?” “Dalinar would Ascend,” Wit said. “His mind would expand to see with the eyes of deity. The Shards are not omniscient—it is relatively easy to hide things from them. But they are… blessed with a near-infinite capacity to understand. To see into the future, in its many permutations, and to comprehend what that means.” “It sounds like,” Navani said, “you’d no longer be human.” “It sounds like,” Dalinar said, “a version of what has already happened to you, with your bond to the tower. We’re working through that. We could work through this.” She nodded hesitantly. “But I ask again: Do you have to do it, Dalinar? Why must it always be you?” From Jasnah or Adolin, perhaps those words would have been a challenge. A question why he always put himself in the center of the issue. He found such questions ridiculous—who else could he trust with a problem of such magnitude? Someone needed to walk the difficult roads, and—as ruler—it was his duty. That was what The Way of Kings taught. From Navani, it wasn’t a challenge but a plea. If someone was called to sacrifice, couldn’t he pass the burden just this once? “I can’t trust this to anyone else,” Dalinar said. “You learn, as a general, when to send your best lieutenant—and when to go yourself.” He squeezed her hands. “Navani, if I lose the contest of champions… we lose me. I will be Odium’s, and he will bring out the Blackthorn. Whatever we can do to prevent that, I want to try, even if it means this Ascension, as Wit calls it. If, after the contest, the power is changing me too much, I will find another and give it to them.” “Is that allowed?” she asked, glancing to Wit. “Technically, yes,” he said. “But it is extremely difficult to do. Once you are a god, Dalinar, it is nearly impossible to let go.” “Surely it has been done,” Dalinar said. Wit grew distant, a faint smile on his lips. “Once. It wasn’t a full Ascension, but a mortal did give up the power once. It proved to be the wrong choice, but it was the most selfless thing I believe I’ve ever witnessed. So yes, Dalinar, it is possible. But not easy.” “Nothing ever is,” he said. “Not for us.” Navani looked back at him, then nodded. “Very well. Let’s do it then. Together.” “… Together?” “I’m not going to let you go into the realm of the gods alone,” she said. “You’ll need a scholar to help interpret what you see in the past.” Damnation. She was right. They had gone into visions together before; it was possible. But if it was going to be as dangerous as Wit implied… No. From her expression, he knew that if he suggested taking another scholar instead of her, he would bring down a wrath to make the Stormfather look like a spring squall. And justly so. For all the same arguments he’d made to himself about doing this personally, he needed the best at his side. That was Navani. “You are wise,” he said. “I hate it, but you are right. We’ll try this together. But we’ll need to prepare the others to lead Urithiru while we are gone. Wit thinks it will take us days to accomplish this.” “I can keep an eye on things here,” Wit said. “First, we’ll have you peek into the Spiritual Realm and see if this even works. If you leave your bodies behind, as I’m hoping, I should be able to bring you back out if you’re needed.” “Excellent,” Navani said. “How do we proceed?” “Well,” Wit said, “you once had to use a highstorm and the Stormfather’s powers—but you’re Bondsmiths now. You can open a perpendicularity and push into the Spiritual Realm. Once there, I suggest using Connection to guide you into a specific slice of the past. I’ll help you with that. You can peek into an event I’ve witnessed, experience it, and return so we can compare notes. If that works, we can send you on a longer journey, into times I wasn’t here to witness.” Dalinar and Navani met each other’s eyes and nodded. “Great,” Wit said. “Let’s head down the elevator and find a good location to try the experiment.” “Why not here?” Dalinar asked. “You are about to pierce through the three realms and try to throw yourselves into the Spiritual Realm,” Wit said. “If you get it wrong, you’ll end up in Shadesmar—but with the force you’re using, you could as easily cast yourselves beyond the tower. Personally, I’d feel more comfortable if we were somewhere lower, so you had less distance to fall if things go awry.” “Very well,” Dalinar said, standing. “Let’s tell Aladar and Sebarial what we’re planning, just in case, then find somewhere lower down for the experiment.” Chapter 26: Hunting the Hunter I continued on my way, contemplating dust and the nature of desertion. For I, as king, had walked away from my duties, and it was different for me. Had I not renounced a throne the Almighty had granted, and in so doing, undermined my very own words? Was I abandoning that which was divinely given me? —From The Way of Kings, fourth parable Shallan stared at Iyatil. The woman’s eyes seemed distant behind that mask, and strangely human—as if the mask were some beast that had swallowed a person. Iyatil repeated her comment in, presumably, their native tongue. In a panic, Shallan reached for the spanreed in her sleeve, ready to call the others. Only… she hadn’t actually learned anything yet. How were the Ghostbloods going to sneak through to the Spiritual Realm with Dalinar? Why were they so interested in one of the Unmade? They’d already made contact with Sja-anat. Wasn’t that enough? There was no helping it. If Iyatil hadn’t been suspicious before, she would be when she got no reply. Shallan gripped the spanreed. But Veil whispered: You can do this, Shallan. Try. Shallan couldn’t understand what Iyatil had said, but what was her body language saying? Iyatil nodded to the side, toward the third masked offworlder. Her words had been short and terse, maybe a question, more likely an order. So, risking it, Shallan gave a curt nod. That worked, and Iyatil scurried back toward the doorway in the eastern wall, Shallan following. The third assassin met them, and they huddled together, with Iyatil speaking quickly in their own language. In the center of the room, Mraize hinted to the others what Shallan had guessed: that with some minor tweaks, the hand ballista would be very useful in coming years. Shallan couldn’t pay attention to him, for she had now gotten herself into a conversation with not merely one person speaking another tongue, but two. They’d expect a response other than a nod. She had to escape the conversation without making a scene. Find an excuse, Veil whispered, for not paying attention. Yes… distractibility was a universal human foible. Unfortunately there wasn’t much in the room. Just the targets, Mraize and his crew, four bleak stone walls… Wait. The doorknob. Silvery, polished, reflective. Being crouched down together as they were put it near eye level. Shallan fixated on it, waiting until the others noticed her distraction. “Aleen?” Iyatil said to Shallan. “Aleen, vat ist erest missen?” Shallan pointed at the doorknob and spoke, whispering a word that would be the same regardless of language. “Sja-anat.” The whisper hopefully masked her voice. Iyatil hissed softly, pushing Shallan aside to look closely at the doorknob. When she saw nothing, she grunted, and—ignoring their conversation—stalked toward Mraize. The other foreigner glanced at Shallan, so she shrugged, then leaned in to study the doorknob. He moved off after Iyatil. Shallan calmed her nerves, avoiding drawing a spren this time. Iyatil had taken the bait, and hadn’t seemed to find anything too irregular about Shallan. Unless she was telling Mraize she was an impostor right now. Maybe it was time to call the others. Shallan reached again for her spanreed, but a moment later a shadow moved across the doorknob, and then Sja-anat appeared as she had earlier: a jet-black female figure with white holes for eyes. I wondered, she said in Shallan’s mind, how you would manage without speaking her tongue, Shallan. That was clever. “So you do know it’s me,” Shallan whispered. It is difficult for mortals to distinguish one soul’s flame from another, but I am not mortal. “Are you going to reveal me?” As you just revealed me? Perhaps. “Whose side are you on, Sja-anat?” Shallan whispered. “Truly. What is your game?” Game, Shallan? I fight for survival. Odium will rip through anyone, anything, to get what he wishes. Thousands of years have proven he cares nothing for me or my children. Honor is a coward who always hated us. Destroyed us. Betrayed us. And all Cultivation does is watch. I am on the side of preserving a world for my children. You should not fear “my side,” Shallan. You should embrace it. If there is room for my children, there will be room for yours. Iyatil returned, Mraize tailing her. Again Shallan gripped the spanreed but held her nerve. Sja-anat did not hide, but persisted—small, but distinguishable, as a reflection in the doorknob, looking up at Iyatil. “Lieke, stay here,” Iyatil said in Alethi. “Entertain the others.” She opened the door, grabbing the doorknob despite the reflection there. Mraize followed, as did Shallan, assuming that Lieke was the other masked figure. Shade and the actor were gone from this little alcove. It was darker in here, where the sole light was provided by chips—painted on one side, to shine only on Mraize’s treasures. “There,” Iyatil said. “My trophy case. I see her reflection.” Wait… her trophy case? It wasn’t Mraize’s? Iyatil pulled a mirror out on wheels from behind one of the cabinets. Shallan closed the door to the other room softly, then stayed back, trying not to draw attention. Sja-anat appeared in the mirror, all slender smoke and magnetic eyes. “Why are you here?” Iyatil demanded. “You’re supposed to be watching the Bondsmiths. Have they begun the process?” “My children watch,” Sja-anat said, her voice tinny and small, as if she were communicating down the length of a long hallway. “The Sibling is awake. They are not easy to fool, even for me. I myself would draw attention.” “This isn’t what you told us,” Iyatil said. “The timing will be tight. We need to get into Shadesmar and be ready to enter Dalinar’s perpendicularity as soon as it opens.” “You will not miss your opportunity,” Sja-anat said. “Though I question your eagerness to be lost in that place.” “You said our spren could guide us,” Mraize said, stepping closer to the mirror. “You said they understood that realm.” Our spren? Our spren? Shallan backed up a pace, pressing against the cold stone wall. Mraize and Iyatil had spren? They were Radiant? That’s why they were so eager to meet Sja-anat! Veil said. Sja-anat’s requirements for those who bonded her children were different from those of ordinary Radiants. Storms. Shallan had been key to facilitating Sja-anat meeting with the Ghostbloods. She’d known all along that her flirtatious half-commitment to the Ghostbloods was dangerous. Here was proof. Why had she let it go on for so long? You were confused, Radiant said, far from home, and you thought Jasnah was dead. You needed to feel a part of something. Do not be too hard on yourself. Shallan had made many mistakes, yes, but she hoped she was learning from them. Today she stepped forward, closer to Iyatil and Mraize, hoping to catch signs of their spren—to tell what orders they had joined. Or… if they had bonded Sja-anat’s children, were they actually Radiants? Renarin was, but he’d chosen to take the title for himself. In her shock, she’d missed some of what Sja-anat was saying. Assurances that her children could offer guidance in the Spiritual Realm. “There is only so much that can be done for mortals,” the Unmade continued. “Like a fish suddenly on the land, you will be in a place that is hostile to your existence. My children will guide you, but you still may not return.” “We will go regardless,” Mraize said softly. “And I am glad,” Sja-anat said. “One last warning, however. I do not think you will find an ally in my sister. Mishram is not… fond of humans.” “We are not seeking an ally,” Iyatil said. “Tell us when Dalinar starts getting ready, so we may prepare.” “As you wish,” Sja-anat said. “My children say he is talking to his advisors. He is close though.” “What of Shallan?” Mraize asked. “Does she hunt us?” “She does,” Sja-anat said. And did not look toward Shallan standing behind them. Shallan didn’t spot a spren on Mraize’s clothing or shoulder, but she did note the quiver of crossbow bolts at his side. Specifically, one had a gemstone affixed with white-blue light that warped the air around it. Shallan hadn’t seen the anti-Light, but Wit had told her about it, and she recognized it from the description. Mraize, as ever, had worked quickly and efficiently. So far as Shallan knew, there was barely a tiny bit of the stuff in Urithiru, carefully locked away. Yet Mraize had already stolen some. She couldn’t help but be impressed. “I’m worried Shallan will interfere,” he said. “The girl is distracted,” Iyatil said. “You fixate upon her too much, acolyte. We made the proper threats; her attention will be on protecting and watching her loved ones.” “Yes, Babsk,” Mraize said. They’re human, Veil whispered. Fallible. Remember that. Iyatil waved Mraize off, and he bowed to her. It felt strange to see him defer; he had always seemed so in command. Though there was a level of self-control to his obedience. Mraize did not complain or seem upset to be dismissed. He walked with his head held high, opening the door to reveal the Ghostbloods practicing with his oversized crossbow. Sja-anat vanished, and Shallan followed Mraize, trying not to be trapped with Iyatil. Unfortunately, the woman put her hand up to stop Shallan. “Something is wrong with him,” Iyatil said softly. “I do not think he has been replaced with a duplicate, but I do question his loyalty to our cause.” Thankfully, the words were in Alethi. Perhaps because she’d just been speaking to Sja-anat in that tongue, and continued on momentum. Perhaps it was because in this room, away from the others, she didn’t worry about being overheard. Or perhaps with Sja-anat around… she wanted to be? Iyatil still focused on Mraize, thoughtful. “I’ve spent so long training him. It is natural for him to want his own acolytes. But he thinks solely of his own advancement, and not the greater purpose.” Shallan needed to push. She needed answers. She found herself speaking in a whisper. “Thaidakar’s purpose.” “Master Thaidakar will see eventually,” Iyatil said. “He is smarter than you give him credit for. He works to protect his homeland above all else, but once we find Mishram for my purposes, he will see. Master Thaidakar can only protect his land if the Shards can be controlled. Will this fit your plans as well?” Stay silent? Or speak? Which was more suspicious? Iyatil looked at her, waiting. Shallan sweated, and tried giving a nod again. “That’s it?” Iyatil said. “You’ve been so…” She focused on Shallan, eyes widening behind her mask. Shockspren exploded around her. Damnation. That was it. Iyatil lunged, and Shallan caught the hand, expecting a knife—but Iyatil wasn’t attacking. She was reaching for Shallan’s hood, and in her deflection Shallan knocked it aside, revealing her wig. Iyatil hissed, then shouted, scrambling backward, “Radiants! We are discovered!” Excerpted from Wind and Truth, copyright © 2024 Dragonsteel Entertainment. Join the Read-Along Discussion Here Find All the Excerpts Here Listen to Chapters 25 and 26 MacmillanAudio · Chapter 25 – WIND AND TRUTH by Brandon Sanderson, narrated by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer MacmillanAudio · Chapter 26 – WIND AND TRUTH by Brandon Sanderson, narrated by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer Buy the Book Wind and Truth Brandon Sanderson Book Five of The Stormlight Archive Buy Book Wind and Truth Brandon Sanderson Book Five of The Stormlight Archive Book Five of The Stormlight Archive Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget The post Read <i>Wind and Truth</i> by Brandon Sanderson: Chapters 25 and 26 appeared first on Reactor.
Like
Comment
Share
Hot Air Feed
Hot Air Feed
36 w

It's Springtime For Donnie In MSG
Favicon 
hotair.com

It's Springtime For Donnie In MSG

It's Springtime For Donnie In MSG
Like
Comment
Share
Science Explorer
Science Explorer
36 w

What Is The Wave-Particle Duality?
Favicon 
www.iflscience.com

What Is The Wave-Particle Duality?

The discovery that things of subatomic size can behave as waves or particles interchangeably, depending on circumstance, was one of the most shocking and important features of twentieth century physics.
Like
Comment
Share
Showing 6400 out of 56666
  • 6396
  • 6397
  • 6398
  • 6399
  • 6400
  • 6401
  • 6402
  • 6403
  • 6404
  • 6405
  • 6406
  • 6407
  • 6408
  • 6409
  • 6410
  • 6411
  • 6412
  • 6413
  • 6414
  • 6415

Edit Offer

Add tier








Select an image
Delete your tier
Are you sure you want to delete this tier?

Reviews

In order to sell your content and posts, start by creating a few packages. Monetization

Pay By Wallet

Payment Alert

You are about to purchase the items, do you want to proceed?

Request a Refund