Chapter 43

Adolin arrives at Azimir through the Oathgate with two thousand troops to help defend the city against an imminent singer assault. He inspects the dome's defensive layout, strategizes with his officers about how to hold the control building against overwhelming numbers, and meets the reluctant Commandant Kushkam of Azimir's Imperial Guard.

Adolin transfers through the Oathgate to Azimir, hearing warnings from the spren that their aid will end once reinforcements arrive. He surveys the battlefield—a large bronze dome housing the Oathgate platform with a central control building as the only incursion point from Shadesmar. The Azish have prepared oil for burning and archers on elevated balconies, but Adolin recognizes these defensive tactics will fail against singers, who excel in aggressive, momentum-based combat. He advises that the defenders need ground troops in formation—pike blocks and shield walls—to prevent singers from breaking through and pouring into the city. Maya, inhabiting his mind as a spren, grows more vocal and engaged, contributing tactical observations. Adolin discovers three thousand Azish soldiers are stationed here and meets Commandant Supreme Kushkam, a one-eyed military leader skeptical of Alethi motives and fearful of being abandoned or indebted to them. As Emperor Yanagawn arrives, Adolin completes his circuit of the dome and sees civilians—women and children—sheltering in the city. He is haunted by memories of Kholinar, where he transferred to safety while abandoning his own soldiers to die. He resolves to defend Azimir properly this time, fighting not merely to win but to earn redemption for his past failure.