86. Patterns of Light

Kaladin pursues and battles Szeth in the sky above the Shattered Plains as two massive storms collide. Meanwhile, Shallan discovers the circular chamber is itself a massive fabrial and activates it by rotating its inner wall, transporting the armies to Urithiru—a lost city of the Knights Radiant. Kaladin ultimately defeats and kills Szeth, who destroys himself rather than face the truth that he was never bound to obey.

The chapter opens with Kaladin catching Dalinar after Szeth had Lashed him skyward, then turning to confront the assassin. Bridge Four supplies Kaladin with Stormlight from lanterns, and he launches into combat with Szeth, filled with rage at the deaths of his men Pedin and Mart. Meanwhile, Shallan remains in the circular chamber examining its pattern—ten lamps with gems arranged around the room. She realizes it is a massive fabrial. As the armies retreat across plateaus toward her location, Dalinar organizes the evacuation, finding Sebarial casually eating while directing Roion's confused army, and locating Aladar supervising the crossing of his forces onto the small circular plateau. Dalinar learns Roion has fallen but victory seems hollow as two storms—one red from the Parshendi and one the regular highstorm—approach to collide. Kaladin and Szeth's battle escalates into the sky above the clouds. Szeth insists Kaladin must possess an Honorblade to have Radiant powers, while Kaladin declares himself master of the wind and sky. They clash repeatedly as Szeth's Stormlight depletes faster than Kaladin's. Shallan, realizing she has drained all available Stormlight from the scholars and soldiers, retrieves more from Adolin's gemstones and infuses the final lamps. The floor glows, revealing an intricate design. She realizes the outer wall of the building is fixed while the inner wall rotates like a mill wheel. When Adolin's Shardblade fails to activate the mechanism, Shallan uses her own Blade—Pattern—which succeeds. Together they push the sword around the circle until the doorway aligns with Urithiru above. The ten lamps fade and the army vanishes. Outside the storm intensifies with both tempests visible and boulders thrown into the air. Kaladin chases Szeth through the violent maelstrom, energized by Stormlight but struggling against the unpredictable winds. Windspren appear and guide him through the chaos, allowing him to catch Szeth before the assassin escapes the stormwall. In their final confrontation, Kaladin presses Szeth to the edge of the storm. Szeth admits he was never truly Truthless and could have stopped the murders anytime, making him a coward rather than evil. When Kaladin expects a parry, Szeth instead closes his eyes and accepts death, allowing Kaladin to drive his Blade through the assassin's chest. Szeth's body falls into the storm while his Honorblade remains in Kaladin's grasp. Syl, revealed to still live, manifests fully as a young woman in a dress and congratulates Kaladin. When Shallan emerges from the activated chamber, she finds the armies safely sheltered on the plateau, now surrounded by ten similar plateaus arranged in a ring with an enormous ribbed tower—Urithiru itself—rising from the center. The plateau itself was the portal that transported everyone to this hidden city.