Isles of the Emberdark
Chapters - Brandon Sanderson
Prologue
At first light on the planet Yolen , Illistandrista , called Starling, excitedly leaves her rooms to find her uncle, Frost . Though to a human she would look like an eight-year-old girl, this day marks the dragon Starling's thirtieth birthday, and her first transformation into her draconic form. As the two make their way to the palace's grand balcony, Starling expresses her difficulty with understanding the lives of mortals. Entering out onto the balcony, the light of first dawn strikes her, and she transforms into the shape of a dragon.
POV: Illistandrista·On page: Frost
Source: Coppermind
Part 1: Dusk
Chapter 1
Dusk , a volunteer at a park and former trapper , is holding a presentation about deathants to an audience largely comprising uninterested children and parents. As he finishes, he feels a loathing toward the park and toward himself, feeling responsible about the incarcerated animals. He turns to his bird, Sak , and together they seem distraught about the Aviar Kokerlii , who died in the Aviar plague. Soon thereafter, they spot a ship of the Ones Above in the sky, and Dusk wishes Vathi , the president, would send for him. Later, he encounters Tuka , the park director. They make brief conversation, and, to himself, Dusk regrets that the ways of trappers are fading away.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·Mentioned: Vathi
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 2
Dusk pilots his boat, Sak on his shoulder and Kokerlii on the prow, watching a shadow beneath the waves. The creature comes uncomfortably close to Dusk's vessel, but Kokerlii's powers shield them from detection. In time, the shadow drifts away, and Dusk ponders instead the progress that the Ones Above bring with them. He feels an aversion to the new sea charts they've brought, instead relying on the instruments and expertise of a trapper. He continues paddling, past the small island of Sori , and deeper into the Pantheon until he approaches Patji , largest of the islands.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 3
As their conversation comes to an end, Tuka tells Dusk that Mother Frond wishes to speak to him. As he arrives, he finds Frond telling the story of Cakoban the Navigator to a group of children. The story goes that Cakoban sailed an endless sea in permanent darkness, searching for light. On his journey, he made a deal with the great winged statue , escaped by sailing between the legs of the great giants of Epelli as they fell dead attacking each other , and followed a shooting star until he reached the cave of the terrible Dakwara . There, he tricked the giant serpent into tying itself in knots. Defeated, the Dakwara then served him and his kin for a hundred years, and Cakoban found at last the light he had been searching for in the islands of Patji . As Mother Frond's story ends, she falls into conversation with Dusk, and they discuss Vathi and the Ones Above. Dusk regrets his inability to help, and Frond encourages him to speak to Vathi.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·Mentioned: Vathi, Cakoban
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 4
Dusk approaches Patji's rocky shore, avoiding Sak's vision of his own corpse bobbing in the water. As he lands, he finds signs of other people having been there: a damp shirt, broken lengths of wood, and paper floating in an eddy. He starts searching for the source of the debris, avoiding some cutaway vines in the process. A half hour later, he finds the remnants of a camp with broken boxes, frayed ropes, ripped canvas, and shattered pieces of wood strewn about. As he finds evidence of the Northern Interests Trading Company's presence, he laments their stupidity. He soon determines that a shadow must have attacked the camp and that the maybe half dozen survivors ran inland. He resignedly follows and starts searching for them.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·Mentioned: Cakoban
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 5
Dusk is walking down to the subway, an invention not from the Ones Above, but rather from Dusk's people, the Eelakin , themselves. As he again contemplates his place in the world with trappers steadily becoming an obsolete profession, he notices his corpse on the subway tracks. Looking about, he notices a mysterious, scraggly man working his way toward a woman standing close to the tracks. Dusk gets to the man first, apprehending him. As he does, he sees what looks like a falling star tattooed on the man's arm. The man breaks free, running to the exit, but Dusk manages to stop him. As he is tackled to the ground, the mysterious man yells for police who arrive quickly to apprehend Dusk.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·Mentioned: Cakoban, Vathi
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 6
Making his way through Patji's underbrush, Dusk is intercepted by a group of meekers . At Dusk's request, Kokerlii removes the mental cloak, and Dusk can hear the meekers inquiring him about food. He gives them each some dried meat and reminds them of their task to attack other trappers on the island. Still walking inland, he continues to follow the refugee trail that had diverged toward his safecamp . As he gets further inland, Dusk becomes increasingly impressed with the survivor he is tailing as they managed to avoid dangers such as firesnap lizards , deathweed bark, and deathants. Yet, as he gets closer to his safecamp, he finds that one of his own traps has worked. A woman hangs from the tree branches above, caught in some jellywire vines . He soon recognizes her as one of the clerks from his meetings with the Northern Interests Trading Company and she introduces herself as Vathi and begs for him to let her down. He does, and instructs her to follow him to his safecamp, which she does, her wounded Aviar Mirris on her shoulder. As they traverse the jungle, Vathi remarks confusedly that Sak, one of Dusk's birds, is not Aviar. Dusk does not elaborate.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 7
At the police office, the police immediately recognize Dusk as he has been in a dozen times by that point. They decide to call Vathi, the president, to inform her about Dusk's situation. The phone is soon handed over to Dusk himself and he tells her of what transpired at the subway station. She then asks him to come to the government offices to help her with an issue concerning the Ones Above. Dusk is relieved, apparently having been forgiven for previously punching a senator. A half hour later, Dusk is reluctantly greeted by Second of the Soil ―one of Vathi's trusted advisors―outside the government offices. He is led inside and given some transcriptions of the situation at hand as well as a handwritten note from Vathi simply saying, "I'm sorry." He realizes that the situation is dire and that they are close to giving in to the demands of the Ones Above. Soon thereafter, a group of people enter the courtyard including Vathi and two of the Ones Above. Then, for the first time, the Ones Above retract their helmets in the presence of the Eelakin, finally allowing them see that they too are human. Dusk then sees his own smoldering corpse at the feet of the Ones Above, a reminder from Sak of the untrustworthiness of the new arrivals. Before leaving, the Ones Above warn that their masters don't possess infinite patience. The Ones Above depart using their ship to leave behind the Eelakin officials animatedly chatting about the transpired events. Dusk keeps to himself, thinking of the plague that had swept through the land which killed many of the Aviar, including Kokerlii, until the Ones Above had wiped it out in weeks. The meeting begins shortly thereafter with Vathi raising the concern about the Ones Above returning in two months time to collect their promised Aviar chicks. They discuss ways and ideas to stall for time until Dusk laments that this is a battle already lost. He posits that the Ones Above deliberately delayed in giving them the medicine to smother the Aviar plague . This, coupled with their delayed power shipment the month before, has convinced Dusk that the Ones Above are trying to reinforce their control over the them. In the quiet that follows, another off-worlder is shown in. This one bears thick armor, glowing a smoky grey, with an arcane symbol resembling a bird in flight etched into the breastplate. The newcomer inquires whether they know of a location where a " pool collects something that is not quite water ". He instead makes his own offer to the Eelakin, one where his people will take ninety-nine out of a hundred Aviar. Second of Saplings is outraged at this, reaching for his revolver. The newcomer summons his own weapon, a wicked, flowing gun, and asks Vathi if he has legal jurisdiction to shoot Second of the Saplings. Vathi denies him, and he leaves shortly thereafter. As the meeting progresses Sak shows Dusk another corpse, only this time it is Vathi's. Dusk is shocked by this, as never before has Sak showed him a corpse that was not his. He walks toward the vision, seeing Vathi dead some forty years into the future and wearing a uniform cut in the style of the Ones Above.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 8
Dusk and Vathi reach the safecamp at night, climbing up a gurratree to reach it. Dusk inquires about how Vathi seemed to know the location of his safecamp which Vathi explains away by simply claiming that she followed the sound of water. Dusk does not quite believe her. Vathi, under Dusk's guidance, sweeps the safecamp for dangers such as deathants and bloodscratches , while Dusk climbs up on the roof to check on the Aviar. Meanwhile, they discuss the presence of the company on Patji, as well as the medallion of Cakoban that Dusk wears. As they are caring for the Aviar, their discussion shifts toward the Ones Above and the progress that they bring. Dusk cleans the wounds of Vathi's Aviar, Mirris, and Vathi reveals that the Northern Interests Trading Company has another, larger camp at the other end of the island. Dusk is galled at hearing this and is determined to stop it.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi·Mentioned: Cakoban
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 9
Dusk tells of the vision Sak has given him. He sees a future version of Vathi dead, wearing a uniform of the Ones Above with alien writing on it. He is hastily made to copy the foreign symbols onto paper and they soon discover that it is the language of the Ones Above. The words tell that the Vathi in the vision is the "colonial governor of the occupied planet Drominad " and has received further accolades for putting down the so-called Saoa Rebellion . Vathi asks the assembled officials to leave her and Dusk to confer in private. Vathi expresses her desperation for something to resist and fight back with and thinks about stepping down from her office as president. Dusk rejects this idea and thinks that they should instead investigate the pool the armored off-worlder referenced and travel the endless night .
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi·Mentioned: Cakoban
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 10
Vathi talks about the inevitable modernization of Patji and the other islands of the Pantheon. Dusk grows frustrated, telling her to go and make sure there aren't any insects in the cups. In the night, he hears a nightmaw call. Suddenly, he sees his corpse at his feet. As he scans his surroundings desperately, Sak and the other Aviar nearby screech as if in pain. Frantic, Dusk falls to his knees and sees another corpse from Sak's visions, only this one isn't quite dead, mouthing indistinguishable words through bloodied lips. All of a sudden, the body vanishes, and the cries of the Aviar with it. Dusk immediately confronts Vathi about the experience, connecting it to what her company is doing on the other side of the island. She tells him about the marvels the Ones Above bring with them, what they refuse to sell, and the rules that forbid them from conquering by force. Then she shows Dusk a small clock-like device that translates languages and shows the locations of Aviar, which was how she found his safecamp. Lastly, she tells of a larger version of her machine situated at the main camp. She shares that it takes hours to prepare and was to be engaged this night. Dusk determines to stop it, and sets out in the night, a reluctant Vathi in tow.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi, Admiral Rattu
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 11
As the generals, chiefs, kingmakers, officials, and senators reconvene for another meeting, Vathi brings up the idea of traveling into the darkness. Admiral Rattu opposes the idea, emphasizing the difficulty of constructing and sailing a ship through the dark dimension. As they discuss, it is revealed that the worms living around the pool float in the not-water, allowing other vessels to use those unique traits to float as well. Dusk argues that if their ancestors could travel the endless night, then so can they. Rattu counters by saying that the death of a previous expeditionary force should mark an end to these excursions. Despite the fate of the previous explorers, Dusk thinks that his skills as a trapper of Patji will allow him to succeed where they failed.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 12
Vathi tries to stay behind as Dusk prepares to venture into the night of Patji, but Dusk insists she come as he needs her to tell the company to stop the machine. Dusk, becoming increasingly agitated by the visions of his own corpse about him, finally tells Sak to show Vathi the visions as well. She is shocked, both at the implications the visions bring, and that Dusk has seemingly discovered a new type of Aviar. Convinced, Vathi wanders out of the safecamp with Dusk. He sees his corpse again in the forest, but determines that Sak's senses must be off. After avoiding a tokka , Dusk reveals that Sak isn't an Aviar, but rather a mainlander bird he brought to the Pantheon. After hearing nightmaws calling out in the night, Vathi brings out a tube from her pack, holding it like a weapon, Dusk's own corpse appearing at his feet. They continue on, and eventually find the body of a dead trapper on the ground before them.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi, Admiral Rattu
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 13
Two days after the meeting with the Ones Above, Dusk approaches Patji aboard a steamship. He notes long wooden docks and vast Aviaries on the shore and further up the slope. Vathi, having gone with him, expresses her concern for sending anyone out into the endless dark, especially Dusk, whom she cares about. Dusk is determined however, and is adamant that there is no other option. He explains his feeling of displacement in the world, and his desire to help their people. They embrace, though Vathi isn't convinced of Dusk's plans. However, she does agree to gather him a crew as they say their preliminary goodbyes.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi·Mentioned: Cakoban
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 14
After finding the dead trapper on the ground, Dusk immediately identifies the cause of death as being a tuskrun pack, having been drawn by one of Cakoban's fingers in bloom. The dead trapper, First of the Sky , leaves behind a notebook, where on the last page Sky asks of any who find his corpse to care for his birds. As they continue on, Vathi falls for a drop-rope trap, leaving Dusk injured as a long spike penetrates his arm. He quickly yanks it out, afraid of poison, and Vathi apologetically bandages his wounded arm. As she does, Dusk gives her the ritual speech for apprentice trappers upon their first major mistake. Rounding a swampvine , they emerge out into a clearing, where suddenly, a nightmaw appears.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi·Mentioned: Cakoban
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 15
Dusk and Vathi travel by train to a fortified watchpost on Patji, where they continue on foot. They reach the pool, but before they pass through it, Vathi gifts Dusk a new Aviar for his upcoming journey. The Aviar, Rokke , was kept by another trapper until they died, leaving Rokke without owner. Dusk immediately recognizes the breed as being the same as Kokerlii's, and denies Vathi's gift, not feeling ready to replace his old Aviar. As they enter the pool, Dusk spots three of his corpses floating in the water. They soon emerge onto a small strip of land, surrounded by unending darkness, and Dusk, daunted, determines that this is what he must cross.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi, Rokke
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 16
As the oncoming nightmaw approaches Dusk and Vathi, Dusk instinctively throws his machete, cutting the creature on the side of the head and making it hesitate. This gives Vathi the time to set up her weapon, explosively launching a spear into the nightmaw's chest. Dusk is shocked and deafened by the strange weapon, having apparently slain a nightmaw, a creature thought by the trappers to be impervious to human weapons. But before it dies, the nightmaw lets out a dying screech, which is picked up by other nightmaws nearby, and Dusk sees his corpse lying all around him. As the calls of the nightmaws draw closer, Dusk and Vathi run in search of water, their only hope to cloak their scent and escape. As the nightmaws gain on them, Dusk curses Patji for always trying to kill him. Soon thereafter, they find a river, and Dusk, reluctant but without options, leads Vathi upstream.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi, Admiral Rattu
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 17
Dusk stares out into the endless dark, feeling intimidated. As he turns away, guards and attendants approach them, and the head of the watchpost explains that the ship won't be ready for a week or more. Dusk inquires about how things float in this dimension, and Ruen , a scientist, shows him a glowing paste made from the worms that inhabit the place. When applied to an object, that object can interact with the not-water of this dimension. Though Ruen and the others have found no way to navigate the endless dark, he shares Dusk's conviction that Cakoban the Navigator managed it long ago. The scientists have also discovered markings on some stones that bear a strong resemblance to the story of Cakoban and the Dakwara. As Dusk becomes increasingly eager to get going, he and Ruen are interrupted by a shouting Vathi.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi, Rokke·Mentioned: Cakoban
Source: Coppermind
Chapter 18
Dusk and Vathi continue to follow the river upstream, still chased by the nightmaws. They approach the end of the river, and Dusk knows that they are getting close to the pool that only trappers are supposed to know about. Vathi starts to notice the hundreds of Aviar resting in the trees around them. She asks if the Aviar gain their talents here, and Dusk feels forced to reveal that it is the glowing worms that grant the powers. As Vathi contemplates the implications of this revelation, the nightmaws grow steadily closer. Vathi is worried that the predators are going to sense their minds, as a cluster of Cakoban's fingers grow there, but Dusk further explains that minds are always invisible in this place. The nightmaws show no sign of slowing down, so Dusk resolves to lead them away, saving Vathi and effectively sacrificing himself. He reasons that Vathi is the only one of them that can get the company to stop their machine. Before he can go through with the plan, Vathi has another idea. She takes out her weapon, and Dusk, catching on, rushes to get one of the flowers from one of Cakoban's fingers. They affix the flower, which can attract mind-hunting predators, onto the projectile and fire it out into the night. As the nightmaws are successfully diverted, Dusk perceives an impression of the words "Well done." Together, Vathi and Dusk continue their journey through the night.
POV: Sixth of the Dusk·On page: Vathi, Rokke
Source: Coppermind