Mistborn #02 The Well of Ascension

in uniforms. Elend handed his reins to one of them.
    "Take care of this for me," Elend said, striding forward.
    "Wait!" one of the soldiers said. "Halt!"
    Elend turned sharply, facing the shorter man, who was trying to both level his spear at Elend and keep an eye on the koloss. Elend didn't try to be harsh; he just wanted to keep his own anxiety under control and keep moving. Either way, the resulting glare probably would have impressed even Tindwyl.
    The soldier jerked to a halt.
    "I am Elend Venture," Elend said. "You know that name?"
    The man nodded.
    "You may announce me to Lord Lekal," Elend said. "Just get to the tent before I do."
    The young man took off at a dash. Elend followed, striding up to the tent, where other soldiers stood hesitantly.
    What must it have done to them , Elend wondered, living surrounded by koloss, so terribly outnumbered ? Feeling a stab of pity, he didn't try to bully his way in. He stood with faux patience until a voice called from inside. "Let him in."
    Elend brushed past the guards and threw open the tent flap.
    The months had not been kind to Jastes Lekal. Somehow, the few wisps of hair on his head looked far more pathetic than complete baldness would have. His suit was sloppy and stained, his eyes underlined by a pair of deep bags. He was pacing, and jumped slightly when Elend entered.
    Then he froze for a moment, eyes wide. Finally, he raised a quivering hand to push back hair he didn't have. "Elend?" he asked. "What in the Lord Ruler's name happened to you?"
    "Responsibility, Jastes," Elend said quietly. "It appears that neither of us were ready for it."
    "Out," Jastes said, waving to his guards. They shuffled past Elend, closing the tent flap behind them.
    "It's been a while, Elend," Jastes said, chuckling weakly.
    Elend nodded.
    "I remember those days," Jastes said, "sitting in your den or mine, sharing a drink with Telden. We were so innocent, weren't we?"
    "Innocent," Elend said, "but hopeful."
    "Want something to drink?" Jastes said, turning toward the room's desk. Elend eyed the bottles and flasks lying in the corner of the room. They were all empty. Jastes removed a full bottle from the desk and poured Elend a small cup, the size and clear color an indication that this was no simple dinner wine.
    Elend accepted the small cup, but did not drink. "What happened, Jastes? How did the clever, thoughtful philosopher I knew turn into a tyrant?"
    "Tyrant?" Jastes snapped, downing his cup in a single shot. "I'm no tyrant. Your father's the tyrant. I'm just a realist."
    "Sitting at the center of a koloss army doesn't seem to be a very realistic position to me."
    "I can control them."
    "And Suisna?" Elend asked. "The village they slaughtered?"
    Jastes wavered. "That was an unfortunate accident."
    Elend looked down at the drink in his hand, then threw it aside, the liquor splashing on the dusty tent floor. "This isn't my father's den, and we are not friends any longer. I will call no man friend who leads something like this against my city. What happened to your honor, Jastes Lekal?"
    Jastes snorted, glancing at the spilled liquor. "That's always been the problem with you, Elend. So certain, so optimistic, so self-righteous."
    "It was our optimism," Elend said, stepping forward. "We wanted to change things, Jastes, not destroy them!"
    "Is that so?" Jastes countered, showing a temper Elend had never seen in his friend. "You want to know why I'm here, Elend? Did you even pay attention to what was happening in the Southern Dominance while you played in Luthadel?"
    "I'm sorry about what happened to your family, Jastes."
    "Sorry?" Jastes said, snatching the bottle off his desk. "You're sorry ? I implemented your plans, Elend. I did everything we talked about—freedom, political honesty. I trusted my allies rather than crushing them into submission. And you know what happened?"
    Elend closed his eyes.
    "They killed everyone, Elend," Jastes said. "That's what you do when you take over. You kill your rivals and their families—even the young girls, even the babies. And you leave their bodies, as a warning. That's good politics. That's how you stay in power!"
    "It's easy to believe in something when you win all the time, Jastes," Elend said, opening his eyes. "The losses are what define a man's faith."
    "Losses?" Jastes demanded. "My sister was a loss ?"
    "No, I mean—"
    "Enough!" Jastes snapped, slamming the bottle down on his desk. "Guards!"
    Two men threw back the tent flap and moved