The Alloy of Law

During his time as a lawman in the Roughs, Waxillium “Wax” Ladrian stalks the killer Bloody Tan through the town of Feltrel. Using his Allomancy, Wax tracks his target. He Pushes on nails—using his Allomantic ability to exert force on all nearby steel objects—to dodge a bullet from an unseen gunman, whom he then kills. His wife, Lessie, appears, having dispatched another sniper, this one using stone-tipped arrows to circumvent Wax’s Allomancy, which only works on steel. Wax and Lessie confer briefly, and Wax mentions a letter he received from Elendel, which addresses him as “Lord Waxillium Ladrian,” a name he hasn’t used in years. A red glass drop in the dead gunman’s pocket identifies him as part of Donal’s crew—a criminal gang that has also been hunting Bloody Tan.

In a cold cellar, Wax discovers corpses that Tan has posed in theatrical scenes. He follows a tunnel to a ruined chapel and confronts Tan, who holds an injured Lessie hostage. He tries to shoot Tan without hitting Lessie, but Tan moves her at the last second, causing Wax’s bullet to strike and kill her. Devastated, Wax shoots and kills Bloody Tan.