Editing Summary:The Sunlit Man

The city reorganizes into a colosseum and the captured people, along with Nomad, are pitted against ember people. Nomad is forced into a set of bracers. A particular ember woman with green eyes and black hair streaked with silver and a machete goes after Nomad. He evades her with assistance of a large red-headed man. Nomad can only use Aux defensively, but Aux changes from a crowbar to a barbell in a way that traps the ember woman. Then Nomad is frozen by the bracers.

Nomad awakens chained to a large plate of metal, and the Cinder King is feasting on the souls of the weaker peasants. A stronger peasant is brought forward, then stabbed with a glowing spear which turns her into an ember warrior. Nomad and Aux discuss whether the investiture from the spear could be captured, which might allow Nomad to form a Connection enabling language. Then the red-headed fellow is brought up to be embedded. Nomad breaks his own hand to get out of the manacles, and is able to throw Aux as a 6 foot sword, by aiming away from the Cinder King. The Cinder King is awed by the blade, but as he brings Nomad to the Cinder spear, an explosion rocks the arena.

In addition to explosions, an attack freezes all the ember people. Aux is able to protect Nomad from the bracers but the Torment prevents other weapons or tools that Nomad might use to escape the other manacle. Nomad mentions he might have practised more if not for his perpetual need to be on the run. People conducting the attack retrieve the green eyed, black and silver haired ember woman from near Nomad. They ignore Nomad until one of them is taken out by a rifle shot from Cinder King. He shields the surviving woman with Aux. He can use a rifle to a very limited degree, such as blowing away his other manacle. They retrieve red-headed man and flee at the rear of a pack of hovercycles, but the ember people wake and give chase.

Nomad notes that the ember people are targeting the ships core, so he shields that. The weird atmospheric pressure brings to mind his former master. He thinks of how Aux has changed since the night Brigade caught him that one time. He leaps to a pursuing vehicle and pulls their energy source, rushing their vehicle and gaining the energy for himself. His red-headed comrade is amazed but the hovercycle pilot missed his prowess.

Nomad shares observations about local meteorology with Aux. It dawns on him that his driver and the captured Charred share enough features to be related. When his driver makes contact with her base, Nomad finds he can understand, and learns her name is Rebeke. The Charred is Elegy, and the redheaded man is Thomos. Rebeke's radio contact is Zeal. From other language cues, Nomad and Aux surmise that this planet is a Threnodite settlement. They arrive at base, another flying settlement named Beacon. It is less put together than the Cinder King's city. Zeal, who is a little person, orders aid for Thomos, and tries to hand off Nomad to a tall fellow named [[Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually]]. Nomad, pretending he does not understand them, follows Zeal and Rebeke down the street to their meeting with the Greater Good.

Nomad sees the Greater Good as Rebeke greets them and discusses the rescue of Elegy and loss of her brother. He acts disrespectful, unsettling the Beaconites. They consider Nomad and his identity, particularly in relation to his status as a potential Sunlit Man. To the group, Zeal presents a Scadrian authorization key recovered during the raid, although the Beaconites appear unaware of its origin. They seem to believe that it will allow them to access lands underneath the surface of the planet, where they will be able to leave without fear of the sun. The Greater Good considers whether the possibility is worth exploring, with Contemplation in particular advocating for it. Nomad, however, is confident that the key would not offer a refuge; instead, it is for a small, exploratory Scadrian research vessel. As they continue to converse, he considers the strange weather patterns on Canticle, regrets his earlier rudeness, and walks through the door into the storm.

As Nomad walks into the storm, he compares it those of Roshar. He walks through the streets of Beacon, feeling uncomfortable due to painful memories brought by the storm, until he reaches the hovercycle they had come on. He retrieves a rifle, which he had hidden beneath it, and Aux, who had been holding it in place. While there, Nomad considers who he is and who he once had been—unsatisfied with either—as well the culture of Beacon. As he steps away, Nomad notices Wit standing further along the city's rim.

As Nomad approaches, he notices that Wit is an illusion, allowed to appear by Aux's reinforcement of Nomad's [[Connection]] to him. The two discuss various topics, including Wit initially giving Nomad his Dawnshard, the chase by the [[Night Brigade]], Wit's lack of regard for Nomad, Wit's childhood, the value of the Torment, and the merits of questions and answers. Throughout this, Nomad disparages Wit. Before he fades away, Wit sincerely expresses regret for his actions, surprising Nomad. With Aux, Nomad resolves to help the Beaconites find the door that corresponds to the Scadrian key in order to get a power source that would allow him to Skip offworld. He returns to the building he had left and proposes that they help each other.

When Nomad walks back in, able to speak perfectly in the language of Canticle, the Beaconites proclaim him a Sunlit Man, something they remain convinced of throughout the ensuing conversation. They continue to consider the prospect of this Refuge underground. Nomad, at Aux's urging, does mention that it is unlikely that it will be what they expect. However, the Beaconites believe that it is their only hope, and decide to present this idea to the people. Nomad and Aux discuss the outcome of the conversation with Wit, particularly in relation to Nomad's aging. The Greater Good also considers Rebeke's punishment for disobeying, with Nomad interjecting in her defense. He compares its leadership to that of the Cinder King, referencing his long life as the grounds for his understanding of tyranny. Finally, as part of Rebeke's punishment, the Greater Good asks her to fulfill Nomad's requests for accommodations.

Nomad lays on the floor healing while the leaders meet and discuss options, or lack thereof. 10 % of Beacon was lost in the fight.

Nomad tried to help Elegy and designs a steam engine. Aux mentions flight, and Nomad reflects on how Aux was all but killed due to the Dawnshard he took as a favor to Hoid. He examines a spent sunheart, described as smokestone.