Return of the Crimson Guard, page 1
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This novel is dedicated to the first Winnipeg gang of the
Treherne Room and the second of Rick’s Place.
For all those afternoons and evenings honing the trade.
With gratitude I acknowledge Peter Crowther, who made this work possible; John Jarrold, who extended a great deal of faith; and Simon Taylor, whose encouragement and welcome meant, and continue to mean, more than he knows.
Thanks also to Bill Hunter and Chris for their early readings.
Gerri, Conor, Ross, and Callum: you give it meaning.
Dramatis Personae
In Unta
Imperial High Command
Laseen
Empress
High Fist Anand
Commander 4th Malazan Army (Quon Tali)
Havva Gulen
New Imperial High Mage
Korbolo Dom
High Fist and Sword of the Empire
Possum
Master of the Claw (the Imperial assassins)
Mallick Rel
Councillor and Assembly Representative
Unta Harbour Guard
Atelen Tinsmith
Sergeant of squad
Rigit Hands
Corporal of squad
Nait
Squad saboteur
Heuk
A cadre mage
Honey Boy
Soldier
Least
Half-Barghast soldier
Others in Unta
Coil
A Clawleader
Lady Batevari
A Seeress / Fortuneteller from Darujhistan
Oryan
A Seven Cities mage, bodyguard to Mallick Rel
Taya Radok
A dancing girl / assassin from Darujhistan
In Li Heng
Malazan Army
Harmin Els D’Shil
A captain of the garrison
Gujran
A captain of the garrison
Banath
A sergeant of the garrison
Fallow
A healer of the garrison
Storo Matash’s Squad
Storo Matash
Captain of a saboteur company, 3rd Army veteran
Shaky
Ranking saboteur
Hurl
Saboteur
Sunny
Saboteur
Silk
Squad corporal and cadre mage
Jalor
A Seven Cities recruit
Rell
A Genabackan recruit
Civilians in Li Heng
Magistrate Ehrlann
Member of the Ruling Council of Magistrates
Jamaer
Ehrlann’s servant
Magistrate Plengyllen
Member of the Ruling Council of Magistrates
Liss
A city mage
Ahl
A city mage (with brothers Thal and Lar)
In Cawn
Nevall Od’ Orr
Chief Factor of Cawn
Groten
Nevall’s bodyguard
On The Seti Plains
Toc the Elder
Seti Warlord and Malazan ‘Old Guard’
Wildman
Seti champion, also known as ‘the Boar’, Sweetgrass
Imotan
Shaman of the Jackal warrior society
Hipal
Shaman of the Ferret warrior society
Captain Moss
Malazan cavalry captain
Redden Brokeleg
Ataman (chieftain) of the Plains Lion Assembly
Ortal
Ataman (chieftain) of the Black Ferret Assembly
On The Wickan Frontier
Malazan Army
Rillish Jal Keth
Lieutenant of the Malazan 4th Army
Chord
Company sergeant
Talia
Malazan veteran
Wickans
Clearwater
A Wickan shaman
Nil
A Wickan warlock and veteran of the Seven Cities campaigns
Nether
A Wickan witch and veteran of the Seven Cities campaigns
Mane
A young Wickan warrior
Udep
A Wickan hetman (chieftain)
In the Pit
Ho (Hothalar)
A Li Heng mage
Yathengar ’ul Amal
A Seven Cities priest (‘Faladan’)
Sessin
Yathengar’s bodyguard
Grief
A new prisoner
Treat
A new prisoner
Devaleth
A Korelan sea-witch and new prisoner
Su
A Wickan witch
In Quon Tali Province
Ghelel Rhik Tayliin
Duchess, and last surviving member of the Tayliin family line
Amaron
Malazan ‘Old Guard’, once commander of the Talons
Choss
Malazan ‘Old Guard’, once High Fist
Marquis Jhardin
Commander of the Marchland Sentries
Prevost Razala
A cavalry captain
Molk
An agent of Amaron’s
The Crimson Guard
Surviving Named Avowed
K’azz D’Avore
Commander, known by various titles
First Company
Skinner
Captain
Mara
Company mage
Gwynn
Company mage
Petal
Company mage
Kalt
Lieutenant
Farese
Hist
Shijel
Black the Lesser
Second Company
Shimmer
Captain
Cowl
High Mage and Master of Assassins, ‘Veils’
Stoop
Siegemaster of the Guard
Smoky
Company mage
Shellarr
‘Shell’, company mage
Blues
Company mage and swordmaster
Fingers
Company mage
Opal
Company mage
Isha
Company assassin, ‘Veil’
Keitil
Company assassin, ‘Veil’
Cole
Treat
Dim
Reed
Amatt
Sept
Lazar
Halfdan
Lean
Inese
Turgal
Third Company
Tarkhan
Captain and company assassin, ‘Veil’
Lor-sinn
Company mage
Sour
Company mage
Toby
Company mage
Balkin
Company mage
Lacy
Company assassin, ‘Veil’
Black
Baker
Janeth
Slate
Bower
Lucky
Fourth Company
Cal-Brinn
Captain and company mage
Iron Bars
Jup Alat
Among the First Induction (recruitment)
Sergeant Trench
Corlo
Voss
Ambrose
Palla
Among the Second Induction
Lurgman Parsell, ‘Twisty’
Jaris
Pilgrim
Ogilvy
Bakar
Tolt
Meek
Harman
Grere
Geddin
Boll
Among the Third Induction
Stalker
Badlands
Coots
Kyle
Of The Talian League
Urko Crust
Commander of Falaran forces, ‘Old Guard’, also known as ‘Shatterer’
V’thell
Commander of Gold Moranth forces
Choss
Commander of Talian forces, ‘Old Guard’
Toc the Elder
Seti Warlord, ‘Old Guard’
Amaron
Chief of intelligence, ‘Old Guard’
Ullen Khadeve
Urko’s lieutenant-commander and chief of staff, ‘Old Guard’
Bala Jesselt
Cadre mage, ‘Old Guard’
Eselen Tonley
A captain of Falaran cavalry
Orlat Kepten
A captain of Talian forces, ‘Old Guard’
Others
Liossercal
Ascendant, titled ‘Son of Light,’ also known as Osserc, Osric
Anomandaris
Ascendant, titled ‘So
Jhest Golanjar
Jacuruku mage
Shen
A warlock
Tayschrenn
Imperial High Mage
D’Ebbin
Malazan commander 4th Army, ‘Fist’
Braven Tooth
Malazan Command Master Sergeant
Temp
Malazan Master Sergeant
Blossom
Moranth Gold officer
Tourmaline
Moranth Gold infantry sergeant
Cartharon Crust
Captain of the Ragstopper, rumoured ‘Old Guard’
Denuth
An Elder, among the Firstborn to Mother Earth
Draconus
An Elder God
Ereko
An ancient wanderer
Greymane
Once a Malazan Fist, now outlawed
Lim Tal
Ex-private guard of Untan noble
Traveller
A wanderer of mixed Dal Hon and Quon descent
Ragman/Tatterdemalion
A wanderer of the Imperial Warren
Contents
Prologue
Book I: Diaspora’s End
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Book II: The Eternal Return
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Book III: Fates and Chances
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Epilogue
Glossary
This, the first of wars, paroxysmed for time unmeasured. Ever Light thrust yet dissipated, and ever Night retreated yet smothered. Thus the two combatants locked in an ever-widening gyre of eternal creation and destruction. Countless champions of both Houses arose, scoured the face of creation in their potency, only to fall each in turn, their names now lost to memory.
Then, in what some named the ten thousandth turn of the spreading whorl of the two hosts, there came to the shimmering curtain edge of battle one unknown to either House, and he did castigate the combatants.
‘Who are you to speak thusly?’ demanded he who would come to be known as Draconus.
‘One who has moved upon the Void long enough to know this will never end.’
‘It is ordained,’ answered a champion of Light, Liossercal. ‘Ever must one rise, the other fall.’
Disdainful, the newcomer thrust the opponents apart. ‘Then agree that this be so and name it done!’
And so both Houses fell upon the stranger tearing him into countless fragments.
Thus was Shadow born and the first great sundering ended.
Myth Fragment
Compendium Primal, Mantle
Prologue
The Elder Age,
Time unmeasured
THE ERUPTION HAD WOUNDED THE WORLD. DENUTH, A CHILD of the Earth, was first to penetrate the curtains of drifting cinders and so come upon the crater. Steaming water the colour of slate pooled at the centre of a basin leagues across. A slope of naked jagged rock led down to the silent shore. All was still, layered in a snow of ash. Yet a stirring of movement caught his attention and he picked his way to the water’s edge to find an entity sembled in a shape akin to his own with two legs and arms, but slashed and gouged by ferocious wounds. Blood was a black crust upon the one and darkened the waters around him.
Gently, Denuth turned the being over only to start, amazed. ‘Liossercal! Father’s own first born! Who is it that set upon you?’
A savage smile of blunt canine tusks. ‘None. Best ask whom I set upon. Are there no others?’
‘None I saw.’
The smile crooked down to a feral scowl. ‘All consumed then. Taken by the blast.’
‘Blast?’ Denuth narrowed his gaze upon the alien power. Yes, alien – for who could possibly fathom the mind of one born with Light’s first eruption? ‘What exactly has occurred here?’
Wincing, Liossercal shrugged himself from Denuth’s support. He sat hunched, arms clasped tight about himself as if to hold his body together. Thick dark blood welled fresh from his deeper lacerations. ‘An experiment. An attempt. An assault. Call it what you will.’
‘An assault? Upon what? There was naught here but..’ Denuth’s voice died away into the stillness of the ash-choked water. ‘Mother Preserve us! An Azath!’ Glancing about, he took in the immense crater, attempted to grasp the scale of the calamity. It has pained us all! ‘You fool! Would you stop at nothing in your questing?’
The pale head rose, amber eyes hot. ‘I do as I choose.’
Denuth recoiled. Indeed. And here then was the quandary. Something must be done about these ancient powers before their antagonisms and limitless ambitions destroy all order once again. Draconus’s solution horrifies, yet well now could I almost understand such…exigencies. After all, was not eternal imprisonment preferable to such potential for destruction?
Liossercal struggled to his feet, stiff, hissing at his many wounds, and Denuth knew a terrible temptation. Never before had he heard an account of this entity so vulnerable, so weakened. Soletaken, Elient, what were such labels to this power who may have moved through Light before it knew Dark? Yet now he was obviously wounded almost unto expiration. Should he act now? Would ever such a chance come again to anyone?
As if following the chain of the Child of Earth’s thoughts, Liossercal smiled, upthrusting canines prominent. ‘Do not be tempted, Denuth. Draconus is a fool. His conclusions flawed. Rigidity is not the answer.’
‘And what is?’
A pained grimace, fingers gently probed a deep laceration high on one cheek. ‘I was exploring alternatives.’
‘Explore elsewhere.’
A flash of white rage, quelled. ‘Well taken, Child of Earth. He comes, does he not?’
‘He does. And he brings his answer with him.’
‘I had best go.’
‘Indeed.’
Liossercal threw his arms up, his outline blurring, sembling, but he gasped in mid-shift, roared his pain and collapsed to the shore. A dragon shape of silver and gold writhed over the brittle rocks before Denuth who hurriedly backed away. Boulders crashed into the lake as slashed wings laboured. Eventually, unsteady, the enormous bulk arose to snake heavily away. Its long tail hissed a cut through the steaming waters of the crater.
