House of Chains/Chapter 8

Among the untried recruits of the Fourteenth Army, fully half originated from the continent of Quon Tali, the very centre of the empire. Young and idealistic, they stepped onto blood-soaked ground, in the wake of the sacrifices made by their fathers and mothers, their grandfathers and grandmothers. It is the horror of war that, with each newly arrived generation, the nightmare is reprised by innocents.

The Sha'ik Rebellion, Illusions of Victory
Imrygyn Tallobant

Aren

The Malaz 14th Army

Adjunct Tavore Paran is standing on the marshaling grounds of Aren. The first legion of the Malaz 14th Army to be arrayed is the 8th commanded by Fist Gamet. Made up of some four thousand soldiers, it is in complete chaos and disorder. The other two Fists, Tene Baralta and Blistig, and the mages Nil and Nether are present too. Cuttle and Strings approach the Adjunct and Fist Gamet and ask permission to bring order to the chaotic 8th legion. Cuttle asks the Adjunct and the Fist to remove themselves some distance away, then asks String to draw him a line. The two set Moranth munitions into the cobbles at the edges of the grounds, and explode them, shocking the entire legion into silence. Cuttle tells them to assemble to the line drawn by Strings and promises to throw a Sharper if he is not obeyed. Slowly the entire legion takes shape, and before long, is assembled in tight even ranks.

About to dismiss Gamet's legion, the Adjunct notices a small child standing where she had first stood, holding a human longbone and looking over the army. The toddler, named Grub, is collected by his adopted father Captain Keneb, who apologises. But the damage has been done. The event has been recognised as an evil omen, one that means that a child leads the army to their death, the leg bone signifying their march under the curse of the desert sun. The army now effectively sees itself as dead due to the omen.

Strings gathers a few senior Sergeants and Corporals around him and relates a tale of Admiral Nok to hammer home how not to deal with a bad omen by fighting it. He tells his listeners that to overcome it one has to 'swallow it whole' and suggests a visit to the local cemetery.

The Adjunct meets the Fists and orders them to keep their soldiers in the barracks and ban alcohol and drugs. She also asks them to warn their soldiers that she would personally be visiting them. The Fists meet in private and Gamet tells them that if in two days time, the Adjunct does not deem the army worthy to march, she will make a final decision.

Lostara Yil

Whilst changing her armour, Lostara Yil recalls her history and how she managed to survive on the streets of Ehrlitan after having been cast out by her family as an unwanted child. She had then been forced to join the Temple of Rashan where she had been trained as a Shadow Dancer before eventually joining the Red Blades. Her preparations are interrupted by the appearance of Cotillion, who asks her for a favour that would also benefit the Empire. Sometime later, Pearl returns, and the two head out to investigate their lead. They question veterans from the 5th squad of the 9th company. Pearl tries to wake Stormy up, and gets injured by an enraged and sleepy Stormy for his pains. Lostara manages to settle matters down, and is guided to Pella outside, leaving Pearl to question Gesler and Stormy inside. She asks Pella about Felisin Paran and he tells her that he helped her escape from Skullcup, however she is probably dead. For further details, she questions Truth, who tells her the same thing. Pella has figured out that Tavore sent the two of them to find Felisin. Lostara asks them to keep it a secret and goes out to find that Pearl has heard almost the same account. The two then head to the impounded ship, The Silanda, where they observe the severed heads of the Tiste Andii and a dead Tiste Edur captain. Pearl deduces that the three had probably jumped off the ship and ended up somewhere amidst the Rebellion. Pearl determines to travel that way to follow their trail.

The Malaz 14th Army

Captain Keneb's 9th Company is called out to form up and muster in the parade grounds. Strings' idea to rob the nearby graveyard has been taken up and human finger bones are now part of most soldiers' outfit, including Fist Keneb. Tavore recognizes the significance and asks Lieutenant Ranal who had only just berated his troops for wearing the decorations, to procure one for himself. She suggests a uniformity to how the 'trinkets' are worn, then orders Fist Gamet to make a standard for the army, something similar to the inspiration that the soldiers have come up with. She then receives a report that three ships have arrived into the harbor carrying three hundred Wickan veterans of the Crow clan.