Night of Knives/Chapter 3

Hounds of Shadow

Strait of Storms

Toben

Toben continues to row hard, struggling outwards into the Strait of Storms through heavy rain and sleet, while chanting his song. An eye of calm, impenetrable to the sleet and rain, disturbed only by the wind, surrounds his ship and the bright brazier within. Stormriders begin to assault his ship with throwing lances, but their weapons evaporate in the calm before reaching him.

An iceberg is brought forth in front of him, but as it enters the area of calm it quickly begins to steam and fragments break off. Before it closes the remaining distance, it is sucked under the churning waves. Wandwielders initiate a sorcerous assault on Toben's ship, but their magic withers to nothing before it can reach him. He rows onward as another mountain of ice reveals its form in the distance.

Malaz City

Kiska

Kiska is walking along Riverwalk. Having lost track of her quarry she is searching for the group she was following. As she pauses on Stone Bridge, a Changing sweeps through the area and before she can move she is pulled into Kurald Emurlahn. She gathers her wits and is observing the glacier on the horizon when Edgewalker surprises her. After a brief conversation, Edgewalker revealing little in answer to her questions, a Hound latches on to her scent.

Edgewalker tells her to go to Obo's tower for safety, then returns Kiska to Riverwalk. Fearing the Hound closely pursuing her, she runs quickly to the tower. Kiska arrives and Obo comes out to greet her, as they speak she notices the ruin of his tower is now whole, and the city is not present around them. Obo refuses her entry, but tells her the Hound has gone and Kiska departs, returning to the normal world and heading immediately to Agayla's Shop.

Once there she relates the events of the night to Agayla, excluding her meetings with Edgewalker and Obo, considering them too absurd to be believable. Agayla tends to her wounds while explaining the history of the Empire leading to the night's conjunction. Kiska recalls a time in the past, the day of the edict and purge against magery. She recalls Agayla had met a crowd of soldiers in the street, the leader threatening her until a veteran took his place. They had gone through a short exchange of words before he agreed not to pester her if she stayed out of the way, then the veteran lead the rest of the soldiery off. Back in the present, Agayla gives Kiska a message to deliver to her quarry and sends her on her way.

Temper

Temper carries Coop to Seal's house, breaking down the door when Seal neglects a response. After deciding that Temper and Coop are not shades or another threat, Seal begins to tend to Coop. Temper removes his old swords, helmet, and gauntlets from a chest, having saved them from his days as part of the First Sword, and Seal allows him to use his great-uncle's cuirass for the night to come. Temper puts on the armour and begins to jog to Mock's Hold, searching for answers.

Kiska

From a rooftop vantage point, Kiska watches three soldiers attacking an old fisherman. She intervenes, but becomes surrounded. A soldier grabs her, but she manages to free herself and in a brief fight knocks him and another out with her daggers. The third runs away. The shadowy figure and roar of a hound send her fleeing across the rooftops in panic, eventually reaching the commons. She there finds the body of a Shadow cultist and witnesses a confrontation between a large group of Shadow cultists and her quarry, the man and his bodyguards.

After the skirmish between cult assassins and bodyguards ends, the man and three cult priests begin a sorcerous confrontation. Before she can witness the release of the built up energies in the area, Kiska is grabbed and kidnapped by members of Ash's group from the Hanged Man Inn, who take her to the Southern Crescent Inn and tie her up. After interrogating her and conversing among themselves for some time, they are interrupted by a Hound of Shadow, which breaks into the inn and begins a slaughter. All those who do not manage to quicky flee the inn are killed, excluding Kiska, who manages to free herself and run outside the inn. The last of Ash's veterans remains within and throws a cusser at the Hound, wounding it and destroying the inn's remnants.

Temper

Temper hears a scream and investigates, finding in an alleyway what he believes to be a young girl. However, this was a deception, and the creature attacks him. It pins him to the ground, but before it can kill him Edgewalker slits its throat. After recovering from the shock, Temper rinses himself at a fountain nearby and resumes his journey. A Hound's howls and seeming pursuit send him running, and once he reaches Jakani Square the Hound of Shadow tracks him down and attacks him. After a few brief exchanges Temper's arm is mangled and he falls unconscious, but not before he manages to wound the beast with his dirk.

Kiska

Having survived the blast, Kiska has returned to her pursuit. While climbing in a cavern below the city's streets, Kiska is grabbed and tied again, this time by one of her quarry's bodyguards, Hattar. She tells him she has a message for his master and he allows her to speak with the man, who calls himself Artan. She delivers the message and informs him of her meeting with Oleg, and his message that Kellanved will make an attempt on the Deadhouse. He does not completely believe her, but says he will keep it in mind. Hattar ties her more securely and tells her not to follow before he and Artan depart. She quickly frees herself and, ignoring Agalya's warning, begins to head for Mock's Hold.