The Crippled God/Chapter 24

The Crippled God
Dramatis Personae	Pagination
"He was a soldier"
Chapter 1	Chapter 2
Chapter 3	Chapter 4
All the takers of my days
Chapter 5	Chapter 6
Chapter 7
To charge the spear
Chapter 8	Chapter 9
Chapter 10
The fists of the world
Chapter 11	Chapter 12
Chapter 13
A hand upon the fates
Chapter 14	Chapter 15
Chapter 16
To one in chains
Chapter 17	Chapter 18
Chapter 19	Chapter 20
Your private shore
Chapter 21	Chapter 22
Chapter 23	Chapter 24
Epilogue I	Epilogue II

Epigraph

I have heard voices thick with sorrow I have seen faces crumble with grief I have beheld broken men rise to stand And witnessed women walk from small graves Yet now you would speak of weakness Of failings worth nothing but scorn You would show all the sides of your fear Brazen as trophies in the empty shell of conquest But what have you won when the night draws close To make stern your resolve among these shadows When at last we are done with the world When we neither stand nor fall nor wake from stillness And the silent unknowing waits for us? I have heard my voice thick with sorrow I have felt my face crumble with grief I have broken and turned away from graves And I have grasped tight this hand of weakness And walked in the company of familiar failings Scorn lies in the dust and in the distance behind Every trophy fades from sight The night lies ahead drawing me into its close For when I am done with this world In the unknowing I will listen for the silence To await what is to come And should you seek more Find me in this place Before the rising dawn Journey's Resolution Fisher kel Tath

Adjunct Tavore, Banaschar and Fiddler make a short excursion to a hill. At the top Tavore thrusts her otataral sword into the ground. Banaschar suggests that D'rek could encircle the hill to help with its defence. They return to the Bonehunter army, then Fiddler takes the Marines and Heavies back to the hill. Tavore leads the Bonehunter Regular troops westward.

There are three Forkrul Assail Pures in charge of the approaching Kolansii troops. Aware of Fiddler's small force and of Ganoes Paran's host in the north, they split their army into three: the largest will attack the Bonehunter Regulars, the others Fiddler and Ganoes, all with overwhelming force.

Silchas Ruin and Tulas Shorn are flying towards the other Eleint. Silchas's Hust sword is restless; he lands and draws it. Three chains appear from the sword, anchored in the ground; from the earth at the end of each emerges an ancient Eleint: Eloth, Ampelas and Kalse. As they fly off they pass over Telorast and Curdle who also veer and join them to form a seven-dragon Storm, which attacks those attacking Korabas.

The Great Ravens are now flying with the Shi'Gal Assassin carrying the Crippled God's heart. The Ravens reach the marines' hill; each plunges down next to the otataral sword and is changed, gradually forming the figure of a deformed man chained to the ground: the Crippled God. There is a hole in his chest; in it Gu'Rull places the heart.

Sister Calm reaches Icarium at the same time as Mappo Runt. They fight and Calm kills Mappo. She is then herself killed by Ublala Pung.

The Kolansii army engages the Bonehunter Regulars and their Khundryl and T'lan Imass allies. The Imass attack one of the Pures, wounding her as she destroys them. The other Pure advances on Tavore, using his Voice to attack her. Badalle summons the Shards, remnants of the Forkrul Assail god; they appear and devour him. The remaining Pure is about to fight the last T'lan Imass. She steps over the mortally-wounded Warleader Gall; he rises behind her and thrusts a sword through her spine. The T'lan Imass then finally kills her. Despite the loss of their leaders, the Kolansii are winning easily against the outnumbered Bonehunters, only a few hundred of whom remain. Then Ganoes Paran's army appears and turns the battle.

Korabas arrives by Efirende

The other Kolansii army has surrounded the hill where the marines and heavies protect the Crippled God. They attack repeatedly; each time they are repelled by the defenders helped by their alchemical munitions. Eventually only a handful of defenders remain. The Kolansii are about to attack for the last time when Quick Ben and Kalam Mekhar arrive and kill the Pure and Watered leaders. The Otataral dragon reaches the hill, fleeing the other Eleint. Her arrival breaks the Crippled God's chains. Fiddler urges him to bind Korabas; it's the only way the dragon will be permitted to live. With the help of K'rul and Mael, and by means of Heboric's ghost hands, one jade and one otataral, the Crippled God succeeds in chaining Korabas; the remaining Eleint disperse. He is then released from his crippled body by Cotillion.

Icarium, unbound by the death of Sister Calm, is again amnesiac. He buries Mappo Runt, whose name he has forgotten, and wanders off; this time accompanied by Ublala Pung and Ralata.