Return of the Crimson Guard: A Novel of the Malazan Empire

by Ian C. Esslemont

  ‘Return fire!’ Voss was yelling in the rear.

  ‘Smoky!’ Shimmer called.

  ‘On it.’

  Flames roared up behind the turtle of jostled mantlets, cutting off the alley.

  ‘How long?’ she asked.

  ‘Not long.’

  They emerged on to a major north-south avenue lined by vendors’ stalls fronting three-storey brick merchants’ shops. Fleeing citizenry thronged its centre, flowing south to the waterfront. Bands of armed militia crossed the flow, shifting to new hot spots. All of the citizens stopped, stared at the emerging turtle and fled screaming.

  ‘Left again,’ Shimmer called.

  Bumping and banging, the ungainly beast lurched left. Through the gap Shimmer could now see down the long slow descent of the avenue to ship masts lit by the glow of the widespread flames. ‘I see the harbour!’ she called. A cheer went up within the turtle. The staccato impacts of bolts picked up now that their pursuers had poured into the avenue and flowed to surround them once again. A lantern tossed from a third-storey window burst among them splashing burning oil everywhere.

  ‘Hold tight!’ Shimmer yelled over the screams as men and women clawed at themselves and rolled to the cobbles. ‘Douse them! Cloaks!’ Abandoned, a mantlet table-top fell and a storm of bolts lashed into the exposed interior. ‘Tighten up!’

  A bolt slammed into Shimmer's side, knocking her to her knees. ‘Close up!’ she gasped, righting herself.

  ‘They're rushing us,’ a Guardsman warned.

  ‘Ready weapons! Keep moving!’ Shimmer took a long-knife from the belt of the Guardsman supporting the mantlet before her,

  ‘Prepare to repel boarders!’ some wit called out.

  A spear thrust between mantlets, its leaf-shaped blade skittering from Shimmer's armour. She dropped the long-knife, took hold of the spear and yanked it from its bearer. Holding it up tall to reverse it, she then pushed it out, impaling the man. ‘My thanks!’

  She thrust to keep the militia back from the mantlets, called again and again, ‘Keep moving!’ At every breath the bolt in her side sent a sheer of agony through her that darkened her vision.

  Then the hand of a God knocked everyone flat.

  A great wall of air punched the breath from Shimmer's chest. Dust, smoke and debris stormed over them, obliterating all visibility as if the entire city were being carried out to sea. A moment later all the roof tiles suddenly leapt from the buildings to fly like birds off in a wind of smoke and ash. More crashed down all about like rain. The ground shuddered, bouncing them. She squinted through the dust to see an enormous billowing cloud swelling over the city. It was lit from within by lurid bursts of flame, bloating, climbing, taller it seemed than any mountain. Across the way a three-storey brick building was obliterated by a solid stone block the size of a small boat smashing down into it.

  The wall of thunder slowly faded. Small pieces of burning debris fell about like intermittent rain. Carefully, amazed by the mere fact of her continued life, Shimmer pushed herself upright. She weaved, clutched at her side where the bolt emerged obscenely. Without daring to stop to think about what she meant to do, she took hold with all her strength and yanked it out. The white-hot resistance of her own flesh drove her to her knees again. All about, men and women, citizens and Guardsmen, were standing, peering about amazed. A pale white ash began to fall from the swelling churning cloud. It drifted thickly like tattered feathers and covered everything as if in a layer of down. ‘The harbour,’ Shimmer croaked and kicked the nearest Guard. ‘Smoky!’

  ‘Aye …’ A ghost-like shape beneath a blanket of ash stirred to life, sat up.

  ‘What in Hood's Own Shade was that?’

  Dark eyes in a white mask blinked to life. He stood, shook his kinky hair raising a cloud of dust. ‘I think that was maybe the greatest natural explosion ever yet set off by humans.’

  ‘I've never seen anything like it.’

  ‘No. Nor will we ever again, I expect.’

  ‘Gods on earthy she breathed amazed. ‘We better get out of here before these Untan fools decide we did it. They'll tear us limb from limb.’

  Smoky glanced around at the ash-cloaked figures dazedly stirring to life and wandering aimlessly: a city of ghosts awakening. He blinked owlishly. ‘I expect you're right…’

  ‘Move out, Guardsmen!’

  * * *

  Greymane did not witness the actual explosion. He'd been looking away, scanning for activity among the anchored Malazan man-o-wars, when the light suddenly changed – a great white flash threw his shadow across the deck and punched shouts of amazement and alarm from the men on the vessel. When he turned to look the light was gone. In its place rose an immense cloud of smoke that swelled even as he watched, billowing and burgeoning over the city. All across the waterfront great knots of birds scattered, wheeling their panic. While Greymane stared a wave seemed to pass over the city, bursting tiled rooftops, toppling spires, racing outward from the blast until it reached the waterfront. He had a moment to yell, ‘Brace yourselves!’ as it jumped the intervening water of the harbour, frothing the calm surface as it charged. Then it struck the vessel, tearing away half-lowered sails like paper and batting the ship like a toy. The thunderclap was so loud it deadened Greymane's ears, leaving him insensible of any sounds; men's mouths moved and equipment fell but no sound reached him. His first thought was: so ends the Guard. Obliterated by Laseen in one titanic explosion. But the blast seemed to have originated much farther inland from the fires marking the fighting. He'd have to make sure.

  He righted a man, waved to the wharf and the sweeps. Then the ship shuddered again. He spun; men pointed to the deck – there gaped a smoking hole that hadn't existed a moment ago. Burn's Mercy – and how many leagues away was that explosion? A moment later a sailor came up from below carrying a pot. It held a piece of rock still hot to the touch. A shard of scorched building stone. Greymane waved the staring men to the sweeps. There must be some survivors, but he feared the worst.

  They passed only one other vessel underway – an old scow merchantman, alarmingly low in the water, sails hanging in shreds, deck a mess of tossed gear, with its wiry, grey-haired Napan captain bellowing scalding invective at his scrambling crew. Greymane was surprised by the name gouged in the rotting wood of the bow; he didn't think anyone would've dared use the name Ragstopper after the career of its predecessor, pirate admiral, lieutenant of Laseen then known as Surly, and brother of Urko – Cartharon Crust.

  But the mystery of the Ragstopper had to wait, for crewmen pointed to the wharf, shouting their amazement. There, massed like an army of shades, waited the surviving Guardsmen. Even as the ship closed more came marching down thoroughfares, surrounded by citizens, weapons held ready, though none attacked. Rather, an unofficial truce seemed to have been agreed upon – perhaps so long as it was obvious that the Guard wanted nothing more than to get away, and the citizens were more than happy to prod them along. All appeared shocked numb by the monumental explosion, while the unearthly white ash that rained down rendered all alike: uniformly pale ghosts, and everyone uniformly eerily silent.

  Greymane supervised the loading of the survivors and there found Shimmer, carried on a tabletop serving as a litter, attended by Avowed mages Smoky, Lor-sinn and Shell. ‘Take us west,’ she gasped, pale with lost blood, long hair sweat-matted to her face.

  ‘Skinner?’

  She waved him on. ‘He'll find us.’

  The last Guardsman to step from the stone wharf was an Avowed named Black. Water dripped from him as he stood scanning the gathering crowd of Untan citizenry that edged ever closer, yelling obscenities. A few pieces of broken litter flew.

  ‘We have to go!’ Greymane shouted.

  Reluctantly, limping, the man abandoned the wharf. Rocks, broken tiles, offal and vegetables now pelted down upon them as the crowd roared, some even jeering their scorn. Greymane ordered double-time on the sweeps, called to Black, ‘What is it?’

  ‘Nothing. You
didn't happen – there the bastards are!’ Pointing, the Avowed threw himself to the railing, almost falling out of the ship.

  There, low in the water under a pier, a small crew in a launch waved farewell. Greymane recognized the harbour guard. One of them, a skinny pox-faced fellow, stood and bared his arse to them until the heavyset woman in armour next to him kicked him into the water. The crowd howled their appreciation.

  ‘I swear to Hood I'll find you!’ Black was yelling as the open water grew between them. ‘I swear!’

  When the ship came alongside the harbour mole they found it lined by fist-waving youths. The Guard oared from the harbour accompanied by distant taunts and thrown trash. At the side of the trailing vessel Greymane watched the gesturing youths. His thoughts turned to the Guard and its vow. How could they hope to free a citizenry from their rulers when they so obviously did not wish to be freed? The Guard seemed to have outlived its relevance. Though it did seem from the intelligence they'd gleaned so far that elsewhere the move to end Imperial rule had come very far indeed. From Shimmer's orders to go west he assumed the Avowed intended to link up with that movement. Yet he was troubled. His experience with political power told him that no vacuum would long endure. With what, he wondered, did this secessionist movement – or the Avowed for that matter – intend to replace Imperial rule?

  * * *

  The next day, escorted by a guard of fifty Malazan regulars, Empress Laseen surveyed the damage of the eruption of the Imperial Arsenal. She picked her way through the still smoking scoured bare dirt of the blast crater, greater than a stone's throw across, where once the Arsenal and surrounding buildings had stood. Havva Gulen paced at her side. ‘Could have been worse,’ the mage said, hands clasped at the front of her broad stomach.

  Laseen shook her head. ‘I'm thinking that it should have been much worse.’

  ‘Oh?’

  The Empress continued on ahead of the High Mage, kicked at the pulverized ground. ‘It was impressive, yes. But more of the city should've been destroyed. The Arsenal couldn't have been half-full.’

  ‘Really? The Guard, you think?’

  ‘Possibly. This whole incident could've been nothing more than a raid to collect munitions – or to simply deplete ours.’

  ‘Alarming strategic thinking on their part, if that be the case.’

  ‘Yes. And no sign of K'azz?’

  ‘No. Skinner seemed to be in charge.’

  Laseen took up a handful of the blackened, burnt soil, sifted it through her fingers. ‘Skinner. Not known for his subtlety.’

  ‘No. However,’ and Havva paused, as if unsure whether to continue.

  Facing away, Laseen asked, tiredly, ‘Yes?’

  ‘They say Greymane was seen with them at the harbour.’

  ‘Greymane?’ She straightened. ‘Really? Greymane …’ She scanned the wreckage but her mind was obviously far away. She nodded to herself.

  ‘Yes,’ Havva said. ‘The one place he must've thought himself safe from everyone.’ She gave a deep belly-laugh. ‘Imagine his dismay to find the Guard actually returning! Now he might face his own officers—’

  Laseen regarded her silently then glanced away.

  Havva decided she'd said quite enough. Further intelligence would have to wait, perhaps for ever. Oh, my Empress! You are alone; the walls you have raised have driven all from your side. Was it arrogance? Contempt? Failure to understand anything beyond your own drive to rule? Yet you say nothing and so we who could help you cannot know for certain. And there is too much to lose in that uncertainty. Now you stand apart. All alone but perhaps for poor blind Possum. Perhaps that is the cruel logic of your silence. Laseen, if I chose this private moment together to tell you all I know perhaps we would have a chance – a slim chance – of victory against the conspiracy that has closed itself around us. I have been doing all I can. But I dare not speak openly. I dare not take the chance. I am ashamed and so sorry, my Empress. I too have failed you. All because my time in the Archives was not wasted. I know the name Jhistal. And I fear I do not have the power to oppose it.

  The ranks of surrounding guard parted to admit the spear-slim form of High Fist Anand followed by a waddling, sweaty Mallick Rel fanning himself and grimacing at the stink of stale smouldering fires and burnt flesh. A white cloth encircled his head. ‘Congratulations, Empress! A great victory!’ the councilman called.

  ‘Victory?’ Laseen repeated flatly. ‘A few hundred of the Crimson Guard visit us for less than a day and half the capital is blown up and burnt to the ground?’

  ‘An invasion grandly repulsed!’

  ‘They left because they saw there was nothing here for them,’ Havva said.

  Anand shook his head. ‘I have to admit that it was the volunteer citizen militia that drove them off.’ He sounded as if he were still surprised by the fact. ‘And for that I apologize, Empress. I hadn't thought them a force worth considering before. They have no formal command structure or professional officer corps.’

  ‘A mere mob,’ Mallick sneered.

  ‘Mobs rule urban warfare,’ Anand said. ‘Bring enough numbers to bear from all directions and you smother any opponent.’

  ‘Apology accepted, High Fist,’ Laseen said, cutting through the confrontation. ‘Their numbers?’

  ‘My officers in the streets put their numbers as high as ten thousand. And climbing – more are joining every day. There are lines outside their headquarters.’

  ‘And just where are these vaunted headquarters, High Fist?’ Mallick inquired mildly, his round face gleaming.

  Anand paused, reluctant to answer, then reconsidered, stating boldly, ‘neighbourhood taverns.’

  ‘Faugh! Rabble who would melt at the first clash of iron. Empress, such forces are useless. The First Sword would have nothing to do with these undisciplined amateurs.’

  ‘To their great relief, no doubt,’ Anand observed. ‘In any case, they themselves recognize their shortcomings and they've put out a call for retired regular and marine officers to join them. I understand a ship full of retired sergeants and officers just put in from Malaz Isle. Old Braven Tooth himself among them.’

  ‘Braven Tooth!’ Laseen repeated, amazed. ‘I thought he was dead.’

  ‘So did everyone.’ Anand's smile held rueful affection. ‘Seems he sank his decades of back-pay and pension into some kind of Denul ritual that turned him into an oak stump.’

  ‘Unnecessarily,’ Laseen remarked, facing aside.

  Mallick sucked his stained teeth loudly. ‘All very well. However, it would take months to hammer such a force into an army. Time we do not have.’

  ‘What happened to your head?’ Havva asked him.

  ‘What?’

  Havva gestured to the cloth. ‘Your head.’

  Mallick's hands flew to the wrap, straightened it. ‘The blast. A lamp fell on me.’

  Pity that was all. ‘Wounded in defence of the city. How noble.’

  Mallick's gaze narrowed to slits. ‘And where were you, Havva Gulien? Cowering in the Archive's sub-basement, sharpened quill raised?’

  Always closer than you know, Mallick Rel.

  ‘I agree with your estimate of our time, Mallick,’ Laseen said. ‘When is the First Sword expected?’

  ‘Later today,’ Anand supplied.

  ‘When he returns, inform him that we will be departing from Unta with all haste. Close the harbour, Anand. Confiscate every vessel. We sail with every available man and woman.’

  Anand bowed. ‘Very good, Empress.’

  ‘We?’ Mallick asked, arched.

  ‘Not you, Spokesman for the Assembly. Will you remain here in Unta, overseeing the rebuilding and the defence of the capital?’

  Mallick's brows rose and he bowed. ‘It would be my honour, of course. I will report daily on the progress.’

  ‘That will be difficult, Mallick, because I will be leading the army.’

  A gasp from Anand, ‘Empress!’

  Laseen raised a hand to silence all objection
s. ‘It is decided. We must leave immediately.’

  Though clearly unhappy, Anand gathered himself and bowed stiffly. Havva bowed as well. So shall I too go. As will Possum and the majority of the Claw. In the field again, as it was so long ago.

  ‘I shall raise a magnificent monument to your future victories on this very site,’ Mallick said, bowing.