House of Chains/Chapter 12

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==Drift Avalii==
Cutter and Darist prepare for the looming battle to defend the Throne of Shadow from the Tiste Edur on Drift Avalii. Darist's sword is powerful, once named Vengeance, but now Grief. They then speak of Grief and battle a first group of Edur. Eventually this battle ends after the arrival of Apsalar with young Tiste Andii. Darist had the young Andii hide, in fear of what the Edur would do to them. Darist says his brother should defend the Throne himself; Cutter suspects the brother is Anomander Rake.
Darist confirms this, and says that the young Andii here are Anomander Rake's various grandchildren. Both Darist and Cutter are wounded and not in fighting shape. Apsalar and Cutter note that the grandchildren, protected by Darist, are not trained fighters. Cutter sees Apsalar's words as hard with judgement.
Apsalar sends Cutter into the woods, where he finds Malazans, shipwrecked and now taking refuge in a cave. A Dal Honese man named Traveller speaks to him about the Throne of Shadow. A sorcerer and captain are there as well. Cutter returns and finds another Edur assault underway, this time by sorcery. Darist is wounded, the young Andii are scattered, Apsalar is unconscious. Cutter calls on the Hound of Shadow, Blind, who answers, but cowers at a word from one Edur sorcerer. Cotillion arrives as well. He slaughters the Edur, then gestures so that Blind, trembling, disappears.
Cutter urges Cotillion to help the Malazans, but Cotillion says they don't need help and asks Cutter to pass on the names of the sword, then vanishes. Cutter checks on Apsalar, and Traveller arrives: he is the only surviving Malazan. Cutter tells Traveller the sword's names, Vengeance or Grief. Traveller takes up the sword, choosing the name Vengeance, and says he will guard the now vacant Throne for a time. Apsalar stirs. Cutter offers to help bury the dead, but Traveller says there is no need. Cutter lifts Apsalar and goes to find a ship off the island.
==B'ridys fortress==
Kalam Mekhar inspects the well inside the B'ridys fortress that Kindly went into. Something man-like lays chained in the water at the well's bottom, and it pulls Kalam into the underground river that feeds the well. The assassin stabs the creature and it throws him out. Kalam then speaks with Ebron about the cult of the Nameless Ones that used to reside there. The cult chained demons to this world, and now that Kalam has exchanged with the demon, the demon will hunt him and two other officers once it is free. Kalam says he is going to get far away and head towards Raraku to find Adjunct Tavore Paran.
His journey is cut short though when an enkar'al, possessed by the demon that was in truth possessing the toblakai that attacked him. The demons wounds and taunts Kalam, but the assassin kills the beast and the Enkar'al soul finds peace. The wounded Kalam is then found by the High Priest of Shadow Iskaral Pust and the Soletaken Mogora.
==The Nascent==
Within the Nascent, Onrack and Trull Sengar converse as the T'lan Imass and Tiste Liosan prepare. Onrack, his vow broken, sees T'lan Imass in their true withered forms. Onrack reflects on the T'lan Imass and their vow. The kin they are with, led by Monok Ochem, will dismantle him once they return to their home realm. He says the renegades he hunts have also broken their vow and now serve a new master. They speak then of the Tiste Liosan, and how the Seneschal Jorrude worships before Kurald Thyrllan and a power that has been usurped. The Liosan god Osric has been lost.
The Liosan are dedicated to prove Onrack wrong, and summon the godfire. Jorrude and Trull spill their blood, and this tears open a gate leading out of the Nascent. Trull and Onrack pass through, Onrack pledging to defend Trull's life. Monok pursues them in his Soletaken form as a giant ape, but vanishes in a surge of chaos. Safely out of the Nascent, Onrack says they will be pursued and must go. The three other T'lan Imass, Ibra Gholan, Haran Epal and Olar Shayn, have walked into Kurald Thyrllan, and Onrack says it is to kill the Liosan god.
==Imperial Warren==
Pearl and Lostara Yil traverse the ash of the Imperial Warren, squabbling and speaking of its nature. They stumble into a pit where there is a massive crucified dragon, aspected with otataral. It is alive but enclosed, and they examine it and speak of nature's balance. They follow the tracks of other dragons who crucified the one they've seen, and reach a gate of gold fire. They travel through to a pyramid with names carved on it, then find a trail of blood leading to a decapitated T'lan Imass. Pearl picks up the head, and takes them out of the warren to a rock shelf in the sun. The T'lan Imass, Olar Shayn, tells them that he and his kin delivered mortal wounds to a false god in the warren. To the gratitude of Olar, Pearl places the head on the ledge with a view of the basin and vista below. Pearl and Lostara continue to bicker.
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