Sands

Sands was a marine, a sapper, and a minor mageThe Bonehunters, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.299 of the 8th Legion's 9th Company in the Malaz 14th Army. He was assigned to Gesler's 5th squad.
==In House of Chains==
Sands was part of Adjunct Tavore Paran's punitive expedition against the Army of the Apocalypse. On the road from Aren to Raraku, he and Tavos Pond helped Gesler inspect the entrants chosen for the 9th Company Scorpion fight.House of Chains, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.629 He was likely either the Holder or Trainer for the 5th squad's entrant, Clawmaster.
After the Battle of Raraku, Lieutenant Ranal raced after a group of Leoman's escaping men with his squads in tow. Gesler's squad became separated from the others and was soon charged on horseback by the Tiste Liosan, Jorrude, and his men. Gesler ordered Sands to fire a Cusser at the eerie warriors using the modified Crossbow copied from Fiddler's own. Sands nervously fired the untested weapon whose explosion caused the entire hill to lift beneath them. The charge was stopped, but Stormy soon had his hands around Sands' throat.House of Chains, Chapter 26, US SFBC p.835-838
==In The Bonehunters==
The 14th Army followed Leoman and the Army of the Apocalypse westward towards Y'Ghatan after the Battle of Raraku. Adjunct Tavore wanted to send some of her people ahead to reach the city first, so she chose Gesler's squad to accompany Quick Ben and Kalam Mekhar. The group travelled via the Imperial Warren, but due to the problems with the Warrens travel was difficult and confusing. When the group realised something was following them, Sands shakily announced whatever it was had come from Chaos.The Bonehunters, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.142/146-147 The sudden appearance of at least a dozen K'Chain Che'Malle Skykeeps in the air above led Quick Ben to immediately cancel the plan. He brought the group back to the Malazan world to report the news to the Adjunct.The Bonehunters, Chapter 5, US SFBC p.193-194
Adjunct Tavore launched the Last Siege of Y'Ghatan by breaching the city's walls with sappers. First into the city were the Malazan marines, followed quickly by the Heavy infantry. Barely a street in and fearing an ambush, Gesler sent Sands back to bring up Tugg's heavies, Moak's Medium infantry, and Thom Tissy's sappers. The resulting battle was a disaster with Tissy's untrained sappers accidentally killing Moak's entire squad as well as themselves.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.298-300
When enough Malazans were engaged in street fighting inside the city, Leoman sprung his trap. The city's olive oil-soaked buildings were set alight and the streets quickly became an inferno. Sands fled the flames along with a mixed group of survivors from Gesler's, Tugg's, Fiddler's, and Hellian's, squads.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.311 Sands was among the small group of soldiers who survived Y'Ghatan by tunneling their way out from under the city. They spent three days crawling on their hands and knees through the dark led by Bottle and his rat.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.368/370
Unaware that any had survived, the 14th Army made haste for the Kokakal Sea to embark on Admiral Nok's ships and escape the Bluetongue Plague ravaging Seven Cities. Faradan Sort and Sinn remained behind and discovered the survivors as they crawled from the wreckage.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7 Sands and the others made the long march west, finally catching up to the army on the coast.The Bonehunters, Chapter 16
==In Reaper's Gale==
Adjunct Tavore clashed with Empress Laseen at Malaz City and took the Bonehunters rogue, following the Tiste Edur fleet that had ravaged Sepik back to Lether.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.356 Tavore invaded the Letherii Empire, burning her transport vessels on the shoreline and spreading the marines in isolated pairs of squads across thirty leagues of coast. The marines moved forward into the Letherii countryside with orders to kill Edur by night and stir the occupied Letherii into rebellion. Each squad had a mage responsible for hiding their presence and confusing their enemies.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.361-365 
Gesler and Fiddler's squads remained together and at first had no problem remaining hidden from enemy soldiers.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.359 But the Letherii soon became aware of the enemy operating in their territory. Only Corabb's impossible luck saved them from a clever ambush in the forest when he accidentally flushed out a deer that immediately fell with twenty arrows in it. The Malazans quickly turned the attack with sharpers until the Letherii unveiled their sorcery of grey chaotic fire.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.487-488
Sands was engulfed in a wave of sorcery as he charged forward, and his scream was quickly cut short as he vanished, taking his share of the squad's munitions with him. Fiddler fired a cusser into the trees above the mage killing him and shredding a score of enemy soldiers. After the Malazans escaped, Fiddler described the sorcery that took Sands as a broken gate that "chews up whoever goes through it." Bottle agreed, saying the mage had used some kind of Hold magic and lost control as Chaos took over. The mage who had killed Sands had himself been screaming as the spell took effect.
==Notes and references==
Category:Bonehunters
Category:Mages
Category:Males
Category:Marines
Category:Sappers
Category:Soldiers
Category:Y'Ghatan survivor (underground)
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