R.A. Salvatore - Servant of the Shard - Forgotten Realms - Path of Darkness - Book III

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Aurora

Servant of the Shard opens with Artemis Entreri moving through Calimport’s crowded midday market, reading the streets for thieves and using his feared reputation and jeweled dagger to command attention without drawing steel. In an outdoor tavern, he confronts an unexpected intrusion at a reserved table alongside Sha’lazzi Ozoule, demanding compliance and settling tensions through controlled intimidation. The meeting pivots to the possibility of betrayal, weighed against careful psionic scrutiny and political entanglements involving Basadoni and Sharlotta Vespers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages214

Reading Time5 h 30 min

AccessFree to download

Prologue

Market encounter

Taverns reservation conflict

Confrontation and resolution

Discussion of betrayal

R.A.Salvatore Servant of the Shard (Forgotten Realms novell. Path of Darkness. Book III) Prologue He glided through the noonday sunshine's oppressive heat, moving as if always cloaked in shadows, though the place had few, and as if even the ever-present dust could not touch him. The open market was crowded-it was always crowded-with yelling merchants and customers bargaining for every copper piece. Thieves were positioning themselves in all the best and busiest places, where they might cut a purse string without ever being noticed, or if they were discovered, where they could melt away into a swirling crowd of bright colors and flowing robes. Artemis Entreri noted the thieves clearly. He could tell with a glance who was there to shop and who was there to steal, and he didn't avoid the latter group. He purposely set his course to bring him right by every thief he could find, and he'd pushed back one side of his dark cloak, revealing his ample purse-revealing, too, the jeweldecorated dagger that kept his purse and his person perfectly safe. The dagger was his trademark weapon, one of the most feared blades on all of Calimport's dangerous streets. Entreri enjoyed the respect the young thieves offered him, and more than that, he demanded it. He had spent years earning his reputation as the finest assassin in Calimport, but he was getting older. He was losing, perhaps, that fine edge of brilliance. Thus, he came out brazenly-more so than he ever would have in his younger days-daring them, any of them, to make a try for him. He crossed the busy avenue, heading for a small outdoor tavern that had many round tables set under a great awning. The place was bustling, but Entreri immediately spotted his contact, the flamboyant Sha'lazzi Ozoule with his trademark bright yellow turban. Entreri moved straight for the table. Sha'lazzi wasn't sitting alone, though it was obvious to Entreri that the three men seated with him were not friends of his, were not known to him at all. The others held a private conversation, chattering and chuckling, while Sha'lazzi leaned back, glancing all around. Entreri walked up to the table. Sha'lazzi gave a nervous and embarrassed shrug as the assassin looked questioningly at the three uninvited guests. "You did not tell them that this table was reserved for our luncheon?" Entreri calmly asked. The three men stopped their conversation and looked up at him curiously. "I tried to explain " Sha'lazzi started, wiping the sweat from his dark-skinned brow. Entreri held up his hand to silence the man and fixed his imposing gaze on the three trespassers. "We have business," he said. "And we have food and drink," one of them replied. Entreri didn't reply, other than to stare hard at theman, to let his gaze lock with the other's. The other two made a couple of remarks, but Entreri ignored them completely and just kept staring hard at the first challenger. On and on it went, and Entreri kept his focus, even tightened it, his gaze boring into the man, showing him the strength of will he now faced, the perfect determination and control. "What is this about?" one of the others demanded, standing up right beside Entreri. Sha'lazzi muttered the quick beginning of a common prayer. "I asked you," the man pushed, and he reached out toshove Entreri's shoulder. Up snapped the assassin's hand, catching the approaching hand by the thumb and spinning it over, then driving it down, locking the man in a painful hold. All the while Entreri didn't bunk, didn't glance away at all, just kept visually holding the first one, who was sitting directly across from him, in that awful glare. The man standing at Entreri's side gave a little grunt as the assassin applied pressure, then brought his free hand to his belt, to the curved dagger he had secured there. Sha'lazzi muttered another line of the prayer. The man across the table, held fast by Entreri's deadly stare, motioned for his friend to

FAQs

Where does the prologue take place and what atmosphere is established?

It begins in Calimport’s midday market and continues at a bustling outdoor tavern, both marked by crowding, bargaining, and constant danger from thieves.

How does Entreri handle the confrontation at the reserved table?

He asserts control immediately, silencing Sha’lazzi, fixing his gaze on the trespassers, and disarming threats by trapping an attacker’s hand and releasing them without fully escalating into a fight.

What concerns about treachery are raised during the meeting?

Sha’lazzi mocks the idea that Entreri’s enemies might attempt betrayal, while Entreri weighs information gathered by Kimmuriel Oblodra’s psionic scanning and acknowledges that the source may not inspire complete trust.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Aurora