Chaos Unleashed by Drew Karpyshyn Read Free Book Online

rank to take up the cause when she declared her Purge. Ruler of the largest of the Seven Capitals, his troops had been instrumental in quelling the first stages of resistance in the heart of the Southlands. For his loyalty, Yasmin had given him the title of Justice of the Order—a position he had pursued with zeal and vigor. Yet, like Xadier’s, it was a title she had granted out of necessity rather than merit.
    “I thought Norem surrendered to him weeks ago,” Yasmin noted, recalling the message of the last falcon Carthin had sent her way.
    “Officially, yes,” Xadier agreed. “But Justice Carthin fears they will resume their heretical ways if he removes his troops from the city before hunting down those enemies still in hiding.”
    Yasmin was no fool. Carthin was a devout follower of the True Gods, but he was also a cold, calculating opportunist. He understood all too well that by the ancient laws, a portion of any lands and property he seized on behalf of the Order fell to him. Driven by the twin inspirations of religious duty and material greed, he had rooted out and ruthlessly crushed any and all he could find who were foolish enough to oppose the Purge. Fear of the new Justice’s wrath had convinced a number of other powerful nobles to swear their loyalty—and their armies—to Yasmin.
    Without Carthin’s efforts, the Purge would have quickly lost much of its momentum. But at the same time, Carthin was quick to seize the coffers and take on the soldiers and mercenaries of his fallen rivals, increasing his own wealth and influence even as he spread the Pontiff’s holy message.
    “He knows I have declared that all of our secular forces must rally here in Callastan? Did I not make it clear in the message that this must be our top priority now?”
    “Yes, Pontiff. And he has promised to send his troops the instant he feels they can be safely withdrawn from Norem.”
    Carthin wasn’t fool enough to openly defy the Pontiff, but he was clearly stalling.
    He could ignore the falcon I sent his way, but he couldn’t ignore an actual courier.
    “Do you think he is afraid to face the Enforcers?” Xadier asked.
    Callastan’s Enforcers were little more than brutish thugs, a police force that was nearly as bad as the criminals it kept in line. But the zeal for violence that allowed them to be so effective in maintaining some semblance of order in the chaotic streets of Callastan also made them a formidable obstacle to any enemies of the city. Carthin wouldn’t be the first commander to hesitate before sending his army against such a foe.
    “Perhaps he is afraid,” Yasmin conceded, before silently adding,
I hope that is all that is keeping him away.
    The alternatives were much more unpleasant. It was possible Carthin had become so focused on material wealth that he was using every trick he could think of to ignore her orders while continuing to plunder the soft targets of the Southlands for as long as possible. He wouldn’t be the first to lose his religious devotion under a mountain of gold.
    Yet there was an even-more-troubling scenario. Carthin’s army had swallowed up so many soldiers and mercenaries that it now dwarfed any other force in the Southlands. Had the Justice of the Order become so emboldened by his victories that he believed he was powerful enough simply to ignore the Pontiff’s wishes?
    Fear of the Enforcers or a faltering in his religious devotion were failings Yasmin could forgive. A possible threat to her authority was not.
    I don’t have time to wait and see how this plays out. Every day we waste with Carthin’s games is another day Cassandra might slip through my fingers!
    “Perhaps I must go see Justice Carthin in person for him to understand the urgency of our situation,” she suggested aloud.
    She expected Xadier to oppose her, but to her surprise the Seer answered, “Of course, Pontiff. Shall I assemble some of the Inquisitors to escort you?”
    He understands the situation better