Chaos Unleashed by Drew Karpyshyn Read Free Book Online Page B

unnoticed. At the base he pressed himself close against the stone face and dug in with the claws of his long, thin fingers. The rock cracked and crumbled into dust at his touch, making holds he could use to lift himself upward, one hand at a time. He scaled the twenty-foot wall in seconds, a slithering shadow, then dropped down over the other side and onto the empty street.
    Torches set high into the wall every hundred feet illuminated the surroundings, but only barely. He paused just long enough to be sure no one had noticed his entrance, but there was no hue and cry. The city was as still and silent as death itself.
    Tilting his head to the side, he breathed deeply, inhaling the intoxicating aroma. Almost ten days had passed since the Crown’s power had been unleashed, but the scent was still thick in the air—just as it had been in Ferlhame in the aftermath of the battle with the dragon.
    No, it’s different here. Clean. Pure.
    The dragon’s essence had polluted the Danaan capital. And as powerful as the Chaos Spawn had been, the creature’s might was merely a faint echo of what was trapped within each Talisman. Here in Callastan, he only sensed the Crown.
    Chaos in its most elemental form. The very substance of creation.
    The Talisman was still here; he could feel it calling to him. Thrumming vibrations ran through the earth beneath his feet and up through his bones, faint but impossible to ignore.
    If I can feel it, I can find it. Track the call to its source.
    Orath paused, and a question sprang unbidden to his mind.
    Even if you find it, then what?
    Whoever controlled the Crown now—most likely the same young woman Raven and the Crawling Twins had tracked across the width and breadth of the mortal world—clearly had the power to snuff out his existence. Using the Talisman to destroy him might be the final blow that brought the Legacy tumbling down, but Orath had no desire to be a martyr. What value was there in helping Daemron return if he wasn’t around to reap the benefits of his loyal service?
    Finding the Crown, he realized, was the least of his worries. Seizing it without being blasted into oblivion was a much greater challenge. Particularly now that he was the only one of his kind left.
    In Ferlhame, he’d tried to recruit the Danaan Queen to his cause. But even with her army under his control, he’d failed to claim the Ring. He’d underestimated his opposition and been forced to sacrifice Drago and Gort. And in the end, he’d still been forced to flee, empty-handed. This time he needed another plan. A better plan.
    What would Daemron do?
    As calculating and cunning as Orath was, he knew his master was even more so.
    The Legacy is thin and fading. It might be possible to contact him.
    Such a ritual would be both dangerous and costly, but perhaps it was also necessary.
    From a nearby street he heard the sound of voices drawing near, and he cut off his internal debate. Pressing himself up against a nearby wall, his form melted into the shadows and he stood completely still.
    A few seconds later two figures emerged from around the corner, speaking softly. Even in the dim light of the torches, Orath’s yellow eyes could clearly make them out. The larger of the two was a young man. He wore a padded leather vest and an ill-fitting helmet, and a short club dangled from his belt. The second was a young woman, her tight-fitting clothes clean but worn. Her blouse was cut low, exposing ample cleavage.
    “That’s more than I make in a week, darling,” the soldier pleaded, his tone both teasing and desperate.
    “I’m worth every coin,” she answered, her husky voice trailing off into a suggestive laugh.
    The pair passed only a few feet away from his hiding place, completely unaware of the Minion lurking in the darkness. Once they were by, he emerged silently from the shadows and fell into step close behind them.
    “C’mon, darling. Don’t you have a discount for Enforcers? We’re working hard to keep the