Chaos Unleashed (37 page)

Had he fought with everything in his power, he could have lasted much longer against the mortal who carried his Talismans. But in the end, he knew he would have fallen. She was too strong—better to retreat and live. And so, at the first blow from her weapon, he simply vanished.

He had used the same trick against the Old Gods when the tide of battle turned against him seven hundred years ago, but they had not been fooled. They sensed his retreat and banished him. But as powerful as the mortal who turned his own Talismans against him was, she was no God. She did not see through his trick. She does not know her enemy still lives.

With the Legacy destroyed, he can now cross between the worlds. The Children of Fire are not immortal; they will age and die. Until then he can plot and scheme, gathering followers in the mortal realm. And, when the time is right and there is no one left strong enough to oppose him, he will strike.

Outside his sanctum he hears the return of his followers, an angry army marching into the cramped, grimy city from which he rules his blighted kingdom. He hears them surrounding his castle, searching for the God who deserted them on the battlefield.

In time he will win their loyalty back, but first he must let their anger cool. He senses the horde descending on his inner sanctum; he knows it is time to leave. With the Legacy gone he can cross between realms, but they cannot.

He closes his eyes and reaches out to touch the mortal world, his mind stretching out to it across the Burning Sea. Instead of the tiny island where he left a foothold to draw him back, however, his mind butts up against a dark and forbidding wall.

No! The Legacy was destroyed!

With dawning horror, he realizes what has happened. Like the Old Gods before her, the mortal he fought sacrificed herself to banish him.

He pushes against the reborn Legacy, sensing there is something different about it now. The original Legacy was permeable; a barrier to keep him out but still allow the mortals to touch the ocean of Chaos from which all things were born.

The new Legacy is stronger. More solid. An impenetrable wall between the mortal world and the source of all magic: eternal and indestructible.

No! Anything that can be built can be torn down!

There is a weakness in the wall. There has to be! He only needs time to find it.

A shadow falls across the floor of his inner sanctum. Looking up at the hole in the domed ceiling—the only way in or out—he sees the outline of one of his soldiers in the aperture, clinging to the curved stone.

She scuttles in, invading his inviolate space. Others follow close behind: Those with claws crawl along the stone; those with wings simply fly in. Those that cannot fly or scale the wall are carried in on the backs of others. A dozen. Fifty. A hundred.

They fill Daemron’s inner sanctum like insects packed into a hive, their eyes hateful and accusing.

Their God stands motionless at the center of the horde, knowing he is too weak to fight them all. But his reputation keeps them temporarily at bay, and his mind races as he thinks of what to say to win their loyalty back after abandoning them on the battlefield.

As he opens his mouth to speak they fall on him. In seconds Daemron is ripped to shreds, his followers feasting on his entrails.

Chaos is the source of all life and creation, but also all death and destruction. Nothing is eternal. Even an Immortal can die.

For my father, Ron, a wonderful and amazing man.

Though he was taken too soon he lives on in the memories and love shared by his friends and family.

Chaos Unleashed
is the final book in my Chaos Born trilogy—a labor of love that has consumed the vast majority of my creative energy over the last four years. I’ve spent many, many hours with these characters and this story, and now that the tale is finished I find myself engulfed by a mixture of satisfaction, relief, and even regret. It’s part of my life that I will miss, but it’s time to move on to other things.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the help and support of many people. This project never would have gotten off the ground without the help of my agent, Ginger Clark. She championed this series from day one, and I’m proud to have her in my corner. I also want to thank my fantastic editors, Tricia Narwani and Michael Rowley. In any tale that spans across three full-length novels there are going to be some rough bits. As the author, I’m often too close to the story to see where things didn’t quite work as I planned, and my worst fear is to have all my efforts undone because I slipped up on some crucial aspect of character development or because I inadvertently left some kind of gaping plot hole. Throughout this process, Tricia and Michael have been there with a steady hand to guide me through the choppy waters that inevitably spring up, and I know this project would have suffered greatly without their input.

I also want to thank those in my family who have given me the love, support, and understanding any creative person needs when undertaking a massive project like this. My wife, Jennifer, has always stood beside me; without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Many years ago she carried the financial burden when I left my job at the bank and went back to school to pursue my dream of being a professional writer. But that was a minor contribution to my success compared to everything else she has done for me over the years. I write in fits and starts, and she’s never complained about the long stretches where I procrastinate and do nothing productive for weeks on end. She’s put up with me in the times when my deadlines get closer and I go into crunch mode, working far too long until I’m tired and cranky and short-tempered. She’s patiently listened as I’ve prattled on and on about my half-finished ideas, letting me bounce them off her as I try to shape them into something worthy of sharing with the world. I owe her everything.

I also need to acknowledge the incredible job my parents did in raising me. They encouraged me in my writing, and they were never afraid to tell me how proud they were of what I was doing. And I always knew that if things went wrong, they’d be there to help me pick myself up. They gave me the courage and confidence to work at becoming a writer; they taught me to follow my dream.

My father passed away unexpectedly a month after I finished the first draft of
Chaos Unleashed
. I think it was safe to say he was my biggest fan, but he never got a chance to see the ending of my story. He taught me so much about life that I can’t even begin to express it in words. Dad loved people, and people loved him. He understood that everyone has worth and value, and he treated everyone with respect. He taught me that life isn’t just what you do, it’s who you do it with. Friends and family are what really matter. Though Dad is gone, part of him lives on in the memories and the relationships that those who loved him share with one another.

My mom has shown tremendous courage since his death, and I’m so proud of how she has carried on. She’s been an inspiration to me, and though we have come through difficult times I know there are still many good days ahead of us. I’ve also realized how lucky I am to have had such incredible parents, and I see now that I was taking them for granted. It’s awful that it took a personal tragedy to make me fully grasp how much they mean to me, but I intend to treasure the time I have left with Mom.

Finally, I want to acknowledge all the readers and fans who have followed me on this long journey. Obviously, I wouldn’t be anything without you. Being able to share my stories with others is a rare honor and a privilege, and I know how lucky I am. So, thank you for everything, and I hope you enjoyed
Chaos Unleashed
!

Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

Star Wars: Darth Bane: Rule of Two

Star Wars: Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil

Star Wars: The
Old
Republic: Revan

Star Wars: The
Old
Republic: Annihilation

Mass Effect: Revelation

Mass Effect: Ascension

Mass Effect: Retribution

Temple Hill

Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Bhaal

Children of Fire

The Scorched Earth

Chaos Unleashed

D
REW
K
ARPYSHYN
is the
New York Times
bestselling author of
Children of Fire, The Scorched Earth,
and
Chaos Unleashed,
as well as the
Star Wars: The Old Republic
novels
Revan
and
Annihilation,
and the
Star Wars: Darth Bane
trilogy:
Path of Destruction, Rule of Two,
and
Dynasty of Evil.
He also wrote the acclaimed Mass Effect series of novels and worked as a writer/designer on numerous award-winning videogames. After spending most of his life in Canada, he finally grew tired of the long, cold winters and headed south in search of a climate more conducive to year-round golf. Drew Karpyshyn now lives in Texas with his wife, Jennifer, and their pets.

drewkarpyshyn.com

@DrewKarpyshyn