The Psychonaut - Book 1 Read online

  Oui, one of them is a powerful far-seer. Destain, are you hearing this?

  Yes. The only two advantageous futures I see involve confronting them. They won’t just pass us by.

  You said two futures?

  Either you kill them, or you capture them. Either way, there’s going to be blood spilt.

  Right. Is Johnny nearby?

  Next to me.

  Fill him in. He’s in charge of leading the assault.

  As you wish, but Aislynn and Albany won’t know what’s happening.

  They’re quick on the uptake, we’ll risk it.

  The Ukurum dismounted. Merrick didn’t need Celestia’s far-sight to see them now and they disconnected. The Ukurum bore unidentifiable throwing weapons and swords at their sides, their stances indicating awareness and caution. They had dressed for the cold, draped in tightly-bound tunics and headgear. All he could make out were their eyes, peering through swathes of cloth.

  The figures had only walked ten yards further when Destain made contact. Johnny suggests keeping our camouflage. He’s going to take out the front one. He seems to be the leader. When you see him go down, Celestia’s to take out the second. If it’s possible, Merrick take the third—but don’t get in the way of Johnny. He’ll also be homing in and won’t be able to see either of you.

  The plan had many disadvantages, but Merrick couldn’t think of anything better. He gave the affirmative and adopted a crouched position, muscles tense like clock springs. He sensed Johnny move and Celestia follow a second later. The Ukurum leader grunted and doubled over. Celestia had taken out the second in a heart-beat. Merrick rose up and saw that the third was quick to recover, swinging a halberd in wide arcs. She looked poised as she interspersed the swings with aimed thrusts.

  She sees us with far-sight, Celestia sent, hold back. “Aislynn, drop our camouflage,” she said out loud, “Johnny and I will subdue her.”

  They materialised as if reality blinked, then opened its eyes. Johnny and Celestia were on opposite sides of the Ukurum, wielding long knives.

  “You’re a long way from home.” The Ukurum spat out the words. “This is a desolate place to die.”

  Merrick hung back, sensing her confidence. Don’t underestimate her, Celestia. She’s no novice.

  Thanks for the warning. She continued her weaving and bobbing around the warrior, all senses alert. This kept the Ukurum distracted and Johnny used the initiative. His knife struck the Ukurum on the head, hilt first. It stunned her long enough for Celestia to grab the halberd and kick her to the ground. Johnny completed the double-act by sitting astride her, pinning her with his knees. She wriggled like an eel, but two hundred and fifty pounds of mercenary muscle weighed down on her.

  “Finish it, then—you bastard.” Her eyes flashed hatred.

  “Don’t you worry, love. I’ll make it quick.” Johnny reached for his knife and lifted it above his head.

  “Wait,” Merrick said.

  Johnny didn’t take his eyes off the Ukurum, but the knife remained poised like a guillotine blade. “Don’t get soft on me, Merrick. She’s a threat the longer she stays alive.”

  “We need to find out what she knows.”

  “You realise I won’t break,” the Ukurum said to Johnny. “Do it, dog-fucker.”

  Johnny’s blade twitched, then he threw it to the ground. “You’re too interesting to kill,” he said and reached into a pocket. He flipped her over, pulled her hands together and bound them with cable ties. He repeated the task on the feet, then linked all her limbs with a third tie so she was immobile. Only then did he get up, brushing himself down and re-sheathing the knife. The others gathered round.

  “Nice work,” Albany said. Destain pulled Merrick to one side and spoke in a whisper. “It’s good you didn’t kill her. This one’s future is entwined with our own.”

  “That’s good?”

  “I believe so. Treat her with wisdom and let fortune deal the cards. You won’t regret it.”

  Merrick nodded and approached Johnny. “Think you can extract some information from her?” he said.

  “Can’t say for sure,” he replied. “She’s hard as a rhino in armour, but I’ll enjoy trying. What do you want to know?”

  “Find out if there are others close by, then how far the city is—I only have a vague approximation. Then it’s anything and everything she can tell us about Shamon’s stronghold and defences. I’ll know if she’s lying.”

  “Am I to use any means at my disposal?”

  Merrick hesitated, then said “Yeah, but don’t kill her. She’s valuable.”

  Johnny sniffed, then grunted his agreement. Celestia and the others rounded up the horses while Johnny and Merrick set to work.

  Johnny didn’t waste time. He stripped the woman, using his knife to remove the tunic where her posture interfered with the task. In a matter of minutes her naked form was shivering on the ground.

  Merrick was already conflicted. So it starts with humiliation, but where does it end? He could sense her resolve and hatred diffusing out like a squirming cobra. To Merrick’s surprise, Johnny began with an appeal to her reason, yet didn’t even get a name. The physical stuff started with a rain of blows to her face and body. He knew all the vulnerable zones and didn’t shy away from exploiting every weakness. Before long she was covered in blood and spitting teeth. Merrick’s stomach started to revolt. What made it worse was reading Johnny’s mind and knowing he was enjoying this.

  After ten minutes of punishment, he signalled for Johnny to stop. “Listen, mate. This is taking too long. We can work on her later.”

  Johnny hesitated, then stepped away. “You’re the boss,” he said, leaving the woman cursing and spitting on the ground.

  “Cover her up and throw her on the back of a horse. We’re taking her with us,” Merrick said.

  Close up, Merrick could see that horse was only an approximation. The creatures had no discernible ears and a mosaic of scales substituted for body hair. The Ukurum saddles could accommodate three riders as the beasts were much longer than their terrestrial counterparts. The muzzles, shorter than a pony’s, had jaws that closed and opened sideways, like insect’s mandibles. They were compliant beasts however, and accepted their new riders with a minimum of fuss.

  After hiding the two dead Ukurum in a thicket, Albany and Destain took the first mount. Aislynn shared the largest steed with Johnny and the Ukurum, while Celestia and Merrick took the third. It was clear that Celestia was schooled in horsemanship and didn’t take long to exert her influence on the mount. The others had various degrees of difficulty, but it wasn’t long before they were proceeding at cantering speed.

  The companions were relieved at the increased pace, and the chance to rest their weary legs. The Ukurum was slung over Aislynn’s horse between her and Johnny. She offered no protest despite her significant injuries, but after a while Merrick instructed Johnny to permit her a seated position. Blood was continuing to pour from her facial wounds and they would gain nothing from her losing consciousness at this stage.

  After an hour’s ride the terrain got steeper and they crested a hill to find Shamon’s conquered city lying in a basin ahead. Merrick recognised the termite-nest buildings in the half-light, poking their tops above the sand-coloured walls of the city.

  Johnny instructed them not to wait on the brow of the hill as their silhouettes would stand out and announce their presence. They dismounted in a narrow gully and allowed the mounts to drink from a gurgling brook that tumbled over moss-laden rocks.

  “We’re about as close to the city walls as we dare go without being seen,” Johnny said. “Do we have a plan?”

  “This is what I’ve got,” Merrick said and proceeded to lay out a thumbnail sketch of his proposals. Johnny didn’t like it, but Merrick insisted he stay with their captive, along with Destain. The rest would infiltrate the city under Aislynn’s camouflage and seek to find out whatever they could.

  “We mi
ght be gone for some time,” Merrick said to Johnny, “but we’ll keep in touch via mind-speak with Destain.”

  “What if you’re captured?” Johnny asked.

  “Difficult as it may be, you’ll have to try and get to Shamon’s gateway—it’s the only way back to the other side. In the meantime, extract whatever information you can from our prisoner.”

  “With any latitude I care to take?”

  “Don’t mess her up any more. Try more ... subtle means.”

  “Believe me, I have many other tools at my disposal,” he said in a tone that Merrick didn’t quite trust. The man’s adrenaline and testosterone levels were high. A dangerous combination.

  “All’s fair in …” Merrick couldn’t finish the sentence. He knew none of this was fair—not fair at all.

  ~~~

  Chapter 36

  Ear in the wall

  They ate their provisions like fugitives and left their rucksacks with Johnny. By the time the four of them had reached the city walls, the sun—if they could call it that, was sinking below the ramparts. They could hear the sound of the city as they approached a large gateway; cries from infants, shouts from traders in a foreign tongue, clanks from primitive machinery and other unearthly noises, indecipherable to their ears. The stench of animal waste and perspiration hung over the metropolis and they coughed until their senses acclimatised to the miasma.

  The gates had a minimal guard, which told them much.

  It seems Shamon doesn’t expect an assault from this direction, he sent to Celestia.

  “We shouldn’t have a problem getting through,” Albany said.

  This wasn’t completely the case. As they approached under Aislynn’s illusory cover, the guards became more distinct and Merrick could make out they were humanoid in form. Long, fur-covered snouts extended from their faces bearing nostrils that flared with an increasing frequency as they drew closer.

  They sense us, sent Celestia. As if they had heard her speak, the guards lowered the points of their spears and scanned left and right, trying to locate the hidden troupe of companions. The Outcasts split into two groups and skirted round the guards. There were four in all, but despite their attentiveness and communication by a peculiar chirping language, they continued to look around in bewilderment.

  They were soon past the obstacle and Merrick noted with relief that they weren’t followed.

  “Do you think they smelled us?” Merrick said once they were out of earshot.

  “That would be a safe bet,” Albany replied.

  They stepped through crowds of natives, although it was all they could do to avoid collisions as they sought to make headway.”

  “This is impossible,” Aislynn said. “It’s only a matter of time before someone bumps into us.”

  “You’re right,” Merrick said, as loud as he dared without attracting attention. Let’s make our way over to that monument for a breather, it’s quieter there.”

  The monument rose up in front of a wall and the companions were able to skulk in a cranny behind it. Like a lifted cloak, Aislynn enabled their forms to appear in their default native disguises.

  “That’s better,” Albany said. “You don’t know how weird it is trying to keep track of a ripple in the air.”

  “Where do we go from here?” Aislynn asked. She had been more vocal on their approach to the city. Merrick couldn’t decide if this was natural reticence wearing off or a strategic decision on her part. One thing he was sure of—she’d be informing Karapetian of this new dimension-bridging power. He began to question his judgement over withholding the information.

  “We’re looking for Ukurum positions and numbers,” he said, “I suspect we’ll have to breach Shamon’s headquarters.” He turned to Celestia. “What can you detect in the immediate vicinity?”

  She closed her eyes and placed forefingers on her temples. After a minute she had finished her psychic reconnoiter. “As you’d expect, a lot of activity just outside of Shamon’s lair at the centre of the city.”

  Merrick raised his eyes and focused on the steep, walls of the fortress that dominated the urban landscape about a mile away. “Anything else?”

  “Mai oui, there are barracks of warriors located to the north and south of here, three in number. I sense about four to five hundred Necrolytes and Amorphics in each. I’ve even managed to probe outside the city and there’s a major camp of the enemy to the east, thousands strong at a guess.”

  “What about the main fortress itself?”

  “Malheuresement, it’s closed to me. I sense Shamon has centred his power there.

  “I suppose that shouldn’t surprise us.”

  After a moment’s discussion, they agreed that Shamon’s fortress was the obvious goal, though no one offered a solution to how they could penetrate its defences.

  The streets through which they passed were little more than dirt tracks. Animal dung littered the thoroughfares and streams of effluent ran through the gullies. Amidst it all, the Celebrain children played, older citizens begged or sold their wares and, every so often, a party of Ukurum marched. No one paid them any heed. Each individual seemed wrapped up in their own personal misery and struggle to survive. There was a marked absence of younger adults. Merrick still hadn’t learned to differentiate between male and female, but age wasn’t so difficult.

  What do you reckon, Celestia? Has Shamon conscripted all the natives of fighting age?

  I think you’re right. They are expendable cattle in Shamon’s eyes.

  One youngster approached them, dressed in soiled sackcloth. Shoeless, four-toed feet peeked from underneath the bottom hem. It looked up at Merrick with its front limbs cupped together—a universal supplication. The bovine-like eyes on the sides of its head blinked, sending flying insects abroad, only to re-settle in an instant. Merrick couldn’t understand the words and noises it uttered but he knew what it wanted. He reached into a pocket and pulled out some biscuits. The kid took them from him, placing one in its mouth. After a couple of bites, it made a soft-chirruping sound then stuffed in the rest. It gave a final snort and ran off to tell its friends.

  “Not such a clever move,” Albany said. “It’ll be back for more, together with its extended family and friends. We could do without the attention.”

  “Albany’s right,” Aislynn said. “Cut into this alleyway, I’ll change our appearances.”

  In a matter of seconds, she transformed them into alternate Celebrains. Merrick watched the kid he had just fed scuttling by, leading a group of peers towards what it hoped was another helping of tasty morsels.

  “Poor little buggers,” Merrick said. “This conflict isn’t just about our own kind anymore. Shamon’s going to have to answer to all who have suffered.”

  Half an hour later, giving Ukurum patrols a wide berth whenever possible, the companions found themselves a stone’s throw away from the fortress. Night had fallen and Shamon’s lair was lit by the orange glare of pitch-torches and braziers.

  “Seems there are some things that burn on this world,” Albany said.

  The fortress didn’t so much stand on the earth as organically rise from it. Merrick sensed its foundations reaching down under the surface like diseased roots, emanating an ancient evil that kept the population of the city cowed under its malign influence. It was almost as if it had been built for Shamon. In truth, Merrick guessed he’d usurped it from a previous, weaker principality.

  The walls of the outer defence were at least two hundred feet high by Merrick’s estimation. Unknown builders had rendered them with a russet, wattle-like substance, gaving their surface a smooth texture. Celebrain guards patrolled in twos every five-minutes.

  “No way we can scale those walls,” Albany said. “Even if we could, the Ukurum would spot us if we drifted too far from Aislynn’s influence. How on earth are we going to get in?”

  “I’m going to try something,” Merrick said. “It’s experimental, but it might save us a lot of
energy and risk. Shamon’s defences aren’t just physical, they’re Magickal.”

  Celestia nodded. “He’s also going to be ten times as wary, knowing we penetrated his stronghold in Ashgabat. What do you have in mind?”

  After Merrick told them, the companions were speechless. Albany broke the silence. “And you said climbing the walls was risky?”

  Merrick shrugged. “This way, the risk is all mine.”

  “But it’s untested,” Aislynn said. “We may lose you forever, and become trapped in Celebrai.”

  Merrick turned to Celestia. “What do you think?” he said.

  She shivered in the frigid night air. With the illusory appearance of a Celebrain native, she looked like a timid animal, huddling against the hut wall. “It might work. But I can’t help having a bad feeling about it.”

  ~~~

  Lazlo Karapetian ensconced himself in the library at Paraganet house. He had a rare moment away from drawing up battle plans with the multitude of military commanders and occult leaders. He poured himself a cognac and let its vintage vapours infuse his sinuses. He thought of Merrick and the drink they’d enjoyed on his first visit; the common fertile ground that germinated shoots of a shared appreciation. So similar in many respects, yet so different. Both had made errors, but his was the greater responsibility. He’d handled the situation like an amateur, sowing seeds of mistrust and letting the promise of a renewed order over-shadow the need for an ethical hand on the tiller.

  It had been ten hours since their departure and still no word. It was too long for an initial sortie. The need for haste clouded their better judgment. He realised now they would have been better testing the routes across dimensions, and then exploring Celebrai with proper back-up. But he had held back on his advice, knowing Merrick was still suspicious of him. He didn’t want another schism opening up between them, just when they’d forged a new alliance.

  A knock on the door wrenched his thoughts back to the present. It was Jason. “Lazlo, we’ve just received a communique from the other side. I think you need to see this.”