Necrophobia (16 page)

Despite herself Isobel scoffed, in her youth she’d have relished the opportunity to bypass or overwhelm the often paltry psy-shielding measures and uncover whatever wretched secrets their minds held. But youth was a long distant memory and already her mind was feeling the strain of astral projection, she redirected her efforts elsewhere, drifting even higher on the thermals into the clouds. The unmistakable aura of a draconic mind struck her, their alien thoughts and powerful presence resonated throughout the aether leaving waves in its wake. Valdgeirr, in its tormented undead state had flown across here hidden by cloud cover. Its once noble thoughts twisted and dulled, the acrid taste of that spectral warped energy animating the dragon tainted the air around it. Eager she followed it flying ever further from her dormant body over the endless ocean, the aura trail becoming stronger and more distinct.

She froze as she heard a pained sub-sonic roar rip through the air around her, laced with psychic energy. Beneath the cloud cover she saw the black-scaled serpentine dragon swooping towards a small island fortress. The emerald flames inside it burning bright yet icy cold to her mind’s touch. The spectral aura extended and trailed after the descending dragon like an after-image as it dove towards a watchtower. The dragon’s wings opened and slowed its decent as it drew level with the stone crenellated tower and opened its mouth. A super-heated gout of real flame ignited the ballistae and guards in an instant. The backlash of psychic energy as the guards burned to ash was deeply unpleasant. Valdgeirr swooped again with unnatural grace avoiding bolts from ballistae of the surrounding towers and descending upon each in turn. Staying within the cloud cover Isobel soon recognised the small and desolate island. The Brinestone Maximum Security prison located on a bleak rocky island offshore. Home to the worst criminals and heretics within the kingdom; those convicted were sentenced here to work in slavery in the undersea iron mines with little chance of escape. This bleak and desolate island carved into the inhospitable mountainous terrain held the dangerous and criminally insane. Even miles above Isobel could sense the hopelessness and despair emanating from below with little satisfaction. However justified, Isobel felt responsible for capturing and condemning some of the inmates to a lifetime of backbreaking toil on this miserable rock. She watched in horror as the undead dragon tore at the last of the prison’s aerial defences and circled the island. Stretched far from her body across several miles of ocean her mind was weak and tiring from the effort, there was little she could do against the raw unrefined power of the mindless dragon.

Isobel cloaked her mind and dared to descend closer to the surface, she spotted three figures leaving a boat ignored by the dragon and crossing the sands towards the shattered entrance of the prison. A tall dour man, a woman of early thirties and another man clad in silver armour stalked across the beach. Behind them, cloaked and armoured forms emerged from the ship and ran towards the prison. Valdgeirr returned and flew low before landing in front of them. Its dead flaming eyes unfocused yet filled with malice. The leader of the figures stepped towards the dragon, arms behind his back and inspected it. There was no mistaking him — Inquisitor Haures turned towards the others and ordered them into the breached walls. Though too far to make out any words she could feel the commands mixed with faint psychic compulsion. Not enough to forcibly control or command another’s mind but seeing the almost lethargic movements of the crowd they seemed vulnerable to psychic suggestion and unquestioning. No doubt their resistance burned out long before, requiring only the lightest of touches of compulsion. Haures turned towards the other man clad in silver armour — the Caelite and pointed him towards the dragon with a dismissive gesture. The man with great reluctance mounted Valdgeirr and they flew upwards away from the craggy beach and circled the island once more. Isobel drew closer wishing to overhear the hurried conversations between Haures and the woman as she entered the burning prison. As suspected, Haures wore a talisman protecting against psychic assault. Isobel floated towards him with a smile and cloaked herself within the edges of the protective aura. Whilst effective at shielding the user from psychic energy it also served to dull one’s own psychic senses and blurred their perceptions. Isobel cloaked herself within it, trailing him like a shadow. Haures looked as dour-faced and determined as she recalled but his aura seemed faint and jagged around the edges — almost drawn or bound to something elsewhere yet contained within his body.

Curious
, she thought. It was like nothing she’d ever seen before. It flickered and blurred infrequently leaving a faint after-image as he moved.

Inside the breach the remaining guards defended themselves with crossbows picking off the cloaked men and women assaulting them with ice magic and lances of spectral energy. One guard, a veteran she supposed based on the unusual insignia on his helmet cleaved a path towards Haures and lunged at him his sword ready to impale the severe figure. The noblewoman reached for her own weapon but Haures stepped forwards and with a flick of his wrist telekinetically ripped the sword from the guard’s hand letting it drop onto the stone below. The guard hesitated as Haures stepped forwards and pressed an open palm to his helmet.

“Sleep.” Haures’ quiet voice belied the compelling power behind his words. The guard froze and collapsed to the floor in a deep slumber. The traitor stepped over the prone form and continued onwards.

“Why not kill him?” His companion asked as she picked up the fallen sword. And stabbed downwards through the joints of the armour plating into the sleeping man and twisting with an unpleasant grin across her face. “Much easier.”

“I applaud his dedication to his job, even outclassed and outnumbered his resolve was commendable.” Haures turned to look down at the dying body beneath him. “Such people are rare.”

The woman shrugged with disinterest and withdrew her sword. “Who cares about some no-name guard on this gods-forsaken rock. If he were valuable he wouldn’t be here.”

The rogue inquisitor merely scowled and ignored his companion. As the last of the guards were killed or lay dying his followers descended into the prison complex through another breach torn open by Valdgeirr. The dragon circled constantly around the island like a vulture over carrion.

“This test of yours had better work.” The woman spoke up again. Her voice was haughty and cultured yet sharp and cold. “It won’t be long before the Inquisition catches wind of this.”

“Then we’d best hurry, hadn’t we?”

From the breach Haures’ followers dragged the chained and shackled miners enslaved deep within the prison, their skin paled by years spent below the surface. They stared upwards at the overcast sky blinking in pain away from the light as they were shoved unceremoniously towards the ship docked at the port. Scores of prisoners marched towards the boat flinching away from the eldritch energy emanating from the hooded cultists herding them out of the smouldering ruins.

“All I want is a guarantee this’ll work. That you’re not squandering our resources freeing scum like this.” The woman persisted.

“Then you’ll be disappointed. There are no guarantees, that’s why it’s a test.” The traitor took his eyes away from the escorted prisoners and glared at the noblewoman. “If you want the gift it’ll take time, and sacrifice. It could take years — thousands of subjects. We’ve been through this Natascha.”

Natascha shrugged. “Spare me the lines you feed my father. Unlike him I’ve got time to wait.”

A fireball exploded against a nearby wall blasting chunks of stone masonry and melted iron outwards as Valdgeirr swooped overhead. Natascha flinched from the shrapnel and stepped backwards. “That attack dog of yours needs better training.”

Haures smiled. “It’ll do whatever I command.” He reached into his pouch and withdrew some paperwork and skimmed through it before handing it towards her. “Take this and return to the ship. We’re almost done here.”

The noblewoman turned her nose up and grabbed the papers with the tips of her fingers and retreated towards the ship. Her pace quickened when the shadow of the dragon passed overhead flying in for another attack run. Once she was out of earshot he spat towards the floor.

“Even these prisoners have more value than you Natascha. They don’t claim to be noble whilst abusing their power and selling out their own father.”

As he surveyed the last of the prisoners filing onto the boat his hand idly grabbed the psy-shielding pendant around his neck shaped like the head of an owl. The resistance around him fluctuated and distorted and he froze. She was exposed.

<
Isobel.
>

The word was not spoken aloud but she heard it clearly within her own mind. Haures spoke directly into her mind with telepathy.

<
I can sense you Isobel.>

.> She sent back for lack of a better response. Exhausted and projected far beyond her limits her presence was weak and fading.

<
Go back to retirement. This doesn’t concern you.>

The rogue Inquisitor shook his head. <
Of course I do. I’m not setting them free. They’re useful but dangerous.>

He laughed mirthlessly, crossing his arms across his chest. <
My requests fell upon deaf ears. Were I not ignored I’d have the best and brightest with me. Instead, because of you and the rest I’m reduced to this! Psychopaths, butchers and traitors.>
He paused and tilted his head.

Without unfolding his arms his left hand flicked upwards and tendrils of psychic energy wrapped around Isobel constricting her projection. Behind him something within the breach exploded outwards raining shrapnel down upon the courtyard and thick smoke billowed upwards. She lashed out with her mind slashing at the bonds restraining her, severing and shredding her way free. Floating backwards and evading his seeking mind, between the distance of her projection and his psy-shield any assault on him would be futile. Instead she flew upwards shedding illusionary duplicates in different directions to confuse and divide his efforts. She dived through the burning remains of a collapsing watchtower and circled behind the stone walls keeping out of his sight as he effortlessly crushed her illusions.

<
You’re losing your touch Iso—>

Shouts followed by fireballs exploding across the courtyard towards the loaded ship broke out as figures emerged from the smoldering breach. At first Isobel wondered if any of the Guardsmen had survived the initial purge but was surprised to see the familiar face of Inquisitor Mia Pietas leading a group towards Haures and his followers. The robed cultists countered with a volley of icicles and eldritch fire towards the Inquisitor’s retinue. She deflected them away and raised a blue translucent shield as they advanced, beside her she could see two old men splitting off from the group and rushing towards Haures as he sought cover. Alvis Razakel struck the fleeing traitor with a blinding bolt of electricity throwing Haures to the floor twitching, whilst the unforgiving chiselled face of Aether Caeneus hacked through the drone-like movements of some of the defending cultists.

“Surrender and submit to the authority of the Inquisition!” Mia Pietas shouted over the battle. Raising her longsword in the direction of the terrified prisoners and the prone Haures. With her free hand she reached into her dark brown leather longcoat and drawing her badge of office holding it before her like a weapon.

Haures dragged himself up, stumbling over the rubble and narrowly avoiding another incandescent bolt of lightning as he dashed beneath cover. Though old Razakel and Aether closed the distance with remarkable speed, forcing a path through the mindless thralls blocking their way.

“Just how many people’s lives are worth your own Haures?” Aether shouted, furious as people threw themselves before him each robbed of their free will. “You can’t escape us forever.”

“Criminals and heretics. That’s all they were!” Haures shouted in return. Bolts of spectral energy lashed from his outstretched fingertips as he poked out from behind a shattered pillar. “You protest too much,
Inquisitor.
These are exactly the sorts of people you hunt and kill on a regular basis.”

“There’s a world of distance between the hand of justice and the heresy you commit and you know it.” Aether swung his greatsword and slashed through the magic blast splitting it aside. The energy dissipating harmlessly against his black plated mail as he advanced towards the traitor’s hiding place.

Haures laughed despite himself. “Do you really believe that? The Inquisition never stood for justice Aether. Not really, it’s seeped in corruption.”

“You’re one to talk.” Razakel appeared, raising a gloved hand towards the pillar and shattering it into millions of pieces and exposing Haures. “One less to worry about now.” His finger aimed accusingly at the traitor Inquisitor and wreathed in arcane energy.

“We need him alive Alvis!” Mia shouted as she signalled the rest of her retinue to secure the ship filled with cowering and shackled prisoners.

Upon hearing her words a half-smile crossed his face.

Aether circled around him, his sword aimed squarely at the traitor. “I wonder if you’re as durable as Morveil was. Perhaps I might slice that head of yours off to spare me your voice.”

Haures merely shrugged and gazed across the battlefield as the last of his thralls were killed by Mia and her retinue. “Don’t worry this conversation is over.” He looked upwards with a rare smile.

<
Watch out!
> Isobel sent towards them as she saw Valdgeirr dive downwards directly towards them at an incredible speed. Aether threw himself aside bringing his guard up as Haures leapt towards the colossal black dragon. Falkner reached for him, his face a grimace of distaste as he hauled the traitor-Inquisitor onto the dragon’s back. Beneath them Razakel cursed and dodged to one side, several bolts of lightning blasting the thick scales of the dragon to little effect. Across the courtyard more magic flew towards the beast as it flew upwards and circled around for another attack run, each spell failing to harm the undead menace.