Psychoverse

by Jamie Hawke

  Another thought was bothering me, though. The temple hadn’t kicked me out, or even seemed to have any ill will toward me when I had decided my training was finished and it was time to become a bounty hunter, to do my job with the law. Apparently, they looked down upon those who trained with them but didn’t stay on to become masters and serve the temple. I’d never even pretended that my intention was to stay and become a master, so it wasn’t like I had changed my mind or chickened out or anything like that, but it annoyed me to know that they saw that as a problem. Without the two masters, I might not have even had a shot at getting to challenge for the stones.

  “Seen Mer?” I asked.

  Erupa sat up slightly, eyeing me. “Where was she?”

  “Mer?” I chuckled. “Kissing Hinru, actually.”

  “What?” Cheri jumped to her feet, clearly not asleep.

  “Yeah, it’s not a big deal.”

  “To you, maybe. To me,” she scooted to face me, patting the bed next to her, “to me, it’s pretty much cheating.”

  “Oh?” I grinned, humored by this, and sat next to her. “Did you two have a conversation about monogamy, or whatever it’s called in this situation?”

  “I shouldn’t have to. We’re with you.”

  Erupa turned our way from cleaning her pistols, eyebrows raised. “That’s how it is, Cheri?”

  “You wouldn’t go kissing someone behind his back!”

  “True,” Erupa admitted. “But that’s only because I wouldn’t want to. Even kissing you, no offense, it’s just part of the primal nature of the act when I’m horny. But that’s only around him. Not because we all agreed on it or anything, though.”

  “Well then…” Cheri turned to find Tink asleep, small and curled up on a pillow. She nudged her awake.

  “Huh? What?” Tink sat up, rubbing her eyes. “We under attack?”

  “No.” Cheri indicated me, then nodded at Erupa. “Right here, the four of us. We’re saying what needs to be said.”

  “Oh.” Tink started to lie back down to sleep, but Cheri picked her up, holding her in her hand.

  “I’m serious, here. The four of us, at least, we need to agree that there’s nobody else but us.” Cheri placed Tink on her lap, but the latter fluttered up, growing to regular size to stand, hands on her hips.

  “What’s this about?” Tink asked.

  “Cheri’s having a fit because Mer is off kissing Hinru,” Erupa explained.

  “Oh, is that not…?” Tink frowned. “I guess it’s weird, but nothing to get upset over.”

  “I’m not upset!” Cheri said. “Just… don’t think it’s right. She was becoming part of the team, and now—”

  “So let Hinru be part of the team,” Erupa offered.

  “What?” Cheri waved her off. “Girl’s totally into the puss, it wouldn’t work.”

  “Who said she has to ride Ezra’s dick to be part of the team?”

  “I’m not sure my dick needs to be included in this conversation,” I pointed out.

  “Oh, sugar,” Cheri said, eyeing me and then running her hand over my package, “your beautiful cock never leaves my mind.”

  “Again—”

  “Just fuck her and get her mind off this,” Erupa said, laughing, but coming over and pulling her shirt off, blue breasts bouncing as they came free. She leaned over, pushed Cheri to the bed and kissed her. When she came up for air, she said, “Hurry, or I’ll do it for you.”

  “I’m serious,” Cheri said, but didn’t resist in the slightest. “All of us,” she paused for another kiss, “should swear,” another one, this time arching her back as Erupa’s hand ran up her thigh and under her skirt, “loyalty.”

  “Loyalty?” I watched, nodding. “Yeah, I can do that.”

  “Loyalty, or… this?” Erupa licked her fingers then put them back down there, causing Cheri to gasp.

  “By Oram,” Tink said with a sigh, “you all woke me up for this?”

  “Shut up and get in here,” Erupa said, pulling aside Cheri’s armor and kissing her breast, “both of you.”

  Tink eyed me, shrugged, and started to undress. The way her short brown hair bounced as she pulled off her top, her petite body accentuated by breasts that seemed a bit too large for her size… there was no resisting. As if there would have been, anyway. I pulled her over and kissed her, running the side of my hand along the curve of her breast, then watched as she knelt, undid my pants, and kissed my hardening cock on the tip. She pulled my pants the rest of the way down, then shoved me toward the other two.

  “You heard her,” Tink said, “Cheri needs a good fuck. Remind her there’s no reason to worry.”

  I stepped toward them, both sets of eyes taking in my every move as I pulled off my shirt. They backed away, making room for me, and Tink followed me down. This wasn’t what I had been expecting in the slightest, but man, was I ready for it.

  Suddenly harder than I could remember being in some time, I ran my hand up Cheri’s thigh, felt how wet she was, and then shifted to kiss Erupa as I found Cheri’s clit and massaged it. I wanted to feel inside her so I did, then reached with my other hand to do the same to Tink. Only, Tink was gone! My head swiveled, then I spotted her, shrunken, and chuckling softly as she landed on my thigh and turned to flutter her wings across my balls. My back arched and I let out a moan. Tink grinned as she hopped up, taking my hand and thrusting it between her legs. I was more than happy to oblige.

  Erupa was kissing my back while pulling her pants off, and then we finished undressing the other two so we were a tangle of flesh.

  My lips found Tink’s, then her mouth was on my abs, Erupa’s on my hip, and Cheri turned over so that her ass was sticking up and away from me as she slid my cock into her mouth. Part of me felt bad that Mer wasn’t there, but I was sure she was fine so I focused on enjoying myself.

  Cheri slid her lips up and down along my shaft, then moved aside and hit Tink in the nose with my tip, causing the latter to giggle before taking it over. Cheri moved to my balls, watching Tink’s tongue flick across the bottom of my tip, then take me fully in her mouth. Erupa was kissing my neck now, but I pulled her up to kiss her lips and then her breasts as the other two took turns giving me head.

  Erupa thrust my hand between her legs. I massaged her clit with fervor while the others worked me until I was so close to orgasming that I couldn’t take it anymore, and moved the other two aside so I could go down on Erupa. Her cute, blue pussy tasted sweet like the scent of lavender. She pushed me back, straddling my face, so that the other two could lick me a moment longer. As I went to town on Erupa, one of the other two—I couldn’t see who from that position—climbed on me and slid my cock inside herself. I almost laughed when both women came at once. When Erupa slid off to massage my chest and kiss the other, I saw that it was Cheri.

  Tink started to climb on me, but I took her, sitting up and holding her over me so that I could have more control. We went at it like that, staring into each other’s eyes and listening to the slurping kisses and moans of the other two. When I couldn’t hold out any longer and Tink was damn close, I threw her down and pressed her legs together, my cock still inside of her, and felt my balls against her thighs, full coverage with the added padding.

  Warmth tingled through me, muscles clenching, and then Tink’s wings started fluttering beneath her as she climaxed.

  I grunted, annoyingly loud and very uncharacteristic of me. Tink was staring up at me with confusion, and I kind of slinked back, feeling my erection fading fast. By Oram, that was embarrassing. At least I hadn’t farted in the act, but I’d sounded like a dammed—

  “Trinth!” a shout came, and Hinru burst in, followed by a wild-eyed Mer. They saw us, froze, and took a step back. For a moment it was like they were going to slowly retreat out the door, or maybe Mer was thinking about joining in, but then I saw the worry in Hinru’s eyes as she said, quieter this time, “Trinth… there’s a trinth in here. Quietly, go!”

  She indicated a large storage c
loset with the door hanging partially open. We were up and moving for the closet, grabbing our clothes as we went. A thought struck me as we stepped through and Hinru closed the door behind us, locking us all in darkness.

  First, I realized it hadn’t been my groan at all. Or maybe partially, but the loud noise I thought I’d made and had subsequently been so embarrassed about was actually the trinth thing. Second, a hand had just found my cock, and then quickly pulled away.

  “Dammit, get dressed!” Hinru hissed.

  “What were you reaching for, anyway?” I whispered back as I put on my clothes, or tried to, but bumped into her back with my head in the process.

  “Mer… Mer’s hand.”

  “What did she grab?” Mer’s voice asked in the darkness.

  “Can we be quiet?” Hinru said. “Before we have to face that monster?”

  Ironic, I thought, that the monster was out there and we were in the closet. A hand found my cock again, this time over the pants as I had finished putting them on. I cleared my throat, but Cheri nibbled on my ear, whispering, “Me, this time. I want more.”

  “Do try to control yourselves.” Hinru pressed against the door, creating a crack of light. We all waited with bated breath as the shadow of a slow, lumbering form passed. Emotions were coming at me from it, but mixed or partial. Whatever that beast was, I didn’t like it.

  “Fuck this,” Cheri said, giving my package one more squeeze and then charging out, pulling her sword as she burst through the door. Her blade made a sickening sound as she plunged it into flesh, then scraped metal as she pulled it free.

  “Dammit,” Hinru muttered behind me as I ran to help.

  The monks charged in, too, just as an ear-splitting shriek rang out, surely alerting other nearby enemies to our location. Then I was there and shot once at the creature. After that shot, and as I watched Cheri dodge around the thing, slicing and hacking, I remembered that Hinru had said these things were practically immortal. If so, what hope did we have of this ending well?

  To make it worse, more enemies had been drawn over, breaking through the walls, and were pressing the attack from our rear. The monks broke off to deal with them while I moved with Erupa around the trinth, looking for a way in.

  “Shadow strike won’t do shit,” Erupa said, hand emitting a bit of her shadow magic. Apparently, she had been trying but getting no result.

  Hinru was moving about, thrusting with purple blasts that didn’t seem to harm the creature but at least managed to slow its advance. I thrust forward, trying to hit the creature with my baton, only to get knocked back against the far wall with a thud.

  It rose, catching Cheri in a grip of metal. She wasn’t fragile—damn strong, actually—but I swear something snapped. She let out a curse and dropped her sword, and her panicked eyes met mine.

  “Hinru!” I shouted, pointing. The purple slowed the attack, but then a good spinning whop and Hinru was on the floor, gasping for breath.

  Erupa started beating on the thing, moving out in rapid explosions of shots that didn’t do shit, but she was trying everything. I looked for a weak spot but didn’t have time to think, only to act. A good thrust of my arc baton and I shot it full of energy, only to curse myself as Cheri shouted, the electricity shooting through the trinth and zipping into her.

  My foot caught on something as I stepped back and I tripped. The trinth came at me, fast, and I was too horrified to move.

  A whistling, almost hissing sound came from above as Cheshire materialized, clinging to the ceiling. The cat made the sound again, and the trinth cringed, its grip loosening on Cheri.

  “There you go,” I muttered, then said it louder, “there you go!”

  Adrenaline pumping, I channeled my emotional push into the cat, giving it all the energy and courage I could throw its way. When the next sound came, it was almost ear-piercing, and enough to get Cheri free from the trinth’s grip. She landed and rolled out of there, cursing and laughing.

  Grabbing her sword, she screamed, “Fucking fart-licking, maggot-sucking cum for brains piece of shit!” Then she was in, hacking and slashing like I’d never seen, and that reminded me—she wasn’t in its grip anymore. I had to move.

  This time giving it all I had, I shouted, “Get back!” as I hit it with the arc baton.

  Smoke rose, fire burst from some of its limbs, and the rest of the team shouted obscenities as they made for the far door. Hinru motioned to Cheshire and threw out more purple blasts before following us.

  “Enough,” she shouted as she passed me, pulling my arm. “It won’t kill the bastard, only slow it down.”

  “Fuck!” I knew she had to be right, but didn’t like it. Another zap, and I turned, following her, yelling for the monks to get out of there. They crossed through another set of doors as I made it after my team,

  We charged through corridors with blinking lights or sometimes no lights at all, the screams of the trinth loud and growing closer in its pursuit.

  “Dammit, Cheri,” Hinru chided her, “next time sit back and don’t do shit without approval.”

  “Fuck off,” Cheri countered. “Lilly told me what would’ve happened if we’d stayed put, and trust me, it would’ve been a lot worse than this.”

  Hinru frowned, glancing my way to see what I had to say about that, but I gave her a ‘trust Cheri’ nod and kept moving. Hell, no use dwelling on the past, whether attacking had been a mistake or not. Cheri hadn’t led us astray so far.

  We turned a corner and the screeching intensified. It was nearly deafening. The trinth rose before me, its mucus-covered flesh and rusted metal glimmering in the purple glow from Hinru.

  I acted on instinct as it started to swing for Mer. My hand went to my arc baton and I drew it, swinging and activating the electricity all in one smooth action that connected and sent a pulsating stream of electricity through the bastard.

  “Holy shit,” Hinru said, suddenly lighting up with her purple. The heat waves darted about as if alive, and then she reached out, purple flowing from her to the trinth. She laughed, then snapped her fingers. The trinth stood at attention, straight and immobile. A heavy, slurping breathing sound came from it as bits of flesh shuddered.

  “What… just happened?” Mer asked.

  “I’ve taken control,” Hinru replied. “It shouldn’t have been possible, but I’m guessing Ezra’s bolts from the strike triggered something in it, opening it up for control.”

  “Damn.” Cheri looked at my baton, winking.

  I knew where her head was at—when was it not in the gutter? Two enemies in scraps and appearing to be with the nearest warlord came from around the corner and my hand went to my pistol.

  “Wait,” Hinru hissed, and suddenly the trinth clambered down the hall, absorbing their shots, and destroyed them in a spray of blood. Damn, to think that would have been Cheri if she wasn’t such a badass.

  Hinru gave a nod, and then we moved down the hall, taking a turn away from the pooled blood and mangled bodies, as the trinth led the way. Suddenly, from around the corner came the two monks. They stopped in their tracks as their eyes moved from us to the trinth, and back again.

  “Tell me that thing’s with you,” Master Richter whispered in a croaky voice.

  “It’s with us,” Hinru reassured him.

  His face contorted with disgust, but he simply nodded, then motioned us to follow. “The port is over here, if it hasn’t been compromised. But… the trinth isn’t coming through.”

  “Understandable.”

  We made our way down into a ravine that led to a dark tunnel, on our way out of the city and, soon, off this world. I couldn’t wait to be done with Theramuse.

  5

  Almost there, all that stood between us and our goal was a row of bounty hunters, a ship or two flying on patrol, and what looked like a few dogs.

  “We’ve been so fucking made,” Erupa muttered. “Someone back there told them exactly where to find us.”

  “That, or…” Hinru shrugged, with a
glance to the monks. “The hunting. Either way is possible. At least they didn’t know where the jump port is.”

  “The Hermites weren’t all on our side,” Master Dawa admitted. “Some thought it sacrilege that monks from the Temple of Domrem should be involved at all. Considered us infidels, basically. Others, merely a means to an end.”

  “And us?” Tink said. “I suppose we’re a means to an end, too.”

  “Flyer, or Tink, as they’ve taken to calling you,” Master Dawa looked down his nose at her, “of course you are.”

  She frowned, then shrugged. “Hey, honestly. I can respect that.”

  “What do we do about this little problem?” Master Richter asked, indicating the hunters awaiting our arrival.

  “Sick the trinth on ‘em,” Cheri suggested with a malicious grin.

  “Not a bad idea,” Hinru admitted, glancing around at the rest of us, first. “Where’d… what are you calling him again, ‘Chesh,’ get off to?”

  Cheshire appeared nearby, letting out a pleased rumbling that was almost like a purr but more guttural, tails waving as if in water.

  “I’ll need your help, little guy,” Hinru said, and knelt, caressing the cat’s neck. “Can you guide the trinth?”

  Cheshire blinked and then took off, running toward the enemy and vanishing along the way.

  “Is that a yes?” Cheri asked.

  “Watch and learn,” Hinru replied with a grin that showed she was about to enjoy this. Her eyes turned purple and her hands lifted, pointing. We watched the trinth as it bounded out, tearing through the brush. I felt the excitement radiating from Hinru, but something else, too, like an opening of her mind. I accepted, pushing in, and it was as if I had been yanked sideways, thrown into her eyes but then pushed out into the trinth. Not in it, I guess, but all around it. I was one with the purple essence, watching as the trinth roared, guided by a force in front that had to be Cheshire.