Second Skin- Fractures

by M Damon Baker

  Stel had arrived in the middle of our conversation, and while he had listened closely, he had chosen to not join in. As Khorim shoveled more food into his mouth, Jessah returned again with plates for the two elves. She was still smiling broadly as she dropped off the food and returned to the kitchen once again.

  I immediately noticed that the plates she had set before the elves were not nearly as full as the one she had brought me. Apparently, I was the beneficiary of a bit of her favoritism, and I definitely wasn’t going to complain about that.

  Since everyone was eager to get started, we ate our meals quickly. Once we finished, we stepped outside to make a few final checks on our gear before heading out of town. I was about to follow when I realized I hadn’t paid for anything. Not my room or even the food I had eaten, so when Jessah began to clear the table, I tried to pay my bill.

  “Oh, no, you don’t owe anything,” she explained. “Your friends have already paid for it all.”

  “I see. They didn’t tell me they had done that,” I said, somewhat perplexed.

  “Yes, well, I guess I’m not the only one who’s fond of you,” Jessah replied with a grin.

  Her smile was both genuine and infectious, and even though she could not see it, I couldn’t help but return her wide grin. Even though the bill had been paid, before I turned to leave, I pressed several Marks into her hand.

  “Since I got off so easy, that just means I can leave you a bigger tip,” I told her.

  Jessah’s smile vanished as she looked at the coins in her hand, and then quickly tried to return them to me.

  “Dae, this is too much. I can’t take this,” she objected.

  “Jessah,” I replied, trying to explain my thoughts. “The path ahead of me is a difficult one—yours doesn’t have to be. I don’t know how much you’ll need, but please consider this a start on your relocation fund. Hopefully, in time, you’ll have enough to get yourself somewhere you can be happy. You deserve it.”

  Her eyes threatened to tear up again as I spoke. She nodded at me, accepting my gift, but was clearly not confident enough to speak. So, I simply returned her nod and strode outside to join the others as we prepared to leave.

  “I just tried to pay for my room,” I stated flatly as I approached my companions.

  “Yes, well, seeing as you’re helping me fulfill my quest, I figured room and board would be a decent gratuity,” Venna replied.

  “That was very considerate. Thank you,” I answered with genuine appreciation.

  “Yes, well, now that we’ve settled that, can we get started?” Khorim chimed in, as his playful tone belied the gruffness of his words.

  “Yes, of course. As you command, master dwarf.” I replied sarcastically.

  Broda laughed heartily as I mocked Khorim.

  “Ha! Master dwarf,” she snickered.

  Stel and Venna both joined in on the joke, and we all had a quick laugh at Khorim’s expense as we made our way out of town. I stepped off the road just out of town and began guiding our little party towards the marker I had placed on my map for the undead dungeon.

  We moved through the forest faster than I had been able to while traveling alone since with a larger group, we could afford to sacrifice some of our caution for speed. With no need for stealth, we arrived at the perimeter of the undead area in the early afternoon.

  As we drew close, the impact of the dungeon’s inhabitants on the area became unmistakable. The forest grew eerily silent once we entered the sphere of their influence, and all the normal sounds—the rustling and chittering of small animals and even the bird songs—were simply… absent. The complete lack of any sign of life was profoundly disconcerting.

  “We are close,” Venna commented as she observed the changes around her. “This place fairly reeks of the undead.”

  “Yes,” I replied in confirmation. “The entrance to their lair is not far ahead of us now. We should proceed from here with caution.”

  Just as I made my pronouncement, a feral growl burst through the quiet of the forest. Something flashed before my eyes and then barreled into Khorim as it took him to the ground. In my peripheral vision, I could see Broda squaring off with a skeleton warrior while Stel and Venna were hacking into what looked to be some sort of zombie bear. Since the others appeared to have their opponents in check, I rushed towards where Khorim had vanished into the underbrush. And as I ran to help Khorim, it became apparent that he was in serious trouble.

  A zombie that had once been a fairly large human had him pinned to the ground. Even worse, the creature had Khorim face down in the dirt, and he was completely unable to fend off the stinking undead hulk that was pummeling away at him. Fortunately, the creature was unarmed and as bad as the pounding Khorim was taking was, he would already have been dead if the undead monster had possessed even the most rudimentary of weapons.

  I ran at full speed to help him and slammed into the zombie as hard as I could. While it weighed a great deal more than I did, with all the momentum I had behind me, I managed to tackle it off Khorim’s back. When the zombie and I tumbled to the ground, I struggled to get up before it could attack again, and as I rose to my feet, I drew my blades and braced for the creature’s attack.

  Fortunately, the zombie was far slower than I was in regaining its footing, so as it struggled to get up, I took advantage of its clumsiness and charged at it. Once I closed the gap between us, I launched a vicious Flurry attack with my blades. The zombie seemed heedless of my strikes, and although the wounds were deep, they did not bleed, and the creature appeared to be completely unfazed by its injuries. Only then did I remember that I was fighting an undead creature, an abomination that would not succumb to even devastating wounds like the ones I had just inflicted on it. I needed to either decapitate it or inflict a great deal more damage than would be required to kill a living foe. So, I stepped back to gain some separation and tried to adjust my strategy.

  Just as I began to reset myself, a dagger flew by my face and lodged in the zombie’s eye socket. The small blade pierced its brain, killing the thing instantly as its body fell to the ground, finally dead for good. I turned to see who had thrown the blade and saw that Khorim had managed to recover from the beating the zombie had given him.

  “That thing may have gotten you down, master dwarf, but it seems you got the last laugh after all,” I said, trying to make light of the situation.

  “Maybe so, girl, but Stel’s going to have the last laugh on me. Seems I owe him a few more Marks,” Khorim gestured at my hood as he said the last bit—the hood that was no longer covering my head.

  Shit! I thought to myself. It must have gotten knocked off in my tumble to the ground. At the time, I’d only been thinking of saving Khorim and had been heedless of any consequences. But with my anonymity lost, I had no choice but to come clean.

  “Well shit, Khorim, how much did I cost you this time?” I responded sympathetically.

  “Five more Marks. I must say, you’re the most expensive person I’ve ever met,” he answered regretfully.

  “Five, Khorim?” I said incredulously. “What the hell did you think I was hiding under my hood, a goblin?”

  “No, nothing that bad, girl,” Khorim chuckled. “I just figured you were hiding some bad scars or some such. Stel was sure it was no such thing. I just don’t know how he knew it.”

  “Well, remind me to never bet against Stel,” I said. “Now you, on the other hand, are another story.”

  We shared a quick laugh before we both remembered that we needed to check on our companions. But as we turned back the way we had come, we saw all three had been standing behind us listening to our conversation.

  Sheepishly, I broached the subject before any of them could speak.

  “Why don’t we see if they have any loot first, then we can take a moment, so I can explain,” I offered them.

  Venna nodded in acceptance, and the rest simply walked off to check the bodies for valuables. There were only the three undead I had already se
en, so the task was over fairly quickly. Then, they gathered around as I took a seat on a fallen log and took a deep breath before beginning my tale.

  I decided to tell them the truth—or at least what I was going to tell them would be the truth—with some little bits of information left out. I told them of Nedd’s attack and how I had killed him, of how my friends had warned me that the Bloody Hearts would seek revenge, and then how I saw Wil in Clermont, and his role in alerting the Bloody Hearts to my identity. When I finished, Venna, as usual, was the first to speak.

  “I can understand your desire to remain anonymous,” she began. “The Bloody Hearts are quite a vicious bunch. And with your striking features, you would definitely stand out in any town you entered.”

  Khorim spit on the ground.

  “Damn Bloody Hearts,” he swore. “Bunch of thugs and bullies if you ask me.”

  “Yes,” Stel added. “The Bloody Hearts are quite brutal, but they were not always that way. For most of their existence, they were a fairly honorable group of smugglers and thieves. At least, honorable as far as such things go.”

  “Regardless of their past,” I replied bitterly. “They are a despicable bunch of rapists and murderers now.”

  “True enough,” Stel capitulated.

  “Dae,” Venna jumped in. “None of us have any sympathies for the Bloody Hearts, nor are we so desperate for coin that we would betray you to them. Your secret is safe with us.”

  “Thank you, Venna. It’s a relief to be able to show my face, even if it’s only for a little while.”

  “Damn sight better than looking at that bloody hood,” Khorim joked.

  “Why, master dwarf, I do believe that was a compliment,” I said. Feigning shock, I clutched one hand to my chest and rested the other on his shoulder as if I suddenly needed his support.

  We both laughed, but Broda simply raised an eyebrow at me. Then, she stepped close and pointedly removed my hand from where it was resting on Khorim’s shoulder.

  “Yes, better looking enough to not be laying hands on my husband, I should say,” she said meaningfully.

  After she spoke, Broda just stood there and glared at me. I was trying to decide whether she was serious or not when, after just a moment’s hesitation, she burst out in laughter. We all had a quick laugh at her good-natured ribbing, and I was relieved to discover that her jealousy was only in jest.

  “You should have seen your face, Dae,” Broda said, still chuckling.

  “It’s bad enough I have to see Khorim’s,” I replied in return.

  My comment generated another burst of laughter, but for some reason, Khorim seemed not to enjoy the joke. When the moment of levity passed, we gathered our gear again and resumed heading for the undead dungeon.

  Just before we set off, I took a quick look at my notifications. I hadn’t remembered to check them since before my sparring session with Broda. Between our sparring and this short fight, I hoped that I might have picked up some useful gains.

  You have reached 20% proficiency in the Flurry Ability. Proficiency gains slow after achieving 20% proficiency. Note that combat skills cannot be self-trained beyond 20% proficiency. Any proficiency gains beyond 20% can only be obtained via actual combat, through training with a mentor possessing sufficient mastery, or by certain magical means.

  Experience gained – You have gained 368 XP.

  You have reached 20% proficiency in the Armor skill. Proficiency gains slow after achieving 20% proficiency. Note that combat skills cannot be self-trained beyond 20% proficiency. Any proficiency gains beyond 20% can only be obtained via actual combat, through training with a mentor possessing sufficient mastery, or by certain magical means.

  Dreya Dae

  Human Female

  Level - 4

  7042/7200

  Health 150/150 Aura 330/330 Endurance 150/150

  Class – Warden – Wardens gain a 10% bonus to skills associated with nature or which have natural effects

  Specialization –

  Mastery –

  STR - 15

  CON - 15

  DEX - 16

  INT - 15

  WIS - 13

  CHA - 19(+1)

  Abilities

  Ignore Armor – Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura. - 22%

  Stun – Your next arrow has a chance to stun its target on hit. Cost – 20 Aura. - 23%

  Block – You may attempt to use your bow to parry a single melee attack. Cost – 20 Endurance. - 7%

  Swarm – Your next arrow duplicates itself in flight. Cost – 20 Endurance and 20 Aura. – 21%

  Flurry – Perform three rapid strikes with a bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 21%

  Spells

  Enhanced Sight – May be cast on self or ally. Improves visual acuity of the recipient in dark or obscured conditions. Cost – 20 Aura. - 19%

  Skills

  Bow – 24%

  Critical Hit – 22%

  Blades – 22%

  Short Sword – 22%

  Dagger – 20%

  Critical Hit – 17%

  Two-Handed – 15%

  Armor – 20%

  Medium Armor – 21%

  Perception – 25%

  Environmental – 25%

  Identify Enemy – 12%

  Identify Person – 4%

  Combat Dodge – 11%

  Subterfuge – 24%

  Stealth – 24%

  Find Trap – 5%

  Disarm Trap – 4%

  Set Trap – 10%

  Manipulation – 9%

  Persuade – 11%

  Barter – 11%

  Survival – 21%

  Tracking – 21%

  Identify Creature (Beasts) – 8%

  Skinning – 13%

  Field Dress – 12%

  Alchemy – 9%

  Herbalism – 14%

  Before anyone could notice my distraction, I quickly closed the screens. I was definitely satisfied with my progress; although I still needed to get a few of my proficiencies over the 20% threshold, most of the more important ones were already there. Better still, the zombie kill had pushed me even closer to my next level. Also of interest was that I seemed to have gotten the full XP reward for the shared kill. I filed that little tidbit of information away and began to lead our party forward once more. But we moved ahead much more slowly and stealthily than before, hoping to avoid another unexpected encounter.

  It wasn’t long before we approached the small rise that I had hidden behind when I first discovered the undead hideout. Before climbing up, I described the layout to my companions, including the skeletons guarding the entrance and the lone zombie that had been shambling about. After we crept cautiously to the top of the rise, we peeked over and gazed down at the ruins below us.

  Everything was as I remembered, except that where there had been two skeleton guardians posted at the entrance, there were three this time. Once we had seen all that we could, we slid back down silently to plan our attack.

  “I can take out at least one from here,” I began. “But we will need to get all three before they can alert whatever else is inside.”

  “I can get on the ledge above and take one more for sure,” Khorim offered.

  “Leaving one unaccounted for,” Stel noted.

  After some discussion, we finally decided on a plan, but there was some risk involved. It would be far better if we could maintain the element of surprise for as long as possible and taking out all three sentries would be key to that. Our plan depended on the third sentry attacking us rather than retreating back into the ruins. If it failed to engage us, things might go very badly. Unfortunately, we had little choice. Just one more long-range attacker among us would have made all the difference, but I was the only one with any real ranged capability. We would have to rely on a little good fortune for our plan to work.

  Before setting our plan in motion, Venna cast a blessing spell on our weapons. Normal weaponry would do minim
al damage to the undead, but with her blessing on our arms, the wounds we inflicted would be much more devastating to them. When it came to be my turn, I thought she would bless my bow, so I held it out to her when she approached me. But Venna just shook her head when I did.

  “My blessing is not strong enough to enchant the wood of your weapon,” she explained. “I will need to work with the metal of your arrowheads instead.”

  I didn’t understand, but I removed the arrows from my quiver and held them out to her anyway. She must have noted my confusion, so as she worked, she continued to explain.

  “My spells are only of the initiate level, and most wood lacks the resonance required to absorb such magics. Metals, on the other hand, are much more receptive. When I gain access to more powerful spells, my magic can overcome the lower resonance of such items; until then, it will only work on higher resonance items, such as this metal.”

  I found her explanation intriguing. I hadn’t considered that the properties of an item might determine how ‘receptive’ it might be to any particular magic. That was definitely a useful piece of knowledge. When she finished her spell, she handed the bundle of arrows back to me, and I returned them to my quiver. While my quiver wouldn’t be duplicating the magically-enhanced arrows, I felt sure that the twenty shafts would be enough ammunition. Once our weapons had been blessed with Venna’s magic, the party split up to prepare for our attack.

  While the others maneuvered themselves into position, I was left alone hiding just behind the small rise overlooking the ruins. I watched the space above the entrance, waiting for Khorim to arrive; when he was in position, Khorim signaled me to begin.

  I rose above the crest and imbued an arrow with Swarm as I took aim at the skeleton guardian that was my assigned target. With the undead in my sights, I released the arrow and immediately prepared for a follow-up shot. As my arrow flew towards its target, Khorim dropped down from the ledge above and drove his dagger through the skull of the other skeleton as he came down on top of it. Before I pivoted towards the third guardian, I saw both Swarm arrows strike my initial target. If those two arrows did not kill the skeleton outright, our plan relied on Khorim to finish the job for me.