Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3)

by M Damon Baker

  The previous day, Ridge had to complete the unfinished foundation before he was able to focus on raising the wall itself. Even so, he had managed to span the entire mouth of the canyon with a low wall just over two feet high in that single day. But on his second day of work, his progress was even more amazing.

  Without having to deal with building the foundation, Ridge had raised the wall by nearly another four feet. It now rose well over Tási’s head, and I could only peer over its highest point while standing on my toes. While it would not keep out anything that was able to climb the rough stone, the wall was well on its way to becoming a formidable barrier.

  “There’s only one charge left on the summoning stone, right?” Tási inquired, apparently reading my mind.

  “Yes,” I answered her. “He won’t be able to finish if I can’t summon him myself.”

  “How close are you?”

  “Actually, I think I’m ready to try it now,” I replied.

  Tási looked at me doubtfully, but said nothing.

  I ignored her skepticism and focused on the land around me instead. As the spell’s description advised, I called upon the earth below to offer me its assistance. Imagining Ridge’s form in my mind, I requested his help again as I poured my own Aura into the invitation.

  Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the narrow ravine. Shards of rock and dust flew through the air, pelting us with tiny bits of shrapnel. When the air finally cleared, I saw Tási dusting herself off and staring back at me reproachfully.

  “Perhaps a bit more studying before your next attempt?”

  “You may be right,” I agreed as I brushed the dust and small shards of rock from my hair.

  Bane picked just that moment to return. As he landed on my shoulder, he related what he had found. It was not good news.

  Some creatures are approaching, Sintári. I could not see them clearly through the trees, but they are humanoids. They will be here soon, no more than two days.

  “Were you able to tell how many of them there were, Bane?” I asked him, hoping the number would be low.

  At least a dozen, but probably more. I can go back and look more closely Sintári, but I wanted to make you aware of them as soon as possible.

  Great. There was no way the two of us could simply fight off so many. We needed a plan. I sent Bane back out to gather more information on the approaching threat and began brainstorming a strategy for our defenses with Tási.

  We came up with several ideas, but no solid plan. The one thing that all our ideas had in common was the need for the wall to be as formidable as possible before our enemies arrived. Reluctantly, I summoned Ridge again and watched as the heartstone crumbled to dust in my hand when he rose from the ground at my feet.

  “Ridge, I am sorry to call you back so soon,” I explained to him. “But we have discovered enemies approaching, and we need you to build as quickly as possible before they arrive.”

  The elemental wasted no time replying to me and immediately started to raise more stone blocks from the ground around us. I left him to his task as Tási and I returned to plan for our enemy’s inevitable assault.

  The only thing we could come up with was utilizing a series of traps in conjunction with the defensive advantages that the wall provided us. The opening in the wall that Ridge had left for a future gate would become the key to our strategy. We would line the gap with several traps, hoping to snare most of them as they tried to take advantage of the obvious hole in our defenses, but we knew we couldn’t count on those traps taking care of all of them. Although we did not yet know what we were up against, even the dullest of humanoids could scale the rough surfaces of the barrier, and once they were aware of the danger in that opening, we would be facing threats all along the face of our wall. So, in addition to the traps in the center, I would have to stretch my Aura reserves as thin as possible and place as many as I could across the entire front of the wall. With any luck, the traps, along with Tási’s Spells and my bow would repel the invaders.

  “Ridge,” I asked before we set off back to our camp. “Are you able to fight for us?”

  “No, Mistress, I cannot,” he replied. “I am prevented from taking harmful actions against any life forms.”

  Although he spoke the words in his usual monotone, I felt a certain hint of remorse in them. It was as if he was more than willing to help and regretted whatever it was that kept him from doing so. With no choice but to leave him to his work, Tási and I went back to camp to refine our plan and await Bane’s next report.

  While we waited for Bane’s return, I couldn’t help but go over my failed attempt at casting the summoning spell. The magic had backfired rather violently, and we were lucky that neither of us had been injured. Reviewing the tome again, I simply could not understand what had gone wrong. I reread the spell over and over and saw no reason why my request for aid had failed.

  Then I remembered Tási’s explanation of how the spell required that I combine not only elemental magic, but shadow or ‘dark’ magic as well. While the natural magic called the creature, she had told me that it was the shadow magic that would bind it to me. No, that wasn’t exactly right, I realized. She had said the shadow magic let me dominate its will.

  With a sudden insight, I read through the spell once more, and as I scanned the words, my error became all too clear. I had framed the magic as a request, a mere appeal for aid. But that was not how this spell worked—this was no mere petition; it was a demand and needed to be treated as such. The summoning magic was no polite inquiry; it was an order to be obeyed.

  Reading through the spell one last time, all of its intricacies suddenly became obvious. With my newfound understanding of the principles behind the incantation, the subtle nature of its magic made perfect sense to me. I knew that when Ridge’s summoning ended the next day, I would be ready to bring him back yet again.

  Ding!

  The chime had barely stopped ringing before I had my notifications window open.

  Quest completed – You have completed the optional quest Higher Learning. You have learned a talent on your own. It is not easy to be both student and teacher. Your efforts have been rewarded with 220 XP.

  I quickly closed the notifications tab and pulled up my personal sheet. Looking over the Spell section revealed what I was searching for.

  Spells

  Enhanced Sight – May be cast on self or ally. Improves visual acuity of the recipient in dark or obscured conditions. Cost – 20 Aura. – 45%

  Create Trap – Place a magical trap upon an area. Size, type and trigger of traps is determined by your proficiency. Cost – 40 Aura. – 47%

  Elemental Arrow – Your next arrow is imbued with elemental energy and causes additional elemental damage accordingly. Cost – 30 Aura. – 26%

  Bolt – Release a Bolt of pure Lightning at your target(s). Cost – 40 Aura. – 22%

  Find Weakness – Highlights vulnerable points on the target. Modifier – Intelligence. Cost – 80 Aura. – 6%

  Summon Elemental – Summons an Elemental creature. If you succeed in binding it to your will, the creature will serve you faithfully until the spell’s expiration. Modifier – Charisma. Cost 100 Aura. – 1%

  The description for my new Spell was both informative and yet strangely cryptic. As I already understood, the magic was not a request for help, but a demand. But something about the way the description was worded gave me pause.

  From the way it was described, it seemed that the summoning and binding were two separate steps. First an elemental would be summoned, then I had to succeed in binding it. If I did manage to bind it, the creature would serve me for the duration of the Spell, a period of time that was not defined. But what if I failed? What happened then? Ridge had told us he could not harm a living creature, but would that restriction also be true for an unbound elemental? It seemed like the high rewards for a successful casting of this Spell might be balanced by some equally high risks should I fail.

  I was just about to cl
ose the window when I realized one final thing. This time, it wasn’t the words that gave me pause, but the lack of words, or at least one particular word. The description did not specify exactly what sort of elemental creature would be summoned. Focusing on the words brought up no additional information, so I was left with the mystery when I finally gave up and closed the window.

  Just as I stood up, Bane returned from his scouting. He flew down out of the sky and began to relay his report before he had even settled onto my shoulder.

  There are twenty-two of them Sintári. Orcs.

  “Are they well-armed?”

  Yes, very well-armed. But you are in luck. Only one has a bow.

  Nothing about an impending assault by more than twenty well-armed orcs seemed lucky, but he did have a point. With only a single archer to account for, I might be able to thin their numbers a bit before they even reached the wall.

  “When will they get here, Bane?”

  They seem to be exploring. They advance cautiously and the archer scouts for them, but they are definitely coming this way. At their current pace, they will be here sometime tomorrow.

  His thorough response reminded me of just how much Bane had grown after I had leveled the other day. Rather than hearing something like ‘Many greenskins, big fight soon,’ he had given me a complete description of our enemies, including a tactical analysis of their combat capabilities. The Sintári bonus I had once thought to reject was proving to be not only an incredible asset, but a valued friend as well.

  “Thank you, Bane,” I said as I ran my hand along his shiny scales.

  I considered just how much I truly appreciated him and realized that, other than affectionately rubbing his scales, I had no way of showing him just how much he meant to me. Before his recent transformation, such an inquiry might have been frustrating and pointless. But now, with his increased intellect, it should be a fairly straightforward conversation.

  “Bane,” I began as I ran my hand along his neck. “You have become very important to me in such a short time, but I don’t know how to show you my appreciation. What sort of things do you like? How can I reward you and show you how much I care for you?”

  Bane’s little reptilian lips curled up as he smiled at me.

  We are bonded, Sintári. You reward me every time I feel your beating heart. Our bond allows me to sense your feelings for me. I have already felt your devotion and that is the greatest boon you can possibly bestow upon me.

  He nuzzled his little head against my cheek as he finished sending his thoughts to me. I held his tiny head in my hand, cradling him against me for a moment before I finally let him pull away.

  “You are a very special Rhastoren, Bane,” I said as I gazed into his golden eyes.

  Thank you, Sintári.

  His words rang in my head with a tone of sincere gratitude, and Bane settled in to rest on my shoulder as Tási approached. Seeing him perched on me, she inquired about his report, so I relayed the news of our enemy’s approach while we ate a quick lunch together.

  “So tomorrow, the two of us will battle twenty orcs,” she said dejectedly.

  Bane stared at her intently and Tási quickly amended her statement.

  “Three. I meant the three of us, Bane.”

  “See? Our odds just improved significantly,” I offered.

  Tási smiled weakly at my attempt to lift her mood, but she was right. From a strictly numerical standpoint, things did not look good for us. Fortunately, I did not intend for this to be a fair fight.

  “Ridge will get the wall much higher today, Tási,” I added. “And I already have a plan for him for tomorrow that should help us tremendously.”

  “Do you really think you can master that spell before tomorrow?” Tási asked doubtfully.

  “I already have,” I replied in a tone that let her know just what I thought about her lack of faith in me.

  Tási’s eyes shot open in disbelief and I relayed the story of how her description of the shadow magic’s role in the casting led me to unravel the key to the Spell’s intricate workings. Although it hadn’t been long, in our excitement, we decided to return to the canyon entrance and check on Ridge’s progress.

  Ridge had indeed been working hard—the rough stone wall had grown another two feet in height since we’d left him that morning. Now towering over eight feet tall, the barrier was finally beginning to serve its intended purpose. With the wall presenting a true obstacle for the first time, I halted Ridge’s efforts and redirected him to complete a different portion of the planned defenses. Ridge acknowledged my orders and immediately set to work on the project.

  As he began to work, I dismissed all of my traps, save the few directly in the wall’s lone gap. Once Ridge was finished, the planned gateway entrance would be the key to our successful defense against the orcs’ attack, and I also needed to free up my Aura. Not only would I need it for the battle, but also to summon Ridge again when the last heartstone charge finally ended.

  We decided that we would return to the wall in the morning. Bane could scout the orcs’ precise location for us, and we would make any final preparations based on his reports. Having done everything we could for the time being, we returned to our camp again. It would likely be a restless night for us, but we needed to at least attempt to get as much sleep as possible before the difficult battle.

  I practiced my sword forms once again while Tási cast her Spells at her rapidly deteriorating practice targets. While she wasn’t paying any attention to me, I cast Find Weakness on her to see if she had any vulnerabilities we might be able to address. The effort was largely wasted, as her head and entire upper body began to glow with a soft red outline. The weak protection of her robes proved to be no hinderance against attack. But if my plan worked, she would not be facing any direct attacks. Hopefully, I could take out the lone orc archer before he threatened her. If not, her reflection spell would have to serve as her last resort against any ranged attack.

  Although we had no real appetite, we forced ourselves to eat dinner as the sun began to set over the mountaintop. In the growing darkness, we retreated inside our tent, and when Bane made a move to leap off my shoulder, I held him in place instead.

  I thought you needed some privacy tonight? His questioning thought entered my mind.

  “We will have a difficult battle tomorrow,” I said, an explanation I meant for Bane as well as Tási. “I want to have both of you with me tonight.”

  Tási nodded her understanding, agreeing to hold off on her opportunity to repay me for the previous night’s torture.

  The three of us settled in together, and I wrapped my arm around Tási, cradling her as she rested her head on my shoulder. Bane curled up in a ball, positioning himself on top of me, but with his body pressed against Tási as well. Bane’s soft purrs echoed inside the tent and I felt a warm sense of comfort lying there with the two of them. As we lay there, I let my emotions flow out from me in soft waves, gently enveloping Tási and Bane in my contentment.

  Tási responded by offering me a sincere smile before snuggling against me even closer. Bane looked up at me but did not move his head from where it lay over my heart.

  I love you too, my Sintári.

  Bane had never expressed his feelings for me so directly, and his open declaration caught me off guard. With my own emotions already flowing to him, words seemed an inadequate response. Instead, I stroked his scales softly while channeling my own love for him with every brush against his smooth skin. Bane’s eyes slid shut and he continued to purr loudly as he basked in the flood of emotions.

  A bond was forged between the three of us that day, and despite the impending danger we fell asleep as one, slipping easily into a comfortable slumber together.

  4

  In the morning we ate a quick breakfast, once again having to force ourselves to consume the food despite our lack of appetite. Bane set off immediately to search for the band of orcs, while Tási and I headed for the canyon. Ridge was putting the finishing
touches on the project I had given him as we arrived, and I looked over his work in astonishment.

  The outer edge of the wall was almost completely protected by a deep trench, and only a narrow strip of earth remained where one could approach the opening in the wall that had been left for our future gateway. The steep incline of the trough made climbing the wall nearly impossible, but that was not the only added benefit it provided. Ridge had lined the deep furrow with an array of razor-sharp stone projections; each pointed shard jutted out several feet from the ground, threatening to impale anyone who dared attempt to traverse the deep gorge. The trench and its vicious spikes would leave only one viable path for our attackers.

  “We’re going to need access to the top of the wall, Ridge,” I informed him. “Can you put in the stairs next?”

  “Yes,” he intoned with his gravelly voice. “I will do so right away.”

  Ridge immediately began drawing out more solid blocks of stone while I turned my attention to the wide gap in the wall that would be our enemy’s only route of attack.

  I placed a pair of traps at the outer edge of the gap—one was a vine trap with an automatic trigger and just beyond it was a spike pit I would trigger manually. I hoped to catch a large portion of the orcs in this combination of traps, but I also positioned a second pair at the inside end of the opening, just in case any managed to sneak past my first set of snares. Then, at the far end of the earthen bridge, I placed the final pair of traps, both spike pits, designed to trap any of the orcs that escaped my ambush. If I took out the lone orc archer, we should be able to slay most of the orcs while they were helplessly trapped in or between my deadly snares. Then, just for good measure, I added two more vine traps outside the spike pits. I had more than enough Aura, and the added traps on a manual trigger just might snare a few more of our enemies.

  Once my traps were placed, I realized that I had overlooked a potentially powerful weapon that was at my disposal. I still had the spear that Evans had given me after our defense of the Citadel. Although I was better trained with the Essence Blade, the spear was more suited for use in defending the high wall against attackers. Withdrawing the weapon from my pack, I began to practice the series of forms Evans had shown me before walking myself through a few mock scenarios.