I couldn’t help but smile as I left the forge. Despite her rough edges, I was confident that Hilgreth would deliver the weapons we needed. With at least one of my tasks taken care of, I headed back towards the canyon entrance to check on Ridge’s progress.
The elemental had carved an entranceway into the side of the cliffside and excavated a large section of rock beyond. It already had the look of a large chamber and his incredible rate of progress was astounding. I chose to not interrupt him, knowing that any delay would only prevent him from returning to his work on our defenses. Instead, I returned to our campsite to rest for a while. Something I was sure I would be doing less and less of in the coming days. Tási was sitting on one of our stone chairs staring into the ashes of our fire when I arrived.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, noticing her dejected expression.
“Just feeling a little useless,” she confessed.
“Hilgreth will be looking for wood for the spearheads she’s making,” I said, abandoning any hope for rest. “Why don’t you help me get a group together and see if we can get her what she needs?”
Tási reluctantly got up to join me, and we made our way over to the encampment. Broda and Khorim had already gotten a group of stonemasons together, and they were just heading off to begin improving the wall when we arrived.
“How did your talk with Hilgreth go?” Broda asked. Her amused tone let me know exactly how she thought that discussion might have gone.
“Actually, that’s exactly why we’re here,” I replied, not rising to her bait. “Hilgreth is going to need some shafts for the spearheads she is making. Tási and I are heading out to take care of that for her. We’ll need some people to help, and a few for security as well.”
“I know just who you need,” Broda replied. “Khorim, if you go round up some muscle, I’ll fetch Dellon and his boys.”
Khorim set off to do as Broda instructed without question. I suddenly realized that Broda had taken on a new air since she’d returned, giving commands and taking charge in a way that I had never seen from her before. The change was definitely a good one, and something I was hoping I could count on in the future.
Tási and I waited while Broda and Khorim left to search for the people they had in mind for our task. While we did, we watched as the dwarves busied themselves putting together the few remaining elements of their camp. Even though it would only be up for a couple of days, they seemed eager for the work, willing to put in the effort required to make the place feel more comfortable during their short stay.
Sooner than I would have thought possible, both Khorim and Broda returned. Khorim brought back several well-armed dwarves that I remembered were veterans of her uncle’s army, while Broda had with her a middle-aged dwarf accompanied by what appeared to be his two adult sons.
“Dreya,” Broda reminded me, “this is Dellon. He was the head woodworker in the King’s armory before he retired. These are his sons, Lharik and Elmor, who also happen to be his apprentices.”
“Pleased to have you all with us for this,” I said to the gathered crowd. “Time is of the essence, so if there aren’t any questions, I’d like to get going.”
There were none, so we immediately headed for the forest. As we crossed over the narrow log bridge, I saw the stonemasons beginning to work on the wall in earnest. With the trench in place, they had nowhere to stand or erect any scaffolding outside, so they’d rigged a series of slings and hung them over the side instead. Suspended in the air, they began chipping away at the rough stone exterior, smoothing out the surface while making it nearly impossible for anyone to climb.
I marveled at their expertise for a moment before returning to my own task. Dellon and his sons had begun inspecting the trees closest to the wall, instructing the rest of us to cut down any saplings or branches that met our needs. We quickly set up a system of harvesting and stockpiling the timber, ferrying the wood back to the base of the wall as each potential shaft was gathered.
After a couple of hours, it was time to quit—we had long ago gathered more than enough wood for our purposes, but Dellon wanted to collect more for his own needs. Even though they would probably not be ready in time, he had decided to begin working on some additional crossbows and a few other projects for our defenses.
With our final load of wood gathered, we hauled all of the timbers across the bridge. The process was tedious, as the narrow span was somewhat precarious, but we managed to finally get it all across. With our work complete and no one left outside, we withdrew the span, sealing us off from the forest for the night. Dellon and his sons promised to begin working the wood into proper spear shafts in the morning, and we all went our separate ways for the night.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of arranging the watch for the night,” Broda informed me as we walked back to our campsite.
“Thank you Broda,” I smiled at her. I’d gotten so used to relying on my traps for security that I hadn’t even thought of it.
As we settled in around the campfire, Khorim broke into the fresh provisions they had brought with them. The aroma of real food filled the air and my mouth began to water at the thought of having something better than stale rations to chew on. Just as Khorim began dishing out our dinner, Bane made his appearance, settling in on my shoulder and winding his tail around my arm.
“How did things go?” I asked him before shoveling an entirely too large amount of food in my mouth.
I searched in all directions this time, Sintári. While the number of beasts and creatures roaming the lands nearby increases, I found no sign of any orcs.
“You did well, Bane,” I complimented him while stroking the scales along his neck. After how bad he felt about his earlier failure in missing the dwarves’ approach, I wanted to boost his confidence again.
Bane seemed distracted and uncharacteristically interested in the food Khorim had prepared. Normally, Bane secured his own meals, hunting down small creatures while he scouted during the day. I had a feeling that he hadn’t stopped to feed himself in order to focus on his scouting instead.
“Bane,” I asked him reproachfully. “Have you eaten today?”
No, I have not, Sintári. I tended to my duties first.
I silently picked out a chunk of meat from my plate and held it up for him. Bane hesitated to take it from me for a moment, but his hunger eventually won out and he wolfed it down greedily. I repeated the process, feeding Bane from my own plate until he finally refused my offering.
Thank you, Sintári, but that is enough.
“Don’t you ever neglect yourself again, Bane,” I whispered to him softly so that no one else could hear as I chastised him. “Your first duty to me is to see to your own safety and well-being. Do you understand?”
Yes, Sintári.
His reply was sincere, and I was tempted to leave it at that, but decided to take things just one step further. I gathered a tiny ball of emotion, focusing on the incredible sense of guilt and concern I had felt when I realized Bane had suffered while trying to please me. I then wound the warm threads of my love for him around the tiny orb, creating a little package that would let my beloved Rhastoren know exactly how I felt about him. Once I had peeled off its outer layers, leaving only the pure, soft emotions behind, I channeled it into my fingertips.
With a few strokes of my hand, I slowly passed the little ball of light into Bane as I caressed scales. I felt his surprise as the energy passed over him, and although I had trickled my emotions into him once before, he had never felt the power or clarity that one of my orbs was able to convey. Bane remained perfectly still, and our connection through the orb allowed me to experience his emotions for the first time.
The Rhastoren’s feelings were both powerful and alien. In an almost primal way, I was everything to him, his sole purpose for existing. He truly needed me beyond any measure that I could imagine. The depth and purity of his bond humbled me in a way that I simply could not express.
But at the same time,
Bane also felt me in a way he never had before. The love and concern I had for him shone brightly within him through the orb I had created. I experienced his realization that the loyalty he had given me unquestioningly had not been misplaced. His own measure of himself grew tremendously with the reassurance that the bond he had with me was no one-way bargain. Staring back at him, I almost swore that I could see tears begin to well up in his little golden eyes.
I pressed his head against my chest, letting him feel my heartbeat as I allowed the orb to finally dissipate, and he lay there quietly for a moment, basking in my warmth as I continued caressing his scales. When his voice finally entered my mind, his words shocked me.
You have shown me something I never thought possible. My kind live to serve, it is how we define our existence. Loyalty, honor, and devotion—these are the things we know. I told you that I loved you Sintári, but I never truly knew what that meant before. You have shown me love and now I understand just how empty all those other things are without it. I am yours Sintári, as I always have been. You have made me into something more than I ever hoped to be. I love you.
I felt the profound depth of his emotion as his words echoed in my head. Something had clearly changed for him, because his thoughts had never before carried such weight with them. I felt my own tears beginning to form and before I was forced to explain the awkward situation, I hurriedly excused myself and rushed back to my tent.
“Bane,” I said, still clutching him to my chest. “I don’t know what to say.”
You do not need to say anything, Sintári. There are no words that can match what you have already made me feel.
His words brought a smile to my lips and we sat together in silence for a while until Tási came to check on me.
“You left in a hurry. Is everything alright?” She asked as she poked her head inside the tent.
“I’m fine, Tási. It’s been a busy day. I just needed a few moments alone.”
Thank you, Sintári. Bane sent to my mind, grateful that I had decided not to share his revelation.
I couldn’t respond without giving things away, but silently thought ‘you’re welcome,’ back at him.
I heard you, Sintári! You spoke to me!
Ding!
I heard a chime! Was that another Deathless message?
‘Hold on, let me check,’ I thought back to him excitedly.
I quickly toggled my UI and brought up the notifications.
Sintári Quest, Control, Advancing — Your bond with your companion has greatly advanced, forging a direct connection between your two minds. As this bond grows, so too will the distance over which it will carry. You have been awarded a bonus due to the method you used to create this bond, something that has not been done for many ages. You have been rewarded with 18,970 XP.
As I read the words, I sent my thoughts to Bane, letting him know just what we had accomplished together.
This sounds quite momentous, Sintári. Is it common for you to receive messages like this?
‘Only about once or twice a week on average,’ I sent back to him, hoping that my sarcasm would come through.
Tási had obviously noticed my vacant stare and interrupted our mental dialogue.
“What are you looking at?” She asked.
“Sorry Tási, I didn’t mean to ignore you,” I responded. It was true—between the alert and discovering the ability to communicate with Bane, I had been completely overwhelmed and simply forgotten about her for a moment.
“An alert popped up. I thought it might be about the orcs,” I lied. “Fortunately, it had nothing to do with them.”
You lie well, my Sintári.
‘Shut up, Bane. You aren’t making this any easier.’
“Alright,” Tási responded skeptically. “It should be a busy day tomorrow, are you ready for bed?”
“Yeah, I don’t think I can take too much more today,” I replied more honestly.
For the first time in what seemed like weeks, we had real security for the night. With an actual watch on the wall, I finally felt like we could relax and have a comfortable night’s rest. I took off my gear and peeled myself out of my armor and simply tossed it all into one of the corners. I didn’t even bother sifting through my backpack for my night dress, opting to simply strip down to my undergarments before curling up in the blankets.
Tási laid down beside me and we snuggled against each other. Neither of us had forgotten our intention to hold off any intense interactions until after our other companions returned and the risk of an impending attack was over. So, despite feeling the enticing warmth of Tási’s body through the blankets, I made no move to reach out to her. Instead, remembering the notification I’d just received, I pulled up my personal sheet.
Dreya Dae
Sintári Female
Title: Sintári
Level - 25
281199/281200
Health - 319/319 Aura - 648/748 Endurance - 319/319
Sintári – Sintári interact with their surroundings in unusual ways. The effects of these interactions can be unpredictable
Class – Warden – Wardens gain a 10% bonus to skills associated with nature or which have natural effects
Specialization – Protector
Mastery –
STR - 32 (+3)
CON - 27 (+2)
DEX - 24 (+2)
INT - 23 (+2)
WIS - 22 (+2)
CHA - 40 (+4)
The quest reward had once again left me exactly one point shy of the next level. I had originally thought this was something that occurred for ominous reasons, such as an impending difficult encounter. Now it seemed more likely that some of the quest rewards might be restricted, unable to award enough XP to reach the next level. Whether that was a boon or a limitation, I could not be sure, but I could only imagine how frustrated I would be to get a reward like that when I was already close to gaining a level on my own. Seeing an epic quest that only granted a couple hundred XP would be demoralizing.
I closed the window and shut my eyes as Bane crawled on top of me. He settled into the blankets and began to purr softly, lulling both Tási and me to sleep with the soothing sound of his contentment.
6
The next two days passed by in a flurry of hectic activity. During that time, Hilgreth and her apprentices worked almost non-stop forging spearheads while Dellon and his sons carved and hardened the wood for their shafts. Neither group was overly proud of the rough quality of work they had done, but the weapons they produced were more than adequate for the task. Considering the circumstances, just finishing the construction of so many weapons in that time was nothing short of a miracle in my mind.
Ridge completed the excavation of the dwarven barracks as well. The facilities were somewhat spartan, as they were designed, but the dwarves were more than happy to have quarters in the comfortable underground structures.
Each of the two barracks he carved into the mountain were meant to house a company of approximately one hundred, with separate quarters for sergeants and officers. The dwarves were able to spread out among the two separate barracks, affording them plenty of space to alleviate any potential strife. And while the large communal barracks areas were in desperate need of furnishings, the dwarves were happy enough with the change in accommodations and made the most of the situation.
As soon as he finished with the barracks, Ridge began clearing away the forest again. Dellon scoured the rapidly growing lumberyard that Ridge was accumulating for us, seeking out any timber that he found suitable for the many projects he seemed to be working on. While Ridge focused his efforts outside the wall, the stonemasons continued to chip away at the fortifications themselves, constantly improving on Ridge’s rough, but incredibly solid construction.
“These stones are joined in a way I have never seen before,” one of the masons had commented to me as I surveyed their work. “It’s as if the blocks are fused together as one—the entire thing is like one giant rock, solid and without any s
eams in it.”
“I’m assuming that you did notice the architect stomping around these last few days?” I replied to him.
“Yes,” the mason said wistfully. “I never dreamed I might see the spirit of the mountain with my own eyes, let alone have the honor of lending my meager skills to one’s creation. You have brought great honor to all of us, Lady Dreya.”
I chafed at the title but despite my protests, once they observed Ridge following my every command, the dwarves steadfastly refused to address me any other way. The only concession they had been willing to give me was to continue to include my name in the honorific. I had thought it odd that Broda only referred to her uncle as ‘King’ or ‘uncle,’ and never by his name. When I asked her about it, she told me that dwarven rulers gave up their names when they assumed their leadership roles. The sacrifice demonstrated their devotion to their people, marking the end of their time as individuals and serving to demonstrate their selfless dedication to their people. A dwarven King was no mere individual—he was the embodiment of an entire nation.
Bane’s scouting continued to reveal no sign of the orcs’ approach, and I was beginning to hope that their earlier defeat may have discouraged any further attempts. Unfortunately, during the afternoon of that second day, he spotted our green skinned foes lurking among the trees.
They are coming, Sintári. His voice called to me from the sky before he came to rest on my shoulder.
‘How many and how soon?’ I sent back to him.
Hundreds. I cannot get a more accurate count than that, as they are rushing quickly through the forest towards us. At their current pace, they will be here before midday tomorrow, though their scouts will arrive much sooner than that.
I took a moment to process his dire report. Though our defenses were much improved, it seemed that we would be greatly outnumbered yet again. After a moment, I hurried off to find Khorim and Broda and give them the bad news.
“We need to finish as much of our preparations as possible today,” I told them once they were aware of the impending assault. “I don’t want anyone outside the wall once night falls. Double the watch tonight as well—we can’t let the orcs’ scouts sneak up on us either. Spread the word. We all need to be prepared to fight at a moment’s notice. See to that for me while I tend to a few things.”
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 10