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

by M Damon Baker

  Ridge had finished the first of the towers and made a great deal of progress on the second during that time. Carving out the towers from the mountain’s rocky stone was apparently a far simpler thing for him than constructing the wall from stone blocks, so his progress on those was remarkable.

  Meanwhile, Hilgreth and Renn completed the portcullis and were busy fitting it into the passageway. While the smiths worked together, the two apprentices had been tasked with crafting additional spears, some of them specially designed to be used in conjunction with the passageway’s narrow weapon ports.

  The stonemasons split themselves into separate groups, one beginning to work on the completed tower, while the other put the finishing touches on the passageway’s defenses. They worked tirelessly to ensure that all of our preparations were in order, lamenting the entire time over the craftsmanship they were sacrificing for the sake of speed, and promising profusely to correct the issue as soon as possible.

  Dellon and Ilvain had their own hands full working on the project I had incentivized for them and claimed to be close to completing the first of their collaborations. While Ridge had yet to create the necessary space for it along the wall, the tower he’d completed was also designed to accommodate one of the devices, so it would not go unused.

  Nalen the bowyer was progressing more slowly. This was not due to any lack of effort on his part; it was simply the reality of his profession. The raw wood he worked with required a great deal of time to cure and process. Although he was only just now completing the first of his more powerful recurve bows, many were in the works, and would soon replace the weaker weapons most of the elves had brought with them. Fortunately, his efforts were augmented by the hunters. Most of them knew how to craft their own arrows and devoted much of the time they were not out hunting to building up an impressive supply of missiles. Large barrels full of these shafts were ready to be placed all along our defensive lines once the orcs were near. Thanks to their efforts, I was sure we had more than enough arrows for the fight.

  Although Bane still had nothing of interest to report, Hilgreth did have some news of note that day.

  “Lady Dreya,” she called to me as I crossed the canyon on one of the seemingly endless series of errands I had been performing during our preparations. Seeing her outside the forge was unusual, and I quickly stopped to speak with her, fearing that something was amiss.

  “What’s wrong, Hilgreth? Is there something you need?”

  “No, Lady Dreya,” she smiled. “There’s nothing I need, but we might have something you do.”

  Hilgreth then explained what she meant, making a point to tell me that the discovery was in fact Renn’s and not her own. The elf had simply been too reluctant to bring it to me himself, so Hilgreth had presented the idea on his behalf.

  “So, these are byproducts of your forge?” I asked her once she had finished explaining Renn’s idea.

  “Yes,” she confirmed for me. “We’ve been storing it for now, trying to figure out what to do with the stuff. Usually there’s a bit of a market for it, so it’s not an issue, we just don’t have that option here.”

  “Mark the barrels clearly; we need be able to tell them apart,” I replied to her. “Renn’s idea is excellent, and make sure you tell him I said so. I’ll incorporate it into our plans immediately; I may even have an idea in mind for the portion of it that isn’t suited for his scheme.”

  Hilgreth smiled broadly before hurrying back to her forge, promising to do just as I asked.

  With Renn’s suggestion fresh on my mind, I postponed the errand I’d been on and made my way over to the fortifications. I gathered a few of the stonemasons together and told them the rough outline of the smith’s idea. Their eyes lit up in understanding, and they looked over the work they had done, ensuring that it would be up to the challenge of what Renn had proposed.

  “It’s pretty much what some of these holes were designed for, Lady Dreya,” one of them told me. “But I think we’ll need to shore up the edges here—build a small lip around the perimeter, as it were.”

  “Can you do it quickly?”

  “Absolutely,” another one of the stonemasons replied. “It doesn’t even have to be permanent. Your Earth spirit can handle that when he has the time. We’ll just need to lay some blocks around the outside to contain things.”

  With the stonemasons on board and confident, I left them to handle the minor projects that were needed to make Renn’s idea feasible. If it worked, his addition to our defenses just might convert my plan to defeat the orcs into their total annihilation.

  Once that was handled, I finished the errand I had been on when Hilgreth had stopped me. My day, like all of the others before it, had been a hectic rush to and fro, desperately trying to keep ahead of the ever-increasing demands on my time that the impending assault required. The non-stop pace had begun wearing me down, but the new wrinkle in our defenses that Renn had conceived reinvigorated me. I had been confident in our preparations before, but still wary of the potential for the unknown to ruin them. Renn’s idea seemed to add an additional layer of assurance for me, and I shouldered my responsibilities again with renewed enthusiasm.

  Our work continued until three days later, when Bane spotted the first orc scouts. They were still a full day’s travel away when he noticed them, but we recalled our hunters and forbade anyone to venture beyond the walls after that. Since all of our preparations outside had already been made, the restriction cost us little, while ensuring the safety of our people.

  Ridge had finished the second tower by then and moved on to creating the modifications that Ilvain and Dellon had requested. The two of them continued to work on their devices and were eager to see them put in place. The initial sighting of our enemy only seemed to spur them on even further, and they redoubled their efforts, hoping to get as many of their contraptions in place as possible before the orcs arrived in force.

  We also had a fairly extensive minefield laid out by then. Once the inner portcullis had been completed, Hilgreth, Renn, and the apprentices manufactured and placed many more of their wicked caltrops in the field outside the wall. The devices had proven their worth in our last battle, but I wondered just how effective they would be in this next attack now that the orcs were aware of them.

  With the orc scouts approaching, I ordered the gate operators to begin pretending that the drawbridge was malfunctioning. Our plan required us to convince the orcs that our gate was not operating properly, and we needed the orc scouts to observe us having trouble with the mechanism right from the start for the deception to be believable. The operators would raise the gate partially before dropping it back down abruptly and then feign dismay as they flitted about pretending to frantically repair the equipment. Their act was quite impressive, and I hoped that the orcs found our charade equally convincing.

  The day after Bane spotted them, we noticed the orc scouts brazenly observing us from the tree line. They seemed completely indifferent to the fact that we were aware of their presence and made no effort to conceal themselves. The green-skinned creatures boldly surveyed our defenses, making note of the changes they observed while we stared back at them. For our part, we made every effort to conceal as much as possible from their prying eyes. Everything that could be hidden behind the wall was kept from their view, including the elves that had joined us since the orcs’ last failed attack. The arrival of the elves had doubled our numbers, and their presence was another one of our surprises that we wanted to keep hidden from our enemies for as long as possible. So, once the orc scouts began observing us none of the elves were allowed to climb atop the walls. The only defenders we let our enemies see were the dwarves who had fought them off before.

  Although we still hadn’t spotted the enemy army, we knew it could not be far off, and with battle close at hand, we began stocking the fortifications with weapons and ammunition. Barrels of bolts and arrows were positioned all along the defenses. Three of the four stories of the towers that rose above the
wall were provisioned for the elven archers that would be firing down upon the enemy from their heights, while the second story of both towers were occupied by Dellon and Ilvain’s creations, as were two of the four positions that Ridge had added along the wall. I would owe the two of them a great deal of coin when this was over, and if the weapons worked as promised, that money would be well-spent.

  Renn’s surprise was also in place, only waiting for the orcs to fall into our trap before we could unleash its devastation on them. My special little twist on his idea had also been implemented and would hopefully assure that our victory would be complete.

  Ridge made his own final preparations stealthily, working within the trench to remain hidden from view in its depths. He spent two entire days transforming its rough earthen walls into stout stone, reinforcing the trough as his last act before I dismissed him until after the battle was decided.

  Bane continued his reconnaissance while the orcs’ scouts kept watch over us. I made him fly off from deep within the canyon, lest his departure be observed by the enemy scouts. For those first two days, he returned without having spotted the enemy’s forces. The next day we were not so lucky.

  Rather than returning late in the evening as usual, Bane came back to me early in the afternoon instead. His premature return could mean only one thing, and I knew immediately from his demeanor that the news was not good.

  They are close Sintári, a day’s journey away, no more. I am sorry, I cannot understand how they got so near without me noticing them.

  ‘That’s alright, Bane, tell me what you saw,’ I asked hesitantly, reluctant to hear his answer. His downcast attitude was clearly the result of something more than just allowing the enemy to evade his notice.

  Well over a thousand orcs approach us, and they are not alone, Sintári. Ogres march with them, I counted exactly a dozen of them.

  A combined attack from both orcs and ogres was not something we had even considered while making our preparations. The ogre’s presence put all of our measures in doubt, possibly rendering our carefully planned tactics completely ineffective. With their huge size and tremendous strength, the ogres could easily turn the tide of battle in favor of the attacking orc army.

  I let Bane fly off to get something to eat, knowing that he had probably not fed yet in his haste to return with the news. Then I then hurried through the camp and gathered everyone who had participated in our last planning session, making sure not to overlook Renn this time. His singular insight might just be the only thing providing us even a glimmer of hope to survive the impending attack. I could only pray that one of us might come up with another such idea. Once I had them all together, we retreated to the officer’s quarters that had been serving as our war room, and I relayed the dire news of our enemy’s approach.

  “Orcs and ogres,” Nalen the bowyer lamented.

  “Our little surprise can handle them,” Dellon said proudly.

  “Perhaps,” Stel added considering the potential impact of the weapons Dellon and Ilvain had constructed for us. “But we only have four of them and there are twelve ogres to account for. They may reach the walls before you have a chance to reload.”

  “We don’t know how the orcs will use their ogre allies during the fight,” Broda offered. “We encountered such alliances on occasion during the many wars we fought against the orcs, but I would bet that the ogres will be the key to their plans to breach our defenses. Whatever strategy they use, we need to target anything that presents a threat to the walls above all else.”

  “I hate to do this, but we’re going to have to split up during the battle,” I announced after considering what had been said and what we were facing. “Stel, I need you to take the north tower and direct fire from there. Use your archers to persuade the orcs to cooperate with our plans. Take out any ogres that threaten to breach the walls with Dellon and Ilvain’s weapon. Venna, take command of the south tower and do the same.”

  “Broda,” I continued. “You’ll be in charge of the northern section of the wall. Your priorities are the same, only you have the additional responsibility of repelling any orcs that attempt to climb over the wall. Khorim, you will oversee the southern section, with the same instructions.”

  “Tási,” I said, looking at her as she was beginning to feel left out. “You have the most important job of all. You, above everyone else, are uniquely qualified to take over the defense of the gateway and its passage. I think you already understand the requirements of that position.”

  “Yes,” she smiled as she realized the task I had given her. “That’s definitely something I can handle.”

  When no one objected to the assignments I had given them, I decided it was time to end the meeting. We had been running ourselves ragged in preparation for the battle, and now that it was finally upon us, all of us needed to get some rest if we were going to be at our best in the fight that was to come.

  “I think we’ve done all we can for now,” I finished, addressing them all. “I want you to finish anything that simply cannot wait and then take the rest of the day off. Broda, you’ve done a great job organizing our watch, I think they can handle things themselves for one night. We’re all going to need to be fresh and well rested tomorrow.”

  “You didn’t say where you will be during the battle,” Tási noted as the meeting began to break up.

  “Everywhere, Tási. I’m going to be everywhere.”

  While my companions and the crafters went their separate ways, each of them tending to their particular responsibilities, I took one last walk along the fortifications. Although everything we wanted to have in place before the orcs arrived had already been completed, the sudden addition of ogres to the equation made me unsure those efforts would be sufficient. I fully intended to follow my own advice and make an early night of it, but I also hoped that one last review of our defenses might help me think of something more we could do to fend off the threat of the ogres.

  As I looked over the top of the wall, I could see Ridge’s final work below me. Instead of a simple earthen trough, the spike-filled hazard was now lined with rough stone. Ridge had clearly taken it upon himself to enhance the barbs that covered the bottom of the trench as well. The razor-sharp stone spears that lined the entire length of the ditch were far sturdier and looked much more formidable than I remembered—the elemental had obviously added his own special touch to the improvements. I was grateful for his dedication and hoped it would make a difference in the battle we were facing.

  I walked the entire length of the fortifications, searching for inspiration as I surveyed our defenses. Along the way, I stopped to speak with the stonemasons as they carved away at a few final projects and thanked them for their dedication. I also made sure to offer a few words of encouragement to the dwarves who were on watch that night. We would be facing a difficult fight very soon, and I wanted to make sure all of the people who were depending on me knew just how much I appreciated the hard work they had done.

  When I’d completed my rounds and spoken with every single person I came across, I still hadn’t come up with any new inspiration to improve our situation. Reluctantly, I resigned myself to follow my own advice and returned to the campsite I shared with my companions. I was not the first to arrive there, Venna was already brewing a pot of tea when I sat down beside her.

  “Our reunion isn’t anything like I had hoped it would be,” I sighed in frustration as I sat on the cold stone next to her. “I thought we would be able to spend some time together. Instead, we’ve been running around all day getting everything ready for this battle and I’ve hardly seen you at all.”

  “This will pass,” Venna replied serenely. “Once we have defeated these orcs, we will have plenty of time for each other.”

  “Unless something else comes up,” I answered her glumly. Ever since I had communed with the valley, linking myself to the land, I had felt the mantle of responsibility growing heavier with every passing day. This place, and all of the people who had come here
pursuing a better future, were all my responsibility. A responsibility that would only increase as time marched on and the stakes grew even higher. More people would come, and the outside world would learn about what we were doing here, if it hadn’t already found out. My duties and the time required to tend to them would only increase with each passing day. I feared that the past few days were no exceptions to the burdens I would be facing, but rather only a mere preview of what was to come.

  “We are here for you, Dreya,” Venna replied, sensing my mood. “Remember that, always. The responsibilities you face are not yours to bear by yourself. You may be in charge, but you are not alone.”

  I smiled back at her weakly, knowing that her offer was sincere, but still dreading the challenges that lay ahead. Instead of wasting her efforts trying to cheer me up, Venna poured the tea, passing me a cup with one hand while taking my arm in the other.

  “Let’s forget all of that for tonight, at least,” she offered. “In the spirit of your orders, there will be no more talk of battle or responsibility tonight. There will be plenty of time for that in the morning. For now, let’s limit our thoughts to simpler things—friendship, and the happy reunion that we have yet to enjoy will be our only concern tonight.”

  “That sounds good,” I answered her, hoping that my mind would cooperate for just one night. “The break might let me look at things from a new perspective, and I definitely need the diversion.”

  The rest of our companions arrived together just then. Khorim had a small cask of ale tucked under his arm and I glanced at him in warning as he put it down and drew a mug from the tap. Khorim merely smiled back in return and passed the ale to me before filling a second mug. Once everyone had been served, he offered a toast.

  “To my companions,” Khorim began. “I have never spilled blood and ale with anyone finer.”

  It was a dwarven toast, made in honor of the most valued of friendships. I raised my cup in response and drank deeply in recognition of his words. Before I had even swallowed the brew, Stel chimed in with another salute.