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

by M Damon Baker

  Even while we kissed, and our hands wandered over each other, the most intense heat of our desires came from the powerful emotions we were able to send into each other. The direct influence that the flows of energy were able to convey, and the sheer intensity of them, was far more seductive than any mere physical contact could even approach. The bond that I shared with the truly incredible woman who slept soundly in the bed beside me was something more than I had ever hoped for, and as I stared at her, I was overwhelmed with a sense of both my love and gratitude for her.

  My trance was interrupted by a knock on the door, and I reluctantly draped the covers over Tási before throwing on a robe and opening up the door to find out what needed my attention.

  “Sorry, Dreya Sintári,” Aiva said when I responded to her knocking. “But you told us to wake you in time to get ready for your meeting.”

  “Is it that late already?”

  “Yes, it is,” she smiled back at me. “I would have delayed almost anything else to let you two have the rest of the morning together, but it is a meeting with a King that you have scheduled, so…”

  “Thank you Aiva,” I grinned back at her. “I do remember that. We’ll be out in a few moments; can you have someone get us some breakfast?”

  “Already on the way,” Aiva replied.

  I nodded my appreciation to her as I closed the door and returned to the bed to gently shake Tási awake.

  “What?” She grumbled as I roused her from her sleep.

  “Sorry, my love,” I whispered. “But it’s time to get ready for our meeting.”

  “Is it that late already?” She whined, echoing my own words exactly.

  “Yes, it is,” I almost couldn’t help laughing as I repeated the conversation that I just had with Aiva.

  She complained the whole time as we got ready, but before long we were dressed in our God-forged gear and left the comfortable confines of our bedroom for the more formal setting of my offices. Aiva was true to her word, and breakfast and a pot of tea were waiting for us when we entered the room. The steaming platters and bowls of cheese and fresh fruit were far more than we could eat, so I offered the rest to my guards once Tási and I had made our plates.

  “If any of you are hungry, feel free to dig in,” I said to them as we sat down to enjoy our meal. Nomi moved towards the food but stepped back in place when Aiva glared at her.

  “Are you trying to countermand my directive, Lieutenant?” I said as I arched my brow at her. “You should ask Rhia how that sort of thing worked out for her.”

  “No… um,” Aiva stumbled. “It’s just that it’s not proper for us to eat while we’re on duty.”

  “So, you think I’m too dense to know your protocols?”

  “No!” Aiva objected. “I just thought… You’ve got me, don’t you?”

  “I do,” I grinned back at her mischievously. “Now, will you let them do as I say, or do I have to make this unpleasant for you?”

  When she yielded, all four of the sergeants dug into the platters and sat down around the room to enjoy a quick meal with us. Aiva alone stood apart, and I stared at her intently until she got the message and made herself a plate as well.

  “There are times when protocol can be bent, Aiva,” I whispered to her so that her subordinates could not hear. “It can be difficult to know when those times are, but when I say the rules must give way, I can assure you that it is one of those occasions.”

  “I will remember that, Dreya Sintári,” she whispered back to me.

  We ate quickly, as it was getting close to the time for our meeting, and then left to head downstairs. The room we had chosen was on the same level as the guest quarters we had provided for the King and his entourage, a choice that had been made to ensure that the stonemasons would have enough time to finish everything that the King came across during his stay in the Palace.

  My entire Cabinet was already present when we arrived, as I’d hoped. I had a surprise in mind for the King, a final display to impress him and sway him to our cause. My plan required that all of us be there before the King entered the room, and I was relieved to see that everyone had made it there in time. While we waited, we all took our seats and most of our talk revolved around our conjecture over the King’s reaction to what we had planned, with Broda being slightly nervous about the role she had played in setting up our little surprise for him. Finally, Aiva opened the door for the King when he arrived, and we all stood to greet him as he walked into the room. The King wore full combat gear, the customary attire for his people during most formal occasions and he looked quite impressive as he strode into the room in his ornate ceremonial armor and carrying his favorite weapon, a heavy double-bladed axe.

  “Good morning,” he greeted us informally. “I see that you’re all ready to discuss…”

  The King’s words ceased as he saw the array of God-forged gear we all wore. I had forbidden anyone from wearing their Artifacts during his visit, so this was the first time the King, or any of his people had seen it. His mouth fell open as he took in the fact that each of us bore items of such incredible quality, and he seemed particularly moved when he saw Broda wearing her Dark Heart armor.

  “Where? How?” The King finally uttered.

  “The entire Pantheon has offered their support to Dreya Sintári’s efforts, and they have backed their words by gifting her with the God-forged Artifacts you see now in front of you, uncle,” Broda explained to him. “In turn, the Sintári has chosen to honor us by bestowing some of those gifts upon us, her loyal companions.”

  “What is this goal you seek that has moved the Gods to so richly bless you?”

  “My purpose is to unite all of Arrika under my banner,” I replied to the King. “To end the petty wars and bring peace to all of its Realms. Once I have done that, I will march into the Dark Lands, and end the scourge of evil that has plagued the land for so long. Only then can we truly devote ourselves to my ultimate goal; justice for all and freedom from the tyranny of violence and abuse that has run rampant for too long.”

  The King seemed stunned by my stark words. Each step I had outlined, from uniting the Realms to conquering the Dark Lands and finally pursuing a level of justice that was simply incomprehensible under the current circumstances, were momentous in their own right. The pursuit of all three must have seemed like pure madness to him. For a moment, he just stood there, frozen in place by the combination of the Artifacts that were before him, and the revelation of the words I had spoken.

  “You would seek to have me serve under you?” He finally asked.

  “Eventually, yes, I will,” I replied honestly.

  He seemed to contemplate my answer for only a second before drawing the heavy axe from his belt. His movements were slow and deliberate, so even though the gesture was alarming, I didn’t react at first, but I did notice Tási preparing a spell as she stood silently beside me. Once the King had his weapon clear, he rested the head of his mighty axe on the floor and knelt down in front of me.

  “I cannot deny what my eyes have seen here today,” he spoke reverently. “Let me be the first to follow your lead, Dreya Sintári. I pledge my fealty to you and promise to protect you and support your efforts in any way that I can.”

  I was shocked by the completely unexpected development. We had only hoped to persuade the King to look upon us favorably with our display, but the effect had been far more dramatic than anything we had anticipated. Despite how taken aback I was, I had enough presence of mind to not leave the King to kneel upon the floor, and I hurried out from behind the table to accept his oath.

  “I am honored to have you as the first leader to join my cause,” I said to him as I laid my hand on the haft of his axe.

  “My Kingdom is yours, Dreya Sintári,” he replied as he stood up.

  “A King may only serve in such a manner under one person,” Broda remarked as the gravity of what had just transpired dawned on her.

  “Then let me be the first to call you by your new title,�
�� the King smiled at me, “Empress Dreya Sintári.”

  Ding!

  The alert of a new notification seemed to echo in the silence of the room.

  Oh, fuck.

  The rest of our meeting passed by in a blur for me as I was preoccupied with the rather dramatic and unanticipated turn of events. The pending notification was also a cause for concern, and it was fortunate that Broda and her counterpart handled most of the discussions.

  For his part, the King seemed equally distracted—no doubt he was also dealing with the repercussions of the morning’s events as well, so my own preoccupation did not create any issues. In the end, we resolved to keep our alliance secret for the time being, as an open declaration of his fealty might instigate an attack on us, and even his pledge of support might not have been enough to protect my Realm should there be a concerted assault against me. But the King did pledge to recruit more of his citizens to join us as soon as he returned home, to both increase my population and bolster our defenses.

  In addition to that promise, the King also swore to call a conference with his closest neighbors, Queen Líann of Íforn and King Nerec of Lorida, where he hoped we might persuade them to join our cause as well. If we could, it would then be safer for me to openly declare myself to the world, and their support would likely smooth the path for many others to join us as well. A great deal needed to be arranged just to secure such a meeting, and even if we could make it happen, there would still be the matter of persuading the two monarchs to essentially yield their Kingdoms to me, but just the possibility of it filled me with hope.

  “Empress,” the King addressed me and pulled me from my thoughts. “I think it best that my Ambassador and I retire to my chambers to discuss the details of our meeting with the other monarchs. You need not be bothered with those issues, I’m sure that you have plenty of your own affairs to attend to.”

  “I will accompany them and make sure that you are aware of what is decided,” Broda jumped in, asserting her role as my Ambassador.

  “Of course,” the King remarked. “Forgive me, Broda, I had not realized that you had taken to your responsibilities so thoroughly.”

  “We all have, uncle,” she replied to him. “As I have no doubt that you will as well. The Sintári has that effect on those around her.”

  The King raised an eyebrow at her statement, obviously intrigued by what her words might mean for him but offered no reply as he left with Broda and his own Ambassador in tow.

  “That was unexpected, Empress,” Venna said as soon as the door closed, and it was only my companions left with me inside the room.

  She sat by my side opposite Tási, and when I noted the tone of amusement in her voice, I shot a little orb of light at her. Venna stifled a yelp as it melted into her skin, and I smiled at her innocently when she felt my revenge.

  “It is your title now, Dreya,” Tási tried to sooth me when she realized what had happened. “You’re going to have to get used to being addressed that way once we let news of this development get out. Although I for one would never use it to provoke you.”

  She couldn’t seem to help herself from letting that last comment slip, and Venna glared back at Tási when she heard the thinly veiled taunt.

  “Not that it’s been easy to get where we are,” I commented while I ignored both of them. “But this is where it really begins, where the path truly becomes difficult, isn’t it?”

  “I’m afraid that you’re correct, Sintári,” Stel replied thoughtfully. “So far, you’ve faced a great many challenges, including the recent attempts on your life. But the next threat may not be as simple as a knife in the dark. We might very well face another army at our doorstep once word gets out of what has happened here today.”

  “We need to make sure that doesn’t happen,” I said. “Or if it does, that we are well-prepared to fend off any force that might be sent against us.”

  “I will speak to the First Marshal and make sure that he is made aware of what has transpired,” Venna offered. “I’m certain that he will be able to ensure that our defenses are as strong as possible.”

  “Also,” Venna continued, “although I anticipate that it is most likely that your meeting with the other monarchs will take place elsewhere, there is a slight chance that they may wish to see what we have done here. Just in case it is decided that we will host this summit, I will make sure that the Palace is ready to receive the large number of guests that would come to us if that occurs.”

  “Do you really think that’s possible?” I asked her incredulously. “Would they venture so far into the wilds to meet with us?”

  “With us, no,” Venna replied with a curious smile. “But with a Sintári who seeks to be Empress of all Arrika and has already gained the fealty of Dhel-Ar? Yes, I do think that’s possible.”

  We spent some time discussing a few of the details that would need to be seen to should we actually host the meeting. Well, actually, my companions did most of the discussing while I tried to grasp at the implications of what had been set in motion by the dwarven King’s pledge of fealty. I had known for some time that this was the road I was destined to travel on, but having it thrust on me so suddenly, before I was truly ready to begin that part of my journey was jarring, to say the least.

  Empress. What the fuck? I wasn’t ready for anything even remotely like that. I was still trying to get a handle on running my own tiny little Realm and suddenly, I had an entire Kingdom under my control as well.

  “How the fuck do I do this?” I said aloud, interrupting the conversation that my companions had been having. “How am I supposed to manage two Realms, let alone four if this summit is successful?”

  “I think the best course would be not to manage them at all,” Stel replied. “Let them run their own affairs, as they always have.”

  “But I’m trying to change the way they run their affairs,” I snapped back at him. “That’s the whole damn point of all this.”

  “We will need some sort of charter, of course,” Venna soothed. “Some guidelines under which the Realms of your Empire will operate. As long as they follow your principles, I think it would be best to let the individual Kingdoms run their own day-to-day affairs as they see fit.”

  I recognized the tickle of a thought from Nentai, and I smiled at the simple brilliance of the idea she dropped into my mind. It was perfect, even a little poetic, and I absolutely loved it.

  “Yes, there will be an Imperial Charter that must be signed by any Realm that joins us,” I replied with the Goddess’ notion. “And the honor of drafting it will be given to the first three nations representing each of the main races to join our Empire. The Dwarven seat already belongs the King of Dhel-Ar, only the Elvish and Human representatives are left to be determined. The leaders of those Realms will have the privilege of taking part in the deliberations alongside us.”

  “A sweetener for the pot, Sintári,” Stel smirked. “A bit obvious perhaps, but compelling nonetheless.”

  “I should make sure that Broda relays this bit of information to the King,” Venna said as she rose from her seat before hastily adding, “By your leave, Empress.”

  I glared at her and her face cracked into a broad smile that I just couldn’t help but return. She may have been needling me with my new-found title and status, but I knew that she meant well.

  “Not in here,” I implored them all. “Not when it’s just us, okay?”

  “Alright,” Venna gave in. “But you better start getting used to it. If this meeting is a success, you’ll have no choice but to accept your new position and the title that comes with it.”

  “You don’t need to remind me of that, Venna,” I replied mirthlessly.

  “But I will,” she grinned as she closed the door behind her.

  “She seems to enjoy poking you,” Tási commented.

  “And you don’t?” I shot back at her.

  “Well, that’s different,” Tási objected.

  No, it really wasn’t, and the intense s
tare I directed at her in response let her know that I didn’t agree with her on that matter.

  “If we’re done here, perhaps it’s time for me to go as well,” Stel quickly offered when he sensed the tension brewing.

  “Yes,” Khorim immediately agreed. “I should be going too, there’s still a lot of work to do looking into Olóra and King Gilfri’s actions.”

  Both of them then rushed out of the room as quickly as they could, leaving just Tási and I in the meeting chamber.

  “Are you really mad at me?” Tási asked tentatively.

  “No,” I replied. “I’m not really mad at either of you. It’s just a bit… much.”

  “That’s not the first time you’ve said that,” Tási noted.

  “You’re right about that,” I responded to her. “But it seems like every time I get used to what’s happening, something new suddenly gets dumped on me.”

  “Well,” Tási smiled back at me in an effort to cheer me up, “I’m all out of surprises for you, so why don’t we gather up Aiva and the rest of your guards and take a tour of your Realm.”

  Seeing the progress that was being made and talking to my people always made me happy. It was one of my most cherished responsibilities, but also one that had been strictly curtailed after the assassination attempts. So, when Tási offered me the chance to make my old rounds once again, I jumped at the opportunity.

  “I would absolutely love that, Tási,” I replied happily. “But let me check something first.”

  Tási nodded as I popped open the UI and stared off into space. She was used to me doing my ‘Deathless’ things, so the odd expression on my face was nothing new to her. When I opened the notification, there were only two messages pending, but they were more than enough for me.

  Quest, The Uniter, Advancing – You have brought the first Realm under your banner. A truly momentous step in forging your Empire. Now, if it only had a name... You have been rewarded with 8250 XP.