Second Skin Omnibus
Page 52
“Of course,” I replied flatly.
“We cannot keep this from the others,” Venna said. “They must know the importance of the task we must accomplish, but we will not allow this knowledge to escape beyond the five of us.”
I felt the tears begin to well up in my eyes. I’d only just overcome the relentless pursuit of a ruthless gang of criminals, intent on my demise, and with barely a moment of time having passed, I now found myself the target of an entire continent’s desire to either manipulate or destroy. It was all too much for me to handle, and in the span of a second, I found myself being supported by the arms of the woman that I had been holding upright just a moment before.
The sound of voices echoed in my ears, but I couldn’t decipher the words. I felt myself being hoisted up, and then placed down again on something warm and soft. I recognized Venna’s voice speaking to me from deep inside my hazy mind and was able to barely discern a few words from Broda as my eyes fluttered open once more.
Looking around, I found that I was laid out on a soft pile of cushions inside Birt’s wagon, with Venna and Broda hovering over me attentively.
“What…” I muttered, still somewhat groggy.
“I believe you fainted, girl,” Broda said plainly, but not without compassion.
I tried to sit up, but Venna gently pushed me back down.
“Give yourself a few minutes, My La… dear,” she stumbled.
My mind was clearing from its fog, but I caught what she had been about to say. There was going to be none of that if I had anything to say about it.
“Don’t you ever-,” I began before Venna cut me off.
“Sorry, bad joke,” she said.
I knew it was no such thing, and that she was only covering for herself—for both of us really. She was right about needing to let the rest of our companions know what exactly they would be getting themselves into if they chose to continue aiding me, but this was clearly not the right moment for that conversation.
“I don’t know what happened,” I lied. “Thank you both for taking care of me.”
After another moment, when I felt my strength beginning to return, I spoke again.
“Broda, Venna, and I were discussing something… personal when I collapsed. Could you give us a moment alone before I go back outside?”
“Hah! Girl talk. I should have known!” She laughed before slipping outside, allowing us the privacy I had requested.
Once I was alone with Venna again, I confessed my doubts to her.
“I can’t do this… Not by myself.”
“You’re probably right about that,” she replied sincerely. “That’s why I will never leave your side from this day forth.”
Tears welled in my eyes once more and I pulled her into a crushing embrace.
“You started this. You better not leave me,” I whispered in her ear.
“I won’t, I promise,” she swore as I released her.
“Hold on,” I said, wiping the streaks of tears from my face. “I received some notifications when we were talking outside.”
Opening my UI, I read them aloud to her as they appeared in my vision.
Title Earned! — You have discovered your hidden status, earning the Title: Sintári. The world has not known one of your kind for millennia, and the road ahead of you is unknown. Beware—many will covet your status, both for good and ill. Discovering your true nature has its own rewards; you have been rewarded 6007 XP.
Quest assigned — Sintári. Now that you know your true nature, you must follow its path in order to uncover the full extent of your powers. Rewards for pursuing this quest are variable.
As I read the words aloud that confirmed my status as one of the fabled Sintári, Venna’s eyes flew open in awe. She had already known of course, but hearing her own conclusions absolutely confirmed seemed to resonate with her strongly. When I’d finished reading the messages, I turned to speak to her.
“You will not, under any circumstances ever again refer to me as ‘My Lady.’ Is that clear?”
“I don’t know if I can promise you that, Dreya,” she replied candidly. “Your path is going to take you places neither of us can anticipate, and the time may come where it is required of me. Where even you may be forced to accept such formalities.”
“You’re right to say that my path is uncertain,” I answered. “But you, Stel, Khorim, and Broda are my dearest friends, whatever happens, however high I may rise, all of you are coming with me. Of that, I have no doubt.”
Now it was Venna’s turn to be teary-eyed, as her eyes misted over with the firmness of my conviction. I suddenly realized that for her, I was a legend that had just walked out of a storybook and vowed to raise her up alongside me.
“Venna,” I said. “I’m still just Dreya to you, and I always will be.”
We hugged each other once more, our emotions too much of a tangled mess to even attempt to unravel. After shedding a few last tears, we pulled ourselves together and prepared to rejoin the others outside before they could become concerned once more and come to check on us.
As we prepared to exit the wagon, I pulled up short so that I could first check my sheet. I explained my hesitation to Venna, and she remained inside with me, curious to find out what I would discover.
Dreya Dae
Sintári Female
Title: Sintári
Level - 12
51199/51200
Health 200/200 Aura 460/460 Endurance 200/200
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 - 23
CON - 20
DEX - 22
INT - 20
WIS - 17 (+1)
CHA - 27 (+1)
Abilities
Ignore Armor – Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura. – 26%
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. – 20%
Swarm – Your next arrow duplicates itself in flight. Cost – 20 Endurance and 20 Aura. – 33%
Flurry – Perform three rapid strikes with a bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 21%
Parry – Chance for your blades to block next melee attack targeted at you. Cost – 20 Endurance. – 23%
Hamstring – The next arrow fired has a chance to cripple your opponent. Cost – 20 Aura. – 22%
Hilt Bash – Stun your opponent with a successful hilt strike from your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 20%
Blood Price – Your arrow inflicts a damage-over-time bleed effect. Cost – 30 Aura. – 24%
Blind – Your next arrow has a chance to inflict blindness on a successful hit. Cost – 30 Aura. – 23%
Achilles Strike – Cripple your target with a slash of your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 20%
Sintári Abilities
Natural Affinity – The Sintári’s unique connection with the natural world may manifest itself in random ways at times. While these effects are generally beneficial, they are also typically outside the direct control of the Sintári. Modifier – Charisma.
Protector Abilities
See Truth – Once per day, the spoken words of your target become visible to you, allowing you to see the truth held within them. Strength and duration of this effect increase with proficiency. Cost – 60 Aura. Modifier – Wisdom. – 11%
Spells
Enhanced Sight – May be cast on self or ally. Improves visual acuity of the recipient in dark or obscured conditions. Cost – 20 Aura. – 35%
Create Trap – Place a magical trap upon an area. Size, type, and trigger of traps is determined by your proficiency. Cost �
�� 40 Aura. – 27%
Elemental Arrow – Your next arrow is imbued with elemental energy and causes additional elemental damage accordingly. Cost – 30 Aura. – 20%
Bolt – Release a Bolt of pure Lightning at your target(s). Cost – 40 Aura. – 20%
Skills
Bow – 34%
Critical Hit – 30%
Blades – 27%
Long Sword – 25%
Short Sword – 27%
Dagger – 26%
Critical Hit – 21%
Two-Handed – 26%
Pole Arms – 14%
Spear – 23%
Armor – 23%
Medium Armor – 25%
Perception – 30%
Environmental – 32%
Identify Enemy – 26%
Identify Person – 28%
Combat Dodge – 21%
Subterfuge – 26%
Stealth – 27%
Find Trap – 5%
Disarm Trap – 4%
Set Trap – 10%
Manipulation – 16%
Persuade – 19%
Barter – 17%
Survival – 23%
Tracking – 24%
Identify Creature (Beasts) – 10%
Skinning – 13%
Field Dress – 12%
Alchemy – 12%
Herbalism – 21%
Potion Craft – 12%
8
I had been expecting to take a peek at my new title, and perhaps deal with a quick level-up from my XP rewards. I was not prepared to discover that I was no longer human. Venna had led me to believe that my status as a Sintári would be life-changing, but nothing she said had prepared me for the fact that it included altering the very core of my being. Not only was I no longer human, but I had also been altered into something I knew nothing about. Unlike the other races of this world, such as the elves and dwarves, I had no idea what it even meant to be a Sintári, and the cryptic messages about unpredictable interactions and random, uncontrollable effects only served to heighten my sense of unease.
After briefly relaying the news of my discovery to Venna, I sat down on the wagon’s hard wood floor, taking a moment to absorb the changes that had been imposed on me. I couldn’t help but feel like I was being manipulated somehow... That someone had been pulling my strings, guiding me to this precise outcome.
The constant, automatic assigning of Attribute points to my Charisma stat at every level. Overhearing Venna discussing her failed quest after I just happened to run across the very lair of undead she had been seeking. Venna herself being aware of the obscure legend of the Sintári, despite all the other lost knowledge in the world. Even the odd mood that had suddenly overtaken her, leading to the impulsive kiss that had brought the realization upon us—it was all far too coincidental for mere chance to account for.
I also wondered about my quest for the lost tokens. Was that part of the manipulation as well? Or had my discovery of the first token been the event that had triggered everything? No, I quickly realized, that wasn’t right; whatever it was, it had started the moment I first came into existence on this world. The heightened sensitivities and extreme sensations had been with me right from the start. Whoever or whatever it was that had been guiding me all this time had done so from the very beginning, I was certain of it.
Realizing what had happening to me, I told Venna my thoughts. It may have been unwise to share so much, but I felt compelled to tell her and to hear her thoughts on the matter. When I’d finished relaying my concerns, Venna sat silently for a while, pensively turning over the possibilities in her mind before offering her reply.
“There is much to consider in what you have said and discovered,” she offered thoughtfully. “I will not pretend to fully understand all the implications. Perhaps neither of us ever will, but there are two things I cannot overlook.”
“First is that someone has obviously taken an interest in you and in your progress here,” she stated meaningfully. “I cannot say which of them it might be, but based on what you have told me, it can only be one of the Gods.”
She paused for a moment, giving me time to absorb the full impact of her statement before moving on to her next point.
“The second thing is more subtle, but perhaps just as important,” she continued. “The Sintári vanished from our world long ago, after the Gods performed their first Great Ritual, limiting their influence on our world. I find it difficult to believe that it is a mere coincidence that the first Sintári has returned after the Gods performed the second Great Ritual.”
“The last thing I can offer you is not another conclusion, but just some advice,” Venna said, taking my hand in hers. When she continued, her voice took on a tone of firmness and conviction I had never heard from her before.
“Regardless of who may be trying to manipulate the circumstances, you are still you. Your decisions and your actions are yours and yours alone. My advice for you is to proceed from here as you would have without knowing any of this—not in willful ignorance of the facts, but with your sense of self-determination intact and unaffected. Regardless of anything else, you are still Dreya.”
Her last statement hit me with near physical force. I was struck by how closely her words echoed my own prior declaration of self, a declaration I had made upon realizing just who I was, and more importantly, who I wasn’t. I would not allow myself to be some God’s toy or plaything, just like I would not let myself be held prisoner to the faded memories of a dead man that were trapped inside my head. I stared back at her, grateful that she had helped restore my sense of resolve.
“You’re right,” I said. “No matter what they do, I’m still in control of myself. I’m just going to keep doing what I think is right, and if someone wants me to do anything different, they’re going to have to come down here and give me a good reason for it.”
“That’s the spirit, Dreya!” Venna replied. “But perhaps you shouldn’t tempt fate by challenging the Gods too much, alright?”
“I promise to limit my Godly challenges to no more than one a week,” I retorted with a mischievous grin.
Venna sighed heavily before offering her response.
“I guess I’ll have to just have to learn to live with that.”
We both laughed at the ridiculousness of it all before getting up off the floor and finally stepping outside.
With the slow pace of the wagons, the caravan hadn’t traveled very far during the whole episode between Venna and me. Reaching under my shirt, I touched the joined tokens to verify our course. Fortunately, we had not yet passed the location where we would be leaving the caravan and turning off the road. After marking the location on my map, I roughly calculated the distance remaining. Judging that it would be at least a few more hours before we were there, I released my grip on the tokens and stepped off the wagon.
My friends gathered around quickly, each wanting to make sure I had recovered from my ‘spell.’ I told them I was fine, and Venna backed my assertion, claiming it was all due to a mild case of dehydration. Reassured, my companions resumed their places marching alongside Birt’s wagon.
Venna however, remained beside me, matching me step for step as we slowly approached the point where we would be departing from the caravan. I wasn’t sure if she was still concerned that I might collapse again, or if she chose to stay close for some other reason. Regardless, I found her nearby presence reassuring.
We walked on until early afternoon, eating a light lunch as we traveled since the caravan never stopped along on the way. When the marker I had placed for our turn-off appeared on my mini map, I let my friends know that the time for our departure from the caravan was near. Hearing the news, Wenda produced a basket of food, a final parting gift from the generous couple. She handed the basket down to Stel, who accepted it graciously on our behalf.
When we reached the precise location that I had marked on my map, we were relieved to see that it featured one of the small roads leading off the main trail towards one
of the independent settlements. The tiny hamlets protected their surrounding territory with a vigorous zeal, ruthlessly eliminating anything that might threaten their homes. It seemed that our little venture into the wilds might not be as hazardous as we had initially feared, so after saying our goodbyes to Birt and Wenda, we left the caravan behind and struck off down the narrow path.
Almost immediately, we stopped to debate our strategy. Khorim thought it might be best to try and move stealthily through the woods. Broda rebutted her husband, reminding him that only he and I possessed any stealth talents, and that the heavy armor worn by the others wouldn’t be conducive to such efforts anyway.
“Unless walking through the forest holding hands with Dreya is what you’re really after,” she huffed.
Khorim began to sputter his objection, but before he could form the words, Venna broke in, sparing him the undoubtedly futile effort.
“If we approach that way,” she said, gesturing towards the concealing forest, “we will certainly be spotted. The villagers will likely consider us some sort of threat attempting to sneak up on them and would attack us on sight. Better we approach openly, if we wish to seem like friends.”
None of us could find any fault with her logic. Putting ourselves in the place of these remote villagers, we certainly would not look favorably on a group of armed individuals sneaking around in the forest outside our town. With the issue settled, Khorim took the lead, walking ahead of us while scanning both the road and surrounding forest for any signs of a threat.
Unfortunately, before we could reach the village, the evening sky began to grow dark. We did not want to stumble upon the town in the dead of night, possibly startling the residents, so we decided to camp until the morning. The small, independent towns were seldom more than a day’s walk from the main road, and we were confident we would reach our destination early the next day.