Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

“Normally, I would dismiss such foolishness, but there is something about you that makes me think there is some truth behind the Curate’s belief.”

  The Abbott paused again and withdrew a rolled parchment from within his robes. He handed me the scroll before explaining its purpose.

  “That letter bears my personal seal,” he explained. “It declares that you, and any member of the Order accompanying you, are on official business with my blessing. While you may still offer aid where you see fit, members of the Order traveling with you may not be conscripted into any service they do not wish to perform or that would otherwise interfere with your plans.”

  “They are still required to announce their presence when arriving in any area with an Order facility, but aside from that, they will be free to do as they wish.”

  “Thank you, Abbott,” I replied, honored by the trust he had placed in me. “While the quest I follow is very important, I will do my best to aid the Order when I can.”

  “Of that, I have no doubt,” he replied warmly.

  “The two of you may go now,” the Abbott then pronounced. “The Curate and I still have much to discuss. I will send her along when we are finished.”

  I thanked the Abbott once more for his generosity before turning to leave. I didn’t spare a glance for Venna, not wanting to ruin the moment by rekindling my anger once more.

  Tási followed closely after thanking both the Abbott and Venna profusely. I doubted she would feel so positively disposed towards her former Teacher if I told her what Venna had said, but this was neither the time nor the place to make such a foul disclosure.

  “Do you even understand what that little scroll means?” Tási asked me in awe as we walked back to the Bard.

  “Probably not,” I confessed.

  “Why don’t you enlighten me, Evoker Letási,” I said, teasing her with both her new title and formal name.

  “We have full access to all Order facilities, but no one can hijack us for their own purposes,” she said, still filled with awe.

  “The libraries included,” she added.

  “Why are the libraries so special?”

  “The Order has copies of almost every book that survived the Forgotten Times. Books that might even reference the Sintári,” she informed me.

  “I think I just might see your point,” I replied.

  “I haven’t told you the best part yet!” she continued excitedly. “The libraries are for Order members only, but the Abbott said his letter declares that you are on Order business. That not only lets Venna and me access the libraries freely, but you as well. You don’t have to rely on us to relate what we might find—you can read it for yourself!”

  I mused silently over Tási’s revelation as we made our way back to the Bard. The Order did not maintain a library in Oróna, but I would certainly avail myself of their facilities if I was ever nearby one of them.

  Remembering the notification I had received while the Abbott had been speaking, I excused myself as we entered the Bard’s common room together. I was pretty sure what it meant, and I needed a quiet place to deal with it.

  The rest of our companions were having breakfast and Tási just waved me off as she joined them. Climbing up the stairs, I could hear her voice trailing off behind me as she began to relay the news of the morning.

  I entered my room and sat down in a rush before finally opening the UI window.

  Quest Completed, Update — You have completed the Quest Venna’s Little Helper III. In addition to the Quest requirements, you have also safely returned the Goddesses’ icon. You have been rewarded with an additional 825 XP.

  You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 16.

  You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to WIS and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.

  I didn’t allow myself to stress over the way my points were being assigned anymore. Thinking over my options and remembering the Encumbrance requirement of my new bow, I dropped my lone point into Strength. With the abbreviated level-up process complete, I let the window close, and pulled up my personal sheet once more.

  Dreya Dae

  Sintári Female

  Title: Sintári

  Level - 16

  84878/97200

  Health 220/220 Aura 530/530 Endurance 220/220

  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 - 26

  CON - 22

  DEX- 23 (+2)

  INT - 21 (+2)

  WIS - 18 (+2)

  CHA - 31 (+2)

  Abilities

  Ignore Armor -Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura. – 32%

  Stun – Your next arrow has a chance to stun its target on hit. Cost – 20 Aura. – 29%

  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. – 40%

  Flurry – Perform three rapid strikes with a bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 24%

  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. – 27%

  Hilt Bash – Stun your opponent with a successful hilt strike from your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 22%

  Blood Price – Your arrow inflicts a damage-over-time bleed effect. Cost – 30 Aura. – 30%

  Blind – Your next arrow has a chance to inflict blindness on a successful hit. Cost – 30 Aura. – 30%

  Achilles Strike – Cripple your target with a slash of your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 22%

  Penetrator – Advanced Ability -Your arrow pierces through armor easily. With increased proficiency, it may penetrate through even greater barriers. Modifier – Strength. Cost – 60 Aura. – 5%

  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.

  Control – Effect varies, applies to all Sintári Abilities – 5%

  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. – 14%

  Spells

  Enhanced Sight – May be cast on self or ally. Improves visual acuity of the recipient in dark or obscured conditions. Cost – 20 Aura. – 41%

  Create Trap – Place a magical trap upon an area. Size, type, and trigger of traps is determined by your proficiency. Cost – 40 Aura. – 39%

  Elemental Arrow -Your next arrow is imbued with elemental energy and causes additional elemental damage accordingly. Cost – 30 Aura. – 24%

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

  Skills

  Bow – 42%

  Critical Hit – 35%

  Blades – 30%

  Long Sword – 29%

  Short Sword – 28%

  Dagger – 26%

  Critical Hit – 22%

  Two-Handed – 27%

  Pole Arms – 14%

  Spear – 23%

  Armor – 26%

  Medium Armor – 29%

  Perception – 38%

  Environmental – 40%

  Identify Enemy – 32%

  Ide
ntify Person – 34%

  Combat Dodge – 21%

  Subterfuge – 28%

  Stealth – 29%

  Find Trap – 11%

  Disarm Trap – 8%

  Set Trap – 10%

  Manipulation – 25%

  Persuade – 35%

  Barter – 23%

  Survival – 23%

  Tracking – 25%

  Identify Creature (Beasts) – 13%

  Skinning – 13%

  Field Dress – 12%

  Alchemy – 17%

  Herbalism – 25%

  Potion Craft – 21%

  Lore – 1%

  Identify Magical Item – 2%

  The gains were not great, since we had seen no additional combat; however, I had been practicing what I could, including See Truth when my friends would allow me to. Yet after an unfortunate series of questions, they insisted I refrain from asking anything personal—I simply hadn’t realized just how much trouble it would cause when I asked Khorim’s opinion of the buxom waitress that night. Closing up the screens, I left the room and headed back downstairs to join everyone in the common room.

  By the time I arrived, Tási had already told the story, and the others were congratulating her on her promotion. I winced as she offered credit for her accomplishment to Venna, knowing Tási might soon regret having spoken those kind words. Fortunately, the bitter elf didn’t make an appearance, and we were able to enjoy the rest of the morning.

  As we were winding things down, Stel reminded us that in addition to the coin we had looted from the bandits, we still had the bandit leaders’ gear to sell off. I volunteered to go with him, offering my unique bartering talents to boost our returns. He accepted with a hearty laugh, knowing that we would get an even better deal. Khorim stopped me before we could head off to take advantage of the unsuspecting merchants.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” He intoned mysteriously.

  “Um, no?” I replied in confusion.

  “This place looks suspiciously like Oróna to me,” the dwarf mused, stroking his beard. “Wasn’t there something you were supposed to find out once we were back in Oróna?”

  “Oh, shit!” I had almost forgot.

  “Don’t do your dirty business here, girl; it’s a nice place,” the dwarf deadpanned in response.

  I couldn’t help but laugh at his joke almost as much as his near-perfect delivery.

  “You know, Khorim,” I said as the laughter subsided. “I have to admit, that was a pretty good one. I’m going to let you slide for that.”

  Instead of repling to his jab, I reached under my armor and grasped the Amulet. Stel pulled out a map and spread it across the table as I concentrated on locating the next Token. The Amulet’s pull was stronger than ever, and I followed as it led my eyes across the contours of the map. It stopped and when I was certain of the location, I placed my finger on the map, showing my friends where we would be going next.

  “Of all the places,” Broda lamented softly.

  The spot on the map was dominated by tall mountains that seemed all but impassable. I wondered how we would get to the remote location. Khorim’s response enlightened me.

  “Dhel-Ar,” he muttered. “By the looks of it, the Capitol to boot.”

  “Is that bad?” I asked.

  “Only for me,” Broda replied somberly.

  Before I could ask what was wrong, Khorim jumped in.

  “Broda and I are from the Kingdom,” he explained hurriedly. “It has been many years since we left, and we hadn’t planned to return so soon, if ever.”

  “We will be fine,” Khorim assured us. “Just some unpleasant memories, is all.”

  It was clearly a sore spot for the two of them, and even Stel seemed surprised by the revelation. Not wanting to add to their obvious discomfort, we set off and left the two dwarves to themselves for a while.

  We managed to sell all the bandit’s armor and weapons in the first shop where we stopped. The merchant was glad to take it all off our hands, as he did a brisk business with the many caravan guards that passed through the elven fortress. On the way back to the Bard, I asked Stel what he knew about our next destination.

  “Dhel-Ar is an ancient dwarven stronghold beneath the mountains,” he explained. “I have never been inside its caverns, but if Khorim is correct, the location you indicated is the capitol city of Rhoboth.”

  “I don’t know anything more about the place, nor why Broda and Khorim are so reluctant to return,” he added.

  “Our journey there is a much simpler matter,” he continued, and his usual confidence returned now that he had something more worthwhile to relay. “The road between Oróna and Dhel-Ar is well-traveled and heavily patrolled. Commerce is brisk, and we should have no trouble finding a caravan to travel with.”

  “There will still be risk, however,” he went on. “So much wealth attracts attention, regardless of how well-protected it may be. Attacks on the road are rare, but when they occur, they are no mere skirmish. If we do encounter any opposition, it will be quite formidable.”

  “That’s what I like about you, Stel,” I said as we entered the Bard. “You always end things on a positive note.”

  He laughed as we walked inside, but my own mirth quickly expired in a blaze of heat as I saw Venna sitting with Broda and Khorim. Thankfully, Tási was still upstairs, where she had retreated after Stel and I had gone to sell off our loot. Seeing Venna there, I turned and strode upstairs rather than join the others at their table. Tási needed to know what had happened before she offered the cruel and bitter elf another kind word.

  As I marched up the stairs, I was determined to tell Tási everything, but when I entered our room, the halfling was so happy that I couldn’t bring myself to ruin her mood with Venna’s foul words.

  “Look!” She called out as I entered the room. “The Abbott sent me a gift!”

  She reached out to me and in her outstretched arms was a new staff. I took the weapon as she offered it to me, marveling at its craftsmanship.

  The staff was clearly superior to the plain wooden one she had been carrying up till then. The fine finish of its polished wood shone brightly, and a series of flames were carved across its surface, circling endlessly around its circumference. The bottom of the staff was shod with a band of steel and atop the opposite end shone a bright red jewel mounted inside a dragon’s gaping maw. The beautifully crafted object was almost more a work of art than a mere weapon.

  “Congratulations again, Tási!” I offered. “It’s beautiful, just like you.”

  “Thank you Dreya,” she said, blushing slightly at the compliment as I handed her back her prize. “I can’t wait to show it to Venna. She’s going to be so surprised!”

  “Yeah,” I replied softly, dropping down to sit beside her on the bed. “We should talk before you do that.”

  Tási looked at me in confusion. I hesitated for a moment, wondering how to begin, but a soft knock came at our door before I could come up with anything.

  “Come in!” Tási called, her voice still full of excitement.

  The door opened, and Venna stepped inside the room. Her shocked expression told me she had not expected to find me there. She fumbled for a moment before the words fell out of her mouth in a rush.

  “I just wanted to say goodbye, Tási,” Venna blurted out. “Stel and I will be leaving soon, and I came to wish you well.”

  While Tási was stunned by Venna’s sudden departure, I was incensed.

  “You miserable fucking bitch!” I screamed in outrage. “You cowardly worthless bitch!”

  “You were going to leave, to turn your back on her without even telling her what you said!”

  Venna flinched as I swore at her. In my rage, I loomed over her, daring her to reply, to attempt to refute my words. She didn’t move a muscle until suddenly, Venna began trembling and fell to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

  “I don’t understand,” Tási said in confusion. “I thought you two were friends? Clo
ser than friends?”

  “I thought we were as well, Tási,” I said regretfully. The memory of our lost friendship robbed some of the force from my anger and I backed away from where I had been standing over Venna as she continued crying on the floor.

  “Since Venna won’t tell you what happened, I will.” I said, sitting down once more on the edge of the bed.

  “No,” Venna’s choked out between her tears.

  “She deserves to know, bitch,” I replied harshly.

  “She does,” Venna’s reply came softly. “Just let me tell her, please.”

  Venna looked at me with her tear-streaked face, her bloodshot eyes pleading with me to allow her this one final mercy. If I hadn’t dreaded informing Tási of Venna’s treachery myself, I might have tossed her out of the room that very instant, but Tási deserved to hear the bitter recriminations from Venna herself, so I nodded for her to proceed.

  To her credit, Venna held nothing back. She told Tási all of the foul accusations she had made, the vile words she had used to smear Tási, and the hateful manner that she had used to describe our relationship. When Venna had finished, the two women sat staring at each other—Venna looking up at Tási from the floor in shame while Tási stared down at her with an expression I could not read.

  “Dreya,” Tási said more calmly than I would have thought possible. “Would you leave us alone for a moment?”

  Stunned, I looked at Tási for confirmation of what I had just heard. She simply flicked her chin towards the door, confirming her desire for me to leave them alone.

  “I’ll… be right outside,” I said as I closed the door behind me. Looking inside as the door shut, I saw Tási gesturing as she had the other night, casting her Spell of silence around the room.

  Many long minutes passed before Venna burst forth from the room. She sobbed as she ran down the hallway, never glancing back before shutting herself inside her own quarters. Perplexed, I returned to my own room where Tási sat calmly on the bed, toying with her new staff.

  “What happened?” I asked, completely lost by the turn of events.