After a short while, I released the orb and it gradually began to dissolve as it slowly retraced its path back to me. As the effects began to wear off, my awareness slowly returned. I was afraid we might have to come up with an explanation for any odd behavior during the experience, but I quickly realized that we had remained walking beside the caravan the entire time.
Venna and Tási emerged from within themselves just a short while after. The effects had been far more intense than I had expected, and I felt that I needed to explain.
“I’m sorry about that,” I apologized. “I thought I might be able to send my emotions to Tási through you, Venna. I assumed it would only be like when we hug each other, but that was much more powerful than I intended.”
The two women ignored me for a moment, each seemingly still under the effects of the orb.
“Can we do that together again sometime?” Venna finally asked.
“Really?” I replied incredulously.
“Yes!” Tási agreed emphatically. “I felt both of you and it was so warm and comforting. Whatever you did Dreya, it took away all the rough edges—it was amazing!”
“Tási is right,” Venna responded. “The raw, harsh nature of your power; it was all gone this time.”
“And you want to do it again. The three of us?” I asked her, in disbelief.
“Yes, I do,” she replied with conviction. “Tási and I are both here for you, Dreya. It may be helpful at times, at least for me, to be reminded that we each have our own place by your side.”
Tási wrapped her arm around Venna’s waist and Venna returned the gesture. The two women had finally reached an accord between them, strengthening their bonds. The embrace proved to be an awkward way to travel, however, and they laughed as they nearly tripped over each other. The two separated, settling for holding hands once again as we resumed our pace beside the caravan. The rest of the afternoon passed without any additional sightings of the bandits, and we relaxed as the caravan pulled into its campsite for the night.
Much like the road before, this trail had a series of reinforced campsites all along its route. Low walls and squat platforms provided the defenders with a defensible perimeter and the additional security they needed to ensure that the valuable trade goods continued to flow between the many Kingdoms. Claiming our own small corner, we set up our tents and I placed a cordon of traps around us.
Stel splurged on a hot meal from one of the merchant wagons and we shared the food as we sat around our small campfire. With no need to maintain our own watch, we all retired for the evening together, preparing for yet another long march in the morning. Even with the security provided by the caravan guards, we still chose to sleep in as much of our armor and gear as possible, removing only the equipment that made falling asleep impossible.
Tási lay beside me, curled up in her blankets as usual, and after checking for any notifications and finding none, I wrapped my arm around her and closed my eyes. Neither of us even considered having our nightly session since the intensity of the previous evening combined with my earlier experiment with the orb had more than satisfied any need for additional treatment or practice. Snuggled together in the warm blankets, we both fell asleep quickly in the darkness of the night.
The next morning came quickly, and we trailed along with the wagons as they resumed their lumbering pace across the land. Olóra still lay many days ahead, but the point where we would be departing from the safety of the caravan and venturing off into the wilds was rapidly approaching.
After several more hours of travel, the caravan halted unexpectedly. Shouts erupted all along the line of wagons, relaying the news of a gruesome discovery. A small trading group had tried to make the perilous crossing alone and had apparently fallen victim to the very bandits we’d seen the day before.
Approaching the head of the caravan, I could see the group’s two wagons as they lay overturned across the road. Several guardsmen worked to remove the wreckage from the trail while the others kept watch, alert for any attempted ambush. As we drew closer, the true horror that had befallen the ill-fated trading group became apparent.
The bodies of its members were strewn all about the scene of their senseless slaughter. The men had clearly been butchered ruthlessly; their bodies were nearly hacked to pieces, mutilated almost beyond recognition. The cruel highwaymen had not even spared two young boys that had been among the merchants. Their tiny bodies lay on the cold ground, torn and broken just like the corpses of the grown men. The bandits had not shown any leniency to the small caravan’s female members either, but their bodies were separate from those of the male victims.
The remains of four women lay naked on the ground, dead eyes staring blankly at the sky above. Their tattered garments were scattered across the ground around them, a testament to the abuse they had suffered. Badly bruised and beaten, the corpses showed clear signs of their struggle with the murderous bandits. The sight of the women was enough to kindle my rage, but one final horror sent me over the edge. Alone, abandoned even in her death, lay the body of another woman.
Her mutilated hands were bound behind her, and in addition to the obvious signs of molestation, she had been beaten far more severely than the others. The poor woman had clearly been tortured extensively; her face a mask of swollen bruises, hopelessly distorting her battered features. The missing fingers of her hands lay scattered about in the grass, and her skin bore the traces of numerous cruel knife strokes.
My companions had followed me as I wandered across the horrific scene. They stood beside me now as I tried to comprehend the sadistic evil that could visit such horrific acts on an innocent person. I realized that there was no sense in trying to understand such evil, and that there was only one possible response.
“This cannot be allowed to continue,” I muttered to myself.
“Dreya,” Stel tried to calm me. “Consider the danger. Remember your quest. We cannot—”
Stel’s words were cut off abruptly when I grabbed him by the collar and drove him to his knees. I pushed his face towards the woman’s mutilated corpse and began screaming my rage.
“My quest,” I yelled in his face, “is to end this! Never doubt that! Everything I do, every path I follow is in pursuit of that goal. Nothing I do matters if this is permitted to go unpunished!”
“Look at her! All of you—look at her!” I said turning towards my companions. “She deserved a far better fate than this. We may not have gotten here in time to spare her from this horror, but if we do nothing, it only continues. I will not permit these animals to do this to anyone else. You may be content to let these atrocities continue, but I am not. I will put an end to these vile monsters. I will find them, and I will kill them—every single one of them. We may be too late to stop this tragedy, but we’re here in time to prevent the next one!”
My outburst had only fueled my rage and I forced myself to release Stel from my grip. I knew I was on the verge of falling into my own darkness, so I turned away from my friends and focused on doing something productive for a while. Helping the guards gather the remains of the victims, we arranged them together respectfully. As we took up the bodies of the fallen women, we covered them with spare blankets, affording them at least one final bit of dignity.
I carried the last body to the makeshift pyre myself. Resting the corpse of the mutilated woman on top of the bundles of wood, I offered her my silent promise of revenge, but unlike simple revenge, my goal was not only retribution, but preemption as well. I knew that if I could eliminate these bandits, it would save many innocent people from sharing her cruel fate.
The guards had watched me reverently place her body on the pyre. With a slight tilt of his head, the one who’d been standing ready to set the pile ablaze passed me his torch. A tear fell from my eye, and I choked back my emotions as I touched the flames to the oil-soaked wood. Once the flames took hold, I simply stood there for a while, watching in silence as the fire turned the bodies to ash. As the flames continued to dance acros
s the pyre, I tore myself away, ready to find out if my companions would be joining me or if I was headed off to take on the bandits alone.
As I drew close to where they stood, I winced as I saw the large red welts across the back of Stel’s neck. In my anger, I had gripped him far more forcefully than I intended.
“I’m sorry Stel,” I offered in apology. “I didn’t mean to harm you.”
“You have grown quite strong, Sintári,” was his only reply, but the subtle smirk on his face as he spoke let me know that I had been forgiven.
“I know you think it unwise, but I cannot simply leave knowing that these animals are free to commit another atrocity like this again,” I explained more calmly. “With or without you, I am going after them, and only after they have been eliminated will I return to the path of my quest.”
“We have discussed this while you were gone,” Broda replied for them all. “We will come with you, but we need to know that you can control your anger. The bandits likely outnumber us by a wide margin, so it will take planning and a cool head to defeat them. Rash actions will only get us all killed.”
“You are correct,” I answered her, “on all counts. I have been working to gain a measure of control over my emotions, but I hadn’t realized the power my anger had over me until now. I will not relinquish my outrage, but I will work hard to keep it under control.”
As the caravan began moving again, Khorim and I led our companions in the opposite direction, deeper into the forest. The bandits had left a clear trail for us to follow, apparently unconcerned with retribution. Under normal circumstances, they would have been correct, as the trade caravans were normally only concerned with their own protection, not exacting revenge on behalf of total strangers. But these were not normal circumstances; today, they had crossed paths with a Sintári, and I was determined to end them.
As we walked deeper into the forest, darkness drew near and there was no sign that we were close to the bandit’s camp. Breaking from the clear trail they had left, we moved off into the forest, obscuring our own passing, lest one of them wander past and notice us. We made camp in a small depression, concealing ourselves as best we could. I set my traps around us, even more than usual considering our perilous circumstances. Once the watches were set, the rest of us tried to sleep as best we could. Tási had third watch, but still curled up beside me as we lay under the stars.
“Just so you know,” she whispered quietly, “I’m not volunteering for any of your anger training. Venna can have that one all to herself.”
Her comment gave me pause to consider just how I was going to deal with the issue—if it was anything like dealing with my passions, I would need to unleash my anger somehow, letting it flow freely and unrestrained. Knowing what my desire could do when I set it loose, I was truly frightened to consider the potential power of my unleashed rage.
Setting aside the ominous thoughts, I tried to fall asleep instead. The peaceful sounds of the nighttime forest around us almost made me forget the danger we were in just by being there; even so, amid the soft echoes of the night floating through the trees and the with the comfort of Tási next to me, I soon fell asleep. Fortunately, the night passed uneventfully, and Venna woke us all in the morning.
After a quick meal, we moved silently through the forest again. Khorim and I led the way, scanning for threats as we followed the bandit’s sloppy trail. By midday the path had widened, showing signs of more regular use, and we knew we were getting closer to their lair. Leaving our companions behind, Khorim and I scouted ahead, seeking the location of the bandit’s camp. Only an hour after leaving our friends, we found what we were looking for.
A rough stockade wall encircled a small camp, where a single gate was the sole access point and two short towers provided a high vantage for the bandits’ lookouts. We crouched down low to conceal ourselves and began observing the activity within the bandit camp.
Only one of the towers was occupied, and it stood on the opposite side of the encampment from us. As we watched, a lone figure emerged from the woods and approached the gate. The bandit scout had been stealthy, neither of us noticing him until he chose to reveal himself, and with those skills, I knew that one could be trouble.
After the scout disappeared inside the camp, we continued our observations for over an hour before we were satisfied. Drawing on my past experiences, I already had the beginnings of a plan in mind. I was anxiously looking forward to Venna and Tási’s reaction to my idea, knowing that neither of them would be particularly thrilled with it. Reaching our companions’ hiding place, I let Khorim relay the details of the camp before I sprung my plan on them.
“Oh no you don’t,” Venna protested once I had laid out my idea.
“It seems like a good plan to me,” Stel countered, aiming his smirk at his wife this time.
“I don’t much like it either,” Tási added. “But Stel’s right; I think it will probably work.”
“I remember the spring festival in Sota,” Broda added slyly. “If you still have that yellow one, it’ll be sure to do the trick Venna.”
Venna huffed and protested, but everyone else was on board and eventually she had no choice but to give in.
“You’re going to owe me for this,” she grumbled at me.
“Tási volunteered you for my anger training, will that do?” I suggested innocently.
“Nevermind!” She huffed again before stomping off.
We moved our hiding spot closer to the bandit camp in preparation for our attack. I needed the cover of darkness to set things up and once night fell, I snuck out of our concealed camp and entered Stealth. Sneaking through the forest, I approached the bandit camp and began to cast traps in strategic locations; the ones closest to the camp were the most precarious, but I managed to slip in and out unnoticed.
The rest of my traps were further away, and I placed those on my way back to our own camp. Despite the day’s activity, I was unable to sleep, so I joined Khorim on watch as the night wore on.
“Stel was right; this is quite dangerous,” Khorim whispered without turning to face me. “But you’re doing the right thing. I’ll be with you anytime you need to take out foul vermin like these.”
“Thank you Khorim,” I replied. “Your devotion is a rare thing in this world. Broda is a lucky woman to have you by her side.”
He grumbled a little and I saw him wipe at the corner of his eye. I wasn’t sure if Broda told him that she had confided in me, but I knew my compliment had stuck an emotional nerve in the normally cheerful dwarf.
We spoke no more on the matter, passing the rest of his shift in a watchful silence. When morning approached, and I still had not slept, I helped Khorim rouse the rest of my friends from their slumber in the pre-dawn hours.
My plan required that I be in an observation position, so I set off again, leaving the others to make their final preparations. Venna continued complaining as I walked off, still irritated by her role in the affair. I headed into the forest with a smile on my face, anticipating my scheme coming to its fruition.
Reaching my position, I had a clear view of both the camp and the path leading up to its gates. In the dim light of the early morning, I could see the complete lack of activity in the camp. Nearly all the bandits remained asleep, save for the lone watchman in the far tower—everything was just as we had hoped. By then, my companions should have arrived nearby, watching me from their own vantage point and waiting for my signal before they set my plan into motion.
Someone in the camp started preparing the morning meal, and the bandits began stirring from their slumber. In ones and twos, they slowly emerged and began milling about the cooking station, waiting for their food. When I counted all fifteen of them, I signaled to where my companions waited among the trees. The undergrowth rustled as Tási and Venna emerged to kick things off. The two stumbled onto the path and I couldn’t help but stare at them for a moment.
Venna wore a yellow sundress that draped along her lithe figure, hugging her bod
y in the bodice and hips, flaunting every feature of her slim figure. I had never seen her in anything so stunningly beautiful. Then Tási moved beside her, drawing my attention, and I had to stifle a gasp.
Tási’s wore a red outfit that barely managed to contain her body’s wicked curves. The open neckline and bare midriff of the dress only served to accent the sculpted fullness of her figure. The outfit was so unlike any of her other clothes that I had trouble even imagining that she owned such a revealing garment.
I watched as the two gathered themselves and began walking towards the bandit camp, feigning their obliviousness, just as I had planned. Shaking away my stupor, I forced myself to focus on the task at hand, pushing aside all other thoughts.
The watchman saw the two women almost immediately and raised the alarm. The bandits, intent on capturing the two beauties, rushed to open the gates, each intent on being the first to claim one of the prizes.
Tási and Venna played their roles well, screaming in horror as they pretended to suddenly notice the danger. Running away frantically, they retraced the path back through the forest. When the bandits threw open the gate and rushed outside, I let three pass by freely before triggering the first of my traps.
Vines sprung from the ground, ensnaring a half dozen of the bandit marauders just steps outside the gate. The ones behind them skidded to a halt before pulling out their blades and attempting to cut their brothers free. As they sliced at the vines, I triggered the spike pits beneath their feet.
Four more bandits fell into the pits and were instantly impaled on the numerous sharp spikes. Glancing back at the path, I saw that the three bandits had acted exactly as we’d anticipated.
Second Skin Omnibus Page 79