Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

  I led Venna to a small clearing beneath the trees where the sunlight played among the shadows from the leaves above. It was the perfect location for our picnic lunch, and we spread out the large blanket I had packed away before laying out the food and wine.

  We shared a light meal of fruit and cheese, washing it down with the strong elven wine. Venna looked at her glass curiously after taking a few sips, and I answered the question that I knew was on her mind.

  “Yes,” I said as I held her gaze. “It’s the same wine.”

  The last time we had shared a bottle of wine was back in Oróna, when she had unsuccessfully tried to arrange a tryst for us. I had to resist her at the time, due to my lack of control back then—something that was no longer an issue for me.

  Her eyes widened as she realized the true reason I had led her to the secluded location. Almost reflexively, she took another deep sip of wine and her hands trembled as she set the glass down.

  I slid closer to her and gently stroked her cheek. Even though I held back my impulses, Venna’s eyes stared back at me and I saw the conflicted look within them, as her desire fought with apprehension in her gaze. She had tasted the power I held within me, and while it certainly enticed her, it also made her wary.

  But I had learned how to moderate the harshness of that power and gained a large measure of control over its wilder nature, so as I trailed my fingers across Venna’s face, I let the slightest tendril of my desire filter into her. Just like with the orb of emotion I had used before, I stripped the harshness from the tiny rivulet, and left only the warm sensation of my craving gently flowing into her. Her warm breath brushed against my face as she exhaled a deep sigh of longing, and I felt the desire building within her through the tiny stream of passion as I gently guided her down to lay upon the blanket.

  I sat beside her and let the tips of my fingers trace along the gentle curve of her face, channeling the thin tendril of passion as I followed it’s contours down to her neck. She was an amazingly beautiful woman, and it required no special powers for me to feel attracted to her, but despite how much I’d anticipated this very moment, I reined in my own desires, choosing to focus on Venna’s pleasure instead.

  I had waited a long time for this day to finally arrive, the day when I could let Venna truly know how I felt for her. Not just my raw physical desire, but the deep feeling of love I had for her as well. I was not going to let these precious few moments we had pass too quickly either—I fully intended to make every second count, to draw out her pleasure and ensure that she sensed my desire flowing through her during every single moment.

  Venna let out a soft moan as my fingers trailed down her neck. Her soft skin magnified the power of the subtle ecstasy I was trickling into her, and I felt the heat building inside her as she responded more fervently to my touch. When my hand grazed the collar of her shirt, I gently tugged at the button until it came free between my fingers.

  As the fabric of her shirt parted for me, I let my fingers continue on their inexorable journey down the center of her body. One by one, her buttons yielded, and Venna’s passion grew more intense as my fingers slid slowly down along the smooth skin of her chest.

  I didn’t pull her shirt open; instead, I left it to simply drape over her, exposing just a thin strip of bare flesh down the center of her torso. Venna’s desire burned hotly within her as my fingers trailed lower and I unfastened even more of her buttons. I felt her urging me on, craving even more from me, but I wanted this to last, to prolong her ardor for as long as possible, so I resisted her impulses, and kept to my slow, deliberate pace.

  Watching her body react to my touch stirred my own passion. Although her responses were subtle and languid, they were filled with a desperate sense of desire that only spurred me on and kindled my own passions even further. Seeing her quiver and writhe in response to the delicate web of passion I weaved along the soft contours of her body fueled my own cravings as my hand brushed across her flawlessly smooth skin.

  Venna’s body trembled beneath me as my fingers strayed across the firm muscle of her abdomen. Her anticipation grew intense as the final button of her shirt came loose and my fingers brushed across her midriff before sliding beneath her waistband. Her disappointment was palpable when I didn’t unfasten the clasp there and traced my fingers along her waist instead, but Venna’s passion flared instantly as I let my hand slide beneath the fabric of her clothes, grazing along the edge of her undergarment as I followed the contours of her body.

  Venna responded powerfully to the experience of my touch in such an intimate area. Her hips rose, and her body shivered in ecstasy, and I had to soften the intensity of the desire I was sending her to prevent it from finishing her too soon. She let out a soft gasp as she recovered, and I felt the mixture of frustration and longing within her as I withheld her pleasure. I kept my hand still for a moment, pressed against her skin, giving her the time she needed to regain herself before letting my fingers wander again.

  Venna began trembling beneath my touch as soon as my fingers traced across her skin once more. The tight muscles of her stomach quivered in a near-desperate sense of anticipation while I let my hand glide over her body, until my touch grazed along the narrow outline of her waist.

  The movement of my hand had pulled the tail of Venna’s shirt along, and it fell from her as I reached across her body, exposing her shivering stomach and the slight curve of her hip. I began trailing my fingers up her torso, following the arc of her skin and pulling her shirt free as my fingers traced along her side. Venna’s body was slowly revealed to me as the shirt fell away, and when I finally traced along the outline of her collarbone, the entire side of her chest lay naked before me in the dappled sunlight.

  Sunlight and shadow played over her silky skin as I stopped to simply take her in. I had seen her naked only once before, and that was all too briefly. Now, lying on the blanket in the quiet little glade, I stared at her openly, admiring her perfectly sculpted beauty.

  Venna’s eyes opened slightly and she looked up at me while I was admiring her. She knew exactly what I was doing, and a smile curled up the corners of her mouth as she reached one hand up to pull off the other half of her shirt for me. The sight of her slowly revealing herself almost caused me to lose control, and I struggled to keep my own passions in check. It took just a moment for me to regain control, and once I reined myself in, I began to finish what I had started. I had carefully planned out exactly what I wanted to do, and I was anticipating the finale I had in store for her.

  My fingers slowly resumed their exploration of Venna’s body, gradually wandering down her chest before tracing the outline of her breast. I let my passion flow into her just a little more as I caressed her delicate skin and gently tugged at her nipple.

  Venna’s body responded immediately, trembling with desire as the passion inside her began to burn. The subtle parting of her lips as she let out a soft moan was too much of an enticement for me, and I leaned in, pressing my mouth to hers, and kissed her deeply. Her tongue slid over mine like soft silk, and I fed even more of my passion into her through our kiss. I had driven her right to the edge of release before, and the overwhelming flow that coursed through our lips drove her well beyond that limit.

  Venna shuddered as her climax came over her and she pulled her mouth away from me and buried her face in my chest, stifling her cries ecstasy. Our lips pulled apart, but my hand still cupped her breast as I continued to feed into her orgasm, only letting the passion slowly fade when I felt her reaching her limits.

  When Venna let out a final sigh and collapsed onto the blanket beneath us, I laid down beside her and wrapped her in my arms. She returned my embrace, and we held each other for a while as the sunlight and shadows played over the two of us.

  “Is it always like that?” Venna whispered to me softly after a while. “So… intense?”

  “No, Venna,” I said, staring back at her with a broad smile. “That’s what it’s like when I’m holding back.”


  Venna smiled back at me for a moment, thinking I wasn’t serious before she suddenly realized that I was.

  “You’re not joking?” She asked uncertainly.

  “No, I’m not,” I told her more seriously. “You’re not ready for that yet, so I held back almost completely.”

  “I promise I’ll get better,” Venna offered earnestly.

  “You don’t have to do anything, Venna,” I replied to her. “I’ll be happy just to share whatever time we can find for each other.”

  We cuddled together for a while longer before the shadows began to grow long. Then finally, as night drew near, we reluctantly packed up and headed back to our campsite, but before we left the secluded glen, I had to make a slight adjustment.

  “Venna, come here,” I said, holding back a laugh.

  “What is it?” She replied in confusion.

  I didn’t answer her; instead, I just started undoing her buttons and then refastening them for her. In her haste, she had buttoned her shirt back together crookedly, leaving the garment entirely off-kilter. As I made the adjustments for her, Venna realized what she had done and we both giggled hysterically as I finished fixing her shirt.

  “That would have been awkward,” Venna blushed when we resumed our journey back across the valley and we broke out in a second round of laughter as we headed back to camp walking hand in hand.

  We made it back in time to share dinner with rest of our companions. Venna spoke little while we ate and remained quiet into the evening, but I caught her glancing at me occasionally throughout the night. Each time, she blushed brightly and then quickly looked away. We had waited far longer than either us wanted for our relationship to become physical, but now that it finally had, she was clearly having some difficulty adjusting to the reality of it. I smiled at her obvious unease, and immediately began plotting how I might add to it the next time I got her alone.

  The next few days passed rapidly while everyone rushed around trying to get as much done as possible before our celebration. Wherever I went, people tried to pry the secret of my planned announcement from me, but I steadfastly refused to reveal anything to them. In truth, I was still ironing out the details of it myself.

  Every day, I set aside some time to practice what I would say, and I would constantly battle about what words to use and just how much I should disclose, but those were relatively minor details. What mattered most and what was by far the most critical element I worked on was just how I intended to deliver my remarks. The effort that I put into my delivery would have the most profound impact, and I practiced that element of my speech more than any other.

  When the day we set aside for our commemoration finally arrived, we put aside all of our normal labors. Instead of repairs and construction, everyone helped arrange tables and chairs for the feast. Spits were set up and game was roasted over crackling fires, and streamers and other decorations sprang up across the entire area we set aside just behind the fortifications. With the most severe danger behind us for the moment, Broda set a minimal watch that I supplemented with a plethora of traps outside our walls. Even the few sentries we stationed would not miss out on the festivities, as Broda scheduled a steady rotation throughout the night so that no one would miss out on the celebration.

  Khorim took extreme delight in helping arrange the drinks for the evening. Several kegs were tapped, and the ale began flowing far earlier than we had intended. The dwarves were not alone in beginning the party ahead of schedule—the elves also started consuming their own store of wine right alongside their eager dwarven counterparts.

  With everyone already enjoying themselves well ahead of schedule, I kicked off the festival with a bright flash of fire above our head, courtesy of Tási. A loud cheer went up at the signal, and the musicians began playing their instruments in earnest. I couldn’t help but smile broadly as I watched my people rejoicing. The hard work and bitter battles we’d fought together had brought everyone together like nothing else could, and I hoped that the words I planned to speak would bridge the final gaps that remained between them, forging us into the completely unified society I envisioned.

  A small dais had been set up for my companions and me, and we spent most of our time sitting there, taking in the raucous celebration that went on in front of us. Nearly all of us took turns joining in on the fun, so the dais was seldom fully occupied. Only I chose to remain there throughout the night with Bane perched on my shoulder, nervously biding my time until I was ready to make my announcement.

  Finally, before everyone got too inebriated, I stood up and addressed my people. They had all been waiting for this moment, and silence fell over the crowd quickly when they realized what was happening. I prepared myself and began speaking in exactly the manner I had been practicing. Before uttering the first of my words, I began channeling my Charisma, focusing its power into them and hoping it would be enough to convince my people to follow the vision I’d planned for them.

  “You all know me by now, though few of you know much about me. That will change tonight. I came to this world as one of the Deathless. And although I was a stranger to these lands, your world has embraced me and granted me the title of Sintári,” I opened before pausing for a moment.

  There were a few gasps in recognition, and a low murmur ran through the crowd, but before they had time to fully digest the news I had relayed, I resumed my speech.

  “I have not only been given the land we are now settling, but a quest as well. My task is not to simply secure this small plot of land, but to bring peace to all of Arrika. This is not a quest I can achieve alone—I will need your help, and the help of many more yet to join us if I am to have any hope of success.”

  “But to bring peace to Arrika, I must first unite the land, and this can only be done if its people are united as well. The realms cannot be brought together if the people are divided; we must be unified as one people, under one set of laws—without prejudice and petty squabbling.”

  “In the coming weeks and months, I have no doubt that we will develop the laws we need more clearly, but for now, I want to spell out the foundation of the code I envision for us.”

  “All people of goodwill shall be welcome here, regardless of their heritage.”

  “You are free to like who you choose, love who you choose, and even hate whomever you choose, but you may not mistreat anyone for who they are or the choices they make.”

  “Treason, murder, and rape shall be capital offenses in any lands under my control. When we have the time and resources, we will develop a more comprehensive code of laws. Until then, lesser crimes will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.”

  “I know that there are some long-standing animosities among many of the people of Arrika, yet I am encouraged by how all of you have put those differences aside and come together to help build this place. Those old feuds must be put to rest in order for us to achieve a lasting peace. The suffering that continues all across Arrika will never end so long as those old grudges are still held onto.”

  “Anyone who objects to the vision I have laid out for you is free to leave my lands, but if you choose to stay, I expect you to abide not only to the letter of the laws I have given you, but to the spirit behind them as well.”

  “Represented among us tonight are dwarves and elves, halflings and humans. Each race is but a mere facet, a tiny fragment of a greater whole. Only together will we have any chance of reaching our full potential. Only when we are united as one, can we ever hope to conquer the evils that plague our lands.”

  “Will you join me in the fight for our future? Will you stand with me and pave the way to a better life for our children? Will you march forward with me in the light to banish the darkness from Arrika forever?”

  I channeled the full force of my Charisma into those final words, and as they faded into echoes down the canyon, silence fell over the crowd. I feared the worst—that my effort to persuade my people had failed, and my vision for bringing peace and justice to the realms was doomed
.

  Suddenly a cheer erupted, and shouts of approval rebounded from the cliffsides around me. Hoots and hollers followed among a raucous din of applause. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched dwarves and elves raising their drinks in a toast of solidarity.

  I had just stepped down from the dais to finally join in the celebration when the crowd suddenly fell silent. I searched for the cause of the disturbance and saw Stel standing in front of me with his blade drawn. He held the bare steel in front of him almost reverently, and the expression on his face confused me. His usual carefree demeanor was gone, and there was no trace of his trademark smirk to be seen. Instead, in its place was a look of profound seriousness that seemed completely out of place for the normally light-hearted elf. Before I even knew what was happening, Stel was down on one knee in front of me with the tip of his blade planted in the rocky soil. He inclined the hilt towards me slightly as if offering it to me before he spoke words that sent a chill down my spine.

  “I swear to follow you, Sintári. To serve you faithfully and obey your every command. On this day, I offer you my sword and my life. I beg the honor of being allowed to serve you.”

  I stood in front of him, stunned into silence. His solemn oath was completely unexpected, and I immediately regretted channeling so much of my power into the speech I had given. I took a step forward and was about to make an offhand remark rejecting Stel’s offer when Venna whispered in my ear.

  “You must take the hilt of his sword in your hand to accept his pledge,” she said softly.

  “I’m not going to accept an oath like that from him,” I whispered back to her in protest. “He’s my friend.”

  “If you reject his pledge, you will mark him as unworthy, Dreya,” she then told me. “It would be a grave insult.”

  I looked at her, pleading with my eyes for some other alternative, but she only flicked her chin in Stel’s direction, urging me to accept his offer.