Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

  I wasn’t in the mood for her taunting, nor was I in the mood to care that she was a Goddess.

  “You know,” I replied, letting my irritation show, “if you don’t have anything helpful to say, I’d rather you leave me alone for a while.”

  “But I do have something helpful to say to you, Dreya,” she soothed as she sat back down on the bed and patted the mattress next to her, indicating for me to join her. “Come, sit down, and I will explain.”

  I cautiously sat beside her and I was shocked when she took my hand in hers as she began to speak to me.

  “Tási was right–there will be others,” Nentai confirmed gently. “But this is no random thing, and there is a reason why it will be this way for you.

  “You came into existence through the magic of the Great Barrier. You know this already, but what you may not realize is that it was us, the Gods, working together who created that magic, who infused it with our essence. We formed the Barrier to protect our world from harm, and that desire was also infused within the Barrier’s magic. So, when the Barrier made you, it imparted that same protective nature into you, and gave you the means to protect the people who have been so mistreated and abused here. You are attuned to them, to their needs, and some of them will seek you out so that you can heal them, just as Tási told you.”

  “I cannot see the future, Dreya. That skill is denied to me. But I can follow the patterns of life and make a very educated prediction for you. You will not be inundated with desperate lovers. There will only be a very few that truly enter your heart. Your affairs will be for love, not desire, and you will benefit from them as much as your partners do. You need not feel guilty for what you will do. What happens will be for everyone’s benefit, even Tási’s, though she may not realize it.”

  I had so many questions, but most of them boiled down to one simple thing.

  “Why?” I asked. “Why are you telling me this? Why do you seem to care so much? Why are you so familiar with me?”

  “I would very much like to answer those questions for you Dreya, but Uthalan has forbidden any of us to discuss those issues with you, at least for now,” Nentai replied with obvious reluctance.

  “What I can tell you is that I don’t want to see you suffer or torture yourself needlessly,” she continued as she placed her other hand on top of mine. “Your path is difficult, but it is also full of love, if you are willing to accept it. As long as you follow your instincts and stay true to your heart, you can find happiness. You need never feel guilty or ashamed for the love you will share. Yours is a gift, Dreya—a gift that will make an incredible difference in the lives of those you choose to share it with.”

  There was so much for me to consider in her words, and I knew I would need some time to do that. I also sensed that she had told me all that she could, or was allowed to, and possibly had already told me more than she was supposed to, so I quickly changed the subject to the one other burning question I had for her before she could vanish on me again.

  “What do you know about Bane?”

  “Much,” Nentai smiled back at me. “But nothing that I’m going to tell you. You know what you did to him, and I will let you discover the… consequences for yourself. Just know that you have not harmed him, as with the others that you share your love with, he will only benefit from what you have given him.”

  Nentai released my hand as she rose from the bed and pulled the Quiver from my back. She rested the Artifact against the wall before turning back to me again.

  “You’ve had a very rough time, and I want you to rest now,” she said in an almost maternal manner. “I have to go now, but before I do, I want you to lay down so that I can put your mind at ease for a while.”

  She gently guided me down and placed a pillow beneath my head, and even pulled the covers up around me. I was in a state of awe at how tenderly the Goddess was caring for me, and then she surprised me again when she began to softly stroke my temple with her fingers.

  “Let the thoughts go, little one,” she whispered to me. “Sleep now, and when you wake, you will find peace.”

  I felt her fingers brushing against the side of my head, and as they did, the troubles in my mind seemed to fade away and vanish into a soft mist. The billowing clouds then flowed over me as well, and I fell into a deep, restful sleep.

  “Sleep well, my daughter,” Nentai said as she stood up and took in the form of the woman sleeping soundly in the bed. “It won’t be long before I can claim you as my own, and once I do, I won’t let anyone come between us.”

  14

  When I woke up, Nentai was gone, and my clouds of doubt and confusion had vanished as well. I understood everything clearly, and all my uncertainty was washed away. It was as if I had spent the entire time I was asleep hashing out the conflicts in my unconscious mind.

  I knew that whoever might come into my life would be important to me, and I would be important to them as well. I was at peace with that. Knowing that the relationships I was destined to have would be meaningful, and not just empty affairs, provided me with some comfort, and Nentai’s reassurance that those affairs would be few in number also served to temper my unease as well. I wasn’t sure that I would have been able to accept it otherwise.

  Her words about Bane, although cryptic, were also comforting. Even though she had given me nothing specific, at least she let me know that he would come to no harm. That was good enough for me. I slipped out of bed feeling more refreshed then I had in a long while, and after I placed the Quiver on my back, I ventured downstairs to see if anyone else had returned home.

  It was far later than I had thought, and all three of my companions had returned from their various errands. The three women sat around the table, enjoying some ale while discussing the events of the day.

  “Well, look who’s decided to join us,” Broda teased as I walked into the common room and sat down beside Tási. “Miss sleepy-head finally woke up.”

  I smiled at her prodding and poured myself a mug of ale before I asked them how their day went.

  “Fine by me,” Broda offered first. “The mines are producing well, and both of them are looking to open some new shafts once they get finished carving out the homes in the upper caverns.”

  “All the other projects are moving along well too,” Venna added helpfully. “You didn’t miss anything important today.”

  I was thankful for that, but it wasn’t unexpected. Everyone knew what they were doing by then, and real difficulties were becoming few and far between. In fact, most of my duties merely involved passing messages back and forth and deciding the priorities of the various projects. I was confident that Venna and Tási would have handled any of that for me in my absence.

  We talked for a few hours and Venna cooked dinner for us as the evening turned late. After cleaning up, we shared another round of ale before heading off to bed.

  “I’ll be up in a minute,” I said to Tási as she started up the stairs. “I just need to have a word with Venna.”

  She flashed me a knowing smile, thinking that I was trying to be coy as she walked away up the stairs. I let her go without bothering to correct her; she would find out soon enough.

  I didn’t even bother knocking on Venna’s door, I just walked in and sat down on her bed as she was getting changed. She raised her eyebrows and looked at me questioningly, but I just waved for her to finish getting ready for bed. She was as alluring as ever, and I didn’t mind watching as she changed into her night dress. Venna didn’t seem too concerned either, and I couldn’t help but smile when she stopped to pose for me for just a second before slipping into her sleeping outfit.

  “I remember the first time you did that,” I recalled fondly as she sat beside me.

  “So do I,” Venna replied curiously. “Is that why you’re here?”

  “Not this time,” I said as I brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. “I hope you’ll forgive me, but I need to be with Tási tonight. We have a lot to discuss, and I just wanted to let you k
now so you don’t think I forgot about you.”

  “I understand,” Venna smiled warmly. “She certainly gave you a great deal to think about this morning.”

  “How do you feel about it?” I asked, as I suddenly realized that the revelations might have affected her as well. “Does it change anything between us?”

  “No!” Venna replied in surprise. “How can you even think that? I feel the same way about you as Tási does. We both understand that you have a role to play beyond your relationships with us.”

  “But I do have a favor to ask,” Venna pleaded hesitantly.

  “Of course,” I replied. “Anything.”

  “I don’t want to know about them either,” Venna almost cried. “I can accept Tási, but I don’t want to see you with anyone else.”

  “The two of you mean the world to me,” I whispered as I pulled her close. “I’ve accepted what’s to come, but I won’t do anything to hurt or embarrass either of you.”

  As I spoke to her, I sent her a thin tendril of love and affection, reassuring her of my sincerity and devotion. The pure emotion reinforced my words, and she nodded to me when I finally pulled away from her.

  “I promise I’ll stay with you longer tomorrow night,” I said as I got up.

  “I’m going to hold you to that promise,” she smiled back at me as I closed the door. I had no idea what Venna had in mind for me, but I still couldn’t help but smile to myself as I climbed up the stairs.

  “Back so soon?” Tási said in disbelief when I got to our room.

  “I told you I just needed to talk to her,” I teased.

  “I thought you—,” Tási hesitated. “Never mind.”

  “I’m getting ready for bed, then we need to talk,” I replied when she seemed lost for words.

  After I changed out of my gear and into my night dress, I climbed in bed beside her and began to speak. I wanted to tell her everything Nentai had said to me, but even though the Goddess hadn’t told me that our conversation was secret, I knew that I couldn’t tell anyone about our clandestine meeting.

  “I’m sorry I can’t be what you want me to be—what you truly deserve,” I began. “At the same time, I’m grateful that you’re willing to accept me for who I am. You will always have my heart, and I promise that you will never feel the need to doubt my commitment to you. I won’t let that happen.”

  “I know that you won’t,” Tási replied confidently. “And you already are everything that I want you to be. I told you that I’m not settling for you—you are more than I ever hoped for. I just needed to make sure that you knew how I felt.”

  Despite the hours I had spent sleeping under Nentai’s influence, I was still tired at the end of the day. So, when I said what I needed to say, and Tási made her reply, I wrapped her in my arms and curled myself around her tightly. We both sent our own strands of love and affection into each other, and we basked together in each other’s pure emotions until we fell asleep.

  Once Tási and I had settled the issues between us, the rest of our days passed relatively smoothly. I made my daily rounds, accompanied by Tási more often than not, and our many projects and endeavors were moving along nicely.

  The farms and livestock grew more quickly than anyone anticipated, a boon we all attributed to the Dryad without reservation. Our mines continued to produce iron at a steady pace, and a few gemstones were even discovered. Housing was also going up at a good pace, and all of our current citizens had decent roofs over their heads while we worked to build even more shelters for those who had yet to arrive.

  Hilgreth and Donnell continued to produce more armor and weapons, even though we already had an ample supply. Our future was uncertain, but we knew that conflict would eventually come our way, so the smith kept herself busy crafting the equipment we would need for the army that we would eventually field.

  In contrast, Renn’s forge worked on more mundane projects for a while. Together with a group of Ilvain’s carpenters, he was crafting many of the necessary items for daily life that we lacked—things like beds, tables, and chairs. Even the nails that Ilvain’s crew needed to erect the homes they were building were being churned out by Renn’s busy forge.

  The stonemasons had long ago finished their work on the still unnamed outer fortifications and had moved on to the daunting task of smoothing out the rough finishes that Ridge and his junior elemental left behind as they raised the bones of the Palace and its surrounding fortress. The grounds of that sprawling project were practically a city unto themselves, and I tried to tour the ever-changing site as often as possible to ensure that I would know it well once it was completed—it would be quite the embarrassment for me to repeatedly get lost in my own Palace.

  We spent our evenings together, Broda, Venna, Tási, and I, sharing our days and more than a few glasses of various spirits. Tási managed to hold her own on most of those occasions; the one morning that I’d adjusted her collar seemed to cure her tendency to underestimate the effects of the more potent concoctions we sampled.

  Venna held up well during Stel’s prolonged absence. Although I spent several evenings with her, lulling her to sleep and even once or twice using more… persuasive means, she also let me go upstairs many times without needing any help.

  Despite the obvious time I spent tending Venna, my relationship with Tási blossomed during those weeks. We both embraced our commitment to each other, and the acceptance of it was surprisingly liberating for us. Although neither of us were the type for flamboyant displays of affection, our subtle romantic gestures were the subject of an outpouring of support and frequent congratulations.

  After nearly three weeks of the men being away, Broda, Venna, Tási, and I came home together one night to find Bane waiting for us on the front porch. He frequently got back before us now, as his larger size increased his flying speed and he was able to complete his rough circuit around the forest more quickly than before.

  Nothing to report, Sintári. The hunters are well-away from anything truly dangerous, and there are no enemies nearby. Bane repeated his nearly universal report.

  ‘Well done, Bane. Do you want to come upstairs with us tonight?’

  Thank you, Sintári, but I will be fine downstairs. I can feel your presence well enough from there.

  Bane had always preferred to sleep with me, and even on me if possible. But as he had grown, his need for such close proximity had waned. Although he still liked to lay his head across my chest and feel the beating of my heart almost every day, he had grown far more independent with his larger size.

  I opened the door and we all piled inside only to find that the Goddesses had returned once more. My companions immediately took a knee and bowed their heads before the Deities, while Bane seemed truly lost. Set saw his dilemma and reacted in a most peculiar way.

  “Be at ease, Bane,” she told him calmly. “Take your place beside your mistress while we give her our gifts today.”

  Set actually approached Bane and reached out to stroke the scales along his neck as he followed her commands. She seemed to almost revel in the feel of their smooth surfaces before she abruptly stopped and returned to stand beside Nentai, who had been watching her sister’s actions with obvious amusement.

  “Since the gifts we have for you today come from Set, I think that it is only proper for her to present them to you herself,” Nentai announced to Set’s obvious surprise and delight.

  “Thank you, dear sister,” Set recovered quickly.

  Set reached behind her back and when her hand returned, she held a neatly folded bundle of black cloth in her hand. The Goddess then offered it to me with only a few words.

  “Your old cloak is simply not suitable for a woman of your station,” Set said in an almost aloof tone.

  As I took the cloth from her, the folds came undone, and a long, black cloak unfurled in my hands. The fabric was thick and luxurious between my fingertips, but before my evaluation could go any farther than that, the cloak’s properties appeared in my vison.
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  The Forest Cloak – God-Forged Artifact – This finely-made cloak was crafted for Dreya Sintári by Set, Goddess of Nature. In additions to keeping its wearer comfortable in nearly any conditions, The Cloak also boosts Stealth Abilities. Inside the many folds of The Cloak are several pockets that can hold multiple items at no Encumbrance cost. Set’s crafting process has also imbued the Cloak with a mild resistance to Natural magics. This Artifact is self-repairing and has no effect on Encumbrance. The Cloak is irrevocably bound to Dreya Sintári and cannot be worn by another.

  “Put it on,” Nentai urged me as stood there staring at the incredible Artifact.

  “Just throw it over your shoulders,” Set instructed. “The Cloak will do the rest.”

  I followed Set’s advice and draped the Cloak across my shoulders and the garment adhered to Melía’s Armor just as the Quiver did, shifting slightly to wrap around the outline of the Quiver before it settled in place over me. I felt a sense of comfortable warmth within its folds, and although I hadn’t noticed them before, now that I wore the Cloak, I could see the faint outlines of several small openings along its inner lining.

  “I know, amazing, isn’t it?” Set preened as I took in the Cloak.

  “It is. Thank you, Set,” I replied

  “Save your thanks. I’m not done yet,” she bragged as she handed me what looked like a silver circlet.

  At first, I thought it was some sort of crown or headdress, but the shape was off. The band had an almost teardrop form, with a fiery red stone set in its apex. As impressive as the Artifacts the Goddesses had presented me with had been, this one was by far the most touching of them all.

  Companion’s Halter – God-Forged Artifact – This finely made Artifact was crafted for Dreya Sintári by Set, Goddess of Nature. It is unbound and is intended for the permanent use of her companion, Bane. The Halter will merge itself with her companion once she bestows the Artifact upon him, irrevocably binding itself to him. The Halter will then aid the Rhastoren in his transformation and provide him with increased power and strength.