I’d like to say that I ended things the moment that thought first occurred to me, but the truth is, I wasn’t quite strong enough for that. Although I knew that neither of us was fully in control of ourselves, I lacked the will to resist the desires I felt. Part of me didn’t care what it was that had brought us together. I’d come to care for Kyrah a great deal—the fact that she was absolutely gorgeous didn’t make it any easier to resist her either.
Before things became too heated, my conscience finally took hold, and I managed to pull myself away. Just like the last time, Kyrah looked at me in a mixture of both disappointment and confusion, her unfocused stare exposing the full measure of my exploitation.
“I’m sorry.” I sucked in a deep breath as I backed off a little further. “I didn’t think that would happen again.”
“The only thing you should be sorry about is stopping,” Kyrah snapped at me. “It’s not fair for you to keep leading me on like that.”
Her caustic reply took me by surprise. Not only for its biting tone, but her sense of outrage seemed badly misplaced. Kyrah was actually upset with me for not taking advantage of her, and I couldn’t believe that she truly wanted to submit to my intrusions.
“This isn’t right, Kyrah.” Her eyes finally managed to dial in on me as I spoke. “What you’re feeling isn’t real. I won’t abuse you like that.”
“Who gives a fuck?” Hearing her swear at me for the first time came as a shock. “We might very well die tomorrow. Maybe it would be nice to have a little fun before that happens?”
“It’s not fun if it’s forced on you.” I shook my head in disbelief, unable to accept what I was hearing. Obviously, the effects of whatever I’d done to her were still lingering.
“Ash, there’s nothing forcing me to have feelings for you,” Kyrah’s tone softened as she replied to my statement. “Even if there was, I don’t care. You’re special—I’d have to be a fool not to appreciate that.”
Yeah, I’d heard that one before. Every asshole highborn suitor had used that tired old line on me, comparing me to the fucking Goddess as they sought to earn my favor. While I knew Kyrah wasn’t quite as despicable as those pieces of shit, something within me snapped when I heard her echo their words so closely. My vision blurred as the anger rose inside me, and before I knew it, my rage flowed out in a torrent of hate-fueled words.
“No one is going to claim me,” I hissed, as all my pent-up frustrations burst forth. “I’m not some fucking trophy or prized broodmare. I wouldn’t let the Goddess sell me to some third-rate noble, and I’m sure as hell not going to let the corruption I inherited from her force you to fall in love with me!”
Oops.
Once again, my fury had gotten the better of me, and in one fell swoop, I’d spilled the secret I’d been trying to keep hidden. Kyrah had moved closer to me as we were talking, and my worst fears seemed to be confirmed when she quickly backed away. Even Scar was shocked by my words, his ears folding back as he took up an almost defensive posture.
There was really only one option I had left. As much as it pained me, I offered Kyrah my full confession before she could dash off into the forest. It wasn’t easy to admit the details of my sordid past, but eventually, I disclosed the story of my origins and the stain that followed me wherever I went. Scar seemed just as appalled by my words as Kyrah was; both of them stared at me as I spoke, obviously deeply disturbed by the revelations.
“Your mother is a… Goddess?” Kyrah managed to ask after a few moments.
“My mother was an elf,” I corrected her a bit too sharply. “The Goddess took advantage of her, just like I’ve been doing to you.”
She nodded as if in understanding, but I could tell that Kyrah wasn’t the least bit persuaded by my words—a fact she quickly confirmed for me.
“So, what was that thing with your eyes?”
I had no idea what ‘thing’ she was talking about, and my obviously perplexed expression prompted Kyrah to clarify. I really wished she hadn’t.
“The green parts.” I froze as soon as she mentioned that. “They were glowing.”
I felt the lone tear streaming down my face before I realized that I’d even shed it. Despite how much I loathed the Goddess and everything she represented, it seemed that I was becoming more and more like her with each passing day. From the way I looked to the very blood flowing through my veins, it was all too clear that I was her… creation. Turning away without answering Kyrah’s question, I wiped my sleeve across my face as I wrapped myself up in my blankets.
While I lay there, I was certain of only one thing: I’d lost Kyrah’s trust. She wouldn’t be able to get away from me fast enough once I got her to safety, and I couldn’t fault her at all for that. I might not have lied to her, but I’d certainly withheld a rather important bit of truth. That and my emotional manipulations provided Kyrah with more than enough reasons to despise me. Even so, I wouldn’t abandon her. Regardless of how much she might hate me, I was determined to get Kyrah to the Free Lands. Doing that would offer me at least some chance at redemption.
I’d truly fucked up, yet again. The only question in my mind was whether my slip of the tongue or withholding the truth from Kyrah for so long had been the real error, and I felt the emotion begin welling up in my eyes as Scar wriggled his way beneath my arm and laid down beside me. Although he seemed to pay close attention every time I spoke, I knew that I was fortunate he couldn’t truly understand me—I doubted even he would have remained by my side if he could. Stroking his thick fur as I took comfort in his closeness, I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep.
13
I didn’t sleep well. Truthfully, I’m not sure that I slept at all that night. When the first rays of light began seeping in through the narrow crack in the rocks, I gave up and opened my eyes. Expecting to see only the shadowy outline of the stones around me, I bolted upright in a state of near terror when I saw what was in front of me. Well, not exactly in front of me—it was somewhere between me and the outside world.
Painting my vision was the image of something I’d only heard stories about; tales the Goddess herself had told me in my youth. Back when I’d still thought of her as my mother, I’d been fascinated by the tales of her early days and the adventures she’d had before her ascension. The Goddess had spoken of odd pictures she referred to as a ‘user interface’ or ‘UI’ for short, something only she and the handful of remaining Deathless had ever experienced. None of it made any sense to me, of course. The thought of strange maps, ‘health bars,’ and such floating in one’s vision seemed almost ridiculous. At least they had until I saw them all dancing before my eyes.
I’d made the Goddess tell me those stories many times, so I instantly recognized all of it. Health, Endurance, and Aura bars floated at the top of my sight, while what the Goddess had called a mini-map sat at the bottom left. The space in the bottom center was blank, but I remembered that it was where combat information would be displayed. On the bottom right, there was a small flashing light, something she’d called an… icon? In my confusion, it was difficult for me to remember the exact term she’d use, but I thought that was right.
Supposedly, those contained important messages, and even in my shocked state, I could think of nothing I needed more than to know what the fuck was going on. Recalling the Goddess’ words, I concentrated on the pulsing symbol, and a stream of words immediately popped up in the center of my vision.
I barely noticed as the world around me blurred, and the letters came into focus. For long moments, I just stared at them, reading those few words over and over again. Everything around me could have gone up in flames, and I don’t think I’d have even noticed.
Quest completed - You have completed the quest Discovery. It has taken a great deal of time to reveal your true nature, but now that you have, you have gained access to abilities that were unavailable to you before. Unlocking these powers is only the first step in your journey, and unleashing their full potential will require even more e
ffort. For reaching this milestone, you have been rewarded with 510 XP.
The meaning of my ‘true nature’ was certainly clear. I’d received enough hints to understand that I was turning into some second-rate version of the Goddess. My sense of anger and frustration only grew as I sat there contemplating what that might mean for me, and I knew that I needed to find some sort of diversion before my rage drove me to do something stupid… again.
Remembering something else the Goddess had told me about, I tried to bring up what she’d called a ‘personal sheet.’ Supposedly, it listed not only her abilities but also something she’d referred to as her ‘stats.’ It even recorded her progress towards improving herself, measured in so-called ‘levels.’ I hoped that a look at my own situation might give me something other than the rather bleak future ahead of me to focus my mind on—it was worth a shot, at least. I had no idea just how to access the information, but fortunately, all it took was a thought.
ASHÍEL DAE
Half-Elven/Sintári Female
Titles: Princess, Sintári, Demi-Goddess, Unbound
Level – 26
295,810/301,200
Health - 290/290 Aura - 570/570 Endurance - 290/290
Sintári – Sintári interact with their surroundings in unusual ways. The effects of these interactions can be unpredictable.
Class – Unbound (Unique) – There are no restrictions on what skills The Unbound may acquire. Without boundaries, your potential is virtually limitless.
Specialization – N/A
Mastery – N/A
STR – 26
CON – 29
DEX – 32
INT – 27
WIS – 27
CHA – 30
Abilities
Ignore Armor – Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura – 20%
Stun – Your next arrow has a chance to stun its target on hit. Cost – 20 Aura – 20%
Swarm – Your next arrow duplicates itself in flight. Cost – 20 Endurance and 20 Aura – 20%
Flurry – Perform three rapid strikes with a bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance – 23%
Parry – Chance for your blades to block next melee attack targeted at you. Cost – 20 Endurance – 20%
Hilt Bash – Stun your opponent with a successful hilt strike from your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance – 22%
Blind – Your next arrow has a chance to inflict blindness on a successful hit. Cost – 30 Aura – 20%
Detect Life – Determine if any living beings are within the radius of this Spell. Cost – 20 Aura – 27%
Detect Trap – Locate hidden snares within the bounds of this magic. Area of effect increases with proficiency. Cost – 30 Aura – 20%
Backstab – Launch a surprise attack from behind your foe. Cost – 40 Endurance – 20%
Sintári Abilities
Control – Effect varies, applies to all Sintári Abilities – 3%
Spells
Create Trap – Place a magical trap upon an area. Size, type and trigger of traps is determined by your proficiency. Cost – 40 Aura – 20%
Elemental Arrow – Your next arrow is imbued with elemental energy and causes additional elemental damage accordingly. Cost – 30 Aura – 20%
Blaze – Launch a flaming orb at your foe, which may ignite any combustible materials in its path. Cost – 20 Aura – 20%
Bolt – Release a Bolt of pure Lightning at your target(s). Cost – 40 Aura – 20%
Find Weakness – Highlights vulnerable points on the target. Modifier – Intelligence. Cost – 80 Aura – 20%
Cure Minor Wounds – Cure small wounds and injuries. Cost – 40 Aura – 20%
Bless – Imbue an object with a holy aura. Cost – 40 Aura – 20%
Reflection – Repels missiles fired at the subject of this Spell, sending them back at your enemy. May be cast on self or ally. Cost – 60 Aura – 20%
Skills
Bow – 32%
Critical Hit – 16%
Blades – 27%
Long Sword – 20%
Broad Sword – 20%
Short Sword – 32%
Dagger – 27%
Critical Hit – 31%
Mace – 20%
Two–Handed – 41%
Pole Arms – 20%
Staff – 20%
Spear – 20%
Critical Hit – 20%
Armor – 38%
Heavy Armor – 20%
Medium Armor – 48%
Light Armor – 20%
Shield – 20%
Perception – 44%
Environmental – 33%
Identify Enemy – 34%
Identify Person – 24%
Combat Dodge – 29%
Subterfuge –41%
Stealth – 41%
Find Trap – 20%
Disarm Trap – 20%
Set Trap – 27%
Manipulation – 27%
Persuade – 33%
Barter – 27%
Survival – 24%
Tracking – 27%
Identify Creature (Beasts) – 19%
Skinning – 16%
Field Dress – 15%
Alchemy –20%
Herbalism – 20%
Potion Craft – 20%
Lore – 8%
Identify Magical Item – 7%
For a long while, all I could do was stare at the information in a complete state of disbelief. My eyes wandered from place to place, taking in the various things I saw without really comprehending any of it. Even the Skills and Abilities made no sense to me. Although I’d tried to learn them during my training, I’d never managed to acquire many of the talents, let alone actually been able to use them. Even so, it seemed I’d somehow gained access to an entire set of new Abilities, including several very useful Spells.
That information alone was more than enough for me to handle, but the words inscribed at the top of my ‘sheet’ proved to be too much. Although I scoffed at being referred to as a ‘Princess,’ I’d learned to accept that title long ago; it was the rest of what was written on that line that truly disturbed me. I had no idea what ‘Unbound’ meant, but the implications of both Sintári and Demi-Goddess were clear enough. Regardless of whatever power might accompany those, I found the obvious reminder of my deepening connection with the Goddess… unsettling.
My eyes lingered over ‘Sintári’ for a moment, wondering just how much my newly discovered status had been influencing things when yet another prompt appeared. Gazing at the word for so long had obviously invoked something, and I read the message carefully.
Sintári – Your unique heritage has provided you with access to a certain portion of the typical Sintári abilities. Only time will reveal what those may be, in addition to the full extent of your powers.
Yeah, I’d totally forgotten about my half-blood background. Thanks for the fucking reminder…
I cast aside the message as fast as I could, returning my attention to the ‘sheet’ and the one thing I had left to clarify. Focusing on the word ‘Unbound,’ I hoped I might bring up yet another message. Thankfully, my intuition proved correct, and an explanation of sorts popped up in the center of my vision.
The Unbound – Unrestricted by any class, you possess the singular ability to learn any Skill, Ability, or Spell.
That didn’t really offer much more than the description I already had, but then again, the explanation seemed clear enough. Apparently, all the Abilities I thought I’d failed to learn had simply been lying dormant within me, and whatever I’d done to complete the Discovery Quest had finally unlocked them. Despite how disturbing some of the revelations were, having access to those Skills certainly improved my chances of getting Kyrah to safety.
With a distinctly mixed set of emotions, I eventually closed the… window? Although it wasn’t like any pane of glass I’d ever seen, I was certain that was the term the Goddess had used. My vision cleared, and as the small cavern around me shifte
d back into focus, I saw Scar staring at me with a most curious expression on his face. He had a rather unique ability to project emotion, and I’d quickly learned to read his every mood. Oddly, Kyrah seemed unable to decipher him at all, something I found almost inexplicable, considering how obvious it was to me.
I gave his ears a playful rub. “Sorry, Scar. I was just looking over a few things.”
He loved the attention I showered him with, and Scar closed his eyes as he enjoyed the sensation of my fingers running across his skin. But the peaceful moment was shattered when a strange voice broke through the silence.
‘When will you understand me?’
My eyes darted around the small cavern as I reached for my blades, yet I couldn’t see anyone close enough to have spoken those soft words. I was certain I hadn’t imagined them, and once my hand wrapped around the hilt of my sword, I called out my answer.
“Who’s there? Show yourself!”
While I scanned the cave for my unseen adversary, Scar jumped up and stared into my eyes as the unfamiliar voice spoke again.
‘Please tell me you can finally hear me!’
As we stared at each other, the pieces all fell into place, and I realized what was happening. I’d spent enough time around Bane to recognize Scar’s significance to me—our meeting had been no accident or mere happenstance.
“I hear you, Scar.” All my concerns seemed to melt away, and I pulled him into a fierce hug.
As I held him, Scar buried his face against my chest, and I could almost feel his relief. I could only imagine how frustrated he must have been over the past several days, trying in vain to speak to me while I all but ignored him. Whatever might come to pass, I knew that I’d found a companion who wouldn’t abandon me. After messing up my friendship with Kyrah so badly, the reprieve that offered me was nothing short of miraculous.
Releasing my near death-grip on him, I tried to ‘think’ to Scar, without success. Our communication in that manner was still a one-way affair, but I knew that would change in time. If the Goddess’ stories were to be believed, I only needed to wait for the bonds between us to strengthen before we could talk to each other that way.
Second Skin: Wayward: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 7) Page 11