Endreí could still remember quite clearly the way Venna’s brow arched in surprise the evening he’d invited her to stay for a while and share some wine after helping him put the children to bed. Yet she’d accepted his offer; one glass of wine turning into two and before either of them knew or even understood what had happened, daylight found them waking up beside each other. It hadn’t taken much more than that for both of them to realize what they had: A second chance at happiness—a rare enough thing in the world before, and certainly not something to be easily discarded in this one. The ceremony sanctifying their marriage had taken place only a short while later, and Venna’s official inclusion in their family made all of their lives complete once again. As Endreí recalled that distant memory, Venna stirred next to him, waking from her slumber despite his efforts to let her rest. With the pleasant memories rounding out his recollections, Endreí couldn’t help but smile as she opened her eyes.
“You’re going to be such a good father,” Venna peaked at him between scattered locks of hair, returning his grin with a broad one of her own.
“Thanks?” Endreí’s brow furrowed as he replied. “But I’d like to think that I already am.”
“You are,” she reassured him. “It’s just that I’m going to give you another chance to prove it.”
Endreí’s stared at her blankly for a moment before he realized what Venna was trying to tell him. As the light finally went off in his head, it was accompanied by the tone of a notification being received and an icon in the corner of his vision. Whatever it was would have to wait, however—Endreí had something far more important to deal with.
“How long have you known?” Was the first thought his confused mind latched on to.
“Not very,” Venna let out a soft laugh at his obviously jumbled state.
“I got a notification when I first found out, though,” she added in a much more serious tone. “Did you?”
Venna’s suddenly more deliberate tact struck Endreí as odd, and he noted the somewhat nervous way she quickly glanced away from him. Realizing that the message he’d just received was far more meaningful than he’d first thought, Endreí took hold of Venna’s hand as he opened his UI and read the single note that was waiting for him there.
Quest completed - You have completed the quest Venna’s Redemption. This Quest was never yours alone. Helping Venna overcome her bitterness and hatred was only half the mission you shared with her. After suffering so much, bringing a new life into this world together has not only served to heal Venna’s wounds but yours as well. The daughter you will raise with her is the highest reward you could possibly be granted.
Endreí hadn’t thought of that quest in… years. In truth, he’d forgotten about it completely, but when the notification appeared, all he could do was gaze vacantly at the words for a long while, trying to piece together the many meanings that were hidden there. As he began to slowly unravel its multiple layers, Endreí was shocked when he realized the truth that lay at its core: He and Venna had been destined to be with each other right from the start. There was simply no other way they could have conceived a child together. But Endreí had still been married to Rissa when he’d first received the quest, and his mind was instantly drawn to several very troubling thoughts.
“Did you know?” Endreí closed the window and looked into Venna’s eyes, searching for the truth in her response.
“No,” her head shook slowly as she answered him. “If what you just read was anything like the message I received, it took me completely by surprise too.”
“I knew we’d be friends, Endreí, that much was always clear to me,” Venna squeezed his hand gently, offering her reassurance as she continued. “I think part of me also knew that we could be something more than that, but you were married, and when Rissa died, I only thought of how I could help you, not some way to take advantage of your pain.”
Endreí was relieved when Venna clarified that point without him having to ask the potentially hurtful question. He’d been appalled when the thought that Venna might have tried to capitalize on his grief, or even worse, caused Rissa’s death for just that purpose had occurred to him. Yet even more than just her words, Venna’s sincerity when she spoke had served to silence his suspicions.
“As difficult as it was, I was also happy to be there for you when you needed me, just like you were for me so many times,” Venna recalled the many months she’d spent tending to him. “It took a long time for me to realize that I was feeling something more for you than friendship, and even longer before I allowed myself to accept those feelings.”
“I told you in the beginning that you were the key to my salvation, but I didn’t understand what that meant at the time,” she explained to him. “I had to let go of my past—all of it, including the anger and resentment I still felt towards you for killing Stel. Becoming your friend was only a small part of that; letting myself fall in love with you was the true test.”
“Endreí, you have to understand this, if nothing else,” Venna’s eyes pleaded with him as her words took on a more earnest, even desperate tone. “I love you. Not because some quest made me, but for who you are and the kindness you’ve shown me.”
“I love our children too,” she went on, her eyes brimming with emotion. “Eolfrí and Luníel mean the world to me, Endreí, and I hope our daughter will only bring our family even closer together.”
Venna’s reference to Eolfrí and Luníel as ‘our’ children and not just his struck Endreí forcefully, as it so often had, reminding him once again of her profound dedication to them. There was no sense of separation within their family, and her complete acceptance of his children as also her own—and their incredible love for her in return—stirred up powerful emotions within him.
Endreí’s heart beat loudly in his chest as he lay next to Venna for a while, silently taking in all that had been revealed to him—everything the quest’s message and Venna’s words had finally made clear. Somewhere in all that he knew, Rissa’s death had been guaranteed; she’d probably been destined to die from Dreya’s attack, yet Venna had managed to spare her from that awful fate. Although Endreí had finally moved on, he still missed her, but the smiles on Eolfrí and Luníel’s faces served as a near-constant reminder that Rissa wasn’t truly gone.
With a certain sense of clarity, Endreí came to understand the full meaning of the quest he’d been assigned years ago, suddenly realizing that it had never truly been a quest, but an opportunity instead. His ‘mission’ had not been so straightforward as simply helping Venna redeem herself; it had been for both of them to help each other during their times of need. Just as he’d been tasked with saving Venna, she too had to do her part in pulling him back from the edge of despair—each of them having to first forgive and then aid the other.
Truth be told, Endreí had found happiness again with Venna, something he’d once thought impossible. Not only was she a loving wife, but Venna had also become the mother his children so desperately needed after Rissa had passed. That alone would have been reason enough for him to welcome her into his life. All things considered, Endreí only had one final question to ask her.
“Have you picked out a name yet?”
Endreí’s casual dismissal of all the weighty implications they’d just discussed took Venna by surprise, but she recovered quickly, offering an awkward smile before answering him.
“Raelle,” Venna seemed almost nervous when she told it to him.
“That’s very pretty,” Endreí pulled Venna closer, sheltering her in his arms. “What does it mean?”
Endreí knew very little elvish, and even the fragments he’d once been able to recall were mostly lost to him now. As he’d grown and adapted to his new life in this world, the remnants the other Endreí had left behind for him had slowly faded away until there was almost nothing left for him to draw upon.
“I have no idea,” he felt her warm breath against his skin as Venna let out an amused sigh. “It’s from some old memory I can�
�t quite grasp, but it just feels… right.”
Thank You!!!
Whew! I wasn’t expecting that either. That may conclude Endreí’s journey, but I’m not finished yet. I hope you enjoyed seeing some of our old friends taking on new roles, but you need to get ready for what’s coming next. The Second Skin journey isn’t quite over; there’s more still to be uncovered.
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Special thanks to my Editor, Casey J Fenich. Without her help, my books may have never come together. She literally is the best, and can be found at: https://www.thothediting.com
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About the Author
M Damon Baker lives in sunny Florida with his family, dog, and 8.5 million alligators. Having played both tabletop and MMO RPG’s for more years than he cares to admit, M Damon was inspired to write his first novel after discovering the LitRPG genre. Keep up with him and be the first to discover his new releases by following M Damon on Amazon and his social media sites:
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Echoes: A Second Skin Novel (Second Skin Book 6) Page 22
