Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3)

by M Damon Baker

  An emotional loop formed between us, and while Tási was feeding me her heated passions, I was sending my own into her. The intense desires echoed back and forth between us, magnifying every time the powerful emotions crossed over from one of us to the other.

  Barely seconds after I sent the first round of ecstasy back at her, Tási and I were rocked with successive waves of passion that sent us both over the edge. Her release fed into mine, and mine then fed hers in return. We held onto each other fiercely as our bodies were wracked by a series of orgasms that increased in intensity with every rebounding wave of desire that flowed between us. The cycle only ended when we both collapsed in utter exhaustion, finally breaking the powerful connection between us.

  Our bodies glistened with sweat and we lay still atop the blankets, unable to move and overcome by the incredible power of our shared release. We fell asleep just like that only a few minutes later, too tired to move or even slip under the covers.

  The next morning, however, I struggled to find just where all my clothes had disappeared to amongst the jumble of blankets. With Tási still sleeping peacefully atop the pile of covers, I gave up trying to locate my lost garments and resorted to pulling out spare clothes from my backpack.

  Once I was dressed, I stepped outside and took a deep breath of fresh air. It was still quite early, and I had a full day ahead of me, but I felt better than I had in a long while, cherishing the feeling of peace that had finally settled over me.

  Bane uncurled himself from his sleeping spot next to the cold embers of last night’s fire and hopped onto my shoulder as I rekindled the flames. I had just put up a pot of water to make some tea when he sent his words to me.

  You have bonded with Tási. How is this possible?

  ‘I should have expected that you might sense that,’ I sent back to him. ‘We will be discussing what happened when I delved into her last night once everyone else is awake, but I will not make you wait to hear the truth from me. Tási’s mother was a water spirit, and Tási carries that elemental essence within her. I unintentionally bonded with that part of her when I woke the water spirit within her.’

  This is a very strange development, my Sintári. I do not think you should share this news with your companions.

  ‘Neither do I, but since you have already sensed our bond, I’m not going to try to hide it from you.’

  Venna emerged from her tent just then and came over to sit beside me. The water was already boiling by then, so I poured us each a cup of tea and we drank a few sips in silence before she inquired about Tási.

  “How is she feeling today?” Venna asked.

  “Still sleeping,” I replied. “But she seems fine.”

  The rest of our companions filtered out slowly and joined us sitting around the fire. Khorim was on breakfast duty that morning, and was busy putting together some food for us to share when Tási finally joined us. She sat down next to me and rested her head on my shoulder as she took the cup from my hands and drank a deep sip of tea.

  “Let’s get this over with,” she sighed reluctantly.

  “Don’t say anything about the bond,” I whispered back to her.

  “I’m not that stupid,” she smiled at me.

  Tási stood up and I held her hand in support as she gazed directly at Stel. He looked back at her in puzzlement for a moment before he noticed the change that had happened.

  “What caused that?” He asked in confusion.

  When Broda and Khorim looked to see what Stel was referring to, Broda immediately gasped as she too noticed the sudden change. Khorim only stared dumbly before asking what was going on.

  “Her eyes, you dumb fool,” Broda scolded him. “They’ve turned blue!”

  “Weren’t they always that color?”

  “You’re such an idiot,” Broda sighed.

  “It happened last night,” Tási began to explain, relieving Khorim from any further humiliation. “I know that I can count on your support, but don’t know how other people might react to what I’m about to tell you, so the knowledge I am trusting you with must remain between us.”

  “I have been feeling a strange presence inside me. Last night, Dreya and Venna helped me uncover what it was. I had been told that my mother had abandoned me at birth, leaving me with my father while she departed mysteriously. We discovered that this was not entirely true.”

  “My mother was a water spirit, something akin to Ridge, but more highly developed. She left me behind because she could no longer maintain her mortal-looking form. What I had been feeling inside me was my own inner water spirit, the essence from my mother that was dormant inside me.”

  “Dreya woke that part of me, and now it is emerging. I promise all of you that I am still the same person you have always known, but I’m not sure how much its influence may change me in the future.”

  She sat back down immediately and buried her head against me. I wrapped my arm around her, and Bane even crawled over to perch on her shoulder in a demonstration of his solidarity.

  While the others were stunned by the news, Venna spoke up almost as soon as Tási sat down.

  “I always wondered how your healing magic was so strong, Tási,” Venna said. “Restorative magic is most closely related to the water sphere, yet even though you came to our Order as an Evoker specializing in fire spells, your affinity for healing was incredibly powerful.

  “I do not believe that your water spirit was quite as dormant as you think. In fact, I think that it has been influencing you your entire life, even if that influence may have been subtle at times. The point I’m trying to make is this; I don’t expect this revelation to change you very much, if at all. I think we already know the real Tási, and she is someone we all love and respect. This tiny matter is of no consequence to me in that regard.”

  As Venna spoke, Tási never lifted her head from my shoulder, but I felt the warmth of her tears as they soaked into my shirt. I patted her back reassuringly, and Bane even nuzzled against her cheek, but her head remained firmly buried against me.

  “Bah,” Khorim chortled. “Blue eyes, green eyes, you’re all a bit strange to me. But that’s the way I like you.”

  “I feel the same way about you, master dwarf,” I replied, returning his smile.

  Stel stood up and strode over to where Tási and I sat. He knelt down beside her and pried one of Tási’s hands free and waited patiently for her to acknowledge his presence. When she finally looked his way, the words he spoke touched my heart deeply.

  “I met you as acolyte, Letási,” Stel began. “You have traveled far with us and I have watched in admiration as you have grown in power. My wife has said this is a tiny matter, of no consequence between us, and she is right. You are one of us now Tási, you are family. And you will not be rid of us quite so easily.”

  “Thank you,” Tási’s voice cracked with emotion.

  “You are most welcome, Cintal,” Stel replied before returning to his seat.

  I glanced at Venna, puzzled by the term Stel had used. She knew precisely why I looked to her and immediately explained its meaning.

  “There are few words that remain from our old tongue,” her eyes grew misty as she explained loud enough for Tási to hear as well. “Cintal is one of them. The closest translation is ‘beloved sister.’”

  Despite the fact that she was crying profusely, Tási stood up and rushed across the short space and threw herself into Stel’s arms, hugging him fiercely as she shed her tears against his broad chest. Stel held her in return and kissed the top of her head tenderly as the two remained locked in a tight embrace.

  “Food’s ready!” Khorim shouted, timing his disruption perfectly to prevent the moment from becoming overly awkward.

  Stel and Tási finally broke away from each other and Tási returned to my side as Khorim began passing out the plates. When he came to us, Khorim handed me my food, but lingered a moment before passing the second plate to Tási.

  “I’ve no gift for words, little one,” he sai
d uncomfortably. “But I’d face an entire legion of orcs for you. You need not lose any sleep thinking this might come between any of us.”

  As soon as he finished speaking, Khorim practically scurried away. He returned to distributing breakfast to the rest of our companions, avoiding glancing our way as he did so.

  While we observed Khorim pointedly trying to not look in our direction, Broda made her own statement of support. It was a simple raising of her mug followed by a quick sip, but her meaning was clear—Tási had earned her confidence as well.

  With at least that aspect of the matter resolved, I turned my attention to more mundane issues.

  “I’m going to do my usual round of inspections today,” I told Tási. “Hilgreth wants me to wait until later to see the gate she and Dellon have put together, so I’ll probably start in the valley today. What are you going to do with your free time?”

  Tási had planned on sticking to camp for a few days, hoping her absence would make the sudden change in her eyes less obvious. There wasn’t all that much to occupy her in the small area, and I was wondering just how she planned to fill up all the hours.

  “Well, in case you hadn’t noticed,” she smiled at me slyly. “Our tent is a bit of a mess for some reason. I’ll probably start by sorting out the disaster that’s inside there.”

  “That might take you a while,” I laughed.

  “Yeah, I had trouble finding my things this morning,” Tási replied before leaning closer and whispering in my ear. “I think I’ve got your underwear on.”

  I practically choked on the mouthful of eggs I was chewing and Venna clapped me on the back trying to help me breathe again. Once I cleared my throat, Tási just looked at me with a mischievous grin and set about cleaning up the dishes.

  As soon as possible, I happily left camp behind and began my daily rounds while Bane flew off on his scouting mission. My trip through the valley revealed that everything was progressing as expected, and the farms and houses were going up at a steady rate. The few chickens that we had were together in a small area and had begun providing us with a meagre supply of eggs. Most of those would be allowed to hatch, slowly growing our small collection of livestock into more productive numbers.

  One of the more industrious elves had snared a few wild rabbits and begun breeding them. Soon enough, we would have a steady supply of meat from his operation, but it was obvious that we still needed to acquire more livestock if we were going to be able to live off the bounty of the valley in the long-term.

  The two caverns that had been converted into mines were producing a decent amount of ore, and although it was a fair distance away, I insisted that the smelting and refining process be done at Hilgreth’s forge. Eventually, a second forge would be built within the fortress that was planned at the closer end of the canyon, and once that facility was constructed, it would make the transportation of the ore much easier. But until then, I didn’t want the valley’s pure lands spoiled with the byproducts of the messy operation.

  When my rounds in the valley were complete, I still felt it was too early for me to inspect the new gate. Hilgreth and Dellon had worked hard on the project, and I wanted to ensure that I left them plenty of time to finish the installation before I stopped by to look over their work.

  To pass the time, I stopped again at my secret spot along the lake. The incredible view brought me an instant sense of peace, and the water’s calm surface recalled the smooth blue surface I had glimpsed inside Tási.

  Thinking of her reminded me that I’d completed the quest I had been assigned. Freeing the water spirit inside her should have completed its requirements, and I opened my notifications to see if it was done.

  Sintári Quest, Control, Advancing – Delving into the unknown takes true courage, and in doing so you have succeeded in uncovering your friend’s true nature. Your success merits a reward beyond the normal limits. For this display of devotion, you have been rewarded with 6874 XP and access to the Spell, Spike.

  A quest that not only rewarded XP, but a Spell too! That was not bad at all. I assumed that the XP reward would put me just one point shy of my next level, and looking over my personal sheet proved that to be correct.

  Dreya Dae

  Sintári Female

  Title: Sintári

  Level - 31

  431199/431200

  Health - 341/341 Aura - 725/825 Endurance - 341/341

  Sintári – Sintári interact with their surroundings in unusual ways. The effects of these interactions can be unpredictable

  Class – Warden – Wardens gain a 10% bonus to skills associated with nature or which have natural effects

  Specialization – Protector

  Mastery –

  STR - 38 (+3)

  CON - 29 (+2)

  DEX - 25 (+2)

  INT - 25 (+2)

  WIS - 23 (+2)

  CHA - 46 (+4)

  Abilities

  Ignore Armor – Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura. – 36%

  Stun – Your next arrow has a chance to stun its target on hit. Cost – 20 Aura. – 35%

  Block – You may attempt to use your bow to parry a single melee attack. Cost – 20 Endurance. – 20%

  Swarm – Your next arrow duplicates itself in flight. Cost – 20 Endurance and 20 Aura. – 47%

  Flurry – Perform three rapid strikes with a bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 25%

  Parry – Chance for your blades to block next melee attack targeted at you. Cost – 20 Endurance. – 23%

  Hamstring – The next arrow fired has a chance to cripple your opponent. Cost – 20 Aura. – 32%

  Hilt Bash – Stun your opponent with a successful hilt strike from your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 23%

  Blood Price – Your arrow inflicts a damage-over-time bleed effect. Cost – 30 Aura. – 37%

  Blind – Your next arrow has a chance to inflict blindness on a successful hit. Cost – 30 Aura. – 37%

  Achilles Strike – Cripple your target with a slash of your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 25%

  Penetrator – Advanced Ability – Your arrow pierces through armor easily. With increased proficiency it may penetrate through even greater barriers. Modifier – Strength. Cost – 60 Aura. – 20%

  Disable – Advanced Ability – A successful strike of your blade to an extremity renders the affected limb completely useless until healed. Modifier – Strength. Cost – 60 Endurance. – 20%

  Shockwave – Advanced Ability – Your arrow explodes on contact, dealing minimal damage but generating a stunning Shockwave in a radius around its detonation. Size and scope of this effect increase with proficiency. Modifier – Strength. Cost – 120 Aura. – 20%

  Sintári Abilities

  Natural Affinity – The Sintári’s unique connection with the natural world may manifest itself in random ways at times. While these effects are generally beneficial they are also typically outside the direct control of the Sintári. Modifier – Charisma.

  Control – Effect varies, applies to all Sintári Abilities. – 39%

  Protector Abilities

  See Truth – Once per day, the spoken words of your target become visible to you, allowing you to see the truth held within them. Strength and duration of this effect increase with proficiency. Cost – 60 Aura. Modifier – Wisdom. – 21%

  Spells

  Enhanced Sight – May be cast on self or ally. Improves visual acuity of the recipient in dark or obscured conditions. Cost – 20 Aura. – 47%

  Create Trap – Place a magical trap upon an area. Size, type, and trigger of traps is determined by your proficiency. Cost – 40 Aura. – 53%

  Elemental Arrow – Your next arrow is imbued with elemental energy and causes additional elemental damage accordingly. Cost – 30 Aura. – 28%

  Spike – Launch Ice Spike(s), delivering bonus cold damage on a successful hit. Cost – 40 Aura. – 1%

  Bolt – Release a Bolt of pure Lightning
at your target(s). Cost – 40 Aura. – 24%

  Find Weakness – Highlights vulnerable points on the target. Modifier – Intelligence. Cost – 80 Aura. – 20%

  Summon Elemental – Summons an Elemental creature. If you succeed in binding it to your will, the creature will serve you faithfully until the spell’s expiration. Modifier – Charisma. Cost 100 Aura. – 21%

  Shield – May be cast on self only. Manifests a forward-facing barrier against incoming projectile attacks. Duration and resistance of the barrier are based on proficiency and modifier value. Modifier – Constitution. Cost – 80 Aura. – 20%

  Skills

  Bow – 54%

  Critical Hit – 42%

  Blades – 34%

  Long Sword – 37%

  Short Sword – 29%

  Dagger – 26%

  Critical Hit – 29%

  Two-Handed – 30%

  Pole Arms – 14%

  Spear – 23%

  Armor – 32%

  Medium Armor – 37%

  Perception – 45%

  Environmental – 46%

  Identify Enemy – 48%

  Identify Person – 39%

  Combat Dodge – 25%

  Subterfuge – 30%

  Stealth – 35%

  Find Trap – 11%

  Disarm Trap – 8%

  Set Trap – 10%

  Manipulation – 39%

  Persuade – 51%

  Barter – 31%

  Survival – 24%

  Tracking – 26%

  Identify Creature (Beasts) – 19%

  Skinning – 16%

  Field Dress – 15%

  Alchemy – 19%

  Herbalism – 31%

  Potion Craft – 27%

  Lore – 3%

  Identify Magical Item – 5%

  My talents in the Manipulation tree continued to trickle higher even though I never actively used them, but as my proficiency in them grew, the rate of increase finally seemed to be slowing down a little. The other skill that was advancing without any practice was my summoning Spell. I realized that as long as I maintained the magic, my proficiency increased, although the change was very slow.