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

by M Damon Baker

  Venna and Broda were overjoyed when I relayed the news that their husbands would be returning the next day, and we decided to prepare a feast. A festival to not only to celebrate their return, but also to welcome those that they were bringing with them. The two of them soon completely took over the planning, and I was happy to leave the entire affair in their hands.

  “Dreya,” Venna approached me cautiously after the two had been huddled together for a while. “We’ve been thinking about something and we have an idea we want to run by you.”

  Her tone let me know that she was uncertain that I’d like her ‘idea,’ but I nodded for her to proceed anyway, despite my misgivings.

  “Everyone’s tired of referring to our defenses as simply ‘the wall’ or ‘the fortifications.’ They need a real name. Something special—something significant,” Venna explained. “We think we’ve come up with one, but we’re not sure that you’ll approve.

  “We want to call it, Daebreak Garrison.”

  “Wait. Do you mean day, like daylight, or Dae, like my name?”

  “Like your name, Dreya,” Venna hesitated. “This is your realm, and it’s where you broke your enemies. We think that it’s not only fitting, but it will give a sense of pride to those who are stationed there to know that they serve in such an honored place.”

  “I don’t know if I want people naming things after me just yet,” I began to object.

  “Perhaps you don’t, but I can only keep reminding you that things are not always about what you want, but what needs to happen,” Venna gently prodded me.

  “Have you talked about this with anyone else?” I asked her reluctantly as I massaged my suddenly aching temples

  “Not yet,” she confessed.

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” I reluctantly said aloud, “but ask around and see what people think about it. If they like it, then make it official.”

  Venna’s eyes lit up as she nodded back at me and then retreated to her deliberations with Broda before I could change my mind. I couldn’t believe that I had just approved naming a damn fortress after myself, but in the context of what I was eventually trying to do, I realized that it was only a small matter. What significance would the name of a single fortification hold when compared to the conquest of an entire continent, I consoled myself. While the two of them continued to plan the affair, I wandered off to check out the fluffy bed that Ilvain had sent over while we were out during the day.

  Bane was already settled into the plush cushion, and I plopped down beside him and let my head rest on his chest. The powerful beating of his heart echoed in my ears, and the rhythm of it soothed the stress from my mind as I lay with him. As I rested peacefully, Bane twisted his sinewy neck around, and rested his head on my chest. His soft purr soon came to me as he found contentment in feeling my heartbeat, and I sent a thin tendril of love back to him in return.

  “Dreya, wake up,” Tási nudged me.

  “What?” I replied in confusion as I pried my eyes open.

  “It’s morning. You fell asleep downstairs with Bane,” Tási whispered.

  My head was still resting on his chest, as his was on mine, and Bane’s purr thrummed softly in my ears and the warm Cloak was wrapped around me like a blanket.

  “Help me get up,” I whispered back. “I don’t want to wake him.”

  I managed to slip out from under Bane with Tási’s help, and she guided my groggy steps over to the table where I sat down.

  “The two of you looked so happy and peaceful,” Tási explained while she poured me a cup of tea. “I couldn’t wake you. So, I wrapped you up in your Cloak, and let you two have each other for the night. I’ve missed him sleeping with us. I can only imagine how much you’ve missed him too.”

  “Where’s Broda and Venna?” I asked as my wits slowly returned.

  “Already gone,” Tási replied as she cracked a few eggs. “They’re getting things ready for the big arrival. You might want to get Bane up, so he can give us a better idea of when to expect them.”

  “Not until after the food’s ready,” I smiled at her.

  Tási knew Bane’s nearly insatiable appetite and flashed a knowing smile back at me as she added a few more eggs into the pan for him. Once she had breakfast ready, I returned to Bane’s overstuffed mattress and gently prodded him until he finally opened his eyes.

  Good morning, Sintári, he sent me. That was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a while.

  ‘Me too, Bane. I’ve missed you.’

  I thought I might have outgrown my need for you. I was very wrong.

  ‘Let’s try to do more of this. I think we both need it.’

  If not for the whole night, at least for a while. Bane replied.

  ‘Whatever we need, dear Bane,’ I smiled as I sent him. ‘I want you to be happy, so don’t hesitate to let me know if you need me.’

  I won’t. He smiled back.

  Do I smell bacon?

  After a rather large breakfast, I sent Bane off to check on the caravan’s progress. Tási and I decided to skip our usual rounds, and we headed straight for the fortifications, where the homecoming celebration was being arranged.

  Venna and Broda had things in full swing—the spits were turning with fresh game, and the kegs were just waiting to be tapped. To my embarrassment, a large banner already hung across the road, proclaiming ‘Welcome to Daebreak Garrison.’ I might have felt better about it if Venna had the decency to at least pretend to care about my discomfort.

  “We would have written something else, but you still haven’t named your Realm, so it’s all we could do,” she teased.

  They will arrive in a few hours, Bane sent to me just as Venna finished her little taunt.

  No matter where he was or how far away, I could always tell where Bane’s words came from, so even though he was far out of sight, I reflexively turned to face the direction he sent me his message from.

  “Was that Bane?” Venna asked as she recognized my expression.

  “Yes,” I replied somewhat petulantly as I stomped off. “He has news about the caravan’s arrival. I think I’ll go let Broda know when she can expect her husband’s return.”

  “Dreya!” Venna called after me. “I’m sorry. Please tell me when Stel’s going to get here!”

  I ignored her plea and she was forced to scamper after me as I sought out Broda among the hectic preparations. I finally found her, guarding the kegs to ensure that they weren’t tapped prematurely.

  “For the last time,” she scolded a persistent dwarf as I arrived, “not until they get here!”

  As the dwarf sulked away, I whispered the news to Broda before Venna could catch up to us.

  “Say nothing,” I admonished as Venna scrambled through the crowd to reach us.

  “Tell me!” Venna pleaded as she finally arrived.

  “Whose idea was it to make that banner?” I asked her pointedly.

  “I just remembered something,” Broda excused herself in a hurry.

  Venna seemed to find something very interesting on the ground, and it held her focus as Broda made her exit.

  “Mine,” she finally muttered at the dirt.

  “I didn’t do it just to bother you,” she tried to defend herself. “I thought it would be a good way to welcome our new citizens.”

  “Not just to bother me,” I pointed out her own words.

  “Oops,” Venna blushed.

  “Bane said that he’ll be here in a few hours,” I relented after a moment. “Now get back to your work.”

  She gave me a quick hug before hurrying back to the task I had interrupted, and once Venna went back to her preparations, I tracked down Tási who had gone to look over some of the food that was being prepared.

  Our resources were somewhat limited, but, as usual, my people had made the most of what was available. Fresh game was plentiful, and bowls full of the first fruits and vegetables from our crops were scattered on the tables. Fresh bread had also been baked for the occasion, and
, as always, there would be plenty of ale to wash everything down. All in all, it was a pretty good feast.

  Despite Broda’s vigil over the kegs, Tási had two full mugs of ale in front of her when I finally tracked her down. She immediately waved me over and slid one of them in front of me as I sat down beside her.

  “How did you manage to sneak this past Broda?” I asked after I took my first sip.

  “I didn’t have to sneak anything,” Tási explained. “She let me have it.”

  “I’m surprised,” I replied. “She seemed determined to keep those kegs from being tapped until the caravan arrived.”

  “You do remember that you run this whole place?” Tási waved her hands around as she reminded me. “There are a few perks that go along with that position.”

  “I thought you were my only perk,” I said as I kissed her gently.

  “Different perk,” she blushed in response.

  I had a very witty response to that, but I held my tongue when I saw just how flustered she already was. So, instead, I took another sip of ale and we watched as the preparations continued to unfold around us.

  Before long, the lookouts reported sighting the caravan coming up the trail. A few last-minute adjustments were quickly made, and an honor guard lined up along the road just beyond the portcullis. Twenty elven archers with the finest bows Nalen could craft alternated with twenty dwarven warriors clad in Dwarven Steel armor. It might have been more impressive, at least from a certain perspective, to have only the dwarves in their fine armor, but that was not the message we were trying to convey. Instead of an image of raw power, the vision we were putting forth was of our unity, and the strength that we’d derived from it.

  Eventually, Stel and Khorim led the caravan over the drawbridge and into the canyon beyond. The two were immediately pounced upon by Broda and Venna, who almost tackled the men with their eager greetings. Many of the others who’d accompanied them received similarly warm receptions from those they had left behind, and the reunions continued for some time while the wagons rolled into the canyon.

  Bane’s message hadn’t prepared me for just how many people Stel had managed to recruit. I watched in astonishment as dozens of wagons rumbled by, accompanied by scores of people walking alongside them. As with the original settlers that had come to the valley, there were many lone individuals among the newcomers, but in contrast to that first wave of citizens, this group had more young couples and families than I anticipated. Life in a remote location like this tended to be harsh, and it took a great leap of faith for those with so much on the line to venture out and join a new community like ours. I knew that I would need to consider their needs closely in the coming days and ensure that they were well taken care of.

  I took Tási by the hand and we strolled over to greet some of the new settlers as they arrived. We had only spoken to a few of them when a wagon came to a halt in front of me.

  “I’m glad to see that you are alive, Dreya. I almost didn’t believe him when Stel told us you had founded your own Realm,” Georl called down to me from the driver’s seat.

  I looked up at my old half-orc friend in shock and had almost managed to recover when Marli poked her head out from behind him.

  “I, for one, never doubted you,” she countered his skepticism before her eyes went wide.

  “What is that you’re wearing?” Marli exclaimed.

  “Gifts,” I smiled back at her. “From some… friends.”

  “Those are no mere gifts, girl,” she said as she climbed down from the wagon. Georl joined her and the two of them simply gawked at me for a moment.

  “How long are we going to stand here?” I finally asked them.

  “It’s all well beyond my ability to identify,” Georl confessed. “And the quality is far superior to anything I’ve seen before.”

  “That is something of an understatement, my friend,” Marli added. “Tell me what these items are. Surely they are artifacts from some long-lost trove you’ve discovered.”

  “No,” I replied with a smile. “They are brand-new, actually. But, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to introduce you to someone first.”

  “This is Tási.” I said, as I wrapped my arm around her. “She’s also been blessed with a similar gift.”

  I thought Marli’s eyes were going to fall out of her head when she noticed that Tási wore robes of a similar quality to my gear. The sight of so many artifacts with so much power almost threatened to overwhelm her composure.

  “My companion Venna has a suit of chain from the same source,” I added just to see what would happen. Then, as an afterthought, I played my final card on her.

  “You have to tell me,” Marli almost whimpered. “Where did you get these things?”

  Just as she asked, my ace flew in, and Bane landed by my side.

  You needed me, Sintári?

  ‘Just be you for a moment. You’ll catch on.’

  “Oh, look who’s here,” I commented offhandedly. “Marli, this is Bane, my Rhastoren companion. Bane, meet Marli and Georl.”

  Marli’s jaw moved, but no words came out. Georl was shocked as well, so I flashed him a quick wink to alleviate his distress. He seemed to catch on and relaxed slightly as Marli slowly regained herself. Time to drop the hammer.

  “The Armor is a gift from Melía, and the Cloak comes from Set, while my Quiver is a gift from Rhiza, Chel, Halyna, and Sargo, along with Nentai,” I casually named the Gods of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

  “Tási’s Robes came to her from Kalla and Finnus,” I continued nonchalantly, “and Bane also received a gift from Set, but you won’t be able to see it. You have yet to meet Stel’s wife, Venna. The Armor she wears was a gift from Thassa.”

  While the two of them stared at me dumbstruck, another voice spoke to me from beside them.

  “I knew there was something special about you, but I never thought it was anything like this.”

  The voice sounded familiar, but when I turned to face the speaker, I couldn’t place her at first. The young woman wore heavy leather armor and held a long spear in her hand. The armor and weapons threw me off, and it took a moment for her features to finally register.

  “Ella?”

  Before the word had even left my lips, I knew that my guess had been right, and I dashed over and hugged her tightly.

  “How are you? What are you doing here? Why are you dressed like that?” The questions gushed out as soon as I let her go.

  “Fine. Exploring. I’ve taken up adventuring,” Ella smiled as she answered all of my questions in turn.

  “Hello, Ella,” Tási said as she offered her hand. “I’m Tási.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” I recovered. “I should have introduced you two.”

  “Yes, well, that’s alright dear,” Tási replied flatly. “I know that you sometimes need to focus on other people.”

  Oh, shit. Was she thinking what I thought she was thinking? I knew that I would have to explain the situation to her, so she understood that my relationship with Ella wasn’t like that—at least I was pretty sure that it wasn’t.

  “Sorry to interrupt, Dreya Sintári,” a young elf said as he came running over. “Broda is looking for you. She says she’s got some people you need to meet.”

  “Go on, Dreya Sintári,” Tási subtly mocked. “I’ll see to your… friends. We really should get to know each other better if they’re going to be around for a while. Bane can come with us.”

  “So, tell me about yourself, Ella,” I heard Tási ask as she led them away. “Where did you meet Dreya?”

  “Did you call her Sintári?” Marli’s voice chimed in just as they wandered out of earshot.

  Ding!

  I had no idea what that could have been, but I didn’t have time to look at anything at that moment, so I simply I followed the elf through the growing crowd. People were everywhere, and Broda had obviously let the taps flow, because food and ale were being shared feely as introduction were made and the festivities began in earnest
. I grabbed a cup of my own from one of the dwarves who was passing them out and took a deep swig in anticipation of the next round of introductions when I stopped dead in my tracks.

  “Evans?!” I asked when I saw the Drill Master standing with a group of soldiers. “What brings you here?”

  “Dreya! I was told that there was a Kingdom being built,” he replied. “Seemed like an interesting opportunity, so I took a few of my best lads and joined up with the caravan. I should have known someone as resourceful as you would take advantage of the prospect as well.”

  “I hear that there’s a woman in charge,” he whispered to me conspiratorially. “They say she’s quite a badass. Do you think you can introduce me to her?”

  “I think that can be arranged,” I smiled at him.

  “I’m sorry, Dreya Sintári,” my guide interrupted. “But Broda is still waiting for you.”

  “You’ll have to forgive me, Evans,” I continued to smile as I let the elf lead me away, “but running a place like this keep me very busy.”

  The look on his face was priceless. I would have sworn that the Drill Master even blushed just a little.

  When we finally wound our way through the crowd, I found Broda alongside Khorim talking to a group of four people. The newcomers had their backs to me as I approached, but Broda saw me coming and called out.

  “These fine people want to open an inn,” she told me. “Sounds like a great idea to me, but we need to run it past you, of course.”

  “I like it,” I began. “But there’s not one on the plans, we’ll have to find a good—”

  The words died on my lips as the four turned to face me and I recognized each of them. Travis and Annia were holding hands, and next to them stood Jessah and Irisse.

  “Dreya?” Jessah said in disbelief. “You’re the one in charge here?”

  “I am.” I replied as a wave of comprehension came over me.

  Almost every person I had met in my travels had now joined my fledgling Realm. I wasn’t sure whether I had met them before because they were destined to come to me, or if my prior interactions with them were the threads that had pulled them to me yet again. Whatever the mechanics of our interactions were, these were the people who my Realm needed, and they had been brought to me.