“Once you’re settled in, I’d love to spend some time catching up with each of you,” I said to the four of them as the unease faded away and my confidence returned. “We’ve got plenty of shelters for you, and I’ll figure out where to put your inn as soon as I can.”
“Thank you!” Travis replied gratefully. “The ‘Tale burnt down, and we didn’t know what to do. Khorim told us he would find a place for us here. I wasn’t sure we could believe him, but we had nothing. It was our only chance.”
“I will see that you and Annia have a new inn here, Travis,” I assured him. “And I assume that you intend to hire Jessah and Irisse to work for you?”
“That was our plan,” Annia added as she wiped a stray tear from her eye. “At least that was what we hoped to do. I wasn’t certain it would really happen until just now.”
“I will take care of it for you,” I promised as I looked to each of them in turn. “It may take some time to build, and I’ll have Ilvain’s people speak to you once we’ve chosen a location. But for today, let’s celebrate. There’s plenty of food, and the ale’s not bad.”
I flagged down Hilgreth, who happened to be passing by with an armload of mugs and hijacked her delivery. She grumbled a bit but handed over the tankards without too much of a fuss. Once I secured the ale, I passed one to each of them and toasted to their arrival.
“To new beginnings,” I offered as I raised my mug.
Khorim, Broda, and the rest echoed my toast and we each took a deep sip of ale. Once the toast was made, I left them to continue their discussions and wandered away to find Stel. I still hadn’t welcomed him home, and I began searching for him among the crowd.
It took far longer to find them than I thought it should have, but I finally located Venna and Stel. Strangely, the two seemed like they were only just arriving at the feast and were approaching the gathering as if they had just left Venna’s infirmary. A light went on in my head as they drew closer, and I had to suppress the giggles that threatened to burst out as I greeted them.
“Welcome back, Stel,” I smiled as the two drew near. “I was going to offer you a hug, but I think that my greeting would be underwhelming, considering the circumstances.”
As I spoke, I sidled up to Venna and adjusted her off-kilter tabard and crooked belt.
“That’s much better,” I said as I appraised her. “You might want to get a mirror for your infirmary if you intend for it to serve more than one function.”
They both flushed the brightest shade of red, but as I held Venna’s gaze, the laughter finally spewed out of me, and we both fell into a fit of irrepressible giggling.
“I assume the two of you could use an ale right about now?” I finally said as our laughter faded.
“I should say so,” Venna replied as her cheeks flushed again.
“I’m sorry, Sintári, we should not have–” Stel began before I cut him off.
“Stel,” I turned and faced him. “Don’t tell me you were about to apologize to me for loving your wife. Don’t you dare tell me that. I don’t ever want to hear you say that.”
“But I–”
“Stel?”
“Yes, Sintári?”
“You’re a smart boy, aren’t you?”
“I have heard this before,” he lamented.
“Good,” I said as I held his gaze firmly. “Then I don’t have to tell you what comes next.”
“No, you do not.”
“Stel,” I said as I took his hands in mine. “I love her dearly, but she’s your wife. Don’t ever put me before her again.”
“I didn’t realize that I was doing that,” Stel apologized. “I am sorry, to you both.”
I let go of one of Stel’s hands but grasped the other firmly as I led him back to the feast. As we walked, I sent him a tiny thread that held the essence of my respect and admiration for him. I fed him my love and the true reverence I felt for his union with Venna. I sent him these feelings in their truest, most honest forms, so that he would understand what I meant, more deeply than any words would ever have been able to communicate.
When we reached the crowds, I finally let go of him to place a mug in his hand. I raised my own mug back at him as I stared into his bright, silver eyes, and he simply nodded his head back at me as we drank.
“I will not make that mistake again.” Stel said as he set the mug down.
“Don’t feel too bad,” I smiled as I glanced at Venna sideways. “I had to have the same conversation with her as well.”
“Oh, really?” Stel perked up.
“I don’t want to talk about that!” Venna blushed again.
“Oh my, is that Tási calling me?” I feigned. “I’ll just leave you two alone for a while and go find her.”
“No, don’t leave now!” Venna called to me as I hurried away.
“Do tell me about this conversation you had, wife.”
I tried but failed to suppress my grin as Stel’s words carried to me.
Tási was with Broda and Khorim when I finally tracked her down. The three of them were still talking about building the new inn with Annia, Travis, Jessah, and Irisse, so I settled into the chair next to Tási and listened in on the conversation.
“Imagine my surprise when I learned that you are… familiar with that pretty little one over there,” Tási whispered to me. “What an interesting day it’s been. Tell me, did you meet any other old friends while you were wandering around without me?”
“Oh, shut up already,” I whispered back as I took her hand. “One more word and I’ll start feeding you something you’ll find interesting.”
I punctuated my threat with a tiny jolt of passion that made Tási jump in her seat. She stared at me in surprise and then took a quick sip of ale to cover her reddened cheeks.
“Are you alright, Tási?” Broda asked from across the table.
“Fine. I’m fine,” Tási hurriedly assured her.
“It’ll be worse next time,” I warned her.
“You win,” she relented quickly. “I’ll stop.”
Tási was true to her word and didn’t say another word about the two new arrivals for the rest of the night. I did, however, catch her eyeing both of them, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze as a reminder each time I did.
The God-forged gear had a tremendous impact on the new arrivals. As Venna, Tási, and I meandered among the newcomers, they never failed to notice the Artifacts. The reactions became even more pronounced as word spread through the crowd of just who had given us the incredible equipment. The realization that they had joined a settlement that had been so richly blessed by the Gods washed over them, and I could almost see the change in their attitudes.
Bane also caused quite the commotion himself. None of them had ever seen anything like him before, and he drew a great deal of attention as he followed Tási and I around. But the most important thing that happened that night had nothing to do with us or our equipment. It was the slow transformation that came over our newest citizens as they came to realize just what sort of place they had found themselves in.
Some had come to us with hope, a few with aspirations, but most of the newcomers had come to us in desperation. Like Travis, many simply had no other option, and starting over was the only choice left to them. When they learned that their desperate gamble had brought them to a place that seemed destined for greatness, the combination of gratitude and relief that came over them was truly an amazing thing to observe.
Finally, as it grew late, we found places for everyone to spend the night, and promised to put them each in appropriate homes the next day. Dividing up the available housing didn’t seem like it would be much of an issue for us. Between Ilvain’s carpenters and the dwarven miners, there were plenty of places ready to be occupied. It would only be a matter of matching the families and individuals to the most suitable homes.
When we finally got the last of them secured for the night, Stel, Venna, Khorim, Broda, Tási, and Bane walked together with me back to our home. We ha
d not been together in several weeks, and the sounds of our raucous laughter echoed through the canyon, and then into the valley beyond as we wandered slowly along.
Between our deliberately slow pace, and frequent bouts of laughter, it took us quite a while to make it to our front door. But when we did, I froze on the porch before my hand wrapped around the doorknob.
“Fuck,” I swore. “They’re here.”
“Who?” Stel responded in alarm as he started to draw his sword.
“Nentai and Set,” I replied. “I can feel them waiting for us.”
“You can what?” Venna asked incredulously.
“Look, we can’t keep them waiting,” I ignored her. “Just be prepared for what’s inside.”
I couldn’t explain how I knew the Goddesses were inside, and in truth, I didn’t want to think about it. So, I simply turned the doorknob and walked inside the common room to see Nentai and Set sitting at our scruffy table as if they lived there with us.
“It’s about time you got back,” Set complained.
“Now sister, it’s been a rather big day for them,” Nentai soothed.
“Oh, very well, let’s just get on with it,” Set said impatiently.
It seemed obvious that the Goddess of Nature was far less interested in the whole process now that she was no longer dispensing her own creations, and I couldn’t help but wonder why she even came since she had felt free to let Nentai come alone once before.
“Come, Dreya,” Nentai beckoned me. “You will enjoy handing out our gifts tonight.”
The chest that Nentai had summoned before was once again on our table, and I lifted its lid without the Goddess prompting me. Once I pried open the ornate cover, I could see a bundle of folded leather tied with a knotted cord. Knowing who had yet to receive their gifts, I was fairly certain for whom it was intended, and when I lifted it out of the chest, my instinct was proven correct.
Nightwalker’s Leather – God-Forged Artifact – This finely made set of armor was crafted for Dreya Sintári by Noxyl, Goddess of Thieves. While this item is irrevocably bound to the Sintári, it is intended to be worn by one of her companions. The Armor will temporarily bind itself to whomever she bestows it upon for life, unless the Sintári revokes its use. Upon the death of the wearer, or if the Sintári chooses to reclaim the Armor, it will return to Dreya Sintári’s possession.
In addition to providing excellent defense against attack, the Nightwalker’s Leather increases the Stealth Skills of the wearer and silences all sounds the wearer makes while in Stealth. This Artifact is self-repairing and has no effect on Encumbrance.
“Take this from me, master dwarf,” I smiled broadly as I walked over to Khorim. “It practically has your name written all over it.”
He awkwardly tried to accept the bundle from me while he was still on his knees, and I gently chastised him.
“You don’t accept a gift from the Gods on the floor, idiot,” I scolded him in a friendly manner. “Get the fuck up!”
There wasn’t a sound in the room, but I recognized Nentai’s laughter echoing inside my head as Khorim hastily rose to his feet. But it wasn’t the mocking laughter of someone who saw humor in Khorim’s unease; instead, it had the ring of a shared sense of humor, an inside joke, perhaps. As if she had simply been delighted to hear me echo so closely the admonishment she had previously given to Venna.
“Let him look that over while you see what’s next,” Nentai called to me aloud.
I glanced at her as I returned to the chest, and the Goddess favored me with a knowing wink. She knew that I had heard her laughter in my mind, and that I had caught its subtle meaning. What I still didn’t understand was why Nentai was doing any of it.
But my thoughts on the matter vanished as she directed me towards the chest once more, and while I knew that it had been a square container just a moment before, the ornate box in front of me was now a long rectangular shape.
I hesitantly peeked inside the opening, uncertain of what I might find there, and saw a sheet of gleaming metal. When I reached inside to grasp it, it came out freely, and I held the solid wall of Khelduin in my hands in utter amazement.
Bastion’s Reckoning – God-Forged Artifact – This shield was crafted for Dreya Sintári by Hirstus, God of Crafting, Bratus, God of Festival, and Chrestis, God of Alchemy. While the Shield is irrevocably bound to the Sintári, it is intended to be used by one of her companions. The Shield will temporarily bind itself to whomever she bestows it upon for life, unless the Sintári revokes its use. Upon the death of the wearer, or if the Sintári chooses to reclaim the Shield, it will return to Dreya Sintári’s possession.
Bastion’s Reckoning provides nearly impervious protection against almost all forms of attack that it intercepts. In addition, the Shield will reflect a portion of the damage that would have been inflicted on the user back to the enemy who launched the attack. This Artifact is self-repairing and has a reduced effect on Encumbrance.
“Stel, get up,” I said to him softly when I reached where he knelt.
Stel rose to his feet steadily, and I held his gaze as he stood in front of me.
“You deserve this,” I told him as I passed the Artifact to him. “And there’s no one who I want to have its protection more than you.”
I watched Stel’s eyes light up in amazement when he took the shield from me. When it was clear that he was thoroughly enthralled, I turned around again to regard the Goddesses.
Set was still ambivalent, but Nentai was watching me with a look of… curiosity, with one eyebrow raised questioningly. I wasn’t quite sure what had piqued her interest, so I approached her cautiously.
Later.
Her single word filtered into my mind. There was no cautioning undercurrent like last time, only the promise of a meeting between us yet to come. So, I nodded in affirmation, and stood before the two Goddesses.
“We are done for today,” Nentai said as she rose from her seat. “But we are not finished.”
Nentai flashed me a conspiratorial look as she spoke the last few words, and her meaning was clear to me.
“Broda,” Nentai quickly continued once she knew that I understood. “You have not been forgotten. You will receive your boon on our next visit.”
The Goddesses then vanished in a shimmer of light, and we were left alone with our newest Artifacts. Everyone rushed to their feet to examine what we had been gifted with, and while they were distracted, I snuck upstairs.
You leave so soon, Sintári? Bane called to me as I ascended the stairs.
‘Say nothing, Bane. I’ll explain later, if I can.’
He sent me nothing more, and I didn’t look back as I shut the door behind me. As I expected, Nentai was already waiting for me when I stepped inside my room.
“I don’t understand,” she began bluntly. “You have such a profound sense of love for that man, yet you do not take him for your own.”
“He’s already been taken,” I replied somewhat confused. “And I think you know that my preferences lie elsewhere.”
“He may be taken, little one,” she observed. “But he would be yours if you wanted him.”
“I… I don’t even want to think about that,” I stuttered.
“You don’t have to think about it,” she smiled.
“Is this all you wanted to talk to me about?” I snapped at her angrily. “Because if that’s it, then we’re done.”
“No,” Nentai said as she stared into my eyes intently. “I didn’t want to talk to you about anything, really. I just wanted to see how many of your buttons I had to push before you would stand up to me.”
“One,” I replied coolly as I held her gaze. “It only takes one.”
“I see that now,” she said with admiration. “It seems that I only need to find the right one to press.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Nentai’s form shimmered and vanished from sight, and I was left alone in the room. I found the little drama she had arranged for me highly irritating, but the
re was nothing that I could do about it, so rather than let it bother me, I headed back downstairs.
Fortunately, everyone was still marveling over the two new Artifacts, and my brief absence hadn’t even been noticed. I was able to quickly sneak back into the room and join in on the excited conversation without arousing any suspicions.
“We have a lot of work and planning ahead of us tomorrow,” Venna finally said as she tried to end the night. “I hear there’s even an inn going up.”
Her reminder of all the difficult tasks we had ahead of us served its purpose, and we each headed off to our rooms.
“I have a notification I need to check,” I told Tási as we lay down together.
“I’ll be right here, fast asleep when you’re done,” she teased.
“You probably will,” I smiled back at her as I opened the tab.
Quest, The Uniter, Advancing – You have increased the population of your fledgling Realm beyond its initial level. Although you still have a long way to go, this is an important step on your journey. You have been rewarded with 2200 XP.
You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 32.
You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to WIS and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.
The level-up menu came as a surprise—I had forgotten that I only needed a single point to reach my next level. I’d intended to go on a hunting trip, or anything just to get that one point, but so much had been going on, my attention had been focused on the work in the valley, and I’d never gotten around to it. Now that it was in front of me, I put my lone discretionary point into Strength, and the window closed.
I couldn’t even remember the last time I had so much as glanced at my personal sheet, so I pulled it up to see how things looked after my most recent level.
Dreya Dae
Sintári Female
Title: Sintári
Level - 32
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 36
