I cautiously drew myself in closer to the chasm and reached out towards the pulsing light with my senses. As soon as I felt the influence of its glow, a nearly overwhelming urge threatened to come over me, and the nature of its influence became obvious. I pulled back from the purple glow as quickly as I could before it’s power could overtake me, as it clearly had overtaken Ella, and tried to decide what to do next.
My initial attempt to heal her had been successful but had come with an unanticipated side effect. Although I had weakened the hold that the rage and anger had over her, I knew that it was still there, lurking deep inside the fissure in her soul. But in its weakened state something else had overtaken its power, and from deep within her, her passion had come forth and asserted itself over her will. Somehow my effort to heal her had gone wrong, and replaced one powerful emotion with another, leaving her helplessly in the grasp of a desperate sense of desire.
I couldn’t leave her that way. I had to do something about the way I had left her, even though the risk to me was clear. Her rage and anger were powerful things, but they were not directed at me specifically, like her passion was. Any attempt I made to try to assuage her craving would leave me open to the influence of her desire, something I already knew that I was more than vulnerable to. But I had no choice. I had to either confront it here, or deal with it outside, in the real world, where she would tempt me with her soft flesh and heated desire.
So, I descended slowly towards the gaping rift of purple light and put up my best defense. As soon as I felt the influence of the soft purple glow cloyingly beckon to me, I sent out my own thick tendrils of restraint and control to tug at the edges of the deep fissure. Our influences battled for supremacy for a while, but despite the power of Ella’s passion, there was no focus, no discipline behind it, and it slowly but inexorably yielded to my superior control. Eventually, I managed to suppress it completely and return it to its rightful place within her core. Although my efforts did not end up sealing her wound any more than I had the other day, it did return to its former state, and the only light that pulsed from within its depths was the deep crimson of her rage.
I learned a valuable lesson in that moment and realized that any future healings would need to be accompanied by a quick inspection of my work, to ensure that something like this never happened again. I couldn’t expend all my energy on the healing process either, as I had last time. I needed to keep a reserve in case something unanticipated came up, as it obviously had with Ella.
Once I was sure that things inside her were stable, I slowly withdrew and pulled back inside myself again. The ordeal had not been as taxing on Ella this time, and she was looking back at me when I opened my eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” she said as I came back to myself. “I couldn’t control myself at all. Please don’t be angry with me.”
“How do you feel?” I asked her instead of replying. “Are you tired?”
“No,” she replied softly. “I’m fine. I just feel really bad about what happened.”
“Good,” I responded as I commanded the straps of my Armor to loosen up. “Now that you’re under control, we’re going to finish what you started.”
Ella was already lying naked on the bed, and as soon as the buckles came undone, I stripped off my Armor and slid on top of her. I stared down into her deep brown eyes as I kissed her and sent a powerful tendril of desire running through every curve of her body that was pressed against me. She had kindled my own passions with her unrestrained advances and now that I knew she was herself again, I simply had to have her.
Ella responded to my threads of desire with the same eagerness she always had. Her body arched reflexively beneath me, and I felt her hands running along my body as she gripped me tightly. My own hunger was fed by Ella’s passions, and I channeled our emotions back and forth between us along with the delicate sensations of every inch of our skin as we pressed ourselves against each other. I lost all sense of myself in the jumble of sensations, as I nearly always did in the heat of our love, and didn’t know whether the breast I cupped in my hand was hers or my own, or if it was even my hand that was caressing the sensual mound of flesh.
I experienced our passionate intimacy from both our perspectives simultaneously and fed as many of the overwhelming sensations back to Ella as I could manage. The experience was incredibly overwhelming, just as it had been every time I was with Ella, and between the raw sensation of feeling her hands wandering all over me, and the delicious taste of her body, we both rushed headlong into our release in rolling waves of intense passion. When the last shudder finally ran through my body, I rolled off Ella and lay next to her for a while as we both recovered from the powerful experience.
“I guess that means you’re not too mad at me,” Ella teased after a moment.
“No, I suppose not,” I replied with a smile as I toyed with a few loose strands of her long, brown hair.
As we lay together, I explained what I had discovered inside her, how the desire that had taken place of her rage had overwhelmed her, and she nodded her head in understanding as she replied.
“I remember how disappointed I was when you didn’t show up for our sparring session the other day,” Ella responded. “It was probably a good thing that you didn’t. I’m not sure how I would have reacted if you had.”
“What’s important is that we fixed it Ella, not what might have happened.” I assured her. “I’m sure that I’ve repaired what went wrong, and I think I know how to prevent it from happening again. I may have to go a little slower, but I will heal you Ella. I promise you that.”
“Now, I have rounds to finish making, and unless I’m mistaken, you’re on guard duty today,” I said as I slipped back into my Armor. “I won’t protect you from Evans’ wrath if you’re late for your shift.”
The First Marshal was becoming quite notorious for the creative and rather grueling punishments he inflicted for such transgressions, and at my mere mention of it, Ella jumped out of bed as if she’s been scalded and began dressing in her gear as quickly as possible. She was still hopping around on one foot, trying to slip on her second boot when I left through the front door, and I couldn’t hold back a chuckle as the image of her struggling to get the boot on her foot kept playing in my mind.
The rest of the day did not pass as pleasantly and lighthearted as my morning, however. The impending visit from the dreaded Lady Death hung over me and my companions throughout the remainder of the day until, by agreement, we returned home together to face the Goddess of Death.
As we climbed the steps towards our own front door, a sense of dread cast a long shadow over us. I felt Nentai’s presence inside our home, but ever since Venna’s startled response when I had first revealed that I could sense the Goddess, I hadn’t mentioned it again. Something about Venna’s reaction made me hesitant to pursue the matter, though I couldn’t explain precisely what it was. But that night, I felt not only Nentai’s familiar aura, but another strange presence as well, one that I could not gain any perspective of but was definitely waiting for us inside the house. One that could only be the Goddess of Death.
Reluctantly, we ventured inside, and were greeted by Nentai’s familiar face, along with a second figure that was covered in a hooded robe of deepest black. Lady Death had made her appearance, as promised.
My companions fell to their knees, as they always did in the presence of the Deities, while I stood firmly in place as Nentai had told me I should. But my knees were weak, and I felt my anxiety rising as Nentai started to speak.
“My sister,” she said as she motioned towards the hooded figure, “does not often venture to the mortal realm. So, you can imagine my surprise when she told me that she would only bestow her gift to you in person.”
“That is correct, sister,” came the unexpectedly soft voice from within the shadows of the dark hood. “I have imparted a great deal of my own power into this Artifact, and I will not hand it over to anyone but the Sintári.”
Lady Death’s
gentle words took me by surprise. We had been expecting some sort of monster, and while the dark folds of cloth that covered her face could have concealed almost anything, her tone did not comport with the beastly images we’d conjured up. Then, as she finished speaking, Lady Death pulled back her hood and revealed herself to me, and I barely managed to keep my mouth from falling wide open.
Before me was the most delicately beautiful woman I had ever seen. The pale skin of her face was framed with soft, black hair that fell loosely around her shoulders. Her bright, blue eyes held my gaze as she stepped forward, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her as she came to stand in front of me.
“Not what you were expecting, I imagine,” the Goddess of Death whispered.
“No,” I managed to reply.
“I have spent too long among my charges,” she explained. “The mortal realm has become somewhat… uncomfortable for me.”
I nodded dumbly as if I understood, and she smiled back at me. Whether her smile was in amusement or something else, I could not say.
“You will undoubtedly gain some idea of the properties of the Artifact I have made for you when you take possession of it, but it is important for your companions to understand its powers, and its limitations as well.”
As she spoke, Lady Death withdrew a small rod from within the folds of her cloak. At first, I mistook it for smooth, polished stone, but a closer look revealed that the Artifact in her hand was carved from a length of bone that had been blackened by the shadow magic she’d used to craft it. Lady Death held the dark rod up to me but did not offer it. Instead, she spoke again and told me about the item she had created.
“This is Death’s Embrace. Contrary to what you may think, it will not send your enemies to my domain; rather, it will bring your allies back from it. This is a power I am loath to relinquish, so the limitations I have placed on it are worth noting.”
“You may use it to perform resurrection three times a day. This power functions exactly like the scrolls you use, drawing on the life force of the user, in this case, your life force, Sintári. However, Death’s Embrace will channel the required Essence for you, so you will not experience the same ill effects as you did when using the scrolls.”
“Death’s Embrace can also overcome the limitations of normal resurrection magic. If you combine all three of its charges, the rod’s power can be used to return one person to life whose body is damaged beyond the parameters of typical resurrection.”
“But there is a price to pay for these benefits. For Death’s Embrace to function, it must attune itself to you. Once it does, you will be unable to use any other form of resurrection magic. Your only recourse to bring someone back from my domain will be through the power of Death’s Embrace.”
“If you are willing to accept the power and the limits of Death’s Embrace, then I am happy to offer my gift to you, Sintári.”
With that said, Lady Death extended the powerful rod towards me.
The power she offered was incredible, just as every single Artifact I had been gifted was, but even though Lady Death had described the limits of Death’s Embrace’s powers, I saw no downside. As it was, I could only perform two resurrections before I was overcome by the strain, and even then, I needed to have the expensive scrolls in order to do that. The Artifact she was offering me would let me raise three of my people, or one who had been savaged beyond the resurrection scrolls’ limits, an ability that I lacked entirely. Attuning myself to Death’s Embrace seemed to only increase my abilities, so I accepted the powerful Artifact from her without hesitation.
Death’s Embrace – God-Forged Artifact – This finely made rod was crafted for Dreya Sintári by Lady Death herself. The Rod’s power can be used to resurrect up to three individuals per day, or one individual whose body has been damaged beyond the limits of normal resurrection. Upon acceptance of Lady Death’s gift, Death’s Embrace will irrevocably bind itself to Dreya Sintári, and she will be unable to use any other means to perform a resurrection. Under no circumstances may Death’s Embrace be used by anyone other than Dreya Sintári.
The last line of the Artifact’s description was worded differently than any of the other Artifacts I had received, and I puzzled over it for a second before Lady Death commented.
“Although I prefer to use more decisive language than my siblings,” she smiled at me in obvious amusement, “it means the same thing.”
“Thank you, Lady Death,” I offered graciously. “Yours is truly a unique gift, and I am honored to have received it from your hands.”
“I hope you do not have cause to ever think otherwise,” she replied wistfully.
Her tempered response seemed odd, but she quickly stepped away and then vanished in a shimmer. Although Lady Death had gone, Nentai still remained, and I looked at her in puzzlement.
“I told you I planned on bringing you two gifts at a time,” Nentai commented almost playfully. “It took some doing, but I have something else for you. Well, at least it will be for you to give away.”
A large box sat on the table beside her, but it wasn’t the chest she had summoned before. This container appeared more like a toolbox than a treasure chest of any kind. Still, I wasn’t about to look askance at any gift she wanted to bestow upon me, so I lifted the lid to peer inside the rough box. My confusion must have been obvious, because as I stared at the inexplicable pair of items inside the box, Nentai coaxed me to pick one of them up. I followed her advice, and when I gripped one of the heavy hammers, its description popped up.
Forge Hammer – Relic – These hammers were crafted long ago by a smith whose name has been lost to the ages. When used to craft any mundane items, the hammers will perform as a typical smith’s tool. However, when a competent smith wields one of the hammers to craft weapons or armor, the true nature of its power will be revealed. All martial items forged with one of these hammers will not only be of superior quality but will also be imparted with increased power and strength. Other effects may also occur, depending on the skill of the smith.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
“I know that you have three smiths now,” Nentai spoke up as stared at the hammer in my hand. “But the hammers aren’t soul-bound, they’re forge bound, so any smith in the forge can use one once it has been attuned. I took the liberty of keying them to you, so you may bind or rebind them to any forge you choose as you see fit. All you need to do is tap it on an anvil.”
“We need to talk,” I whispered to her. “Now.”
Nentai was clearly surprised by the forceful tone I managed to impart to my hushed voice, but she recovered quickly from her shock.
“You will stay here,” she commanded my companions. “I have things to discuss with the Sintári that are none of your concern. When we are through, you will not question her about them. Is that clear?”
A chorus of “Yes, Goddess” echoed through the room, and Nentai led me upstairs as if the entire thing had been her idea. When I closed the door behind us, she turned on me immediately.
“You are bold, Sintári, and I admire that trait,” she began. “But while I’m willing to tolerate some of your... eccentricities, there are limits to what I will allow. Do you understand me?”
“No, I don’t,” I replied to her bluntly. “And that’s why we’re here. I am grateful for everything you’ve done for me, Nentai, for all the gifts that you and your brothers and sisters have given me. But something’s not right—there’s something you’re not telling me. You’re hiding things from me, and I need to know what they are.”
“You do,” Nentai confessed with a sigh. “But you’re not ready for that knowledge just yet. If I thought that you were, I’d tell you myself right now. But as much as I want to tell you, I must admit that my father is right. It’s too soon. The answers to the questions you’re asking will only lead to your destruction if you learn them now. I know that what I’m telling you is difficult for you to accept, but I promise you, I will give you what you seek the moment the time is right for
you to know. Until then, please accept all that I have to offer you and trust that I have your best interests at heart.”
“You actually care about me,” I blurted out the truth as it became all too apparent. “You’re not just running errands or delivering items—there’s something more to it for you.”
“Never let anyone know that,” Nentai replied sharply. “It would very likely cost you your life.”
“I don’t understand,” I responded in near desperation. “Please, tell me something—anything that will help me to understand.”
“I cannot,” Nentai rebuffed me gently. “Just know that you are right, and that I am withholding anything more than that for your own safety.”
I was filled with an unexpected feeling of… something. Although I had no idea why Nentai was so interested in me, I realized that I had come to share her sense of attachment. She had become something more to me than I had appreciated, and I dreaded the thought that I might not see her again.
“Will you still visit me?”
“When I can,” she smiled warmly as she shimmered away into nothingness.
I stood alone in my room for quite a while, rolling the Goddess’ words around in my head searching for any hidden clues to why she had become so attached to me, but came up empty. If I was to believe her, and I had no reason to doubt her, discovering that truth would only put me in danger. So, as frustrating as it was for me to do, I shelved the mystery for then and decided to simply wait until she chose to reveal the truth to me. Since it was my only option at the time, it wasn’t all that difficult for me to do.
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 42
