Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

  “Abbott, I have some limited skill with herbs and the making of potions. If you would be willing to teach me the formula, I would be happy to try and learn it from you.”

  “Venna did not tell me any of her companions had such skills!” the Abbott replied sternly, clearly upset that the information had been withheld from him.

  Having incurred the displeasure of the Abbott, Venna appeared mortified, and I hurried to her defense.

  “The fault is mine, Abbott,” I quickly offered. “We all tend to hold our talents too closely at times. I never made her aware that I had any ability with such things.”

  It was all too true—I knew little about the various talents my friends possessed, and they probably knew even less about mine. If we were to be part of some grand adventure together, we would have to entrust each other with a few more of our precious secrets, so I made a note to rectify the situation. Not knowing what each of us was capable of could be a serious liability, as our conversation with the Abbott had just revealed.

  “Yes, there is truth in your words, Dreya,” the Abbott replied more calmly. “Come with me, my laboratory is not too far. I will instruct you on the recipe for the potion.”

  We followed the Abbott as he laboriously maneuvered through the halls of the monastery and into his laboratory. He sat me down beside a workbench and asked to inspect my equipment. Finding that I had all the necessary tools, he began to teach me how to craft the antidote. Fortunately, the process was rather simple, not much different from the basic healing potions I had already made, but despite the fact that I picked it up easily, the Abbott insisted on providing me a written copy of the formula as well, ‘just in case.’

  After furnishing me with a pile of extra ingredients, the Abbott shooed me away, bidding me to return with the rest of my companions. But he held Venna back, informing her that he had a few final instructions to relay to her while I was gone. With a forlorn glance over her shoulder, Venna looked at me as the Abbott guided her away. I flashed her a quick smile in return, mocking her in her discomfort before heading back to the Bard to roust my sleeping companions.

  Entering the common room, I discovered that my task would not be as difficult as I had feared, as all three of my remaining friends were gathered there eating breakfast together, each one obviously nursing a sore head.

  “Hey there!” I shouted loudly as I approached the table.

  All three winced at my overly enthusiastic greeting, and I snickered a little at their discomfort.

  “I’m sorry,” I continued, still a little more loudly that was required. “Did the three of you overindulge a bit last night?”

  “No! What am I thinking? You wouldn’t do such a stupid thing as that. Not when you knew we had a mission to begin this morning!”

  Broda looked up at me balefully, her red eyes still bloodshot from the night before.

  “Why Broda, just look at you,” I prodded. “If I didn’t know any better, I might suspect that the weak elven brew they serve here had gotten the better of you!”

  Broda had made a point of haranguing Khorim endlessly for getting too drunk on human ale, a point she had been relentless with ever since the incident had occurred, so I felt that a little turnabout was only fair play.

  Khorim looked up at me and just shook his head sadly. He knew Broda would somehow hold him responsible for my comment, and he was not looking forward to her wrath.

  “Stel,” I said, turning to the elf in seriousness. “You wife is with the Abbott, waiting for us to join her.”

  He nodded his understanding and slowly stood up from the table. Well, at least he managed to do so the second time he tried.

  With my pathetic friends in tow, I guided them back to the monastery, hoping in vain that they would look a bit more presentable by the time we arrived.

  Reaching the monastery doors, the acolyte did not open them for us to enter. Instead, he motioned for us to follow him as he led us around the side of the building and into an open courtyard. Venna was there, standing beside a wagon with the ornate chest secured in its bed. Two acolytes stood nearby, a young halfling woman and a human male. Thankfully, the Abbott was nowhere in sight.

  “Do we really need a wagon?” I asked as I drew closer to Venna. “Seems like it will only slow us down and draw attention.”

  “Yes, unfortunately, the wagon is a necessity,” she replied ruefully. “The chest is too heavy to carry, and its magic cannot be transported in one of our packs.”

  “Great,” I said unenthusiastically. Not only were we heading into an area infested with some unknown plague, but we were doing so with a wagon that practically screamed ‘rob me!’

  “Well, sounds easy enough,” I added sarcastically. “Unless of course the Abbott had some vision telling him to provide you with a wand of dragon slaying this time.”

  Our first mission had nearly ended in disaster when we’d encountered an undead wraith that was well beyond our ability to defeat. We had only survived because another Abbott had seen fit to provide Venna with a banishing rod, foreseeing the possible need for her to have the additional aid.

  “Well, um, now that you mention it…” She trailed off.

  I put my hand over my eyes, rubbing them in frustration.

  “Just tell me,” I grumbled.

  “The Abbott did provide us with some support, in the form of these two acolytes,” Venna confessed.

  I turned to look over the pair as they waited nervously across the courtyard.

  The human was both heavily armed and armored. Wearing half-plate like Stel, he also carried a heavy shield and a wicked mace strapped to his belt. At over six feet, he looked to be in his early twenties, and well-muscled. If he could actually wield the massive weapon he carried, I thought he might prove useful. Standing next to him, the halfling woman was a stark contrast to her companion.

  She looked to be right around five feet tall, just about the height of my chin—a height that I had learned was not unusual among her folk. The halflings of this world were not as diminutive as they were often depicted in the other fantasy lands I found among the dead man’s memories. They were not really ‘half’ of anything, and typically ranged anywhere from four and a half to just over five feet tall. This halfling had long brown hair and a pretty face with almond-shaped eyes and slightly pointed ears that gave away the fact that she was in fact a halfling and not a petite human or elf. She appeared to be armed with only the plain, unadorned staff she carried in her hands, and aside from her exposed head, the rest of her was covered with a set of thick, flowing robes that draped almost shapelessly over her body. I could imagine any number of weapons might be concealed within the folds of those robes and didn’t doubt that she had more than a few tucked away beneath them.

  Khorim had been sizing up the acolytes just as I was and offered his opinion.

  “I feel safer already,” the dwarf said flatly.

  “Khorim!” Venna whispered sternly as she motioned for the acolytes to approach.

  “The Abbott has assigned these two acolytes to assist me with my mission,” Venna continued.

  “This is Letási,” she said, introducing the halfling, “and this is Otney,” gesturing to the man.

  The rest of us introduced ourselves to the acolytes, and we began making preparation for our departure. With time being an important factor, we got ready quickly and departed the courtyard, heading for the outpost gates.

  We set a relatively slow pace, as Otney and Letási insisted on walking alongside the wagon to provide security, so I made Stel, Broda, and Khorim lie down in the wagon’s bed to continue their recovery. Venna tisked at them harshly as they lay there, shaming them in their infirmity, but when she turned her back on them to face forward again, we both burst out in laughter.

  Venna had covered the ostentatious chest with some blankets for concealment, and Stel leaned on the large box to stabilize himself. We hit a particularly large rut in the road, jarring the wagon, and Stel banged his head against the hard out
line of the chest. The uncontrollable giggling that had been overcoming the two of us lately erupted once more as he cursed and rubbed his sore head.

  “If you two little schoolgirls can’t control yourselves,” Stel lamented in his pain. “Perhaps we’ll have to separate you.”

  “Good luck with that, husband,” Venna replied.

  Stel’s feigned hurtful expression only triggered another fit of giggles, but at least that outburst was mercifully short.

  To reach our destination, we followed the road that would eventually lead to a town called Ord. Although it started off from Oróna heading in the wrong way, the road soon forked, allowing us to travel in the direction we needed to go. We would have to travel for several days on this second road before we reached the trail leading to the small village that had been stricken by the mysterious plague. Although it would have been far safer traveling with a caravan, none was available at the time. Even if one had been, Ord was not a major city, and we would have only enjoyed the safety of the caravan’s escort for a short while before having to veer off the heavily traveled trade route.

  The remote nature of the town was a mixed blessing—although we would be traveling by ourselves, most of the journey would be along the lesser-traveled roads. The decreased traffic meant less banditry, but we would be on our own in fending off any threats we might encounter.

  Thankfully, the first day’s travel was along the safest stretch of road. A true blessing, as with three of my friends in less than peak condition, we would be sorely pressed if attacked.

  After riding along in the wagon for most of the day, Venna called a halt when the sky began to darken. We were still on the more heavily traveled section of the road, and often-used campsites were plentiful. Pulling up to one of the regular stopping points, she guided the wagon off the road, and we stepped off to set up camp for the evening. Knowing my own role, I didn’t wait for instructions before grabbing the two acolytes and circling around the camp to lay my protective traps.

  “We have an issue with keeping too many secrets,” I explained as I cast the first trap. “I don’t expect you to reveal everything you can do to us right away, but if you have any talents that we need to be aware of, we need to know about them.”

  They followed along silently as I completed my work, encircling our campsite with a protective layer of entangling traps. When I was done, I led them back to where the others were waiting.

  Everyone was already seated, so I didn’t hesitate to begin the discussion.

  “This mission has only just begun,” I began. “But it might have been doomed to failure because we have been too afraid to let each other know what talents we have—because I chose to keep my Herbalism skill a secret.”

  “I don’t expect you to share everything,” I continued. “More than anyone else, I understand the need to keep a certain number of things private. But if we are going to be successful in the long-term, we need to share a lot more information than any of us are used to.”

  “I agree,” Venna added. “But with all due respect to our new companions, now may not be the best time for this discussion.”

  She certainly had a point—Letási and Otney were not just new, but they were also only temporary additions to our group, and while we may have been comfortable enough to share a great deal among the five of us, I could certainly understand the reluctance to open up with two strangers.

  “Perhaps we will need to have a second discussion later, but I still believe that we should share at least a little bit to ensure our success on this mission,” I replied. “I’m willing to go first and the rest of you can follow, or not, as you see fit.”

  I stood before my companions, both new and old, and told them what I was capable of, leaving off what I wasn’t willing to say in front of the newcomers.

  “As you know, I can cast a trap Spell, I also can imbue my arrows with various effects, including some debilitating conditions. I can both cripple and stun with my blades and cast a mild form of lighting. I am able to travel in Stealth and, as I have already stated, I know Herbalism and Potion Crafting.”

  While I had revealed a great deal, letting my companions know at least generally what I was capable of, I had still kept a lot of the specifics to myself. I would have felt free to reveal much more if it were only my four friends that were present, but it was more than enough information for the purposes of our current mission. When I finished, I sat down and waited to see if anyone would offer to volunteer next.

  I was surprised when it was Letási who rose up.

  “Thank you for doing that, Dreya,” the petite halfling began. “That was very brave and selfless of you. While I understand the need to keep some secrets, I too have often thought it foolish how much we withhold from each other.”

  “I am only an acolyte, a fledgling Evoker,” she went on. “I can cast a spell that reflects missiles back at an attacker, and some simple fire magic. And as an acolyte of Thassa, I have been trained in basic healing magic as well.”

  “Thank you Letási,” I said as she sat down. “That may prove very helpful to know.”

  Emboldened by Letási, Otney stood next. As a young initiate, the skills he spoke of were not overly remarkable, but I was impressed with his willingness to share them with us anyway.

  The rest of my companions went in turn, each revealing several of their talents. Most of what they chose to reveal I already knew, having observed their actions in and out of combat for weeks. While they all chose to keep some secrets, many of which were talents that I already knew or suspected they possessed, I was fine with that. I knew we would need to follow up on this conversation when we were alone; when we felt less constrained to reveal more of our details.

  The revelations had a surprising effect. Almost immediately, it seemed that everyone felt closer to each other. As the preparations for the night began, I couldn’t suppress a smile as I watched Khorim and Stel joking with Otney like they were old friends. Even the formerly shy Letási was having an animated discussion with Broda about something. I sat down on the ground just outside the campsite and as I watched my companions, I could almost feel the bonds of friendship forming.

  “You have that effect on people, you know,” Venna said, taking a seat by my side.

  I thought about what she said and realized that she was right—while I couldn’t turn someone who hated me into a true friend, now that she had mentioned it, I could see the pattern. Everywhere I went, people seemed more positive towards me than I had any reason to expect. From Marli, Georl, and Ella back in Tula, all the way to Drill Master Evans at The Citadel, I always seemed to be able to make friends, or at least have positive interactions with people, quite easily. I’d just never managed to connect all the dots as Venna so clearly had.

  “I guess you’re right, I just hadn’t realized it before,” I replied softly.

  “Oh, I’m right about that,” Venna laughed. “I had never even considered taking a lover besides Stel until I met you. Now I can’t think of not being around you, even though we can’t be together like that.”

  “Venna!” I replied in shame. “Please forgive me! I didn’t do any of this on purpose. It just happens!”

  “Dreya?” She replied solemnly.

  “Yes, Venna?”

  “You’re a smart girl, right?” She smiled at me slyly as she spoke the words.

  “Just tell me,” I answered in defeat. Even so, I felt a smile pulling up the corners of my mouth.

  “I know that forces beyond me, beyond both of us, are at work here,” she said, taking my hand in hers. “And honestly, I don’t care. You have brought so much joy into my life, I wouldn’t trade you for the world. When I am with you, I feel a lightness in my soul. A sense of peace and yes, love, unlike anything I have ever known. If the price of being so happy—so free—is a little manipulation, I am more than happy to be manipulated.”

  We both had tears in our eyes when she finished speaking. Her vulnerable confession touched my heart so deeply, evokin
g my own feelings for her as well. I knew I felt the same deep love for Venna as she did for me, she had just managed to express it better than I ever could.

  I pulled her in a tight hug, crushing her to me in a warm embrace. Holding her close to me, I felt my passion for her, my longing for what we could never have. Before my thoughts could turn into actions, I released her and wiped the tears from my eyes.

  “Oh, my,” Venna said, unsteadily.

  “What is it?” I looked back towards the camp, fearing she had seen some threat.

  “I felt that,” she replied, still shaken.

  “Felt what?” I asked cautiously, afraid that I already knew what she meant.

  “I felt you. Your desire,” she spoke softly. “It was faint, just a whisper, but I could feel it from you when you were holding me.”

  I lowered my head in abject misery. The only comfort I had left was being taken away from me. I’d learned to deal with the lack of intimacy, even though I desperately wanted it, but now, to be denied the simple pleasure of a reassuring hug as well—it was too much.

  “Dreya,” Venna said softly, taking my hand in hers once again.

  “It wasn’t a bad thing,” she continued. “I just wasn’t prepared to feel that from you.”

  “What if it gets worse?” I replied without looking up.

  “What if it gets better?” She retorted.

  I glanced across at her, questioningly.

  “Dreya, it felt good,” Venna answered. “Not overwhelming, like before. It was different. Not like I was touching you physically, but almost like our souls had connected somehow. It was really nice, I just wasn’t expecting it.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked hopefully.

  “Yes, I’m sure, Dreya,” Venna answered. “Just maybe don’t hug me like that without warning, at least not until I get used to it, alright?”

  “I’ll try,” I replied, feeling better about the turn in events. “But you are just so huggable sometimes.”