Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

  Having completed her story, she paused for a moment, looking at me expectantly.

  “Tási, I’m sorry,” I replied in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

  She held my gaze and withdrew her hand from beneath the folds of her blanket, holding it out in front of me. I froze as I watched it shake wildly, fluttering like a leaf blowing in the wind.

  “I need your help, Dreya,” she begged. “I don’t want to go through that. Please don’t make me go through that.”

  “Tási,” I hesitated, realizing just what she was asking of me. “You know how dangerous that is.”

  “I do,” she replied. “I know better than anyone, I would say.”

  When I hesitated yet again, Tási offered me another reason to try.

  “You told me before that you needed to learn how to control this power, but that it was too dangerous for you to even consider practicing. I would say that, in my case, it is far more dangerous for you to refuse to even try.”

  “Venna’s been teaching you how to argue with me, hasn’t she?”

  “Maybe,” she replied with half a smile.

  I had to admit that I couldn’t fault her logic—I really did need to learn some control, and if only half of what Tási had described would come to pass for her, it was more than I was willing to allow her to suffer through. Not when I might have the means to prevent it.

  “Alright, I’m willing to try,” I relented. “But we have to be very careful, and if it doesn’t work, or becomes too much for either of us, we’re going to stop.”

  Tási smiled at me as she crawled alongside me in bed. We took a moment to arrange ourselves, separating our bodies by lying between separate blankets. Once insulated from any inadvertent contact, I faltered for a moment, contemplating exactly how to begin.

  “Lay your hand across my stomach,” Tási offered. “Perhaps only a short bit of contact to start.”

  She pulled down her covers and lifted her dress slightly, exposing the taut contours of her belly. I began reaching towards her but stopped short before my hand made contact with her soft skin. Tási had been bracing herself and now looked at me in confusion.

  “I’m going to try something,” I explained. “I need to find a way to prevent this from happening, so I want to try and focus on not letting you feel anything at first.”

  She nodded silently, and I cleared my mind as much as possible before letting my hand descend the final few inches. I managed to maintain my calm for only a few seconds before the sensation of her soft skin under my fingertips broke my concentration. It lasted only a fraction of a moment, but in that brief span of time, I swore I felt nothing more than the simple pleasure of her warm skin against mine.

  Tási’s reactions mirrored my own. We both held still for that first short while before releasing synchronized gasps as our bodies filled with the sensation of each other. I held still for a moment, not daring the slightest movement, fearing that it might cause one or both of us succumb to the intense desire that coursed through our veins.

  I held on longer than I ever would have dared, had it not been for Tási’s desperate need. Then I finally pulled away, releasing us both from the passion that had been flowing between us.

  Tási moaned softly and her body wriggled slowly beneath the sheets. She looked at me and I could see the desire still burning in her eyes.

  “More,” she begged softly. “Just a little more.”

  “No Tási. No more,” I replied. I knew her passion—I felt the very same desire, but I had reached the limit of what I felt was safe for either of us.

  She let out a frustrated groan, but did not press any further. Instead, she curled up in her blanket and tucked a pillow under her head. I was too tired to argue, so I let her stay there with me for the night.

  16

  I woke in the morning to find that Tási had already left. Getting out of bed, I dressed quickly as the smell of eggs and frying bacon filled the room. Following the tantalizing scent into the kitchen, I found where Tási had gone. She was standing in front of the stove, expertly working two frying pans and cooking up a storm of bacon and eggs.

  “Our little halfling friend seems much better today for some reason,” Venna said as she stared at me. “Any idea what might have brought about the sudden change?”

  “You’ll have to ask her,” I said, avoiding the question.

  Venna knew well enough the effects of my touch. And while I had no qualms about what had happened the night before, I felt that it was up to Tási to decide whether or not she wanted to share what we had chosen to do to with anyone else.

  “Hmmm,” Venna mused. “She wasn’t very forthcoming when I asked her either. I suspect both of you know more than you are letting on, but as long as she is improving, I will leave the two of you to your secrets.”

  Tási did indeed seem improved. Her sluggishness was gone, and she flashed me a bright smile as I walked into the kitchen and stole a piece of bacon.

  “Good morning sleepy head!” She called out cheerily.

  “Someone seems much-improved,” I replied.

  Tási cast her gaze around quickly, making sure we were alone before she replied.

  “What we did… what you did for me,” she whispered, “changed everything. My lethargy is gone, and I feel great. It’s just like with the tonics—as soon as I had a little of that feeling again, everything felt better.”

  “I’m so happy you’re all better Tási!” I whispered back.

  She gave me that puzzled look once more.

  “You’re not all better?”

  “Do you remember what I told you?” She replied. “How the process was a slow, gradual one?”

  “You mean we will have to do that again?” I asked.

  “Probably many times before we are through, Dreya,” she replied solemnly. “Gradually increasing the time in between each of our… interactions as much as I can tolerate.”

  Ding!

  What the fuck could that be?

  Tási reacted to my shocked expression.

  “I’m sorry, Dreya,” she pled. “If I could make it any easier for you, I would.”

  “No,” I replied. “It’s alright, I understand. Besides, you were right, I do need to practice this somehow, and if I can do that while helping you, that’s even better.”

  “Thank you,” she answered, the feeling of relief was clear in her voice. “I don’t ever want to go through what I saw happen to those poor people in the monastery.”

  “I promise I won’t let that happen to you Tási,” I reassured her.

  The smell of frying bacon had apparently awakened the rest of our companions, and I heard Khorim shouting from the next room.

  “Where’s the bacon?!”

  “Now, get out of here and let me finish cooking before that damn dwarf starts chewing on the table!” Tási pretended to scold me.

  She flashed a quick wink as I scurried away with another slice of bacon between my teeth.

  “Itsh coming,” I told Khorim as I chewed the last crunchy bite.

  “Bah,” he grumbled. “Playing favorites, I see.”

  “Not my fault you’re ugly,” I replied.

  “Bhaaahahaha,” Broda laughed beside him as he squirmed.

  “You need to just stop trying that with her,” Broda chastised her husband. “She gets the better of you every time.”

  Khorim just grumbled under his breath and ignored the two of us.

  Fortunately, Tási then appeared with two platters piled high with fresh eggs and bacon. She deposited them on the table in front of us before scampering back to the kitchen. Tási returned quickly with a pitcher of hot tea before joining us as we began feasting on the food she had prepared for us.

  “Ahhh,” Khorim said, patting his belly. “That was mighty good.”

  “Yes,” Venna added. “It was quite delicious. Thank you Tási.”

  “You’re welcome,” she cheerfully replied. “Just a little expression of gratitude for all of you taking suc
h good care of me.”

  “I am encouraged by your progress,” Venna remarked. “Perhaps in a day or two, we might be able to start back for Oróna.”

  “Oh no, Teacher,” Tási replied. “I’m ready today if you want. I’m certain that the worst is now over.”

  “I thought so too until yesterday when you seemed to get worse,” Venna responded. “We would be ill-equipped to handle such a setback on the road.”

  “I am sure that it is all behind me now, Teacher,” Tási pleaded with her.

  I saw what Venna was doing, and to be honest, I didn’t much like it. Despite her earlier promise, she was trying to use her position as Tási’s superior to pry the woman’s secret from her, all without even allowing her the courtesy of doing so in a private conversation.

  “I will tend to her myself if there is any issue,” I interjected, trying to rescue Tási from the unfair tactic. “Any relapse will be my concern.”

  For the first time I could recall, Venna looked at me with an expression of anger on her face. It faded quickly as she recovered and before she could offer any further argument, Khorim jumped in.

  “Good, now that that’s all settled, let’s fight over who gets to rub my feet!”

  A collective groan erupted, and everyone suddenly found an excuse to be elsewhere. As we cleared the room, I looked back at Khorim and silently whispered him a ‘thank you.’ He nodded back at me understanding full well, as we all did, that his comment had served to stave off a potentially bitter argument.

  Everyone set about taking care of a few final tasks before preparing to depart. If we hurried, we could reach the next village before nightfall and spend at least one more night under a dry roof before undertaking the last leg of our journey back to Oróna.

  Stel hitched up the wagon as Khorim and I hoisted the heavy chest into its bed. The two men remained by the wagon, keeping watch over the precious icon while the rest of us gathered up our belongings. I finished quickly, and while waiting for the others to arrive, remembered the inexplicable prompt I had received while speaking with Tási.

  I was glad that I was sitting in the back of the wagon when I pulled it up; otherwise, I could have fallen to the ground in shock.

  Sintári Quest assigned – Control. Learn how to focus and control your powers. Control applies to all Sintári talents, though the effects may vary. Rewards for pursuing this quest are variable.

  Quest Partially Completed – Sintári. You have uncovered your first Sintári Quest, setting you on the path to greater power. You have been granted 1100 XP for this achievement.

  It took me a while to regain my senses. Gaining a measure of control over my own body had been merely an illusion to me for so long, and even after the previous night with Tási, I still doubted if I would ever be able to rein in the uncontrollable effects of my touch. To see the reality of my hopes confirmed before my eyes was an incredible revelation, and I wiped a tear from my cheek as the raw emotion of the situation came over me. Regaining my composure, I pulled up my personal sheet to see what it might reveal.

  Dreya Dae

  Sintári Female

  Title: Sintári

  Level-15

  84053/84200

  Health 220/220 Aura 510/510 Endurance 220/220

  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 -25

  CON - 22

  DEX- 23 (+2)

  INT - 21 (+2)

  WIS - 17 (+2)

  CHA - 30 (+2)

  Abilities

  Ignore Armor -Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura. – 32%

  Stun – Your next arrow has a chance to stun its target on hit. Cost – 20 Aura. – 29%

  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. – 40%

  Flurry – Perform three rapid strikes with a bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 24%

  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. – 27%

  Hilt Bash – Stun your opponent with a successful hilt strike from your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 22%

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

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

  Achilles Strike – Cripple your target with a slash of your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 22%

  Penetrator – Advanced Ability -Your arrow pierces through armor easily. With increased proficiency, it may penetrate through even greater barriers. Modifier – Strength. Cost – 60 Aura. – 5%

  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 – 2%

  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. – 12%

  Spells

  Enhanced Sight – May be cast on self or ally. Improves visual acuity of the recipient in dark or obscured conditions. Cost – 20 Aura. – 40%

  Create Trap – Place a magical trap upon an area. Size, type, and trigger of traps is determined by your proficiency. Cost – 40 Aura. – 38%

  Elemental Arrow -Your next arrow is imbued with elemental energy and causes additional elemental damage accordingly. Cost – 30 Aura. – 24%

  Bolt – Release a Bolt of pure Lightning at your target(s). Cost – 40 Aura. – 22%

  Skills

  Bow – 42%

  Critical Hit – 35%

  Blades – 30%

  Long Sword – 29%

  Short Sword – 28%

  Dagger – 26%

  Critical Hit – 22%

  Two-Handed – 27%

  Pole Arms – 14%

  Spear – 23%

  Armor – 26%

  Medium Armor – 29%

  Perception – 36%

  Environmental – 38%

  Identify Enemy – 32%

  Identify Person – 33%

  Combat Dodge – 21%

  Subterfuge – 28%

  Stealth – 29%

  Find Trap – 11%

  Disarm Trap – 8%

  Set Trap – 10%

  Manipulation – 24%

  Persuade – 32%

  Barter – 22%

  Survival – 23%

  Tracking – 24%

  Identify Creature (Beasts) – 11%

  Skinning – 13%

  Field Dress – 12%

  Alchemy – 17%

  Herbalism – 25%

  Potion Craft – 21%

  And there is was. Control—the one thing I had always been lacking, the thing that had been haunting me for so long. Finally, it was there for me to not only see, but to work on; to improve. The power to regain a measure of authority over my own life was now in my grasp. I sighed heavily in relief as I closed the windows, reveling in the release of the burden that had been weighing so heavily on me for so long. The wagon jolted forward at just that moment, and we were on our way.

  Once outside the gates, we took up our previous positions around the wagon. Khorim and I w
alked ahead, scouting the way, while Broda and Tási rode in the wagon’s seat. Venna resumed her station, watching over the chest in the wagon’s bed while Stel maintained his position guarding our rear.

  Venna took the opportunity to resume Tási’s instruction, and I had to suppress my laughter when I caught a snippet of her ‘lesson.’

  Tási?” I heard Venna ask.

  “Yes, Curate?” Came the reply.

  “You’re a smart girl, right?”

  The rest of the exchange was lost in the rumbling of the wagon, but I could only smile when I realized that Venna was turning our playful banter on Tási.

  We made good time and reached the neighboring village in the early evening. They hailed us as we approached and opened the gates immediately when they recognized us.

  Knowing how concerned they would be, we relayed the story of the plague’s cure and the demise of the Defiler to them as quickly as we could. While there was much sorrow over the loss of life, the people were also relieved to know that the threat against both villages had been ended.

  The grateful villagers offered us a home to stay in for the night, but it was a different house than the one that had been vacated for us before. This home had been abandoned by a family no longer willing to endure the hardships of the remote village, not that it mattered. With many days on the road ahead of us, we weren’t about to turn down any dry roof that was offered.

  Broda, Tási, Venna, and I went inside the house while Stel and Khorim stabled the horses before returning with the heavy chest. They dropped it heavily on the floor in the common room, receiving a reproachful glare from Venna in response to the rough handling.

  “Sorry, it slipped.” Stel apologized unconvincingly.

  “Just see that it doesn’t ‘slip’ again, my love,” Venna replied icily.

  The villagers brought us some dinner as yet another expression of their gratitude, and we ate our fill hungrily. The trail rations we had for lunch were no substitute for good, solid food, and we savored the hot meal. Wanting to get an early start the next day, we all headed off to bed soon after.