Tási read my intentions as I got up to sit alongside her prone body, and with her trembling fingers, she began to undo the clasps of her robe before moving to pull the entire top half of the two-piece garment over her head.
“No,” I grabbed her arms, halting them in mid motion.
She lowered her hands slowly and glanced at me with a puzzled expression.
“I need to learn control Tási,” I explained. “It’s difficult enough for me already, and I don’t think I’ll have any hope at all with you half-naked.”
“Sorry,” she replied sheepishly. “I was just trying to get comfortable, I didn’t realize it would bother you so much.”
“Seriously?” I asked her incredulously. “They have mirrors where you come from, right? You do know how beautiful you are, don’t you?”
“I…” She hesitated. “I was always taught to try and discourage those kinds of thoughts.”
“Why? Why would you not want to think of yourself as being attractive?”
“No, you misunderstand,” she said softly. “Halfling girls are often the target of unwanted attention. The other races, humans in particular, think of us as playthings—not real people. At least, enough of them view us that way to make things dangerous for us, so we try to keep from being noticed, to avoid making ourselves stand out. It’s how we protect ourselves from them.”
“That’s why you wear these robes?” I asked, taking up a handful of the formless fabric.
She nodded silently in the near darkness of the tent.
I sat back, momentarily forgetting the task I had been about to perform. The cruel injustice of this world stuck in my craw like a jagged bone. Innocent people suffered daily under its ruthless lawlessness, and the vile harshness of it all made me want to vomit. I couldn’t help but think back to the poor halfling girl whose death I had avenged, but whose life I had been too late to save. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times her own sad story had been repeated over and over and over again.
“Just like Seera…” I whispered, lost in my dark thoughts.
“Seera? Did you meet Seera?” Tási cried out, hearing the name.
“No, I never got the chance.”
“Where is she? How do you know my cousin’s name?” Tási pled with me.
“Oh Tási. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”
“Tell me what happened,” Tási asked quietly, recognizing the pained tone of my words.
“I only learned of her after I killed the men responsible for her death. They had... mistreated her, but she never gave up; never stopped fighting back. I killed them when I discovered what sort of men they were. She had prayed to Nentai for vengeance, and I only discovered Seera’s name when I was granted a reward for answering that prayer.”
“Thank you for that,” Tási said, wiping a tear from her eyes. “She set out with a group of adventurers. They were all good friends and would never have abandoned her, so if she was taken captive, it would only be because the rest had already been killed. I will send word of her fate back home when we arrive in Dhagboro; her mother deserves to know.”
“I’m so sorry, Tási. I wish I could have found her sooner.”
“I know you do, Dreya,” Tási replied. “But at least you avenged her. Not only that, but you found me too; you found her family and now, knowing her fate, we can finally be at peace.”
I took Tási’s hand in mine and held it tightly as she lay there in silence for a time. The tremors still shook her fingers, but I made no move towards her, fearing that in light of the terrible news, she would no longer wish to continue that night. I was surprised when she told me otherwise.
“Alright,” Tási exhaled loudly. “I’m ready now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she answered. “Like you said before, I can’t risk falling apart on the road.”
I gave her a quick nod before clearing my mind in preparation. When I had my thoughts in order, I reached out tentatively and lifted her robe just enough to allow my hand to slip underneath its folds, and pausing for a moment, I steeled myself before letting my hand come to rest atop her taut stomach.
I was able to maintain my sense of calm and resisted the influence of her warm skin pressed against the palm of my hand. I would not say that it was easy, but it was becoming less difficult, so I took a chance by glancing down at her, and saw that she was laying still, calmly waiting for the next phase to begin. I watched her tense up as I allowed my emotions to slowly trickle into her body.
With her heavy robes concealing her form, there was little for me to see. An occasional shifting or slight shudder was all there was to be noticed, but underneath all of the fabric, I could feel so much more going on.
Tási writhed constantly under my influence—her body wriggled from side to side and I felt her hips shuddering just below where my hand lay across her stomach. She began moaning softly, and I realized that I may have pushed her too far. Withdrawing slowly, I tried to let her down as easily as possible.
She lay there for several moments as the effects of my passion lingered inside her. When it finally passed, and she regained herself, Tási looked to me with her eyes only half-open. I thought I knew what she was about to say, and I moved to step outside and allow her some time alone.
“Stay,” she said softly. “There’s no need for you to leave.”
“I just thought you might… need a moment,” I replied.
“No, not this time,” she whispered. “Tomorrow, we get to start your own little sessions. I know it won’t be long before you will let me have what I want. I can wait for that.”
“Tási, don’t be so sure. What you want, the intensity of it; I’m not sure I’ll be ready for that anytime soon.”
“I didn’t say you’d be ready,” she smiled at me. “I just said it would happen.”
“Be careful what you wish for, Tási. You just might get it.”
Tási left it at that, and we curled up together for the night. I always felt reassured by her warm presence next to me, perhaps because I’d been denied that sort of comfort for so long, and we quickly drifted off to sleep together.
I was awakened in the middle of the night by the chime of an internal alarm, alerting me that one of my traps had been triggered. Hoarse shouting erupted outside, and I jumped to my feet, preparing to defend against an impending attack, but before I could gather my weapons, the all clear was shouted down the line, alerting us that the threat had been dealt with.
“What was it?” Tási muttered, still half asleep.
“One of my traps went off. Seems like the guards have already handled whatever it was though.”
“That’s nice,” she yawned as she lay back down.
Her complete dismissal of the threat took me by surprise, but the guards had proven to be an efficient and professional group. If they were confident enough to declare that the threat had passed, that should be good enough for me.
As I lay back down trying to go back to sleep, I realized that I hadn’t reviewed my notifications that evening. I was certain that I had made enough kills during the battle to reach at least my next level; having shot well over a hundred arrows, anything less was almost inconceivable. Once I opened the window, the notifications streamed by almost non-stop.
Experience gained – You have gained 440 XP.
. . .
Experience gained – You have gained 440 XP.
You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 17.
You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to CON and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.
After stopping only long enough to assign my one point to Strength, the messages scrolled on.
Experience gained – You have gained 440 XP.
. . .
Experience gained – You have gained 440 XP.
You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to adv
ance to level 18.
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.
Again, assigning my lone point to Strength, I watched the level up window close and the notifications began again.
Experience gained – You have gained 440 XP.
. . .
Experience gained – You have gained 440 XP.
Experience gained – You have gained 74 XP.
. . .
Experience gained – You have gained 74 XP.
You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 19.
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.
I realized that we had killed a tremendous number of orcs, and that I would be getting not only full credit for the ones I slayed but also partial credit for the kills of my companions. Still, I had already gained three levels and the notifications had yet to stop. The progress from the single battle, massive as it was, was truly amazing.
After piling my remaining point into Strength yet again, the seemingly endless parade of XP continued to roll on.
Experience gained – You have gained 74 XP.
. . . .
Experience gained – You have gained 1 XP.
. . . .
Experience gained – You have gained 1 XP.
I took a deep breath as the last notification finally came to rest on my screen. Not that I had an actual screen or anything; I just couldn’t come up with any better terminology for it. With a mixture of anticipation and apprehension, I pulled up my personal sheet.
Dreya Dae
Sintári Female
Title: Sintári
Level - 19
143768/161200
Health 230/230 Aura 580/580 Endurance 230/230
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 - 29
CON - 23
DEX- 23 (+2)
INT - 21 (+2)
WIS- 20 (+2)
CHA - 34 (+2)
Abilities
Ignore Armor – Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura. – 35%
Stun – Your next arrow has a chance to stun its target on hit. Cost – 20 Aura. – 33%
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. – 42%
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. – 30%
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. – 34%
Blind – Your next arrow has a chance to inflict blindness on a successful hit. Cost – 30 Aura. – 33%
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. – 7%
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 – 6%
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. – 15%
Spells
Enhanced Sight – May be cast on self or ally. Improves visual acuity of the recipient in dark or obscured conditions. Cost – 20 Aura. – 42%
Create Trap – Place a magical trap upon an area. Size, type, and trigger of traps is determined by your proficiency. Cost – 40 Aura. – 41%
Elemental Arrow -Your next arrow is imbued with elemental energy and causes additional elemental damage accordingly. Cost – 30 Aura. – 26%
Bolt – Release a Bolt of pure Lightning at your target(s). Cost – 40 Aura. – 22%
Skills
Bow – 45%
Critical Hit – 37%
Blades – 30%
Long Sword – 29%
Short Sword – 28%
Dagger – 26%
Critical Hit – 22%
Two-Handed – 27%
Pole Arms – 14%
Spear – 23%
Armor – 27%
Medium Armor – 30%
Perception – 40%
Environmental – 41%
Identify Enemy – 35%
Identify Person – 37%
Combat Dodge – 21%
Subterfuge – 28%
Stealth – 29%
Find Trap – 11%
Disarm Trap – 8%
Set Trap – 10%
Manipulation – 27%
Persuade – 39%
Barter – 26%
Survival – 23%
Tracking – 25%
Identify Creature (Beasts) – 15%
Skinning – 13%
Field Dress – 12%
Alchemy – 17%
Herbalism – 25%
Potion Craft – 21%
Lore – 1%
Identify Magical Item – 2%
I marveled at the progress I had achieved—not only in levels and XP, but in my proficiencies as well. The only area of disappointment was my Control. The slow pace of progress there was disheartening; despite repeated sessions with Tási, I seemed unable to make any great strides there. It remained my biggest area of concern, and a problem that showed little sign of ending any time soon.
Laying my head back down, I tried to fall back to sleep again, but with my frustration over the slow progress in achieving control and no small amount of anxiety over the next night’s encounter with Tási, it was some time before my weariness overcame the concerns on my mind.
Morning finally came, and I awoke to the sounds of our camp being broken. Tási was already gone, so I collected my gear and stepped outside into the fresh morning air. My friends were all gathered together sharing breakfast, but as I approached, the din of their conversation ground to a sudden halt.
“Well, look who finally woke up,” Khorim called out. Although the casual taunt was not unusual for him, I also detected a hint of warning in his voice. Not directed at me, but rather at the others gathered around him.
“Good morning to you as well, master dwarf,” I replied, wondering just what my friends might have been discussing before my arrival. “I trust you slept well after managing to survive your harrowing ordeal with those vicious orcs.”
“Quit now, husband,” Broda cautioned. “Her wit is sharper than yours.”
Khorim only grumbled in response before taking another bite of food.
“Here,” Tási offered, “I saved a plate for you.”
They were obviously hiding something, but I was certain that the secret would not be revealed with all of them present, which meant that I would have to choose a tar
get carefully and press for details at the right time.
“So, what happened last night?” I asked. “One of my traps went off, but the guards seemed to handle things quickly.”
“Yes,” Stel answered. “It seems that we were scouted by the remnants of the orc forces in the darkness. Your trap caught one of them, and the guards chased off the rest.”
“After what happened, I’m surprised they even tried it,” Tási mused.
“Bah! Not known for their brains,” Khorim grumbled.
“That makes two of you,” I replied quickly.
Broda and the others laughed as Khorim began grumbling again. I didn’t intend to pick on him so much, but he made it so easy that I had a hard time restraining myself.
Fortunately, he left me no additional openings that morning, and we packed up our camp as soon as we finished eating. The caravan was ready to move soon after, and we were able to travel at our usual leisurely pace once more.
The guards seemed to be extra vigilant that day, constantly scanning around us, alert for the continued presence of the orcs, but the threat seemed to have passed and there were no additional sightings of our enemies that day.
“So, are you going to tell me what that was all about this morning?” I asked as I sidled up alongside Venna.
“What do you mean?” She replied innocently.
I stared back at her intently, letting her know that her little act wasn’t fooling me in the least.
“Very well,” she finally relented with a sigh. “Yes, we were talking about you. No, I’m not going to tell you what we discussed.”
“I do not want you to think you are the topic of all our discussions, but we do talk about you a great deal when you’re not around. Rest assured, it’s mostly for your benefit,” Venna finished with a wry smile.
Having kept my own share of secrets from my friends, I certainly couldn’t object to them keeping a few of their own in return. Still, the thought of them plotting behind my back made me a little uneasy.
“Please tell me everything is alright,” I replied cautiously.
“I would be the first to let you know if it wasn’t, Dreya.”
Second Skin Omnibus Page 73
