Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

  “I will accompany them and make sure that you are aware of what is decided,” Broda jumped in, asserting her role as my Ambassador.

  “Of course,” the King remarked. “Forgive me, Broda, I had not realized that you had taken to your responsibilities so thoroughly.”

  “We all have, uncle,” she replied to him. “As I have no doubt that you will as well. The Sintári has that effect on those around her.”

  The King raised an eyebrow at her statement, obviously intrigued by what her words might mean for him but offered no reply as he left with Broda and his own Ambassador in tow.

  “That was unexpected, Empress,” Venna said as soon as the door closed, and it was only my companions left with me inside the room.

  She sat by my side opposite Tási, and when I noted the tone of amusement in her voice, I shot a little orb of light at her. Venna stifled a yelp as it melted into her skin, and I smiled at her innocently when she felt my revenge.

  “It is your title now, Dreya,” Tási tried to sooth me when she realized what had happened. “You’re going to have to get used to being addressed that way once we let news of this development get out. Although I for one would never use it to provoke you.”

  She couldn’t seem to help herself from letting that last comment slip, and Venna glared back at Tási when she heard the thinly veiled taunt.

  “Not that it’s been easy to get where we are,” I commented while I ignored both of them. “But this is where it really begins, where the path truly becomes difficult, isn’t it?”

  “I’m afraid that you’re correct, Sintári,” Stel replied thoughtfully. “So far, you’ve faced a great many challenges, including the recent attempts on your life. But the next threat may not be as simple as a knife in the dark. We might very well face another army at our doorstep once word gets out of what has happened here today.”

  “We need to make sure that doesn’t happen,” I said. “Or if it does, that we are well-prepared to fend off any force that might be sent against us.”

  “I will speak to the First Marshal and make sure that he is made aware of what has transpired,” Venna offered. “I’m certain that he will be able to ensure that our defenses are as strong as possible.”

  “Also,” Venna continued, “although I anticipate that it is most likely that your meeting with the other monarchs will take place elsewhere, there is a slight chance that they may wish to see what we have done here. Just in case it is decided that we will host this summit, I will make sure that the Palace is ready to receive the large number of guests that would come to us if that occurs.”

  “Do you really think that’s possible?” I asked her incredulously. “Would they venture so far into the wilds to meet with us?”

  “With us, no,” Venna replied with a curious smile. “But with a Sintári who seeks to be Empress of all Arrika and has already gained the fealty of Dhel-Ar? Yes, I do think that’s possible.”

  We spent some time discussing a few of the details that would need to be seen to should we actually host the meeting. Well, actually, my companions did most of the discussing while I tried to grasp at the implications of what had been set in motion by the dwarven King’s pledge of fealty. I had known for some time that this was the road I was destined to travel on, but having it thrust on me so suddenly, before I was truly ready to begin that part of my journey was jarring, to say the least.

  Empress. What the fuck? I wasn’t ready for anything even remotely like that. I was still trying to get a handle on running my own tiny little Realm and suddenly, I had an entire Kingdom under my control as well.

  “How the fuck do I do this?” I said aloud, interrupting the conversation that my companions had been having. “How am I supposed to manage two Realms, let alone four if this summit is successful?”

  “I think the best course would be not to manage them at all,” Stel replied. “Let them run their own affairs, as they always have.”

  “But I’m trying to change the way they run their affairs,” I snapped back at him. “That’s the whole damn point of all this.”

  “We will need some sort of charter, of course,” Venna soothed. “Some guidelines under which the Realms of your Empire will operate. As long as they follow your principles, I think it would be best to let the individual Kingdoms run their own day-to-day affairs as they see fit.”

  I recognized the tickle of a thought from Nentai, and I smiled at the simple brilliance of the idea she dropped into my mind. It was perfect, even a little poetic, and I absolutely loved it.

  “Yes, there will be an Imperial Charter that must be signed by any Realm that joins us,” I replied with the Goddess’ notion. “And the honor of drafting it will be given to the first three nations representing each of the main races to join our Empire. The Dwarven seat already belongs the King of Dhel-Ar, only the Elvish and Human representatives are left to be determined. The leaders of those Realms will have the privilege of taking part in the deliberations alongside us.”

  “A sweetener for the pot, Sintári,” Stel smirked. “A bit obvious perhaps, but compelling nonetheless.”

  “I should make sure that Broda relays this bit of information to the King,” Venna said as she rose from her seat before hastily adding, “By your leave, Empress.”

  I glared at her and her face cracked into a broad smile that I just couldn’t help but return. She may have been needling me with my new-found title and status, but I knew that she meant well.

  “Not in here,” I implored them all. “Not when it’s just us, okay?”

  “Alright,” Venna gave in. “But you better start getting used to it. If this meeting is a success, you’ll have no choice but to accept your new position and the title that comes with it.”

  “You don’t need to remind me of that, Venna,” I replied mirthlessly.

  “But I will,” she grinned as she closed the door behind her.

  “She seems to enjoy poking you,” Tási commented.

  “And you don’t?” I shot back at her.

  “Well, that’s different,” Tási objected.

  No, it really wasn’t, and the intense stare I directed at her in response let her know that I didn’t agree with her on that matter.

  “If we’re done here, perhaps it’s time for me to go as well,” Stel quickly offered when he sensed the tension brewing.

  “Yes,” Khorim immediately agreed. “I should be going too, there’s still a lot of work to do looking into Olóra and King Gilfri’s actions.”

  Both of them then rushed out of the room as quickly as they could, leaving just Tási and I in the meeting chamber.

  “Are you really mad at me?” Tási asked tentatively.

  “No,” I replied. “I’m not really mad at either of you. It’s just a bit… much.”

  “That’s not the first time you’ve said that,” Tási noted.

  “You’re right about that,” I responded to her. “But it seems like every time I get used to what’s happening, something new suddenly gets dumped on me.”

  “Well,” Tási smiled back at me in an effort to cheer me up, “I’m all out of surprises for you, so why don’t we gather up Aiva and the rest of your guards and take a tour of your Realm.”

  Seeing the progress that was being made and talking to my people always made me happy. It was one of my most cherished responsibilities, but also one that had been strictly curtailed after the assassination attempts. So, when Tási offered me the chance to make my old rounds once again, I jumped at the opportunity.

  “I would absolutely love that, Tási,” I replied happily. “But let me check something first.”

  Tási nodded as I popped open the UI and stared off into space. She was used to me doing my ‘Deathless’ things, so the odd expression on my face was nothing new to her. When I opened the notification, there were only two messages pending, but they were more than enough for me.

  Quest, The Uniter, Advancing – You have brought the first Realm under your banner. A truly momentous step in
forging your Empire. Now, if it only had a name... You have been rewarded with 8250 XP.

  Title Earned! – You have earned the title, Empress. It wasn’t very easy, but you’ve finally been granted your second title. Beware—just as with your first title, this does not come without consequences, and many will object to your new position. But for now, revel in your accomplishment and the reward you have received. You have been granted 5500 XP.

  Well, the snarkiness was certainly still there, and was that a clue that there would be a reward when I finally came up with a name for this new Empire? Again, these were questions I simply had no answers for, so I tossed them into the rather large circular file I had for the ever-increasing number of those that I had.

  Once I was done with the messages, I closed the tab and pulled up my personal sheet. I hadn’t gained a level, but the rough math in my head told me that I was at least close.

  Dreya Dae

  Sintári Female

  Titles: Sintári, Empress

  Level - 32

  457709/461200

  Health - 341/341 Aura - 647/847 Endurance - 341/341

  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 - 39 (+3)

  CON - 29 (+2)

  DEX - 25 (+2)

  INT - 25 (+2)

  WIS - 24 (+2)

  CHA - 47 (+4)

  Before I could even look at my XP, I noticed my new title taunting me again—there was simply no escaping it, but balancing my irritation was the fact that I was less than four thousand XP away from my next level. If I’d spent these last few months adventuring instead of building my Realm, I’d probably be several levels higher than I was, so I welcomed any little gains I was able to make while I was stuck in my capacity as head of state. Wow, had I just admitted that?

  I quickly focused on something else rather than dwell on the fact that I ruled a nation and realized that the slow trickle of advancement I had been getting from holding Ridge with the summoning spell had stopped. I was stuck at 39% proficiency in Summon Elemental, but it should have been higher than that. Strangely, my Medium Armor talent was also stuck at the same point as well, even though I wore Melía’s Armor almost constantly.

  When I remembered that my weapon talents gave me certain perks when I reached the 40% threshold, I thought I had an idea why my progress had stopped. The passive nature of my advancement simply wasn’t enough to push me over that limit. I would most likely have to actively use those skills in order to make the leap into the next tier of those particular talents. It was a quirk that I probably would have known about if I had access to the wiki, but then again, this was a real world, and much of what had been in that digital guide probably didn’t apply anymore. I didn’t know if my hunch was correct, but I had an idea how I might be able to test my theory.

  “Let’s get out of here,” I said to Tási as I closed the window.

  “Was there anything interesting in your ‘Deathless’ messages this time?”

  “Just a quest to torment a halfling,” I teased her. “Do you know anyone who might be able to help me with that?”

  “No one comes to mind,” she said as she slid away from me.

  I smiled and grabbed her hand as we walked out the door and Aiva followed closely behind us. Tási kept glancing at me as we made our way out of the Palace, apparently unsure whether I had been joking about the quest I had told her about. I enjoyed letting her sweat for a change, so I didn’t bother clarifying things for her until we approached our first stop of the day.

  “I didn’t receive a quest to torment you, Tási,” I confessed as we walked toward the small ranch. “I don’t need any prompting to do that.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel any safer,” Tási replied.

  “No, I don’t suppose that it does,” I smiled back at her as the rancher and his family came out to welcome us.

  As luck would have it, the homestead was run by Hollyn’s family, and the young woman was among those who greeted us.

  “Hollyn! It’s so good to see you again,” I said to her as she offered me a curtsy. “We should talk. I’d love to hear the story of how you met my good friend, Evans.”

  “Well, there’s not much to tell—it was quite by accident,” she admitted shyly. “He came by much as you just did with one of his patrols. They stopped by every few days to check in on us, and eventually, he asked me to accompany him to dinner at the inn one afternoon.”

  I could see Hollyn’s mother casting me a meaningful look, letting me know that at least she hadn’t been fooled by the First Marshal’s seemingly random appearance at their ranch on so many occasions. While it was likely that his first trip with the patrol had been a simple matter of overseeing his troops, there was absolutely no way that Evans was accompanying them on a routine basis. With Hollyn’s story told, I let her return to her work and approached her mother as she waited nearby.

  “He may have manipulated things so that it appeared that meeting your daughter was just a random thing,” I told her. “But I can assure you that the First Marshal is an honorable man. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Oh, I’m not concerned with that, Dreya Sintári,” she replied. “I know he’s a decent man, but as decent as he is, I’m afraid men like the First Marshal aren’t usually the marrying type, and I just worry that even with the best of intentions, he’ll only break her heart in the end.”

  “Would you like me to speak with him for you?”

  I wasn’t sure exactly what I would say, but considering what she had just told me, it felt like I should at least make the offer.

  “No,” she replied softly. “Hollyn is old enough to figure things out on her own. Meddling in her affairs will likely only make things worse in the end.”

  We let the topic go and moved on to discussing how her ranch was doing. Their livestock was thriving, due in no small part to the continuing aid we were receiving from the Dryad, and she was expecting a fairly decent number of births in the near future. If the current pace continued, we would have more than enough fresh meat from our own sources in the valley to feed many more people than we already had in the Realm. Good news, considering the rapid turn of events that had just occurred.

  We continued walking through the valley for a while, stopping almost randomly at some of the many farms and ranches that had sprung up. So many had taken up residence there that there was simply no way for me to visit every home in the valley like I used to during my tours back in the beginning. Finally, we headed back towards the Palace to see Renn before we moved on to visit the Garrison.

  Renn was busy coordinating with Ilvain’s people on several finishing touches for the Palace, a job that would be getting far more intense once Venna completed her list of projects that she wanted done in case we would be hosting the planned summit for the rulers of Íforn and Lorida. As busy as he seemed to be, as soon as Renn saw me approach, he stopped what he was doing and met me outside his forge.

  “Forgive me Dreya Sintári, but I cannot let you into my forge right now,” Renn said, obviously uncomfortable with restricting my movements.

  “And why is that?” I replied curiously.

  “There are some… projects I am working on that I was told to keep you from seeing,” he answered as his discomfort grew.

  “Who told you this?” I pried as his evasion only piqued my inquisitiveness.

  “Please, Dreya Sintári, don’t make me tell you,” he begged me. “They’ll only get mad at me.”

  “Let him be, Dreya,” Tási whispered. “Whatever it is that he’s working on, it wasn’t me who commissioned the work. You should be able to narrow things down from there yourself without causing Renn any more distress.”

  She made a good point, so despite my
overwhelming curiosity, I left Renn to his business and we wandered down the canyon towards the Garrison’s walls.

  After the way Renn rebuffed me, I wanted to see what Georl and Hilgreth were working on in their forge more than anything. If those two tried to keep me out as well, I might have to insist on barging my way in even over their objections. Rank has its privileges, after all, and I could only restrain my curiosity just so long before my inquisitive nature would overcome my ability to resist the temptation. However, something even more tempting caught my attention before we got to the forge.

  “First Marshal,” I greeted Evans with a wide grin as our paths crossed just inside the Garrison’s boundary. “I’ve just come from meeting Hollyn and her family. She’s quite a lovely girl, and her mother is such a sweet woman. It’s so fortunate that you were able to meet them on your routine patrols.”

  “Well um, yes, that it was,” The First Marshal uncharacteristically hesitated. “Such a shame you arrived here too late to see off the King though.”

  His attempt to divert the conversation was immediately successful, as the King was supposed to stay with us for quite a while longer. I instantly became concerned that something might have gone wrong, and the King had backed out of our alliance over some concern that I was not even aware of.

  “What are you talking about, the King isn’t scheduled to depart for days?”

  “I cannot address that issue, Dreya Sintári,” he replied. “His sudden departure took me by surprise as well. I assumed that you were aware of what had transpired.”

  “No, I’ve been away from the Palace for most of the day,” I lamented. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

  “Perhaps we should return to the Palace and find out then,” Evans offered. “If something’s gone amiss, I may need to make certain preparations.”

  I didn’t like the implications of what Evans had said to me, but I couldn’t fault the man for simply being prudent. Hopefully, his abundance of caution was misplaced, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding as I cut my tour of the Garrison short, and the First Marshal joined me on my trip back to the Palace.