Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

  I felt Nentai scoop me up and then lay me down on one of the couches as my wits slowly returned, and the first thing I saw was Líann, glaring at the Goddess as she stood over me protectively.

  “…don’t care who the fuck you are,” Líann shielded my body as she held Nentai at bay. “You’re not getting anywhere near her again!”

  “I’m alright, Líann,” I reached out to take her hand. “It was just a little intense for a moment.”

  “What did she do to you?” Líann spun around towards me, completely ignoring the Goddess she’d been fending off a moment before.

  “I’m not sure,” I replied honestly. “But I don’t think it harmed me.”

  “I assure you that it did not,” Nentai responded. “Very few were ever able to open the first stage of a Godheart, and all of them were Sintári like you, Daughter. None got any further than that, however.”

  “So, you don’t know what I need to do next?”

  “Next?” Líann rebuked me harshly. “Are you telling me that passing out cold on the ground wasn’t enough of a warning for you?”

  “I have allowed you a great deal of latitude, Líann,” the tone of warning in Mother’s voice was unmistakable. “But you need to stop talking, right now.”

  Líann was no fool, but even though she did as Nentai ‘suggested,’ Líann still held her ground and stood beside me defensively.

  “I would not give you anything that I thought might harm you, Daughter,” Mother ignored Líann and sat by my side. “But I also cannot say what will happen next; no one has ever gotten that far.”

  It wasn’t exactly a situation I was unfamiliar with—being thrust headfirst into the unknown was kind of my thing.

  “Thank you,” I replied. “I’ll do my best to unlock the secrets of your gift, Mother.”

  “You’re welcome,” the Goddess answered as she stood up once more and faced Líann.

  “It speaks well of you that you’re so willing to stand up for her,” Nentai spoke as she came face to face with Líann. “But you will never come between my daughter and me again. Do you understand?”

  “No,” Líann trembled as she responded. “I will not back down from you or anyone else if I think they intend her harm.”

  “Fair enough, Táriel,” Nentai replied icily. “But be prepared to bear the consequences of your actions the next time you do.”

  “Mother,” I pled, but Nentai had already vanished into thin air before I spoke that single word.

  I pulled Líann down to sit beside me and held her shaking body as the adrenalin began to wear off, and the sheer audacity of her actions came crashing down on her.

  “That was very brave of you,” I soothed as I ran my fingers through her hair. “But it wasn’t necessary. Mother would never hurt me, Líann. Never.”

  “But you were hurt; I saw it!” She protested.

  “No, Líann, I wasn’t. I was only a bit disoriented by the experience of absorbing the Godheart.”

  “Oh,” Líann realized her error.

  “So, I made your mother, the Goddess of Vengeance, mad at me for nothing?”

  “Pretty much,” I smiled back at Líann.

  Venna returned as Líann silently contemplated what had happened. I wasn’t overly concerned, however. Nentai knew how important Líann was to me as my Táriel, and I was certain that she wouldn’t do anything to truly harm her. Plus, Líann seemed to have learned her lesson about trusting Mother, or at least I’d hoped that she had.

  “Your Ministers will be assembled in our usual meeting room shortly, Dreya,” Venna let me know as she sat opposite Líann.

  “Are you alright?” Venna said as she caught a glimpse of Líann’s still shaking hands.

  “Mother stopped by while you were gone,” I informed Venna, “Líann just picked a fight with her, is all.”

  Venna still wasn’t completely over the fact that Nentai had threatened both her and Stel after the battle in Laska, and her eyes shot wide open as I recounted Líann’s confrontation with the Goddess.

  “I… I… We have to go now,” Venna sought to leave as soon as I stopped speaking, apparently fearing Nentai’s imminent return.

  “Come, Líann,” I took her by the hand. “Compared to staring down a Goddess, this should be easy for you.”

  I couldn’t hold back my smile as Venna led us outside at a rather brisk pace, and our guards surrounded the three of us as we headed for the meeting room. The short trip seemed to take even less time than usual as I tried to come up with the words I needed to tell my friends and advisors what had transpired between Líann and me. Nothing I came up with seemed to truly convey what I needed to say to them, and I was left completely unprepared as I sat down at the head of our conference table—so I stalled for time.

  “I’m sorry to have called you all here on such short notice,” I began as my mind turned in circles. “But I have something that I need to share with you, and I wanted you to hear it directly from me before word of it reached you from anyone else.”

  All eyes were on me as I paused, save Líann’s—she seemed intent on staring down at the floor beneath her chair as I spoke. Finally, after a brief moment of consideration, I decided to let my thoughts and feelings simply flow, hoping that I wouldn’t mangle things too badly.

  “As many of you have frequently reminded me,” I glanced at Venna meaningfully, “my mind tends to dwell on dark matters when I’m left alone. This was particularly true when I isolated myself after Tási’s death. Fortunately, my dearest friends would not allow me to simply wallow in my misery, and they supported me in my time of need, despite how unpleasant I was to them.”

  “The love and compassion Líann showed me during that time has become something much more,” I gripped her hand in mine as I spoke. “And I have asked her to come live with me.”

  I’d stretched the truth a bit—quite a bit, actually, but no one needed to know just how far back my relationship with Líann went. Except for Venna, who looked on with approval, the rest of the room fell into a stunned silence. It had been many months since I’d lost Tási, but perhaps they’d felt that I’d moved on too soon; my concern only grew as the stillness stretched on for a long moment.

  “This comes as something of a surprise, and perhaps I am not the one to speak of such things, Empress,” the First Marshal ventured. “But if you have found happiness with each other, I for one am glad to hear of it.”

  “Will you be wanting to make a formal announcement?” Talína leaned forward, preparing to take notes if needed.

  “No,” I couldn’t hold back a thin smile as she sat there, seemingly in eager anticipation. “There will be no need for that until the wedding.”

  The shock of my second revelation silenced the room once more, and even Venna stared at me with a look of utter surprise while Líann gripped my fingers tightly when she heard the words I’d spoken. I hadn’t planned to say anything about my intention to marry her, but I didn’t want to repeat my past mistakes, so I backed myself into a corner that wouldn’t allow me to.

  “I loved Tási with all my heart,” the words seemed to just fall from my lips. “But I was reluctant to sanctify our union for fear of how people might react—I let her go before I could show the world how much I truly loved her.”

  “Líann and I are not quite ready to take that step just yet, but when we are, I will not make the same mistake again. When the time is right, we will be wed, and I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks about it.”

  Venna rose slowly from her chair, staring at me strangely as she began walking towards us, and I stood up to meet her as she drew close, unsure just what she intended. I thought she might have been upset with me, but instead of offering some rebuke, Venna wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace.

  “She’s all of us, Dreya,” Venna whispered to me. “You’re not just welcoming Líann into your heart; you’re accepting all of us.”

  In most ways, I’d accepted my Tári long ago, but I understood Venna
’s subtle point clearly. This wasn’t about what I was able to accept, but more about what I was willing to reveal. Marriage was a demonstration of commitment far greater than anything I’d shown before, and at least a portion of that commitment extended to my other Tári as well.

  By the time Venna let me go, Talína had already cornered Líann and was trying to pry any details she could from my intended. I tried to intervene on her behalf, but Broda gripped me just as soon as Venna let go, offering me her own crushing hug of congratulations. All of my companions and advisors followed her, offering us their best wishes, each in their own way. I’d been nervous about how the news of my relationship with Líann might be received, but their warm reception reminded me yet again that I seemed to continually underestimate just how understanding my people truly were.

  Líann stared at me with a look of expectation as I was repeatedly asked just when our wedding might take place, and I answered each time in precisely the same way—I had no idea. That wasn’t entirely true, however, and I think she knew that just as well as I did. Soon; the answer was soon, although just how quickly that day would arrive, I really didn’t know. But now that I’d made our relationship known, Líann wanted it to happen more than anything else, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to resist her for very long. And in truth, I didn’t want to.

  When our meeting finally broke up, I left to head towards my secret training location, and Líann promised to meet me there after making a quick stop of her own. Thelmé had yet to be told what had transpired between us, and more importantly, what was still to come. Líann had grown much closer to Thelmé over time, embracing the woman as a motherly figure, much as Thelmé had always thought of her as the daughter she’d never had. It was heartwarming to see Thelmé’s devoted service finally be rewarded, and even more so for Líann to welcome Thelmé as something far more than a mere servant. I had my own diversion in mind as well, and once I was outside the walls of the Imperial Fortress, I took a slight detour from my normal route.

  Ella and Saibra had told my guards the news about Líann and me. Well, from what I understood, it had mostly been Ella who’d done the informing while Saibra stood by uncomfortably. But they hadn’t been made aware of our eventual marriage, so I broke that news to them as we walked on through the valley. They were all quite happy for me, especially Karina, who led my guards that morning. My guards knew better than anyone else—save my Tári—just how dark my moods could swing, and how much I needed someone like Líann in my life to keep them from doing so.

  But when we approached my destination, I had them wait for me a short distance away. I’d come to my special place by the lakeside; a place where I needed to be alone, save for the one who I’d hoped to find there.

  I sat on the large, flat rock by the shore and pulled off my boots before laying down on its soft, moss-covered surface. The cool water of the lake bathed my feet as I let them fall over the edge of the stone slab, refreshing in the day’s growing warmth. For a long while I just lay there, staring up at the sky peacefully, enjoying the quiet solitude that I always found in my hidden retreat. Then, as I watched the clouds floating by, I felt it for the first time.

  Despite the stillness of the water, soft currents brushed against the soles of my feet, almost imperceptibly. I dared not move, fearing to disturb the feeble flow, yet I yearned to jump up and gaze into the lake, hoping to catch a glimpse of what I felt there. But I knew that the presence I sensed was beyond my ability to see, so I steeled myself against the burning impulse inside me and took in the subtle sensations as much as I could.

  I’d recognized the feeling immediately, of course. Even in her distant state, the uniqueness of Tási’s presence would never elude me. But I’d only hoped to catch some echo of her voice calling to me from the stillness of the lake, and never thought I’d actually feel her there. The faint sensation of her flows coming to me from the cool water stirred a memory in my mind, recalling something she’d once said to me.

  Venna, Ella, Líann, or someone else… If you can find comfort with one of them when I’m gone, I want you to.

  The slight sensation I felt slowly faded when Tási’s words came back to me, as if once she’d brought them to my mind, her purpose was complete. I sat up slowly and stared blankly out across the calm surface of the lake, wondering if what I’d felt had been real—yet I knew that it was. I’d come here seeking Tási but had found far more of her than I’d bargained for. Not only that, but she’d also given her blessing to me; to us really—Líann and me, and in doing so, had taken a huge weight off my shoulders.

  I put my boots back on slowly, reluctant to leave even after Tási’s presence was long gone. She didn’t always come when I’d sought her out before; in fact, I had only heard her faintly calling to me a handful of times since that first occasion when Mother had brought us together. Still, I knew that I would find her often enough, and that was all I truly needed.

  Once I rejoined my guards, it didn’t take long to reach my practice range. Líann was already there, firing her own arrows at the cliffside, and I watched her for a moment, recognizing some of the talents she was using. The Bow of Impact alone was a fearsome weapon, but with the Abilities Líann was able to add to its powerful blows, she was truly deadly.

  I hadn’t tried using Combine Abilities with my God-forged arrows yet. I’d decided to wait until I got that talent up to 20% before even attempting it, but I had finally reached that plateau during my most recent training session, so I drew forth an ice arrow and invoked the magic.

  I stood just a short way behind Líann, and she startled in surprise as my arrow shot past her. Then, just before the shaft slammed into the stone wall, it shimmered, and three icy arrows froze the surface of the rock, coating it in a thick layer of rime. I couldn’t be quite sure, but not only had I been able to combine Swarm with the icy arrow, but it seemed that the potency of my God-forged arrow had increased. The description for the Quiver of the Elements indicated that its arrows would gain some power as I did, and I wondered just what that would mean when I was facing live targets once more.

  “A little warning next time?” Líann’s irritation came out unfiltered.

  “You seemed so happy with the rest of my surprises today.”

  “Those were very different surprises, Empress,” Líann’s tone completely changed to a soft purr.

  Líann’s eyes focused on me intently as she spoke, but before she could disrupt our training with something else, I spun her around to face the cliffside once more.

  “Show me what you can do with that bow, Líann,” I redirected her.

  She pouted at me petulantly for a second before drawing an arrow and imbuing it with some talent. Then Líann fired, not at the cliff wall, but at the packed earth around its base instead. Her arrow shimmered, just as mine had a moment before, and two shafts buried themselves in the ground at the foot of the cliff. Faster than I would have thought, Líann had another arrow in flight, then a third, each one splitting cleanly through one of the shafts of her Swarm arrow.

  “You’ve gotten really good, Líann,” I complimented her.

  Líann beamed with pride, knowing that my praise was not given lightly. I’d worked her hard, and pushed relentlessly for her to improve her skills, fearing for her safety. But Líann had risen to my challenge, and more than met it. Although I’d never stop trying to protect my Táriel, she was certainly capable of defending herself.

  We spent some more time in practice, and I found that Combine Abilities allowed me to imbue my God-forged arrows with each of my bow talents, but only one at a time. Some combinations were simply superfluous, however, since adding Ignore Armor or Stun to a shot that would instantly freeze an opponent to death was simply a waste of Aura. But a Shockwave arrow infused with the power of the elements proved to be nothing short of devastating. The powerful echoes of the blast that followed the arrow’s impact were tinged with the elemental essence of the shaft, adding a burst of damage to the area affected by the stunning det
onation. The Aura cost to create that devastation was quite high, at 270 for just a single shot, but if I entered a battle with my pool full, I’d be able to launch five of them—enough to disrupt a small army.

  That cost was part of the reason why I ended our practice early that day; I simply could not keep up with the demands my talents had on my diminished Aura pool. Maintaining the traps around my residence was a serious drag, but it was well worth the inconvenience to protect the lives of my guardians.

  Líann was quite happy to head home early, knowing that we would be openly sharing my quarters for the first time that night. While we traveled the back roads towards the Palace, her smile seemed to grow even wider as we drew closer to our destination.

  “How did Thelmé react?” I remembered to ask.

  “She cried at first,” Líann laughed softly. “Then she packed up my things and summoned the Palace staff to help her move them all upstairs.”

  “Do you really have that much stuff?”

  “I haven’t even moved in yet, and you’re getting territorial already,” Líann laughed again.

  “Just promise to leave a little room for me,” I cast a sideways glance at her, knowing the former Queen’s propensity for extravagant clothes.

  Líann’s crooked smile told me I’d be lucky to get even that.

  When we made it back upstairs to my suite, the last of the Palace staff was just leaving, and Thelmé was busily organizing my closet, arranging Líann’s gowns to her satisfaction.

  “Were you planning on letting me hang even a single garment?”

  “Oh, Empress, I’m sorry,” Thelmé flustered in surprise. “Líann instructed me to fill both closets.”

  Oh really?

  “You wore the gown I gave you so well,” Líann hurried to explain. “I thought we could share.”

  “Yes, I’m sure that was it,” I glared back at her.

  Still, she had a point. Although Líann’s gowns were tailored to her lithe elven form, my Deathless abilities let them mold to me just as well; they just fell a little differently on my figure.