Protector Abilities
See Truth – Twice 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. – 51%
Spells
Enhanced Sight – May be cast on self or ally. Improves visual acuity of the recipient in dark or obscured conditions. Cost – 20 Aura. – 57%
Create Trap – Place a magical trap upon an area. Size, type, and trigger of traps is determined by your proficiency. Cost – 40 Aura. – 53%
Elemental Arrow – Your next arrow is imbued with elemental energy and causes additional elemental damage accordingly. Cost – 30 Aura. – 28%
Spike – Launch Ice Spike(s), delivering bonus cold damage on a successful hit. Cost – 40 Aura. – 22%
Bolt – Release a Bolt of pure Lightning at your target(s). Cost – 40 Aura. – 29%
Find Weakness – Highlights vulnerable points on the target. Modifier – Intelligence. Cost – 80 Aura. – 22%
Summon Elemental – Summons an Elemental creature. If you succeed in binding it to your will, the creature will serve you faithfully until the spell’s expiration. Modifier – Charisma. Cost 100 Aura. – 42%
Shield – May be cast on self only. Manifests a forward-facing barrier against incoming projectile attacks. Duration and resistance of the barrier are based on proficiency and modifier value. Modifier – Constitution. Cost – 80 Aura. – 24%
Entangle – Create an area of entangling vines that will hold any foes caught within its radius. Area of effect, the distance you may cast the Spell, and the power of your vines will all vary based on your Abilities and proficiency. Modifiers – Strength and Dexterity. Cost – 150 Aura. – 21%
Compel – Force a sentient creature to answer a single question. If you successfully dominate their will, the target will reply with a truthful answer to one question you ask. Modifier – Charisma. Cost – 80 Aura. – 27%
Slumber – Area-of-effect sleep Spell. All enemy creatures caught within the boundaries of this magic who fail a Constitution check will fall into a deep state of unconsciousness. Modifier – Charisma. Cost – 350 Aura. – 21%
Fireball – Launch an orb of raw fire energy at your foes, which will explode on contact. The force and magnitude of this blast will vary depending on your proficiency and modifiers. Modifiers – Intelligence and Wisdom. Cost – 300 Aura. – 20%
Earthquake – Cause a disturbance in the ground beneath the target area. Opponents within the area of effect must pass a Dexterity check or lose their balance. May cause structurally unsound construction to collapse. Intensity of these effects increase with proficiency. Modifiers – Strength and Constitution. Cost – 350 Aura. – 22%
Summon Creature – Summons a creature to aid you or fight by your side. The type of creature summoned depends on the environment. Modifier – Charisma. Cost – 100 Aura. – 20%
Shadow Magic – Affinity 37%
Life Drain – Rip the life force from your target and add it to your own. This will either restore your own Health or add a temporary boost to it if it is already full. Modifier – Constitution. Cost – 150 Aura. – 11%
Merge – Join yourself with the shadows and journey along them as far as you choose. You may only travel within an unbroken chain of shadows and only for as long as your Aura lasts. Modifier – Dexterity. Cost – 50 Aura/minute. – 28%
Skills
Bow – 73%
Critical Hit – 61%
Blades – 63%
Long Sword – 65%
Short Sword – 67%
Dagger – 61%
Critical Hit – 60%
Two-Handed – 68%
Pole Arms – 14%
Spear – 57%
Armor – 60%
Medium Armor – 62%
Perception – 64%
Environmental – 63%
Identify Enemy – 64%
Identify Person – 54%
Combat Dodge – 29%
Subterfuge – 41%
Stealth – 41%
Find Trap – 20%
Disarm Trap – 20%
Set Trap – 20%
Manipulation – 64%
Persuade – 73%
Barter – 49%
Survival – 24%
Tracking – 27%
Identify Creature (Beasts) – 19%
Skinning – 16%
Field Dress – 15%
Alchemy – 19%
Herbalism – 31%
Potion Craft – 27%
Lore – 13%
Identify Magical Item – 23%
That was pretty fucking awesome!
Through sporadic training when time had allowed, I’d advanced most of the talents I’d gained after reaching level 80 as far as I could, but those gains paled in comparison to the progress I’d achieved during the battle. I’d been forced to conserve my Endurance, so I hadn’t used my talents, but wielding my blades and invoking Shadow Armor for hours on end boosted my Skills tremendously. I’d actually have to learn how to use a few new weapons if I didn’t want any future points I earned through Saibra’s Oath to not go to waste.
I knew that my XP gains would not have been possible in the contrived game that had been Second Skin, not that I gave a shit about that false world. My Sintári status didn’t even exist there—neither did Rhastoren companions or true dragons, for that matter. I doubted that the Commander’s Bonus was a game component either—the boon it provided was simply too OP, to borrow a term from the dead man’s lexicon. And forget about Saibra’s Oath. The game developers had attempted to suppress the Gods; they certainly wouldn’t have permitted such a powerful boon to exist in the carefully balanced game world they’d tried to create here.
Just like after the vast battle at Kiva and my Army’s first fight in the Dark Lands, I’d participated in a conflict that had resulted in thousands of enemy kills. Considering those numbers and the incredible boons I had access to, the XP rewards were pretty much what I expected.
And I would probably need the boost that XP had provided me. The beastkin army we’d defeated might not be the last card the Mistress of Shadows had to play, and I certainly couldn’t afford to underestimate her again. Even if it was, I had yet to confront her, and I suddenly felt uncertain of the impression I’d had of her. We’d clearly underestimated her power, and she’d made us pay dearly for our error.
But for the moment I simply closed the UI and laid back, resting my head in Líann’s lap. She smiled as she glanced down at me, slowly running her fingers through my hair when I returned her grin. The gentle sensation of her light strokes across my scalp pushed away my concerns for a time, and I let myself relax and rest with her for a while.
14
I’d only just let my eyes slide shut when our quiet moment was abruptly cut short by the blaring report of an alarm being sounded from the perimeter of our defenses. Líann and I were still dressed in our armor, and she quickly snatched up her weapons as we burst out of our tent. I had no idea what the Mistress of Shadows had managed to sneak past our scouts, but whatever threat she’d sent against us, I intended to destroy it—by any means necessary.
The sound of wind rushing against Bane’s leathery wings thrummed in my ears as he launched himself into the sky overhead. I glanced in the direction I’d heard the noise come from and caught sight of him as he climbed higher and higher into the pale blue above. No matter what we faced, he’d probably be better off taking it on from above, unless that bitch had another undead dragon up her sleeve.
My guards, including Insleí and Ella, accompanied us as we made our way towards the area where the call to arms was still sounding off. While we rushed there, more and more of my Imperial Guards joined us, and by the time we reached our destination, I was certain that every single one of them was with me. Unfortunately, once we were there, instead of discovering what we were up against, the nature of the threat only grew more mys
terious.
Rolling slowly towards us was a dense bank of thick fog—impenetrable even with my Enhanced Sight. Anything at all could have been concealed within its obscured bounds, and we had no way to truly prepare ourselves for what we’d face when it arrived, other than to arrange our forces in their usual patterns. But the murky gloom would likely render our most powerful weapons virtually useless—the archers and Evokers we relied upon so heavily in the past would be hard-pressed to find any targets within the heavy mist. I could only watch helplessly as it drew closer, but as the fog moved in, a single word rang out in my mind.
Run!
Mother hadn’t visited me since we’d entered the Dark Lands—she’d cautioned me the restrictions the Gods had placed on themselves prevented her from doing so. Those same limitations had also stopped her from communicating with me in any way, but she’d broken through them somehow to send me her warning.
Nentai’s projection was laced with a sense of near desperation, and as was always the case when she communicated with me this way, there was far more embedded within that word than just its single syllable. In it, I sensed a level of fear from the Goddess that I’d never thought possible. Whatever it was that the dense fog concealed, she was terrified of what it would do to me. Not to my Army, but to me specifically. Mother didn’t know exactly what it was; its true nature was concealed from her as well, but she knew that it was coming for me and that I stood little chance of defeating it.
The urge to obey her command was nearly overpowering. Knots of fear twisted inside my stomach, and something within me cried out to flee whatever horror awaited me in the thick mists. My knees buckled, and I almost gave in to the overwhelming desire to escape the terrors that were coming for me, but I simply could not comply. Abandoning my people to face the horrors that were hidden in the depths of the rapidly approaching mist was unthinkable to me, so I drew my blades once more and stood protectively in front of Líann while she nocked an arrow. Insleí and Ella were right there as well, one on either side, protecting me just as they had during the long struggle the night before. Although I couldn’t see her, I felt Venna’s presence as well, a bright light shining somewhere just behind me. With my Tári alongside me, I faced off against the unknown. Whatever fate awaited us inside the dense fog, we’d meet it as we had all the other challenges we’d overcome—together as one.
When it finally arrived, the mist rolled over us with an eerie, quiet stillness. The cool dampness of it seemed to flow over me almost gently, gliding over the contours of my God-forged Armor and encasing me within a blanket of fog. The dense cloud almost completely obscured my vision, and even with my Enhanced Sight, I couldn’t see anything beyond the length of my outstretched hand. Seeking Insleí, I stepped cautiously to my left, but even after striding several paces, far past where she should have been standing, I still hadn’t located her—or anyone else for that matter. I called out to each of my Tári in turn, and then for anyone at all, but there was no reply; even the pleading thoughts I sent to Bane went unanswered. No sound at all came back to me; I was surrounded by nothing but silence, alone in the murky dimness.
Finding myself suddenly alone and separated from my Tári, a wave of apprehension flooded over me. Although my own situation was obviously quite precarious, my deepest fears were for Líann and the others. Whatever might happen to me, I still clung to the idea that I would come back again—but for my Tári, their deaths might very well be final.
Isolated and alone in the mist, the thought of losing them, any of them, began to torment me. I lashed out at the fog surrounding me, slashing at it futilely with my blades and screaming my rage into the dense cloud. My efforts were in vain, of course, and nothing came of them until the mists began to slowly part, revealing the completely changed environment I suddenly found myself in.
When the fog had rolled over us, we’d been in an open field, the same one where we’d fought off the beastkin horde. But the grass beneath my feet was gone, as was the broad field it had grown on, replaced by the hard stone floor and walls that surrounded me. I was in some strange passageway, and I had the impression that it was somewhere deep underground—far beneath where I’d been standing only a few moments before.
With a wall behind me, there was only one way for me to go, so I walked forward cautiously, calling forth my Shadow Armor as I advanced down the broad hallway. Although the air was dry and the stone walls appeared to be well-maintained, there was a distinct chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. Despite the Scryer’s Circle around my finger, I knew that I was being observed, and there was no doubt in my mind over exactly who was monitoring me. I’d been dragged into the Mistress of Shadows’ domain, and she was watching my every movement.
Since the effort was now wasted, I pulled back the Aura I’d been using to maintain the Scryer’s Circle’s magic, letting the points slowly leech back into my Aura pool. I didn’t know what sort of threats I’d be facing here, and conserving my strength seemed like the most prudent option.
But while I advanced down the hallway, no threats emerged to confront me, and the only sound I heard was the soft echo of my own footsteps. I began to wonder if the place had been deserted, thinking that perhaps the Mistress had fled after her unexpected defeat, then I rounded a sharp corner and discovered that was definitely not the case.
Two beastkin stood guarding the passage, one on either side. Standing still, the pair regarded me with barely concealed fear in their eyes. The two of them alone were no match for me, and they were obviously well aware of that fact.
The female on the right had an admirably sculpted physique and might have been quite alluring, had it not been for the beastkin features that marred her—the backward-facing legs, furred forearms, and the spikey horns protruding from the loose curls of her brown hair gave away her unnatural origins, ruining what might otherwise have been a beautiful human woman.
The male beastkin that stood across from her appeared to be of a similar strain. His muscular body spoke of great strength, and his face had an almost regal bearing to it, yet the twisted aspects of his foul breeding rendered him wholly repulsive. There was simply no avoiding the cloven feet he stood upon or the curving horns on his head. The sight of the two mutated abominations only served as a reminder to me of the evils of their kind.
“I’m here for your Mistress,” I declared to the beastkin, despite the fact that the situation was precisely the opposite.
“She awaits you ahead, Empress,” the female replied, in a slightly mocking tone.
It was a needless insult, and one that I didn’t particularly care for. So, with my Shadow Armor still in place, I took control of two of its lashing tendrils as I advanced towards the beastkin.
When I drew close enough, I sent the shadowy projections forward, surging towards the beastkin. The arrogant smirk that had been on the female’s face since she’d spoken vanished in an instant, and she threw herself backwards, trying to evade the tendril’s strike. The other beastkin attempted to dodge as well, but in their hurried confusion, the pair collided, cursing as they tumbled to the floor in a graceless heap.
“Show me the way,” I finally replied in an offhand manner as the pair slowly untangled themselves.
“There is another who will take you to our Mistress,” the male gestured down the hallway as the two retreated. “You will find him ahead.”
Although his words came out laced with the fear he obviously felt, his tone was otherwise indistinguishable from normal human speech. Clearly, whatever magic had been used to create the warped beastkin did little to alter that particular aspect of their human heritage—somehow that thought made the abominations seem even more disturbing.
The sound of their hooves clattering against the stone floor echoed through the corridor as the pair vanished down a smaller side passage. With no other option left to me, I continued to follow the wider main hallway as it led me deeper into the Mistress’ sanctuary.
I hadn’t gone much farther when I notic
ed a lone figure waiting for me. But it was not another beastkin; rather, he was an orc, unarmed and wearing intricate robes that conferred his high status.
“Welcome, Empress,” he greeted me without a trace of the taunting manner of the beastkin. If anything, I thought I caught a tinge of… reverence in his voice.
“My name is Mornik,” he politely introduced himself. “I serve as the Mistress’ seneschal and will escort you to her.”
He gestured for me to follow him, and although he had to be aware of its power, Mornik seemed completely unconcerned by my Shadow Armor. In fact, as he led me down the hallway, he strode well within reach of its deadly projections. The fact that they didn’t strike him down could only mean one of two things: Either the seneschal was immune to their effects, or he truly meant me no harm. I wasn’t sure which of those potential prospects disturbed me the most.
“What happened to my… people?” I inquired as I followed behind Mornik.
I managed to catch myself before my concern let me give too much away. Considering how closely the Mistress of Shadows had been watching me, I was certain that she was aware of my Tári, but there was no need to let her know just how much they meant to me. However, in contrast to my guarded question, Mornik replied quite candidly.
“You need not fear for them, Empress,” he answered. “You’ve defeated all that remained of my Mistress’ forces. She has nothing left to send against your Army. The mists she conjured up were only meant to bring you here. All she seeks now is the opportunity to speak with you.”
Even without the magic of See Truth, I believed what the seneschal told me, and knowing that both my Tári and my people were safe relieved me of a great burden. Although I’d been brought here against my will, I felt like I’d abandoned everyone I cared about. But with their safety assured, Mornik’s answer still left me with one burning question.
“Speak with me about what?”
“I apologize, Empress,” Mornik seemed sincere in his regret. “But I am not permitted to tell you anything more than that.”
Second Skin Omnibus Page 225
