Our armies finally met on an open plain, wide and flat as far as the eye could see. The Nér-vrogan forces were an impressive sight; neat, orderly rows of soldiers flying the pennants and banners of their Nér-vrogan masters. The Lords and Ladies themselves led their respective contingents, each of them eager to be the one to put an end to me and the threat that I represented. I don’t think a single one of them recognized the danger they were in until it was too late.
For a few moments, the two armies stared across the field at each other, waiting to see which would make the first move. In the stillness, the fluttering of the many flags and the occasional metallic clink of armor was all that could be heard until a thundering bellow from above shattered the silence.
Breaking from the cover of the scattered clouds overhead, Bane hurtled himself towards the ground. The sight of a tremendous dragon sent a rush of panic through the Nér-vrogan lines, but despite his imposing presence, he was the lesser of the two threats bearing down on them. Nearly invisible as she sat astride his back, the fate of the Nér-vrogans was sealed when Dreya began invoking her own deadly powers.
In response to her calls, tremendous mounds of earth erupted from the ground, penning our foes in and cutting off their escape. Cheers erupted all across our lines as flashes of lightning burst from the sky, striking the ground with hideous force. The Nér-vrogan and their allies died by the scores and then hundreds when Bane added his fires to the destruction Dreya wrought, incinerating everything in his path. As the two of them wiped out our enemies almost to the very last soul, all that was left for the rest of us to do was round up the few remaining stragglers.
Although we’d destroyed nearly all the Nér-vrogan in that one battle, our struggle against them was far from over. There were others who’d either been too cowardly to face us or had the wisdom not to. Without a safe haven left to them and unable to hold any position against our might, they’d been forced to retreat into the darkness, haunting the fringes of their former realms or stalking alone in the wilds. With my ability to defeat them, I was the logical choice to lead the band hunting down those last few survivors.
I was happy that my companions chose to join me in that endeavor, and even more so when Dreya volunteered to enchant both their armor and weapons. With each of us able to put an end to any Nér-vrogan we faced, the foul creatures stood no chance.
Yet we couldn’t be everywhere at once; even when we received word of some Nér-vrogan’s location, it often took some time for us to arrive and put an end to them. My mother came through once again to not only aid us in that regard but also to restore much of what the Nér-vrogan had destroyed.
On one of her many visits, she brought a group of dwarven smiths and halfling scholars. After hearing of their long-lost brethren across the sea, they’d volunteered to journey with her to teach their people the many things that had been taken from them. The art of Spellcasting and crafting Dwarven Steel were soon restored to the people of Runía, and the incursions of the few remaining Nér-vrogan dwindled to practically nothing once so many had the means to protect themselves from their formerly invulnerable oppressors. Although we’d always have to remain vigilant, the Nér-vrogan’s hold over Runía had finally been broken.
Several months after our final battle with the Nér-vrogan, things finally settled down, and I was able to lapse into a state of semi-retirement from hunting the remnants of our foes. I still joined in those excursions from time to time, but Kyrah had largely taken over that responsibility for me. Relaxing in the comforts of my own home for a while, I sipped a glass of wine as I watched the sun slowly drifting towards the horizon.
“You seem ill at ease, Daughter.” I felt Dreya’s presence as she materialized beside me. “Are you not happy here?”
“I am,” I hesitated to explain, not really grasping the cause of my restlessness. “It just feels as if I’m missing something.”
“You truly don’t know what it is you’re lacking?” Although it had eluded me, Dreya’s knowing grin told me that she had a definite opinion on the matter.
“We’ve defeated the Nér-vrogan, and I have my companions and Scar,” my mind came up empty as I pondered her question. “There’s nothing else I need.”
“Perhaps it’s not a thing you should be looking for,” her not-so-subtle comment made Dreya’s thoughts obvious.
“I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet.” Romance was actually the furthest thing from my mind at the time. “I kinda messed things up badly when I first came here.”
“Kyrah is quite lovely, but she’s not the one for you,” I choked back my surprise at her blatant statement. “No need to rush into anything; I just think it’s important for you to know what to look for when the time is right.”
“You have someone in mind?” My suspicions grew as I recalled her many attempts at matchmaking.
“No, I certainly don’t,” Dreya laughed off the suggestion. “You’ve taught me well enough not to meddle in your… affairs.”
It wasn’t as if my so-called ‘affairs’ amounted to much of anything, but I understood her meaning.
“Oh, I almost forgot why I came here today,” her tone suddenly turned quite odd, a mixture of intrigue and curiosity that was completely unfamiliar.
“Lady Death has asked to see you, though she wouldn’t tell me why,” Dreya didn’t bother trying to hide her frustration with that omission. “Apparently, you made quite an impression on her.”
The Goddess of Death wasn’t known for her socializing. Even though Insleí had visited with her on occasion, she could never recall the details of those conversations—something about being in Lady Death’s Domain had prevented her from retaining any recollection of those discussions.
“I can tell her you’d rather not,” Dreya prompted when I hesitated to reply. “I’m certain she’d understand your reluctance.”
“No,” something urged me to accept, though I couldn’t say what it was. “I’d like to hear what she has to say.”
Dreya nodded before our brief visit ended with her form shimmering as she vanished from sight. She’d been trying to teach me that particular bit of magic, but like many of the other mystical talents of the Gods, I had yet to master the skill. I didn’t give up hope of learning it, however. Unless I met some unfortunate fate, I had all of eternity to continue my practice.
Once more alone in my chambers, I poured myself another glass of wine and wandered out to the broad terrace overlooking the forest beyond the small city of Inre where I’d chosen to make my home. While I sat down to enjoy the cool evening breeze, the setting sun cast long shadows on the street below as it painted the sky with broad strokes of color.
Although I’d resolved nothing, somehow, the brief conversation with Dreya eased my mind. It was as if discovering the source of my unease had freed me from its burden. I had no intention of running out in search of true love, but I knew that she’d been right—even though I had friends, the one thing missing from my life was someone to share it with.
Yet that was definitely something that could wait for another day, one that I couldn’t help but feel lay far off in my future. For the present, at least, I was content enough to know that I had a path forward. Not only that, but there was the small matter of my soon-to-be-held meeting with Lady Death—aside from the few words she’d spoken to me on one occasion, I had nothing to base my expectations on. Despite what little I knew of her, I couldn’t help but look forward to our meeting. For some odd reason, I knew that we shared something in common, though for the life of me, I couldn’t say just what that might be.
Scar padded outside to lay beside me just as the sun fell behind the trees, and as the comforting darkness settled around us, I took a deep sip from my cup while letting my fingers run through his shaggy gray fur. In spite of all I’d gone through, and what still lie ahead, I’d finally found my place in the world, and life was good. I wasn’t going to let any future concerns spoil my present sense of contentment.
Thank
You!!!
So, that’s Book 7—six more than I thought I’d write when I first started this series. While it’s time to leave Ashíel alone for a while, the story of Second Skin isn’t quite over. There’s one last journey to be taken…
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Special thanks to my Editor, Casey J Fenich. Without her help, these books may have never come together. She literally is the best, and can be found at: https://www.thothediting.com
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Second Skin: Wayward: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 7) Page 26
