Wekime sat on a simple chair made of a material Phaius had never managed to acquire yet. It wasn’t something most could get, having been created and lost eons before he ever rose to power.

The room he was in was again a simple stone type. This room was the same size as the one he had waited in.

There is more power in this room than in my entire realm… how?!

The creature before Phaius was more ancient than he knew. Time did not bother one of its kind. The rumors of the ones who had first built this system were only discussed in private. Most, like himself, worried that somehow mentioning their names would attract their attention.

Still, the dragonkin looked at him with those silver eyes, its body covered with golden scales. Even though it looked like a humanoid being, only three fingers with long nails were on each hand, and the teeth that were present from its extended face left no doubt it could easily cut through him in a moment. The tail that ran behind the chair twitched slightly, almost as if by reflex, as Phaius moved toward the ancient one.

“You may speak,” the servant said, its body covered in a grey robe with a hood. No part of it showed, and its voice sounded like gravel being ground underfoot on stone.

“Thank you for seeing me, Wekime,” Phaius said, bowing low. “I am grateful you did not make me wait long to bask in your presence.”

A low thrum came from Wekime as he smiled and shook his head.

“What are a few months? Simply time that matters not to ones like us. Not even seconds for you or I.”

Phaius fought to keep his face steady.

Two months?! It should have only been two weeks!

“Yes, you are right. May I make my petition?”

Three talons waved in the hand, and Wekime looked bored. He gave a slight nod.

“Thank you,” Phaius said, bowing slightly again. “I am certain you have heard the rumors of a black skill being unleashed on one of my worlds. I was wondering if perhaps you could assist me in tracking down if that skill was still active and, if so, how I might find out who possesses it. To have a skill like that loose would spell destruction for many–”

Wekime leaned forward in his chair, and his talons came up, almost seeming to have stolen the voice from Phaius’s lips.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“I am aware of the rumors. No doubt there are some concerned about whether this is real or not,” Wekime stated, putting his hands together on his lap. “The problem is which black skill it might be. Are you aware of what it is?”

Frowning, Phaius shook his head, still not confident his voice would work and not wanting to look weak if it failed him.

“Let me ask you a question. Be very careful how you answer this. I know you are still young, less than twenty thousand years old. After already giving me two of your worlds, are you certain that you want to invest more in this endeavor? If the skill has been removed, you will no longer need to worry about yourself and will be giving away more power than someone your age should on a chance.”

Wekime stood, the chair vanishing as he rose. His body seemed to grow as he rose, almost touching the ceiling, while Phaius felt like he was yards away from it.

“And if it was confirmed and the wielder of it found, then what? Should you spend time hunting for the individual yourself? The cost of that would drain you faster than you want to admit. You could easily command those under you to search for the owner, but if they have failed you already, do you believe they would succeed now?”

“But it’s a black skill!” Phaius declared anxiously.

“It is,” Wekime replied, a grin appearing across his face. “This isn’t the first time they have been loosed, and if one is free, the other two shall soon be as well. While not in your domains, though that would be humorous if so, you must think about what is coming and decide what you will do.”

Blinking rapidly, Phaius tried to consider what Wekime was talking about.

Looking at the floor, the one who believed himself to be a god to fear felt the thread of a memory drift into his mind.

A battle… the three have to fight… one will remain… and then…

Though his skin was a tanned color that he preferred, Phaius felt his face drain of all color for a moment.

“You cannot be serious?” he gasped, looking at Wekime, who was once again reclining in his chair.

“I am. Decide the role you want to play. I on the other hand, decline to help. The gift you gave of power for this meeting shall be half returned. Choose which world you wish to keep. The other I shall be content with.”

The servant appeared and gestured with his hand to a door behind Phaius, which was open and leading from the room.

Struggling with what he had learned, Phaius turned to leave, a fog of realization setting in.

“Phaius, one last thing,” Wekime called out, his voice sounding amused. “I would stop using your power to try to track down this person if they are still alive. Instead, you better prepare yourself for what is coming.”

With that comment, the doorway came to Phaius, moving past him until he and the servant were alone in a room.

“Have you decided what planet to gift my master with?”

A token appeared in his hand, and Phaius handed it to the servant, dropping it without paying attention. The moment it hit the servant's hand, he felt a massive amount of power leave him.

I need to make allies… and I need more strength…

The door to leave materialized and Phaius strode through it with haste. There was no more time to waste.