Ultimate Level 1

“So you’re him.”

Max’s hand tightened around the shaft of his halberd. The way Phaius casually spoke when they had gotten within ten yards of each other caused a rage like nothing he had ever felt before to bubble up. Every part of him wanted to attack, but he could feel the power coming from the god.

Energy seemed to radiate from the god’s body, crossing the distance between them, pushing against the effect of his Sonar.

It’s like some sort of aura around him… what kind of power does he possess? God dammit Bob! I could really use you!

Resisting the temptation and anger that had initially overwhelmed him, Max took a breath.

“And you’re the arsehole god that ordered my death?”

He could feel his blood rising, the top of his head becoming warm. Forcing his hand to loosen up around his weapon, every muscle in his body was tight as Max fought to hold back the rage he felt inside.

A slight frown appeared on the deity standing before him . Phiaus’s muscular frame matched the carved sculpture that had just been present in the temple. Clothes flowed loosely on his body and shimmered with a glow of some sort, almost white, almost yellow, depending on how it moved. Each piece was a tan color, yet Max could sense its power.

Two stud earrings were in each ear, and jewelry decorated every finger.

Max felt his eyes blinking a few times and realized Phaius had no clue what his name was.

All this time, and he still doesn’t know who I am? Surely, if he ordered my death, he must have had some idea…

“I’m sorry, you still don’t know who I am?”

“Beyond a problem I cannot deal with any longer, no. I have many worlds, and you have cost me far more power than you could ever imagine. While your rise through the tower has granted me much, I…”

He froze, the perfectly chiseled face scrunching slightly, a slight wrinkle on his chin.

“You have cost me one world so far, and I am afraid many more worlds will fall soon because of you.”

The ten yards between them seemed like a chasm as Max suddenly felt the power radiating from Phaius increase. Cracks began to form and widen underneath the god as he stood there, studying the bald-headed boy.

“I cannot imagine how you acquired the skill preventing me from coming to my temple. I could have overcome it but would have destroyed the town in the process, and that is why—”

Both men dropped low, the ground starting to shake around them, when another sound rang out, booming like a volcano had just exploded.

A hundred yards away, a figure emerged through a portal that opened up, and Max felt pain tearing against the skill he had active.

[ System Travel Block - Overridden ]

He could feel his eyes widening as a dwarf strode out of the portal, one that he had seen before in books, on tapestries, and even as a statue.

Eight feet tall, covered in glowing silver armor, wielding a large two-handed hammer that was almost as large as its owner, the dwarf turned toward the two of them and began to walk with purpose.

Each step caused the ground to crack as it had under Phaius but even more so.

Light radiated from his golden beard, and Max could sense a presence almost demanding that he bend his knee.

Suddenly, the power from Phaius grew. Gone was the simple clothing, replaced now by plate armor, which was purple and black, and had crystal runes sparkling along the surface. A shield and a sword appeared, and each one seemed to crackle with power.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, PHAIUS?!”

The dwarf’s voice boomed, making Max’s ears feel like they would explode.

“Ockrim… this is not the time.”

Slowly, the dwarf approached, his eyes glancing between the two men, and his scowl made his golden eyebrows become one.

“There is no better time when I sense a rift like what you just made on a world that is also mine. Now tell me, who is this man, and why have you done this?”

“I need your word that you will not attack this one,” the purple-clad god said. “Give me your word, and I shall tell you; otherwise, we shall find ourselves at odds over this.”

Laughter came, and the dwarf held out his two-handed hammer as if it were nothing more than a twig with a single hand. He pointed it at Max, shaking his head.

“You are not in a position to demand such a thing. We both know I am much stronger than you.”

Phaius nodded.

“You are… but I’m also not acting alone. Wekime has said this one needs protection.”

Max wasn’t sure who Wekime was, but the dwarf’s hammer dipped for a moment before it was slowly withdrawn. It was set upon his shoulder, and both eyebrows took turns rising and falling.

“Wekime… he… he spoke with you? He told you this?”

The sound of disbelief and doubt wasn’t hidden as Ockrim turned his full attention to Max.

“He did… it cost me greatly to have that meeting, but know this,” Phaius said as he pointed his purple and black sword at Max. “This one… has to stay alive for now, or we shall all fall.”

Only the sounds of wind were heard for a few seconds, and then a gasp came from the dwarf.

“There is only one reason for something to be said like that… which means the rumors are true. He is one of the three?”

“Would you all stop talking like I’m not here?”

Both gods snorted and frowned at Max’s words.

“You have no idea who you are dealing with, child,” Ockrim replied. “You are nothing but—”

“I’m a world champion,” Max interrupted. “I’ve defeated one already; you know what I must be. So treating me like you are will not endear you to me at all.”

“You dare threaten me?! A GOD?!”

A snarl formed, and the hammer was held in both hands, the dwarf’s fingers clenching around whatever metal the shaft was made from.

“Then kill me. See what happens then,” Max bluffed.

Ockrim opened his mouth and then closed it, snorting and blowing his golden beard out some.

“Let it go. He has us by the short hairs,” Phaius said. “Trust me. I already tried to have him killed once. Obviously, that didn’t work, and right now I’m glad I failed. Wekime is right. We need to watch over him.”

Clamping his mouth shut, Ockrim pursed his lips over and over. In a moment, his armor and weapon were gone, replaced with a similar outfit to what Phaius had first been wearing.

“I am glad the other has not appeared. She would be… less open to this.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Nodding, Phaius returned to his original garb, and Max felt the presence of both gods decrease dramatically.

“So now what?” the dwarven god asked.

“Again, I’m still here. Who is Wekime, and why does he want me protected? Why are the two of you here?”

A chuckle escaped Ockrim’s mouth, and the first grin since he arrived began to show.

“He’s your problem. Tell him.”

Sighing, Phaius glanced at the town in the distance.

“Fine, but let us withdraw a little bit from here. I would prefer not to have the countryside in a fit if word gets out that we are both here. Besides, time is limited. You and I both know that.”

“Very well. Follow us, human. We have much to tell you.”

***

Five more miles vanished in a moment as all three moved in a line, dodging trees and ruining fields as they ran through them, knocking down crops from their speed.

Finally, both gods slowed down, and Max joined them, his mind racing at everything he wanted to know.

Bob… like… if you could… now would be the time to appear.

“What is your name?”

Turning his attention to Phaius, Max smiled.

“Do you want the name I’ve hidden under or my real name?”

“We do not have time for games,” Ockrim growled. “Every minute costs us dearly to be here and draws the attention of one we do not want. Now speak.”

“Fine,” Max replied. “Max Hoste, though I hid under the name Seth Pendal.”

Both gods glanced at each other before breaking out in laughter, each of them holding their stomachs as they roared and howled.

“Seth… Seth Pendal…” Ockrim said between breaths. “What… What are the odds?”

“That man… was a thorn in our sides…” Phaius managed to get out. “What are the odds indeed?”

“I’m missing something,” Max complained. “For two gods pressed for time, you’ve spent a good half minute laughing at something I have no idea about. Now tell me, why must I be alive and who is this Wekime.”

Wiping a wet spot under his eye, Phaius nodded, his mood changing in a moment.

“Yes. Time is important. Wekime is one of the old gods. Far stronger than most, limited in ways even we do not know of, but if one was to ever go against him, they would hope the other gods of the system would kill them first. For Wekime to find you… and to capture you…”

Both Ockrim and Phaius shuddered.

“He would make you wish for death long before it ever came… if it ever came,” the dwarf stated.

“You know what you are. A bearer of a black skill. Do you know how many there are?”

“Three,” Max answered, watching as Phaius nodded.

“Correct. You have to have either Consume or Devour. I’m assuming it’s Consume as I have not received any notifications of you attempting to affect me yet.”

“Consume… Tell me, boy… how many have you killed?”

Sighing, Max looked at Ockrim and saw a frown as he asked that question.

“Only those elves foolish enough to try and kill me because I’m a human or the ones in the arena who didn’t surrender.”

“Bah, you don’t have to lie to me, boy! We know how the skill works! Even now, I’m surprised you haven’t—”

“I’m not a killer,” Max growled. “I’m not like whatever you think I should be. I didn’t ask for this skill, and I didn’t want it, but it doesn’t control me.”

He studied both gods, who were watching him, eyes flickering between each other, a conversation seeming to take place though no words were spoken.

“I have only defended myself and those that I love and call family. Anyone foolish enough to attempt to attack us, like Phaius and the queens, is on my radar.”

“That’s impossible,” the dwarf stated again. “No one controls the skill. It does exactly what its name is. It consumes them, turning them into rampaging murderers, seeking power through the death and destruction of anyone and everything that gets in their way. The last time—”

“I’m different,” Max said again.

Phaius stood there, his arms crossed, slowly bobbing his head.

“He is… look at him. Even now, he’s not reacting. And seeing him like this, having the skill he has, making the claim that he did. We can’t kill him now.”

“Boy… for the love of the gods…”

Groaning at the words he had just spoken, he ignored both gods, who chuckled slightly.

“I am not he or him or boy ! I’m someone who was given this skill for whatever reason, and I have not lost myself to its hunger. And trust me… I felt the hunger.”

“I am sorry… Max,” Phaius said slowly. “Forgive us. In all our time… none have resisted the skills. Each time when a skill is unleashed, it is hunted down, hoping to cut it off before it grows too strong.”

“Because of what it can become?”

“Not just that,” he continued. “But because if it is allowed to reach a certain strength, another one is unleashed. After that… all three are loosed upon all the worlds.”

“If he is this strong, Phaius, then surely that must mean the other two are also growing. We’ll need to inform the others.”

Both gods scowled at something Max could only guess at, something neither wanted to do.

“Why? What is so bad about this? About the three skills?” Max asked.

“The end of everything if one skill is left unchecked.”

He felt his eyes twitch at how casually Phaius had said those words.

“Has this happened before? I mean—”

“There is no more time,” Ockrim said. “We need to go. Any longer and she will come, and things will become far worse.”

“Who is she?” he asked.

“The goddess of the elves… I prefer not to say her name lest she be listening right now. No doubt she will have sensed us both coming to this world at the same time.”

“Forgive us, Max. I… I am sorry for the game you have been ensnared in. Worlds are at war, gods seek vengeance, and someone has used you as a pawn to fight me, endangering every other world and god in the process.”

He paused and looked at Ockrim, who had just huffed.

“Someone has willingly given much to change the landscape of everything, and only a fool or someone with a plan far greater than we see now is taking a chance. Now, we must go, but here, take this.”

He flipped a gold coin, and Max caught it in one hand, seeing that it was just an ordinary coin from this world.

“You offered me that, and I’ll give it back. Know I shall try to find you in the coming days. We… will do what we can to help you survive, and there needs to be more conversations in the days to come. For now… be careful and… forgive me for what you have endured. It may seem impossible for you to believe, but had I known you had the power to resist the skill, I might have…” Phaius paused and shook his head. “No. Even then I probably would have done what I did, trying to protect my world and the others. For now, know that I am not seeking your death. Instead I need to find out who has used you as a pawn to hurt me and this world.”

“Hurt this world?”

“There is no time. Later, I shall find you, and we shall talk. Do not lose that coin.”

“Take this as well,” Ockrim added as he tossed an emblem to Max.

Catching the metal, he could immediately tell it was unlike anything he had seen in this world by the power that radiated from it. His skill in weapon crafting told him it was far stronger than any substance he had ever seen.

“If you need help… find the one who is king of my people here. Show them that. It will grant you an audience and assistance… just know… no human has ever possessed one.”

Opening his mouth to speak, a boom sounded, and the dwarven god vanished, leaving just Max and Phaius in the middle of a field.

“Be safe, Max, and try to resist the urge for as long as you can. I… I will visit when I can.”

Another boom rang out, and he found himself alone, standing near two sections of dirt, each cracked and broken, sunken over a foot from whatever power the two gods had put out.

Damn you, Bob… I really could have used you.

Turning, Max ran back toward town.

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