Bro, I'm not an Undead!

[What would you like to make an enquiry on?]

Skullius took a short breath.

"VOW. Why did you warn me against TITEMIUS? What's so bad about him?" he asked.

[…]

VOW seemed hesitant at first. She didn't answer Skullius readily, and to some degree, the Hybrid Warmoth had expected that reluctance. There was something fishy going on with VOW in general – VOW and Serenity, in fact.

Once the silence Skullius received exceeded a certain degree, he decided to ask again. It was a different question, this time, and it was prompted by the fact that Skullius had a nagging feeling that VOW might just be speaking to someone else while pretending to be mulling over her options. It was just a guess, though it had some amount of evidence behind it.

"What are you and Serenity hiding?"

[You would need a second piece of <Counsel> to get me to answer that, and even you did use it, I don't have to give honest, satisfying answers, Skullius]

"I figured that was how it worked, but you weave through your own rules from time to time, don't you?" Skullius said while folding his arms. Each time he spoke, he was disrupting his consumption of Exora Mead, but given the potential for a little bit of clarity here, he didn't mind. "What was it that Void said? You show favouritism? I believe I've been on the receiving end of that favour… and not without reason. You and Serenity have something going on."

[…]

There had hardly been enough discreetness between Serenity and VOW's relationship, at least not enough to where Skullius wouldn't notice. Void's outburst had brought this relationship to better light.

[To your first question, it would be better if you didn't know, Skullius. There are many secrets you aren't ready to learn about yet. Knowing them might even do you more harm than good. Trust me]

Skullius shook his head.

"Look, VOW. I'm grateful for everything you've done for me so far, but in case you haven't noticed, I have had dealings with nine Primeval Deities already, and more than half of them are hostile. A little bit of knowledge on the one whom you claim possesses real danger to me won't make it any harder for me to live in this wretched world. YOU know that," he said a bit harshly.

And he wasn't wrong.

VOW knew that Skullius needed this information. It wouldn't harm him to know why exactly TITEMIUS was a particularly tricky customer for him especially.

The reason she shied away was of course because…

[Can't we just tell him?]

"It's my turn to advise you not to tell him anything more than is necessary," Serenity warned. She spoke to Wyrrim in the same bizarre fashion they had interacted before, where Skullius couldn't hear. "TITEMIUS or whatever he calls himself now… I can't convince myself that he's not still the same as he was back then. I… I can't take any chances. Skullius mustn't be allowed to know or interact with him on the level of a LIMITED CONTRACT, much less an UNLIMITED one."

There was concern in Serenity's voice.

She had hidden it well earlier, when VOW had told Skullius not to interact with TITEMIUS, and when TITEMIUS had offered the Hybrid Warmoth a contract. It was all she could do to not tell Skullius herself that no matter how enticing TITEMIUS' gifts, he was not to entertain him.

But a part of her – truthfully – had hoped for Skullius to choose the Primeval Deity's contract. It had been so long. Maybe… Maybe he was a different individual now.

[Well, I still have to tell him something. Something insignificant, but potent enough to discourage him from playing into TITEMIUS' hands]

"…"

While Serenity wallowed in uncertainty, Skullius was the opposite. VOW's seconds-long silence ticked him off. It was almost as annoying as the impatience of the Primeval Deities.

"Well? I could just enter into a contract with TITEMIUS right now, you know? I'm favouring the benefits he's offering best. I could just deal with the consequences later while banking on all the powerful gifts he'll give me. Flesh knows I need them," he said.

[…]

[…]

[TITEMIUS is not only one of the stronger Primeval Deities, but also one of the smarter ones. A lot of the other Primeval Deities envied him and so they limited the range of his territory to a corner of the wider reality. He's essentially…trapped near the boundary of existence."

Skullius frowned.

"All because the other Deities envied him?" he asked suspiciously. "In my experience, you kill those you envy, not imprison them. Was AKHASHA in on it too?"

[You're asking an awful lot of questions.]

"Not really. You just aren't answering me properly. Surely you don't expect me to be afraid of a Deity just because he's strong and smart."

[Sometimes that's reason enough]

"Is it? Well, you know what? You're probably right. Speaking of strong and smart, how about you tell me why a strong and smart entity like Void wanted to kill me earlier?"

[Would you rather I answer that, or your earlier question about my relationship with Serenity?]

"I'd prefer both since you're showing me outlandish favour."

[You have only (1) piece of <Counsel> left]

Skullius sighed.

His decision came quick though.

"Tell me about why Void tried to kill me," he said. This answer was likely to dip into VOW's relationship with Void too, Skullius hoped.

[…]

[Very well]

"You don't need to waste <Counsel> on that, Skullius. I'll answer," Serenity suddenly chimed in.

Skullius had been wondering when she would join in on the conversation.
Find more to read at empire

"You know, I know there are lots of things you haven't told me yet. I don't mind being kept in the dark for most of them, but regarding things that have a direct impact on me, I would have thought you'd tell me beforehand. You acknowledged the fact that I've grown enough to a point where I can handle some of these deeper ideologies now. Do you think me weak still?" the Hybrid Warmoth said with an ugly face.

"No," Serenity replied simply.

"Then why?"

"Because even if some of these secrets risk your life, you don't have any particularly strong feelings towards my part in your life, as a benefactor."