Interlude: The Dark Sorcerer

ZAHREEM POV

I stroked the cheek of the barmaid, who blushed furiously and giggled when I cupped her tits.

“Hey! That’s my daughter you’re fondling!” a voice shouted. Chuckling, I turned and glared at the burly man coming towards me.

“Please. You couldn’t do anything to me if you tried.” I scoffed, and snapped. The man exploded in a shower of blood and drenched most of the bar’s patrons. I snapped again and I was cleaned of blood. I walked through the bloody floors, leaving my boots stained and the bar’s occupants stunned.

I emerged to find my companion, my apprentice, waiting for me. Hair black as night, eyes which flashed like vengeful topazes, not to mention generous curves and a big motherfucking rack. She was young, probably 20, and I’d found her running a conniving scan down in Elderlake, a small town in the Third Realm.

“You took a while.” she drawled.

“You’re so impatient.” I chuckled. Thessalia folded her arms.

“Screw you.” she mumbled. I snorted and stalked off, my apprentice lagging behind. As we walked, I sent out my mind to my ringwearers. That naughty vixen princess down in the Seventh Realm who was mysteriously with child. That brutish orc up in the mountains of the First Realm. And that INSUFFERABLE world-hopper who was currently in the Sixth Realm. I had dozens of ringwearers scattered around the Seven Realms, but those there were my favorite.

“Master, what’s the plan here?” Thessalia asked impatiently. We’d arrived in Nightvale early this morning, and we’d stabled our stallions and headed into town. The mayor’s wife had been more than happy to bend over for me, and I’d gotten the needed info.

“Whatever I damn want it to be.” I said impatiently. Thessalia sighed. I wheeled on her and flicked a hand at my apprentice, and she went flying. The people milling around all gasped in horror. I chuckled and turned to keep walking.

“Halt, evil bastard!” a righteous voice called.

“If I have to fight one more goddamned paladin, I swear!” I snarled, and turned to see a blond paladin with a big ass broadsword. I wiggled my fingers in a hello. The paladin lifted his broadsword, and I had about enough time to see a VERY familiar symbol on it, before I lost all my powers. I dropped to my knees in sheer agony.

“T-Thessalia!” I begged, but my dark-haired apprentice, who’d come up behind the paladin, simply smirked and whispered something in the paladin’s ear. I blinked. I’d been betrayed! And now this upstart follower of Tita had come and stripped me of my powers. I turned and fled, shamed and weak. I knew, unfortunately, who I had to go to. I was in the Sixth Realm, and that left only one ringwearer I could ask for help without traveling for weeks. That asshole Sebastian.