Chapter 8

As I walked out of Benny’s building then started toward home, I noticed that not a single troll got anywhere near me. Looking at the many, about to kill their selves to get out of my way, actually made me feel a hell of a lot better. I just had to get my levels higher, I mean five levels was damn good I’d say I was three past the most powerful on the council but knowing Cedrick he’d upped at least twenty levels in two hundred years I was one higher than him then, so he was now nineteen, then I did five so I had fourteen more to go and not a lot of time to do it in.

I’d finished my exercises going up now six and three fourths more than when I started a few days ago. Now at least I could stop him a bit maybe even hurt him enough for him to have to lay low and heal but I needed to go higher if I even wanted a slim chance to survive. Sighing I knew that I’d have to put more on the shield again. Maybe gain a few more days but I couldn’t keep it going up or he’d catch on, break free sooner, then, I was dead for sure as most of the world was. The hard thing right now was the fact that even with the bounties removed from my head there were still a lot of hot shot young beings and creatures out there thinking I was an easy mark.

I guess I was going to have to make an example of someone to get them all off my neck ‘til I had dealt with Cedric. Though I wasn’t really in a killing mood I knew it was going to take something like that to get these idiots to back off. Oh sure the death of the trolls had helped quite a bit, but the stronger ones were going to get a lot more brazen if I didn’t nip it in the butt, real quick. I was headed to a really bad part of town, I guess I’d better get this over with. The toughest I knew of was down here in this cesspool somewhere all I really had to do was..., diving out of the way of a fire ball, I smiled. Well, that was quick, standing I put up a shield and started to walk toward my target. I could see his eyes grow larger as his fireballs bounced off me.

I had to time this right, “heard you were after me piss head.” I shouted gaining quite a lot of attention.

“Yeah, heard you took the bounty off yourself, but HE is still offering a bigger one, I aim to collect.” He hissed at me.

“You obviously haven’t looked at my power,” I smiled as he stared at me then his lips started to quiver.

“Six almost seven levels higher?! It’s a lie!” He shouted. Waving my hand, I didn’t even try as I disintegrated him to dust with just a wave of my hand. There was a massive screaming and running away from me. Good I thought this ought to get around really quick always did down here.

I waited I knew the council would be there soon I’d have to explain what I had done and why. Sure enough the council was there within three minutes hmmm, record time for them. Looking around I saw the council leader and my friend were conferring.

“Tyrome Greenstick what is the meaning of this?” The younger members started to demand. Taking a breath, I just hoped this worked the way that I hoped it would.

“I had four bounties on my head; those fortunately for their claimers have been negated. It was then that I found out that Ced..., he had put one out on me. I came here to talk to that piss head; he thought he could kill me and get the bounty.” I told them.

“He put a bounty on you? Is he that confident that he can break the barrier?” Many of them asked.

“Yes, not only that but he has far surpassed the level the council was at when it was erected. I’d estimate he is twenty levels higher now than he was then, I have no doubt he will be free soon.” I told them all shaking a bit to emphasize just how strong he’d gotten.

They all talked for a minute then the leader spoke. “Tyrome you are hereby authorized to go up as far as necessary to combat this evil that is almost upon us.”

Bowing I said, “I will do the best I can as I always have for the council, even though some members are more stubborn than most,” here I looked at Cloe her lips drawn back in an almost feral growl.

Chuckling a moment, I continued to stare at her ‘til the council thanked me for the warning and left. Shaking my head I decided I had to find out just what in the hell Cloe had against men, me in particular. I had a little time before I had to go back home so I decided to walk around a bit. It had been a while since I’d been to the poor end of the main magic dimension. I’d gone maybe a block when several young mages stepped out, blocking my path.

“Hey asshole!” The apparent leader of the group said. “That was my father and though he was a piece of crap, he was still my father.” Nodding I looked a little harder, yeah, I could see the complete ugliness of the father in him.

“I advise you to back off and leave, I am far more powerful than you think. I didn’t even use my full power against him. Then again if you want to be a dark stain on the ground bring it on.” I told him, I wasn’t in the best of moods after all the shit I had been dealing with. When the rest of the gang ran off when I started to power up, I realized that this little shit had a death wish. I had just raised my hand to freeze him when a bolt from behind me struck him effectively freezing him.

Looking back, I saw the elder’s son, ah shit! I really didn’t need him here right now. All I could think of was if he got killed his old man would be after my ass for a while, hell I didn’t even want to think of his mother.

“What in the hell are you doing down here,” I shouted at him.

Smirking he then smiled, “I have uh ... vices as I am sure you do,” the little shit said looking my up and down. Yeah, I had them, pretty damn pathetic too couldn’t get laid in a free whore house with all of them wanting any man. Chuckling I waited to see what the boy was going to do. When he didn’t move I just shook my head, so he was just helping me, damn it!

It was a sure damn fire way to get your ass killed. I’d have to kick his ass later; right now, I had to deal with piss head’s son. I knew he couldn’t really hurt me let alone even touch me, but I had to cool this idiot off BEFORE I had to kill him. I saw that the idiot was still trying to break free, not a good idea right now.

Walking up to him I whispered in his ear. “I’m going to let you go, I know you are the last of his line, my power is several levels higher. I could kill you very easily, don’t make me have too!”

The young man’s eyes grew wide when he felt my power as I was leaning close to him. Vigorously he shook his head, looking at him a last time I gave him a stern look then unfroze him. Suffice it to say that the man didn’t bother saying good-bye as he high tailed it out of there. Chuckling Tyrome watched him go, turning he thought again about blasting the elder’s son but thought better of it, he have to teach him that you follow up on what you do.

Tyrome knew it was more his fault than the elder’s son after all he didn’t know, yet. Had he known, Tyrome really would be kicking the young man’s ass all over, oh well live and learn.

“Thanks,” Tyrome started, “you reminded me that, I have to start teaching all of you about following up on what you do when you freeze or knock out am opponent.”

The young man groaned great, even in the streets the man was teaching geez! “Uh, you’re welcome?”

Chuckling at the perplexed young man Tyrome said, “it’s alright, all of you need to learn, not following up is another thing that can get you killed or worse really quick.”

“Worse? The young man asked.

“Later this week it might give you nightmares, go enjoy as tomorrow is a day off.” Tyrome told him.

A wide grin then smile spread across the young man’s face, “Good I will have time to do more than just pop in, on and in her!”

Tyrome watched the young man flash out; damn he thought must be real nice to have a steady piece of ass. Sighing Tyrome thought of Cloe, I have to do something soon or she’s going to break, even as bad of a bitch as she was, he still couldn’t do that to her. Flashing back to his office he might as well let Celina know about tomorrow, before she starts to get worried and calls the council worried. Stepping up to the outer office door I could hear subdued voices, a moment later.

I heard Celina scream. “I said bitch, where is he!!!?” a male voice was yelling. I thought for a moment that Celina should be able to handle him, should that is, ‘til I heard several other males laughing. I was afraid that this might have happened though I was expecting it, I wasn’t this soon. Again I heard Celina scream then a bolt flew with several of the males yelling.

“He’s not here! I cannot open his office when he isn’t here!” I heard her saying. Good girl I thought. That’s when they really pissed me off. I heard Celina scream again then I heard her start to choke, like a hand around her throat. I could feel my power start to climb you could come after me but you left MY women alone.

My power started to flare when I heard one of the other voices yell that there was someone extremely powerful coming. Pointing at the door, I watched as it exploded then the whole wall just disappeared. Ah! I see there were ten of them.

“I suggest you let her go before I just kill you in as painful a way as I can.” I calmly said between clenched teeth.

Laughing the one holding her said, “sure you want her come and..., “ he grabbed his throat starting to choke, his eyes wide when he realized there was nothing he could do to stop me.

“Since the rest of you didn’t touch her I will allow you to leave with a limp, mess with me and you won’t be able to eat solid food for a long time!” Pointing I took Celina out of their grip, placing her in another room, I turned back my wrath starting to build. I guess I was going to have to kill a few of them to get my point across. “So who wants to die first?” I ground out between my clenched teeth.