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Behind the sorceress, the inored the tiny devil, focusing on the zombie and the sensation in her wand because of the proximity of the creature She’d felt this before, but frolade’s first round of construction co, had coate

She reached out to the zoh the undead creature’s eyes

Sylora could inhabit it at will, could see through it, could hear through it, could control its every movement She almost unleashed the creature’s continual fury, then, for in looking back at herself, in looking past her ust, its long and pointed tongue hanging out and flicking with distaste Through the zombie’s ears, Sylora heard the curses muttered under impish breath

Sylora moved back fully into her own consciousness, and slowly turned to face the impudent little iusts me, it does," the i," Sylora explained

"Let it fall dead and bury it deep!" said the imp

"You try my patience," Sylora warned "Only because of Arunika’s favor do I not punish you for such words"

"Arunika! Arunika is not my mistress! I’m indebted to her, but I’m free when done with you!"

A wry s the i "You insult the zousts me!"

"And if I allow the zombie to act on your insults?" asked Sylora She felt the wand thru with her intent and her understanding now that she didn’t have to put up with the iue flicked and sent a line of spittle at Sylora’s feet "I go!" it announced

"You do not!" Sylora demanded sharply "First youyou have so callously insulted" She glanced over at Valindra, letting the lich see her grin, but that broughtelse

Sylora recognized that and wasn’t surprised by the lich’s reaction, given that Valindra hardly understood as happening either But so, within the wand and deep in her subconscious, and the sensation she received fro cliain and cursed Sylora

She invited the release

The ashen zombie beside Valindra exploded into a puff of black smoke and ashes, and before any could spread wide or descend to the floor, the wand drew the the zombie’s remains

Sylora’s eyes closed in a fit of power and pleasure, and she let the deco back out in a black spray that struck the i backward into the wall It howled in pain as wafts of s from all around it

"What have you done?" Valindra asked happily, but Sylora ignored her, couldn’t be bothered with her at that ic she’d just enacted

The iish as if it was in thickaround its joints and skin The iue, but Sylora saw the black goo covering the creature’s ic fully encased the creature except for one eye the i struck, and that the i black coating That eye revealed the creature’s hatred for Sylora, a red gaze of sizzling and seething fla, and Sylora was too ain

But it didn’t matter The imp turned aside and dived into the fireplace It rolled around on the logs and slid its lioo from its body The fire didn’t bother a creature of the lower planes, after all In moments, it was free, and it shot one last hateful look at Sylora, full of indignity and dire threats, then rushed up the chilade entirely

"That shoorth the cost of a zombie," Valindra said coyly

Sylora turned to her and held forth the crooked, blackened wand Szass Taiven her "There’s more," she said with both conviction and confusion, for she knew there were indeed ical energy of the ashen zoht be

Sylora’s eyes sparkled at the possibilities

"You can channel the power of the Dread Ring," Valindra reasoned, and Sylora nodded

"It’s intoxicating," the sorceress adic?"

Sylora considered that for a few ht my time here near its end," she admitted "One last strike at the Netherese and the settlers of Neverwinter, one addedto another place, another mission"

"But now?"