Following the subsiding of William's intense anger, the passage of time seemed extraordinarily slow, with each minute stretching out considerably, creating a sensation akin to hours passing, as if time's normal progression had been distorted to correspond with the profound sense of emptiness that remained.
Lenore...
That single word, that name, seemed to resonate in his mind, and each time he thought of it, his heart ached as if it bled with each beat.
Without warning, William experienced the sensation of a pair of crimson arms encircling him in a protective manner, leading him to pivot his head and observe Karlach placing a kiss upon his shoulder in proximity to one of the injuries he had recently sustained, with her soft chest making contact with his back during this action.
Minthara too approached and grabbed Williams right arm, wedging it between her chest and resting her head on Karlach's shoulder.
The two women present were making a concerted effort to alleviate the emotional distress that Williams was experiencing, yet notwithstanding their most dedicated attempts, he persisted in remaining without reaction, his gaze alternating rapidly between its usual turbulent shade and a furious, malevolent radiance.
Under the influence of his feelings, William was completely unaware that he had progressed from level six to level seven.
The atmosphere inside his inner world became as tempestuous as his emotions as if the world was reflecting his turmoil.
A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the sky overhead, making direct contact with the uppermost section of the modest castle structure.
The powerful electrical discharge caused significant damage to the stone material, effectively splitting it asunder and transforming the immediate area of the impact into a shimmering, rainbow-colored glassy substance.
RUMBLE...
Immediately following that moment, a loud thunderclap resonated, and the sound of its forceful booming was present throughout the entirety of the internal space, reverberating from one side to the opposite side.
Located centrally within the confines of his castle, the solitary, intricately adorned mirror exhibited a diverse array of hues that illuminated in a pattern that appeared to be without order or predictability.
Suddenly, in the outside world, William's body began to visibly shake, causing both Karlach and Minthara to stare at him with worry.
However, prior to the moment they had the chance to inquire about his well-being, all three individuals were involuntarily drawn into the internal realm belonging to William, with merely a distinct, echoing popping sound remaining as the surrounding air filled the void created by their sudden vanishing.
In another location within the realm of Faerun, a group consisting of five individuals made their way with difficulty down the sloping terrain originating from the settlement that had, at an earlier point in time, been overrun by goblins.
Positioned prominently at the very front was Shadowheart, the introspective half-elven cleric.
Her gaze, which appeared to emit a suppressed luminescence, gave the impression that instead of casting illumination, it somehow caused the atmosphere immediately surrounding her to become more somber.
Located immediately behind her, positioned towards the left side, was a Githyanki combatant known as Lae'zel. She held her large, two-handed sword firmly clasped within her grip while she cautiously surveyed the area around them, maintaining a state of vigilance regarding the environment.
Astarion occupied the central position within the established formation, a strategic placement that afforded him a favorable advantage for readily engaging in both distant ranged attacks and close-quarters melee confrontations.
Behind him was the wizard Gale, whose very presence seemed to produce waves of profound magical energy, as if he was constantly enveloped in the affection of a higher being.
Directly to his right stood Wyll, the Warlock whose soul was marked by a being from the hells, a being who even now stalked him hungrily from the shadows.
The way down the hill was rather uneventful until Astarion's heightened senses caught the distant sound of argument.
"Oh drama goody, let's go watch."
Seconds later Shadowheart heard the same thing and began leading the party towards the source.
It didn't take long before the group found themselves before two men who looked damned near like twins who seemed to be arguing with an older woman, a woman whom they had met in the Grove.
Astarion was the first to speak.
"Auntie Ethel? Isn't she a bit... Well preserved to be going for a jaunt in the woods?"
Lae'zel clicked her tongue and gave the him a vicious side glance.
"Istik! Respect your elders or you shall discover it at the back of my hand!"
Gale's eyes narrowed as he gazed at Auntie Ethel, his brows furrowed in thought.
"Something isn't right with her but what?"
Wyll had a somber expression on his face, the infernal mark on his soul flaring to life as a feminine voice echoed in his mind.
"Be wary little Wyll, things aren't what they seem!"
The voice left with a playful giggle.
Shadowheart however moved forwards her hand already reaching for the spiked mace at her waist.
"Two men against a frail elder, have you no shame?"
As she said this, she raised her spiked mace towards the two men, who initially turned cockily, but upon seeing the heavily armed group before them, their confidence flipped into cowardice.
One of the men found the courage to speak while the other grit his teeth.
"This... This witch has our sister... We are merely demanding she be returned to us!"
Lae'zel clicked her tongue and stared down over the two men.
"So you decided to engage a supposed witch, and you thought farm tools would suffice?"
She closed her eyes and huffed.
"I cannot tell wether you are incredibly brave or incredibly stupid but believe me... I'm leaning towards the latter!"
The appearance of the Githyanki combatant had already instilled a profound sense of fear in the two individuals, causing them to tremble visibly; however, the sound of her voice appeared to shatter something deep inside them, which was then succeeded by a dark stream of liquid that began to seep from the lower part of their trousers.
"B... Brother we need to leave!"
The other brother spoke, his voice trembling along with his body.
CLATTER!
The hand scythe he held like a dagger fell from his hand, the sound jarring in the strangely quiet forest.
Without any form of delay whatsoever, the two men swiftly propelled themselves forward along the surface of the road, moving with considerable speed back in the general direction from which they had come, specifically towards the location grove where the druids resided.
Auntie Ethel let out an exhale, a flash of green light subtly appearing in her eyes before settling into their previous brown color, her once somber expression morphing into a smile as she turned towards the group that had assisted her in dealing with those two men.
"Thank ye dearies, if ye find the time, I would LOVE to have ye for dinner, I live just down the hill in a lovely little swamp!"
Auntie Ethel's body began to warp as she spoke; it was as if a sudden burst of heat surrounded her, but before any in the group could react, her body disappeared into motes of green light and a soft but mischievous giggle on the wind.
Their expressions a mix of eagerness and apprehension, the group watched the specks of light vanish further into the woods before they turned to face each other.
"I do not like the way she spoke just now, I say we simply ignore her!"
Lae'zel spoke, her brows furrowed and her hands gripping the grip of her sword so hard that her green knuckles turned white.
"Agreed, she isn't as simple as she appears!"
Gale leaned on his staff with a suddenly pained expression, clutching his chest as a deep hunger began to manifest, clawing through his very being.
Shadowheart remained silent, her dark eyes continuing to meticulously examine the area and general direction where Auntie Ethel appeared to have vanished, while a sense of revulsion began to surge within her being, stemming from a cause or origin she found herself unable to clearly express or put into words.
Wyll's expression however softened slowly as the annoyingly persistent voice within his mind faded away with a soft giggle.
"What was that about their sister though? Those men seemed utterly convinced that Auntie Ethel had her!"
His hand tightened on the grip of his trusty rapier as he spoke.
Astarion performed a series of exaggerated stretches.
"I don't know, I could go for some... Dinner, I'm absolutely famished and I have been known to be quite cranky when I'm famished!"
He licked his lips, imagining himself sinking his fangs deep into the neck of some hapless female noble he had devoured many years ago.
The other members of the party directed their attention toward Astarion, their eyes and countenances conveying a blend of profound scorn and irritation, an observation that served to interrupt the rogue's private ruminations and prompted him to shift his sight away.
"Did I say something wrong?"
He glanced up into the trees and let out a low whistling tune as he witnessed a pair of squirrels fight over a collection of nuts.
"Nah, I'm just overthinking it!"