William took a moment to gather his mental stamina back, then began channeling all his magic into the creation of a pitch-black orb. Its density was so immense that it seemed to warp and distort the space around it, making it appear almost solid.
Instead of sending the orb screaming off into the distance, where it would have formed a dense cloud of shadows, he directed his will towards it.
The orb responded by beginning to coagulate and thicken for a brief period, before finally exploding into a massive, dark cloud.
William coughed within the shadow cloud, not from lack of air but from his own spell power rebounding back at him.
He willed the shadows around him to disperse and began trying once more but this time with a tighter hand on the controls.
Another orb of highly condensed shadows pulsed to life between his hands.
William found himself struggling to contain the immense magical energy that pulsed within the shadow orb, and he narrowly averted several near misses where the orb was on the verge of erupting in a spectacular explosion once more.
However, something eventually shifted that seemed to turn the tide of the situation.
The orb formerly warping and coagulating as if something within was about to burst seemed to calm.
He willed the orb to expand, its energy transforming into thin threads that began to collect onto his body and then proceeded to weave themselves together, forming a cloaking effect that enveloped him like a dark, form-fitting garment.
The sensation of wearing this cloak was akin to moving silently through the deepest shadows, feeling as comfortable and natural as a fish moving through the clearest water.
"This will be incredibly valuable when stealth and subtlety are more beneficial than a direct confrontation with force," he mused, taking a moment to embrace the cool, silky feel of his Shadow Cloak.
After a moment of appreciation for its texture, he simply dispersed the cloak and began practicing with another newly acquired spell.
He summoned a ball of deep crimson flames and focused his will on pushing the ball to the front of his index finger and condensing it.
After being condensed to the size of a golf ball it began to hum continuously as it began to boil the moisture in the air around it.
He waved another hand in the distance and willed his inner realm to obey.
Rumble...
A dark, porous and sulfurous rock pierced through a open patch of land like a middle finger to the heavens above.
With his off-hand resting comfortably on his thumb, he began to squint his eyes towards the distant rock formation, his gaze fixed on its jagged edges and the rough texture of its surface.
He smiled with too many sharp teeth as he prepared to unleash the spell which now sounded like it was emanating the screams of tortured souls.
"FIRE RAY FIREEEEE!" He shouted with excitement and anticipation as he unleashed the spell pulsing at the tip of his finger.
BOOM!
The spell fired into a ray of white-hot fury that boiled the air around it as it passed.
However, just as the ray was about to make contact with the rock formation, William exerted his will onto the ray itself and forced it to abruptly change direction, veering off sharply to the left and then beginning a series of circles around the formation.
The ray flew through the air, narrowly missing the rough, dark surface as it moved upwards, until it finally reached the very top of the rocks and then shot upwards with such force that gravity seemed to play no role, as if nothing held it back.
William pointed downwards and the ray of white-hot magical energy suddenly changed directions and shot back down towards the stone formation.
BOOM!
With a deafening roar, the entire rock formation exploded outward, sending a torrent of tiny, superheated stone fragments flying in every possible direction.
William stood amid the drifting grit of shattered stone and let the ringing echo of the explosion fade from his ears.
The air still shimmered with residual heat.
He rolled his shoulders once, flexed his fingers, and drew in a slow breath that tasted faintly of sulfur.
"Precision," he muttered to himself. "If my will is great enough, I can alter and control the course of spells to hit those even behind cover!" William was well aware that his ability to accomplish this was entirely due to his status as an Aberrant Mind sorcerer, yet he was nonetheless brimming with excitement about the possibilities.
The floating mirror hummed in quiet agreement behind him, its surface rippling as his spell list glowed faintly in his peripheral vision.
He raised his right hand and began at the top.
A whisper of violet light bloomed from his palm.
Faerie fire spilled outward in a delicate spray, but he did not let it scatter wildly.
He was aware that the spell was meant to scatter its effects into a particular region, but with an incredibly focused and powerful burst of mental energy, he successfully managed to gather those scattered sparks of Fairy Fire and transform them into a dense, swirling mist that seemed to envelop him entirely, much like the eye of a storm.
William exhaled slowly and held it there, steady as a held note, before dismissing it with a flick.
Mage hand followed.
A spectral limb unfolded from empty space, translucent and trembling.
He guided it through increasingly intricate motions.
It deliberately plucked pebbles from the ground, the very spot where the previous, larger rock formation had been, carefully stacking them into increasingly intricate stacks.
Once complete, it would meticulously thread the pebbles through the narrow eye of a molten rock arch that he had somewhat skillfully sculpted and shaped directly into the ground.
The hand trembled slightly beneath the pressure of having to maintain such fine control, yet he managed to keep it remarkably still, a bead of sweat appearing faintly on his forehead as he continuously poured his will into it.
He experimented with this magical hand for a few more minutes until his mental energy was nearly spent, and he fell back on the ground with a dull thud.
William found himself sitting there, staring up into the vast emptiness outside his realm. He appeared to be lost in thought about the void itself, his mental energy slowly returning until he finally sat up, feeling refreshed.
"I should probably return outside, I have the strangest feeling something is happening." It didn't feel like he was in danger, but he felt as if something was fighting nearby.
He settled into a comfortable cross-legged position and began to relax, feeling a sense of connection to the surroundings around him.
Suddenly, he experienced that familiar pull back to reality, and with a a familiar pull he was returned back into his physical body, however before he even opened his eyes he heard the sound of cursing and the soft impact of fists on flesh.
What he sees when he fully opened his eyes would make any man worth his salt weak at the knees.
Karlach and Minthara were fighting with each other in an effort to show dominance to the other, as for what started it he has no idea.
Karlach performed a feint with one hand and used the momentum of the feint to perform a haymaker with her other hand.
Minthara ignored the feint and braced for the haymaker, the strike sending her sliding backwards several feet before she stopped.
Karlach wasted no time launching herself towards Minthara once more, leaping into the air before bringing her leg down towards Minthara in the form of an axe kick.
Minthara, instead of simply defending against the kick, instead lunged forward and grabbed Karlach by her outstretched leg. She then strategically used the momentum of Karlach's own movement against her, spinning around and sending the barbarian Tiefling crashing to the ground. The force of the impact was so significant that it resulted in a noticeable crack in the ground beneath her body
"You bitch!" Karlach growled standing up quickly with a burst of heat that forced Minthara to take a step back before the Drow Paladin reached into her cleavage and pulled out a scroll.
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, a barrier seemed to form around the figure of Minthara, and as if by magic, the intense heat that had been emanating from Karlach was deflected away, seeming to pass entirely around her like a gentle breeze.
"Think a little paltry heat will stop me from what I desire, you are truly a foul Tiefling cur to think so!" Minthara snapped, her predatory smile not reaching her eyes.
Minthara shot forward with her arms raised in a manner that allowed her to block and attack with equal efficiency.
She sent a straight punch towards Karlach but before the punch could land Karlach reached up and grabbed her fist mid flight but Minthara's other hand was already coming up in an uppercut to the ribs.
Crack!
The sound of ribs breaking echoed across the room, and Karlach spat out a mouthful of blood, yet she held onto Minthara's fist with a vise-like grip.
In a display of her incredible physical strength, she didn't let go, instead using her full force to deliver a clothesline that sent Minthara spinning on the air for a full rotation before she finally crashed heavily onto her back.
Minthara lay sprawled out on the ground where she had crashed, her body making a series of deep cracks appear on the stone beneath her armor.
She held her ground for just a heartbeat, her chest rising and falling heavily with each breath.
Her eyes, filled with a fierce intensity, blazed up at Karlach, leaving no doubt that she was ready for immediate retaliation.
Karlach didn't treat her with the courtesy of maintaining distance.
The tiefling moved forward, her feet sinking into the settling dust, leaving behind a shimmering trail of heat that radiated off her skin.
She swung a downward punch meant to pin Minthara to the floor.
Just as Minthara was about to be struck, she managed to roll out of the way, narrowly avoiding the impact.
Karlach's fist crashed directly into the bare rock, sending a shockwave that reverberated through the cavernous space of the Underdark.
With a smooth, flowing movement, Minthara rose from her roll, her body bending slightly upwards into a graceful sweep.
With a swift and powerful movement of her leg, her blade-like foot clipped Karlach's ankle with enough force to send her stumbling backward.
She surged to her feet in the same motion and drove a tight punch into Karlach's midsection.
The blow landed with a meaty crack.
Karlach let out a gruff grunt as she unleashed a powerful hook that struck Minthara straight across the forearm.
Despite the impact, she was still pushed backward a step or two, her boots scraping against the cold stone surface beneath her feet.
They closed the distance again in a split second, their fists meeting in a rapid exchange that produced a sound like hammer strikes echoing against an anvil.
With each powerful punch, the sound resonated outward with a noticeable percussion, a sound that seemed to penetrate deep into the heart of the Underdark.
Dust sifted from the ceiling with every impact.
With a ferocity that was both relentless and unrelenting, Karlach pressed her attack, her strikes coming with a heavy, explosive force.
Minthara met her opponent with razor-sharp precision, her movements fluid and precise as she danced around her defenses, slipping and countering every attack. With a snap of her knuckles, she retaliated effectively, punishing any opening with swift and brutal force.
A straight from Minthara split Karlach's lip.
In response, Karlach unleashed a powerful body blow that sent the air flying straight out of Minthara's lungs.
They were trading both physical ground and the blood that flowed freely between them, the atmosphere between them thick with the heat of their struggle and the palpable intent to kill.
As they lunged at each other once again, the very stone beneath their feet fractured under the force of their impact.
Both fighters found themselves winding up for a decisive strike.
William moved.
He moved between them with a single, decisive step forward.
His arms shot out from his sides with surprising speed, and his hands then clamped down on the incoming fists right in the middle of their swing.
The twin blows slammed into his hands with an explosive force, traveling up his arms in a bone-rattling surge, but he remained steadfast, not giving an inch.
Karlach's blazing knuckles, glowing with a fiery intensity, were positioned only inches away from Minthara's face.
Minthara's clenched fist was only inches away from striking Karlach right in the jaw.
Both women were pulling with all their might, their muscles tensed tightly as they fought against his grip.
Yet, the fury in their eyes remained palpable.
For a moment, the cavern became eerily silent, broken only by their ragged breathing and the faint, almost imperceptible settling of the disturbed stone.
William tightened his grip, his voice remaining steady, slicing through the tension with the clarity of a hot knife slicing through butter.
"That's enough."