#undeadhells

Weeping Shadows to Bloody Wings Chapter 14 draft (with a mention cameo of @shandoratheexplorer's lovely character Octavian Exeltis wine company because I fully endorse that Astarion is a wine snob and would a thousand percent have excellent wine in his wine cellar <3)

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"Good good. Fetch the fourteen seventy Exeltis wine please." I remarked,

"Right away milord." Yorrik spoke humbly, before heading off. I went up and bathed, before emerging in a robe once dry and my curls attended to, finding Yorrik in my study with the wine. He poured my goblet full and I gestured.

"You may leave the bottle Yorrik and retire for the night to your family. I have no need of you til morning." I remarked,

"Yes milord. Have a good night milord." Yorrik spoke humbly, before bowing then leaving. I shifted my robe as I sat down, taking a sip of the wine as I pulled the first stack of letters over. Anything that was courtship letters was immediately tossed into the fire, the rest were Council letters, and other such boring letters.

I sighed as I refilled my goblet, standing up as I moved to the fireplace, watching the last of the letters I had burned twist and burn into naught, but ash. I turned before stopping when I saw the letter on my desk.

My eyes flitting to the balcony door which was still locked then shifting out to the door of my study, looking around the mansion shadows and seeing no one or no thing lurking. I stepped back into my study, closing the door as I turned back to my desk.

I walked over, carefully reaching out and brushing the letter, finding it real and not an illusion, furrowing my brow. I picked it up, finding it high end paper, though the wax was simple. I picked up the letter opener and opened it carefully, checking for powders or anything unusual.

I tugged out the letter carefully, finding nothing of note in it either before unfolding it and finding beautiful calligraphy.

Dear Lord Ancunin

Word has reached the shadowy depths of the vampire world of your feat and whilst many cry for your head, I find myself humbly curious. Whilst Lord Szarr was loud and boisterous in his bragging of such a feat he was to take, naught but graveyard silence has been heard from you, the usurper of his unholy dream.

Yet I do not see you as a usurper, I see you as a victor, chosen by fate themselves, destined to change the very tapestry of night and blood that enshrouds all vampiric denizens.

I know as well that you have felt loss of the heart, of the soul, a rending pain that time does not dull, an ache that cannot be eased, a void that cannot be filled, a crack of an undead heart that cannot be fixed, yet time moves ever on, numb to the pain that drowns.

If you wish to reach out, you only have to leave a letter in this envelope and it will come to me.

Regards,

A curious admirer

At the bottom of it, there was a crest emblazoned into the paper itself. A raven perched above a skull over a framed cross like background with a circle up top holding a shadowy castle, the background was crimson, with silver trim, the raven black as night.

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Second snippet fromBroken Melody of Twisted Darkness Chapter 35 draft "Twisting Shadows in Sharps" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melodia came in smiling with little Isobel in her arms, the child having been a surprise for the pair nearly five years ago now. Ketheric smiled as he stood, walking over as he kissed Melodia.

"Hello my beloved moonlight." Ketheric spoke gently and Melodia smiled.

"Papa!" Isobel spoke fiercely and held her arms out as Ketheric smiled, taking Isobel from Melodia before Melodia began to cough. Ketheric looking at her concerned.

"You should see the healers again my moonlight." Ketheric spoke concerned,

"I'll be fine dear. They said it was just the changing weather, nothing serious to be worried over." Melodia spoke gently and started making amusing faces at Isobel who giggled as she wiggled in her father's arms. I smiled as I watched, hopeful that one day I would find the same joy that Ketheric and Melodia had for each other and their family, a love eternal that would last beyond the ages, be written about perhaps, and mayhap legacy as well.

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Third snippet from the Ellipsus fic titled "Undead Hells" where the OC Raven is my most fucked up Durge I've created and needs a lot more than therapy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I felt off the moment that we had stepped foot in the palace where Cazador resided.

Astarion's nightmare.

A monster who had lurked for over two hundred years in the shadows of Baldur's Gate, kidnapping hundreds for food through his slaves, torturing them, but something was off.

I stopped as I leaned on the wall, taking a deep breath as I attempted to ground.

"Are you alright?" Karlach's voice cut through my silence, looking up and nodding.

"Yes. Just…worried." I spoke softly, before Karlach nodded.

"Same. Astarion has good in him, hoping he makes the right choice." Karlach spoke softly,

"Yeah." I spoke softly, though I could understand the temptation, knowing exactly what I had once rejected, once denied, the tempestuous whispers in my fractured mind and soul.

I took a deep breath once more, before continuing on, finding we had split into groups. Eventually we converged at a study, Astarion, Shadowheart, and Jaheira looking rough.

"You three alright?" Gale asked,

"Ran into Godey, got the key." Astarion spoke tensely, before going inside the study as we followed. I was starting to feel even more ill, my arm beginning to burn as the wards against those who would oppress me, use me, abuse me began to struggle against whatever else I was feeling.

We descended into the depths and I soon understood why I was struggling.

Vampire spawn.

Hundreds if not thousands, in gilded cages of shadowy deception.

Fuck.

I heard Astarion converse with a man named Sebastian, the group soon moving forward, slowly following, each step agony.

We reached a huge central area, lit with the Infernal glow. Astarion yelling at Cazador, his attempt to punch him, then chaos erupted as Astarion flew through the air.

The surge of magic nearly sending me to my knees as ghouls and wraiths sprung from the darkness, werewolves surging like a tidal wave from the edges, and Cazador in the middle beginning to speak the rite.

I took the chance, knowing it would only buy enough time for Gale to get to Astarion to free him, drawing my bow, an arrow at my fingertips.

"GALE! TO ASTARION!" I screamed, as Gale whirled, before he spun with a Thunderwave tearing from his fingertips then sprinting across the unholy floor as an arrow cut through the air, sending Cazador to the ground.

I barely saw that before werewolves were on me, retaliation for catching their master off guard. My bow skittering off somewhere, yelling in agony as the burn in my arm became sheer agony as jaws crushed my arm, barely getting my dagger out as I stabbed wildly.

I managed to gain my footing, facing down ghouls and more werewolves, their numbers swelling, briefly seeing Cazador aglow with his hellish necromantic magic, glaring at me, his neck drenched in blood, yet unmarred.

My arrow only inducing rage as well as giving time. I staggered back as a wraith got lucky, their claws slicing through to my belly, cutting back with my dagger.

Yet as more gained luck, sending me to my knees, all slowed down as my eyes drifted over the unholy hells we were in.

Jaheira and Shadowheart bloody, Jaheira's schimitars drenched in black ichor and hellish red blood, Shadowheart cradling her shoulder as she traded Blood of Lathander for a secondary sword.

Gale and Astarion besieged, Gale's magic beginning to show faded colors, faded elegance, his limits rearing against a shadowy tide.

Karlach falling with her axe head all that was between her and a werewolf going for her throat, its claws digging through her armor, flashes of hellfire laced blood with howls of the unlucky seared by her Infernal collar.

I felt tears burn my eyes as I bowed my head.

I do this for all of you.

As I let the chains within me-

Break.

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Thank you for the tags @goodgirlgonebard @alrendriablaze and @optimisticgrey for the WIP tags <3 <3 <3