Silvanost - Battling the Dimensional (Parts 5 & 6)

Romulus continues his spellcasting, his total concentration focused on χρόνος and the binding magic.

χρόνος rages against the enchantments being laid upon him then suddenly stops. A voice speaks directly into their minds. "You cannot hope to contain my corporeal form. Cease your attempt or I shall visit my vengeance upon you and your forebears, erasing you from existence."

The two duplicates facing Raven redouble their efforts. Both attack with great, sweeping arcs of their tendrils. Raven's blades weave a mesmerizing dance of defense, reaching out to parry swings before they can generate any momentum, anticipating the intended angles of their blows. With each deflected or interrupted blow, he snips away shreds of cloud-infused limbs.

The creature sickened by Ra’ziir's smoking sword peels away from the bladesinger and washes over one of Shadow's summoned angels. Both visibly speed up, vanishing in the ether as they slip out of the timeline.

Ra’ziir maintains his defense of Romulus, utilizing the ash and smoke to conceal the two them as best possible. The black, sooty cloud is nigh impossible to see through.

Shadow's hands flash through  a deceptively simple series of gestures as he chants, "εικόνα καθρέφτη". Eight identical images of the dark elf appear and begin mimicking his every move. The mirages collide with each other and Shadow, merging and splitting constantly to hide which Shadow is real. He mocks the Prince of Time, “Look! I can make more of me too!”

Kysek smiles; while his spells may or may not have the intended effect, they do appear to be creating a distraction the elf thinks to himself. He continues his tactic; even if it is only buying time for Romulus to complete the ritual.

Grotto continues to draw the attention of the time lord keeping it occupied while the ritual continues.

Arthur moves closer to the circle, seeking to reinforce Ra’ziir's efforts.

Cedron decides to shift songs, as the cadence of the battle shifts. “I have just the melody. Cassidy, follow along and pick up the chorus.”

“Precious time is slipping away
But you're only king for a day
It doesn't matter to which God you pray
Precious time is slipping away

It doesn't matter what route you take
Sooner or later the hearts going to break
No rhyme or reason, no master plan
No Nirvana, no promised land

Because, precious time is slipping away
You know you're only king for a day
It doesn't matter to which God you pray
Precious time is slipping away…”

Cassidy adjusts his playing to match Cedron's song, his fingers flying across the strings to keep time with the new tune.

The remaining Avoral throws itself bodily into one of the Dimensional duplicates fighting Raven, raking with its talons to little, if any effect beyond serving as a further distraction. 

Romulus focuses on his spell. He is dimly aware of the fighting going on around him. He can sense the duplicate dimensionals attacking his companions. He feels it when one accelerates into the timeline and drags the summoned Avoral into the future. The archmage continues to weave his magic, layering Kysek’s domination spells with Ra'ziir's forcecage, blending them into the enchantment, using their magic to strengthen the prison he is creating.

χρόνος's mental snarl echoes through the mind of each of the gathered adventurers, "RELEASE ME," he growls, his mental voice filled with menace.

The two remaining duplicates swoop and coil, closing on Raven and Ra'ziir. The first strikes Raven twice, forcing him back several steps as he tries to regain footing with knees that groan and creak in protest. The other plunges into the Black-Robed Bladesinger's smokescreen, leading the elf's position by a pace and one-half, before striking. Ra’ziir's momentum carries him through the Dimensional's body. His robes began threadbare and frayed, his skin pulls tighter with hairline splits appearing along his knuckles, revealing the crystalline muscles and tendons beneath.

Raven snarls and raises both swords, one of cursed cold iron and the other of adamantite, and lunges forward as best as he is able to launch a counter. A flurry of blows follows - eight swings and thrusts - each flashing orange against the Dimensional's vaporous body - seven strikes that hit deep enough to feel the resistance of the creature's essence. Both combatants part, circling, searching for an opening in the other’s defense.

Ra’ziir continues to provide interference for Romulus. Despite the Dimensional's successful attack, he doesn't feel much pain or even discomfort. Chalking it to the unaging nature of stone, he shrugs off the attack and responds with a quartet of his own. He smacks and batters his opposite, sending it into a short retreat to reassess its strategy. 

Shadow flies down with his doubles, each image passing through the others in a continuous shell game of "Where's Shadow?" He loses an image to each of the Dimensionals but forces them to divide their attention again and again.

Kysek casts snother spell of domination, almost certain that it is doing nothing besides annoying the Prince of Time. He taunts it, “Whatever the hell that things name is, disperse your dimensional copies and submit! Be bound to the bracers and assist us or you and your doppelgängers cease to exist from this point forward! The power of Kysek compels you!”

Grotto move towards Shadow's duplicates. He yells and throws rock, trying to distract the two remaining Dimensional copies but they ignore him, focuskng on the two deadly elves they are locked in battle against.

Arthur pursues Ra'ziir, Raven, and their opponents as their duels carry them around the outer edge of the circle.

Cedron continues to sing.

“Say que sera, whatever will be
But then I keep on searching for immortality
She's so beautiful but she's going to die some day
Everything in life just passes away

But, precious time is slipping away
You know she's only queen for a day
It doesn't matter to which God you pray
Precious time is slipping away..."

Cassidy strums along with Cedron's words, his mandolin providing an upbeat counterpoint to the bard's introspective lyrics. He adds some "hoots" to simulate a horn section, his feet tapping along to keep the beat.

The remaining Avoral flies in, talons slashing at the Dimensional fighting the Elfemental but once again, the creature shows no acknowledgement of the attack.