Silvanost - Battling the Dimensional (Parts 7 thru 10)

More arcane words flow from Romulus' lips as he continues spinning the enchantment to trap χρόνος. The Time Dimensional becomes increasingly frantic, straining against the prison that confines him. Its roars echo inside the minds of all of the gathered party members.

χρόνος's two remaining duplicates, realizing that Ra’ziir is least affected by their aging touch turn upon Raven with a vengeance. Sweeping tendrils of orange smoke swipe at the swordsman. He gives ground, retreating backwards while circling slowly to the right, causing the creatures to pursue. Nightwatcher and Thorgrim move constantly, weaving an enchanted barrier adamantite and cold iron that holds the dimensionals at bay.

Raven doesn't even attempt to counter, confident in his ability to defend himself from nearly all of their attacks for eighteen more seconds despite the pain growing in his knees.

Noticing the effects from the Dimensional’s attack, Ra’ziir quickly chants, "Speculum imaginem." Eight Ra’ziir's pop into being, shuffling, combining, and separating in the same manner as the illusory drow images.

Shadow waves his hand and speaks the word. "ασπίδα." A glowing disk of force appears before him, orienting itself between the dark elf and the dimensionals. He and his remaining “duplicates” zig and zag in front of the copies battling Raven and Ra’z in hopes of relieving some of the pressure on them. He calls out to the remaining Avoral to continue healing Raven, pointing with his rapier toward the fighter.

Seeing stones and taunts do nothing to help his friends, Grotto takes careful aim with his throwing axe. He flips the weapon over, holding it by the head and hurls it. The weapon tumbles end over end and crashes into the nearer of the two. It pauses, twisting its body to stare at the dwarf just long enough for Arthur to strike.

The Lankhmarite's gleaming holy blade pierces the insubstantial body and meets resistance as it plunges into the cloud. A mental HISS tears loudly through his mind and he instinctively brings up a hand to cover his ears.

Cedron stops singing and allows his harmonic long sword to continue along with Cassidy. The minstrel-priest reaches into his cloak with his free hand and produces a wand. He takes quick aim and triggers the enspelled baton and releases a charge from the wand to aid Romulus. A glittering ray of energy envelopes one of the duplicates and the bard begins to speak in a calm, jovial tone, "Friend . . . friend . . . yes, we are your friends. You know 'friends', don't you? Friend. . ."

The targeted duplicate slows and shakes its "head", seemingly confused, and starts to drift in the minstrel-priest's direction.

Cassidy continues to play, pouring his heart into the song, his fingers raw and bleeding as he alternates between strumming and plucking at the strings of his mandolin.

Shadow's conjured Avoral lands behind Raven and matches his pace, careful not to disrupt the elf's foot and blade work and places a hand lightly between his shoulders. Energy flows, healing injuries and restoring flexibility to the elf's knees. The angel moves with the elf, following each step as if the pair were dancing.

The battle, if that is what it can be called, continues with the Duplicate Dimensionals hounding Raven or Ra’ziir, the Avoral laying its healing hands up either fighter as needed. Shadow, Cedron, Arthur, and Grotto all do what they can to split the monster's attention.

Kysek continues speaking to the creature, using logic to persuade it into compliance. Grotto's axe flies repeatedly, thrown with tremendous power at the Dimensional and returning to his hand time and again.

Tendrils of mist and smoke strike at the adventurers. The Avoral leaps in to heal their wounds. The Dimensionals attempt to advance but are constantly blocked by Romulus' allies.

Then, finally, the halfling's voice reaches a crescendo, pitching ever upward as he reaches the culmination of his spell. He raises an onyx above his head. Runes carved into the black-and-white gem spell out χρόνος's name. The white bands inside the stone begin to glow, shining with a light deep within its core. A radiant circle appears in the surface of the of the onyx. Orange wisps of smoke begin to peel off of the Prince of Elemental Time and are drawn into the circle. A trickle at first, then a steady stream, then a deluge of pure TIME starts pouring from the Dimensional’s body and flows toward the prepared gem. As the last threads of χρόνος are drawn into the onyx, Romulus shouts, "Copfoph - Noponyt Dupveopnipv!"

Silence reigns.

Several seconds pass.

Nothing happens.

Romulus shakes the gem and holds it up to one ear, listening for . . . something, anything to indicate that χρόνος is somewhere inside of the gem.

He closes his eyes for a moment and opens his arcane sight. The stone radiates powerful magic. Romulus lets out a breath he didn't notice he was holding and whispers. "We did it. Holy $&@, we did it!"