Kelsey's time stop

Time stop.

Second one.

Magical calculations scrolled through Kelsey's mind at blinding speed. You have thirty-six seconds and thirty-six second only. First spell: Spellstrike. He began casting.

Second two.

Kelsey stared into the other sorcerer's haunting yet emotionless eyes as he constructed his spell in his hands. Jon Irenicus at last. Sneering, disfigured, ugly compared the beautiful backdrop of the tree of life. And especially Arra, Kelsey thought.

Second three.

As his spell took shape, Kelsey looked at each of his front-line companions. Valygar, Keldorn and Anomen all were frozen in the air, midleap towards Irenicus. On one side, Valygar had slung himself forward in a horizontal dive. Celestrial Fury and his own family blade each sliced out from his arms like wings, curving into inwards swings across Irenicus's waist. Keldorn had the bottoms of his feet toward Kelsey, his arms together, pushing Carsomyr straight and true towards Irenicus's dead heart. Anomen was opposite Valygar, feet off the ground, arm bulging as Crom Faeyr hovered over Irenicus's head.

Second four.

First spell cast. Spellstrike ripped from Kelsey's fingers. Its frozen energy appeared in front of him. Good. All his spell protections will go down. Spellshield, spelltrap, every one. Kelsey gained a measure of pride.

Second five.

Kelsey breathed heavily, gaining strength for and calculating his next spell.

Second six.

Kelsey looked to his left. Imoen stood, multicolored braids sticking out in midfling around her head. Her arms outstretched and hands cupped. Power Word: Stun forming between them. He looked to his right, and his magic-enfused heart gave out a sigh. Arra. Her elven court bow was drawn back past her pefect elven ear. By Ao, she looks beautiful. Her bright eyes looked along the shaft of her enchanted arrow, over its head and straight at Irenicus's neck.

Second seven.

Second spell: Breach. Kelsey began casting.

Second eight.

As the magical arrow that was breach formed within his forearm, pointing straight at Irenicus, Kelsey looked back over at Arra.

Second nine.

Looking along her arrow, Kelsey sighed again. Her dextrous hands gripped her bow shaft and pinched her bowstring and arrow. He remembered their first handshake and the times she'd had to bandage him. The few times he had ever felt her hands in any capacity, they had been delicate and yet firm. Precise. Exactly the right angles and forces applied from each finger. He sighed yet again. She couldn't possible love me.

Second ten.

Second spell cast. Breach appeared in front of him, just behind Spellstrike. All of Irenicus's combat protections would be gone. Another blur of magical computations in his mind.

Second eleven.

It was too easy. Weapons that he wouldn't protected against surrounded him. What did the evil sorcerer have up his nonexistent sleeves? Valygar's katana will touch him first. Irenicus will have a chain contingency for exactly such a touch. I'll have to get through that one too. After it goes up.

Second twelve.

Kelsey took a step back.

Second thirteen.

Third spell: Spellstrike. Again. My first two spells will be the first to hit Irenicus. Then the katana he is unprotected from will begin to slice into him. Within a millisecond, he'll have another wall of spell and combat protections up again. And this spellstrike, a foot back, will hit him yet another few milliseconds after. Ingenious! Kelsey gained a measure of confidence.

Second fourteen.

As the spell took shape, Kelsey looked back at Arra's eyes. Cheerful and bright. They suited her so well. Along with her ever-smiling lips, thin and yet luscious. She had such a sunny countenance. Unlike her old half-elven friend Jahiera, Arra was nearly always cheerful, in spite of their many hardships. I suppose I didn't see her in this madman's dungeon, he thought, there even she must have looked gloomy. But looking at her now, it just didn't seem possible!

Second fifteen.

The spell continued to form. Kelsey was still looking at Arra, his own brilliant mind which he underestimated creating the spell effortlessly while he thought about her. She was always nice, and yet eternally resolute. It had kept the party happy yet focused. They got along well. Out loud. His eyes flicked to Sir Delyrn, then back to Arra.

Second sixteen.

Third spell cast. The new Spellstrike appeared frozen in front of him. Arra's constant cheerfulness made it hard to tell what - and who - she really liked, though. Especially liked. Loved?

Second seventeetn.

As he regained initiatve for the next spell, his eyes moved back to Anomen. He was sneering self-righteously as he watched his own hammer come down on Irenicus's bald skull. Him, if anyone, surely, Kelsey sighed. Well, perhaps not.

Second eighteen.

Kelsey looked back towards Arra. She was staring down her arrow still, of course. At Irenicus? Or Anomen? They were so close it was hard to tell.
It was oft like that in battles. Her staring past her bow at monsters and the party's melee warriors. Well, she looks at me too, he reminded himself. No, he sighed again, it's just to see how our spells are going and if she needs to shoot anything near us down. She looks at Imoen the same way. With the same beaming look. They're sisters though, he reminded himself again. They're close. Are we?

Second nineteen.

Fourth spell: Breach. Again, to dispel combat protections that Irenicus's second contingency may bring up. Kelsey began casting.

Second twenty.

Another breach glowed within his forearm. Now he'll be truly defenseless! Kelsey gained a measure of assertiveness.

Second twenty-one.

Kelsey looked back at Anomen. I've seen the way he looks at her. I don't need any enchantment spells to know that one's mind! I think he's asked her things, away from the rest of the group. I'm not quite sure what. Kelsey's ethics had been solifying over the course of his adventures. There was a time, but no longer, he would have dared tried to read minds to find such a thing out for sure. Now, he had to trust his intuition. Magical reasoning is so much easier, he sighed.

Second twenty-two.

Fourth spell cast. Another breach coupled with the spellstrike. Aboslute immunity and all the others gone. Kelsey smiled as he began calculating his next spell. He saw what had just formed in Irenicus's frozen hands. Already cast, Valygar can't disrupt them anymore. A most deadly sequence of spells. Two blasts of flame arrows followed by a Power Word: Kill. All aimed straight towards Arra.

Second twenty-three.

She's hardy and the first two wouldn't gravely injure her, but they would weaken her enough for the third to take its destructive effects. There's a chance it could kill her and a certainty she'd be hurt, that's for sure. Unacceptable. Kelsey gained a measure of resolve.

Second twenty-four.

Kelsey walked between Arra and Irenicus.

Second twenty-five.

Fifth spell: Spell Immunity - Conjuration. Kelsey could only cast it upon himself, hence his movement. Kelsey waved his hands in arcs and began to draw a faint globe around himself.

Second twenty-six.

As the globe began to form, Kelsey was staring forward at Anomen. Curse that knight! He's always begging around for advice, but at the same time he's always telling everyone what to do and what not to! Why can't he just give all his advice to himself and solve both my headaches! Arra sure doesn't seem to mind answering his questions or taking his advice. Or seeming to. Maybe she's just being polite? It's so hard to tell. And she's so nice and such a natural leader she'd give anyone any advice. She sure did that alot for me. Why did I always ask her everything anyway? I'm no better than that blasted Helmite! I should take my own advice just now! Which would mean providing and taking my own advice in general. Huh, what a neat little syllogism. Kelsey gained a measure of self-knowledge.

Second twenty-seven.

He looked back at Arra as his spell neared completion. So beautiful in her elven chainmail. It fit her naturally, for obvious reasons, and yet better than most elves, it seemed. Or was he just confounding that with the general loveliness of her figure? So hard to tell. Instead of sighing, Kelsey smiled.

Second twenty-eight.

Fifth spell cast. A barely visible globe formed around Kelsey. Irenicus's conjurations will absorb right into it! Magical tactics flooded into Kelsey's mind. One more spell.

Second twenty-nine.

Kelsey's blood readied itself for the next spell. I love talking to her. So perky, but not shallow in the least. And the way her eyes fix on me. She's one of the few people who actually seems to listen to me. Even when I babble about the arcane. No, the lovely archer is probably just curious about magic. Does Imoen blab about magic? She blabs about everything else. Wait - are they confiding? They are sisters. Kelsey's mind flashed back to nights at camp and in taverns. They would whisper to each other, and exchange furtive glances at him, giggling. Kelsey gained a measure of intuition.

Second thirty.

Sixth spell: Lightning bolt. Kelsey began casting, feeling the magical energy in his arms become electric current.

Second thirty-one.

He looked back at Anomen, brow furrowed. He'd seen Imoen and Arra conifiding and stealing glances at Anomen too! And what had that sanctimonious beardy-boy asked her? In secret? Kelsey thought hard.

Second thirty-two.

He hasn't spent...that much time alone with Arra. If something were actually between them - Kelsey knew Anomen would proposition her soon if not already - would they've kept it secret? Doesn't seem like them. Arra didn't run a party like that, and surely oh-so-noble Anomen would feel it was his "duty" to make a relationship known. Nah, not likely. Kelsey gained a measure of competitiveness.

Second thirty-three.

Sixth and final spell cast. Kelsey's arms shot out straight and a huge lightning bolt flew out of them, freezing just as fast. His eyes rapidly scanned around at people, weapons, and spells. It all checked out.

Second thirty-four.

Kelsey looked back at beautiful, kind Arra. His heart nearly smashed into his skull and then fell in place again. Even without Sir Anomen, would she, does she, feel anything for me? We've sure been talking alot lately. Recently, I've had to be the one to tell her I need to get some rest and start regaining my magical power. It could just be a really good friendship. Aw, she's so nice!

Second thirty-five.

Kelsey's blood continued to recharge. When things resume, I'm going to have to move. No time for another spell. But I won't need it. He smirked. Kelsey gained a measure of initiative.

Second thirty-six.

Well, I have to bring it up. It's now or never. Have to beat Anomen to it. And you never know what might happen right after this battle. An uneasy sensation passed over Kelsey. Murmurs from beneath. Then he focued on Arra again. I love you. I hope you love me. No, I'm confident you do. At this moment. His eyes looked around a final time, across the moment in which Kelsey had changed the course of history. He looked at Arra and Irenicus. There's no moment like this moment.

Time Resumed.

Kelsey's first Spellstrike and Breach were upon Irenicus in instants. All of his spell protections disappeared, followed by his combat protections. In the next instant, Valygar's frozen roar continued, dreadlocks and limbs flying as his katanas began to cut through Irenicus's torso. Sure enough, Irenicus's contingency went up. Keldorn's sword and Anomen's hammer came close. Imoen's Power Word moved in and Arra let her arrow go. Kelsey's second Spellstrike and Breach were upon Irenicus and his next wall of protections went down. Celestial Fury and the Corthala Blade cut deep into the wizard, Carsomyr plunged into his chest, and Crom Faeyr began to crush his skull. Kelsey twisted around Arra's arrow as it whizzed by him. Irenicus's powerful conjurations, along nearly the exact opposite trajectory, rammed into his shield and flashed into nothingness. Irenicus twisted to avoid the arrow but then Imoen's Power Word: Stun absorbed into his chest and he stood frozen. Flying parallel, Arra's arrow and Kelsey's lightning bolt zoomed into the helpless, psychotic sorcerer, gouging out his throat and frying his body. Irenicus dropped dead - for the moment.
Imoen cheered and Valygar and Keldorn high-fived their swords as Anomen smirked haughtily and turned to look at Arra. Kelsey twisted around to find the beautiful elven archer beaming. Yes, at me, he thought. Kelsey gained a measure of courage. He walked up to her and took her hand.
"There's someth-" "I know it's n-" they interrupted each other. Each smiled and looked deep into the other's eyes. Anomen grunted, trying to get around Kelsey's back.
"I lov-" "I lov-" they interrupted each other again.
Take the real initiative this time, Kelsey thought. No moment like this moment. He kissed her and she kissed back.

And then they were in hell. But in love.