(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 9)

[Kilgamayan]

> Visual assessment of the fallen tengu's wing.

[DracoOmega]

> Visual assessment of the fallen tengu's wing.

>It's a little hard to tell with her in that position, but there appears to be a bend about halfway along the length of the wing that really, really shouldn't be there.

[Kilgamayan]

> Is this Sotsu or one of the other ones?

[DracoOmega]

> Is this Sotsu or one of the other ones?

>It is not Sotsu; as best you can tell, she's still fighting with Murasa on the other side of the strut. The injured tengu is the one who carried Neu up from the hold. The third of the group - the one with the spear - is still slumped where she fell after Murasa struck her, though she seems to be starting to move a little.

[Kilgamayan]

> Does the injured tengu have a readily-available blade?
> What is the spear-wielder doing with her spear?
> What does Chisato's progress look like?

[DracoOmega]

> Does the injured tengu have a readily-available blade?
> What is the spear-wielder doing with her spear?
> What does Chisato's progress look like?

>She has managed to keep a grip on her sword as she fell. You don't immediately notice any other weapons on her.
>It lies fallen on the ground beside her. She doesn't seem to be coordinated enough to reach for it yet.
>She is only a couple feet past you, and hasn't really moved in the extremely brief length of time since the tengu was struck.

[Kilgamayan]

> How far away is the spear from our current location?
> Given we're standing, what are our options for moving?

[DracoOmega]

> How far away is the spear from our current location?
> Given we're standing, what are our options for moving?

>Maybe 8 or so feet.
>There's always trying to hop again, though you suspect this may be prone to a similar pratfall as earlier - particularly so given that the renewed wash of pain this maneuver brought on earlier has yet to subside. You could also try essentially rolling around the strut while remaining vertical, using what limited purchase your feet and arms can obtain along it in their current state. This would be more stable, but slower, and understandably limited only to locations in immediate proximity of the strut. You could try shimmying forward with just your feet, though this would likely be even slower and still not very balanced, given how they're tied together. You suppose you could also theoretically ask Chisato to lift you....

[Kilgamayan]

> Can we not lift the injured leg's foot high up enough off the ground that we could hop along on one foot?

[DracoOmega]

> Can we not lift the injured leg's foot high up enough off the ground that we could hop along on one foot?

>Given the manner in which they are tied, you can do this only poorly. You would still try, though your balance is going to be noticeably impeded no matter how you attempt to hop. You're certainly not guaranteed to fall if you try this, but it is still a risk; the tengu were quite thorough in restraining you.

[Kilgamayan]

Wanna hop over to the spear? Try to cut ourselves loose?

[Kilgamayan]

> Is there anything particularly sharp on the strut?

[DracoOmega]

> Is there anything particularly sharp on the strut?

>Not especially so, that you can see. There are a few protruding bolts that might potentially have an edge sharp enough to fray at the ropes, but it would be a slow process at best. You imagine anything sharp enough to cut them quickly would make quite the safety hazard for people on deck.

[Kilgamayan]

> Nothing for it, then.
> Bring the bad leg foot up just a little bit, and begin hopping on the good leg toward the spear. Try to maintain a good pace, but balance and not falling over is Priority One.

[DracoOmega]

> Nothing for it, then.
> Bring the bad leg foot up just a little bit, and begin hopping on the good leg toward the spear. Try to maintain a good pace, but balance and not falling over is Priority One.

>You shift your weight off your bad leg as best as you can manage and start to carefully hop towards the spear. Chisato seems to have noticed it herself and breaks in that direction much faster than you can safely follow without risking a faceplant. As she turns, you get another view of how bad the wound on her back is. A spreading smear of crimson brightly stains her slashed shirt as blood continues to flow from the gash.
>She bends down and snatches up the spear as the tengu tries to push herself off the deck, then turns and slams the butt end into the back of her head.
>The tengu with the broken wing rises to her feet and moves to intercept you. Her left wing hangs bent at her side, and the end of it flops limply as she moves. She is grimacing fiercely, but still moving much more quickly than you are.

>"Aren't you getting tired of missing?" Sotsu asks in a smug tone.
>"I'm not the one who's outta ammo!" Murasa snaps back.

[Kilgamayan]

> In which direction is Chisato relative to us?
> In which direction is Chisato facing?
> In which direction is the broken wing tengu relative to us?
> Are Chisato's arms and legs free, given she made it to the spear and smacked the dazed tengu around with it?

[DracoOmega]

> In which direction is Chisato relative to us?
> In which direction is Chisato facing?
> In which direction is the broken wing tengu relative to us?
> Are Chisato's arms and legs free, given she made it to the spear and smacked the dazed tengu around with it?

>A few feet ahead and slightly to the right.
>Close to directly back on to you.
>A little to your right, coming from roughly behind.
>They are both free thanks to her reckless acts of self-immolation, though her wrists in particular look quite a bit the worse for it.

[Kilgamayan]

> How dazed does the former-spear tengu look?
> Is she making an effort to get back up?

[DracoOmega]

> How dazed does the former-spear tengu look?
> Is she making an effort to get back up?

>Her face is currently to the deck, so you can't really gauge her expression, though the fact that it remains there suggests she's not altogether composed.
>Not at the moment.

[Kilgamayan]

New tactic: Flop on top of the fallen tengu and pin her to the ground.  At least we're doing something useful this way. Aim the flop at the head for bonus stun points!

> "Chisato, behind us!"
> Redirect our hopping efforts to make our way toward the former-spear tengu.

[DracoOmega]

> "Chisato, behind us!"
> Redirect our hopping efforts to make our way toward the former-spear tengu.

>You yell out a warning and keep hopping in the direction of the tall tengu lying on the deck.
>Chisato turns around and starts to move towards you, flipping the haft of the spear around, but the other tengu is already upon you. There is a flash of movement at your side and you see her lash the pommel of her sword at your head.

[Oldmansour]

>And just after we'd got back to our feet, too...
>Is our ability to crouch, or bend over, seriously impeded?

[DracoOmega]

>And just after we'd got back to our feet, too...
>Is our ability to crouch, or bend over, seriously impeded?

>Funny how they don't seem to keen on you folks getting loose, isn't it?
>Somewhat, though not enough to make it impossible. However, balance during the process would be a nice bit worse than usual, particularly so with your leg as it is.

[Oldmansour]

>Well, worse comes to worst, we have to get back to our feet. Not like there's a lot we can do anyway, if and until someone cuts us loose.
>Crouch down, then dive towards Chisato. "Cut me loose!"

[DracoOmega]

>Well, worse comes to worst, we have to get back to our feet. Not like there's a lot we can do anyway, if and until someone cuts us loose.
>Crouch down, then dive towards Chisato. "Cut me loose!"

>You crouch beneath the blow as best you can and dive towards Chisato. You don't get a lot of distance out of the maneuver, but the tengu misses you and Chisato bends down towards you.
>"Not a lotta time!" she says as she aims the spear for somewhere along your back. You feel it catch on the ropes along your arm for a moment and tear, but then she pull the point back up to thrust at the incoming tengu.

>At this point you see a flash of black and white burst up through the open cargo hatch, almost blurred in its speed. It stops a dozen or so feet above the deck and resolves into another tengu. She is wearing a white blouse and black skirt, each divided by a vertical band of light brown, and carrying what appears to be a large autumn-colored fan in one hand. She scans the deck briefly, then her voice rings out with a confident clarity. "Found you!"

[Oldmansour]

Okay, not who I was expecting to arrive first.

>Did Chisato manage to do enough damage to the ropes to free our arms?

[DracoOmega]

>Did Chisato manage to do enough damage to the ropes to free our arms?

>Not enough to make them fall loose, though you definitely heard some of them cut. Your bindings were significantly more heavily secured than the others', though - perhaps because of your insistence to remain armed.

[Oldmansour]

>Can't do much about the new arrival like this.
>Take advantage of any slack or weakness in our bindings to try and free ourselves, either by wriggling out of the ropes or by breaking them, or a combination of the two.

[DracoOmega]

>Can't do much about the new arrival like this.
>Take advantage of any slack or weakness in our bindings to try and free ourselves, either by wriggling out of the ropes or by breaking them, or a combination of the two.

>You try to capitalize on Chisato's aid and work yourself free of the ropes. Damn, not as much leverage as you'd hoped... You pull and wriggle against the constriction, but this is still going to take some time at best and may not be enough, even then.

>As you pull, you see the new arrival flare her wings then dive towards Murasa. Damn, she's fast! The captain turns aside from Sotsu long enough to fling another anchor at the hurling pirate, but she may as well have been aiming at air. The tengu whirls easily aside of the projectile's patch and then swings her fan in Murasa's direction. You see a great gust of wind blast from it, sending a cloud of dust and grit exploding from the surface of the deck. Sotsu's clothing ruffles violently in its wake and Murasa is flung bodily backwards, striking the ship's rail with a heavy thud. She groans sharply.
>"Captain!" Miyuki cries.
>Chisato grimaces angrily. "You piece of shit!" She thrusts her spear at the tengu once more and then follows it in with her feet and twists the haft aside for a second, shorter thrust. The cry of pain that follows this maneuver suggests her aim struck true.
>...you think that might be a little looser...

[Oldmansour]

>Keep working, we gotta get free!
>Is there anything sharper around that we might use? Use it if something's, anything's available.