Kisume Quest IV - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"Don't suppose you've got any way to speed us up, do you?"

>"I could go a lot faster," she says. "I suppose I could ask Kanako-sama for a favorable wind, but it wouldn't help that much, it's not really strong enough to be a problem today."

>_

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Can you carry me or drag me along? Because at this rate, we're going to lose him in the forest."

[Kilgamayan]

> "Or maybe just go on ahead and I'll catch up when I can."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Can you carry me or drag me along? Because at this rate, we're going to lose him in the forest."

>"I don't think I'd be able to make up much speed that way," says Sanae. "People tend to be a bit on the heavy side, you know."

> "Or maybe just go on ahead and I'll catch up when I can."

>"That's what I was about to suggest," she says. "I'll find your man, don't worry."
>And with that, she zips ahead, easily moving much faster than you could reasonably pull off for more than a few seconds.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "He has silver hair and tannish skin!"
> Follow as wwell as we can.

[Hello Purvis]

> "He has silver hair and tannish skin!"
> Follow as wwell as we can.

>You shout some more information at Sanae; she waves back at you as her figure recedes in the distance.
>She flies forward at first, and you are starting to wonder if she sees the fleeing figure at all. Then she begins to drift toward him. You fall further and further behind as Sanae races off after him. Unfortunately, not even she is fast enough to beat him to the edge of the forest, and he disappears into bare trees. But, she is close behind, and follows him in a several moments later, upon which you lose trace of her as well.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Make a beeline for the point in the treeline where they disappeared.

[Hello Purvis]

> Make a beeline for the point in the treeline where they disappeared.

'

>You make a beeline for the trees. You there well after the two have disappeared into them, a little short of breath. The trees here are fairly thick, and all of them bear sizable buds on them. There's no longer any trace of snow at all, just wet ground in the few places where the foliage is not so dense. You can hear some birdsong deeper inside, and thing you note a small patch of mushrooms just inside the trees' radius.
>You're some distance east of the main road. You...suspect this may put you in the vicinity of Mystia's stand, as far as distance from the main road goes.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> So no path here, huh? Most likely the guy, then, if he's headed off wherever he can go and Sanae didn't stop chasing him.
> Nowhere to go but forward! Fly straight ahead into the woods, slowing down to a speed where we can reasonably navigate the trees.

[Hello Purvis]

> So no path here, huh? Most likely the guy, then, if he's headed off wherever he can go and Sanae didn't stop chasing him.
> Nowhere to go but forward! Fly straight ahead into the woods, slowing down to a speed where we can reasonably navigate the trees.

>You proceed forward!
>It does not take long before you get reasonably lost. While you can trace your path back out, you really have no idea where you are. The undergrowth, while brown and dormant, is thick and would make it difficult to move through. As well, the tree branches above would not make it much easier for someone to fly through quickly. However, as you keep a reasonably compact profile, you can at least move back and forth pretty freely. The area that you are in is not particularly remarkable, there is a fallen tree leaning against another tree to distinguish it from the rest of the forest. You can hear what sounds like some faeries off to the west. Southward, you see more dense foliage, and much the same to the east where the fallen tree lies. Obvious exits are north, south, east, and west.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Can we hear the sounds of Sanae, maybe?
> Does the ground look like it clears up in any direction?
> When we were first at the tree line, was Mystia's stand somewhere west of us?

[Hello Purvis]

> Can we hear the sounds of Sanae, maybe?
> Does the ground look like it clears up in any direction?
> When we were first at the tree line, was Mystia's stand somewhere west of us?

>You listen, but you don't hear anything that sounds especially like Sanae.
>Looking around, it seems the western direction is a bit more clear.
>You aren't sure if it would be east or west of you, but you don't think it would be much in either direction. However, the forest is thick enough you might well pass close to it and never notice.

>_

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Head west, then, and keep a sharp ear out.

[Hello Purvis]

> Head west, then, and keep a sharp ear out.

>You head westward.
>You don't hear anything that sounds especially like Sanae, but you do hear the faeries from before. In particularly, you hear one mumbling some things you can't quite make out, and another saying things like "That's amazing!" You soon catch sight of them, a faerie with an long, fluffy white beard and matching hair which have largely engulfed her, sitting on a rock and holding a stick like a cane, swinging it about and making grant gestures. Sitting on the ground in the middle of a bush is a faerie with bright red hair and a flower woven into it.  You are reasonably certain this isn't the same faerie from before.
>"-But what about the rocks?!" says the red-haired faerie.
>"Old candy," says the fluff-covered faerie, waving a stick.
>"And the clouds?!"
>"Same thing."
>"Incredible!"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Never thought we'd think this is a good idea, but...approach them.

[Hello Purvis]

> Never thought we'd think this is a good idea, but...approach them.

>You approach the two faeries. As you do, the fluff-laden faerie waves her stick in your direction and says, "Hark! An anterloper!"
>The other faerie gasps and ducks her head into the bush.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Raise a hand in a casual greeting.
> "Hey there, O wise one. Has your wiseness need a human come by here recently? He had farmer clothes and no beard."

[Hello Purvis]

> Raise a hand in a casual greeting.
> "Hey there, O wise one. Has your wiseness need a human come by here recently? He had farmer clothes and no beard."

>"Hark," says the fluff-encumbered faerie, raising an open hand. "I have verily seenth that guy. He passedth by...um...not longth ago. Like leavesth in the breeze."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "In whicheth directioneth?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "In whicheth directioneth?"

>The faerie makes a deep throaty noise and waves brandishes her stick at you. "Dare youeth mock your eldersth?!"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Not at all."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Not at all."

>"Oh, good...eth," says the fluff-laden faerie. She waves her stick westward. "He went thateth way, then thateth way." She waves her stick southward to emphasize the latter direction.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Give a short bow.
> "Thanks. The breadth of your wiseness is exceeded only by the length of your beard. Good day!"
> Keep heading west for a little bit, keeping our ears perked still.

[Hello Purvis]

> Give a short bow.
> "Thanks. The breadth of your wiseness is exceeded only by the length of your beard. Good day!"
> Keep heading west for a little bit, keeping our ears perked still.

>"The great Cherry Leaf would like some breadth, and some butterth," says the fluff-covered faerie, waving her stick in a manner that is probably supposed to simulate actual waving.
>You follow her directions, and quickly come across what passes for a path in this part of the forest, namely a place where the undergrowth isn't as thick and the rocks aren't so obstructive. You can still see the fluff-laden faerie pretty easily, who seems to be exhorting her disciple to stop hiding. You don't hear anything else awry.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> South

[Hello Purvis]

> South

>You move southward, following the less dense foliage. As you progress, you think that you may being passing across the path that you used to get into this forest the first time you got here. You press onward, and trying to ignore that you have no real idea where you are now. You don't hear any signs of anything you can positively identify as Sanae or the man in farmer's clothing. You do hear birds every so often, as well as a few insect hums and the occasional faerie. You are starting to lose hope, when you find a single footprint in the mud, belonging to a squarish sandal.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Did the guy have sandals, as we recall?

[Hello Purvis]

> Did the guy have sandals, as we recall?

>You're reasonably certain he was.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Travel in the direction the footprint seems to be pointed and look for more footprints.

[Hello Purvis]

> Travel in the direction the footprint seems to be pointed and look for more footprints.

>You follow the footprint and soon fine another one in some soft ground, then a bit of mud in the grass nearby.

>_