Sword Quest XII - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> Don't worry about looking for the prior sword wounds, then.
> Adjust our grip on our sword as needed to prepare a two-handed stab with the sharp edge of the sword facing in the direction of the rest of the behemoth's body (instead of back up toward the head), and then launch said stab at its neck.

>You stab into its neck, and feel the blade sink in with similar sensations to before.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Keeping our sword wedged in the behemoth, fly forward down the length of its body, slicing its body up in the process.

[Hello Purvis]

> Keeping our sword wedged in the behemoth, fly forward down the length of its body, slicing its body up in the process.

>You fly down the side of its neck, opening up another long gash, the behemoth's momentum working against it. It takes a couple moments to jerk itself away from the from your sword. By this point, you've made it several yards down the length of its body, and are reasonably close to its arms and wings.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How scaley are the base of the arms? About as much as the rest of the body, or perhaps more so?
> Are of the bases of the arms within sword range yet?
> Take a quick peek behind us. How close is the behemoth's head to us?

[Hello Purvis]

> How scaley are the base of the arms? About as much as the rest of the body, or perhaps more so?
> Are of the bases of the arms within sword range yet?
> Take a quick peek behind us. How close is the behemoth's head to us?

>You haven't noticed an especial difference, but you've not really taken the time to look, due to obvious factors.
>No.
>You look back and it see it is definitely turning to chase you, looping under itself. You also notice that the energy glowing from the wound is no longer just bright purple, there are dark splotches among it. It also seems some scales are flaking off.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Does it appear to be bleeding, perhaps?
> Turn back around and head toward the base of the closest arm. If they are equidistant from us, head for the base of the left arm.

[Hello Purvis]

> Does it appear to be bleeding, perhaps?
> Turn back around and head toward the base of the closest arm. If they are equidistant from us, head for the base of the left arm.

>You don't see anything like traditional bleeding.
>You head for its right arm, it and the behemoth's wings close in on you as the behemoth moves.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> At their current rate of closure, will they get to us before we get to the base of the arm?
> Are the wings attached to or separate from the arms?

[Hello Purvis]

> At their current rate of closure, will they get to us before we get to the base of the arm?
> Are the wings attached to or separate from the arms?

>You should get to the arms first, then it is a question of keeping pace and other such issues.
>They are separate sets of limbs.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Hold our sword in both hands in preparation for a downward slash, and focus on the base of the arm, analyzing it for a good between-scales place to slash it from above as we head toward it.
> Once we get to the base of the arm, bring our sword slashing down on top of it at whatever location we deemed best while flying toward it.

[Hello Purvis]

> Hold our sword in both hands in preparation for a downward slash, and focus on the base of the arm, analyzing it for a good between-scales place to slash it from above as we head toward it.
> Once we get to the base of the arm, bring our sword slashing down on top of it at whatever location we deemed best while flying toward it.

>You do your best to assess your target as you both move, which isn't much but is still preferable to striking blind. Then you slash as it shoulder as it comes into rage, and are rewarded with the sensation of cords cutting at your sword sinks into it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How deep into the arm were we able to get?

[Hello Purvis]

> How deep into the arm were we able to get?

>Most of your sword length has sank into it; it helps you are both moving in opposite directions.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> But we were presumably not able to cut the arm clean off?

[Hello Purvis]

> But we were presumably not able to cut the arm clean off?

>No.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Since our sword is embedded in the behemoth's arm, could we use it to curve our flightpath upward or downward more sharply than normal?
> How thick is the behemoth's arm? Could we wrap ourselves around it like a full-body hug? Or could we simply grab onto it with our arms and shoulders? Or is it too thick for either of those?

[Hello Purvis]

> Since our sword is embedded in the behemoth's arm, could we use it to curve our flightpath upward or downward more sharply than normal?
> How thick is the behemoth's arm? Could we wrap ourselves around it like a full-body hug? Or could we simply grab onto it with our arms and shoulders? Or is it too thick for either of those?

>You might.
>It's thick enough you might have to struggle to get your arms around it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Are the behemoth's wings between its arms and head, or between its arms and tail?

[Hello Purvis]

> Are the behemoth's wings between its arms and head, or between its arms and tail?

>The wings are a little further back than the arms.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is the base of the wing as thick as the base of the arm?
> Would the enfolding wing get to us before we got to the base of the wing?
> Based on what we've seen so far, do the behemoth's wings seem so flexible that they could grab us even if we're right up next to its body?

[Hello Purvis]

> Is the base of the wing as thick as the base of the arm?
> Would the enfolding wing get to us before we got to the base of the wing?
> Based on what we've seen so far, do the behemoth's wings seem so flexible that they could grab us even if we're right up next to its body?

>Thicker.
>It is hard to say, but you do not think so.
>You suspect it wouldn't be able to grab you, but it may pin you.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Give we were in range enough to slash at the base of the behemoth's arm, are we close to, if not up against, the behemoth's side now? Or did it jerk out of sword range in response to that long slash?

[Hello Purvis]

> Give we were in range enough to slash at the base of the behemoth's arm, are we close to, if not up against, the behemoth's side now? Or did it jerk out of sword range in response to that long slash?

>You are within a yard of it, the behemoth has not really had time to react at this split second, and you suspect momentum may get in the way of such. You are close to its side, still.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Pull our sword out of its arm and continue flying forward, angling inward toward the behemoth's body again.
> Once we get in range to do so, stab at the behemoth's both with our sword, facing the sharp outward away from us so that, like before, both our momentum and the behemoth's opposite-direction-momentum will help us cut a long slice along its body.

[Hello Purvis]

> Pull our sword out of its arm and continue flying forward, angling inward toward the behemoth's body again.
> Once we get in range to do so, stab at the behemoth's both with our sword, facing the sharp outward away from us so that, like before, both our momentum and the behemoth's opposite-direction-momentum will help us cut a long slice along its body.

>You move to pull out your sword, and then the behemoth's shoulder, which has not stopped moving, slams into your torso with the force of an falling boulder. Your body erupts with pain, and your vision explodes into brightly colored stars!

>_

[Kilgamayan]

Whoops.

> Did we get knocked out of the air? Or is its shoulder pushing us along? Can we even tell?

[Hello Purvis]

Whoops.

> Did we get knocked out of the air? Or is its shoulder pushing us along? Can we even tell?

>You can't really tell, but the latter feels more likely.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Try to slide down off of it and let ourselves fall. Hold on to that sword for dear life, though.

[Hello Purvis]

> Try to slide down off of it and let ourselves fall. Hold on to that sword for dear life, though.

>You attempt to slide off, but it seems you are fairly high up on its shoulder, and seem to be kind of draped over it. Or at least it feels that way though the pain, from the lack of falling.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Can we at least see better yet?