Kisume Quest VIII - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> Let's keep flying and move a little further past Sariel, then. Maybe three more yards. Then reassess what Sariel and Kasen are doing.

[Hello Purvis]

> Let's keep flying and move a little further past Sariel, then. Maybe three more yards. Then reassess what Sariel and Kasen are doing.

>You move a little further away, as Kasen continues her charge, sending out a couple waves of danmaku. Sariel thrusts her wand into the air.  You can hear a soft danmaku hiss behind you.  Sariel folds her wings ignores Kasen's shots, a few of them hit her and leave obvious burns, and brandishes her wand toward Kasen, sending a new battery of lasers at the charging woman and forcing her to break away before she slams headlock into them.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Does Sariel have her back to us, then?

[Hello Purvis]

> Does Sariel have her back to us, then?

>Yes, though you are not perfectly behind her.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Take a glance behind us for danmaku.

[Hello Purvis]

> Take a glance behind us for danmaku.

>You glance back, and see a lot of small white danmaku coming down the hallway, resembling nothing so much as fat flakes of snow.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How far away is it?
> How fast is it?
> Is it a wall, or does it have less form than that?

[Hello Purvis]

> How far away is it?
> How fast is it?
> Is it a wall, or does it have less form than that?

>It is a few yards and oncoming fast.
>It is not a wall, it is more of a snow flurry. You can spot a couple places here and there that you can slip between, but you can't read any form or pattern to the shots; they are too random to predict.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Looks like this is our shot, then.
> Turn back around and full steam ahead, aiming bucket for Sariel's head.

[Hello Purvis]

> Looks like this is our shot, then.
> Turn back around and full steam ahead, aiming bucket for Sariel's head.

>This is your one shot, and you take it.  You put as much speed as you can into it, and do what you do best.  You can feel the impact run though your body, bringing a painful throb to your side, and practically everything else.  The wood gives a deep "thonk", and former shinigami collapses under you without a word.

>_

[Hanzo K.]

>"Ow. Gotta remember to go easy with the bucketsmacks for now." Definitely a personal note for later.
>Let's cast around if we can to find Kasen. "You holding up there?"

[Kilgamayan]

Do keep in mind there's snowmaku behind us. We can't chat for long.

[Hanzo K.]

Oh, I know, the first one was an offhand comment meant for as we're recovering.

[Kilgamayan]

Of course. Just making sure.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ow. Gotta remember to go easy with the bucketsmacks for now." Definitely a personal note for later.
>Let's cast around if we can to find Kasen. "You holding up there?"

>You gripe, as Kasen comes to a stop and comes to the ground with little grace.
>"I'll be alright, with a little time," says Kasen. She certainly doesn't look like she's going to be up for much more danmaku, you can practically chart where the exploding shot caught her side.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Look behind us for snowmaku.

[Hello Purvis]

> Look behind us for snowmaku.

>You back, and are pleased to see that it has faded away.
>You are slightly less pleased to see a number of soldiers pouring into the hall from the nearest intersection.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Friggin'...they couldn't have had better timing than this?
> Drop down next to Sariel - not ON her - and look for the wand. Put the rebar away, too, if we haven't already.

[Hello Purvis]

> Friggin'...they couldn't have had better timing than this?
> Drop down next to Sariel - not ON her - and look for the wand. Put the rebar away, too, if we haven't already.

>You find yourself wondering how long they've been waiting there.
>You drop down next to Sariel and quickly pick up her wand, while  putting away your rebar.
>You obtain: Sariel's Wand.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Stash the wand, too.
> "Looks like we're about to make a lot of friends."

[Hello Purvis]

> Stash the wand, too.
> "Looks like we're about to make a lot of friends."

>You stash away the wand.
>Kasen gives a terse nod. "Should we surrender?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "After what we learned from Sariel? It's better than the alternative."
> Give a two-handed overhead attention wave in the direction of the soldiers.

[Hello Purvis]

> "After what we learned from Sariel? It's better than the alternative."
> Give a two-handed overhead attention wave in the direction of the soldiers.

>"Very well," says Kasen. "I only slightly understand what is happening in any event."
>You wave toward the soldiers, trying not to wince too strongly as it tugs at your side. "Keep those hands in the air!" one of them calls. "Don't make any sudden moves! Both of you!"
>"What did they say?" Kasen says. You can hear more footsteps behind you.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah, we get it. Don't worry."
> Keep the hands up, though we can stop waving.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah, we get it. Don't worry."
> Keep the hands up, though we can stop waving.

>You get keep your hands up as the soldiers approach from the front, while you hear others come from behind. Kasen quickly follows suit. Most of them keep weapons trained on the both of you, though more than a few are glancing toward Sariel from time to time. The helmets keep you from reading their faces, but you can only imagine they must be direly curious.
>"Do I want to hear what happened here?" comes to voice of Agent Sombraluz from behind, speaking your language.

>_

[O4rfish]

>"She tried to persuade us to help her, and when we refused she attacked us."
Other than the Higan question, have Kasen and Sombraluz spoken to each other?

[Hello Purvis]

>"She tried to persuade us to help her, and when we refused she attacked us."
Other than the Higan question, have Kasen and Sombraluz spoken to each other?

>"Help her?" he says, his voice even enough you can't tell if his question is serious or cynical.
>She spoke briefly during the stand-off between you and he after his escort was ambushed by Yumemi. You can't immediately remember if they shared words; if they did it was brief.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah. Don't know if she actually meant to stab you in the back, or if she was just trying to use my hatred of Higan in her favor and then stab me in the back later. But if she was truthful, then it seems she may not have the confidence in Kosa's army that Kosa does."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah. Don't know if she actually meant to stab you in the back, or if she was just trying to use my hatred of Higan in her favor and then stab me in the back later. But if she was truthful, then it seems she may not have the confidence in Kosa's army that Kosa does."

>"And what did she want help on, exactly?" says the Agent.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "She wanted me to let the war go on so Higan and Kosa would destroy each other. Higan would be ruined and your world's humans would learn a lesson about overstepping their bounds."