Kisume Quest VIII - A Z-Machine Adventure

[O4rfish]

>"Sombraluz? How long does the trip take?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Sombraluz? How long does the trip take?"

>"Shortly," says the Agent.
>True to his word, you feel the whole vehicle shudder to a stop after a couple more minutes of uncomfortable silence. You can heave several of the soldiers exhale aubly; surely they couldn't have been holding their breathes the whole time, could they? "Report," says the Emperor.
>"We have enough power for two more jumps," says the Agent, as some of the machine's noises between to stop.
>"Nothing on camera," says VIVIT. "I think it's clear outside."
>"Then we disembark," The Emperor says, as he rises from his seat. "Open the doors."
>"At once," says the Agent, as you hear the door unlock with a loud thunk noise. 
>"Check the immediate area, make sure it is secured. " says the Emperor, as soldiers start to file out. You can feel some of the tension leave the room, and a new kind of tension slides into its place.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Might as well watch and wait for instruction. Take a glance at Kasen in the meantime.

[Hello Purvis]

> Might as well watch and wait for instruction. Take a glance at Kasen in the meantime.

>You watch as the soldiers file out, and glance over at Kasen. She seems to be relaxed now, her face calm and placid.
>"Let's go," says the Agent, as he stands up.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Follow him out.

[Hello Purvis]

> Follow him out.

>You follow him outside, and find that you have returned to that clearing, from what feels like so long ago. The air feels fresh and clean, only now do you really notice how stale the air was beforehand. You can't remember the last time it felt so good to leave a small place for a wide open one.  The soldiers have spread out everywhere, poking around the bushes and peering around trees. You can only imagine what they are expecting to find. Looking around, the area seems empty at a glance. The sky overhead is pale morning blue, you expect you could see the sun rise in the east, if not for the mountains being in the way. The air has a mild chill to it, but nothing like that of the recently passed winter.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Point up.
> "Anyone mind if crest the canopy and check out what's around?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Point up.
> "Anyone mind if crest the canopy and check out what's around?"

>"Go ahead," says the Agent. Then he speaks a little more softly, "But try not to go too fast, the troops are already jumpy."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Take on a quieter tone of our own.
> "Yeah, I know the feeling."
> Reverse volume and take on a tone slightly louder than normal so we can speak to the group.
> "Going up, guys."
> Crest the canopy at a fairly leisurely pace.

[Hello Purvis]

> Take on a quieter tone of our own.
> "Yeah, I know the feeling."
> Reverse volume and take on a tone slightly louder than normal so we can speak to the group.
> "Going up, guys."
> Crest the canopy at a fairly leisurely pace.

>You commiserate with the Agent, then announce your intentions before taking to the air. Thankfully, this doesn't seem to bother the gathered soldiers very much.
>You push your way past the branchs, still bare from winter but laden with buds, and poke your head through the forest canopy.  Looking around, the air is reasonably clear. There are a few faeries gadding about here and therein the distance, and a hawk circling above.  To the northwest you can see the mansion, and nothing seems awry about it compared to before. All in all, things seem reasonably peaceful.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> No one in the immediate vicinity aside from our party?

[Hello Purvis]

> No one in the immediate vicinity aside from our party?

>Not that you can see from the air. As far as the ground is concerned, even leafless branches are difficult to see through when you have enough trees together.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Drop back down at approximately the same pace as we went up.

[Hello Purvis]

> Drop back down at approximately the same pace as we went up.

>You drop back down to the ground, and notice that the Sombraluz is speaking with the Emperor at the moment.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Where did Kasen wind up?
> What are they speaking about?

[Hello Purvis]

> Where did Kasen wind up?
> What are they speaking about?

>Kasen has kept close to the machine's entrance, and seems to be trying to stay out of the way for now.
>You can't immediately tell what they are talking about, they seem to be between between themselves.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Float a little bit closer to them, but don't interrupt.

[Hello Purvis]

> Float a little bit closer to them, but don't interrupt.

>You float a little closer, and catch the Agent's eye. He looks over toward you and says, "Did you see anything?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Nothing out of the ordinary. Some fairies way in the distance, but no one else."

[Hanzo K.]

>"And don't worry, they're about as harmless as your average kid, just as dim too. They can pack a sting with the usual danmaku, but that stuff never kills anyhow. So the folks here won't have to worry if they get rowdy. So long as you don't draw their attention, they won't bug you. Just tell 'em you're playing hide-n-seek, and they'll probably wander off after gettin' the idea to do it themselves. Probably already knew that bit though."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Nothing out of the ordinary. Some fairies way in the distance, but no one else."

>"And don't worry, they're about as harmless as your average kid, just as dim too. They can pack a sting with the usual danmaku, but that stuff never kills anyhow. So the folks here won't have to worry if they get rowdy. So long as you don't draw their attention, they won't bug you. Just tell 'em you're playing hide-n-seek, and they'll probably wander off after gettin' the idea to do it themselves. Probably already knew that bit though."

>"Good," says the Agent.
>"Once we are confident that this area is secure, we shall leave a force to guard the Model Seven and begin to move out." says the Emperor.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Point to the northwest.
> "There is a mansion off in that direction, but I think they're far enough away that they won't disturb this area."

[Hello Purvis]

> Point to the northwest.
> "There is a mansion off in that direction, but I think they're far enough away that they won't disturb this area."

>"I hope to avoid it," says the Agent.

>_

[Hanzo K.]

>"Well, so long as you don't go near it, I'd say you're set on that angle then."
>What do we know about that mansion anyhow?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, so long as you don't go near it, I'd say you're set on that angle then."
>What do we know about that mansion anyhow?

>You visited it yesterday, it has having an open house event of some kind that you largely didn't bother with. You know that Patchouli lives there, and keeps her library there.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Float on back over to Kasen, unless someone stops us.

[Hello Purvis]

> Float on back over to Kasen, unless someone stops us.

>You make your way over to Kasen, as the Emperor and his agent observe the soldiers, neither seem to object to you doing so.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "How you holdin' up?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "How you holdin' up?"

>"I am alright," she says.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is there anyone presently looking in our direction or within soft-voice earshot?