Sword Quest VI - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "Still, your work is apprciated. I must be off to my destination, so farewell until we meet again."

>"Farewell," says the tengu. "I'll be sure to let the others know you intend to come back."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Thank you."
> Head back down the mountain to where Hina was, traveling by air until we pass by the kappa village, then landing and proceeding on foot.

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Thank you."
> Head back down the mountain to where Hina was, traveling by air until we pass by the kappa village, then landing and proceeding on foot.

>You proceed down the mountain, passing over the kappa village, and touch down near the darkened forest on the foothills. Peering ahead, the road seems clear.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Head back down the mountain, keeping an eye out for Hina.

[Hello Purvis]

> Head back down the mountain, keeping an eye out for Hina.

>You make your way along the path, soon getting the feeling that you are being watched again. It's hard to tell if the faeries her are more agitated than before, they definitely seem a bit louder.
>After a few minutes of walking, you think you glimpse a bit of red and green through the underbrush, in the distance.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I have returned with a little more information."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I have returned with a little more information."

>She moves out of sight, obscured by the trees. Every so often, you get a glimpse of her, closer than before. Soon she steps out from the trees and looks at you expectantly, as she starts to circle behind you.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I know nothing more about the history of this key or the doom behind it. However, I did learn that it was that this key was discovered by an insect youkai on her way to the Moriya Shrine several years ago. She is the one that traded it to the curio shop in the forest."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I know nothing more about the history of this key or the doom behind it. However, I did learn that it was that this key was discovered by an insect youkai on her way to the Moriya Shrine several years ago. She is the one that traded it to the curio shop in the forest."

>"Is that right?" says Hina. "I remember that youkai. She doesn't come by so often anymore."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "It is my understanding that she lives somewhere in the western portion of the Forest of Magic. I will be making my way there to seek her out eventually."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "It is my understanding that she lives somewhere in the western portion of the Forest of Magic. I will be making my way there to seek her out eventually."

>"Ah," says Hina.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Is there anything else you can tell me about this doom? If not, that is fine."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Is there anything else you can tell me about this doom? If not, that is fine."

>"It is something to be approached with care," she says. "That is what I can see."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Very well. I will keep this in mind."

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Very well. I will keep this in mind."

>And with that, she darts back into the trees.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Head back down to the foot of the mountain.
> Assuming we reach the foot of the mountain uninterrupted, take flight and head toward the Bamboo Forest, avoiding any agitated fairy clouds.

[Hello Purvis]

> Head back down to the foot of the mountain.
> Assuming we reach the foot of the mountain uninterrupted, take flight and head toward the Bamboo Forest, avoiding any agitated fairy clouds.

>you make your way down the path, passing through the darkened forest and into the vibrant autumnal portions of it. At a glance, you cannot see Shizuha anywhere, but you certain she is still around, just out of sight. Up ahead, though, you see a unfamiliar blonde woman in a purple dress with a white mob cap making her way up the trail.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is it Yukari?

[Hello Purvis]

> Is it Yukari?

>No, she is too short. But you might well be forgiven for thinking she is.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Let's keep going, then, unless she prompts us to stop. Give her a generic friendly greeting as we pass by, though.

[Hello Purvis]

> Let's keep going, then, unless she prompts us to stop. Give her a generic friendly greeting as we pass by, though.

>You pass her by, giving a friendly greeting and receiving one in turn.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Make our way the rest of the way down the mountain.

[Hello Purvis]

> Make our way the rest of the way down the mountain.

>It doesn't take too long to return the fields west of the mountain.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Take flight and head toward the Bamboo Forest, avoiding fairy clouds and aiming for that large boulder we started at the first time around.

[Hello Purvis]

> Take flight and head toward the Bamboo Forest, avoiding fairy clouds and aiming for that large boulder we started at the first time around.

>You make your way toward the Bamboo Forest. The faeries are getting worse over the Forest of Magic, and you are forced to give it a wide berth in general, until it can no longer be avoided.  Actually finding that boulder is fairly tricky, the border of the two forests is about as cluttered as the forests themselves. At one point, you have to stop and let a group of cackling faeries fly past, thankfully too busy firing among themselves to really take note of you as they disappear into the bamboo.
>Which some searching, you are able to find it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Here's hoping we can get through here without being accosted. Losing our way would be dreadful.
> Start following the path delineated by the boulders and arrows as we did before.

[Hello Purvis]

> Here's hoping we can get through here without being accosted. Losing our way would be dreadful.
> Start following the path delineated by the boulders and arrows as we did before.

>You start to make your way through the bamboo forest. Sounds of danmaku and faeries reverberate around you, not so much echoing off the bamboo as distorted by it.  You move onward toward the next rock. How will you proceed to avoid faeries, or will you not try at all?

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> All we can do is trudge forward. If a fairy or two gets immediately in our way, we'll have to shoot them down. Otherwise, we can just run past them until we get to the next rock.

[Hello Purvis]

> All we can do is trudge forward. If a fairy or two gets immediately in our way, we'll have to shoot them down. Otherwise, we can just run past them until we get to the next rock.

>You trudge onward. The faeries get close sometimes, but thus far either don't notice you or are content to ignore you. You do notice that not all of them seem to be losing their heads, you go past one group that seems to be having a tea party not too far from you. You reach the next rock, and the one after that. As you try to make your way toward the next marker, however, you hear what sounds like faeries having an argument up ahead.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Drat.
> Slowly and quietly make our way forward, trying to get into proper hearing range without getting into visible range.