Sword Quest IX - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> Youmu: How is Kotohime taking in all this? She's been fairly quiet...
> Miko: "As well as can be expected, given the circumstances. We certainly do not have all the time in the world before the integration is complete and there is one entity where there were once two, but the travel time from here to the Nertherworld should not be nearly enough to doom them to whatever fate they have in store for each other."

[Hello Purvis]

> Youmu: How is Kotohime taking in all this? She's been fairly quiet...
> Miko: "As well as can be expected, given the circumstances. We certainly do not have all the time in the world before the integration is complete and there is one entity where there were once two, but the travel time from here to the Nertherworld should not be nearly enough to doom them to whatever fate they have in store for each other."

>Youmu: Kotohime seems to be zoning out, actually, and staring at something or other on the ground; you don't see anything of note yourself.
>Miko: Byakuren nods. "Once we get her there, what do you intend to do?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Youmu: Lean over and have a look at Kotohime's eyes, to see if she's doing just a regular person zone-out or one of her special brand of zone-outs.
> Miko: "I will perform another transference ritual, to pull the entity out of her and place it back in the tree."

[Hello Purvis]

> Youmu: Lean over and have a look at Kotohime's eyes, to see if she's doing just a regular person zone-out or one of her special brand of zone-outs.
> Miko: "I will perform another transference ritual, to pull the entity out of her and place it back in the tree."

>Youmu: You lean in and look into her eyes. She focuses and says, "Huh?"
>Miko: Byakuren nods. "Ah, that's good, that's good. I hope it is safe?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Youmu: Pull back a bit. "Are you all right?"
> Miko: "It is the safest option we have, yes. There are no guarantees, but that is true no matter what we do, and the situation cannot be left to resolve itself. "

[Hello Purvis]

> Youmu: Pull back a bit. "Are you all right?"
> Miko: "It is the safest option we have, yes. There are no guarantees, but that is true no matter what we do, and the situation cannot be left to resolve itself. "

>Kotohime nods. "Yeah, just got a bit lost in thought, I guess."
>"I quite agree," says Byakuren.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Youmu: "My apologies that this has come to pass the way it has. To be honest, it is all rather over my head as well."
> Miko: Nod, then look back and Meira. "So now, all that can be done is to wait. And determine what is to be done with this horse in the meantime, I suppose, depending on whether or not we are permitted to simply leave it here while we conduct our businesses in the Netherworld."

[Hello Purvis]

> Youmu: "My apologies that this has come to pass the way it has. To be honest, it is all rather over my head as well."
> Miko: Nod, then look back and Meira. "So now, all that can be done is to wait. And determine what is to be done with this horse in the meantime, I suppose, depending on whether or not we are permitted to simply leave it here while we conduct our businesses in the Netherworld."

>"I am just pondering if you can actually arrest a tree," says Kotohime.
>Byakuren glances at the horse. "I don't think it should be a problem to leave it here. There doesn't seem to be much competition for space."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Youmu: "I'm...not really sure the Saigyou Ayakashi can be held responsible for anything that has transpired today, though."
> Miko: Look back to Byakuren. "As you say. That is one less thing to concern myself with, then, at least."

[Hello Purvis]

> Youmu: "I'm...not really sure the Saigyou Ayakashi can be held responsible for anything that has transpired today, though."
> Miko: Look back to Byakuren. "As you say. That is one less thing to concern myself with, then, at least."

>Kotohime frowns. "I'm not so sure of that myself."
>"I can't say I've ever heard of a horse theft happening, so it should be safe," says Byakuren.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Youmu: "Well, if I stole your life energy, put it inside me, and then used that extra power to do bad things, could you really be held accountable?"
> Miko: "I must admit, I was more concerned with the rudeness of simply leaving a horse on someone else's property for an extended period of time. But it is good to her the point you have raised nonetheless."

[Hello Purvis]

> Youmu: "Well, if I stole your life energy, put it inside me, and then used that extra power to do bad things, could you really be held accountable?"
> Miko: "I must admit, I was more concerned with the rudeness of simply leaving a horse on someone else's property for an extended period of time. But it is good to her the point you have raised nonetheless."

>"Well, mine's not bad, though," says Kotohime. "I think it was definitely trying to make things worse."
>"It's what these posts are for," Byakuren says. "It's not a problem as long as you come get it before the day is done. And assuming your horse can behave. Which this one seems to be doing very well."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Youmu: "Perhaps, Hopefully we will not have to find out for sure, though."
> Miko: "I suppose that is true."

[Hello Purvis]

> Youmu: "Perhaps, Hopefully we will not have to find out for sure, though."
> Miko: "I suppose that is true."

>Kotohime nods, then looks up. "I think that's Reimu, isn't it?"
>"Where did you get it, if I may?" says Byakuren. "I hadn't thought that you were an equestrian."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Youmu: Look up where Reimu is looking.
> Miko: "Ah, it is actually not mine. I have yet to hear this for certain, but I believe it belongs to its unconscious rider."

[Hello Purvis]

> Youmu: Look up where Reimu is looking.
> Miko: "Ah, it is actually not mine. I have yet to hear this for certain, but I believe it belongs to its unconscious rider."

>Youmu: You look over, and see a rapidly approaching dot on the horizon.
>Miko: "Ah. I misinterpreted some of your words."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Youmu: "Ah, excellent."
> Miko: "My apologies, I could have been clearer about the ownership."
> Youmu: Look over to the others. "Pardon me, ladies, but it seems our waiting has ended."
> Miko: Look toward the Shrine.

[Hello Purvis]

> Youmu: "Ah, excellent."
> Miko: "My apologies, I could have been clearer about the ownership."
> Youmu: Look over to the others. "Pardon me, ladies, but it seems our waiting has ended."
> Miko: Look toward the Shrine.

>Miko: You look toward the east, and are certain that is Reimu you see flying toward you. Within a few moment,s you are certain of it.
>It takes Reimu a moment to reach you. She produces a stack of paper slips and offers them toward Miko. "There, are we ready?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Miko: Take the papers from Reimu and give them a once-over to determine adequacy.
> Miko: Is any special sort of writing implement required to create the talismans, or willanything that writes serve our purpose?

[Hello Purvis]

> Miko: Take the papers from Reimu and give them a once-over to determine adequacy.
> Miko: Is any special sort of writing implement required to create the talismans, or willanything that writes serve our purpose?

>Miko: You look the slips over; there's easily a hundred of them, more than enough for your purposes. You'll need a good writing brush and reasonably clean ink to write the talismans, neither should be hard to procure.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Miko: Look to Youmu. "May I assume you have writing brushes and ink in your home?"
> Youmu: Where would we get these things?

[Hello Purvis]

> Miko: Look to Youmu. "May I assume you have writing brushes and ink in your home?"
> Youmu: Where would we get these things?

>Youmu: They're all over the place. You'd just need to scavenge them from somewhere, shouldn't take more than a couple minutes at most.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Youmu: "That will not be a problem, no."
> Miko: Look to Reimu. "In that case, I am prepared to depart."
> Youmu: "And I as well."

[Hello Purvis]

> Youmu: "That will not be a problem, no."
> Miko: Look to Reimu. "In that case, I am prepared to depart."
> Youmu: "And I as well."

>"Then let's get moving," she says. She then takes a moment to nod toward Byakuren, before taking to the air again.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Miko: Head over to Meira and lift her off the horse, unless Byakuren moves to cut us off.

[Hello Purvis]

> Miko: Head over to Meira and lift her off the horse, unless Byakuren moves to cut us off.

>Miko:  You move to do just that, but the much larger woman seems to have the same idea. "Ah, pardon me," she says, coming to a stop.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Miko: "Oh, my apologies. Please, go right ahead. You are likely better suited for the task than I am anyway."

[Hello Purvis]

> Miko: "Oh, my apologies. Please, go right ahead. You are likely better suited for the task than I am anyway."

>She nods, and lifts the unconscious woman from the horse, easily cradling her in her arms like an oversized baby.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Miko: "If you feel any problems arise within her, please let me know so I can investigate."
> Youmu: Look to Kotohime. "Let's go."
> Both: Take flight and head back to the Netherworld.

[Hello Purvis]

> Miko: "If you feel any problems arise within her, please let me know so I can investigate."
> Youmu: Look to Kotohime. "Let's go."
> Both: Take flight and head back to the Netherworld.

>The lot of you gather up, and head northeastwards.
>It is a long and somewhat tense trip. The faeries are still out, but the few that get any ideas seldom last more than a few moments before Reimu's talismans and sealing needles see them off. At one point, she comments that they seem to be thinning out a bit. These little problems aside, you reach the entrance to the netherworld easily enough; with Youmu, there is no time wasted actually searching for the path in. Soon, the five of you are flying along the stairs, with the main complex looming ahead.
>Youmu: You note that Kotohime seems to be trying to look everywhere at once, and barely seems to be paying attention to her immediate surroundings.

>_