Sword Quest XII - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> While we hold our sword lodged in the behemoth's wing, spawn a whole bunch of exploding bullets all around us, making sure to produce at least a couple right next to the fingers that are wrapped around us.
> Once this is done, resume trying to cut through the stabbed wing with our sword.

>You create a few exploding bullets. It's hard to see how well they work as they explode and the little bits go everywhere, but what you can quickly tell is that its response is to squeeze you very tightly!

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Crap! Pull our sword out and hack at the finger squeezing our waist!

[Hello Purvis]

> Crap! Pull our sword out and hack at the finger squeezing our waist!

>You pull out your blade as your waist and legs start to ache terribly. As you prepare to hack away at its fingers, your stomach lurches as you fly backwards! Had you not freed your sword, you likely would have lost it. Dimly you are aware that it has opened its wings again, but you are still surrounded by the skin of its wings and cannot see very well. You think you feel the behemoth lurch a little, though.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Using both hands, stab our sword downward into the finger wrapped around our legs.

[Hello Purvis]

> Using both hands, stab our sword downward into the finger wrapped around our legs.

>it is a little difficult to moves your blade with the wing wrapped around you, but you find some slack, and stab into its finger furiously! Your sword sinks into it, and you feel a relief spread into your legs.
>You feel the behemoth jerk a moment later, you don't think it was in response to your attack.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Superb! Go, friends, go!
> Pull our sword back a bit, then start rapid-fire stabbing into the wing webbing behind us.

[Hello Purvis]

> Superb! Go, friends, go!
> Pull our sword back a bit, then start rapid-fire stabbing into the wing webbing behind us.

>You stab into its webbing, and have a hard time getting your sword to find purchase. You do think you manage to poke a tiny hole or two, or at least nick it a little.
>You have a few moments do this, as it continues to apply pressure to your waist, and its lower finger tries and fails to get a grip on your legs again, before you are suddenly jerked forward, you stomach feeling as though ti just leaped into your throat!

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Oh crap, it's probably flying around with us in tow!
> Exploding bullets, everywhere! Don't take the time to aim, just spawn them all around us until we can't anymore or it lets us go!

[Hello Purvis]

> Oh crap, it's probably flying around with us in tow!
> Exploding bullets, everywhere! Don't take the time to aim, just spawn them all around us until we can't anymore or it lets us go!

>You start to fire exploding bullets, then suddenly the night sky is visible and hurtling through the sky with the ground perilously close ahead!

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is our waist still restrained by a wing finger?

[Hello Purvis]

> Is our waist still restrained by a wing finger?

>No, you are presently hurtling toward the ground very quickly. Your waist, for the moment, hurts a lot less fiercely.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> It must have tried throwing us at the ground as hard as it could, then.
> Forget firing danmaku or looking around at anyone. Put all of our energy, except for whatever is necessary for keeping a grip on our sword, into pulling up from the fall.

[Hello Purvis]

> It must have tried throwing us at the ground as hard as it could, then.
> Forget firing danmaku or looking around at anyone. Put all of our energy, except for whatever is necessary for keeping a grip on our sword, into pulling up from the fall.

>That feels reasonably correct!
>You work toward pulling up. It takes a moment to come back under your own power, then the momentum of the throw has to be dealt with as you curve away, taking a wide arc that propels you from down to a direction that at least leaves the distant, darkened horizon visible. The behemoth is behind you, somewhere.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Use our momentum to circle upward and back around toward the battlefield.

[Hello Purvis]

> Use our momentum to circle upward and back around toward the battlefield.

>You circle around and turn back toward the battlefield. The Behemoth is twisting in midair, trying to follow some. You think it is Seiga? Tojiko and Furo are trying to keep behind hit and strike, but are having difficulties with its tail and wings trying to strike them.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Okay, now we're angry.
> Take on a bit of a snarl and chase after the behemoth, aiming to be a bit below it.

[Hello Purvis]

> Okay, now we're angry.
> Take on a bit of a snarl and chase after the behemoth, aiming to be a bit below it.

>It is hard to remain calm in the face of this, as you maneuver underneath the behemoth. With its attention turned toward the others, you have little problem evading its notice. However, it moves erratically as it pursues Seiga, making it a little difficult to place yourself.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Our goal should be to get underneath it low enough that we are not in danger of getting whacked in the head by its tail, make our way roughly toward the middle of it, and then shoot upward and stab it in the stomach. Keep moving toward it low enough to at least try to get below its middle.

[Hello Purvis]

> Our goal should be to get underneath it low enough that we are not in danger of getting whacked in the head by its tail, make our way roughly toward the middle of it, and then shoot upward and stab it in the stomach. Keep moving toward it low enough to at least try to get below its middle.

>This will be difficult to accomplish, given its body is mostly serpentine coils that seem to be able to lash about any which way. Tail is really just a term of convenience for its rear portions, but by and large it is a snake with forelimbs.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is there currently a part of the behemoth that is directly above us and is not within range of a flailing chain attached to a boar trap?

[Hello Purvis]

> Is there currently a part of the behemoth that is directly above us and is not within range of a flailing chain attached to a boar trap?

>There is, for the moment. If the behemoth brought its tail around, though...

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Move a little bit further toward the behemoth's head, keeping our current level.

[Hello Purvis]

> Move a little bit further toward the behemoth's head, keeping our current level.

>You move a bit further. This really doesn't do much to alleviate the previous danger, but you are a little further away from where its tail is right now.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Might as well chance it. Head directly upward, ready to launch a stab at the behemoth once its underbelly is within range.

[Hello Purvis]

> Might as well chance it. Head directly upward, ready to launch a stab at the behemoth once its underbelly is within range.

>You soar upward, and strike! Your blade sinks between its scales, with the curious sense of cutting cords as before.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Drag our blade along through the behemoth in whatever direction the sharp edge is currently pointing. Let's see how long a hole we can cut in this thing!

[Hello Purvis]

> Drag our blade along through the behemoth in whatever direction the sharp edge is currently pointing. Let's see how long a hole we can cut in this thing!

>You move upward, leaving a long, brightly glowing gash in your wake before the behemoth jerks away, and its body twists toward you.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is its head now coming after us?

[Hello Purvis]

> Is its head now coming after us?

>Glancing upward, it seems so.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> With regards to the part of its body that is twisting toward us, is it within sword range?