(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 4)

[Oldmansour]

>"That won't help anyone."
>Well, this worked on the tethers...
>Hold our breath, take a step to the side, then cut them out of midair.

[DracoOmega]

>"That won't help anyone."
>Well, this worked on the tethers...
>Hold our breath, take a step to the side, then cut them out of midair.

>You hold your breath, then take a step to the side and try to slice the strands out of the air. These present a much finer target than the tether did but still part easily as you sweep the blade across their path. A few of the severed bits patter against you, doing about as much harm as being pelted with twine.
>She swipes the air again with both hands at once, sending a gridwork of thin filaments flying towards you.

[Oldmansour]

>Fine. Gave her fair warning.
>How wide is that grid, and do we have enough room to get out of the way in this chamber?

[DracoOmega]

>Fine. Gave her fair warning.
>How wide is that grid, and do we have enough room to get out of the way in this chamber?

>Can't say you're not trying, at least...
>Around 6 or 7 feet wide, though it is expanding as it flies away from her. There is certainly room in the chamber to get out of the way of it, and probably enough time if you scrambled.

[Oldmansour]

>Then let's scramble, then.
>Get the bajeezus out of the way, hold the sword in our left arm, then draw our last kunai. But don't throw it yet.
>If she starts to wave her arms again, like she's about to throw anything else, put a kunai in her arm.

[DracoOmega]

>Then let's scramble, then.
>Get the bajeezus out of the way, hold the sword in our left arm, then draw our last kunai. But don't throw it yet.
>If she starts to wave her arms again, like she's about to throw anything else, put a kunai in her arm.

>You scramble sideways, swapping the sword back to your off-hand and drawing your last kunai with the other. You duck your head and twist sideways as the mesh closes towards you, cutting past it with just a little room to spare. Then the youkai twists an arm aside, sweeping the strands to follow you. You let the kunai fly.
>Her attempt to dodge is slow and the range too short for it to matter. Your weapon drives itself into her right arm and the strands connected to it go limp as she lets out another cry. Her injured leg quavers beneath her and seems nearly to buckle.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Keep attacking me! See what it changes! It's sure done a whole lot to keep them from dying so far, hasn't it? No thoughts for the future, no interest in the next day, let's all just die here, huh? You sure do give a shit what happens to them, don't you? Who cares if they're left out in the cold, huh, as long as you get to live up to your damn stupid pride and hurt me!"

[Kilgamayan]

Oh for fuck's sake.

[Oldmansour]

Maybe we should dial it down a bit? Given that she attacked us again with that approach.

>Instead of yelling at the even-more-injured little twit again, walk back into the sparse patch, and cut away whatever cloud has reformed.
>Face her down and say, not too coldly, "I did warn you. Now don't do that again.You're bleeding enough as it is."
>Nod at her leg. "And you might want to sit down, before you fall down."

[Hello Purvis]

I'm thinking we have no real reason to dial it down. We're dealing with someone who has been obstructionist to pretty much every attempt we've made to deal with this without highlander logic and has nearly killed us a couple times. I imagine exploding with rage would be very much welcome for her at this point.

[DracoOmega]

>Instead of yelling at the even-more-injured little twit again, walk back into the sparse patch, and cut away whatever cloud has reformed.
>Face her down and say, not too coldly, "I did warn you. Now don't do that again.You're bleeding enough as it is."
>Nod at her leg. "And you might want to sit down, before you fall down."

>You move back to the sparse patch during this lull in the youkai's attack, sweeping the sword across it again to repel any drifting vapors.
>The youkai glares at you again, then turns her gaze to the kunai in her arm. She wraps her other hand around and grimaces, then with another strangled cry, tears it free.
>Despite the shaking of her leg, she pulls herself straighter as you speak. "I can stand," she says coldly.

[Hello Purvis]

>"So, we going to keep going? Or would you like to try and help your spiders this time?"

[DracoOmega]

>"So, we going to keep going? Or would you like to try and help your spiders this time?"

>She stares at you silently for a few more moments, clearly struggling to mask the pain from her face.
>"....why?" she breathes.

[Oldmansour]

>"Whatever you may think of me, I didn't come here to start a war, or wipe out a species. But unless you and I work things out, and you can stop trying to kill me for five minutes, that's just what's going to happen. You want to help these spiders, killing me is only going to make things worse. I have friends, too, and if I die down here, then they're gonna be mad. And they're gonna come. And they're strong. One of them can even vaporize this entire hillside. Is that REALLY what you want?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"And like I said, because you can talk. Maybe that's not special to you, but it is. Trust me, there was a time I couldn't do it and didn't have any clue what it meant."

[DracoOmega]

>"Whatever you may think of me, I didn't come here to start a war, or wipe out a species. But unless you and I work things out, and you can stop trying to kill me for five minutes, that's just what's going to happen. You want to help these spiders, killing me is only going to make things worse. I have friends, too, and if I die down here, then they're gonna be mad. And they're gonna come. And they're strong. One of them can even vaporize this entire hillside. Is that REALLY what you want?"

>"I'm not scared of any of you," she says. "There's nothing to work out. If anyone else comes to hurt them, I'll stop them too. They all should just leave us alone."

>"And like I said, because you can talk. Maybe that's not special to you, but it is. Trust me, there was a time I couldn't do it and didn't have any clue what it meant."

>She gives you a confused look. "...what?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Suppress a smirk. We'll definitely have to introduce her to Marisa.
>"You ever live as a normal animal? Never thinking about anything but the next meal?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Hey, if the spiders hadn't attacked those cows, the people out there wouldn't even know you existed. And you couldn't even stop me. You wouldn't have a hope in hell against someone with real power."
>Smirk a little. Took all your best shots, little spider, and we're the ones standing tall. Suck on that, 8-legs.
>"You need to find another food source for you and your spiders."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Or, find a way to get it that doesn't involve going to war with your neighbors. Which, you know, is entirely possible."

[DracoOmega]

>Suppress a smirk. We'll definitely have to introduce her to Marisa.
>"You ever live as a normal animal? Never thinking about anything but the next meal?"

>You suppress a smirk. She obviously doesn't know who she's dealing with. At the same time, you stifle a grumble over how much more effortlessly Marisa probably could have mopped up this whole mess...
>"Everybody gets hungry," she says. "How many friends have you watched starve to death?"

>"Hey, if the spiders hadn't attacked those cows, the people out there wouldn't even know you existed. And you couldn't even stop me. You wouldn't have a hope in hell against someone with real power."
>Smirk a little. Took all your best shots, little spider, and we're the ones standing tall. Suck on that, 8-legs.
>"You need to find another food source for you and your spiders."

>"You're only still alive because of... that." Again, she nearly spits the word, as though it were too vile to hold on her tongue. She glares hatefully at the blade in your hand. "And this time I'll make sure no one else can find it again."
>This time you do allow yourself a little smirk. Despite the extensive list of your own injuries, it's pretty clear that you've come out on top. Given the state of her leg, you're almost amazed she's still standing.
>"Why? Spiders eat what they can catch. They didn't do anything wrong!"

>"Or, find a way to get it that doesn't involve going to war with your neighbors. Which, you know, is entirely possible."

>"You'd kill us for eating? After it's your fault they were all starved?"
>Her glare deepens."I won't let anyone lock us away again."

[Hello Purvis]

>Start to call her out again, then stop. Just for this moment.
>"Who said either side had to starve? I sure didn't."

[DracoOmega]

>Start to call her out again, then stop. Just for this moment.
>"Who said either side had to starve? I sure didn't."

>"No, I suppose you'd be just as happy to kill them yourself," she says. "Save time."
>Her leg buckles again, but she catches herself before she stumbles and forces herself back upright, grimacing all the while.

[Oldmansour]

>"I'm getting tired of this. If I REALLY wanted to kill everything down here, every spider I saw, then why haven't I killed YOU yet? No, even better. I found that hatchery of theirs, with all those egg sacks. I could have torn them open, killed everything in there. Or set fire to them, and watch them all burn. I didn't. I wouldn't. That's not what I do. That's not what I am."
>Size her up. She's done everything she can to kill us, she obviously hates us... Maybe she has a reason. Misdirected a little, perhaps, but a reason.
>"But I think I'm starting to understand. Your kind used to live on the surface, didn't they?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm getting tired of this. If I REALLY wanted to kill everything down here, every spider I saw, then why haven't I killed YOU yet? No, even better. I found that hatchery of theirs, with all those egg sacks. I could have torn them open, killed everything in there. Or set fire to them, and watch them all burn. I didn't. I wouldn't. That's not what I do. That's not what I am."
>Size her up. She's done everything she can to kill us, she obviously hates us... Maybe she has a reason. Misdirected a little, perhaps, but a reason.
>"But I think I'm starting to understand. Your kind used to live on the surface, didn't they?"

>The youkai lets out a sneer. "Then what are you? You still killed so many of them," she says. "Because they ate something. You came here and killed them! I am supposed to be happy you only killed almost every one you saw?"
>You size the youkai up again. She is... not in very good shape. Her severed limb still drips blood onto the floor and her dress is soaked from it around the knife still embedded in her torso. Her leg looks worst of all, though; the length of it nearly covered from blood spilled from the wound. A distressingly large pool has formed beneath her. Her breathing is labored and no amount of determination can fully disguise the pain on her face. Yet, she is still standing, and glaring at you with fire and deep bitterness in her gaze.
>"...some of us."

[Oldmansour]

>"And then something happened. didn't it? Something bad. Something between your people, and the other people that lived on the surface."

[DracoOmega]

>"And then something happened. didn't it? Something bad. Something between your people, and the other people that lived on the surface."

>She doesn't answer your question, though the expression on her face suggests she isn't disagreeing.

[Oldmansour]

>This sword might be a relic from that time, then. But it's not likely she'll talk about the sword itself, the way she's reacted so far. Best save that for when we're out of here.
>Does this bloody cloud show any sign of dissipating, beyond this patch of air?
>"And your people ended up down here. How long ago was that? And why did it happen?"

[DracoOmega]

>This sword might be a relic from that time, then. But it's not likely she'll talk about the sword itself, the way she's reacted so far. Best save that for when we're out of here.
>Does this bloody cloud show any sign of dissipating, beyond this patch of air?
>"And your people ended up down here. How long ago was that? And why did it happen?"

>The does seem like a plausible speculation; you elect to wait a little before pursuing it.
>Perhaps a little, but not appreciably so.
>She glares silently at you another moment. "Ancient history. Why would you care?"
>Your nausea is definitely growing, and you're finding yourself feeling increasingly fatigued; now that the worst of the struggle seems to be over, the exhaustion from all this must be catching up to you with a vengeance.

[Oldmansour]

>"Because it's only in the past few days that the spiders even went near humans. Otherwise, there'd have been reports, stories, some sign before then. Something's changed recently, hasn't it?"
>"And if it's so ancient, were you there to see it?"
>She can't be 'ancient'. ... Can she? Judging youkai by looks is hard, but she could be OUR age.

[DracoOmega]

>"Because it's only in the past few days that the spiders even went near humans. Otherwise, there'd have been reports, stories, some sign before then. Something's changed recently, hasn't it?"
>"And if it's so ancient, were you there to see it?"
>She can't be 'ancient'. ... Can she? Judging youkai by looks is hard, but she could be OUR age.

>A slight hint of a smile brushes against her face. "We're free," she says.
>This one gets no response; her expression is a little hard to read, though she looks slightly uncomfortable
>You suppose it's possible, although her mentality makes you a little dubious of this. That being said, in practice there's often very little way to tell. Youkai of different kinds can mature mentally at vastly different rates and often show few outward physical signs of their age. It's easier to tell with established and defined races, such as the Tengu, but even then you probably couldn't distinguish a 100-year old from one several times that age by sight alone. For a type of youkai you've never met... she could be a month old or several centuries and you doubt you could tell the difference.