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Description
Scape
Issue 1: Invasion
Written by M.R.Maloney

Page 1:
Panel 1: We see a brilliant sunrise from the top of a plateau. Cole is looking out at it and smiling as the land is cast in its light. From his viewpoint, everything on Zeragu is perfect. The sun is rising over the jungle and farmland surrounding his town in the distance, covering them in its radiant splendor. The only sound heard is that of songbirds and animals in the swamp beneath him. His red hair is fluttering in the gentle breeze, caressing the soft features of his face as his ocean-blue eyes watched over the township. He has a pack on his back. There are some blue and red flowers on the plateau, though little of them seen in the panel since most of it is from Cole's waist up. Large panel, full width of the page.

SFX: "tweet♪ tweet♪"
SFX: "croak croak"
Doma (off-panel behind and below him): "Nnghh..."

Panel 2: Cole turned to help Doma up the ledge to join him by extending an arm to her, shaking his head. Doma has basket on her back.

Doma: "I don’t know how you manage to get yourself up here day after day this early Cole, but I find it exasperating to climb, especially when I haven’t had breakfast yet."

Panel 3: Doma collapsed onto the ledge. Cole looking at Mateo as he's pulling himself over the ledge. Mateo's hair is green and spiked a bit. He does not have a pack on her back.

Mateo: "It’s called muscles Doma, and if you had them you wouldn’t get so tired when we come here every day."

Page 2:
Panel 1: Cole setting his pack down and pulling his food out of it.

Cole: "And if you don’t like climbing this early then why do you keep coming up here?"

Doma (off-panel): "You know very well why."

Doma (same) 2: "This is the only spot in the whole area where I can find the flowers that I sell in town."

Panel 2: Doma starting to collect blue and red flowers from the ledge and put them in her basket.

Doma: "And you two come up here to bother me and taunt me for actually wanting to gather flowers at my age.”

Panel 3: Mateo making faces at Doma while Cole laughed and almost choked on his meal. Doma is in the background, but not looking at either of them as she ties the basket to her back.

Doma: "Mateo, stop acting childish and help your cousin get started back down the cliff."

Panel 4: Mateo and Cole gently lowering Doma over the edge as she finds a foothold.

Panel 5: The trio descending the cliff facing.

Panel 6: Mateo releasing his grip a tad early, dropping off the cliff and landing in some swamp water with a splash.

Page 3:
Panel 1: Cole and Doma laughing as he stands up, pulling a frog out of his hair and throwing it back where it belonged.

Cole and Doma (joined together): "Hahahahaha!"

Panel 2: Mateo heading down the path leading out of the swamp, leaving his two amused friends behind.

Mateo: "Bah! I’m going back home to change. "

Mateo 2: "I’ll see you two later."

Panel 3: Cole chasing after Doma, not far behind her, running through the small crowd in town. Takes up the remainder of the page.

Page 4:
Panel 1: Doma looking behind her, back at Cole, as she runs into an amazonian tall and muscular blonde woman, nearly dropping her basket. The woman's face is out of the panel.

Panel 2: The woman, Lina Fox, has her face in the panel now and we can see the resemblance to Cole. She lifts Doma off the ground and dusting off her shoulders.

Lina Fox: "I don’t know why you two are acting like little children, but I can take a guess."

Lina Fox 2: "It’s probably something to do with Mateo, seeing as how he came back here all by himself not an hour ago, all smelly and wet."

Lina Fox 3: "He was muttering something to himself, something about needing to change his clothes."

Panel 3: Cole caught up, grinning.

Cole: "Mateo dropped off the cliff and into the swamp today."

Cole 2: "He’s covered in swamp stink and when he came out he had a frog in his hair."

Panel 4: Lina Fox smirking and shaking her head.

Lina Fox: "That so?"

Lina Fox 2: "Explains why his white shirt had a few splotches that were almost the same shade of green as that gunk that he puts in his hair. Amazing how much trouble you three can get into so early."

Lina Fox 3: "Why, the sun hasn’t even finished rising!"

Page 5:
Panel 1: Doma putting a flower into her brown hair, Lina laughing and waving the two on down the street.

Doma: "You think we’re in trouble, then wait until Mateo has to explain to his mother why his clothes are so dirty the day after she cleaned them all up."

Lina Fox: "Haha!"

Panel 2: Doma and Cole arriving at Doma's booth with a customer already waiting there to purchase some flowers.

Cole: "I’ll see you later Doma, I’ve got to head home."

Panel 3: Doma and the customer speaking in unison as Cole is walking off into the background. Wide panel.

Doma and Customer: "Goodbye Cole!"

Panel 4: Cole in the foreground arriving at his home, a mile of distance walked from Doma's booth which is still visible in the background, but barely. Outside we see Cole's father with the family horse.

Cole's Father: "There you are!"

Cole's Father 2: "Quick, I need you to go down to the other valley to see if the mail is arriving."

Page 6:
Panel 1: Cole's father helping his son into the saddle.

Cole's Father: "I’ve got a package waiting and I need to get it as soon as possible so it doesn’t get wrecked by that careless carrier.”

Panel 2: Cole's father giving the horse a strong slap on its backside.

Cole's Father: "Remember, it’s the green box from my friend in Haven that I want."

Panel 3: Cole riding off toward the valley twenty miles from the town, the sun rising. Wide panel.

Panel 4: Cole at the start of the valley about a few hours later from how the sun has risen in the sky, pulling out his telescope. There is a big mass at the bottom of the valley, about halfway along its length to where he is currently.

Panel 5: Looking through the telescope, seeing a massive army striding towards the town on horseback, waving their black banner of war.

Page 7:
Panel 1: Cole putting away his telescope and turning the horse around in one movement, kicking its sides to get it to move as fast as it could despite the long ride it has already taken.

Panel 2: The hours have passed again, Cole nearing the town and pulling out a horn from his bag, taking a breath of air as he pulled it to his lips.

Panel 3: Faces in the market, talking, a few people looking out their window and talking to people below, etc.

SFX (small, in the distance): "bloooooo"

Panel 4: All the faces turning toward the sound, fear in the eyes of some, confusion in others. Seen from a different angle, almost face-on, but clearly the same location.

Page 8:
Panel 1: Cole dismounting as the mayor charges through the crowd of people between him and Cole. The mayor is short, plump and balding, clearly nervous from how he clasps his hands.

Mayor: "What is the meaning of this?"

Mayor 2: "Why did you sound the horn?"

Panel 2: Cole tilting his head toward the direction he just came from, someone feeding his horse an apple, the Mayor looking fearful at him.

Cole: "There is a massive army on the move, heading our way."

Cole 2: "We may be under attack by nightfall."

Crowd (several, small, wavering word bubbles): "Attack?", "Army?", "Can't be..."

Panel 3: The Mayor looking back toward the crowd, sweat on his face as he tries to give them reassurance by moving his arms to calm them, Cole shaking his head.

Crowd: "How do you know this?"

Crowd 2: "Maybe they are going to turn off on a different route and pass by us, maybe they are retreating and need to set up a defensive position in the valley."

Cole: "I know because I have seen them in my telescope and they are no army of any of the local lords."

Panel 4: Show Cole's intense face.

Cole: "I know because friends do not wave the black banner of death as they approach a township."

Cole 2: "No friendly army would do that, and there must be at least a thousand soldiers there.”

Page 9:
Panel 1: The crowd murmuring in the background as Cole and the horse squeezed through the crowd to find his family.

Panel 2: Cole's father and sister are in the crowd and start walking with him, his mother coming out of the house as he approaches.

Cole's Father: "We heard it all Cole."

Cole's Father 2: "How mighty an army for attacking such a defenseless town."

Cole's Father 3: "Fighting them must be our last resort."

Panel 3: Cole's Father helping his wife onto the horse with Lina Fox already on it. Cole nodding.

Cole's Father: "I want you, your mother and sister to start heading towards the jungle as fast as you can."

Cole's Father 2: "I’m going to try to get the others to start leaving as well."

Panel 4: Cole riding off to find Doma and Mateo.

Cole: "I'll meet them on the edge of of the swamp with Doma and Mateo's families."

Panel 5: Doma and her family loading up their horses and Cole helping her onto his own horse. Mateo is already mounted and riding towards them.

Page 10:
Panel 1: Cole and Doma on his horse, Mateo on his, riding out toward the swamp and the jungle beyond, with a few other horses in the swamp as well, including Cole's Mother and his sister.

Panel 2: In the foreground the towns people arguing with the Mayor, some preparing for battle, Cole's Father rallying the second group, trying to get them to flee. The sun is starting to set and two moons are rising, the valley's upper edge in the distance.

Panel 3: The black army surfacing at the top of the valley in the distance, completely stretching from side to side of the panel with their black banners and the reflection of the moons and the setting sun off their armor. Wide panel to show the sheer size of the army against the background and the edge of the town as being small in comparison despite it being in the foreground.

Panel 4: The townspeople fleeing in terror, almost all on foot, however, as most with them had already left.

Panel 5: Cole riding and looking back at the village from his horse while riding through the swamp into the jungle.

Page 11:
Panel 1: Cole in the foreground looking back as he rides. In the background beyond the swamp the black army is crashing into the town, arrows already embedded into buildings, booths and people alike, fires burning. Huge panel, full width.

Panel 2: Cole's mother and sister falling as their horse toppled in the mud.

Panel 3: Cole starting to turn his horse around and Doma turning her head as well.

Lina Fox (off-panel): "No!"

Page 12:
Panel 1: Lina Fox and Cole's Mother pinned by their horse and his mother nodding to Lina's words. Cole's mother is sobbing.

Lina Fox: "Go on without us, we’re pinned and you don’t have time to get us out."

Cole's Mother: "Go!"

Panel 2: Cole's eyes filled with tears as he turned his horse to face the jungle again, riding away from them. Doma has her eyes clenched painfully shut and is crying as well.

Panel 3: Cole and Doma riding along near Mateo through the jungle over fallen trees and underbrush, the other horses all around them going in separate directions.

Panel 4: The trio stopping their horses as the path becomes too thick for the horses to ride, getting off of them.

Panel 5: Mateo slapping one of the horses on the back, the two of them running off into the darkness.

Page 13:
Panel 1: The trio trudging through the jungle, Mateo grabbing a loose mossy branch off the floor of the jungle.

Mateo: "Come on."

Mateo 2: "I know a good place to hide."

Panel 2: The trio ending up at a cave with Mateo heading in first, Cole lighting the branch with a knife and piece of flint.

Mateo: "I found it a month ago."

Mateo 2: "It's got so many tunnels you'll get lost easily if you don't keep track."

Panel 3: the trio going deeper and deeper into the cave, the torch held out in front of them by Mateo.

Mateo: "Just remember left, right, left, and so forth."

Panel 4: The trio walking in silence.

Panel 5: The trio walking, the torch sputtering out.

Panel 6: The trio barely visible in the panel as Cole tries to light the torch while they keep walking, only a few sparks to show them.

Word Balloon (off-panel up ahead of them): "Snnnxxtt..."

Page 14:
Panel 1: The trio rounding a bend in the tunnel and seeing a tent and bonfire near it. Tall panel.

Word Balloon (coming from tent): "Snnnrrrkkktt..."

Panel 2: The trio approaching the tent, Mateo wielding the branch like a club now. Cole is gesturing for silence, moving the flap on the tent.

Word Balloon (coming from tent): "Mmnn..."

Panel 3: Cole's head in the tent, seeing a black box inside. Seen from inside, near the black box, Cole looking confused. No one is inside the tent.

The Box: "Snnnxxtt..."

Panel 4: Cole pulling back his head and turning it, a stranger standing next to them. Barely anything is visible of him, just his face and upper body. His hair is almost completely snow white with a small section dyed gray. He wears a white coat and pants, both with many chains and buckles, and fingerless gloves. On his white shirt there is a black partial circle with a vertical line on the top. His eyes were a deep forest green as dark a shade as the jungle that was above the caverns. His face seemed to be gentle with an overall look of reassurance.

Stranger: "You know, generally it is considered rude to look through one’s homestead without an invitation."

The Box (from within the tent): "Snnnrrrkkktt..."

Page 15:
Panel 1: Cole falling backwards in shock onto the ground in the tent. Doma bowing lightly. The stranger's face looking at her now as he reached into the tent. We see his back now mostly. In the back his hair is put into four binders with each one about shoulder length. On the back of his coat there is a black unfinished infinity sign.

Doma: "We’re sorry sir, we didn’t know this was your home, we were just trying to find a place to hide from the battle outside."

The Box (from in tent): "Mmnn..."

Panel 2: The Stranger pulling back the box and silencing it.

The Stranger: "Quite alright."

The Stranger 2: "I just felt like having a little fun with whoever was rummaging through my temporary home."

The Stranger 3: "Come on and tell me about yourselves."

The Box (in The Stranger's hands): "Snnn-"

Panel 3: The Stranger crossing his arms, the box held in one of them. Mateo and Doma looking at him in the foreground.

The Stranger: "Don’t worry, I’m not going to harm you."

Doma: "My name is Doma Kuza, former boutique owner."

Mateo: "Mateo Kuza, farmer and general trouble maker."

Panel 4: The Stranger shaking Mateo's hand, Doma's up to shake as well as Cole's.

The Stranger: "Interesting."

The Stranger 2: "Are you two siblings?"

Doma: "No, we’re cousins. Most people seem to think we’re siblings as well."

Cole: "I am Cole Fox, farmer, gofer, and carpenter."

Cole 2: "Pleased to meet your acquaintance."

Page 16:
Panel 1: The Stranger smiling.

The Stranger: "The pleasure is all mine."

The Stranger 2: "My name is Sirius Degas, traveler and explorer"

The Stranger 3: "Now that introductions are done, could you please tell me what it is you three are hiding from?"

Panel 2: The trio talking to Sirius, no word balloon, but clearly all three talking, Sirius stroking his chin and listening intently.

Panel 3: Sirius holding a hand up to interrupt Cole.

Sirius: "Okay, I believe you."

Sirius 2: "You three get some sleep in the tent."

Sirius 3: "Tomorrow we’re going to talk to the leader of this black army."

Cole (word balloon cut-off by Sirius's next one): "But-"

Sirius: "No, you three sleep in there."

Panel 4: Sirius closing his eyes, gesturing to the tent as the trio reluctantly go toward it.

Sirius: "Your bodies must be tired from all of that running."

Cole (again, cut-off by Sirius's next word balloon): "But I was-"

Sirius: "No and I don’t want to hear another word."

Panel 5: Sirius sitting on a large boulder with an elbow on his raised knee and face in his hand, staring off into the distance it seems, the tent in the background.

Sirius: "You three take the tent."

Sirius 2: "I’ve slept on harsher ground than this before. Get some rest."

Description
Scape
Issue 1: Invasion
Written by M.R.Maloney

Page 1:
Panel 1: We see a brilliant sunrise from the top of a plateau. Cole is looking out at it and smiling as the land is cast in its light. From his viewpoint, everything on Zeragu is perfect. The sun is rising over the jungle and farmland surrounding his town in the distance, covering them in its radiant splendor. The only sound heard is that of songbirds and animals in the swamp beneath him. His red hair is fluttering in the gentle breeze, caressing the soft features of his face as his ocean-blue eyes watched over the township. He has a pack on his back. There are some blue and red flowers on the plateau, though little of them seen in the panel since most of it is from Cole's waist up. Large panel, full width of the page.

SFX: "tweet♪ tweet♪"
SFX: "croak croak"
Doma (off-panel behind and below him): "Nnghh..."

Panel 2: Cole turned to help Doma up the ledge to join him by extending an arm to her, shaking his head. Doma has basket on her back.

Doma: "I don’t know how you manage to get yourself up here day after day this early Cole, but I find it exasperating to climb, especially when I haven’t had breakfast yet."

Panel 3: Doma collapsed onto the ledge. Cole looking at Mateo as he's pulling himself over the ledge. Mateo's hair is green and spiked a bit. He does not have a pack on her back.

Mateo: "It’s called muscles Doma, and if you had them you wouldn’t get so tired when we come here every day."

Page 2:
Panel 1: Cole setting his pack down and pulling his food out of it.

Cole: "And if you don’t like climbing this early then why do you keep coming up here?"

Doma (off-panel): "You know very well why."

Doma (same) 2: "This is the only spot in the whole area where I can find the flowers that I sell in town."

Panel 2: Doma starting to collect blue and red flowers from the ledge and put them in her basket.

Doma: "And you two come up here to bother me and taunt me for actually wanting to gather flowers at my age.”

Panel 3: Mateo making faces at Doma while Cole laughed and almost choked on his meal. Doma is in the background, but not looking at either of them as she ties the basket to her back.

Doma: "Mateo, stop acting childish and help your cousin get started back down the cliff."

Panel 4: Mateo and Cole gently lowering Doma over the edge as she finds a foothold.

Panel 5: The trio descending the cliff facing.

Panel 6: Mateo releasing his grip a tad early, dropping off the cliff and landing in some swamp water with a splash.

Page 3:
Panel 1: Cole and Doma laughing as he stands up, pulling a frog out of his hair and throwing it back where it belonged.

Cole and Doma (joined together): "Hahahahaha!"

Panel 2: Mateo heading down the path leading out of the swamp, leaving his two amused friends behind.

Mateo: "Bah! I’m going back home to change. "

Mateo 2: "I’ll see you two later."

Panel 3: Cole chasing after Doma, not far behind her, running through the small crowd in town. Takes up the remainder of the page.

Page 4:
Panel 1: Doma looking behind her, back at Cole, as she runs into an amazonian tall and muscular blonde woman, nearly dropping her basket. The woman's face is out of the panel.

Panel 2: The woman, Lina Fox, has her face in the panel now and we can see the resemblance to Cole. She lifts Doma off the ground and dusting off her shoulders.

Lina Fox: "I don’t know why you two are acting like little children, but I can take a guess."

Lina Fox 2: "It’s probably something to do with Mateo, seeing as how he came back here all by himself not an hour ago, all smelly and wet."

Lina Fox 3: "He was muttering something to himself, something about needing to change his clothes."

Panel 3: Cole caught up, grinning.

Cole: "Mateo dropped off the cliff and into the swamp today."

Cole 2: "He’s covered in swamp stink and when he came out he had a frog in his hair."

Panel 4: Lina Fox smirking and shaking her head.

Lina Fox: "That so?"

Lina Fox 2: "Explains why his white shirt had a few splotches that were almost the same shade of green as that gunk that he puts in his hair. Amazing how much trouble you three can get into so early."

Lina Fox 3: "Why, the sun hasn’t even finished rising!"

Page 5:
Panel 1: Doma putting a flower into her brown hair, Lina laughing and waving the two on down the street.

Doma: "You think we’re in trouble, then wait until Mateo has to explain to his mother why his clothes are so dirty the day after she cleaned them all up."

Lina Fox: "Haha!"

Panel 2: Doma and Cole arriving at Doma's booth with a customer already waiting there to purchase some flowers.

Cole: "I’ll see you later Doma, I’ve got to head home."

Panel 3: Doma and the customer speaking in unison as Cole is walking off into the background. Wide panel.

Doma and Customer: "Goodbye Cole!"

Panel 4: Cole in the foreground arriving at his home, a mile of distance walked from Doma's booth which is still visible in the background, but barely. Outside we see Cole's father with the family horse.

Cole's Father: "There you are!"

Cole's Father 2: "Quick, I need you to go down to the other valley to see if the mail is arriving."

Page 6:
Panel 1: Cole's father helping his son into the saddle.

Cole's Father: "I’ve got a package waiting and I need to get it as soon as possible so it doesn’t get wrecked by that careless carrier.”

Panel 2: Cole's father giving the horse a strong slap on its backside.

Cole's Father: "Remember, it’s the green box from my friend in Haven that I want."

Panel 3: Cole riding off toward the valley twenty miles from the town, the sun rising. Wide panel.

Panel 4: Cole at the start of the valley about a few hours later from how the sun has risen in the sky, pulling out his telescope. There is a big mass at the bottom of the valley, about halfway along its length to where he is currently.

Panel 5: Looking through the telescope, seeing a massive army striding towards the town on horseback, waving their black banner of war.

Page 7:
Panel 1: Cole putting away his telescope and turning the horse around in one movement, kicking its sides to get it to move as fast as it could despite the long ride it has already taken.

Panel 2: The hours have passed again, Cole nearing the town and pulling out a horn from his bag, taking a breath of air as he pulled it to his lips.

Panel 3: Faces in the market, talking, a few people looking out their window and talking to people below, etc.

SFX (small, in the distance): "bloooooo"

Panel 4: All the faces turning toward the sound, fear in the eyes of some, confusion in others. Seen from a different angle, almost face-on, but clearly the same location.

Page 8:
Panel 1: Cole dismounting as the mayor charges through the crowd of people between him and Cole. The mayor is short, plump and balding, clearly nervous from how he clasps his hands.

Mayor: "What is the meaning of this?"

Mayor 2: "Why did you sound the horn?"

Panel 2: Cole tilting his head toward the direction he just came from, someone feeding his horse an apple, the Mayor looking fearful at him.

Cole: "There is a massive army on the move, heading our way."

Cole 2: "We may be under attack by nightfall."

Crowd (several, small, wavering word bubbles): "Attack?", "Army?", "Can't be..."

Panel 3: The Mayor looking back toward the crowd, sweat on his face as he tries to give them reassurance by moving his arms to calm them, Cole shaking his head.

Crowd: "How do you know this?"

Crowd 2: "Maybe they are going to turn off on a different route and pass by us, maybe they are retreating and need to set up a defensive position in the valley."

Cole: "I know because I have seen them in my telescope and they are no army of any of the local lords."

Panel 4: Show Cole's intense face.

Cole: "I know because friends do not wave the black banner of death as they approach a township."

Cole 2: "No friendly army would do that, and there must be at least a thousand soldiers there.”

Page 9:
Panel 1: The crowd murmuring in the background as Cole and the horse squeezed through the crowd to find his family.

Panel 2: Cole's father and sister are in the crowd and start walking with him, his mother coming out of the house as he approaches.

Cole's Father: "We heard it all Cole."

Cole's Father 2: "How mighty an army for attacking such a defenseless town."

Cole's Father 3: "Fighting them must be our last resort."

Panel 3: Cole's Father helping his wife onto the horse with Lina Fox already on it. Cole nodding.

Cole's Father: "I want you, your mother and sister to start heading towards the jungle as fast as you can."

Cole's Father 2: "I’m going to try to get the others to start leaving as well."

Panel 4: Cole riding off to find Doma and Mateo.

Cole: "I'll meet them on the edge of of the swamp with Doma and Mateo's families."

Panel 5: Doma and her family loading up their horses and Cole helping her onto his own horse. Mateo is already mounted and riding towards them.

Page 10:
Panel 1: Cole and Doma on his horse, Mateo on his, riding out toward the swamp and the jungle beyond, with a few other horses in the swamp as well, including Cole's Mother and his sister.

Panel 2: In the foreground the towns people arguing with the Mayor, some preparing for battle, Cole's Father rallying the second group, trying to get them to flee. The sun is starting to set and two moons are rising, the valley's upper edge in the distance.

Panel 3: The black army surfacing at the top of the valley in the distance, completely stretching from side to side of the panel with their black banners and the reflection of the moons and the setting sun off their armor. Wide panel to show the sheer size of the army against the background and the edge of the town as being small in comparison despite it being in the foreground.

Panel 4: The townspeople fleeing in terror, almost all on foot, however, as most with them had already left.

Panel 5: Cole riding and looking back at the village from his horse while riding through the swamp into the jungle.

Page 11:
Panel 1: Cole in the foreground looking back as he rides. In the background beyond the swamp the black army is crashing into the town, arrows already embedded into buildings, booths and people alike, fires burning. Huge panel, full width.

Panel 2: Cole's mother and sister falling as their horse toppled in the mud.

Panel 3: Cole starting to turn his horse around and Doma turning her head as well.

Lina Fox (off-panel): "No!"

Page 12:
Panel 1: Lina Fox and Cole's Mother pinned by their horse and his mother nodding to Lina's words. Cole's mother is sobbing.

Lina Fox: "Go on without us, we’re pinned and you don’t have time to get us out."

Cole's Mother: "Go!"

Panel 2: Cole's eyes filled with tears as he turned his horse to face the jungle again, riding away from them. Doma has her eyes clenched painfully shut and is crying as well.

Panel 3: Cole and Doma riding along near Mateo through the jungle over fallen trees and underbrush, the other horses all around them going in separate directions.

Panel 4: The trio stopping their horses as the path becomes too thick for the horses to ride, getting off of them.

Panel 5: Mateo slapping one of the horses on the back, the two of them running off into the darkness.

Page 13:
Panel 1: The trio trudging through the jungle, Mateo grabbing a loose mossy branch off the floor of the jungle.

Mateo: "Come on."

Mateo 2: "I know a good place to hide."

Panel 2: The trio ending up at a cave with Mateo heading in first, Cole lighting the branch with a knife and piece of flint.

Mateo: "I found it a month ago."

Mateo 2: "It's got so many tunnels you'll get lost easily if you don't keep track."

Panel 3: the trio going deeper and deeper into the cave, the torch held out in front of them by Mateo.

Mateo: "Just remember left, right, left, and so forth."

Panel 4: The trio walking in silence.

Panel 5: The trio walking, the torch sputtering out.

Panel 6: The trio barely visible in the panel as Cole tries to light the torch while they keep walking, only a few sparks to show them.

Word Balloon (off-panel up ahead of them): "Snnnxxtt..."

Page 14:
Panel 1: The trio rounding a bend in the tunnel and seeing a tent and bonfire near it. Tall panel.

Word Balloon (coming from tent): "Snnnrrrkkktt..."

Panel 2: The trio approaching the tent, Mateo wielding the branch like a club now. Cole is gesturing for silence, moving the flap on the tent.

Word Balloon (coming from tent): "Mmnn..."

Panel 3: Cole's head in the tent, seeing a black box inside. Seen from inside, near the black box, Cole looking confused. No one is inside the tent.

The Box: "Snnnxxtt..."

Panel 4: Cole pulling back his head and turning it, a stranger standing next to them. Barely anything is visible of him, just his face and upper body. His hair is almost completely snow white with a small section dyed gray. He wears a white coat and pants, both with many chains and buckles, and fingerless gloves. On his white shirt there is a black partial circle with a vertical line on the top. His eyes were a deep forest green as dark a shade as the jungle that was above the caverns. His face seemed to be gentle with an overall look of reassurance.

Stranger: "You know, generally it is considered rude to look through one’s homestead without an invitation."

The Box (from within the tent): "Snnnrrrkkktt..."

Page 15:
Panel 1: Cole falling backwards in shock onto the ground in the tent. Doma bowing lightly. The stranger's face looking at her now as he reached into the tent. We see his back now mostly. In the back his hair is put into four binders with each one about shoulder length. On the back of his coat there is a black unfinished infinity sign.

Doma: "We’re sorry sir, we didn’t know this was your home, we were just trying to find a place to hide from the battle outside."

The Box (from in tent): "Mmnn..."

Panel 2: The Stranger pulling back the box and silencing it.

The Stranger: "Quite alright."

The Stranger 2: "I just felt like having a little fun with whoever was rummaging through my temporary home."

The Stranger 3: "Come on and tell me about yourselves."

The Box (in The Stranger's hands): "Snnn-"

Panel 3: The Stranger crossing his arms, the box held in one of them. Mateo and Doma looking at him in the foreground.

The Stranger: "Don’t worry, I’m not going to harm you."

Doma: "My name is Doma Kuza, former boutique owner."

Mateo: "Mateo Kuza, farmer and general trouble maker."

Panel 4: The Stranger shaking Mateo's hand, Doma's up to shake as well as Cole's.

The Stranger: "Interesting."

The Stranger 2: "Are you two siblings?"

Doma: "No, we’re cousins. Most people seem to think we’re siblings as well."

Cole: "I am Cole Fox, farmer, gofer, and carpenter."

Cole 2: "Pleased to meet your acquaintance."

Page 16:
Panel 1: The Stranger smiling.

The Stranger: "The pleasure is all mine."

The Stranger 2: "My name is Sirius Degas, traveler and explorer"

The Stranger 3: "Now that introductions are done, could you please tell me what it is you three are hiding from?"

Panel 2: The trio talking to Sirius, no word balloon, but clearly all three talking, Sirius stroking his chin and listening intently.

Panel 3: Sirius holding a hand up to interrupt Cole.

Sirius: "Okay, I believe you."

Sirius 2: "You three get some sleep in the tent."

Sirius 3: "Tomorrow we’re going to talk to the leader of this black army."

Cole (word balloon cut-off by Sirius's next one): "But-"

Sirius: "No, you three sleep in there."

Panel 4: Sirius closing his eyes, gesturing to the tent as the trio reluctantly go toward it.

Sirius: "Your bodies must be tired from all of that running."

Cole (again, cut-off by Sirius's next word balloon): "But I was-"

Sirius: "No and I don’t want to hear another word."

Panel 5: Sirius sitting on a large boulder with an elbow on his raised knee and face in his hand, staring off into the distance it seems, the tent in the background.

Sirius: "You three take the tent."

Sirius 2: "I’ve slept on harsher ground than this before. Get some rest."