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EDIT2021 Chapter related here: The Sword

Yet another old art, I could not bear looking unfinished. This one's hard because I didn't want to make it too dark, and was loosing my focus on background details. Lamenting the fact that it's only smaller than A5 size and how I have so little space to draw the wonderful clothing details, also I didn't like to cover so much of the fabric with strong shade but you can't help the scene.

Naí 's clothing is 水干 suikan, I was having hard time understanding what would be good clothing for guest character like him from the Heian garb. I'm not sure if the colours are too royal, but well, fit the scene. XD

Also sad the mask guy's details aren't in main focus here, and there's many things I'd probably now want to change taking into account the scene that's changed slightly in my head. Well you can't win every day. it was once again a teaching tilted angle practise. Next time!

~~ Very drafty draft time ~~

And there at the foot of the building, a scabbardless sword lay on the floor of the shrine entrance, blade bare and glistening from the setting sun. Bad suspicions immediately rose in his mind. A sword on the doorway was seldom a good omen but he was also curious why it was there. Could it be somebody had dropped it? That would mean somebody had indeed visited here. Could it be any of the palace guards? Or was it some reckless wanderer? Though why, would anyone leave a sword like that, he did not get. Should somebody accidentally step on it, was that somebody's intention? Though why break such a fine-looking weapon? Though from his position he couldn't see many details but something in the shape urged for a closer look.

Naí glanced at his sides for one last time before daring a careful step inside. The entrance was so low he had to crouch a little, the inside smelt of ancient, rotting wood. He could almost hear the roof supporters creak of age, like the planks beneath. The inside looked as if it housed darkness, he could just faintly see the rough border of the walls and floor also thanks to the decayed parts in the roof. Overall the place didn't look quite fine-shaped, from what he saw in the setting rays. Some pillars had collapsed and lay sprawled with splinters on the floor.

His eyes wandered back at the sword, and the closer examination proved correct his first impression. This sword was not just any kind of sword - it was clear by the slightly odd way of leaving it to the door entrance. Second was that it was not the shape common amongst the Ryuu-Chihou. The blade was straight, but instead of a single edge it had two. The blade was also long, longer than his arm, almost twice his arm length and the guard a lot heavier than the graceful ones he had seen used here.

He crouched to pick it up. Light shifted down the blade as he lifted it, revealing a pattern of light and dark metal. The striking resemblance to the ones in his home land gave his neck a chill. Naí recognised the changing, patterned metal though he could not read the writing on the fuller next to a bird-shaped mark. The sword's iron grip weighted on his arm and it was ridiculously short.

Naí flinched feeling something brushing against his leg. He took a step back, raising his gaze only to come face to face with another pair of yellow eyes. Its pelt caught red from the setting rays behind it, and Naí needed not stare it any longer to recognise it belonging to the creatures he and his sister had ran from their lives a some moons ago. They had found him at last, a chill went down his spine as he thought it.

Then, the light vanished, and the weapon grew dark in his hand. A shadow appeared behind him and he heard a mocking voice say:

‘Who takes the sword in hand, accepts the dare.’

Naí turned. In the doorway stood a figure, cloak flapping in the breeze. Much he could not see from his back lit silhouette though he seemed to be wearing a hood. The figure was not tall nor short, no robust nor scrawny, there wasn't quite anything else to mark from the man's appearance than his dark cloak that swirled behind him like an ominous fog. Still he considered him a man although there was no sign to his age.

The man revealed a mischievous grin. 'So is written.' He traced his gloved finger along the wall towards the letters that now shone as the sword in his hand reflected the outside light on them. Seeing the letters though he could not read them, he froze. The stranger greeted him with a pleased smile. And now he noticed it was not hood that hid the rest of his face, but mask.

A slight tilt of the head allowed sunset to adorn its details and the resemblance was too striking to be a coincidence. Naí's feet were about to give away beneath him. This could not be. True...

Black mask, the wolf by his side. The mask resembling a wolf. He knew what it meant by the glance at the empty, black holes that stood in place of eyes though it made him wish he didn't. Only the man's smile, was all but empty, pulling into a satisfied grin as he observed the boy beneath him to reason it out in his head.

The stranger raised his hand and blew the air softly, producing an echoy whistle. At once a dark circle appeared beneath his feet and began to spin around Naí. It grew a dark spiral that widened until the shadows began to separate and take their own forms. Then they grew bodies and were no longer shadows and Naí recognised them the same beings as the previous wolf he now stood an arm apart. At the emerge of the first wolf he withdrew back by reflex, though now it was impossible to avoid standing in their sphere and before he realised he stood in the middle of the dimly lit room, completely surrounded by the shadow wolves. If they wanted him now, they would have him. Though it was the first time he noticed the wolves possessed a more physical and rounder shape as well. As though they were more real now, than in their previous encounters. Another peculiarity that set them apart from the regular beings, was the sharp, glistening horns that reflected light like swords that grew from their necks, tails and legs in different part for each wolf.

'Found you at last, Naí Arash Rendamaar Lazrann!

Naí was flabbergasted. How did the man know his name? Especially since he didn't even know the last parts himself? It was truly strange and worrisome.

The masked stranger went on. 'Two requirements the shadows need to track: name and connection. Though indeed, you have them both, Varjojen lapsi, Child of Shadows, engraved within you along the curse from your very birth.'

Curse? What curse- ? A painful ringing pierced through his mind again. The sword almost slipped from his hand, he panted, bending forward, a hand over his chest, though this time the crackle didn't go away, only grew louder, audible enough to hear.

You will figure out soon enough,' the stranger lowered his voice. 'If it doesn't kill you hitherto.' Naí scowled at him under the eyebrows, hoping for the man to stop talking in riddles.

Tools: Pencils and Caran d'Ache coloured pencils
Character, story, art © TheStarlightPrincess

Description

EDIT2021 Chapter related here: The Sword

Yet another old art, I could not bear looking unfinished. This one's hard because I didn't want to make it too dark, and was loosing my focus on background details. Lamenting the fact that it's only smaller than A5 size and how I have so little space to draw the wonderful clothing details, also I didn't like to cover so much of the fabric with strong shade but you can't help the scene.

Naí 's clothing is 水干 suikan, I was having hard time understanding what would be good clothing for guest character like him from the Heian garb. I'm not sure if the colours are too royal, but well, fit the scene. XD

Also sad the mask guy's details aren't in main focus here, and there's many things I'd probably now want to change taking into account the scene that's changed slightly in my head. Well you can't win every day. it was once again a teaching tilted angle practise. Next time!

~~ Very drafty draft time ~~

And there at the foot of the building, a scabbardless sword lay on the floor of the shrine entrance, blade bare and glistening from the setting sun. Bad suspicions immediately rose in his mind. A sword on the doorway was seldom a good omen but he was also curious why it was there. Could it be somebody had dropped it? That would mean somebody had indeed visited here. Could it be any of the palace guards? Or was it some reckless wanderer? Though why, would anyone leave a sword like that, he did not get. Should somebody accidentally step on it, was that somebody's intention? Though why break such a fine-looking weapon? Though from his position he couldn't see many details but something in the shape urged for a closer look.

Naí glanced at his sides for one last time before daring a careful step inside. The entrance was so low he had to crouch a little, the inside smelt of ancient, rotting wood. He could almost hear the roof supporters creak of age, like the planks beneath. The inside looked as if it housed darkness, he could just faintly see the rough border of the walls and floor also thanks to the decayed parts in the roof. Overall the place didn't look quite fine-shaped, from what he saw in the setting rays. Some pillars had collapsed and lay sprawled with splinters on the floor.

His eyes wandered back at the sword, and the closer examination proved correct his first impression. This sword was not just any kind of sword - it was clear by the slightly odd way of leaving it to the door entrance. Second was that it was not the shape common amongst the Ryuu-Chihou. The blade was straight, but instead of a single edge it had two. The blade was also long, longer than his arm, almost twice his arm length and the guard a lot heavier than the graceful ones he had seen used here.

He crouched to pick it up. Light shifted down the blade as he lifted it, revealing a pattern of light and dark metal. The striking resemblance to the ones in his home land gave his neck a chill. Naí recognised the changing, patterned metal though he could not read the writing on the fuller next to a bird-shaped mark. The sword's iron grip weighted on his arm and it was ridiculously short.

Naí flinched feeling something brushing against his leg. He took a step back, raising his gaze only to come face to face with another pair of yellow eyes. Its pelt caught red from the setting rays behind it, and Naí needed not stare it any longer to recognise it belonging to the creatures he and his sister had ran from their lives a some moons ago. They had found him at last, a chill went down his spine as he thought it.

Then, the light vanished, and the weapon grew dark in his hand. A shadow appeared behind him and he heard a mocking voice say:

‘Who takes the sword in hand, accepts the dare.’

Naí turned. In the doorway stood a figure, cloak flapping in the breeze. Much he could not see from his back lit silhouette though he seemed to be wearing a hood. The figure was not tall nor short, no robust nor scrawny, there wasn't quite anything else to mark from the man's appearance than his dark cloak that swirled behind him like an ominous fog. Still he considered him a man although there was no sign to his age.

The man revealed a mischievous grin. 'So is written.' He traced his gloved finger along the wall towards the letters that now shone as the sword in his hand reflected the outside light on them. Seeing the letters though he could not read them, he froze. The stranger greeted him with a pleased smile. And now he noticed it was not hood that hid the rest of his face, but mask.

A slight tilt of the head allowed sunset to adorn its details and the resemblance was too striking to be a coincidence. Naí's feet were about to give away beneath him. This could not be. True...

Black mask, the wolf by his side. The mask resembling a wolf. He knew what it meant by the glance at the empty, black holes that stood in place of eyes though it made him wish he didn't. Only the man's smile, was all but empty, pulling into a satisfied grin as he observed the boy beneath him to reason it out in his head.

The stranger raised his hand and blew the air softly, producing an echoy whistle. At once a dark circle appeared beneath his feet and began to spin around Naí. It grew a dark spiral that widened until the shadows began to separate and take their own forms. Then they grew bodies and were no longer shadows and Naí recognised them the same beings as the previous wolf he now stood an arm apart. At the emerge of the first wolf he withdrew back by reflex, though now it was impossible to avoid standing in their sphere and before he realised he stood in the middle of the dimly lit room, completely surrounded by the shadow wolves. If they wanted him now, they would have him. Though it was the first time he noticed the wolves possessed a more physical and rounder shape as well. As though they were more real now, than in their previous encounters. Another peculiarity that set them apart from the regular beings, was the sharp, glistening horns that reflected light like swords that grew from their necks, tails and legs in different part for each wolf.

'Found you at last, Naí Arash Rendamaar Lazrann!

Naí was flabbergasted. How did the man know his name? Especially since he didn't even know the last parts himself? It was truly strange and worrisome.

The masked stranger went on. 'Two requirements the shadows need to track: name and connection. Though indeed, you have them both, Varjojen lapsi, Child of Shadows, engraved within you along the curse from your very birth.'

Curse? What curse- ? A painful ringing pierced through his mind again. The sword almost slipped from his hand, he panted, bending forward, a hand over his chest, though this time the crackle didn't go away, only grew louder, audible enough to hear.

You will figure out soon enough,' the stranger lowered his voice. 'If it doesn't kill you hitherto.' Naí scowled at him under the eyebrows, hoping for the man to stop talking in riddles.

Tools: Pencils and Caran d'Ache coloured pencils
Character, story, art © TheStarlightPrincess