PANEL 1

KARTHAK

THE BLOOD WOLF CAN’T LEAVE THE MOUNTAIN LANDS. AND EVEN IF SHE COULD, SHE NEEDS TO STAY HERE TO DEFEND THE VILLAGE FROM THE AGARROS.

(cont)

I UNDERSTAND IF YOU CAN’T HELP. YOU’VE DONE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR US ALREADY.

PANEL 2

KARTHAK

BUT IF IT MATTERS, ANGEL, I BELIEVE IN YOU.

CORY

DUDE… I’M NOT AN ANGEL. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

PANEL 3

BLOOD WOLF

YOU ARE TO KARTHAK.

(cont)

AND AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED, YOU’RE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE OFFERED THE MOST PRECIOUS GIFT I POSSESS.

PANEL 6

BLOOD WOLF

CORY ALVARADO, I GIVE YOU MY HEART. IT WILL HAVE GREAT VALUE TO THE ONE YOU SEEK, AND NO THINKING CREATURE WILL RISK DAMAGING IT IF THEY KNOW IT IS IN YOUR POSSESSION.

(cont)

IT SHOULD GIVE YOU SAFE PASSAGE FROM MANY THAT WOULD WISH YOU HARM.

ALMO

BOSS! NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! THEY’RE NOT WORTH IT!

PANEL 1

CORY

AH. RIGHT. I SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING.

(cont)

THIS IS WHERE YOU TELL ME THE PRICE OF GETTING ME BACK TO EARTH, ISN’T IT?

PANEL 2

BLOOD WOLF

IT IS NOT. ALL THAT I OFFER IS GIVEN FREELY. I DO NOT MAKE SUCH COLD BARGAINS.

(cont)

BUT THERE IS ONE AT THE END OF THE HOLY PATH WITH THE POWER TO GET YOU HOME WHO DOES.

KARTHAK

OF COURSE! THE GREAT WIZARD! ANGEL, THAT’S WHO I WANTED TO FIND TO HELP OUR VILLAGE FIGHT THE URK GAGOR!

(cont)

ACCORDING TO THE STORIES, THE PRICE HE DEMANDS WILL ALWAYS BE GREAT, BUT THERE’S NOTHING HE CAN’T DO!

CORY

WAIT. YOU’RE SENDING ME OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD — LIKE, SERIOUSLY?

PANEL 3

BLOOD WOLF

YES. I WILL GIVE YOU SOMETHING HE VERY MUCH DESIRES. SOMETHING HE WOULD TRADE ANYTHING FOR. INCLUDING SENDING YOU BACK WHERE YOU CAME.

(cont)

AND I WILL DO SO WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO HELP KARTHAK WITH HIS QUEST OR NOT.

PANEL 4

CORY

WELL, OF COURSE, I WANT TO HELP HIM SAVE HIS MOM.

(cont)

AND I KNOW I SEEM STRONG. IT’S JUST I HAVEN’T HAD ANY TRAINING. AND WHEN I USE MY POWERS, I MAKE THINGS WORSE. LIKE, A LOT WORSE.

PANEL 5

CORY

I MEAN, LOOK AROUND YOU!

ALMO

WAIT. THIS WAS YOU? WOW. I JUST ASSUMED THESE MORTALS HAD GOTTEN SUPER LAZY.

(cont)

YOU’VE BEEN HERE FOR JUST, LIKE, FIVE MINUTES! YOU REALLY DO SUCK, DON’T YOU?

CORY

SHUT UP, BIRD!

PANEL 6

CORY

BUT, YEAH. I KINDA DO.

(cont)

I MEAN, WHY CAN’T YOU GO?

PANEL 1

DONNO

GOOD LUCK, BOY.

PANEL 2

PATI

I WILL GO, KARTHAK. YOU WILL STAY AND WATCH YOUR MOTHER.

ALMO

NOW THERE’S AN IDEA! SEND THE CRIPPLE TO FACE THE MONSTERS!

(cont)

NO WAITING, AND THE MEAT’S ALREADY BEEN TENDERIZED!

PANEL 3

CORY

JEEZ, SHUT UP, BIRD!

PANEL 4

BLOOD WOLF

THAT IS ENOUGH, ALMO.

(cont)

BUT SHE IS NOT WRONG. I HAVE FORSEEN IT. IF YOU GO, POSON, YOU WILL DIE LONG BEFORE YOU’RE ABLE TO RETURN WITH THE MEDICINE. AS WOULD ANY OF THE VILLAGERS.

(cont)

AS WOULD KARTHAK…

PANEL 5

BLOOD WOLF

…UNLESS HE HAD VERY POWERFUL HELP.

PANEL 1

PATI

I MEAN… AT LEAST… THAT’S WHAT I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT…

PANEL 2

ALMO

I LOVE THAT MOMENT WHEN MORTALS REALIZE HOW STUPID THEY REALLY ARE.

(cont)

IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN.

PANEL 3

BLOOD WOLF

IT IS REAL. AND I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR IT, YOUNG KARTHAK.

(cont)

IF YOU’D LIKE, I CAN SHOW YOU HOW TO FIND IT.

PANEL 4

ALMO

AND THEN FIVE MINUTES AFTER THAT, ALL THE ANCIENT MONSTERS ON THE PATH CAN LINE UP TO EAT YOU AND KILL YOU.

(cont)

I MEAN, IT’S BEEN DECADES SINCE THEY’VE EVEN SEEN A MORTAL — THEY MUST BE SO HUNGRY RIGHT NOW!

PANEL 5

ALMO

WHAT? WERE WE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE THAT PART OUT?

PANEL 6

KARTHAK

I ALREADY KNOW THERE ARE DANGERS, SACRED SPARROW. I’M NOT AFRAID!

(cont)

AND NONE OF THE VILLAGERS HERE ARE, EITHER! WE ARE A BRAVE PEOPLE, WORTHY OF YOUR GUIDANCE!

PANEL 7

KARTHAK

Um… RIGHT?

PANEL 1

KARTHAK

THE WOLF IS A WARRIOR AND DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO HEAL, BUT YOU’RE AN ANGEL

(cont)

I KNOW I’VE ASKED FOR TOO MUCH ALREADY, BUT… WILL YOU PLEASE, PLEASE USE YOUR POWER TO SAVE HER?

PANEL 2

CORY

DUDE, I’M NOT AN ANGEL. ALL I CAN DO IS THROW THINGS AROUND.

(cont)

I’M REALLY SORRY. IF I COULD HELP, I WOULD!

PANEL 3

BLOOD WOLF

IT’S GOOD TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT, CORY ALVARADO.

CORY

YOU KNOW MY NAME?

PANEL 4

BLOOD WOLF

AND HOW TO GET YOU HOME. I ALSO KNOW HOW TO SAVE KARTHAK’S MOTHER.

(cont)

THERE IS A DOCTOR IN THE TOWN OF SNOWMELT WHO HAS EXACTLY THE MEDICINE SHE NEEDS.

PATI

THEN SHE IS LOST! EVEN IF WE HAD FAST STEEDS LEFT, SNOWMELT WOULD STILL BE OVER A MONTH AWAY!

PANEL 5

BLOOD WOLF

BY YOUR ROADS, YES.

PANEL 6

KARTHAK

OH! OH! RIGHT! SNOWMELT IS THE FIRST STOP ON THE HOLY PATH — JUST ONE SUNRISE AWAY! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!

PATI

KARTHAK, ENOUGH! THE HOLY PATH IS A METAPHOR! IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN A CHILDREN’S STORY ABOUT HONORING TRADITION. THERE’S NO ACTUAL, MAGIC ROAD THAT CUTS THROUGH TIME AND SPACE.

PANEL 1

KARTHAK

OH, NO! WHAT HAPPENED?!

PATI

ONE OF THE AGARROS STUNG HER SHOULDER. HER BREATHING IS SHALLOW, AND HER FACE IS SO PALE.

PANEL 2

CORY

OH, WOW. THAT’S YOUR MOM, RIGHT?

KARTHAK

YES, ANGEL, THESE ARE MY PARENTS.

PANEL 3

MATI

I TOLD YOUR FATHER NOT TO SCARE YOU. I’LL… BE FINE.

PANEL 4

MATI

Ohhh…

PANEL 5

BLOOD WOLF

IT IS AS I HAVE FORESEEN. THE AGARRO’S VENOM HAS FILLED HER BLOOD.

(cont)

SHE WILL NOT LIVE PAST THE NEXT MOON.

KARTHAK

BUT THAT’S LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY!

PANEL 1

KARTHAK

BLOOD WOLF, YOU’VE BEEN GONE FOR OVER A CENTURY. DID YOU COME BACK TO DEFEND US FROM THE URK GAGOR?

BLOOD WOLF

I REMAIN THE DEFENDER OF THE PEOPLE OF THE MOUNTAIN, BUT I’M AFRAID THE YEARS HAVE…

PANEL 2

BLOOD WOLF

…WEAKENED ME.

ALMO

BOSS!

KARTHAK

OH, NO!

PANEL 3

BLOOD WOLF

DO NOT BE CONCERNED, SWEET BOY.

PANEL 4

BLOOD WOLF

YOUR FRIEND IS VERY STRONG. AND RESISTING HIS POWER HAS COST ME.

(cont)

BUT IT IS GOOD THAT HE IS STRONG. YOU WILL NEED HIM TO BE.

KARTHAK

I’M RIGHT ABOUT HIM, AREN’T I? HE IS AN ANGEL! SENT TO PROTECT THE VILLAGE!

PANEL 5

BLOOD WOLF

WHAT HE DOES HERE IS SOMETHING HE’LL HAVE TO DECIDE FOR HIMSELF.

(cont)

BUT I WASN’T TALKING ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE VILLAGE.

PANEL 6

PATI

KARTHAK! COME QUICK! YOUR MATI IS HURT!

PANEL 1

VILLAGER

THE APE IS USING ACTUAL WORDS!

KARTHAK

STARS ABOVE! ANGEL, I CAN UNDERSTAND YOU!

PANEL 2

BLOOD WOLF

I HAVE GIFTED OUR NEW FRIEND WITH THE POWER OF TRUE SPEECH. IT HAS DRAINED ME, BUT WE HAVE NO TIME TO WASTE.

PANEL 3

CORY

GIFTED?! YOU JUST KILLED ME!

PANEL 4

KARTHAK

NO, ANGEL. THERE’S BLOOD, BUT THE WOUND ISN’T DEEP AT ALL. IT SHOULD HEAL QUICKLY.

PANEL 5

ALMO

UNLESS, OF COURSE, IT GETS INFECTED. THEN IT MIGHT NEVER HEAL.

(cont)

OR IF YOU KEEP PICKING AT IT, I SUPPOSE THERE’S ALWAYS THE CHANCE YOU COULD BLEED TO DEATH.

PANEL 6

ALMO

THERE’S AN IDEA! IS IT ITCHY? MAYBE YOU’D FEEL BETTER IF YOU SCRATCHED IT.

PANEL 7

CORY

SHUT UP, BIRD!

PANEL 1

CORY

OH, MY GOD! A MONSTER RIPPED MY THROAT OUT! I’VE JUST BEEN KILLED! HOLY CRAP, I’M DEAD!

PANEL 2

ALMO

AND YET, YOU SEEM AWFULLY WHINY FOR A DEAD GUY.

PANEL 3

CORY

SHUT UP!

PANEL 4

CORY

I’M NEVER GOING TO SEE MY BROTHER AGAIN, OR MITCHELL, OR MY-

PANEL 5

CORY

WAIT! YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?

ALMO

DON’T BE STUPID.

PANEL 6

ALMO

YOU’RE SPEAKING BIRD.

PANEL 1

CORY

AHHH!

PANEL 2

SFX

CHOMP!

PANEL 3

SFX

SHAKE!

PANEL 4

KARTHAK

<OH, NO! PLEASE, NO!>

(cont)

<HE’S AN ANGEL, GREAT WOLF! HE WAS SENT HERE TO HELP US!>

(cont)

<SHOW MERCY! MERCY!>

PANEL 6

BLOOD WOLF

THERE. DONE.