VINLAR

SHADOWS OF BALTHOR I

ISSUE 01

Written by Tom Hansbury

PAGE 1 (1 PANEL)

PANEL 1

Wide establishing shot of Balthor, capital of Dracea. VINLAR crouches on a sloped rooftop, the red glow of sunset casting shadows across the sprawl below as it embraces nightfall. The city is dense. The architecture is early medieval, with narrow, winding streets. Vinlar wears dark leather and cloth layered for stealth, with a cloak curling in the breeze.

1. TITLE: SHADOWS OF BALTHOR I
2. NARRATION: Behold Balthor! The heart of Dracea, perched precariously at the very brim of the old empire. Here, the night reigns supreme, whispering tales of dread and desire to those who dare listen.
3. NARRATION: In Balthor, every shadow tells a tale, every silence speaks of The Missing, young women who seemingly vanish in the night, leaving behind only whispers and suspicion.
4. NARRATION: Above it all is the specter of Countess Erisandra, veiled in mystery, she rules not with the iron fist, but with the silken threads of a puppeteer, her influence as pervasive as the mist that shrouds the city at dawn.

PAGE 2 (5 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Night. Vinlar slips through the shadowed alleys of Balthor, cloak drawn tight, unseen amid the crowd. The torchlight glints off cobblestones.

PANEL 2

Close on Vinlar’s face, hardened, focused, half in shadow beneath his hood.

1. NARRATION: For Vinlar, the intrigues of this city hold no interest. His eyes are fixed upon a singular, unwavering goal… Revenge!

PANEL 3

In the torchlit square, a nobleman flanked by alert guards makes his way past. The man wears fine traveling clothes with a noble house’s sigil, a subtle detail. ARTIST NOTE (TBD).

2. NARRATION: Here, slithering through the streets, an emissary of Vinlar’s treacherous uncle.

PANEL 4

Vinlar follows at a distance.

3. NARRATION: Vinlar trails the emissary's steps. Each footfall echoes with memories of betrayal, stoking the fires of wrath within him.

PANEL 5

Vision panel of Vinlas (Vinlar’s uncle), seated regally yet with a malevolent air and a sly smile. Beside him, his wife, a whisper of conspiracy on her lips as she leans close.

4. NARRATION: Lord Vinlas. He who traded kin for power, weaving the very threads that unraveled the empire. The architect of Vinlar’s exile, a betrayal that burns eternal.

PAGE 3 (6 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Vinlar refocuses and diverts his path, slipping into an alley, his eyes calculating the quickest route to close in on his quarry.

PANEL 2

A grizzled beggar, his face a map of hardship and teeth missing, clumsily collides with Vinlar. He grins, a cunning glint in his eyes.

1. BEGGAR: Spare some coin for a hungry soul, noble sir?

PANEL 3

Vinlar moves to sidestep the beggar, then halts, his eyes noticing a second shadow closing on him from behind.

2. NARRATION: Vinlar’s instincts sense more than meets the eye.

PANEL 4

In a swift motion, Vinlar’s hand darts behind him, seizing the wrist of a lurking figure.

3. NARRATION: In a fleeting moment, the hunter becomes the hunted.

PANEL 5

The accomplice, caught in Vinlar’s grip, displays a look of shock and desperation, struggling to escape.

4. VINLAR: I have no patience for this.

PANEL 6

The beggar, revealing his true nature, brandishes a blade, his eyes glinting with a mix of desperation and menace.

5. BEGGAR: Then hand over yer coin… or bleed.

PAGE 4 (7 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Vinlar stares the beggar down. One hand clenched, the other holding the accomplice. Calm. Cold.

1. VINLAR: Don’t make this your last mistake, beggar.

PANEL 2

The beggar charges at Vinlar, knife flashing in a desperate arc.

2. BEGGAR: Brave words from the one who’s alone!

PANEL 3

The knife passes wide. The accomplice is already sprawling across the cobblestones where Vinlar has flung him. Both of Vinlar’s hands are free.

PANEL 4

Vinlar traps the beggar’s knife arm and drives an elbow into his face. The blade flies from the man’s hand.

PANEL 5

Vinlar stands composed as the beggar, bloody nosed, and his accomplice regain their bearings, a mix of fear and defiance in their eyes. The knife lies on the stones between them.

3. VINLAR: Are we finished here?

PANEL 6

The accomplice, humiliated and full of rage, rushes Vinlar from behind, taking a wild swing.

4. ACCOMPLICE: Aaaarrghh!

PANEL 7

The man is pinned against the cold stone wall, Vinlar’s forearm a band across his throat, a dagger held flat against his cheek. Fear floods the man’s eyes. Vinlar’s own blaze with controlled anger.

5. VINLAR: Foolish choice. I will kill you if you continue. Understand?
6. BEGGAR (off panel): Please, sir, don’t! He’s just a dumb brute. We’ll go! I swear!

PAGE 5 (6 PANELS)

PANEL 1

The beggar and the accomplice scramble away down the alley. Vinlar is already turning toward the street, the encounter behind him.

1. NARRATION: Just another thread of misery, unraveled and lost in Balthor’s tapestry of shadows.

PANEL 2

Vinlar rushes out of the alley onto the street, his eyes sharp, scanning.

2. NARRATION: Vinlar races, eager to reclaim time lost.

PANEL 3

A small, focused panel capturing the recognizable sigil and the lower half of one of the guards just as they turn a corner. (need some identifiable trait for the guard)

3. NARRATION: For Vinlar, a rogue versed in the art of the urban hunt, a distinctive stride is all that is needed to renew the chase.

PANEL 4

Vinlar rushes to the corner, his cloak billowing behind him in pursuit.

PANEL 5

Pressed against the wall, Vinlar peers cautiously around the corner.

PANEL 6

Tight close-up of Vinlar’s eyes, reflecting a sudden recognition.

4. NARRATION: In the depths of his vigilant gaze, a flicker of recognition…

PAGE 6 (7 PANELS)

PANEL 1

What he sees. Down the street, a black carriage stands waiting in the torchlight, curtains drawn, a liveried driver above. The emissary crosses toward it.

1. NARRATION: The carriage of the Countess Erisandra!

PANEL 2

A foreboding stone keep looms over the city of Balthor.

2. NARRATION: A recluse shrouded in mystery, vanished from the public eye decades past. Within her keep she dwells, hidden away with her only kin, her great-niece Ariselle, the sole heir to her mysterious legacy.

PANEL 3

A flashback scene showing a young Erisandra in a wedding dress, standing next to an elderly count at the altar.

3. NARRATION: Erisandra was a maiden of but fifteen summers when she was bound in wedlock to the aged count. Their union was a fleeting one, his frail health yielding soon enough to time’s relentless march.

PANEL 4

A painted portrait of a young Erisandra, elegant and beautiful but with a hint of sadness in her eyes, wearing a ruby amulet.

4. NARRATION: The visage of the Countess, as she once was, has all but faded from the living memory of Balthor’s denizens, like a dream upon waking.

PANEL 5

A fleeting glimpse of a darkly veiled woman behind the curtain of a carriage window, barely perceptible. At her throat, the ruby amulet from the portrait catches the lamplight.

5. NARRATION: Some whisper of her spectral presence, a wraith behind the curtains of her darkened carriage, fleeting down cobblestone streets.

PANEL 6

A lone old woman, cloaked and unassuming, walks unnoticed among the people of Balthor at night.

6. NARRATION: Others murmur of a lone crone wandering the moonlit streets, her identity obscured, unrecognized by the very souls she governs.

PANEL 7

A series of ethereal images of young women, their forms ghostlike and ephemeral.

7. NARRATION: And her great-niece, a captive of her own disputed lineage, confined within those walls, shielded from the fate of The Missing. Those ghostly echoes of vanished youth.

PAGE 7 (5 PANELS)

PANEL 1

The emissary ascends the steps entering the dark carriage.

1. NARRATION: …and so the serpent slithers away.

PANEL 2

Vinlar, still concealed around the corner, surveys the scene. Between his corner and the carriage the street is wide, torchlit and bare. Thirty paces without any cover.

PANEL 3

One of the guards smacks the carriage on the side, a signal to depart.

2. SFX: Thud! Thud!

PANEL 4

The carriage pulls away, climbing the winding street toward the keep on the ridge above the city. The two guards do not follow it. They turn on foot down a side street.

PANEL 5

Vinlar turns down the narrow adjoining street after them, cloak billowing behind him.

3. NARRATION: The emissary slips from reach… but his henchmen walk these streets still.

PAGE 8 (5 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Vinlar emerges from the alley into chaos, an enraged crowd swarms the square, torches raised. A bound man is at its center.

1. ACCUSED MAN: Please, I swear, I’m innocent!
2. CHANTS FROM THE MOB: LIAR! Hang the devil!
3. MORE CHANTS: She was last seen entering your shop!
4. MORE CHANTS: What have you done with her!

PANEL 2

A close-up of the accused man, terror and tears in his eyes, his face bruised and bloody.

5. ACCUSED MAN: No, please no, please have mercy! My family!

PANEL 3

Vinlar stands in shadow at the alley’s edge, watching. His hand finds the hilt of the blade at his belt.

6. NARRATION: The simmering cauldron of fear and suspicion in the city overflows, spilling onto the streets.

PANEL 4

The mob surges forward, pushing the accused man toward an ominous fate.

7. MOB PARTICIPANT: If you won’t talk, you’ll hang! To the gallows, cur!
8. NARRATION: Although a stranger to the accused, Vinlar sees not a killer in this man, but a victim. A pawn sacrificed by a city engulfed in its own darkness.

PANEL 5

Vinlar perched atop a nearby roof watches the mob as it dissipates into the distance.

9. NARRATION: Intervention is futile. The man’s fate was sealed the moment fear drowned reason.

PAGE 9 (6 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Vinlar leaps from one rooftop to another.

PANEL 2

Crouched on a rooftop, Vinlar surveys the streets below watching the entrance to a glowing tavern.

1. NARRATION: Knowing well the lures that draw men after duty’s end, the promise of ale and company.

PANEL 3

From his high vantage point, Vinlar spots the two guards of the emissary, their postures relaxed, strolling towards the tavern.

2. NARRATION: Ah, how predictable are the needs of men, as reliable as the setting sun.

PANEL 4

On the street, the two guards stroll, their conversation casual and coarse, unaware of Vinlar’s stealthy pursuit.

3. GUARD1: Wait till you see this girl at the tavern! A beauty like your sister, eh? Haha! I’ll have her!
4. GUARD2: Sure, mate. The only thing you’ll be cradling tonight is your aching head.

PANEL 5

Approaching the tavern, the guards pause momentarily at its entrance.

5. GUARD2: This is rubbish, mate. We’re stuck here while the high and mighty lounge in the keep.
6. GUARD1: Count it as a blessing, man. Better to be here than tangled in that web. We’ll sleep more soundly for it. Besides, we must deliver those orders in the morning. Let’s just enjoy tonight.

PANEL 6

Vinlar slips through the tavern’s doorway, his entry timed to avoid drawing attention.

7. NARRATION: Vinlar bides his time, allowing the guards to drown in their first draughts of ale, ensuring his entrance remains but a ripple in the tavern’s nightly tide.

PAGE 10 (1 PANEL)

PANEL 1

Full page. The tavern’s interior is alive with the energy of its patrons. In the center, INGA, a vision of exotic allure with flowing blonde hair, dances with mesmerizing grace. She is slender, her attire accentuating her form, captivating the audience. Servers weave through the tables, attending to the guests. The guards are among the crowd, their attention wholly captured by INGA, their table scattered with drained mugs of ale and coin.

1. NARRATION: The air is thick with the heady aroma of ale and the sweet allure of other, more potent pleasures. Its patrons are spellbound by a siren’s dance. An oasis from the tensions of the city that surrounds them.
2. PATRONS (chanting): “INGA! INGA! INGA!”

PAGE 11 (8 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Vinlar sits inconspicuously at the back of the tavern, his gaze drifting over the patrons, and stopping.

1. NARRATION: For a fleeting moment, Vinlar surrenders to the enchantment of the dance, his vigilance lulled by the hypnotic sway of the performance.

PANEL 2

A close-up of Inga’s eyes, deep and captivating, reflecting the flickering tavern lights.

PANEL 3

A close-up of Inga’s lips, curved in a subtle, alluring smile as she dances.

PANEL 4

A focus on Inga’s bosom, accentuated by her exotic attire.

PANEL 5

A shot of Inga’s hips, gracefully swaying.

PANEL 6

A focus on Inga’s legs, slender and strong.

PANEL 7

Inga concludes her mesmerizing performance with a graceful bow, the tavern erupting in cheers and raucous applause, the atmosphere thick with admiration and desire.

2. CROWD (various overlapping): Bravo! / *whistling* / More! More!

PANEL 8

Inga, with a practiced smile, approaches the guard’s table. The guard leers, holding up a silver coin, dangling it.

3. GUARD 1: Come here, love, I’ve got a shiny bit for ya!

PAGE 12 (6 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Inga leans provocatively over the guards’ table to accept the coin, her cleavage deliberately displayed, distracting the guards with a flirtatious smile.

1. INGA: Thank you handsome. How about another drink?
2. GUARD 1: You read my mind, lass, but I’m after more than a drink.
3. INGA: Mmm… greedy, are we? And what of your quiet friend there? Does he want another?
4. GUARD 2: [Silent, smirking, enjoying the interaction]

PANEL 2

As the guards are ensnared by her charms, Inga deftly palms a coin from the table, her sleight of hand unnoticed.

PANEL 3

Inga straightens up from the table.

5. INGA: I’ll fetch you boys some more ale. Don’t wander off now.

PANEL 4

As Inga moves through the tavern, Vinlar reaches out swiftly, his fingers lightly catching her wrist.

PANEL 5

Inga turns sharply, her expression is a mix of surprise and defensive charm.

6. INGA: Looking for a drink, or something more, love?
7. VINLAR: I have a proposition for you.
8. INGA: That line’s as old as this tavern…
9. VINLAR: How about earning tenfold what you just lifted from those men?

PANEL 6

Inga’s eyes flicker with caution. Her demeanor hesitant but intrigued.

10. INGA: I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.

PAGE 13 (7 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Inga leans in closer to Vinlar.

1. NARRATION: In the muted whispers of the tavern, a plot is hatched.

PANEL 2

The tavern’s atmosphere grows thick with revelry and drunken laughter as the night deepens. One guard waves over Inga for more drinks, while the other is preoccupied with a serving girl on his lap.

2. NARRATION: As the night spirals onward, the tavern sinks deeper into a haze of ale and merriment, the patrons losing themselves to the intoxicating embrace of the night.
3. GUARD 1: Oy! Inga bring us another round over ’ere!

PANEL 3

The first guard, emboldened by drink, pulls Inga onto his lap.

4. GUARD 1: On second thought, why don’t we take this upstairs? You won’t go missing on my watch!
5. INGA: Aren’t you chivalrous… Another round first?
6. GUARD 1: I’ll never turn down a drink from such a beauty…

PANEL 4

Inga departs to fetch the drinks. Guard 1 tries to catch his companion’s attention, who is distracted by the woman in his lap.

7. GUARD 1: Hey, how much coin you got left? This night’s going to cost me, but she’s worth every silver!
8. GUARD 2: Get your own stash, mate. I’ve got plans for mine tonight.

PANEL 5

Inga collects the ales at the bar, her gaze shifting towards Vinlar.

PANEL 6

Vinlar gives a nod.

PANEL 7

Inga discreetly pours a fine powder into the drinks, her actions concealed by the bustle of the tavern.

PAGE 14 (7 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Inga approaches the table, placing the drinks before the guards. Guard 1’s eyes light up with anticipation at her return, while Guard 2 remains preoccupied with the serving girl on his lap.

1. INGA: Here you are gentlemen.
2. GUARD 1: Ah what a vision you are! Now come closer!

PANEL 2

Guard 1 eagerly takes a large gulp from his mug, his gaze never leaving Inga.

PANEL 3

With a drunken grin, Guard 1 pulls Inga back onto his lap, his intentions clear.

3. GUARD 1: You ready for me love?!
4. INGA: Let’s not be hasty, we don’t want to waste a drop, do we?
5. GUARD 1: Haha! A lass after my own heart.

PANEL 4

Guard 1 finishes his ale in one long swig, slamming the empty mug back onto the table with a satisfied thud.

PANEL 5

Attempting to stand, Guard 1 sways unsteadily, the effects of the ale and the powdered additive taking hold.

6. GUARD 1 (winking): Oi, mate, see you in the morning.
7. GUARD 2 (distracted): Yeah, yeah, have your fun.

PANEL 6

Inga supports the staggering Guard 1, guiding him towards the stairs. She casts a wary glance over her shoulder.

PANEL 7

The other guard’s mug sits on the table, its contents untouched.

PAGE 15 (8 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Guard 2 absentmindedly picks up the ale, his attention still divided between the mug and the serving girl, not yet taking a drink.

PANEL 2

Vinlar keeps a watchful eye on Guard 2, his gaze sharp and patient, his own cup untouched in front of him.

PANEL 3

In an upstairs bedroom, Inga stands close to Guard 1, who teeters on the edge of consciousness. Inga’s expression is teasing, her hand gently resting on his chest.

1. INGA: Tell me something I shouldn’t know…
2. GUARD 1 (slurring): Oh, dangerous game…
3. INGA: Then whisper it to me… what are you doing in a city like Balthor?
4. GUARD 1 (struggling): The Emissary… Lady Ariselle… looking for an alliance… marriage talks…

PANEL 4

Guard 1 collapses onto the bed, face down, completely succumbing to the effects of the drugging.

5. INGA (to herself): Too much…

PANEL 5

Back downstairs, a drunken patron stumbles into Guard 2, spilling the ale all over him. The serving girl on his lap jumps up, startled and annoyed. The mood is abruptly soured.

6. GUARD 2: Oi! Watch where you are going fool!
7. DRUNK: Who you calling fool, pig!

PANEL 6

Guard 2 stands up, his mood ruined, ready to confront the drunken patron. Behind him his mug lies on its side in a spreading pool. The drugged ale is on the table and down his shirt.

8. GUARD 2: Enough of this nonsense. I’m off to bed.

PANEL 7

The guard begins his unsteady ascent up the stairs.

PANEL 8

Vinlar quietly rises from his seat, preparing to follow.

9. NARRATION: Time to adapt.

PAGE 16 (7 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Guard 2, his patience fraying, pounds forcefully on a door in the tavern’s upstairs hallway.

1. GUARD 2: Oi, open up!

PANEL 2

Inside the room, Inga’s face registers a sudden flash of panic at the sound of the insistent banging.

PANEL 3

Vinlar creeps up the stairway attempting to remain silent.

PANEL 4

Guard 2, growing impatient, continues to hammer on the door with increasing force.

2. GUARD 2: Oi! I said open up! Fun’s over for the night!

PANEL 5

Inga, thinking quickly, begins to hastily undress the unconscious guard, attempting to stage a convincing scene.

3. GUARD 2 (off panel): Hey! What the devil is happening in there?

PANEL 6

Frantically searching the unconscious guard, Inga discovers a sheet of parchment in his pocket. She scans it, and her eyes stop moving. She folds it fast and pushes it into her bodice.

4. NARRATION: Panic gives way momentarily.

PANEL 7

Losing his patience, Guard 2 violently kicks in the door, revealing Inga in a seemingly compromising position with the unconscious man.

5. GUARD 2: You thieving wench, I knew you were trouble!
6. INGA: No, wait! This isn’t…
7. GUARD 2: The devil it isn’t!

PAGE 17 (5 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Guard 2 lunges towards Inga. In a desperate bid to defend herself, Inga grabs a nearby boot and hurls it at the guard.

1. GUARD 2: Get over here you thieving scum!
2. INGA: Stay back! Don’t you dare touch me!

PANEL 2

A close-up of Guard 2’s face as his expression shifts to one of sudden, utter shock.

PANEL 3

The panel zooms out to reveal Vinlar behind the guard, his hand gripping the guard’s head to the side as he drives a dagger into his neck. Blood spurts violently from the wound.

PANEL 4

Inga stands frozen, her face full of disbelief at the brutal scene unfolding.

3. INGA: No… no… what is happening…

PANEL 5

The guard’s body collapses to the floor, lifeless, a growing pool of blood staining the wooden floorboards.

4. SFX: THUD

PAGE 18 (6 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Vinlar places a finger to his lips, signaling Inga to remain silent, his expression calm. Inga, her face etched with shock and fear, struggles to process the sudden, violent turn of events.

1. VINLAR: Shh. It’s okay. I’m not going to harm you.
2. INGA: This… this wasn’t the plan!

PANEL 2

Vinlar turns to Inga.

3. VINLAR: We need to act quickly now. Someone may have heard.
4. INGA: What do you mean we?
5. VINLAR: Grab anything valuable. We don’t have much time.

PANEL 3

Vinlar frisks the fallen guard for useful items or information.

6. INGA: I can’t just leave… This is my life… I have unfinished business.
7. VINLAR: I’m sorry but that life is over now.

PANEL 4

Vinlar finds a coin-purse on the guard and tosses it to Inga, his expression solemn.

8. VINLAR: Here, this should help get you out of the city. Did you find anything?
9. INGA (hesitating): …no nothing
10. VINLAR: Did he tell you anything before he passed out?
11. INGA: He was mumbling it was difficult to understand. Something about an alliance and marriage…

PANEL 5

Vinlar pauses for a moment, lost in thought, piecing together the information.

12. VINLAR: Hmm…
13. INGA: What have you gotten me into?
14. VINLAR: Grab what you need.

PANEL 6

Vinlar stands by a window in the room assessing their escape route.

15. VINLAR: This will do.

PAGE 19 (6 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Inga quickly changes into clothes taken from the room. She ties the shirt at the waist to ensure a better fit. Vinlar watches, ready to move.

1. VINLAR: Are you ready?
2. INGA: I don’t have much choice, do I?

PANEL 2

Inga glances back at the unconscious guard on the bed, concerned.

3. INGA: What about him?
4. VINLAR: Let’s be gone when he wakes up.

PANEL 3

Vinlar picks up a short sword and its scabbard from the floor, eyes it a moment, then holds it out to Inga with a hint of skepticism.

5. VINLAR: Know how to wield this?
6. INGA: No, not really.
7. VINLAR: Take it anyway. C’mon now let’s move.

PANEL 4

Vinlar climbs out the window. Inga visibly uncomfortable with the situation she’s found herself in.

8. VINLAR: I’ll jump down first. Follow me, and I’ll catch you.
9. INGA: This is mad…

PANEL 5

Vinlar, now on the lower roof, looks up encouragingly at Inga, who hesitantly begins her descent.

10. VINLAR: C’mon, I’ve got you.

PANEL 6

Inga falls into Vinlar’s waiting arms on the lower roof, a mix of fear and adrenaline in her expression.

11. VINLAR: Now let’s get out of here quickly.

PAGE 20 (7 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Vinlar and Inga, cloaked, move through the dimly lit streets of Balthor.

1. VINLAR: I’ll see you safely out of the city.
2. INGA: I don’t need your “help” anymore.
3. VINLAR: You know it’s not safe for women alone in the city.
4. INGA: Haven’t you heard? Women like me don’t go missing.
5. INGA: Only the “innocent” disappear. I’ll be fine.

PANEL 2

Inga seems momentarily unsettled by Vinlar’s next question.

6. VINLAR: Will you return north?
7. INGA: What… How did you…?
8. VINLAR: Your accent is subtle. You hide it well. Unkarian?
9. INGA: I’m staying.

PANEL 3

Vinlar and Inga continue their conversation, their voices low.

10. VINLAR: You won’t be safe once there’s an investigation into what happened.
11. INGA: Safety was never a luxury I could afford. I can handle myself.
12. VINLAR: You’re a murder suspect now.
13. INGA: I can’t leave. Not yet.

PANEL 4

Vinlar regards her with a mix of respect and concern.

14. VINLAR: I hope whatever keeps you here is worth the risk.
15. INGA: My sister. She’s one of the missing. That’s why I’m in this forsaken place.

PANEL 5

Vinlar pauses, his eyes searching Inga’s face, attempting to discern the truth.

16. NARRATION: Is this another layer of deceit, or a glimpse of truth?

PANEL 6

The two continue their journey through the labyrinthine streets of Balthor.

17. VINLAR: And you are hoping to find her?
18. INGA: No, I’m past hope. I’m here to uncover the truth about what happened to her.

PANEL 7

Inga turns to look at Vinlar.

19. INGA: Where will you go from here?

PAGE 21 (5 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Vinlar points up at the keep overlooking the city.

1. VINLAR: I’m also trying to find someone. They have gone there to the keep.

PANEL 2

Inga grabs Vinlar by the arms.

2. INGA: Of course, you have a death wish.
3. VINLAR: Perhaps but it is not my death I seek.

PANEL 3

Inga, her determination unwavering, faces Vinlar squarely.

4. INGA: Then I’m coming with you.
5. VINLAR: Why would I do that? You said it yourself… only death waits there.
6. INGA: My sister, before she vanished, worked in that keep. As a maid.

PANEL 4

Vinlar regards Inga, his expression a mix of concern and skepticism.

7. VINLAR: This is foolish. You should start over, far from this city. I can spare you some coin if…
8. INGA: I don’t need your coin, and I’d say you owe me after all this.

PANEL 5

Frame on Inga fierce and full of resolve.

9. INGA: Anyway. You’ll need me. I know how to enter the keep unnoticed.

PAGE 22 (3 PANELS)

PANEL 1

Close on Vinlar. He says nothing.

PANEL 2

The EMISSARY stands before a veiled COUNTESS ERISANDRA, seated behind a screen. We cannot clearly see her face. A young servant woman waits patiently in the doorway, carrying an ornate runic goblet.

1. EMISSARY: Lord Vinlas is prepared to honor the agreement if you would just-
2. YOUNG SERVANT WOMAN: Pardon me, Countess, we are ready for you.
3. ERISANDRA (from behind her screen): You’ll have to excuse me. These old bones need some rest. We will continue in the morning. You can meet my niece, Ariselle, then.

PANEL 3

Large final panel. From above and behind them, the keep stands black against the moon, the city sprawled beneath it. Two tiny figures on the road below. High in the keep wall, a single window is lit.
END OF ISSUE ONE