Chapter 4: Page 40
Before I dive into this week’s page, I wanted to thank all of our readers who took the time to vote for us in this year’s Ringo Awards! I know I was a total broken record about that, but we’re always interested in finding new ways to expand the comic’s readership and people’s general awareness, and the Ringo Awards is just one such venue where we can make that happen.
Fingers crossed it was enough to make the grade this year! :)
The fellowship finally parts! We’ve been with these characters for a great many years now, and I know for many they seemed nigh inseparable, but circumstances have changed. With his entire plan at risk, Hardin has ironically become a liability to completing it–so the groups split up, and Rathik stands ready to protect his family–and his honor.
Though Rathik has cast them all in danger, it seems the ermehn berserker has finally come to understand that this was always about more than just killing canid. While he may not appreciate (or even care to know) exactly what the others had planned, he seems at least a little clued into the fact that he has a part yet to play.
Since this seems like it’ll be the last time we’ll be seeing the Sratha-din together for a while, it’s more than fitting that reader FloralFerrets sent us this absolutely gorgeous piece showing all six Sratha-din ermehn in portraiture, rendered alongside specific flowers that actually do a mighty fine job of representing them. Check this out:
Rathik’s petunias represent wrath
Eira’s lotuses represent serenity
Bevan’s chrysanthemums represent loss
Ashtor’s appropriately named asters represent wisdom
Rhosyn’s violets represent loyalty
And Hardin’s geraniums? Well, they represent determination of course!
Thank you so much for the wonderful art and thoughtful floral theming, FloralFerrets!
The idiom in Dunia seem to be “always split the party”. Kenosh has done it twice now!
Ok, quite a few groups on the move. Let’s see:
Who? – Where? – Why?
Rathik – Here – Violence!
Eira, Rhosyn, Bevan – Getting the heck out of Here – Escape canid pursuers. Escort Eira via Eastern Deep to Cenolau (and then on to Gair?). Tell the living history of the Ermehn!
Kenosh, Ashtor, Hardin – As above – Split canid pursuers attention? Escape canid pursuers. Survive? Retire and play golf?
Quinlan, Dakkan – Entering Eastern Deep – Escape canid pursuers (I may be sensing a theme). Avoid hungry, angry Centipede-trains. Return to Terria and warn Sunsgrove at large about Impending Total War!
Janik, Mitra, Rook, Beck – Crossing Desert of Zin – Escape canid pursuers. Rendezvous with Janik’s dad in Sunsgrovian embassy, Nessa. Drink a refreshing fruit drink.
Sigrid – En route from Deltrada to “Port Peregrine” on the west coast – Second herself to polcan captain and launch an attack on Terria. Deliver mysterious sealed orders. Does not currently need to escape canid pursuers as far as I know but it’s surely only a matter of time.
Cain, Yurk – Nessa? – Dangerous high jinks? Escape canid pursuers? High five!
You catch it all. And the funniest thing is that Eira, Bevan and Roshtyn, they do not know that they are going into the lion’s mouth, because the Cenolau is unofficially with the Canids x3 Dayum, Canids everywhere! ;-;
Truly
“Canid to the right of them,
Canid to the left of them,
Canid in front of them…”
Hopefully three can survive where six hundred could not.
You forgot Isa and Nora (the felis scholar and the lutren from “The Scholar and the Seawal” and “The scholars’ guild”). But for them, I’ve no idea about the “where” and the “why”.
The last we hear of them Isa is about to buy Nora “more appropriate clothes” and then go off in search of “Tamian folktales”.
…so they’re either in Tamian Millets-Outdoors or wandering the Deep tracking down potentially deadly mytho-historical mystery’s with Nora carrying the bags and making sure Isa doesn’t get so distracted by history she falls in a gully.
It seems to me, that I can smell the Canids blood, on next few pages.
And Rathik’s. Short-sighted fool. Hopefully he’ll be able to kill a few dogs before he’s killed. ;(
Yeah, I hope so. Glory for Ermehns!
Beautifully designed and sequenced scene. Fine dramatic close-ups split by a great wide view shot. Excellent story telling in just a few panels! :)
You can say that again, he most certainly did a fine job on this latest pages for sure. ;)
I can almost hear the clinking of armor in the last panel, this is a very good page!
I love how Rathik is still trying to protect them even when they almost stabbed him to death.