Lots of long pages coming up, so here’s one. We’re out of the mistlands!
Full page below:
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Forward to Page 44 (forthcoming)
Image description:
A seven-panel, black-and-white comic page.
Panel 1: Resunotek, in her mask and cloak, climbs a ridge out of the valley. Snow is falling, and she holds out one hand, mittened palm up, to catch some snowflakes. Behind her, on the sheer cliff wall, three valley dwellers observe her progress from a cave. They wear goggles and masks, the left and right figures in smiling masks and the center figure wearing a tusked oni mask. The figures in smiling masks carry polearms with curved, serrated blades; the one on the right is seated, dangling one leg over the precipice. The central figure has a hood pulled over his head, and his hands are not visible.
Panel 2: A worn torii gate marks the end of the path through the mistlands. A rope is strung between its pillars, from which dangle five tassels. Snow is falling, and piled up around the base of the pillar that is visible. Resunotek passes through the gate along with two merchants with giant baskets laden with bundles strapped to their backs. They wear similar straw cloaks to hers, but they wear only simple cloth masks tied around their lower faces. They are turned to one another in conversation. Outside the gate, two monks in long black robes stand watch. One wears a conical straw hat, while the other is holding his hat in his hands.
Panel 3: A small insert, in which Resunotek trades with the monk in the hat. She exchanges a cut of a large mushroom, gills and all, for a battered iron cooking pot in which sits a small sack.
Panel 4: She departs the waystation on a dirt path through the snow and between bare trees. The shadows of trees and of a simple temple lie across the path.
Panel 5: Seen from above, Resunotek proceeds into the forest, walking between snow-covered pines. She leaves a trail of footprints behind her. Time has passed, and the shadows are longer. In addition to her basket, we can see that she also carries the iron pot and her tent, rolled up beneath it.
Panel 6: She stops, turning her head to look over to her left and putting her right hand into her cloak to draw her knife.
Panel 7: Three men, seen from the shoulders up, standing in the trees. The man on the left has short, jagged hair, heavy eyebrows, and an x-shaped scar on his cheek. The man in the center wears a breastplate like the samurai wore earlier, and he has a sword slung over his shoulder that is broken off at the tip. His hair is in a topknot, he has a scar by one brow, and he smirks. His visible hand is wrapped in rags. The man on the right is older and scowling, his arms crossed, and his visible hand is also wrapped. All three look very thin, with sunken cheeks, and wear kimonos.
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