Issue Three

Page One

Panel One: Interior. The motel room from last issue. Long shot.  Lyssa is in mid-leap towards the Caretaker and  Laura. The Caretaker is pushing Laura aside since she’s not going to be of much use in this fight, while simultaneously reaching behind himself for the double sided axe that leans against the wall.

Panel Two: From behind Lyssa as she flies at the Caretaker. He has his axe up, prepared to block her attack.

Panel Three: Normal shot, (show loads of movement in the figures), the Caretaker and Lyssa in profile as they fight. One of her claws has collided with the axe he’s using to block her; Lyssa’s mouth is open in a snarl and her face is twisted with anger, whereas the Caretaker is eerily calm looking, considering the circumstances. Note that Laura is in the foreground, on the floor where she landed after the Caretaker shoved her aside. She lies on her side, facing away from us, trying to get up.

Page Two

Panel One: Close up. Focus on Laura, she looks very worried about what’s going on in front of her.

Panel Two: Same perspective as last panel. Laura looks stricken; she has moved her head and is looking over her shoulder at something.

Panel Three (inset): Laura’s POV. Focus on the Sword of Discord. Her hand is in the panel, reaching for it.

Panel Four: The Caretaker and Lyssa are still fighting--however, he doesn’t have the blade of his weapon positioned where it could conceivably cut her. He is instead using it as a bludgeoning object.

Page Three

Panel One: Normal shot. From behind Laura as she struggles to stand, using the nearest available surface as a crutch. She is in no condition to fight, but appears determined to do so anyway. The bandages on her torso are starting to show a bit of blood, indicating that her wounds have reopened. In the background, the fight between the Caretaker and Lyssa rages on--he is driving her back towards the bed with his axe still being used as a club.

Panel Two: Long shot, worm’s eye view, looking upwards. Laura has thrown herself in Lyssa’s direction, her sword at the ready.

Panel Three (inset): Close up. The Caretaker’s face. His mouth is open, his eyes are wide; he’s horrified at Laura‘s chosen course of action.

Caretaker: NO!

Panel Four: Focus on Lyssa, looking back over her shoulder (at us), startled. The reflection of Laura in movement is visible in her wide yellow eyes.

Page Four

Panel One: Focus on one of the motel room walls. The shadows from Lyssa, the Caretaker and Laura are clear on the surface of the wall. The outline of her sword is above her head, prepared to strike.

Panel Two: Same perspective as last panel. Laura’s shadow has moved and the outline of her sword has connected with the shadow of Lyssa’s head.

Panel Three: Same perspective as last panel. A long line spatter of blood has spread across the wall, presumably from the trail Laura‘s sword sliced through her opponent.

Panel Four (inset): Closer on the blood spatter. Another line of blood, crossing over the first, has hit the wall.

SFX: SPLURT

Panel Five (inset): Closer still on the blood spatter. It has started to bubble upwards, out from the wall.

SFX: BUBBLE

Page Five

Panel One: Normal shot. Both the blood spattered wall and Laura and the Caretaker are visible in this shot. The Caretaker has grabbed Laura by the arm, looking furious. Laura simply looks drained. The body of Lyssa lies on the floor at Laura’s feet, nothing more than an indistinct pile of limbs and gore. It’s not too graphic, but it’s clear there’s not much left of her. The only part of the body that is clear at this angle is one clawed hand reaching upwards, fingers curled as though the body is reaching for something. The blood spatter has grown in size on the wall, bubbling and sizzling.

Caretaker: What have you done?!

Laura: What? I killed it! Wasn’t that the idea?!

Panel Two: Same perspective as last panel. Lots of movement in this panel. The Caretaker has started towards us, dragging Laura behind him. The blood spatter is starting to overtake the wall behind them, the lines growing large and fat across the surface of the wallpaper, bubbling like a cauldron.

Caretaker: Not everything can be killed with a blow delivered by a blade!

Panel Three: Same perspective as last panel. The Caretaker is still dragging Laura towards us, and the blood spatter has started to leap away from the wall, three separate large, frightening, blobby shapes exploding outwards, made of the blood.

Caretaker: Some things benefit from it!

Panel Four: Normal panel. From behind the Caretaker and Laura, Laura looking over her shoulder at us, shocked at what she sees. The three large blobs are colliding with the floor, semi-solid but still appearing quite gooey--they are taking on vaguely female shapes from about mid-waist up. The rest of their bodies are still blobby and indistinct.

SFX: SPLURCH!

Page Six

Panel One: Close up, focusing on the top half of the three blobs; their heads are definitely human shaped now, though they appear to be made out of mud (picture a bald female mannequin head coated in goo). From now on, these will be referred to as the BLOOD BEASTS.

Panel Two: Even closer on the three Blood Beasts‘ heads. Their eyelids have opened, revealing the same large, wolf-like, unnatural golden eyes that Lyssa had.

Panel Three: Close up of Laura, still in motion, being dragged behind the Caretaker, eyes wide, expression horrified as she looks back over her shoulder at the beasts.

Laura: Oh my God!

Page Seven

Panel One: Exterior. Long shot. Outside the motel. Focus on the door. There are windows on either side of it.

Panel Two: Same perspective as last panel. The Caretaker has burst through the door and outside into the night, Laura behind him, one of her hands in his. One of the windows is in the process of shattering, the upper half of one of the Blood Beasts gushing through it.

Panel Three: (Angle up to the artist. Just go for major dramatic effect and action.) The Caretaker and Laura are running away from the motel through the parking lot, towards a chain link fence (which leads to a moderately sized junkyard), the beasts close behind them. They still aren’t completely solid from about the hip down.

Panel Four: From behind the chain link fence, looking into the parking lot. The Caretaker and Laura are heading straight for us, Blood Beasts still close at their heels.

Panel Five: Worm’s eye view from behind the fence, looking upwards. The Laura is scrambling up the fence with assistance from the Caretaker.

Page Eight

Panel One: From behind the fence, worm’s eye view. Laura’s boots are in the foreground where she‘s landed on the gravel, the Caretaker’s touching down slightly behind her.

SFX: CRUNCH!

Panel Two: Over the shoulder shot, from behind the Blood Beasts. They are rapidly approaching the fence, arms outstretched towards it. Laura and the Caretaker have already started running off into the junkyard.

Panel Three: Medium shot, focusing on the chain link fence at an angle. One of the Blood Beasts has its hand outstretched, as if it’s trying to grab hold of the fence and get a tight enough grip to climb it. However, the muddy flesh of it is moving directly through the links of chain.

Panel Four: Focus on the Blood Beasts. They are pressing themselves through the fence, as if it’s not there at all.

Panel Five: Close up of the fence. The Blood Beasts are nowhere in sight. The only evidence that they were there is a bit of dripping, muddy goo, which coats the metal of the fence.

Page Nine

Panel One: Long shot. The junkyard. Laura and the Caretaker are weaving through the piles of junk. For the most part, it’s old automobiles and parts of appliances lying around along with various pieces of metal, all of it generally twisted beyond recognition. There is an abandoned building, like a small ramshackle pre-fab shack, in the shot.  There are no windows and its door is open. This is where the Caretaker and Laura will wind up. The Blood Beasts are roughly twenty feet behind their prey.

Panel Two: Worm’s eye view, tilted slightly upward. From inside the shack, looking out the door. The Caretaker and Laura are running for the relative safety of the shack.

Panel Three: Inside the shack, dimly lit, the Caretaker has shoved Laura is inside, he a foot or so behind her. From this angle we don’t get a very good look at their surroundings, but it’s clear this was once machine shop equipment storage. There are various pieces of machinery lying around, chainsaws and the like.

Panel Four: The Caretaker has slammed the door shut and is bracing himself against it, teeth gritted. Laura has collapsed, leaning against the nearest work table, totally exhausted.

Caretaker: Find something made of iron!

Panel Five: Laura looking at the Caretaker strangely, both of them anxious.

Laura: I thought werewolves were killed by silver?!

Caretaker: These aren’t werewolves! Find iron!

Page Ten

Panel One: Laura scrambles, searching the surface of the work table for something made of iron. There is an aluminum pipe, some rope, a table saw, and a vise--all of these items lying on, or surrounded by, some piles of fine metal shavings.

Laura: Iron, Iron--

Laura: I don’t see anything!

Panel Two: Worm’s eye view of the floor beneath the Caretaker’s feet, next to the door. Some of the muddy substance that the Blood Beasts are made of has started to ooze into the room, bubbling and partially reaching out, wrapping itself around the Caretaker’s boot.

SFX: SQUISH!

OFF PANEL: Improvise!

Panel Three: Medium shot, Laura in foreground, the Caretaker braced against the door in background. She has grabbed a handful of the metal shavings and is looking over her shoulder at the Caretaker.

Laura: Improvise.

Panel Four: Medium shot. Focus on the Caretaker. He is valiantly barring the door, but the muddy ooze has started to creep in around the seams of the door, reaching into the room.

SFX: Spluuuudge!

Page Eleven

Panel One: Full page panel. Long shot. The door has given way, shoving it and the Caretaker towards Laura. All three Blood Beasts are bursting into the room, partially melded together as they shove against the door (think Clayface-esque--all their arms semi-combined to make one large battering ram).

SFX: CRASH!

Page Twelve

Panel One (inset): Close up. Blood Beast’s POV. The Caretaker has Laura by the shoulders, holding onto her as if to protect her. Her hands are curled in close to her chest, both covered in the fine metallic dust from the relatively large metal shavings (each roughly the size of a slim tube of lip gloss) from the work table, ready to spring.

Panel Two (inset): Laura is throwing her handfuls of metal shavings at the Blood Beasts, though she doesn’t look particularly hopeful that something so small will keep them at bay.

Panel Three: Close up of one of the Blood Beast’s faces. A tiny spiral of iron has collided with its muddy flesh.

SFX: Sizzle!

Panel Four: Long shot. Over the shoulder, Caretaker’s/Laura’s POV. The Blood Beasts are holding various body parts in pain--the one we just saw has its hands clasping its face; another is clutching its chest, the other is doubled over. The pieces of metal are lodged in their muddy skin, the area around each wound bubbling and festering.

SFX: Skawish!

Page Thirteen

Panel One: The Caretaker has released Laura--who is throwing metal shavings with one hand and retrieving more from the work table with the other--and has started around the work table with haste.

SFX: Shing! Shing!

Panel Two: From behind Laura, still throwing metal shavings at the beasts, Caretaker in foreground. He is reaching towards us for something.

Panel Three (inset): Close up. The Caretaker’s hand is grabbing hold of a crowbar.

Page Fourteen

Panel One: The Caretaker has the crowbar in hand and has launched himself at the Blood Beasts. Laura is trying to stay out of the way while still being as useful as possible, throwing more shavings at the agonized, melting creatures.

SFX: GRAWRA!

SFX: Shwing!

SFX: Splosh!

Panel Two: (Perspective up to the artist, just loads and loads of drama!) The Caretaker is slashing through the Blood Beasts with his crowbar like a hot knife through butter. They’re a mess, muddy bits flying everywhere.

SFX: SPLURCH!

Panel Three: (Perspective up to the artist, just gore galore!) The Caretaker is still smashing up the Blood Beasts like there’s no tomorrow. Half formed body parts are strewn all over the room, Laura has resigned herself to standing in the background, out of the way, at this point, her hands covering her head as muddy body parts and goop fly around her.

Page Fifteen

Panel One: Worm’s eye view, close up. The Caretaker’s boot is in the foreground of the panel, Laura, hugging her arms around herself, shell shocked, is visible in the background. The floor around the Caretaker’s boot is covered in muddy, bloody gore.

OFF PANEL: Huff…puff…

Panel Two: Same perspective as last panel. The Caretaker has dropped his crowbar next to his boot. Laura is wincing at the noise it's made.

SFX: CLINK!

Panel Three: (Perspective up to the artist) The Caretaker and Laura are surveying the evidence of the battle; the Caretaker appears to be weary and out of breath. The Blood Beasts have been reduced to nothing more than a pile of muddy, bloody, bubbling gore spilling out of the shack and into the junkyard beyond the door.

Caretaker: Damned hellhounds.

Panel Four (inset): Reaction shot. Laura looking up at the Caretaker, disbelieving.

Laura: Hellhounds?!

Page Sixteen

Panel One: The Caretaker has stepped forward into the gooey mess and is stooping over to pick something up.

Caretaker: The spawn of Cerberus. Kin to the Hydra. They’ve the ability to split into three separate entities when cleaved in two.

Caretaker: Nasty things.

Panel Two: Close up of the Caretaker’s hand. He’s picking up a small, black orb, from the middle of the gore, identical to the one that was in issue four with a skull on it. However, this one has the image of a fang etched into it. The etching is deeply set and white.

OFF PANEL: A Spirit Sphere…

Panel Three: Medium shot. The Caretaker is holding the little orb, looking down at it with intense concentration.

Caretaker: Someone in the Nyx society is gathering minions…and giving them Godly attributes.

Panel Four: The Caretaker has closed his fist tightly around the Spirit Sphere.

Caretaker: This is much worse than I thought.

Page Seventeen

Panel One: Focus on Laura. She is taking a step forward, reaching out towards the Caretaker with one hand.

Panel Two: Laura is suddenly doubled over in pain, clutching her abdomen where her bloody bandages are soaked through.

Panel Three: The Caretaker has rushed to Laura’s side, supporting her.

Panel Four: Focus on Laura and the Caretaker. She is leaning against him, tears starting to stream down her face. She is clearly in extreme pain.

Caretaker: Come on…we need to find somewhere to hole up until I can get you healed.

Page Eighteen

Panel One: Full page panel From behind the Caretaker and Laura as they start out of the shack, making their way through the gooey Blood Beast bits.

Caretaker: You’ve got a lot to learn…

Caretaker: And we’ve got a long few days ahead of us.


Page Nineteen

Panel One: Long shot. Interior. A morgue. Lighting next to non-existent. We only know it’s a morgue because of the fact that a frosted door in the background reads ‘Aron City  Morgue’ (backwards, naturally). Several autopsy tables are laid out within our view and there is a young woman in a lab coat standing over one of the tables, which is occupied (we can‘t see the body from this angle). This is DOCTOR RUE, as her name tag states. She wears rubber gloves and holds a tape recorder in one hand.

RUE: Case number 300946, Jane Doe.

Panel Two: Over the shoulder shot from behind Doctor Rue, looking down at the table. The body she stands over is that of Elena. She is draped with a sheet.

RUE: Subject was found at what’s left of Grimke Boulevard, amidst the ruins of the suburb.

RUE: See case file referring to the gas main explosion of October twenty for further information.

Panel Three: Medium shot. Elena’s body in foreground, Rue in background. Rue is lifting the sheet off Elena’s nude body--nothing is visible to the audience, but Rue is clearly disturbed by what she’s seeing.

RUE: Subject appears to have been impaled.

Panel Four: Medium shot. Rue is turning away from the table (facing us) to reach for something on a nearby instrument tray.

RUE (muttered): Impaled…only in Aron City does anybody ever get impaled.

Panel Five: Rue has turned back towards the table, scalpel in hand. Her expression is one of surprise and barely contained horror.

RUE: Oh, dear God.

Panel Six (inset): Focus on the table. Elena’s body is gone. Only the sheet remains, crumpled on the table.

Page Twenty

Panel One: Medium shot. Rue is staring at the table in shock, scalpel and tape recorder apparently forgotten in her hands. There is a shadow behind her--human shaped, but still somewhat indistinct.

Panel Two: Worm’s eye view. Rue’s tape recorder is smashing into the floor as if it has been dropped by its owner.

SFX: CRASH!

Panel Three: Close up of the tape recorder lying on the floor. Its door is hanging askew and it looks worse for wear.

Panel Four: Same perspective as last panel. A blood spatter has spread across the tape recorder and the floor under it messily.

SFX: Splat!
Page Twenty One

Panel One: Interior. What appears to be a warehouse of some kind. Very utilitarian, well lit. There are a few metal bookshelves (those do it yourself bare bones kind) which are laden with weapons, ancient looking books and various artifacts of unknown origin. There is also a cot, a table with a wash basin on it next to the head of the cot and a work table nearby. On the cot lies Laura, on her stomach with her arms curled in close to her sides, eyes open. She has nothing on from the waist up (her pants were left miraculously intact) and looks terribly uncomfortable. She faces towards us, away from the Caretaker. The Caretaker is on his knees (in just his shirtsleeves, which are rolled up to the elbows) next to the cot with a bloody rag, dabbing at Laura’s back and frowning with concentration.

Laura: I don’t understand it.

Caretaker: What?

Panel Two: Medium shot. The Caretaker squeezes the rag out into the wash basin.

Laura: All of it. I mean, you explained it, yeah, okay, I get it at the most basic level…

Laura: What I really don’t understand is my own reaction to all of this.

Laura: Over the past twenty four hours, I’ve seen things that only belong in horror movies. I’ve done things that only belong in horror movies. The really bad low budget ones.

Panel Three: Perspective up to the artist. The Caretaker is reaching into his pocket for something, his expression indicating that he’s lost in thought.

Laura: I should be freaking out. Every logical synapse in my brain is screaming that I should be…

Laura: But I’m dealing.

Laura: I’m dealing and I feel ready for whatever’s going to happen. Almost anticipating it.

Panel Four: Normal shot, from behind the Caretaker, looking down at Laura’s back. Her back is a mess of torn up flesh--but it’s nowhere near as bad as it should be, considering everything that’s happened thus far.

Laura: I’m not a hero. I don’t even consider myself to be a good person…I should be running in the opposite direction as fast as humanly possible.

Laura: But I feel duty bound to see this whatever it is through to its inevitable conclusion.

Panel Five: Same perspective as last panel. Laura has turned her head so that she can look sideways at the Caretaker, over her shoulder.

Laura: I’ve been a loner for years…

Laura: I don’t even know your name… hell, you don’t know mine.

Laura: But I feel like I can trust you implicitly.

Panel Six (inset): Close up of the Caretaker’s face.

Caretaker: Adoniseus.

Page Twenty Two

Panel One: Medium shot. Focus on Laura’s back. The Caretaker’s hands are in the shot, a small, slender vial of liquid sealed with a cork is held above Laura’s wound in one hand and the other is working on opening the small container.

Laura: What?

Panel Two (inset): Close up of the vial in the Caretaker’s hand. The cork has been pulled and the vial is being tipped to one side to drip its contents on Laura.

Caretaker: My name. Adoniseus.

Caretaker: But you may call me Caretaker.

Panel Three: Focus on Laura’s back. Some of the liquid from the vial has splashed onto her wound.

Laura: Laura.

Panel Four: Focus on Laura; the liquid from the vial has started to absorb into her skin, causing a soft greenish brown glow to be emitted from the injury.

Laura: A little odd to be making introductions now.

Caretaker: Is it?

Laura: Traditionally, those come before the life threatening crises. At least, that’s the way it works in the movies. The allies meet and greet, the villain is introduced and then there’s a disaster.

Laura: We’re doing this all bass akwards.

Panel Five (inset): Close up. Laura’s wound. The flesh of her back has started to knit together beneath the glow.

OFF PANEL: Considering the fact shortly after you woke we were attacked by a Bone Summoner, we hardly had a choice in the matter.

Page Twenty Three

Panel One: Focus on the Caretaker. He is corking the small vial and the glow from Laura’s back shows on his face. He looks worn.

Caretaker: And, taking into account that a Hellhound was quick on the Summoner’s heels, our current respite won’t last long.

Panel Two: Long shot. The Caretaker has gotten up and is tucking the vial of healing potion into his pocket once more. Laura has sat up, holding the sheet of the cot to her bare chest. She’s looking at the Caretaker with barely restrained horror.

Caretaker: The Nyx Society’s leader’s original plan for imbuing himself with the Essence has been wrecked beyond repair, he knows that by now.

Laura: How?

Panel Three: Focus on the Caretaker. He is holding out the small, black orb from last issue for Laura to examine.

Caretaker: This is a Spirit Sphere…our friend the hellhound had one inside her. Her master has a matching one, allowing him to monitor her activity, and I‘ll bet you anything the Summoner had one inside her as well.

Caretaker: As long as they had these inside them, their master knows everything his minions have done and thus, everything we have done.

Caretaker: Your miraculous resurrection as seen through the eyes of the Summoner, combined with the fact that the Essence didn’t return to the gem the moment you died, will have alerted him to the fact the Essence has been split.

Panel Four: Over the shoulder shot, Caretaker’s POV, looking down at Laura’s upturned face.

Laura: So these…sphere things. They’re glorified surveillance cameras?

Caretaker: No. Much more than that.

Panel Five (inset): A close up of the Spirit Sphere in the Caretaker’s hand.

OFF PANEL: This Spirit Sphere is etched with a sigil…it was used to harness and focus great power.

Panel Six: Focus on Laura, looking at the Spirit Sphere.

Laura: And that means…?

Caretaker: It means that both the Summoner and the Hellhound were mere mortals once upon a time…and that their powers were gained through the spheres.

Page Twenty Four

Panel One: Medium shot. The Caretaker is tucking the Sphere back in his pocket.

Caretaker: Spirit Spheres are obtained through dark, ancient rituals and sacrifices to the primeval Gods--

Caretaker: They’re given as favors to faithful worshippers…and historically, they come in threes.

Panel Two: (Make sure there’s plenty of space for the dialogue!) Laura in foreground, from behind her so that we can see her back as she looks up at the Caretaker. Her wound has completely healed, leaving nothing but a faint scar. The Caretaker has his arms crossed over his chest.

Laura: You mean there’s going to be more things popping out of nowhere trying to kill us?

Caretaker: Without a doubt.

Caretaker: The Summoner raised the dead; the Hellhound is by tradition the guardian of the entrance to the underworld. We are dealing with entities concerned with the departed. It is a logical assumption that the next creature we encounter will be relevant to the ways of dying as well.

Laura: If you’re going to minionize, go with a theme?

Caretaker: It isn’t so much a choice as a necessity; several Spirit Spheres must be connected in some manner in order for them to work in tandem, otherwise the opposing powers trapped inside them tend to clash and be generally unresponsive, making them useless.

Caretaker: There are three aspects of dying. One is loss of animation--which the Summoner rectifies neatly; the next is entrance to the underworld--

Laura: The hellhound.

Caretaker: Yes…and the other is represented by Earth. That which swallows up man’s remains.

Caretaker: A golem will no doubt be the final member of the trio and they are notoriously difficult to kill.

Panel Three: Medium shot, focus on the Caretaker. He looks grim.

Caretaker: But that isn’t going to be the worst part.

OFF PANEL: You’re telling me that another horror flick critter has me on its hit list and there’s something worse on the way?

Panel Four: The Caretaker has turned away from Laura and is heading toward a bookshelf.

Caretaker: I had thought there might be divine interference happening within the Nyx Society. The presence of the Spirit Spheres confirms it.

Panel Five: Laura has gotten up from the bed to follow after the Caretaker, sheet held to her chest.

Laura: Divine? As in Gods? But you said the old deities faded.

Caretaker: The Olympians did and most of the Primeval Gods did…

Laura: I don’t like the emphasis you put on the word ‘most’ just now.

Panel Six: Medium shot. From inside a bookshelf, looking out at the Caretaker, who is reaching for one of the thick, ancient looking tomes to our left. Laura is visible in the background, watching him intently.

Caretaker: There were a few who refused to fade. Those who still had droves of devout worshippers even as the mankind evolved to the point they didn’t need deities to guide them.

Caretaker: As I said, you have a great deal to learn about your current situation. I only understand it through years of study. You’ve no chance of getting any sort of grasp on the centuries worth of complex ‘mythical’ history.

Laura: Spell it out with blocks, if you have to.

Panel Seven: The Caretaker has turned to hand Laura the book he retrieved from the shelf.

Caretaker: I don’t think that would be prudent. A historical account of the work done by the Order of Eris thus far should be a good start.

Laura: Does it have pictures?

Caretaker: Don’t get cute.

Caretaker: Read it. Glean what information you can from it.

Panel Eight: The Caretaker has turned away from Laura once more, rolling his sleeves down as he walks away from her. He looks determined.

Caretaker: I have wards to set if we both plan on living to see daybreak.

Page Twenty Five

Panel One: Laura is sitting on the bed once more, the book open in her lap, pouring over the information found within.

CAPTION: In the beginning…

CAPTION: There was light and there was dark.

Panel Two: A flashback panel of sorts. This is an illustration of what Laura is reading. The panel is populated by two groups of people, half of which are shrouded in shadow, the other half of which are bathed in light. This is the pantheon of Gods--those in shadow can be as grotesque as you can make them, but those in light must be beautiful, ethereal and embodying everything good.

CAPTION: Each was made up of different forces and beings, good and evil.

Panel Three: The personification of Venus/Aphrodite in the foreground, surrounded by a lush paradise, picking an apple from the nearest tree. She’s blonde, busty, and all around gorgeous in a form fitting Greek toga (extra points if you can get her to look Marilyn Monroe-esque in that white dress from the Seven Year Itch).

CAPTION: They took on forms of their choosing…

CAPTION: Becoming both pleasing…

Panel Four: A Harpy/Demoness in the foreground, serving as a point of comparison to the Venus from the last panel. Her fingers are graced with razor sharp talons, her mouth is open in a snarl, smeared with blood and revealing fangs. Flames surround her and she looks as if she wants nothing more than to jump off the panel and eat us. She has leathery wings like those of a bat and horns--if you can manage it.

CAPTION: And horrible.

Panel Five: Medium shot. Interior. A temple. Ancient Greece. This looks very similar to the Temple of Eris, but it is well lit and beautiful. Marble floors shine, statues stand at an altar where a man is making an offering to the God of this temple. The actual deity you pick isn’t important, but for contrast to all the Goddesses we’ve already dealt with, I’d prefer a God.

CAPTION: These were acknowledged by men as Gods and worshipped as such, despite the fact they were nothing more than personifications of the elements themselves.

CAPTION: And, for the most part, the Gods assisted mankind in his development until they were no longer needed to guide their way.

Panel Six: Another temple. This one is as opposite to the last temple as the Harpy was to Venus. It’s dark, badly lit, a fire pit stands where the beautiful altar did in the other temple. This place is a slice out of hell. The statues that stand around are grotesque and the worshippers wear garb reminiscent of druids. Black robes.

CAPTION: But as time wore on, many of the ‘Gods’ became conceited, forgetting what they really were and believing they were entitled to the tributes men offered.

Panel Seven: Closer to the statue. It’s made of black marble and two faceted gems are set into its face where eyes should be. This is the representation of EREBUS.

CAPTION: The worst of these vain deities was known to the ancient Greeks as Erebus.

CAPTION: Shadow.

CAPTION: Darkness embodied.

Page Twenty Six

Panel One: Long shot. Inside the Temple of Erebus. The altar is in the distance and there are several shadowy figures in front of it, including one that is distinctly feminine in shape.

CAPTION: When the other Gods decided it was time to leave man to his own devices, Erebus refused to relinquish his place as an idol.

Panel Two: From behind the altar, flames directly in our view. Several worshippers have a young woman, dressed in white (virgin sacrifice, presumably) who looks terrified of what’s about to happen to her, and are dragging her forward.

CAPTION: While the worship of other Gods waned, Erebus’ group of followers became more devout and fanatical than ever before.

Panel Three: A close up of the black marble statue of Erebus. The reflection of the terrified young woman is visible in his jewel eyes and the marble appears to have moved ever so slightly, making the statue look as if it has a cruel smile on its face.

CAPTION: The more worshippers he had, the more powerful and  egotistical he became until at last…

Panel Four: Medium shot. The girl has been tossed into the flames. There’s nothing we can really see about her burning, she just appears to be made of flame now, screaming in agony.

CAPTION: Erebus decided he wanted to exert control over all the other elements and reign supreme.

Panel Five: A close up of the Heart of Eris (it’s whole in this shot--no chip out of the top) in someone’s hand. The hand is wrinkled and knobby, like that of a very old man.

CAPTION: And the one power that could allow him to achieve his goal was that of absolute discord.

CAPTION: With the Essence of Eris, he could reshape the world and all the elements in it to his liking.

Panel Six: Another temple, this one reminiscent of the Temple of Eris, right down to the statue of Eris. There are many, many monks in brown robes and one of them (note that this one should look very similar to the Caretaker--but with hair and much younger) is being handed the Heart of Eris by an elderly man. The elderly man is hunched over, weak, heavily leaning on a knotted cane and he has a beard which spirals down to the ground. He’s your typical ‘wise man’ type, along the lines of Gandalf, Merlin or Dumbledore.

CAPTION: But the Essence of Eris was confined within a gem, which was entrusted to a powerful order, charged with protecting it at all costs. The Gods themselves taught a single member of the Order how to marginally control the powers of Eris, should the need ever arise for the Essence to be released.

Panel Seven: Long shot. A battlefield. The ground is scorched and there are several bodies lying everywhere. There are two opposing forces on the field. First, there are the Order of Eris, dressed in their plain brown robes, and then there are the very first members of the Nyx Society. Yet, though they’re on the field, none of them carry weapons. Instead, they are sending great blasts of energy at each other with sorcery.

CAPTION: And those secrets where cautiously passed on to a select few in each subsequent generation of the Order.

CAPTION: The Order of Eris kept the followers of Erebus--the Nyx Society--at bay for centuries, moving from place to place to keep their treasure safe.

CAPTION: It was a thousand year long stalemate between the two until Erebus thought to capture the essences of other elements and use them to his benefit.

Page Twenty Seven

Panel One: Another battlefield. This one appears to be on the moors of Scotland. Rain is falling. The clothes of the two opposing forces have been updated, slightly (maybe a few small touches on the outfits of the Order of Eris that speak of some of them being Scottish?), and swords are being used in addition to sorcery.

CAPTION: It was then that the real battle began.

Panel Two: Close up of some of the action on the field. Focus on one young monk in particular. His hairline is receding somewhat and he has a full beard. The resemblance between him and the Caretaker we already know isn’t something you can ignore. The man in black that he fights has glowing eyes.

CAPTION: With powers that were stolen from other Godly sources and housed within Spirit Spheres, the Nyx Society became stronger than ever and their desire to get the Heart of Eris for their master increased tenfold.

Panel Three: Another action shot. The battle rages on. The rain is heavier. Lightning streaks across the sky. The monks seem to be getting the worse end of the deal in this fight; many are bloody and some are badly wounded, but still they fight.

CAPTION: Erebus promised them places in the hierarchy of his new world if they remained faithful to him, swearing that the power they had now was nothing in comparison to what was to come.

Panel Four: The battlefield. Only five or six of the Order of Eris remain standing. One of them is revealed as a woman with a staff now that her hood is out of the way. She sort of looks like Laura, but her hair is different. Maybe an ancestor. Bodies, both black clad and brown, are scattered across the field, bloody and broken. The rain is terribly heavy now, but the Order of Eris is victorious.

CAPTION: But though the Order of Eris lost many in the countless battles after the Spirit Spheres were first used, they prevailed on the whole.

CAPTION: And have prevailed to this day…

Page Twenty Eight

Panel One: Back in the present. Laura is lying on her back in bed, the large book lying open on her chest. She’s fast asleep. Sunlight is streaming in from somewhere, a shaft falling right across her eyelids.

Panel Two: Laura is stirring, rubbing her eyes beneath her glasses, looking very sleepy. She’s covered only by bandaging again. It’s starting to become a trend, it would seem.

Panel Three: Laura is sitting up, scratching her head and yawning.

Laura: Caretaker?

Panel Four: Over the shoulder shot from behind Laura. This is the big shocker panel. Elena stands before us in tatters, appearing very much like a reanimated corpse (bluish skin, cheeks sunken etc. etc.). In one hand she has her bone staff--which is dripping blood--and in the other she holds the collar of the Caretaker‘s shirt the way a child might drag a rag doll. He lies at her feet, dead, with a hole through his middle--apparently made by Elena’s staff. Elena is smiling ruthlessly and her eyes are alight (but they don’t glow this time--now they’re just a plain, murky brown.)

ELENA (in a sing-song voice): Good morning, starshine. Hell says hello.

Panel Five: Elena has dropped the Caretaker and launched herself at Laura, the pointed end of her staff ready to impale her.

Panel Six (inset): Laura, in shock and agony, as she’s skewered by the bone staff again.

Panel Seven: Laura’s POV, looking up at Elena who is driving the staff into her (our) chest. The edges of the panel are dark and fuzzy and Elena is out of focus.

Panel Eight: Everything is black but a tiny spec in the center of the panel, showing Elena’s crazed look of triumph.

Page Twenty Nine

Panel One: On the shores of the River Styx once more. Laura sits on the bank, her knees drawn up near her chest, feet splayed, leaning back on her hands and looking bewildered. The Ferryman stands nearby with his oar in hand, leaning on it, looking down at her as if he‘s been waiting. If ever there was a skeleton that had the ability to look amused, it’s this one.

Laura: DAMN IT!

FERRYMAN: Back so ssssssoon?

Panel Two: Laura is struggling to her feet, touching her middle where there’s a fresh patch of red spread across her shirt.

Laura: This dying thing is getting really old!

Laura: I don’t suppose you’re feeling generous enough to send me back again, are you?

Laura: I’ve kinda gotta save mankind.

Panel Three: Focus on the Ferryman, leaning on his oar with one hand and with his other stroking his chin.

FERRYMAN: I am only allowed to freely grant passssssage back to the land of the living once.

FERRYMAN: Twice will cosssssst, though the terms will remain unknown to you until the time for your debt to be repaid dawnssssss.

Laura: Fine! Whatever! It’s not like I have anything else to lose anyway. Send me back!

Page Thirty

Panel One: Interior. A strange looking chamber. It's cavernous, circular and made of ornately carved stone, with there’s a large stone slab in the center of the room. Laura’s body lies on the slab (note that her glasses have been removed), the blood from her wound filling several grooves set into the surface. Those grooves continue down the sides of the slab and into another set of markings in the floor. Next to Laura on the slab lies the Sword of Discord and it has been anointed with her blood. Off to our left stand Elena and Burgess. This is our very first real glimpse of Burgess’ face. There are thick, deep black lines on his face, making him appear as though he’s made of stone and has cracks in him. He also holds the Heart of Eris in one hand. Near Elena, the Caretaker’s body lies slumped.

ELENA: She has made it impossible for us to restore the Essence to the Heart of Eris…

ELENA: But we can force all of it into that lovely little sword of hers.

BURGESS: We made it in under the wire for the time of the ritual, as well.

BURGESS: Erebus will be very pleased with us.

Panel Two: Bird’s eye view, looking down at Laura. Her eyes have shot open, the white one heavily mottled with black once more. Her hand has inched toward the sword lying next to her.

Laura: Somehow, I highly doubt that.

Panel Three: Laura is leaping from the slab, sword in hand. It glows brighter now than it ever has before. In this and subsequent panels, the right side of the scene around Laura is waving and melting, just like it was in issue one as she launches herself at the two startled villains.

Laura: YAAA!

Panel Four: Laura has gone after Elena first; the other woman has brought up her staff to block her. Loads of action in this shot.

ELENA: Why won’t you stay dead?!

Laura: Just stubborn, I guess!

Panel Five: Elena and Laura are fighting in the foreground but Burgess is visible in the background. The cracks in his face have started to widen and he looks a bit larger than he was before. The cracks also seem to be lit from within.

Page Thirty One

Panel One: Laura is delivering the killing blow to her opponent, the blade of her sword digging deep in Elena‘s shoulder, completely unaware of what’s going on behind her. In the background, Burgess has grown to an immense size--at least twelve feet tall--and the cracks in his face have spread all over the visible parts of his body. His neatly tailored suit is in tatters--he looks, basically, like a bigger, less friendly, more homicidal version of the Thing.

Panel Two: Burgess has his arms held above his head, boulder-like hands curled into fists, preparing to crush Laura. She, meanwhile, has just turned her head to see this happening.

BURGESS: RAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

Panel Three (inset): Close up of Laura’s face, looking up at Burgess. Her eyes are wide, her mouth is open. She’s shocked and worried.

Laura: Oh, this is gonna hurt.

Panel Four: Burgess has slammed his hands into the ground, and the entire scene is shaken. Debris is flying everywhere, Laura has been thrown off her feet towards us, it’s complete and utter chaos.

Laura: HUNGH!

Panel Five: Laura has landed on her side, battered, bruised, bloody, amongst some of the rubble of what’s left of the room. Burgess’ hulking form stands over her.

Page Thirty Two

Panel One: Laura in the foreground, on the ground, looking up at Burgess. He is reaching out for her with one rocky hand.

BURGESS: Erebus WILL have the Essence! I WILL have my reward!!

Panel Two: Medium shot. Burgess has lifted Laura by the throat--his hand is so huge he can use it alone to choke her. She’s struggling, clawing at the hand.

BURGESS: You defeated the Summoner. You defeated the Hellhound. You won’t dispatch me so easily!

Panel Three: A blade has entered the shot! It’s slicing Burgess’ hand off at the wrist!

SFX: CHING!

Panel Four: Laura has dropped to the ground in the foreground, coughing and clutching her throat as she gasps for air. Standing between her and Burgess is the Caretaker! He has the Sword of Discord in hand. Burgess appears confused and enraged.

BURGESS: GRAWR! You will not stop me!

Panel Five: The Caretaker has thrown himself at Burgess, sword at the ready.

Page Thirty Three

Panel One: Full page panel with insets. The battle between the Caretaker and Burgess. The perspectives are completely up to the artist, just lots of drama and action in each panel. The Caretaker has the edge throughout the battle. Dialogue occurs throughout the panels.

BURGESS: Erebus chose me for his purposes, old man!

Caretaker: Then he chose poorly!

BURGESS: I have been promised a place in the new world order, nothing will keep me from it!

Caretaker: I hope it’s a post you can serve in pieces!

Page Thirty Four

Panel One: Another full page panel with action insets depicting the continuing fight between the Caretaker and Burgess with dialogue occurring throughout the panels. The final inset sees Burgess falling before the winded, bloodied and worn Caretaker.

BURGESS: Your time is past!

BURGESS: You cannot fight the future!

BURGESS: Embrace the coming dawn of Erebus!

Caretaker: When Hades freezes over!

Page Thirty Five

Panel One: The room is in ruins. Burgess lies in a rocky heap, Elena in a bloody one. Laura is looking at the Caretaker oddly as he reaches down to retrieve the Heart of Eris from Burgess‘ hand.

Laura: You’re alive…

Panel Two: Laura’s POV, looking at the Caretaker. The scene around him is wavy and melting, but he himself is crystal clear.

Laura: You’re alive and you’re not wiggling.

Panel Three: The Caretaker has approached Laura, holding her sword out to her.

Caretaker: A convenient side effect of being immortal.

Panel Four: Laura has taken the sword and started to stand.

Laura: Immortal?

Caretaker: I was personally charged with being the Caretaker for the Heart of Eris until there was no need for such a post any longer.

Panel Five: The Caretaker is at Laura’s side, keeping her steady and looking down at her.

Caretaker: There is still a need.

Panel Six: The Caretaker holds out the Heart of Eris to Laura.

Caretaker: Now that I have regained possession of the Heart, you have a choice.

Page Thirty Six

Panel One: Laura is looking up at the Caretaker, biting her bottom lip.

Caretaker: I can restore the Essence to the Heart and you may go back to your life as it was before…

Laura: Or…?

Panel Two: Focus on the Caretaker. One of his eyebrows is lifted.

Caretaker: I didn’t think you’d want to hear the ‘or’.

Laura: Trust me, after everything I’ve seen over the past twenty four hours, I want to hear the or.

Panel Three: The Caretaker looks somewhat bemused.

Caretaker: Or…you can keep the power of Eris and be hunted by the Nyx Society for the rest of your life.

Laura: Oh…that cut and dried, huh?

Caretaker: Yes.

Panel Four: Laura looks thoughtful.

Laura: Well…you know, yesterday I would have jumped at the chance to go back to normal.

Laura: But since today isn’t yesterday…

Panel Five: Laura has stuck her hand out to the Caretaker to shake it.

Laura: I’m in for the long haul.

Panel Six: The Caretaker has taken Laura’s hand, though he looks suspicious.

Caretaker: I get the distinct impression there’s something you’re not telling me…

Laura: Er…yeah. About that.

Laura: Um…

Panel Seven: Laura is smiling, looking nervous and sheepish.

Laura: What exactly does a favor for death usually entail?