Hello. Let me tell you a little about myself first. I am 23 and I live in the u.s.a, sadly. I have a great imagination that has fueled my writing since I was 17. I've came up with ideas for numerous stories but have never actually completed one. And thats because I have an issue with descriptive writing. Writing scenery in detail just bores me. But if I had someone that could draw the images I have in my head, that would give me the motivation I need. I am currently working on a series that, if made into a comic, would have about 9 seasons with 100+ issues in it. Its something that I have brainstormed about for the past couple of years and is a massive fantasy story about a boy that lives in a world where his appearance doesn't resemble anyone else around him, causing him to wonder where he truly came from. Then comes a day when their village is attacked by a man that looks just like him. But before any questions can get asked, the man disappears into, what is later explained as another dimension. The story then follows the boy on his adventure to track down this man along with a few others as he travels between different dimensions, called Relms. He later finds out that there are seven Relms and he eventually ends up travelling to each one in pursuit of his identity, meeting many people and conflicts along the way. Its action, adventure, fantasy, a little bit of humor, a dash of romance, and enough unique creatures to fill anyones desire to create something of their own. Below, I have pasted the first chapter which is just a taste. If you like drawing the anime style, and feel like you could make a comic out of it, then please email me at heroproject@live.com. For now, this project will be just a hobby between us, until it can eventually be published and sold. So I wont be paying you yet, but you can get some good practice out of it. Once we do start making some money, I am more than willing to split it 60% for you and 40% for me, since I would see you as doing more of the hard work, personally. Here is the first chapter.
“Keep your legs planted, Lyonel! Don’t let that hog shove you around!� shouted his trainer, Samuel, from outside the fenced-in arena.
Lyonel, age seventeen and standing at five feet and nine inches, quickly threw his sword in front of him, blocking the tusks of the Battle Hog. The beast weighed almost three-hundred pounds more than Lionel and on all fours, stood at about four feet. His skin was made of hard ash with small cracks that smoked from time to time. The inner-core of the Battle Hog had liquid as hot as lava, causing his outside surface to be too hot to touch. His tusks grew to an average of a foot long and are often used in crafting some of the most durable of blades.
Lyonel did as he was told, pressing his feet into the soil as the Battle Hog slowly forced him further back. He could feel the entire weight of the Battle Hog, pressing against his wooden sword as he started to hear it splinter. He quickly side-stepped, causing the hog to fall to the ground, skidding across the dirt.
“HIIII-YAAAAH!� Lyonel shouted as he took his opening and jabbed his sword directly into the underside of the beast.
The Battle Hog gave a loud shriek as his body went limp.
“That’s it, kid!� Samuel said with joy as he threw his fist into the air.
Lyonel smiled as he knelt down beside the Battle Hog, asking, “are you alright, Zook?�
The hog sat motionless.
“C’mon, Zook. You can’t fool me. The dummy sword snapped in half when I stabbed you,� Lyonel snickered as he rubbed the battle hog’s tusks.
Zook’s eyes fluttered opened as he sat up, licking Lyonel’s shoulder.
“Oh stop,� Lyonel laughed. “I’m guessing that was as fun of a match for you as it was for me.�
Zook wagged his short tail in agreement as he trotted back to his owner, Samuel.
“You did good, Zook,� Samuel said as he patted the hog’s head with heat resistant gloves.
“I’m unstoppable!� shouted Lyonel with glee.
“Heh-heh. Calm down, champ. You don’t want to get too coc-�
“Impressive,� spoke a woman, interrupting Samuel, as she walked towards the group. “I’m quite surprised you were able to take on a Battle Hog that size at your age. But, how would you like a real challenge?�
“Ms. Graze?� Lyonel questioned.
She stood a couple of inches taller than Lyonel, and that wasn’t including her high-heels. But her age factored into their height difference, being almost a decade older than him. Her skin was pale white and she had flowing blonde hair that cascaded in curls over her shoulders. She wore black pants that were so tight, they could’ve been mistaken for her skin if they were white. Her top was even more revealing. Also black, with red seams, it was inches away from meeting with her pants and didn’t cover her shoulders, showing a considerable amount of cleavage.
She leaned forward to get eye-level with the young lad, “how about it, big boy? Care to wrestle with a matured woman?�
“No thanks, Ms. Graze. Don’t you have some older guys to tease?� Lyonel scoffed, looking away from her.
Ms. Graze wasn’t taking no for an answer. She moved back into his eyesight, pleading, “oh come on. Don’t tell me you’re afraid that you’re not actually unstoppable.�
“No way!� Lyonel shouted. “It’s just that… Well… My sword broke.�
Ms. Graze smiled, staring down at the ground, as she let out a little giggle, “It’s okay. I have a spare you can use. But it’s not like your toy sword. It’s a real one. I just hope you won’t go easy on me because I’m a girl. Because if you do,� she quickly looked up at him, glaring into his eye, “you will lose.�
Lyonel gulped before regaining his posture, staring back at her with fire in his eyes, “you’re on!�
“I don’t know about this, Lyonel,� Samuel spoke. “She has years of experience on you. She might not look like much, but she used to be a part of the Forest Battalion!�
Lyonel’s eyes widened. He had heard about the Forest Battalion before. Elite warriors trained to go past the forest that surrounded their village to kill truly threatening creatures for resources for their village. But usually, the only time people left the Battalion was in a box. He never heard of one quitting. This thought made him smirk.
“Heh. So you’re a quitter, huh?� he said, taunting her.
She cringed as she pulled out a sword for him, stabbing it into the ground in front of him before pulling out one for herself, “you don’t know what you’re talking about! Shut up and prepare yourself!�
Lyonel pulled his sword from the ground, almost losing his balance as he wasn’t prepared for its extra weight. His was the small one of the two but was still a little heavier than he was comfortable with wielding. And what surprised him even more was that she was carrying both of them on her and still had a perfect posture.
“I never introduced myself. I’m Ly-�
“I know who you are, Lyonel,� she interrupted once again, “your appearance gives you away.�
Lyonel was not like the others of the village. The Paltheons, the race that inhabited the village, had pale white skin with either blonde or red hair. But he was born with dark toned skin, black hair, grey eyes, and pointy ears.
His face turned stern as he grasped the sword with both hands and bent his knees, preparing to charge. His feet pressed off of the ground as he raced towards his new foe.
“HEEEEYAAAAH!� he yelled at the top of his lungs as he tightened his grip on the sword’s handle, swinging it with an upward, diagonal motion to cut across her chest.
She gasped before having just enough time to deflect his attack with her sword and jumping back to a safe distance.
“Woah! Easy little man! This is a sparring match! That could’ve seriously injured me!� she yelled at him before raising her own blade. “But you’re fast. I’ll give you that much.�
It was her turn to be on the attack. She rushed at him, sword at the ready. She gave her blade three good swings at him as he quickly deflected them, the third one making him fall over. She pointed the tip of her blade at his face.
“Game over.�
Lyonel smacked her blade away with his as he regained his footing, standing up and getting back in position. He took a swing at her head as she swiftly ducked, giving him time to land a kick against her gut, causing her to stumble back a few steps.
She gave a grunt as she held her stomach, “kid, you already lo-�
Lyonel interrupted her with another swipe from his sword. She barely had time to jump back as she saw the rage in his eyes.
She grinned as she mumbled to herself, “hmph. A sore-loser,�
“Quit talking to yourself and fight,� Lyonel said as he charged at her again, his sword’s tip pointing straight in her direction.
“This is going to be more enjoyable than I had first assumed,� she mumbled before hitting his sword with a down-ward strike, sticking his blade into the ground.
He quickly pulled it out but wasn’t fast enough as she landed a high-kick against his chin, sending him into the air before she hit him again with a kick against his gut. Lyonel went flying back as he rolled across the ground. Dust cleared as he was curled up in a ball. He laid there for a few more seconds as she started walking towards him. She stopped as she saw his body twitch. He let out a few coughs before grabbing at the soil, pulling his self towards his dormant sword, lying inches ahead of him.
“You just don’t give up, do you?� she sighed. “If you come at me again like you’ve been, it’s going to be a very painful end for you.�
Lyonel grabbed his sword as he stabbed it into the ground, pushing off of it to help him back on his feet. He wasn’t ready to give up yet. He raised his sword above his head as he charged at Ms. Graze for one last strike. The distance between them shrunk with every second that passed.
“HIIIIIIIII-� Lionel started, before his battle cry was interrupted.
Before he could swing down at her, she stopped him in his tracks, her sword pressed against his throat.
“You were so focused on your attack that you never thought about defense. You left yourself wide open with your sword in the air like that,� she said before lowering her sword. “As I said before. Game over.�
Lyonel’s arms fell to his side as he loosened his grip on the sword, letting it fall to the ground with a clunk.
“Bu-But I’ve been training for months. H-how could I have lost?�
“You should’ve listened to your trainer. I’ve trained for years. And with things that would eat that hog for breakfast,� she said as Lyonel fell to his knees.
She looked at him with sympathy, “but you have potential. One day, you might even be good enough to join the Forest Battalion.�
“You really think so?!� Lyonel said as he quickly looked up at her with a smile.
“Of course!� she said, smiling back. “You just need to train harder. You know, if you want, you can leave the old geezer and come train with me.�
“Hey!� Samuel said. “You better watch who you’re talking to!�
“Samuel?� Lyonel said, looking down.
“Huh? What is it, kid?� he responded.
“You, um, wouldn’t mind if I took Ms. Graze up on her offer, would you?� Lyonel asked, his voice trembling.
“Heh, heh, heh,� Samuel started snickering before bursting into laughter. “HAHAHAHAHA! Go ahead, kid. This old man needs a rest anyways.�
“You mean it?!�
“Sure, why not? It’s a great chance for you to grow. Besides, you can always visit me at my workshop,� Samuel suggested, talking about his blacksmithing business.
Lyonel shot him a smile before standing back up and glancing at his new trainer, “so when do I start, Ms. Graze?�
“We could start tomorrow if you want. But why not you and I go take a walk so we can get better acquainted?� Ms. Graze suggested, grinning.
Lyonel and Ms. Graze took their time walking through the village’s shopping square. Ms. Graze would multitask by getting her shopping done while bonding with her newly acquired pupil.
“So Ms. Graze,� Lyonel began.
“What is it?� she asked.
“Can I ask why you quit the Forest Battalion?� Lyonel questioned, getting a little nosey.
“Well basically, there was nothing left for me there. I became the best at it, so I quit.�
“But why would you quit at something you’re the best at?�
“If you become the best at something and just continue doing that thing, you will never get better at anything else and never grow as a person,� she explained.
“Yeah, but don’t you miss it?� Lyonel asked.
“Let’s talk about something else, shall we?� she asked, trying to change the subject. “How about you? Find any girls that you’re interested in?�
“What?! No!� Lyonel shouted, caught off guard.
“Oh come on. You mean to tell me you can’t get a girlfriend with that handsome face?� she laughed.
“Not really. This face is what freaks them all out,� Lyonel said, getting glum. “It’s because of how different I look compared to them.�
Ms. Graze felt bad for bringing it up and upsetting Lyonel, “well if I was young again, I would be all over you!� she said, laughing harder by his reaction.
Lyonel almost tripped over his own feet as she said that, “Don’t say stuff like that!!!�
“What?! It’s the truth!� she began, continuing the teasing. “I mean, I can hardly control myself from pouncing on you right now,�
“Cut it out!� Lyonel yelled as she laughed. “You have a weird sense of humor.�
“Oh come on, you know I’m only ki-�
Ms. Graze started saying before noticing a small group of people in red hoods walking through the crowd. Her eyes squinted at the suspicious figures. There were only three of them. But they were concealing their identities with their hoods.
Lyonel looked over at them before stating, “don’t you think it is a little too hot for those thick hoods?�
“My thoughts exactly,� Ms. Graze agreed before walking up to the small pack.
“Excuse me, sir,� she began, resting her hand on one of the hooded figure’s shoulders.
The man turned around before stammering back and quickly looking away, not giving Ms. Graze enough time to get a look.
“Sir, I am talking to you,� she continued as she followed them.
“Stop them!� shouted a man that was running in their direction.
Ms. Graze turned to see who it was, “CJ? What are you talking about?�
“They’re intruders!� he yelled as the small group of men started running through the crowd.
Ms. Graze quickly turned and started running after them. She pushed through the thick crowd of people, not losing track of their bright red hoods as Lyonel started running to them as well. She finally caught up to one, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her, his hood still covering his face. He spun around to face her, greeting her with a kick. She swiftly blocked it with her forearm, and returned the favor with a kick from her. She planted her foot against his gut, knocking him back. He quickly regained his balance as she came at him with another kick. This time he blocked it with his palm. She threw two punches at him as he blocked them as well. He grabbed her arm, after she threw the second punch, and turned her so her back was facing him, giving him a perfect target to plant a kick on. She fell to the ground as he began to turn back around.
Lyonel went charging past Ms. Graze, shoving his shoulder into the intruder’s back. The man grunted, turning around and back-handing Lyonel, knocking him down to the ground as well. But it gave Ms. Graze enough time to get up as she went running after him again. She grabbed his hood, yanking it off as he turned to face her. His face was one she had seen before. His pale white skin, dark green eyes and long blonde hair in the same ponytail that she remembered it in.
“Kremlin?!� she exclaimed, stunned to where she didn’t notice CJ run past her and plant his fist on the man’s face, knocking him to the ground.
“You guys need to go make sure Sage is alright! That’s their target!� CJ ordered.
“B-but that’s Kr-� Ms. Graze started, shaking as she pointed.
“I know who he is! We can deal with that later. But right now, you guys need to get going! Now!� CJ yelled.
Ms. Graze was still frozen in place as Lyonel got up and grabbed her arm, “come on, Ms. Graze, we need to get going.
Lyonel pulled Ms. Graze along as they ran through the panicking crowd, heading to their village leader’s, Sage, hut. As they ran, they noticed all of the guards on the ground.
“How could two people take out all of these men,� Lyonel said, in shock.
The two of them made it to Sage’s hut, busting through the door just in time. Both men had their hoods down with Sage on the ground between them. Sage was pretty small, standing at just under five feet tall. He had no hair at the top of his head, but compensated for it with his long, white beard. One of the men had gold hair. But not like the Paltheon’s blonde. It was a shiny yellow tint. Short and spiked. His eyes were a complete white. No iris, no pupil. It sent shivers down Lyonel’s spine. The other man looked over at the interruptions, locking eyes with Lyonel. His eyes widened as Lyonel’s did. The intruder had dark skin with black hair and grey eyes. Lyonel had finally found someone that looked like him, and he was the enemy!
The man looked just as surprised as Lyonel did. Had he never seen someone that looked like him either? Or was it something else? Sage looked up at his saviors as he got up and quickly ran to them, sheltering behind them. The two men looked at each other as they exchanged nods. The man looked at Lyonel one last time before opening his hand, releasing a small rift that absorbed the both of them. And like that, they were gone, leaving Lyonel with even more questions about his existence than before.
Writer seeking Artist for anime styled comic
Moderator: Moderators
Welcome
Welcome to the world of comics Relms!
Since you're new I'll provide you with a few pointers. I've been doing comics since I was eighteen, seven years ago and once, I was in the same position you are now. However there are some things no one taught me, and which I will tell you.
Now this applies to all writing but starting your career on a long project is...a very bad idea. Not that there aren't people who have succeeded doing so (in fact I can name some webcomic people who have and continue to succeed) generally when people start off it's best to take baby steps first. In the case of a script write an 8-12 page short story. This is especially important for a beginning scripter because...frankly...no one wants to draw anything long term even if they are paid a standard rate... unless their working with someone they feel knows what their doing or a project that enthralls them. You see projects that have gone very long, like Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, often have multiple artists having worked on them. Given that you likely are not offering any rate at all you are going to find that artists are much more likely to hop on a project that's shorter...hell I was convinced by one artist once to write a four page script to accommodate her. So start with something small. It's a lot easier to do and it'll help your portfolio as well to have a finished narrative drawn rather than a tentative beginning.
Also something to realize...you aren't going to find a manga style on this forum. I don't think I've ever seen an artist here advertise with a true manga style on Zwol, and frankly the only place I think that has is mangaraiders.com which may be a better place to start. Truth is, manga is an Eastern thing and not big in the Western world compared to Western comics. You can tell particularly by there being comparatively few (And I mean more like three or less) publishers that will accept original Western manga, and the fact that finding a manga style has been incredibly hard to find whenever I myself have searched for it. Open yourself to other styles of art. It's very hard to find an artist to work with some-one just starting out and not paying, and if you're lucky you'll get maybe one artist who draws in an unconventional and amateurish style. This style will most likely be based on the American format, and when I solicit work from Artists I'll get an overwhelming number of that style and all its variety and forms. So my advice in that is not to draw the line in the sand at manga style for now. Simply getting a bite from artist will be a major victory for you now that you're beginning.
Lastly read this http://www.blambot.com/comicscript.shtml
I've experimented with a few styles (and still do) but this is the basic comic book scripting style. Learn it and base your scripts on this. You are now in the position to find an artist, and frankly you drew me in with what you had and although your structure is basic, you may just find someone. But keep your presentation professional! You are not asking a friend for help on a project, you are pitching to an assembly of investors on what your project is about and why said artist should invest in you! This pitching process is important and you have to sound like you're dedicated and mean business.
If you need any more pointers e-mail me, I'm at robert-finch@comcast.net (personal messages will be checked, but not nearly as quickly). Amateur comicing is incredibly frustrating considering how truly hard it is to find and hold together a team. I'll tell you this, if you don't find that you truly love the craft it's going to hard to move forward, because you have a very long road ahead of you. But while the road is long, there is light at the end.
Sincerely,
Robert Finch/Ruyei
Since you're new I'll provide you with a few pointers. I've been doing comics since I was eighteen, seven years ago and once, I was in the same position you are now. However there are some things no one taught me, and which I will tell you.
Now this applies to all writing but starting your career on a long project is...a very bad idea. Not that there aren't people who have succeeded doing so (in fact I can name some webcomic people who have and continue to succeed) generally when people start off it's best to take baby steps first. In the case of a script write an 8-12 page short story. This is especially important for a beginning scripter because...frankly...no one wants to draw anything long term even if they are paid a standard rate... unless their working with someone they feel knows what their doing or a project that enthralls them. You see projects that have gone very long, like Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, often have multiple artists having worked on them. Given that you likely are not offering any rate at all you are going to find that artists are much more likely to hop on a project that's shorter...hell I was convinced by one artist once to write a four page script to accommodate her. So start with something small. It's a lot easier to do and it'll help your portfolio as well to have a finished narrative drawn rather than a tentative beginning.
Also something to realize...you aren't going to find a manga style on this forum. I don't think I've ever seen an artist here advertise with a true manga style on Zwol, and frankly the only place I think that has is mangaraiders.com which may be a better place to start. Truth is, manga is an Eastern thing and not big in the Western world compared to Western comics. You can tell particularly by there being comparatively few (And I mean more like three or less) publishers that will accept original Western manga, and the fact that finding a manga style has been incredibly hard to find whenever I myself have searched for it. Open yourself to other styles of art. It's very hard to find an artist to work with some-one just starting out and not paying, and if you're lucky you'll get maybe one artist who draws in an unconventional and amateurish style. This style will most likely be based on the American format, and when I solicit work from Artists I'll get an overwhelming number of that style and all its variety and forms. So my advice in that is not to draw the line in the sand at manga style for now. Simply getting a bite from artist will be a major victory for you now that you're beginning.
Lastly read this http://www.blambot.com/comicscript.shtml
I've experimented with a few styles (and still do) but this is the basic comic book scripting style. Learn it and base your scripts on this. You are now in the position to find an artist, and frankly you drew me in with what you had and although your structure is basic, you may just find someone. But keep your presentation professional! You are not asking a friend for help on a project, you are pitching to an assembly of investors on what your project is about and why said artist should invest in you! This pitching process is important and you have to sound like you're dedicated and mean business.
If you need any more pointers e-mail me, I'm at robert-finch@comcast.net (personal messages will be checked, but not nearly as quickly). Amateur comicing is incredibly frustrating considering how truly hard it is to find and hold together a team. I'll tell you this, if you don't find that you truly love the craft it's going to hard to move forward, because you have a very long road ahead of you. But while the road is long, there is light at the end.
Sincerely,
Robert Finch/Ruyei
-
artinta
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:27 am
- Location: Santiago, Chile
- Contact:
Re: Writer seeking Artist for anime styled comic
estimates
 I wanted to offer my services as a cartoonist and illustrator.
Developing various techniques and styles, according to the project to develop.
Sector experience in publishing, design agency, advertising, 2D animation, graphic design and illustrations for online video games in Europe.
 I would love to offer my services for your project.
 I hope to be part of your team.
 To view portfolio visit my website:
 www.artinta.blogspot.com
 Best regards and prompt response
 Letelier Cesar Santana
 -Illustrator
 www.artinta.blogspot.com
 I wanted to offer my services as a cartoonist and illustrator.
Developing various techniques and styles, according to the project to develop.
Sector experience in publishing, design agency, advertising, 2D animation, graphic design and illustrations for online video games in Europe.
 I would love to offer my services for your project.
 I hope to be part of your team.
 To view portfolio visit my website:
 www.artinta.blogspot.com
 Best regards and prompt response
 Letelier Cesar Santana
 -Illustrator
 www.artinta.blogspot.com
Relms wrote:Hello. Let me tell you a little about myself first. I am 23 and I live in the u.s.a, sadly. I have a great imagination that has fueled my writing since I was 17. I've came up with ideas for numerous stories but have never actually completed one. And thats because I have an issue with descriptive writing. Writing scenery in detail just bores me. But if I had someone that could draw the images I have in my head, that would give me the motivation I need. I am currently working on a series that, if made into a comic, would have about 9 seasons with 100+ issues in it. Its something that I have brainstormed about for the past couple of years and is a massive fantasy story about a boy that lives in a world where his appearance doesn't resemble anyone else around him, causing him to wonder where he truly came from. Then comes a day when their village is attacked by a man that looks just like him. But before any questions can get asked, the man disappears into, what is later explained as another dimension. The story then follows the boy on his adventure to track down this man along with a few others as he travels between different dimensions, called Relms. He later finds out that there are seven Relms and he eventually ends up travelling to each one in pursuit of his identity, meeting many people and conflicts along the way. Its action, adventure, fantasy, a little bit of humor, a dash of romance, and enough unique creatures to fill anyones desire to create something of their own. Below, I have pasted the first chapter which is just a taste. If you like drawing the anime style, and feel like you could make a comic out of it, then please email me at heroproject@live.com. For now, this project will be just a hobby between us, until it can eventually be published and sold. So I wont be paying you yet, but you can get some good practice out of it. Once we do start making some money, I am more than willing to split it 60% for you and 40% for me, since I would see you as doing more of the hard work, personally. Here is the first chapter.
“Keep your legs planted, Lyonel! Don’t let that hog shove you around!� shouted his trainer, Samuel, from outside the fenced-in arena.
Lyonel, age seventeen and standing at five feet and nine inches, quickly threw his sword in front of him, blocking the tusks of the Battle Hog. The beast weighed almost three-hundred pounds more than Lionel and on all fours, stood at about four feet. His skin was made of hard ash with small cracks that smoked from time to time. The inner-core of the Battle Hog had liquid as hot as lava, causing his outside surface to be too hot to touch. His tusks grew to an average of a foot long and are often used in crafting some of the most durable of blades.
Lyonel did as he was told, pressing his feet into the soil as the Battle Hog slowly forced him further back. He could feel the entire weight of the Battle Hog, pressing against his wooden sword as he started to hear it splinter. He quickly side-stepped, causing the hog to fall to the ground, skidding across the dirt.
“HIIII-YAAAAH!� Lyonel shouted as he took his opening and jabbed his sword directly into the underside of the beast.
The Battle Hog gave a loud shriek as his body went limp.
“That’s it, kid!� Samuel said with joy as he threw his fist into the air.
Lyonel smiled as he knelt down beside the Battle Hog, asking, “are you alright, Zook?�
The hog sat motionless.
“C’mon, Zook. You can’t fool me. The dummy sword snapped in half when I stabbed you,� Lyonel snickered as he rubbed the battle hog’s tusks.
Zook’s eyes fluttered opened as he sat up, licking Lyonel’s shoulder.
“Oh stop,� Lyonel laughed. “I’m guessing that was as fun of a match for you as it was for me.�
Zook wagged his short tail in agreement as he trotted back to his owner, Samuel.
“You did good, Zook,� Samuel said as he patted the hog’s head with heat resistant gloves.
“I’m unstoppable!� shouted Lyonel with glee.
“Heh-heh. Calm down, champ. You don’t want to get too coc-�
“Impressive,� spoke a woman, interrupting Samuel, as she walked towards the group. “I’m quite surprised you were able to take on a Battle Hog that size at your age. But, how would you like a real challenge?�
“Ms. Graze?� Lyonel questioned.
She stood a couple of inches taller than Lyonel, and that wasn’t including her high-heels. But her age factored into their height difference, being almost a decade older than him. Her skin was pale white and she had flowing blonde hair that cascaded in curls over her shoulders. She wore black pants that were so tight, they could’ve been mistaken for her skin if they were white. Her top was even more revealing. Also black, with red seams, it was inches away from meeting with her pants and didn’t cover her shoulders, showing a considerable amount of cleavage.
She leaned forward to get eye-level with the young lad, “how about it, big boy? Care to wrestle with a matured woman?�
“No thanks, Ms. Graze. Don’t you have some older guys to tease?� Lyonel scoffed, looking away from her.
Ms. Graze wasn’t taking no for an answer. She moved back into his eyesight, pleading, “oh come on. Don’t tell me you’re afraid that you’re not actually unstoppable.�
“No way!� Lyonel shouted. “It’s just that… Well… My sword broke.�
Ms. Graze smiled, staring down at the ground, as she let out a little giggle, “It’s okay. I have a spare you can use. But it’s not like your toy sword. It’s a real one. I just hope you won’t go easy on me because I’m a girl. Because if you do,� she quickly looked up at him, glaring into his eye, “you will lose.�
Lyonel gulped before regaining his posture, staring back at her with fire in his eyes, “you’re on!�
“I don’t know about this, Lyonel,� Samuel spoke. “She has years of experience on you. She might not look like much, but she used to be a part of the Forest Battalion!�
Lyonel’s eyes widened. He had heard about the Forest Battalion before. Elite warriors trained to go past the forest that surrounded their village to kill truly threatening creatures for resources for their village. But usually, the only time people left the Battalion was in a box. He never heard of one quitting. This thought made him smirk.
“Heh. So you’re a quitter, huh?� he said, taunting her.
She cringed as she pulled out a sword for him, stabbing it into the ground in front of him before pulling out one for herself, “you don’t know what you’re talking about! Shut up and prepare yourself!�
Lyonel pulled his sword from the ground, almost losing his balance as he wasn’t prepared for its extra weight. His was the small one of the two but was still a little heavier than he was comfortable with wielding. And what surprised him even more was that she was carrying both of them on her and still had a perfect posture.
“I never introduced myself. I’m Ly-�
“I know who you are, Lyonel,� she interrupted once again, “your appearance gives you away.�
Lyonel was not like the others of the village. The Paltheons, the race that inhabited the village, had pale white skin with either blonde or red hair. But he was born with dark toned skin, black hair, grey eyes, and pointy ears.
His face turned stern as he grasped the sword with both hands and bent his knees, preparing to charge. His feet pressed off of the ground as he raced towards his new foe.
“HEEEEYAAAAH!� he yelled at the top of his lungs as he tightened his grip on the sword’s handle, swinging it with an upward, diagonal motion to cut across her chest.
She gasped before having just enough time to deflect his attack with her sword and jumping back to a safe distance.
“Woah! Easy little man! This is a sparring match! That could’ve seriously injured me!� she yelled at him before raising her own blade. “But you’re fast. I’ll give you that much.�
It was her turn to be on the attack. She rushed at him, sword at the ready. She gave her blade three good swings at him as he quickly deflected them, the third one making him fall over. She pointed the tip of her blade at his face.
“Game over.�
Lyonel smacked her blade away with his as he regained his footing, standing up and getting back in position. He took a swing at her head as she swiftly ducked, giving him time to land a kick against her gut, causing her to stumble back a few steps.
She gave a grunt as she held her stomach, “kid, you already lo-�
Lyonel interrupted her with another swipe from his sword. She barely had time to jump back as she saw the rage in his eyes.
She grinned as she mumbled to herself, “hmph. A sore-loser,�
“Quit talking to yourself and fight,� Lyonel said as he charged at her again, his sword’s tip pointing straight in her direction.
“This is going to be more enjoyable than I had first assumed,� she mumbled before hitting his sword with a down-ward strike, sticking his blade into the ground.
He quickly pulled it out but wasn’t fast enough as she landed a high-kick against his chin, sending him into the air before she hit him again with a kick against his gut. Lyonel went flying back as he rolled across the ground. Dust cleared as he was curled up in a ball. He laid there for a few more seconds as she started walking towards him. She stopped as she saw his body twitch. He let out a few coughs before grabbing at the soil, pulling his self towards his dormant sword, lying inches ahead of him.
“You just don’t give up, do you?� she sighed. “If you come at me again like you’ve been, it’s going to be a very painful end for you.�
Lyonel grabbed his sword as he stabbed it into the ground, pushing off of it to help him back on his feet. He wasn’t ready to give up yet. He raised his sword above his head as he charged at Ms. Graze for one last strike. The distance between them shrunk with every second that passed.
“HIIIIIIIII-� Lionel started, before his battle cry was interrupted.
Before he could swing down at her, she stopped him in his tracks, her sword pressed against his throat.
“You were so focused on your attack that you never thought about defense. You left yourself wide open with your sword in the air like that,� she said before lowering her sword. “As I said before. Game over.�
Lyonel’s arms fell to his side as he loosened his grip on the sword, letting it fall to the ground with a clunk.
“Bu-But I’ve been training for months. H-how could I have lost?�
“You should’ve listened to your trainer. I’ve trained for years. And with things that would eat that hog for breakfast,� she said as Lyonel fell to his knees.
She looked at him with sympathy, “but you have potential. One day, you might even be good enough to join the Forest Battalion.�
“You really think so?!� Lyonel said as he quickly looked up at her with a smile.
“Of course!� she said, smiling back. “You just need to train harder. You know, if you want, you can leave the old geezer and come train with me.�
“Hey!� Samuel said. “You better watch who you’re talking to!�
“Samuel?� Lyonel said, looking down.
“Huh? What is it, kid?� he responded.
“You, um, wouldn’t mind if I took Ms. Graze up on her offer, would you?� Lyonel asked, his voice trembling.
“Heh, heh, heh,� Samuel started snickering before bursting into laughter. “HAHAHAHAHA! Go ahead, kid. This old man needs a rest anyways.�
“You mean it?!�
“Sure, why not? It’s a great chance for you to grow. Besides, you can always visit me at my workshop,� Samuel suggested, talking about his blacksmithing business.
Lyonel shot him a smile before standing back up and glancing at his new trainer, “so when do I start, Ms. Graze?�
“We could start tomorrow if you want. But why not you and I go take a walk so we can get better acquainted?� Ms. Graze suggested, grinning.
Lyonel and Ms. Graze took their time walking through the village’s shopping square. Ms. Graze would multitask by getting her shopping done while bonding with her newly acquired pupil.
“So Ms. Graze,� Lyonel began.
“What is it?� she asked.
“Can I ask why you quit the Forest Battalion?� Lyonel questioned, getting a little nosey.
“Well basically, there was nothing left for me there. I became the best at it, so I quit.�
“But why would you quit at something you’re the best at?�
“If you become the best at something and just continue doing that thing, you will never get better at anything else and never grow as a person,� she explained.
“Yeah, but don’t you miss it?� Lyonel asked.
“Let’s talk about something else, shall we?� she asked, trying to change the subject. “How about you? Find any girls that you’re interested in?�
“What?! No!� Lyonel shouted, caught off guard.
“Oh come on. You mean to tell me you can’t get a girlfriend with that handsome face?� she laughed.
“Not really. This face is what freaks them all out,� Lyonel said, getting glum. “It’s because of how different I look compared to them.�
Ms. Graze felt bad for bringing it up and upsetting Lyonel, “well if I was young again, I would be all over you!� she said, laughing harder by his reaction.
Lyonel almost tripped over his own feet as she said that, “Don’t say stuff like that!!!�
“What?! It’s the truth!� she began, continuing the teasing. “I mean, I can hardly control myself from pouncing on you right now,�
“Cut it out!� Lyonel yelled as she laughed. “You have a weird sense of humor.�
“Oh come on, you know I’m only ki-�
Ms. Graze started saying before noticing a small group of people in red hoods walking through the crowd. Her eyes squinted at the suspicious figures. There were only three of them. But they were concealing their identities with their hoods.
Lyonel looked over at them before stating, “don’t you think it is a little too hot for those thick hoods?�
“My thoughts exactly,� Ms. Graze agreed before walking up to the small pack.
“Excuse me, sir,� she began, resting her hand on one of the hooded figure’s shoulders.
The man turned around before stammering back and quickly looking away, not giving Ms. Graze enough time to get a look.
“Sir, I am talking to you,� she continued as she followed them.
“Stop them!� shouted a man that was running in their direction.
Ms. Graze turned to see who it was, “CJ? What are you talking about?�
“They’re intruders!� he yelled as the small group of men started running through the crowd.
Ms. Graze quickly turned and started running after them. She pushed through the thick crowd of people, not losing track of their bright red hoods as Lyonel started running to them as well. She finally caught up to one, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her, his hood still covering his face. He spun around to face her, greeting her with a kick. She swiftly blocked it with her forearm, and returned the favor with a kick from her. She planted her foot against his gut, knocking him back. He quickly regained his balance as she came at him with another kick. This time he blocked it with his palm. She threw two punches at him as he blocked them as well. He grabbed her arm, after she threw the second punch, and turned her so her back was facing him, giving him a perfect target to plant a kick on. She fell to the ground as he began to turn back around.
Lyonel went charging past Ms. Graze, shoving his shoulder into the intruder’s back. The man grunted, turning around and back-handing Lyonel, knocking him down to the ground as well. But it gave Ms. Graze enough time to get up as she went running after him again. She grabbed his hood, yanking it off as he turned to face her. His face was one she had seen before. His pale white skin, dark green eyes and long blonde hair in the same ponytail that she remembered it in.
“Kremlin?!� she exclaimed, stunned to where she didn’t notice CJ run past her and plant his fist on the man’s face, knocking him to the ground.
“You guys need to go make sure Sage is alright! That’s their target!� CJ ordered.
“B-but that’s Kr-� Ms. Graze started, shaking as she pointed.
“I know who he is! We can deal with that later. But right now, you guys need to get going! Now!� CJ yelled.
Ms. Graze was still frozen in place as Lyonel got up and grabbed her arm, “come on, Ms. Graze, we need to get going.
Lyonel pulled Ms. Graze along as they ran through the panicking crowd, heading to their village leader’s, Sage, hut. As they ran, they noticed all of the guards on the ground.
“How could two people take out all of these men,� Lyonel said, in shock.
The two of them made it to Sage’s hut, busting through the door just in time. Both men had their hoods down with Sage on the ground between them. Sage was pretty small, standing at just under five feet tall. He had no hair at the top of his head, but compensated for it with his long, white beard. One of the men had gold hair. But not like the Paltheon’s blonde. It was a shiny yellow tint. Short and spiked. His eyes were a complete white. No iris, no pupil. It sent shivers down Lyonel’s spine. The other man looked over at the interruptions, locking eyes with Lyonel. His eyes widened as Lyonel’s did. The intruder had dark skin with black hair and grey eyes. Lyonel had finally found someone that looked like him, and he was the enemy!
The man looked just as surprised as Lyonel did. Had he never seen someone that looked like him either? Or was it something else? Sage looked up at his saviors as he got up and quickly ran to them, sheltering behind them. The two men looked at each other as they exchanged nods. The man looked at Lyonel one last time before opening his hand, releasing a small rift that absorbed the both of them. And like that, they were gone, leaving Lyonel with even more questions about his existence than before.