NEW PROSE, LIVESTREAM UPDATES, AND SEB'S BIRTHDAY BASH!
WARRIORS IN GARDENS
When riders of Lord Haldmir came upon Grem's brick-and-thatch cottage hidden among the rolling hills of Valenwood, the sky had already bruised in its battle with the night to come. The old warrior knew what they would ask before the first hoofbeat reached him.
He was irritated. His knees ached and his back was stiff from planting tomatoes in a patch he'd finally had the time to enjoy. Conquest always took longer than promised. That much, a soldier learned early. But he was retired now and could finally taste the fruit of his own patience. Wind crept low through the hills, carrying the iron smell that always came before rain, and men dressed for war.
He was also tired. Not of battle nor bloodshed, but of the men who sent him into lands they dared not tread themselves. He understood, now, why so many lords never fought their own wars. They feared failure, sure—but it was something more primal than that. They were afraid of the sword, a killing thrust away, whether on the battlefield, in the arena, the streets, or the open road. They were afraid of man, and of the intimacy of death. Some feared the monster coiled inside, though few were brave enough to face it, let alone tame it.
Fear was what drove men to do heinous things, before their enemy could do worse to them first. Fear was why Lord Haldmir sent four riders instead of two, in case Grem refused. His reputation warranted six—but salt seasoned his black beard more than pepper these days, and Haldmir's men had counted on that, too. The only thing Grem feared anymore was other men thinking him a coward. Today, he was too irritated to care even about that.
Grem rose from the muck unhurried, a mountain who had decided to move. His mud-stained tunic hung loose across a frame built for breaking things—shoulders too wide for the doorway behind him, large arms scarred pale beneath the dirt. He wiped his callused hands on his trousers and kept his eyes fixed to the horizon. They were the color of unsheathed steel, and just as cold.
The riders crested the foggy hill as the first drops began to fall, dark shapes against a dimming sky, hooves thudding, thunder rolling somewhere beyond the ridge, and somewhere deep within the old warrior.
The warriors reined in before him, hands twitching on pommels. "No," was all he said, as rain ran through his long coarse beard.
Hello Stranger!
I will be finishing up some prose on our Stranger Comics Patreon for Patreon members only! I am developing a lot more stories set in Asunda that I am super excited to share with you!
This weekly newsletter is a short one as I am recovering from some gruesome fun at the dentist’s office, so there will no live tonight either. I will be back next week, and for my birthday bash!
AUGUST 29 SEB’S BIRTHDAY BASH
On Saturday, August 29th at 12:00PM PST – 1:00PM PST, Patreon members get a first look at the birthday bash exclusives. I will send out the Zoom link via Patreon!
Then, from 1:00PM PST – 6:00PM PST, everyone is invited to join the fun! If we hit 100 likes, you get another FREE Exclusive!
>>>SEB’S BIRTHDAY BASH – HIT SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY/LIKE HERE<<<
SUPPORT YOUR LCS! STRANGER COMICS PULL LIST!
Also – a huge thank you to everyone who is grabbing Defiant issue #3 and The Untamed issue #1 at their LCS! It really lets them know we have a voice and keeps them knowing about Stranger Comics! Please put Stranger on your pull list!
Much love! And see you next week!
Seb
P.S. We are in shipping crazyland! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.