As the first light of dawn stretched across the rugged peaks of Sky Edge, the scurrying figure of Nutmeg, the squirrel, could be seen deftly navigating the jagged rocks. Lena was never far behind, her movements fluid and graceful from years of climbing the mountain. Trailing her trusty companion, they climbed higher into the cragged terrain. When they reached a small landing, Nutmeg was already there, eagerly sniffing at a mushroom as large as he was. Lena always brought her beloved pet along on these excursions, his sharp ears providing a vital early warning against any potential raiders. His playful gait and large tail brightened Lena’s mood and made her forget, even if only for a moment, the harsh realities of her mountain farm life.
Lena settled into a prone position, facing west towards a barely visible path that she knew was a favorite trail for raiders looking to loot her family farm. She removed her unusual backpack, a sophisticated construction of metal and propellers that could only be described as an origami-like creation, and tucked it securely into a crevice in the rocks. With her backpack safely hidden, Lena turned her attention to Nutmeg, who was now happily munching on a mushroom. Despite the potential danger that may lie ahead, the squirrel seemed blissfully unaware. Lena took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air as she unshouldered her rifle.
It wasn’t long before Nutmeg finished his meal and alertly pricked up his ears toward the trail. Lena held her breath, straining to listen for any potential danger, but her human ears couldn’t pick up anything beyond the gentle rustle of the wind. Nutmeg peered down the trail once more before bounding over to Lena and climbing onto the leather shoulder pad her mother had made especially for her pet squirrels. This was a wise choice, as too many of her tops had been ruined by sharp little claws leaving puncture holes and tears. Together, they waited in mutual silence, keenly attuned to their surroundings.
The subtle sound of a stone tumbling down the trail confirmed Nutmeg had heard something. A set of antlers with a few twists emerged from behind the rocks. Lena relaxed as the rest of the creature appeared, it’s nostrils, numbering four, sniffing the air. It was a young Cloudjumper, as evidenced by its small antlers, each with just a few bends. Gills on its neck, reminiscent of a fish, moved in waves as it sniffed the thin mountain air. Cloudjumper’s were the only animals that came this far up, and its presence meant there was no one else on the mountain this morning.
Lena waited for it to pass, it stopped at the mushroom Nutmeg had been eating and gulped it down in one bite with purple lips. It strode away on long thin legs, oblivious to her and Nutmeg. She paused until she could no longer smell its unique musk, stood up, brushed some debris from her bandoliers, gathered her pack, rifle, and smiled as the sun’s rays emerged from behind the mountian and began its daily task of burning away the fog. Sky Edge wasn’t high enough for snow capped peaks like it’s larger twin, Star Crest, but it did a great job at catching clouds. Lena began her chores with the rising sun and headed to the first grouping of Anchor Root, the precious plant her family had been gathering for fifteen years.
Adjusting her goggles from her wide-brimmed hat to her brown eyes, she twisted a dial on the goggles, adjusting their spectrum band until they hilighted the faint glow that a ripe Anchor Root plant emits, invisible to the naked eye. The plants grew in clusters of five, but only two ripened at a time, and only the ripe bulbs provided the unique healing properties that made the Anchor Root so desired. Lena had discovered the glow accidentally while playing with a pair of her father’s goggles.
Lena spotted the ethereal glow of two ripe plants in a nearby cluster and nimbly made her way across the rocky landscape to them. The Anchor Root only grew on Sky Edge and Star Crest, and then only high up in patches of yellowish-purple moss known as Rootweave. Lena’s family had learned to cultivate the patches of Rootweave, which naturally attracted the Anchor Root seeds. She pulled a sharp trowel from her bandolier and began to carefully dig a circle around the bulb. The Anchor Root fruit was not much bigger than her fist, but each one weighed more than her by quite a bit.
Nutmeg hopped to the ground from his leather perch and explored the nearby hillside, hoping to find more to eat as Lena excavated a wide ring around the Anchor Root bulb, being careful not to damage the delicate fruit. She unfolded her backpack and, with a few twists and taps, assembled it into a hovering platform with six evenly spaced divots, each precisely the size of an Anchor Root bulb. She pulled a mechanical arm from under the platform and positioned the loop at its end near the circular trench she had dug. Gripping the purple bulb in her fingerless gloves, the palms of which were textured to keep it from slipping, Lena used one strong movement to pull it from the ground and deposit it on the loop. Maneuvering the arm over the closest empty divot, she lowered it down and opened the loop, letting the heavy bulb drop into place. The platform bobbed and swayed under the weight, its small propellers whirring to return to level.
“One,” Lena said out loud as she stretched, glancing around for Nutmeg who was nowhere to be seen now that real work was needed. She crouched back down and began digging a large circle around the other ripe Anchor Root bulb.
“Only 20 more to go,” she thought. Lena’s father had found that leaving a ripe bulb in one of the clusters increased the Anchor Root’s seed generation significantly. Lena peered through the disappearing morning mist at her family’s modest home tucked into the side of the mountain, more than 5 kilometers away. She sighed, wishing the young Cloudjumper had actually been raiders. “At least it’s all downhill.”
Comic:
Page 1:
Panel 1: Establishing shot of Sky Edge as the first light of dawn stretches across the rugged peaks.
Panel 2: Close-up of Nutmeg scurrying across the jagged rocks.
Panel 3: Lena is shown following Nutmeg, her movements fluid and graceful.
Panel 4: The two reach a small landing and Nutmeg is seen sniffing at a mushroom.
Page 2:
Panel 1: Lena is shown settling into a prone position, facing west towards a barely visible path.
Panel 2: Lena is shown removing her backpack and tucking it into a crevice in the rocks.
Panel 3: Lena turns her attention to Nutmeg, who is now happily munching on a mushroom.
Panel 4: Lena unshoulders her rifle.
Page 3:
Panel 1: Nutmeg alerts Lena to potential danger by pricking up his ears toward the trail.
Panel 2: Lena holds her breath and strains to listen for any potential danger, but can’t pick up anything beyond the gentle rustle of the wind.
Panel 3: Nutmeg climbs onto Lena’s leather shoulder pad as the two wait in mutual silence, keenly attuned to their surroundings.
Panel 4: The subtle sound of a stone tumbling down the trail is heard.
Page 4:
Panel 1: Antlers with a few twists emerge from behind the rocks.
Panel 2: A young Cloudjumper is seen, sniffing the air.
Panel 3: Lena relaxes as the Cloudjumper gulps down a mushroom and strides away on long thin legs.
Panel 4: Lena stands up, gathers her pack, rifle, and smiles as the sun’s rays emerge from behind the mountain.
Page 5:
Panel 1: Lena is shown adjusting her goggles as she heads to the first grouping of Anchor Root.
Panel 2: Lena twists a dial on the goggles, adjusting the spectrum band until they highlight the faint glow of the ripe Anchor Root plants.
Panel 3: Lena nimbly makes her way across the rocky landscape to the ethereal glow of two ripe plants.
Panel 4: Lena pulls a sharp trowel from her bandolier and begins to carefully dig a circle around the bulb.
Page 6:
Panel 1: Nutmeg explores the nearby hillside as Lena excavates a wide ring around the Anchor Root bulb.
Panel 2: Lena unfolds her backpack and assembles it into a hovering platform with six evenly spaced divots.
Panel 3: Lena pulls a mechanical arm from under the platform and positions the loop near the circular trench.
Panel 4: Lena grips the purple bulb in her fingerless gloves and uses one strong movement to pull it from the ground.
Page 7:
Panel 1: Lena maneuvering the arm over the closest empty divot.
Panel 2: Lena lowers the bulb down and opens the loop, letting the heavy bulb drop into place.
Panel 3: The platform is shown bobbing and swaying under the weight, its small propellers whirring to return to level.
Panel 4: Lena says “One.”
