I loved the story and figured I'd might as well post it here. If you guys find it interesting, I'll keep posting chapters. Enjoy~! whee heart
Chapter 1: The Moon and the Model Airplane
Page 1
[Music change]
[Picture: A boy with a toy airplane, under a full moon.]
I slipped through the back door while the
the radio filled the air with piano sonata.
Crossing the backyard, I peeked
through the window to see Grandma
knitting under the light of the lamp.
"Now's my chance!" I thought, as
I opened the fence and darted
away with my homemade rubber-band
airplane in my hands again.
Page 2
[Footsteps]
Heading straight for my destination, I
ran up the mountain. Patches of flowers,
lit pale-blue from the moonlight, swayed
with my footsteps.
"Phew..."
Reaching the open riverside field far
from town, I took a short breath and
walked toward the stream.
The cold air sneaks into the neckline
of my short-sleeved shirt.
Page 3
"Ooh, it's cold!"
Looking up at the full moon that paints
the world blue, my breath turned white.
Although it's just passed August, autumn
has already begun in these mountains.
On days like this, when the temperature
drops greatly at night, it's a great
time to take advantage of the wind
updrafts to fly my plane.
Page 4
I ready my aircraft and wait.
Page 5
The time is ripe...
"Go!"
I release my beloved machine SK-13
into the sky and it successfully
catches the upward current.
"Yay! Just as I calculated! Huh...?"
My SK-13 kept floating on the draft and
drifted along without lowering altitude.
"H-Hey!"
How far is it going to fly? Having no
idea what to do, I chased after it.
Page 6
"Ugh!"
Seeing where the craft landed, I gasped.
The dark silhouette of an old, derelict
castle... I-It's the house of the
blood sucking monsters of the night!!
But...
I can't just leave my first
successful aircraft behind...
Dragging my shaky feet, I
head towards the castle.
Page 7
"It's spooky..."
My body shakes as I look up at the gates
carved with devil ornaments all over it.
Do you think I'm chicken?
Maybe so, but I'm just an eleven year old.
I don't think anyone would blame me.
"There's no use standing around, Jack.
You gotta go!"
I pumped myself up and opened the gates.
Page 8
[rumble of opening gates]
Climbing up the crumbling stairs,
I looked down on the ruins from
the terrace.
A cracked goddess idol was looking up
at me with vacant eyes. The castle must
have been beautiful in its day.
How sad it is to see it so run down.
Page 9
Oh, well.
I'm not here to be sentimental.
"It should be around here... Ugh."
Pushing myself through the broken
fence, I found what was left of my
SK-13 and let off a long sigh.
"What tough luck..."
Feeling exhausted, I sank down
and leaned against the fence.
Page 10
[End picture]
Then suddenly, I felt a looming
presence behind me. As I swiftly
stood up, something jumped at
me from the darkness!! I-I-Is it
the rumored monster!?
Page 11
[Music change]
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!"
I rolled forward and turned to
see what was behind me. I turned
pale as I saw my would-be assailant.
There it stood with glowing red
eyes, a wolf with steel-blue fur!!
"Uwaaaaahhh!!"
I let off a pitiful scream
as I avoided its lunge.
Page 12
Having no weapons or special skills,
I can't expect to win against a wolf
just by evading his attacks.
I started losing my breath and my
legs grew heavy. I can't turn my
back to him and run away either.
and laughed at me. Oh, Jack... To die so
young at the tender age of eleven...
Page 13
No... I can't die yet!!
I opened my eyes wide and stared into
his. Glaring at each other, I slowly
nudged toward the opening in the
terrace fence.
When I reached the point, I looked away.
"Grrr...Grrooooaaa!!"
It jumped towards me with incredible
speed!
Page 14
Just as I planned!!
I jumped towards the wolf
with a rolling somersault!
Please, make him drop from
the terrace!!
Page 15
But, my prayer was not heard. The wolf
jumped over my head, but twisted his
body to avoid the opening in the fence.
The sound of falling rocks crashed.
The wolf let off an irritated snort and
leapt at me with a graceful bound!
It's the end, oh, God help me!!
[Music stops]
Page 16
But the deadly blow I expected never
came. I opened my eyes cautiously.
Page 17
[A loud crash like thunder]
That's when I saw it: A small shadow
coming out of the moonlight! A red
ray of light fired from its finger!!
As I stood breathless, the wolf slowly
dropped in front of me. A long cape
flapped gently in the breeze.
Page 18
[Music change]
Landing with a light tap, the
shadow stood in front of me.
"What the...?"
I couldn't believe my eyes.
The shadow belonged to a cute girl!!
Page 19
As I sat there wonder-struck, she
snapped her fingers and called a small
machine that was floating in the air.
"So the motor sound I heard came from
this," I thought while trying to regain
my senses.
"Are you all right?"
Asked the girl with a rather high voice.
Page 20
As I nodded up and down, she smiled
faintly.
"Good.
So, what brings you here?"
She ran her fingers through her long
blonde hair, curled at the tips.
Her hair was very pretty, but...
When I looked at her eyes, I broke
into a cold sweat.
Page 21
Her eyes are red!?
Is she the blood sucking monster!?
Before I knew it, I was screaming out,
"P-Please, I don't taste good!!"
Watching me slide back on the ground,
she smiled with a strangely sad face.
From between her red lips, long white
fangs glowed. She quietly approached
me as I sat half-frozen with fear.
Page 22
"I have no interest in a youngster's
blood. You haven't answered my
question yet. What brings you here?"
The long iris of her eyes glared at me.
I felt like a mouse hunted by a cat.
Page 23
"I-I-I...c-c-came for my aircraft..."
"Aircraft?"
She asked while tilting her small head.
"Uhh, y-y-yes. Hear it is..."
I showed her the aircraft in my hands.
Page 24
"Don't be so stiff.
You need not be so frightened."
Laughing wryly, she took the craft
into her hands.
How can I not be petrified?
It's impossible to feel relaxed
in this situation.
Page 25
"Hmmm..."
With a serious expression on her face,
she examined the shape of the wing and
the rubber band power mechanism.
It felt kind of awkward, as if she was a
teacher grading a test in front of me.
Page 26
"Hmm. It's built well. For a youngster
living only ten years or so, that is."
She grinned as she returned the craft
to me.
"Thanks...I guess..."
Hearing my snotty remark, she
broke a smile again.
Page 27
"My apologies. I meant it as a
compliment. As a Crimson Noble, I'm
not well versed in human nature."
"Huh...? A Crimson Noble?"
I said with a dumbfounded voice.
Did I hear that right?
Page 28
But Crimson Nobles... they commonly
appear in comic strips as the immortal,
beautiful, and legendary race of night
walkers in search of human blood.
So the girl in front of me is telling me
she's one of these Crimson Nobles?
Page 29
"That's correct."
Nodding with an air of arrogance,
she indeed shows characteristics
of the legendary Crimson Noble.
"So, what do you intend to do
with the craft?"
"..."
Page 30
I wasn't about to tell her everything,
but she did save my life...and I was
quite rude to her, wasn't I?
"I was experimenting with it so I can
one day make an aircraft large enough
to soar in the sky with."
Page 31
"I see... That is quite an ordeal."
She said in a patronizing manner.
(What kind of answer is that? It's
not like I'm doing this as a joke!)
Feeling flustered, my mouth slipped.
"It's not nice to laugh at someone's
dream after you asked to hear about it."
This was the first time I ever told
this to anyone.
Page 32
"Oh, I was not laughing at your dream."
"Then what's so funny!?"
Without heeding to my question,
"Here, here, don't get so touchy.
Perhaps I can help you achieve
your dream?"
She then pressed a button on a
mechanical band wrapped around
her wrist.
Page 33
[A loud crash]
"Uwahhhhhh!!"
I screamed again, surprised much
more than last time.
I think even a grown-up would've
screamed loudly at this one.
Page 34
The place that was a ruin just a
second ago was now a shiny new castle!!
"Holy jeepers..."
The girl held out her hand towards
me and led me into the castle.
Page 35
Inside the castle were machines that I
had never seen before. I was still
stunned, but I followed her quietly.
Page 36
[Door with a rusty hinge opening]
Passing through several rooms, she
opened the double doors to a big room.
"Oh... Wow..."
The room was filled with books ten
times, no, hundreds of times bigger
than the school library!!
Page 37
[Picture: The Crimson Noble in front of many books]
"This is incredible..."
I was awestruck, finding books
like "The Basics of Wind Power"
and "The Lost Flying Machine"
that I always wanted.
"How is it? Do you like it?"
Turning towards her, she was
smiling with her arms crossed.
Page 38
"There are many books here that
will help in your research.
Come here to read whenever you like.
I will set a transporter connecting
to the town for easy access."
Page 39
"That's very generous of you, but...
Why are you so kind to me?"
My fear of her was long gone.
It was strange, but there was something
in common between me and her that made
me drop my guard.
Page 40
"Hmm... Well..."
She paused to choose her words.
"Well what?"
"I know...
I will answer you when you have
successfully constructed the aircraft
and take me to the sky with you."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"Hahaha. Remember, it's a promise."
She chuckled as she leaned against
the bookshelf.
Page 41
Trying to thank her, I realized,
"Hey, what should I call you?"
"You seem to need to learn
common social grace..."
Said the girl with an impish smile.
Page 42
"Have you ever been taught to
introduce yourself first before
asking a person's name?"
"I...I guess you're right..."
I scratched my neck and straightened up.
Page 43
"My name is Jack Beckson.
I'm an eleven year old living with my
grandma in Quartly, south from here."
Nodding firmly, she faced me and said,
"I am Marivel Armitage.
Master of the Crimson Castle."
"Nice to meet you, Marivel."
Marivel shook the hand that I
held out and grinned.
Page 44
This is how I met Marivel.
