Blood for Blood

And then, Trace spared a caged vixen.

"If you set out on the path of revenge, dig two graves." Remember who you avenge, not just why. Nice art, very good message.

"I slaughtered them like animals. Not just the men but the women and children too"

Tragedy begets further tragedy. The rage in Trace's eyes and the pain in Saria's. Heavy piece!

Keith would do something similar to humans if he saw Laura as a slave

Lay all your guilt out in front of you, Trace. What do you blame yourself for? Trace: *meditates* "... I failed to protect [her]... ... I... I killed all of those people...!"

Poor Saria.

So this is the dark side that keeps trying to reassert itself. Nasty piece of work.

Oof. Poor Saria. Trying so hard to change someone you love, only to watch him backslide to something even WORSE when you die. Here's hoping we never have to witness this side of Trace again in the comic going forward. Excellent work, Tom. Congrats, Dan!

Trace: "...You two." *Points at young Clovis and Brutus.* Clovis and Brutus: *Whimpering.* Trace: "You may live. Tell all your wolven friends what you have witnessed here. This is the price of incurring my wrath. Now... GO!" Clovis and Brutus: *Yelp and run away.* Brahn: "Well. I certainly don't foresee letting those two live causing any problems for us down the line." Trace, seething: "And just what do you... foresee?" Brahn: "U-uh... A bright and prosperous future for humankind and the Templars?" Trace: "Hmm." *Wanders off through the devastation.* Brahn, under his breath: "...Led by their next Grand Templar."

Wow, This turned out amazing, even better than I expected. Tom really nailed the expressions, from Trace's grief-fuelled anger, to Saria's blend of horror and desperation. Then there's the blood and embers swirling around him, with the crackling of pure, barely contained magic. Finally, there's the background, where you can glimpse some of the carnage and destruction in his wake. It all comes together to form a truly emotional and tragic scene.

Saria: "I told y-you to let <i>me</i> make the sandwi-wi-wih-chesss!" ;-; Trace: "I can make them just FINE. all. by. MYSELF!" *what's thought to be jelly continues splattering alarmingly everywhere*

Oh God, the handprint

"I can see my husband, marching through fields of fresh-spilled blood.' 'I try to reach him, to hold him back from this horrible path...but my hand is ether.' 'He kills again, and again, all in my name. I don't want this-this can't be how he seeks to remember me!' 'I want to come back to him, to tell him to stop, but my screams are silent agony in the uncaring void.' 'Come back to me, Trace. Please, don't make them suffer as you have...please, come back.' '...But I am mist and memory, and he cannot heed my pleas..."

Honestly I always love seeing the sheer power and brutality of Trace. It’s like watching Anakin slaughter the Tusken Raiders.

"The is the old days, the bad days, the all-or-nothing days. Blood for blood, and by the gallon."

I don't know what is scarier; this side of Trace still lingering somewhere inside wishing to get out, or that Trace will have to answer for his genocide eventually, and especially considering how we as readers sympathize with him. Who is going to blame him for wanting to find peace in obscurity with Flora and their child... or the Keidran calling for his head for so many of their kind, friends and family, that were killed.

All this murder of all those innocent keidrans just to Avenge someone who never wanted any one this, I feel sorry for Saria to see all of this. It just hurts to even watch this. I'm curious to see what this looks like when it's colored.

Ouch

Oh man, this absolutely NEEDS to be colored. This is amazing

What a brutal scene, poor saria