Hinjo reveals the location of Soon's Gate.
Cast[]
- Roy Greenhilt ◀ ▶
- Belkar Bitterleaf ◀ ▶
- Lord Hinjo ◀ ▶
- Miko Miyazaki ◀ ▶
- O-Chul ◀ ▶
- Lien ▶
- The Snarl ◀ ▶
Transcript[]
- Panel 1
Miko is chained up and laying on a stretcher carried by O-Chul
O-Chul: I believe Mistress Miyazaki is properly secured for transport.
O-Chul: A terrible shame, if you ask me. She was our finest warrior.
Roy: You're not going to try to escape on the way to the prison tower, right?
Belkar: I considered it, but decided I'd never be able to forgive myself if I missed the chance to see Miko waking up in a jail cell.
- Panel 2
Roy: Hey Hinjo, we're ready when you are.
Hinjo examines the damaged throne
Hinjo: OK, I'm ready, the damage appears to be mostly superficial.
Roy: Doesn't that just figure? You finally get to sit in the big chair, and someone goes and rends it nearly in twain first.
Hinjo: Oh, I'm not complaining. If Miko had leaned a few inches to the left, we'd be screwed.
Hinjo: Well, more screwed.
- Panel 3
Roy: Heh, how could we possibly be more...
Roy: Wait, what are you saying?
Hinjo: The five Gates were built around natural breaches in the Snarl's prison. Those breaches varied widely in size, from the largest breach in the Redmountain Hills...
- Panel 4
The scene shifts back to the throne
Hinjo (inset): ...to the smallest breach, in the skies above Azure City. It was so tiny that Dorukan and Lirian were capable of using a single gemstone to seal it.
- Panel 5
Zoom in closer on the throne. The Snarl is visible inside the sapphire on it
Hinjo (inset): The throne, the platform, even this entire castle was built around that single sapphire.
Hinjo (inset): Soon didn't pick the name "Sapphire Guard" out of a hat, you know.
- Panel 6
The scene returns to Roy and Hinjo.
Roy: So who's the genius that decided that your ruler should sit on top of the god-eating monstrosity, anyway??
Hinjo: Soon again. By putting the Lord of the City in the same room as the gate, no one would question why the tower was so heavily defended.
- Panel 7
Hinjo: Personally, I think he also liked the idea that the Lord of the City would be reminded of what was at stake every time he sat down.
Hinjo: I mean, my uncle literally had the Snarl looking over his shoulder every day.
- Panel 8
Roy: Couldn't we just move the gem? Use it to lure Xykon away from the city, maybe?
Hinjo: Won't work. The gem seals the Gate. Move it, and you risk opening the—
Belkar:NO!!
- Panel 9
Roy: What? What is it?
Roy: Did she get loose?
Belkar: If she lost all her paladin powers... then I'll NEVER get to kill that horse of hers!!!
- Panel 10
Roy: Oh, you've got to be kidding me...
Belkar: Well gosh golly, Roy, I'm so sorry everyone else's stunning revelations aren't story-based enough for you.
- Panel 11
Belkar: "Whine, whine, whine, I'm Roy and I want more plot points!"
Belkar: We can't all be the straight man, you know! Some of us tell jokes for a living!
Trivia[]
- This is the first appearance of Lien, the aquatic paladin.