Ghede: Guerrier Extraordinaire #8: Pages 17-18

Page 17, 6 Panels- Kagu-Tsuchi's Mountaintop Dwelling Panel 1-2: Side shot of Ghede a handful of feet from where we last saw her in the last panel of the previous page. She lets go of the handle to her sword and glides forward, searching for her intended target. You can see in the background a collection of Japanese characters which spell "Abandon hope..." And in Panel 2, we see the tail end of that sentence spelled out in English "All ye who enter!" All the while, the Haitian guerrier doesn't notice the writing. GHEDE [translated from Haitian Creole; Panel 1]: I can't wait to get the hells out of this place and back home! Back to the sweet aroma of fresh Poulet Aux Noix... GHEDE [Cont., excited/aroused grin; Panel 2]: And the many dam bèl, dressed in their finer silks that expertly caress their-- Panel 3: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. Ghede stops around the middle of the right section of the panel view. Her eyes are drawn down in the direction of a mysterious rhythm emanating off-panel, which catches her attention as well as her curiosity. Panel 4: Cut to a shot in the distance of the lit cabinlike hallway. To the left, there's the wooden exterior of the wall that we have seen throughout the whole of the page. Far in the distance though, at the edge of the last of the six orbs which have lit Ghede's way, we see an opening with metal lining. It looks somewhat like a doggie door, and is also the source of the sound that appeared somewhat in Panel 3. Panel 5: Back to a close-up on the Haitian guerrier as she slowly glides up in the direction of the music, which grows in sound and tempo. Her curiosity growing noticeably in her silver eyes compared to when we last saw her in Panel 3. The latter half of the message appearing somewhat alongside her as she moved. GHEDE [on the tip of her tongue, listening to the sound]: That music...I know I've heard it before... Panel 6: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. Our titular heroine stops her forward movement for a brief period. The background to the side of her showing the tail end of "Abandon hope...all ye who enter." Her eyes widen upon the sudden appearance of the answer in her head. GHEDE [relieved]: Happy End! Page 18, 5 Panels- Kagu-Tsuchi's Mountaintop Dwelling Panel 1: Same setting as the last panel of the previous page. The layout widens to take in the rest of Ghede's body, which has quickened in discovery of this result. A look of excitement still present on her body as she moves toward the unseen target. The volume to the music is also louder than it was since its introduction in Panel 5. GHEDE [Cont., translated from Haitian Creole]: Never thought I'd be so happy to hear homogenous '70s Japanese rock. Panel 2: Cut to a similar type of side shot that we saw early on in the last page. A few moments have passed by, and Ghede starts to go into a phase of invisibility. Which is seen in the panel view by her body going into a bit of an outline as she moves. Her face now firmly in an all business position at this point. GHEDE: Now to get into my comfy asskicking position and... Panel 3: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. The Haitian guerrier suddenly stops her speedy procession just as she's about to reach the small doorway. Her ears picking up a strange discordance in the music. In the background, you can see the little section of wall start to push forward from the area in the direction of our heroine. GHEDE [pondering, with her eyes looking up slightly to the right]: Wait a moment...the music just changed! Panel 4: Same setting as the previous panel. The layout centers around Ghede's face a couple of precious seconds later. The mysterious bulge that was present in the previous panel has moved further away from its original position, forming an almost half-bubble. GHEDE [Cont., still thinking while a creeping sense of danger sets in]: If I didn't know any better, it sounds very much like the inside of-- Panel 5: Action shot of the Haitian guerrier a split second later. We see her expertly flipping over end of a pair of light blue arms that have suddenly emerged from the hardwood wall. The bottom half of her body has once more solidified, including her holstered Molltach, while the top half remains invisible in order to avoid the dangerous appendages. KAGU-TSUCHI [Off-Panel, bellowing; translated from Japanese]: An asson...