Elflord vol. 2 #6 Warp, Mar 1998, b&w.
1 Elflord vol. 2 #6 cover "The long march"
Roo Riders, called so by humans in jeeps that chase them, are really elves. Kangeroo beings watch as their kind are ridden by the elves. Kim and Hawk, following Hawk's plan works: the jeep stalls and stops. Hawk comes to them, telling them he chooses not to kill them. He tells them to go back and tell their leaders this is no place for them. One soldier says, "He's right." Kim tells Hawk that Springstorm is coming——or at least he thinks it is. Hawk says, "You would know before we do, Kim." Hawk has sun glasses on, sort of motorcycle shades. Springstorm has just come from Castle Rock where Hawk was headed. An emissary from Greenhaven has arrived there. Hawk thinks it is a message from his brother. Kathay: Cardinal, flanked by two page boys, is at a table breaking bread with other humans of the Kaiser. Bai Mao, the female elf there toasts to a new union of elf and human kind. Windblade has consented to help put Bai Mao on the throne if it means an end to the killing. Under the table, Bai touches Windblade's leg with her foot. The Mandarin feels changed: he is a siphon to true powers like all elfin magic. He has some rudimentary powers also. Cardinal points into a blond page to volunteer for the Mandarin's entertainment. Bai warns that Mandarin magic is not reverseable but the Cardinal thinks that makes it all the more dramatic. Kritzler plans a coronation. Mandarin makes the human boy shrink out of his clothes to his naked butt only. A curly haired black human asks if he can have him. Cardinal says, "Yes," and points to another boy near him, "You get his clothes. You are my new servant." The boy says, "Gee." Windblade, in all black, tights and a one piece body suit, is tired of this and goes to bed. Mandarin is suprised he did that. The curly boy plays with the little boy. Castle Rock, an oasis, Hawk, jacket open, no shirt on, and Purebreeze watch Kim and Springstorm dance in thongs with knives. Falcon is watching also. A small bear seems to be drinking too much. Hawk wonders about Bran and Falcon's bidding. Should he string them up, he asks Purebreeze. He'd rather trust them now or use them to meet his ends, since they all believe in the same thing now. Hawk calls Falcon and Bran pains in the butt even though they are good warriors. Kim tells them they are done dancing, they will have to find something else to laugh at. He and Springstorm have their arms around each other. Noble warrior Pliskie, a cat person comes from Lord Condor, the brother of Hawk with an elf boy in a bikini brief, arm bands, and a collar. The boy elf is Pagoo and is from Condor as a page for Hawk. If he refuses, the cat warrior is to kill the boy. Falcon says, "Make one move toward the child and it will be your last." Pliskie has his orders. Bran, with no shirt on has his sword out, "Looks like you die then." The little bear tells Hawk that would be a waste. Hawk stop blood from being spilled. He accepts Pagoo as his page until he can get Windblade back. Pliskie, here over a day now, knows that Hawk means to buy time to raise an army in the North. The humans cannot get past the Skytorn Mountains even with airships. Hawk must go on to Greenhaven. He will hold the human forces at the passuntil the snows come. Hawk asks Pliskie to join them. Purebreeze asks some warrior Pliskie to help show the lazy lumps how they dance in Greenhaven. The two page boys of the Cardinal argue about who is to play with the tiny person page boy. The blond tells the curly boy the Cardinal can find his own chamber pot, he wants to play with the little boy and pulls on the tiny arm. The curly haired one warns that the white haired one can turn them into fish or something. Windblade strips off his one piece black costume. McTutt lays on the bed. Windy is crying, not knowing how long he can play along with the dried up Cardinal and the witch Bai Mao. Naked, he uses his orb to call Greylone on Tao Island. Windy gets under the covers, naked. Greylone rubs his sleeping cat who is on his belly, telling Windy that the Emperor Po Yi has a son, the only heir to the Jade Throne. He was taken away in secret at the time of his birth. Greylone laughs that Windy falls asleep so soon after their talk, the boy elf's hand still open for the orb, which has fallen softly to the bed. Bai also watches Windy, "Yes, sleep, well little wizard." Kritzler calls her to bed, calling her Yue Xin. Tomorrow the humans will leave for the desert to defeat Hawk and his rabble. He and the elf girl go to bed. When he is gone, she will find other ways to keep herself busy.