My Lord," he spoke in a husky exhalation. "I…"

Kae's resolve broke like the fragile nets of the fisherman before the rush of a wild river. He could not say the words. Could not force those three little words from his throat. Words, thoughts, feelings Kana deserved to hear from him, and no one else. But he couldn't do it. Pride that had been dormant for so long while in the sultry heat of these islands suddenly found it's voice. In a flash of blonde hair, the assassin turned on his heel and ran from the throne room, his breath hot in his ches. He fled the royal buildings without one glance backwards. If he looked back now, he would never find the conviction to leave the island. As much as he loved the man he had left wide eyed in the throne room, his drive to overthrow his sneering employer was greater. Only he wasn't returning to his home land a champion assassin as he had imagined on the trecherous voyage to the isles over six months ago, he was returning empty handed and guilty of fraternising with the mark. Both things his employer took extremely dim views of.

Congrats, Kae, he mused to himself. Once again you fuck it up good and proper.

In the throne room, a bewildered Prince had just collected his thoughts, and was hastily knocking aside aides and servants in an urgency to make it to Kae's quarters. As he flung the door open, his heart becoming heavier with every passing beat of nature's rhythym, his worst fear came to fruition. Kae, his rock, his champion, his lover, had left. For the first time in living memory of even the Isle's oldest occupants, the skies over the islands darkened.

Deep in the rock of their volcanic home, a god stirred.


- - - - - - - - - -

A portrait that's been long in the making, this is the main character of my novel-in-development, Kana, a prince to a people and vessel to a god trapped in a island of volcanic activity. This is another important benchmark for me in terms of getting to grips with those ever elusive concepts of light and colour theory. Still a way to go though!

All done in PSCS, with a tablet, and no reference for anything, just to see if I could get something that looked vaguely pleasant. Has taken in the region of about 15-20 hours.