Run Freak Run
by Silver Saaremaeel and Kaija Rudkiewicz
Mysterious and fascinating, we follow Alonso and Two through a medieval Spain, the 2 Inquisitors weeding out and purging mythological villains. Meanwhile a young, beautiful lady made a deal with someone who apparently isn't trustworthy, since she's being chased by frogs and a man comes out of the shadows, she pleading for him to honor their deal, but he not interested in a peaceful outcome. This is the reason Alonso and Two have come to this town, she expected to uncover the reason for the girl's death and to stave off more of a panic by the townspeople who thought she'd been cursed. Two goes to the church, being met by the priest standing vigil over the body, he supportive of her killing the one who was responsible:
Two puts him straight though, this being more likely the work of a witch. I'm quite enjoying the strange dialogue for this odd little "fairy tale of Grimm-style". When Alonso meets her outside the church, he shares through his recon, of villagers knowing and disregarding of witches living in caves nearby and they'd go investigate for purging. This is also reminding me of Preacher and Constantine, all very good choices to be similar with.
Two locates the witch fairly quickly, since he didn't really hide once she'd gotten inside, he revealed fairly easily why he'd decided to drop the girl was because she'd scorned his proposal after he'd begun admiring her way of killing the "witches" amongst the villagers. Once he decides Two must go though, she breaks it down how shit was not going to go this fool's way. Alonso then asks why Two had been given this name by the church, she having a smart lil answer to finish the chapter. The next story begins in a different town, same idea, the Queen has sent them to catch the culprit, but they've arrived to late, seeing the carnage in the streets.
Two detects some survivors underground and a priest relating of a baby being taken by Satan, the place they would be heading being certain death for the baby, so Two again has Alonso stay behind whilst she takes care of this baby-stealing hell ruler. Then a skip back in time to 3 days previous, when they'd spoken to the queen about the boy infant possibly being an "Echo", so she giving her permission to go claim him, Two being bidden by the queen to bring her the child directly upon dismissing Alonso literally, and literally dismissing him from life! So Two is on her merry way, up the mountain, not alone for being amongst possible enemies around every corner. Maybe some exaggeration in this statement, it was a single fur-fur enemy and the King of all hell fire fur-furs, who welcomed her upon her approach.
He asks for leniency toward the young and eager fur-fur who attempted to assault her, then claims he was going to release the baby when he made his exit, Two not letting this pass without knowing why he'd done it at all. 2 days later, Two is submerging said baby into water with creepy-looking merpeople, she now square with them for having sacrificed, a baby, sort of, the boy would still grow up, but as Mer. The third is a short story which shows Two lost in the forest and meets a giant who was king of the birds, asks if she wants to have a bird, and then gets butthurt when she accepts, Two biffing off without a bird, but knowing the giant was a dick. The fourth shows the 2 inquisitors walking through a forest and Alonso first realizing they were being approached by wolf men, Two announcing she'd take care of it.
It's finally mentioned Two has a curse, "of a deadly chain", literally. So, this allowed her to feel better and it doubled the fun, since the wolf men were taken out, as well. Even the ring leader wasn't a match for Two's need to crack that chain, she using this wolf as her ride through the forest, Alonso wondering aloud where she hid her chain, and she keeping this to herself. ;) The next story starts with Two planning on doing something else with her time than writing a report, Alonso having asked if she'd finish her job before doing so, she not interested and he making note at least she wasn't well paid for a half job done.
It's next showing Two being the talker to cats, a particular one being quite the runaway sort, they reuniting and Two cold toward him over some grudge from 6 years ago, One talking about reuniting with one of his bros, since he was leader to a bunch of mythical misfits trying to defend themselves against "injustice" and were intimidated by Two coming after them. He also reasoned she should tell him because otherwise she'd have to reveal it to the Queen. Then he warns her of a moose, Destiny who could destroy cities, she aware and the two parting, since she didn't reveal to him anything important. The 6th chapter prefaces with a story of father and daughter deer telling how far back it had been for the ways to be the way they are, because it'd been so long and then the two plot to kill Gaiae.
Next, Two is fighting a witch who won't listen to reason... The witch continues to fight with her spell, this all because the Cardinal had needed, reluctantly, Two's help in disbanding the coven and capturing one alive. Two plays dead and then the witch attempts to morph into a raven, Two grabbing at her and she stuck and insulting her, so Two gives her the pan, as it were. Two still gives her one more chance to work with her, but the witch ain't having it, so Two performs the password into the circle and the witch is upset with how easy she'd gotten away with it.
Two speaks with her sisters and they must help her out, since next Two is back at the castle with news for the Cardinal of having exactly what he needed. The Cardinal is at first unimpressed by not having what he'd asked for, a living witch, instead of what she brought, but Two describes it was the source of their power, so the Cardinal can't help but be curious for a look-see. It's ofc, a trap and the witches are ready for him. The merpeople are discussing the baby being accepted by Poseidon soon, which would then allow them to truly make him one of them.
The Queen meanwhile, was disappointed with the results of her astronomer being unable to locate the baby, she giving him supposedly the lost finger of Solomon which would allow them to gain more clarity, somehow. Welp, it does something, and the monks take down the coordinates specified. The Queen then designates Inquisitor Six to be the one to make the trip to the location given. Next, Two is summoned to the Queen, she currently dealing with a deal with a demon and thinking she could get out of providing her side, which was to give up Alonso.
As Alonso is saying goodbye to his family and preparing to finish some work, he's interrupted by moidering-doers, the Queen currently putting down Two for having a beautiful name and her looks not suiting it. She then reveals her plan and order to keep Two in front of her until her order to kill Alonso was finished, but it's not long before Two goes off anyways, and the Queen sends the guard after her, knowing the danger she'd put everyone in, if not being Alonso. Meanwhile, Alonso attempted to save his family, they inside their burning home, but Two seemed to arrive too late. The Queen gets updated by her guard of everything going accordingly and Inquisitor 6 would have the baby by tomorrow.
Six having slaughtered the merpeople and taking the baby back (ribs, BBQ sauce; yes, I did.) Next, The Fur-Fur speaks to a minion about having things working out to where Gaiae shall soon be dealt with, and Echo-One, the kitty will be the bestest than the rest-est. Then, Two is being surrounded by the same killer guards readying to finish her off according to their orders, Two not wanting to deal with them, but ofc, she about to give it, when stopped by a birdie, it being her witchy friend. One reveals his role to her and updates Two on Six locating and returning with the baby boy, Two needing to step in line or witches will become a joke to children.
Two is bid by One to help them, stating his case and how it would benefit all of them to get rid of Six and the Queen, Priscilla the witch diving them into the depths of the underworld so Two can learn the secrets to defeat Six. They take the plunge, and whilst this occurs, One is being bid by an underling to allow him to take out the Queen whilst they waited, One being convinced and allowing him to attempt it. Two goes unconscious and wakes in the air, falling with Priscilla, she confident One would protect them as they fell to where they needed to go, Two not so sure and wishing she'd do some kind of magic to slow their descent. When they land they begin sharing why each of them was in a foul mood, Priscilla pissed off at Two for beating and humiliating her and how she'd been punished by her clan, Two exchanging the deets on her friend, Alonso and his fam.
The two not having to discuss this much since they were finally led to the secret keeper. They keep company with a huge eye ordering mushroom people to do its bidding, the 2 ladies debating whether to run away as the creatures begin to attack, Pris, changing her mind as they approach a cliff, but Two bumping her off and the two again, plummeting. Pris helps Two survive and she attempts to do the same when they surface out of water, Pris not waking, but the keeper of secrets showing herself. She bids the creature save Pris and relinquishing whatever the keeper saw fit, she giving Two an acorn in order to defeat Six and then helping Pris by allowing the 2 to fly away.
Inquisitor Six has given the baby to the Queen and she gifts her a huge sword capable of killing immortals for her loyalty to the crown. The final chapter begins with Two waking with Pris unaware of her death, One interrupting them to tell of the flying pigs having gone to wage war against the Queen without waiting for the secret way to kill Six. One isn't holding out for this to kill their dear sis, since she was strong af, and now had a weapon impossible to defend against. One though, still thinks there's a chance if Two can figure how to use the acorn against Six, and Two agreeing to help if they do it the way she feels, One agreeing and so all they'd need to do, is leave her on top of the palace and she'll handle it, per usual.
Two starts taking out guards like a champ, and totally unimpressed with the blood spillage, as well. When she reaches the Queen and Six, the former again attempts to insult her intelligence for following One and how she'd die today, regardless. Then a flashback, when Two had intervened between a nun teaching a child by smacking her face for breaking the cross of the Lord, and it being Six, Two not able to communicate with her for she sounding like she's singing: "La la laa!"-style. When they go back to current, Two is finished giving Six chances after she swipes at her with the sword, complaining how her sibs are nutso and would've been happy with better fam, esp. with how she was now the "normal" one.
As she continues to try and talk sense into Six, Pris comes back to defend her, grabbing the sword and Two taking opportunity and knocks her out. Then, Two warns the Queen she should biff off before she comes after her, and so she goes to collect the baby so to selfishly kill him so no one could have him, Two catching up before she can do anything, and Two testing the acorn out on her after she'd gotten the baby. Like a proper fairy tale, she gets taken out in a weird ass way, One then turns up to congratulate her and tell of the good things the baby would grow up to do and defend their people. Two isn't certain she trusts One to truly care for the baby properly, wondering aloud if he'd be better off dead, Pris then shows up to help Two biff off with Six, if she wanted, One attempting to convince her they didn't have to run at all.
Two has her own ideas though, excluding One because of how unstable he seemed with the power he'd acquired and having similarities to the changed Queen, so vows to keep the boy hidden and declared if One attempted to find him, he wouldn't be a threat, anyways, but Two would hide the boy well, enough to avoid this, apparently. This outcome, though was agreeable to the Fur-Fur One had been serving, since he stated how pleased he was with this outcome, One stating how whilst Two leaving hadn't been planned, he'd continue to execute what his lord had in mind, and upon picking up the Queen's crown, it's shown how he'll continue on with a darker role in this world, taking on a similar facial structure to the Queen a bit, as well. Two weeks later, Pris and Six walk to where the nekkid giant sat, Pris explaining what Two'd had in mind for the baby, the giant agreeing and renaming the child, similar to another fairytale, the boy would have protection as long as he was within the boundaries of the giant's land. When Pris and Six locate Two napping and wake her, she responds to Six's new word in her vocab, the way one would expect with the ever-typical attitude she has and they chill for once.
I enjoyed this little fairytale, violent, black and white comic. It's cute and I'd look out for more by the author and artist, it being semi-similar to the style of Live Forever.
