Wander of Wonder/A Journey Begins

The first issue of the Moonlake Comics series Wander of Wonder.

Synopsis
Nix travels to the king's castle to try and become a knight, but discovers he has greatly downplayed how hard it would be.

Transcript (unfinished)
A young rabbit in white clothes and a scarf runs through a forest of black trees. He huffs and puffs while running from an unseen beast before tripping in the middle of the woods. He turns around, revealing the beast standing above him. The beast in question is very canine-like but has two heads, black eyes, and is drooling black liquid. The rabbit braces himself but nothing comes. He slowly opens his eyes, revealing a cat has stabbed straight through the beast and saved the rabbit's life.


 * Cat: Afternoon, boy.

He pulls the sword out of the beast, which slumps over, dead. The cat helps the rabbit back on to his feet.


 * Maximus: A rabbit? Haven't seen one of you in a long time. My name is Sir Maximus Atkinson. And you?
 * Nix: ...Nix.
 * Maximus: Nix, ay? Very unique name you have. Tell me, Nix, do you have a place to stay?

Nix doesn't answer and instead frantically points behind Maximus, as the seemingly slew beast has regenerated and is slowly standing back up. Maximus, noticing this, readies his sword again.


 * Maximus: There's a village not far from here. I highly suggest you run.
 * Nix: Y-yes, sir!

Nix runs away from Maximus. However, he stops in his tracks to turn around and see Maximus battle the beast. He watches in awe for a few seconds before continuing to run away. Several years later, Nix is standing on a hill looking at a very large castle in the distance, now wearing different clothes but the same scarf. He is smiling widely at the sight of the castle.


 * ???: You realize this has a very slim chance of actually working, right?

A firefly flies out from Nix's scarf.


 * Firefly: You've got no training, no connections, no anything. It'd be a miracle if they accept you as a knight.
 * Nix: Don't be a Negative Nancy, Jayna.
 * Jayna: I'm being realistic.
 * Nix: Well, you never really know if you don't try, right? Now, let's mosey!

Nix jumps off the hill and sprints for the castle.


 * Jayna: That boy is going to be the death of me...

Jayna flies after him. Nix runs up to the castle doors but is stopped at the gate by a large bear, who holds his gigantic sword in front of Nix to stop him from entering. Next to the bear is a jackal, who has his sword in front of him and is resting his hands on it.


 * Bear: Whoa there, kiddie. Where do you think you're going?
 * Nix: Uh... My name's Nix and I... Um... Whoa, you're really big...
 * Bear: Thank you for noticing.
 * Nix: And your sword is HUGE! Does it way, like... ANYTHING to you?
 * Bear: Weighs to me about the same my friend here's sword weighs to him.
 * Jackal: What're you here for, boy?
 * Nix: Oh, right, sorry. I'm here to, um... Wow, so you guys are, like, real knights?
 * Jackal: Yes. Now, spit out why you're here.
 * Jayna: He's here to speak with the king.
 * Nix: Y-yeah! That! Sorry, it's just that I've always wanted to be a knight so seeing one up-close like this is really messing with my head.
 * Bear: Don't worry, we deal with fans like you all the time.
 * Jackal: But we aren't allowed to let you inside. Nobody's allowed in the Silver Gorilla Castle without an appointment or if it's a major emergency.
 * Nix: Oh... Well, how do I get an appointment?
 * Jackal: With someone as young as you, you'd need your parents to make the appointment instead.
 * Bear: Come on, Jack, at least sugar-coat the news for the boy,
 * Jack: That WAS me sugar-coating it, Bartholomew.
 * Bartholomew: Then get better at sugar-coating things.
 * Nix: But I, uh, don't, um...
 * Jayna: Sorry to bother you, sirs, we'll leave.
 * Jack: Nice talking to you.
 * Nix: W-what? No!
 * Bartholomew: Hm?
 * Nix: I'm not leaving! I want to be a knight and I'm not leaving until I get to talk to King Desmond!

Bartholomew and Jack look at each other. The next thing we know, Nix is being held by the ears by Bartholomew and is being walked away from the castle. Bartholomew drops him on the ground and Nix angrily crosses his arms as Bartholomew walks away. Jayna once again flies out of his scarf.


 * Jayna: I warned you it wouldn't work.
 * Nix: Hmph...

Nix stands back up and dusts himself off. He then starts walking back to the castle.


 * Jayna: Uh, Nix? Where do you think you're going?
 * Nix: I'm gonna be a knight. I don't care what those guys say! This has been my dream since I was six and I'm not giving it up now!

At the castle, Jack and Bartholomew continue to stand guard. Bartholomew is picking his teeth while Jack is still in the same pose he was before.


 * Jack: That is incredibly disgusting...
 * Bartholomew: Not my fault the cook's food gets caught in my teeth so easily.
 * Jack: Couldn't you at the very least turn away from me when you do that...?
 * Nix: Hey!

Bartholomew and Jack turn and see Nix standing in front of them again.


 * Jayna: For the record, I am so sorry for bothering you two, sirs.
 * Nix: You're going to let me talk with King Desmond and I'm not leaving until you do!
 * Jack: Yeah, we've been over this... Listen, part of a knights' job is to make sure the king is okay. And we aren't sure if you're an assassin or not so we can't let you in.
 * Nix: Assassin...?
 * Jayna: Yeah, I mean, to be fair, he's only 12. I doubt a 12-year-old who's the size of a 9-year-old would be a good assassin.
 * Bartholomew: You'd be surprised.
 * Nix: N-no, I mean... What's an assassin?

Everyone goes quiet and stares at Nix.


 * Jack: ...Go away, kid.
 * Nix: No!
 * Jack: Ugh...

Smash cut to Bartholomew dumping Nix in the woods and leaving again.


 * Jayna: Alright, that failed miserably. What's plan B? Or is it C at this point?
 * Nix: It's time to pull out my last hope. Something I wish I would never have had to do...
 * Jayna: Oh no... Not that...

Nix gets up and determinedly walks back to the castle. Once again, he confronts Jack and Bartholomew and stares daggers at the both of them. Bartholomew and Jack look confusedly at each other and turn back to Nix, whose icy-cold stare continues. He then drops to his knees and starts begging.


 * Nix: Please, please, please let me in! Please! I'll do anything! I just wanna be a knight so bad! Waaaahhh!
 * Jayna: Nix, please stop, you're humiliating yourself...
 * Jack: Listen to your firefly friend, kid.

Nix looks up, revealing he's got fluids of all kinds coming out of his face.


 * Nix: Please? I just really wanna be a knight! It's been my dream for so long! Please!
 * Bartholomew: By the Holy Mother, this is so sad...
 * Jack: Kid, please just make an appointment with the king, it's not that hard.
 * Nix: But I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't-- Waaahhh!!

Nix continues crying while Jack and Bartholomew become increasingly uncomfortable.


 * Jack: Just turn away from him, it's easier that way...

Bartholomew and Jack turn around, looking away from Nix. Nix manages to stop crying, wipes his face, and stands up.


 * Jayna: Maybe give it another try when you're older, pal.

Nix's face becomes determined again and he charges straight forward and tries to get into the castle. However, he's grabbed by Jack, who lifts him up.


 * Jack: Can you swim?
 * Nix: Yeah?

Jack holds Nix over the drawbridge and tosses him into the moat around the castle. Nix pops out of the water as the current of the moat floats him away. Jayna flies down and hovers around him.


 * Jayna: What exactly was your plan there?
 * Nix: To, uh... get into the castle, talk to the king really fast, and get his permission to be a knight before I could be kicked out?
 * Jayna: And you thought that would work?
 * Nix: Y... Yeah...