(Dutch: De Groene Hel)
Art by Don Lawrence & Script by Dick Matena
Storm and Ember fly over the thick jungles of what used to South America in the aero-transport, looking for a place to land so they can find water and food. Suddenly, they are attacked by large vultures looking for a meal. Storm is knocked from the craft.
The birds keep chasing Ember, but she manages to find an opening in the thick canopy and dives down. She looses the birds, but also control of the craft. She jumps free before it crashes into a cliff-side. She falls through the canopy, bouncing off vines and branches until she lands, dazed by relatively unharmed on the mossy floor. She isn't alone:
Meters away, Storm is hanging unconscious on a vine higher in the canopy. An ape-man approaches him and is about to bash Storm's skull with a stone axe, when he's felled by an arrow. The old man who fired the arrow lifts Storm over his shoulder and carries back to his cabin in the trees.
Meanwhile, the green humanoids are advancing on Ember with clear intentions of eating her. Suddenly, they stop they sense someone else coming. They turn and run but one gets shot from behind as they go.
When Storm comes to, the old man introduces himself as Gran'pa and says he's a snake hunter. Storm notices a space helmet that looks just like the one he had (destroyed back in Volume 1). "Gran'pa" tells Storm he got it in Carefree City from a guy named Toriander. He's the only one with guts enough to go scavenging on the ground.
Ember is face to face with her rescuer--"Sudden Death" Toriander. He can't believe his luck finding a beautiful outsider on the ground. He figures he can get a good price for Ember in Carefree City. Brandishing the gun he used to blast the "corpse-eaters" he sets Ember walking.
Meanwhile, the old man explains the lingo of the forest civilization to Storm: The ground floor is the ground, Only crazy folks like Toriander go there, but that's where he found his gun. The third floor is the highest level with the most sunlight--and food. The second floor is where the old man lives. The first floor is inhabited by snakes and ape men. Carefree City is on the third floor.
Storm will need to go there to meet Toriander and find out where he found the helmet. Before they make any further plans:
Ape attack!
TO BE CONTINUED
4 comments:
Was not Ember more competent in the first few adventure? I do not recall her being such a damsel in distress.
That aero-transport is a terrible design. What happens if it rains? Or you encounter high winds? It is a death trap.
Toriander's riding bear lacks saddle and any way to carry things. How is he a successful scavenger with no way to get goods back to Carefree City?
She is a bit on the timid said this chapter, though being unable to fly the transport is probably par for the course.
Maybe Toriander has some sacks stashed somewhere?
Maybe the bear is really a mule, so the sacks are stuffed up his bear-hole.
@seaofstarsrpg: No, Ember was the damsel in distress until episode 7, where she started to kick ass (and started to become seriously hot). Only episode 3 (The People of the Desert), where she was the one to save Storm instead of the other way round, was an exception to that rule.
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