Re: Linea24’s Astra Universe

[Linea24]

Overland Guardians of Tesine Take 2 Group Pic:

Alyide Take 2:

Close-Up:

Original:

Davan Take 2:

Close-Up:

Davera Take 2:

Close-Up:

Davera & Davan Original:

Feres Take 2:

Close-Up

Original:

Ice Ether

Merin Take 2:

Close-Up:

Original:

Renegade Take 2:

Close-Up:

Original:

Shadesia Take 2:

Close-Up:

Original:

Xevina Take 2:

Close-Up:

Original:

I’ve been wanting to redo this group for a while now, mainly because of how disjointed their group pic was. To me, the mix of complex shading, minimal shading, and no shading at all was a little too jarring for me. So this time, I only did minimal shading on all the characters. Also, like my Take 2 of the Warders, this Take 2 of the Guardians of Tesine is after an amount of time. And this time, I have a story to explain the shifts in the designs of some characters.

Story Part 1:
They had finally found Merti sitting in a tiny peaceful grove. Xevina was with her, lying unconscious in the center of a elaborate rune etched into the ground. As the Guardians approached, a blast of energy sent them flying onto the ground. Merti laughed.
“Did you really think that I didn’t account for your tendency to come charging to your love’s side…Brother?” Merti stood up, shaking a couple of leaves to the grassy grove floor.
Merin growled, got up, and firmly stood his ground. Unfortunately, though, his wings betrayed his facade, trembling as leaves do in a voracious wind. He shouted in a tone that shook both the ground and itself. “You dare take the identity of my dead baby sister and flaunt it in my face!? You are not deserving of such a title—especially after what you have done to Xevina!” He suddenly dropped his masquerade of strength—and his shoulders as well—and began to speak in a pleading manner. “Why would you do that? Have you no mercy to an ailing fairy in mourning of his only sibling?”
Merti scoffed and swiveled around to where her back was to the Guardians. “So, Merin, you are so certain that I, you sister, is dead, that you do not want to even look for the most remote possibility that I survived the fall? Hasn’t falling being the cause of death been proven to be a cover-up in most cases? Especially in cases where the victim is perfectly capable of surviving a fall?”
Merin raised his sword, let out a battle cry, and started to charge at Merti when Ice Ether flung himself into Merin’s way. He froze Merin’s feet into place. “Before you do anything rash, have you thought of verifying her claims? Or is this one of the few fairy traditions that you decided to keep that the rest of us don’t know about?”
That seemed to knock some sense back into Merin. He dropped his sword, and, as it thumped into the grass, he glanced over to the side. He was quiet for a couple of seconds, but when he finally spoke, it was in his normal soft, quiet voice. “I’m sorry, Ice Ether. It’s just that…well, that female over there who claims to be my sister is too old to even be near the age she was when she fell. Merti was still a small fairling when she died, and at that age a fairy’s wings have not developed enough to engage in flight in the middle of a fall. There was no way she could have survived, and even if she did, she wouldn’t look full-grown.”
Merti coughed rather loudly, drawing the Guardians’ attention back to her. “If you seriously doubt me, Brother—”
“As I said, stop trying to pretend you are my sister!” Merin jumped back up into a fighting position. (Somehow, he had broke Ice Ether’s bonds in the process, which evoked a quiet surprised gasp from the Guardians.)
A massive sigh escaped from Merti. “May I finish? If you doubt me that much, Merin, couldn’t you just have your little Lost Fae there—”
“My name is Feres!”
“LET ME FINISH! JustletFerestherereadmymemoryandlookforproofofmyclaims! There! Now you can interject anytime you want!” Merti started to seethe, a furious glint in her eye growing. Her back was hunched, and she was breathing deeply and loudly.
An episode of quietness endured as Merin signaled for Feres to do something. It was the signal for Feres to use her memory-reading power after approaching the target slowly.
Feres had only cautiously walked within arms-length of Merti when she suddenly collapsed. Merti chuckled. She was now standing up straight, a cold, calculating smirk on her face. “I think you may have gotten the wrong idea. I had meant for you to attempt to confirm my claims after you’ve defeated me. I’m not that trusting.”