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Crimson Hawk, Hawk's Log, Keyoshi, Max Norton

The minutes turned into hours, the hours into days, and the days into months. Each day I awoke to the sunrise, grateful for a new day, a new discovery, and a new opportunity to build upon the work that had already been done. I didn’t know if I would ever remember my past, and that was a thorn in my side. But if felt good to make new memories everyday.

The tales that Pops had shared that night in front of the bonfire made an undeniable impression on me. Sure, I had lost my memory. I had lost my past. But I didn’t know what I’d lost. My life may have been good, or bad, or somewhere in between. Yet these two beautiful souls, who had poured so much into me, a stranger, had lost everything they knew, and everyone they loved, except for each other.

Pops and Likka carried the knowledge of their past with them everyday. Yet they persevered, and were still committed to helping save the world. They were dedicated to fulfilling their destiny. It was their peace and drive that helped motivate me through the most trying of days.

As my mind became clearer, and my body stronger, Likka filled my hours with lessons about the ancient ways, prophecies, and their mission (now our mission) of fighting off the powers of Darkness. She shared so much with me, that I couldn’t possibly write it all here. I’d be writing for years, trying to keep a record of everything. But one thing is for certain, the task ahead was no easy feat. Likka did her best to keep things simple for me, which was a challenge for her. Her mind seemed to be moving a hundred miles per second. I did everything I could to keep up.

“I know we are teaching you so much, young man. I hope it is not too much for your mind right now. You have grown and healed so quickly, but I do not want to overwhelm your mind or body,” she said to me one morning.

The sun was making it’s way across the sky, but the heat was not unbearable. I welcomed the sunshine on my face as I wondered what Likka and Pops had in store for me today. Sometimes I’d spar and train with Pops to build my strength. Other days I would sit with Likka and learn about, well, everything I guess.

“I don’t feel overwhelmed at all Likka. I’m always excited to hear more from you. Some of this stuff is pretty wild, but I know its true. I know it’s real. I just wish I could know more about myself,” I replied.

She smiled knowingly. “Well, I do not have the answers about the life before your time here. However, I believe I have many clues about your future.”

This caught me a little off guard. I knew that Likka knew ,any, many, many things about the universe, and the history of it all. But how could she have any clues to my future? This was definitely a curious conversation.

“My future? What clues could you have about my future? You didn’t even know me until a few months ago?” I asked in confusion.

She just looked at me silently with a smile, then turned her eyes to the sky. There we stood quietly for a few moments before she said another word.

“Each and every human has a destiny that is laid before them. However, it is not a guaranteed destiny. It is not etched into the tablets of Divinity, unless we work to manifest it ourselves. Throughout the ages, there have been certain people who are called to greatness. Now achieving this greatness takes hard work, dedication, and absolute faith. However, the reward is greater than you can ever imagine.”

She turned her head from the sky, and looked me in my eyes. Her green eyes glowed in the sunlight. The wind picked up, and began to swirl around us. For a split second, it even seemed as if the sun shined even brighter.

I could think of only one word to say, “Yes.”

To be continued. . .

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Adroit Comics, Crimson Hawk, Hawk's Log

Sitting there, under the moonlight, I somehow began to feel cold. There, in the middle of the jungle, in front of a burning campfire, I somehow felt a chill going down my spine. I had been looking into the eyes of this man for months now, wondering what fueled the rage in his eyes. But now I was beginning to understand.

The air was thick, and I dreaded what would come next. However, it didn’t matter. This man and his wife had already lived it. The least I could do was listen to his tale. Pops continued to tell his story, and what followed was even more devastating.

“Mako’a returned to the clan with warriors who had defected to follow him. They stormed the village and stole all the holy books, artifacts and weapons. Those traitors set fire to our home, along with much of the village, before whisking away into the night. So many lives were lost, and it felt like our entire history had been obliterated. Even our beloved daughter, we lost her that night as well. It is a pain that has never mended.”

A reflection of the fire danced in Pop’s eyes. I may have even seen a tear well up in the corner of his eye. I know I felt my eyes tear up, just a little. I mean, I felt for the man. They had been through so much, and now here they were, nursing be back to health. These two souls had taken me in like a son. I knew I would do whatever I could to help them.

After a few moments, he continued to speak.

“All the survivors agreed to disperse and set up camps far away from what was once our home. We agreed to go underground and rebuild our strength. We prayed to The Heavens that our path to redemption and restoration would be guided by The Divine Light. One thing is certain, Likka has never given up hope that our daughter Ari’hi is still alive. I, on the other hand, am not so convinced.”

I could see Likka never giving up hope. She was always so positive and encouraging. It seemed like nothing could bring her down.

“Well, I think I’ll have to be on Likka’s side with this one Pops,” I replied. “I’m going to believe that your daughter is alive too. And I’ll do whatever I can to help you find her.”

Pops could only nod his head. I could tell that the story had worn him out. Reliving that ordeal would drain anyone. He excused himself for the night, but I couldn’t make my way to bed. I sat outside, staring at the flames for a long while. My thoughts were so deep, that I didn’t even notice Likka sit down beside me.

“What is on your mind young man? I can feel your soul is in turmoil. What troubles you tonight?” she asked in her usual kind voice. “Pops told me about what happened to your village. . .” I replied. “Oh,” she said softly, “ I see.”

I could feel my anger rising. “I want to help you both. I want to help you find your daughter. I want to help you avenge the wickedness that was done to your tribe. I just don’t understand how you can be so peaceful, after you’ve been through so much!”

She simply closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and placed her hand on my shoulder. It was like a cool breeze flowed through my very being. A wave of peace soothed my angry heart.

She drew back her hand and spoke softly. “Revenge is not our mission. We are here to help save the realm from Darkness. We cannot do this in rage. I believe that Divinity has a special plan for each and every one of us. Including my dear daughter. The greater the test, the greater our testimony shall be. From our pain, the future of the universe may be birthed. Nothing worth having comes easy, but to those who can endure the journey, there will be a great reward.”

I didn’t know exactly what she meant. But I believed every word.

To be continued . . .

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Adroit Comics, Crimson Hawk, Hawk's Log, Max Norton

As we sat in front of the burning campfire, I gazed into the dancing flames. The chirping crickets and howling monkeys echoed through the air. For a long whole it stood still, cloyingly warm against my skin. But as Pops continued to share their story, it began to pick up more and more. It was as though the very wind was feeling his pain.

“Things were moving in a wonderful way. Likka and I had recently been married and she was now expecting our first child. As the new leader of the clan, I did my best to make sure everyone was taken care of, and that all of our warriors were training. It was also my responsibility to hold all families of the clan to the highest standard of morals and actions.”

At this point, I could only nod to let him know I was listening intently. I’d never seen this side of the man who had begrudgingly took me in. He was always so stern, serious, and resolved. He continued to speak.

“I knew that we could only continue our legacy if we followed the path ordained by Divinity from the dawn of our creation. But it was not long before the seeds of Chaos began to sprout within our clan.

One day, some years later, there came a challenge. My brother Mako’a had decided that it was unfair for me to be declared the leader over him. Being the eldest, tradition dictated that he should be the leader. That had indeed been the principal tradition. However what he didn’t want to acknowledge, was the fact that the leader must be pure of heart and unblemished in spirit. If it was found by the tribe council that the eldest’s heart held even hint of darkness, he would be disqualified.

My father had already confided in me that Mako’a would be enraged over not being appointed leader, and I knew it would be so. At a very young age, he saw a flame of greed in the eyes of Mako’a. From that moment he knew that it was I who should lead and not my older brother.

He’d warned me about what might happen. I thought I was prepared. But I was gravely mistaken. Our family was growing, our tribe was prospering. Life was good. Perhaps I had been so full of love and joy, that I did not pay enough attention to my brother’s plots and schemes.

On that fateful day he came alone, demanding that I relinquish my position to him. Of course I refused. A terrible argument ensued and it ended badly.

The argument turned into a physical confrontation. I was victorious in battle, but I could not bring myself to kill him. The way he came against me, I should have ended it then. I saw the Darkness in his eyes, but he was my brother. I just couldn’t do it. And that was the biggest mistake of my life.”

To be continued . . .

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Adroit Comics, Crimson Hawk, Guardians of New Sienna, Hawk's Log

“Our family has a long legacy of divine purpose. From the very beginning of this realm’s creation, we were tasked with helping to protect humanity,” Pops said solemnly.
“Protect humanity from what?” I asked sincerely.


Pops smiled at my question. Looking back, I can see how child-like I truly was at that time. With a blank slate, I was like a new born baby in many ways. Living in the jungle with my new family for those first few years was paradise. A paradise to which I often wish I could return.
But there is far too much work to do. My task is too great to even think about paradise any time soon. There are some very important mysteries that must be solved. Then maybe, just maybe I could retire in the jungle —away from all the craziness.

Now as I think back to the sorrow in Pops’ eyes, my dedication to fighting the darkness grows even more. However, there was much more than sorrow in his voice, and in his story. My question had been one full of naïveté. It was so simple, so child-like. I could not comprehend the magnitude of what he was about to say.

“We were tasked with protecting humanity from Darkness . . . The Ultimate Darkness. Every evil that has ever manifested in this realm can be traced back to The Ultimate Darkness. Some call it Chaos. It is called many different things in different tongues, yet they are all one and the same.”

I listened intently, trying process every single word. It was a lot to process. But somehow, I understood everything he said. It hit me in my heart like ringing bell of truth. Pops continued speaking and soaked it all in like a sponge.

“Over the millennia, it’s plots and schemes have shifted. It’s soldiers and operatives have changed. Even the tools it employs have evolved. However, it’s only goal is the utter despair and destruction of our universe.

This was some heavy news indeed. At the time, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for this answer. But it was too late now. I was all in.

There are many who have fought over the centuries. But my family, the Lolani, were one of the original warrior tribes. My ancestors were gifted with weapons of Light. Those weapons allowed us to banish the Darkness that threatened us all. We were instructed to stay vigilant, guard our weapons, guard our secrets, and pass this truth down to our children.”

At that moment Pops paused again, choosing his next words carefully. It was not until that moment that I felt it was alright to speak. I tried to encourage one of my only two friends in the world. It was a hard fact, but Pops and Likka were the only two souls I knew in the whole world.
“That sounds like a very important task Pops. I know you’ve always taken it seriously. I’m sure your ancestors would be proud of you. You and Likka have certainly helped to save and protect me.”

Pops’ only response was a small nod of gratitude before he continued his story.

“When the day came for me to lead my clan, I was thankful and believed that I could be a great leader. I knew in my heart that I had been chosen over my brother to lead for an important reason. I was prepared to make my family and The Creator proud. I did everything I could to take care of my family and all the members of our village. But, sadly there was one man who wanted everything I had . . .”

To be continued . . .

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Capital City, Crimson Hawk, Hawk's Log, Max Norton

As the days passed by, I tried to focus my thoughts on rebuilding my health and fulfilling my destiny — whatever that might be. Likka was very adamant about me being the answer to their prayers, and the manifeStation of some prophecy. I can’t say that I really knew what she meant, but I went with it. Though it was a long while until I truly believed it. But the truth is, even now, after all we’ve been through, I still doubt myself.

No matter the pains I felt in my healing and training, none of it compared to the anguish of having no memory of my former life. But after some time, I became resolved to let it go. A new life had begun in the jungle with the rescuers who had become my family.

After more time passed, Pake’lika began to trust me. I even gave him a little nickname – Pops. With mouth that could barely move, that name was just too much for me. Though he still had his moments of uneasiness, he became like a gruff but caring father. However, Likka, the kind little lady who was fighting for me, acted like a mother from day one.

She nursed me with all the love and affection any mother could have, but I always saw sorrow in her eyes. I longed to ask her what made a sweet woman like her carry so much sadness. But I was afraid of the answer.


Slowly my speech came back fully. It took a while, but bit by bit, it got better and better. I was also able to walk, then run, and eventually fight. Before long I was running and training with Pops. Let me tell you, not one moment of that journey came easy. But it was worth every ounce of pain.

I had so many questions that I wanted to ask. But I wasn’t sure how. Then one day, I got more answers than I bargained for. It was a warm muggy night. Pops and I sat in front of the fire after Likka had retired for the night. He was staring at the fire, almost in a trance. Before I knew it, my mouth flew open and questions about their past flew out. I asked Pops about their life before they found me. I had no idea about my history, but at least I could know something about their’s. It was like I needed the past, even if it wasn’t my own.

Almost as soon as I asked the question, I wished that I hadn’t. His eyes became cloudy as he recalled their troubled past. I could see tears welling up in the eyes of my adoptive father. Instantly, it felt as though I’d over stepped my boundaries, but he reassured me.
“Do not worry Max. It is not your fault. It is time that you knew our truth.”
Slowly Pops wiped away his tears and took a deep breath. As we sat in front of the fire, it felt like I could see Pop’s face age just a little bit more. It was almost like the pain of the past was drawing on his very life force.

“As the years pass, you learn to live with your sorrow and to allow your heart to heal. The sun and the moon keep circling on their destined paths. This is the same for us. As time moves forward, so must we. To stand still is death to the spirit and death to our divine purpose. Many pains and trials come across our path. What must we do? Do we stop. Do we give up? Do we fall to our knees in surrender…”

“No! Of course not,” I replied.

“You are wise and brave young man. You have a fire that will do much good for this world. Of course you are no stranger to trials and pain . . . and loss.”

It was then that Pops voice trailed off as he stared into the flickering flames. I wanted to say something. But the silence of the jungle seemed to echo the pain in Pops’ voice. So I simply kept my mouth shut. When he began to speak again, his voice sounded different, in a way that I don’t know how to explain . . .

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Adroit Comics, Crimson Hawk, Hawk's Log

My eyes felt too heavy to keep open. I quickly fell into a deep sleep. What happened next had to be a dream, but it seemed too real.

I was walking down a city street. The children were out playing. A few dogs were barking. The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Man, it was a SPEC-TAC-U-LAR day!

As I continued to walk down the street, without a single care in the world, I look over to the middle of the street. I see a baby carriage. As I’m running over to the carriage, I thank the Father that no cars are coming. But I also wonder where in the world was the child’s Poppa and Momma?!

When I get to the carriage I see the most beautiful child smiling back at me. I immediately felt a peacefulness flow through me. I don’t think that I have been so full of joy in all my life.

As I played with the baby, it began to cry. Some how this beautiful child, who was so full joy, became so sad, full of misery, and apparently terror! For I minute I thought it was me, so I put the baby back in it’s carriage. That made the child scream to the top of it’s lungs. So I immediately picked the baby back up. After the child was back in my arms, I noticed that the streets were empty! The children were gone. There were no dogs barking . . the world was filled with silence. Suddenly, the sky started to turn red! I knew I had to get this precious child to safety, so I grabbed the baby and started running for dear life. I looked back and saw a sea of darkness taking over the city. The streets, the cars, the buildings were all being consumed by this wave of darkness. And it was gaining fast! I was running faster than I’d ever run in my life, but the darkness was still closing in on me. Just as the all consuming abyss was about to grab hold of me, I jumped up and sprouted wings!

I couldn’t believe it! I actually had wings! But the darkness wasn’t done yet. It morphed into giant black birds ready to devour us. One of the birds opened it’s mouth, and I saw what appeared to be a fiery lost soul trapped in the mouth of that hideously foul fowl.

I needed to get out of there fast and those wings were just what I needed to do it. I started to climb so high that the darkness couldn’t follow. I knew that if I kept flying toward the light, we would be fine. Then the strangest thing happened.

I heard a voice coming down from the skies above. It sounded soothing and familiar.
“Everything will be alright . . .”

To be continued.

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Capital City, Crimson Hawk, Guardians of New Sienna, Hawk's Log

Likka walked over and stood by her husband. Next to him, she looked even smaller than before. She smiled and gave me a little bow. My mind felt so heavy, and this place seemed so foreign.


“I am happy to see you awake,” she said softly. “Do not worry. You will regain your strength. This is my husband, Pake’lika. He is a very wise and powerful man. He doesn’t trust you yet, but together we will help you.”

Weary and confused, I tried to sit up again. This time, my rescuers were there to help. She was much more willing than he was, but he helped anyway. Apparently they had been looking after me for months now. They had saved my life and for that I would always be grateful. I fought hard to hold back burning tears as I tried to remember what had happened to me.

How did I end up in the jungle? How can I remember nothing?

The sweet faced, kind-hearted Likka had spoken the only voice I’d heard so far.

It was comforting and felt motherly.The next voice I heard wasn’t nearly so kind.
“Now that you’re awake, I can ask you a question or two. Who are you? Where did you come from?”
I’ve got to open my mouth! Now I know that he would not have stopped until I said something.
I dug deep down inside and mustered the strength to say just three little words:
“I don’t know…”
He frowned, “What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I can’t remember anything,” the words started to flow a bit easier.

Pake’lika continued to question me anyway. “You were dressed in military fatigue, but there were no markings, tags or anything to tell us who you were or where you’d come from. But now that I hear you talk, I know you’re from New Sienna.”

I just stared at him, trying to think of something else to say. But I could think of nothing. This upset him further. He turned towards his wife and moved her away from me. I could hear him whisper, in a different language that I somehow understood.
“How can we trust this man? He claims that he doesn’t even know who he is?!”
“He just came out of a coma Pake’lika! Please just give him some time. Who knows what happened in that explosion? Besides, you have seen the mark on his hand! You know what that means,” she persisted.
I looked down at my hands, there on the back of my left hand was a mark. But I had no idea what any of this could mean. My head began to throb.
“How can we know for certain? We’ve been betrayed before,and by our own kin. How am I supposed to trust this New Sienna soldier who was probably up to no good?” he asked with frustration in his voice.
“Right now, we can only have faith and trust that we are on the right path. Please, my dear. Can you trust with me?” She asked as she reached out for his hand. He let out a huge sigh before taking her hand in his.

They walked over to me as I tried to lay my head back down. It was hard to think, hard to speak, and getting harder to keep my eyes open by the second. As my eyes closed, I could hear Likka’s voice.

“Do not trouble your mind. Do not stress about the memories you cannot retrieve. Some trials are a blessing in disguise. It will not be easy, but the truth of your past will be revealed in time.”

To be continued…



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Adroit Comics, Capital City, Crimson Hawk, Hawk's Log, New Arkton, New Sienna

It’s a dark and stormy night, and I’ve got a lot on my mind. Sitting quietly at my desk, I’m wondering what’s our next step? What is the best move to make?

Pops, Likka and I have had quite the journey in our years together. It has been around ten years since they had found me in the jungle.I have no recollection of that day, or anything that came before it, really.

That was a crazy time for me. But I know how much stronger I am now. I couldn’t have become The Crimson Hawk if I’d never gone through the roughest time of my life – at least that I can remember.
One day I woke up on a soft cot in a grass hut. The air was filled with sounds of birds chirping and monkeys howling. The most pleasant smell filled my nose, and I was instantly at ease.

Though my vision was blurry, I could make out my surroundings. As I tried to sit up, a sharp pain exploded in the back of my head. I reached back to feel what had happened, but there was a thick bandage covering the injury. The pain was so intense that I fell back down onto the cot.

I must’ve made a loud groan of pain. Almost immediately a sweet little woman with almond shaped eyes and bright red hair rushed into the room.

“Oh you are awake!” she said with joy. Quickly worry filled her voice. “But you must not get up. It is too soon for you to be up!”

Deliberately she turned to the entrance and shouted, ”My Dear! My Dear! Our young patient is awake. Hurry please!”

“Wha…” I tried to a speak, but my mouth felt so weak
What happened to me?!
What’s wrong with me?!
Where am I?!
Who am I?!!!

These were the questions that I wanted to scream out. But I couldn’t get my mouth to cooperate. This strange woman seemed sweet, and I felt she could be trusted. But nothing was making any sense at the moment.

Just then a strong and imposing man made his way into the hut. This guy had a calm demeanor, but his eyes were filled with concern and distrust.

“I want to know who you are. How can we trust you? What were you doing out there? Are you a New Sienna soldier?” he asked as he pulled up a chair to sit directly in front of my face.
“Who…” I tried to speak, but once again the words wouldn’t come out.
“Who are you?!” I yelled out inside.

My inability to speak was frustrating and overwhelming. I could see his anger rising, and that made me even more upset. My head began to throb again, as I tried to make sense of everything. I was gettin’ nowhere fast. The woman I now know as Likka, made her way to my side.

“Don’t worry young man. You’re going to be alright. It’s been months since we found you. You’ve been in some sort of a coma. But it wasn’t like anything we’ve seen before. You were dreaming and restless, but totally incoherent.

One day, we heard a big explosion while traveling through the jungle. We rushed to see if anyone needed help. When we arrived, we found you, and only you. Your vital signs were weak, so we brought you here hoping we could help save your life. Since then we’ve just been praying and watching over you. I have been doing what I can to keep you alive, but your body is weak. In time you will heal. But right now you must rest.”

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Capital City, Crimson Hawk, Hawk's Log, Max Norton

Capital City: “The City at the Center of the World”

Some say it’s the greatest metropolis on the entire plane. I’m not sure about all that. But I do know that if you want to get into somethin’, you can find it in Capital City. By the way, if you didn’t know it yet, my name is Max. . . Max Norton. In my free time, I run my own towing service with my main man Pops and his wife Lika.

You know, at this point in my life, I would love to just sit back in my chair and simply rock most of the day away. At most, I’d like to catch a baseball game or two. Maybe work on my cars. . . But I can’t, something is happening to this city. The crime is oozing into the streets. With each second, the politicians are becoming more corrupt. And the citizens are becoming more afraid. The darkness is spreading and I can feel it festering in Capital City. I’m going to do whatever I can to help stop it.

“How?” you might ask. Well, the Almighty Creator blessed me with some, I guess you could say “gifts,” that can help me along the way. I can jump farther, shoot better, fight better, heal faster. . . (you get the picture) than most. I have yet to meet the man that can whoop me in a foot race. But, I know he’s out there.

Earlier I mentioned my business partners, Lika and Pops. Well they’re more then just partners, they are also my family. The only family that I’ve known.

You see, about 10 years ago they found me half dead, with no memory, in the jungles of Keyoshia. Ever since that day, we’ve been side by side. They nursed me back to health and helped me gain a sense of normalcy in my life. It was a little rocky between Pops and I in the beginning. But we got through it. Though it wasn’t easy, I could understand. If you had seen the destruction that was unleashed on their land, their home, you could see why he was so suspicious of me. I certainly could . . . I thank the Father they didn’t just leave me there to die.

Once I gained Pop’s trust, they began to train me. And not only did they train me in their ancient ways, it seemed like they knew something about everything! I guess that’s what happens when you’re one of the most brilliant minds in the history of the modern realm. I’m not just saying that; it’s written in the history books.

Together, we’ve become a pretty formidable force against folks who, in my opinion, are trying to destroy our world. For awhile it seemed like we could never stay in one place too long. Either we were being chased, or we were the ones doing the chasing. With all that we’ve discovered, there are still so many mysteries to solve . . .

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