This is an edited repost from 2010 with reduced word count (368) and minor word changes. The comments on the original included a brief discussion over the final line, and you’ll notice I kept it here. Thank you.</em>

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I accept the uniform, folded neat upon my arms. The soldier tells me blue is my color. Or is it gray? Another war, another battle—it is always the same—another uniform, nothing ever changes. A warrior only knows one color.

Blue or gray, I don my uniform holding me tight. I stand in line with the others, some carrying scars of battle upon their faces. Many pale, some dark, the warriors hold two traits in common, their color and the death in their eyes.

The mercenaries march, boots crushing the ground. The slinking centipede cuts through the army into the front line. Musket in left hand, sword in my right, I stand gazing over rolling green. The captain tells us to remember our color. Remember, the man beside me says, tugging at his uniform.

Darkness arrives with the thunder of boots. I hold no ill between warriors. This is our way. The one beside me wishes me luck, to find death at last. I thank him and shake my head. Another field, nothing ever changes. Perhaps my time passed me long ago. I wish him a good death and to remember our color.

Cannon fire announces the battle. Blue meets gray. Cries of war twist into howls of dread. I dance to the music of anguish, the beat of torment. I attack gray. Or is it blue? Dropping the musket, I carry my sword, cutting my way up the hill.

The soldiers are farmers and masons, not warriors. Blue and gray are their colors before the reaping. Some turn away in fear, others stand frozen clenching weapons. I clear first the ones with strength in their eyes. Weapons falling, death calling, a warrior only knows one color.

Blue or gray I forget, but their faces burn into memory. Color flees their cheeks, light departs their eyes. They shed crimson tears upon my dress. Even the mercenaries cry for me. I envy them, their freedom.

On the hilltop, I stand alone. Blue or gray matter no more. All of the fallen wear the same color—my color—flowing down the hill.

Red is my color, the only color I know.

For artwork on my latest web serial Kandy Fangs: Venom, I’ve been dabbling with Procreate on the iPad. I haven’t full explored the software, but it’s intuitive enough to start creating some reasonable artwork. At first, I had to sketch on paper and import to use as a guide, but after some practice I now sketch directly on a layer.

For the story, I created the skull for the vampire-wraith that appears in episode 3, “Purgatory Pain” (Kandy’s prologue) where Kandy must escape her purgatory and the vampire-wraith. I used pencil-like brushes of various weights to create the image.

The first step to create the skull is to sketch on a layer that will be discarded (hidden) in the final image. The initial sketch helps guide the paint strokes on the other layers. I used a stylus (pogo sketch) like a pencil to mark a rough shape of the skull.

For the second stage, I sketched over the initial sketch on new layer to build the final shape and gave him a sinister look with narrow eye-sockets and ugly teeth. Lighting is key. I sketched out where the bright spots and shadows should appear.

Next, I painted the background and dark areas to block in shape I wanted.

Finally, I painted using brushes on a new layer using sketches and block for guides, which are visible here.

I continued painting highlights, texture, and shadows on safe layers until the image at top. The purple eyes and fog is a combination of several layers using the same technique.

I completed a portrait of Kandy Knight for Kandy Fangs: Venom serial, and will appear in episode 5, “Time for Kandy” in the second week of November. For this portrait, I used Procreate on iPad. This is my third painting using the iPad, and there’s much to Procreate I haven’t tried out yet. The software is intuitive enough to paint with basic tools.

For this painting, I sketched on a layer that’s hidden in the final image. Layers help build an image, and also allow to try things out without wrecking the painting. Much can be accomplished with basic brushes, smudge tool, and the eraser/blend tool. Procreate supports output in Photoshop PSD format maintaining layers.

Kandy has a shock of white hair and her eyes have a red spark to them. Since this is a portrait, she isn’t showing off her fangs.

Here is my sketch used as a guideline which is hidden in the final image.

In the orange glow of the predawn sky, Marius hurried outside hopping on one foot while he tugged his boot on. He had overslept again for the third time that week. Dorin the foreman had promised a lashing if he didn’t make it by sunrise. It was Adrian’s evil eye that Marius feared most. With a glance, that old codger could weaken a man’s knees. Boots on, Marius ran for the tool shed.

The others were already out in the meadow mowing the grass. Even tubby old Robert, a heavy sleeper and obnoxious snorer, appeared lively swinging his scythe. Marius would show him, though, rocks in the boot to slow the sleeping dragon next morning.

Inside the shed, Marius looked over the two stalls where the scythes were kept. Empty. Had Robert played a trick on him? Stepping outside, he grabbed the lantern from the peg beside the door. Checking the horizon, he saw orange-yellow rays chasing the final three stars away.

In the second and third stalls, he looked at the empty rods overhead and trampled grass on the floor. No scythe. The remaining stalls held tools all in their proper places, everything perfectly organized meeting Dorin’s strict guidelines.

Twirling around, he splashed lantern light at the front of the shed illuminating a scythe wedged between the wall and the first stall. Grimacing, Marius stamped over and reached into the narrow opening. Robert would get more than rocks in his boot for this prank. Leaning into the corner, his fingers snagged the handle.

A waterfall of chills cascaded down, and he shook from head to toe.

Marius took the scythe and returned the lantern to its peg. Golden rays threatened to burst over horizon. Fearing the lashing, he scurried into the meadow.

Standing among the tall grass, Adrian appeared like a scarecrow. His narrow, evil eye gazed over the meadow. Marius trembled as he approached. Standing a meter behind Adrian, Dorin held his lashing wire.

As Marius approached the two men, expecting their usual derogatory remarks, he began apologizing, but stopped short. The two men stood there without saying a word. Strangest of all, that evil eye of Adrian didn’t even notice Marius. They seemed to stare right through him at the shed!

Waving his hand, Marius tried to get their attention. Nothing. They continued watching the shed. Although he didn’t want to; he knew he had to—something was terribly wrong—Marius reached out and squeezed Adrian’s arm.

The old man collapsed into a heap in the grass.

Face wrecked in worry, Dorin dropped to his knee and shouted at the old man.

Marius stepped around to the side to get a better look, and found that evil eye of Adrian had been replaced by serenity. Dorin cried. Trying to get a better look, Marius crouched placing his hand on the foreman’s shoulder.

Dorin the foreman crumpled over, dead.

Marius leapt back and stared in bewilderment at his hand. Had his touch been cursed? He examined the scythe noticing its superior craftsmanship, much nicer than any tool he’d seen before.

“Right,” said a man.

Spinning towards the voice, Marius found a handsomely dressed older gentleman strolling into the tall grass.

“I apologize for this unfortunate event,” said the man. He held out his hand. “Now, if you’ll be so kind to return that scythe to me.”

Following direction, Marius gave the scythe to the gentleman.

A whirlwind of smoke consumed the gentlemen, and in a puff, he was gone.

Noticing the workers coming his way, two of them shouting his name, Marius decided to flee while his legs could still carry him.

Inspired by Eric J. Krause’s Speculative Writing Prompt #155: “You hoist a scythe from an old tool shed, and it turns you into the Grim Reaper.”

As a challenge, I wrote what came to mind without thought or planning. Edited for spelling only. Not quite a six-minute story (I think it took closer to ten), but it’s the least amount of time I’ve ever spent on a story.

For this photo, I moistened the glass for the older-used, shiny look and set brightest light source in background to capture smoke ring. Two smaller light sources behind, one to my right and the smallest over my left shoulder provided light necessary to see the front and reflect off the water bubbles. To give it an older feel, I applied a grainy filter.

I used an iPhone 4S to take the photo just after extinguishing the flame. I prefer using a digital SLR with big lens, but have been giving the phone a try.