The Saga of Snow Leopard Part 2

From the Official Snow Leopard Fan Page on Facebook:

"Zhau Qi was an 11 Chinese year old girl whose parents, Zhau Mu-wan and Zhau Li, took her and her twin sister, Nin, on an obsessive trek up the icy slopes of Mt. Cho Oyu in Nepal. Mu-wan wished to reach the summit of the mountain, where he hoped to find the legendary Blind Eye of the Mountain, an aperture in the craggy peak where, it was rumoured, one could find peace, enlightenment, untold desire - or untold power. For twenty years, Mu-wan had trained for this journey and to divine the secrets of the Blind Eye. In so doing, he had lost all that he had - save for his family. Against all better judgment he took his daughters along with he and his wife, who had made her husband's quest her own.

Nearing the summit, Li was shot and killed by an assassin called Trandem, an old enemy of Mu-wan's, and Nin fell into an icy crevasse between the peaks. A huge snow leopard called Erizu tried to save Mu-wan from Trandem's fire but to no avail. Her parents dead and slowly disappearing beneath the snow, Qi was taken under the care of Great Erizu (an old ally of Mu-wan) and his pregnant mate Pura, both of whom possessed "mindspeak", a telepathy that bridged barriers between languages and species. Erizu had spent years inside the mountain, and the Eye's mystic energy had made him a telepath and dreamscryer - vastly more intelligent and psychically attuned than any beast - including most men.

Pura soon gave birth to the cub Kira, but Trandem reappeared and slew Pura. Erizu died shielding his cub and Qi from Trandem, who was an old and bitter foe of the great leopard. Dying, Erizu imparted visions to Qi - subconscious wisdom that she would only begin to fully comprehend when she was older. These visions held warnings against Trandem and his true nature and that of the Blind Eye of the Mountain. Qi bonded with Kira, who already possessed an infantile "mindspeak". The two orphans miraculously arrived at an opening in the mountain. The light inside temporarily blinded Qi, and she and Kira were cared for by a man called Seijun Ko, an old acquaintance of both Qi's father and Kira's. Ko told the girl and the cub that they had found the Blind Eye of the Mountain. Ko vowed to train Qi in order to find and exact her vengeance on Trandem. When Ko asked the girl her name, she spoke as one who had died and been reborn and answered, "Snow Leopard".

Almost nine years later, Snow Leopard - now a master of martial arts and exotic weaponry - and Kira - unmatched by man or beast in powers of the mind - wander Asia tracking all who possess the symbol of the Blind Eye of the Mountain. This sigil has spelled immense suffering for the pair, but has also led them to the power they need to gain at last their revenge on the man called Trandem."

The Snow Leopard Page on Facebook can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Snow-Leopard/223668407657587#!/pages/Snow-Leopard/223668407657587?sk=wall

Please drop by and, in Facebook parlance, "Like" Snow Leopard!

"Snow Leopard", Snow Leopard, Zhau Qi, Kira, Erizu, Pura, Zhau Mu-wan, Zhau Li, Zhau Nin, Seijun Ko, Trandem, and all related characters, designs, and story elements are Copyright 2008-2011 George Henry Smathers Jr. (AKA Henry Zeo Covert). Art above Copyright 2009-2011 Albert Luciano.