A little tribute to one of my favourite warlock in all times: Tarabas!!
For everyone who doesn't know Tarabas is a wizard that appeared in the Fantaghiro italian tv series (also know as "Cave of the golden rose"). The film are placed in a sort of medieval pagan magic land and the protagonist of the film is the young warrior princess Fantaghirò, which fight for defending her kingdom. In the third film of the series Fantaghiro has married and lives happy with his love, the brave prince Romualdo. But a new and powerful threat is rising for their kingdom: the evil wizard Tarabas has learned of a prophecy that a royal child no older than ten is destined to destroy his evil kingdom. Shocked to learn that he isn't invincible, Tarabas sends his clay soldiers out to kidnap all the royal children of the world. His mother, Xellesia, disapproves of this, but Tarabas is obsessed with learning how he will be defeated. Among the children he targets are the babies of Caterina and Carolina, Fantaghirò's sisters which take shelter in Fantaghiro's castle which is more defendable. Fantaghirò and Romualdo protect the babies from the clay soldiers but the fight is hard beacuse the soldiers are immortal and invulnerable. However Fantaghirò accidentaly discover that water can petrify the soldiers which after can be easily destroyed.
Romualdo with a trick lure the soldiers to the river and start to forcing the soldiers into falling into the water but during the battle, a clay soldier drag along with his Romualdo into the river which, poisoned by the dark magic of the soldiers, has become cursed and turns any living being into stone. Fantaghirò seeks the help of the Elf Queen to cure Romualdo, but she is told that only "The Impossible Kiss" (i.e. the kiss of Tarabas) can cure Romualdo.
Fantaghirò decides to track down Tarabas by following his clay soldiers. When she comes across the clay soldiers attacking another castle, she intervenes. However, she is too late to save the King, who with his dying breath asks Fantaghirò to take care of his daughter, Princess Smeralda. Fantaghirò agrees, and takes Smeralda away to safety. Enraged by the cruelty of the soldiers she cries to the wind a challenge to Tarabas. Tarabas hear the challenge of Fantaghiro and is surprised because it's the first time that a woman challenged him so he decide to see this woman. He deliberately crosses paths with Fantaghirò and Smeralda as they are travelling in the forest. He claims to be a common traveller, and they agree to camp together for the night for safety. Although Smeralda is suspicious, Fantaghirò doesn't suspect anything. As they sleep, Tarabas is overcome with desire to kiss Fantaghirò, but as soon as he approaches her, he starts to transform into a hideous beast. Tarabas runs away from the camp, and as soon as he does, the transformation ceases and he returns to his human form. He is confronted by Xellesia, who explains that the dark magic within him doesn't allow him to fall in love, for as soon as he tries to kiss the one he desires, he will be transformed into a beast to devour them. Fearing to be forced to fight with the woman she love Tarabas leave Fantaghiro and Smeralda after saving them from another attack by the clay warriors. Fantaghirò and Smeralda continue on their journey, and are reunited with Lightning and Bolt (two friends of Fanatghiro) who have a new plan to track down Tarabas. They resurrect the Dark Witch and hold her heart hostage, promising to give her back her heart if she helps them find Tarabas. The Dark Witch reluctantly agrees, and leads them to Tarabas' underground lair.
There, Fantaghirò is shocked to learn that the man she'd befriended in the forest is the feared Tarabas. Tarabas agrees to give Fantaghirò the Impossible Kiss if she will marry him. Fantaghirò agrees. Tarabas chains himself up to prevent himself from devouring Fantaghirò, and they kiss. The magic of the Impossible Kiss is captured by the Dark Witch, who promises to take it back to Romualdo. As Fantaghirò is preparing to marry Tarabas, she is told by Lighting and Bolt that the Dark Witch has broken her promise, and the power of the Impossible Kiss is waning. Tarabas agrees to let Fantaghirò go, if she will promise to return him. Fantaghirò promises and chases after the Dark Witch, but it is too late. Although Romualdo cannot be revived, Fantaghirò keeps her promise and returns to Tarabas. But Tarabas has had a change of heart and lets Fantaghirò go, realising that this is the only way to prove his love for her. A second Impossible Kiss is made when Tarabas kisses Smeralda, whom he has also grown to care for. This second kiss revives Romualdo, the pair are finally married, and they adopt Smeralda as their daughter. Fantaghiro stories where my favourite fairy tales of when I was a child and Tarabas was my favourite character. I decided to draw Fantaghiro (the cat-linx character) and Tarabas (the wolf character) in furry style in the moment when Tarabas offer his kiss to Fantaghiro in exchange for the promise of marrying him. Hope you will like it!