Blood and Tears (comic story)

Summary
The people from the village of Galathos relate their sad tale of the oncoming sickwind, a curse from the Gods that kills their people and takes them away. They show the warning marks on their bodies: small, plaster-sized patches, like tattoos. Once the marks start to appear they have only seven suns' time left to hunt the Dramos and revel in its healing blood lest they die.

With the Doctor, Rose and a catlike creature, the Palanth (thought to be lucky), they head off to find the Dramos. They go through the jungle, down a waterfall and into a cave. There the Doctor finds a nest of creatures hanging from the walls. As they prepare to leave, the Dramos returns, but rather than attacking them, it tries to communicate. The Dramos explains that the Galgothians are wrong to hunt and kill the Dramos, leaving its young with no-one to protect them and many to die.

The sadness draws the Palanth (now carrying the signs of the oncoming sickwind) to the Dramos' side to comfort it. Soaked by its desperate tears, the Palanth starts to recover; the marks fade away. The Doctor realises the Dramos carries the antibodies to cure the sickwind not only in its blood, but also in its tears. He takes the Dramos back to the villagers. They are alarmed by the Doctor's betrayal in not killing the Dramos. The Doctor wins their trust. As both sides tell their sad stories, the tears flow and the sickwind is cured.

Characters

 * Tenth Doctor
 * Rose Tyler
 * Palanth
 * Dramos
 * Galathos

Original print details

 * Publication with page count and closing captions


 * 1) DWA 7 (6 pages split 4/2) * NEXT ISSUE: MORE DANGER AND ADVENTURES!

Continuity
to be added

Timeline

 * This story takes place after DWA: A Delicate Operation
 * This story takes place before DWA: Fried Death