The man returns to the clearing where he spared the stag. By the middle of the night, he has finally found the animal again.

“Excuse me,” he says, feeling a bit silly. “My wife–we think that maybe you can grant us a wish? I was supposed to provide a wonderful feast for my wife’s birthday this morning, and helping you–I wasn’t able to provide for her. If you’re able, can you help us have a happy day?”

The stag stares at him, and he’s sure that this whole idea was a foolish dead end, when he notices something that wasn’t there before: a lantern in his right hand.

“What is–did you do this? Does this mean you’ll help us? Have you already?”

The creature’s gaze never breaks, but somehow the man knows that the deed has already been done.

“Okay! Thank you? Thank you!”

With a new lantern to guide him, he rushes back home.

We’re getting closer now and it feels wonderful. This is a little diorama I put together with my friend Zander, who will serve (is already serving) as the technical lead on this production. This is the first time that any part of the Antlers story has been presented with depth. It’s simple for now, just a little prototype–crayon on cut-out paper with a simple painted plywood set–but it’s the tiniest taste of what’s to come. I drew and assembled the characters. Zander saw me doing this, disappeared for a little while, and returned with an utterly lovely painted forest backdrop. When we assembled the scene and arranged the lights just so and took a photo, this all finally felt real.

We have a long way to go, of course. These characters are about 11" tall and flat; the characters in the final version of this scene (I hope!) will stand a few feet tall in three dimensions, and they’ll move. The stag’s head will bob ever so slightly; the man’s arms will be at his sides, and when he feels the lantern appear in his hand, he’ll raise it, and it will light up just perfectly on cue.

In due time.