Kochab
is a completed webcomic by author Sarah Webb, following the adventure of Sonya, a young woman from a small alpine village who gets lost in a skiing accident. She stumbles upon ruins during a storm and inside, awakens Kyra, a fire spirit who has been asleep for some time. Together, they try to navigate their way through the ruins of Kyra's former home, trying to get Sonya back to her village.
The comic updates on Tuesdays and Fridays, and completed on November 7, 2023.
Kochab contains examples of:
- Advanced Ancient Acropolis: The vast, labyrinthine palace where Sonya finds Kyra was created long, long ago when the area was much warmer.
- Affectionate Nickname: Sonya soon starts calling Kyra "Kye".
- Anti-Villain: The ice spirits that attack the palace have only been doing so to help Kye get out of her funk.
- Comforting Comforter: Kyra spreads her cloak over herself and Sonya when she sees Sonya shivering in her sleep.
- Crush Blush: Kyra blushes when Sonya unexpectedly slumps against her on the couch.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Ironic trope for an ifrit but, beneath her rusty social skills, Kyra is a big softie.
- Fantasy: Kyra frequently uses her magic to ease the journey for her and Sonya. They are traveling through the dilapidated ruins of what was once a spirit palace, which is awe-inspiring to Sonya and deeply nostalgic to Kyra.
- Holding Hands: While sitting on the balcony admiring the stars, Kyra takes Sonya's hand and puts her head on Sonya's shoulder. And that's just one example: the two of them holding hands is practically a Central Theme throughout the comic. Chapter 5 delves deeper into the nature of hand holding, with Kyra being revealed to have burned a former friend or possible lover of hers badly enough to leave an imprint of her fingers upon the other's hand. Though she still feels bad about it, and worries that she may end up hurting someone again, Sonya makes it clear that she trusts Kyra not to burn her.
- Interspecies Romance: Sonya is human and Kyra is a fire spirit.
- Magical Barefooter: When Kye is finally freed from the ruins, the fire spirit starts going around barefoot.
- Mayfly–December Romance: Sonya is human and Kyra is not—and Kyra is implied to be quite old.
- The Mirror Shows Your True Self: When Kye and Sonya are walking by a pond in the epilogue, Kye's reflection takes the form of a massive roaring flame.
- Muggle–Mage Romance: Kyra practices fire magic, which is good help for those making their way through a vast tangle of frozen ruins. Sonya is human, and unable to perform magic.
- Mystical White Hair: Kye is a fire spirit with white hair.
- Nature Spirit: Not paying due respect to them is what lands Sonya in trouble to begin with. And then there's Kyra herself, a fire spirit.
- The Place: Kochab is the name of Kyra's kingdom, and is also the name of Sonya's village.
- Playing with Fire: Kyra is a fire spirit and can manipulate heat and flame.
- Really 700 Years Old: While it's not clear exactly how old Kye is, despite appearing no older than Sonya, when she last interacted with humans the now snowy region was much warmer, implying she's at least 1,000 years old, and is likely far older.
- Reality Warper: Kyra can conjure creatures out of fire and rebuild entire halls with a single touch. She can only do so much at a time, however, and her powers may be limited to some extents.
- Sleep Cute: Whether for warmth or safety, Sonya and Kyra often sleep next to each other, despite the large size of many rooms in the old ruins.
- Snow Means Love: Sonya finds her way to Kyra's ruins in the midst of a snow storm, and snow and ice are persistent themes throughout the story, contrasting some with Kyra's fire-based powers.
- Stargazing Scene: Sonya and Kyra sit out on one of the balconies to admire the night sky, and catch sight of a shooting star.
