Chapter 8: Death

"Hahaha, outrageous! Our failed creation came back for revenge."

"Hey Ernest..."

"yes?"

"why do you paint?"

"It gives... Fulfillment," he says with an affluent smile and looks towards me,

"Do you paint from memory or imagination?"

"Half and half, I suppose..."

I slammed both of my hands down the table and said "then teach me how to paint as well." with a light in my eyes I boldly took the leap.

"I... want something to remember my mother by," just moments after showing her bravado, Mary felt ashamed of her behavior.

Stunned by the timidness and shyness that Mary exposed, Ernest's jaw dropped at the sight of the pure beauty Mary held at the moment.

He walks towards the window and walks out the balcony, I followed in suit, "are we going to jump again? I'd rather not please."

Pointing at the sky he says "what... Do you see?"

I looked towards where he was pointing... There were no buildings, nor a clear sky... What I saw, was a large castle in the sky.

"W-what is that?!" I shouted in a panic.

"A fortress?" Ernest asks with a smug look,

"Do you want to go there?"

"Are we able to?" I asked with a smug look, "yes, but we'll take the stairs down this time." Ernest and I walked out the room and trotted towards the stairs.

Walking throughout the hall, I see there were considerably less paintings plastered on to the wall compared to the rest of the house. We walked down the stairs and went outside to the front porch of the house.

"Come on! " Ernest grabs my hand as we run. We run and we run and we run, towards a lush field. He let go of my hand and grabs a box from his pocket, it had a certain shine on it one which gives me an eery feeling. The corners of his mouth point up as he placed the tiny box on the ground, he knelt down and joined his hands together, he uttered a prayer.

I went closer to him and hear "Eth R Nal, be our guide." What... did he just say? Taking another step closer to him, a light beamed from the box, and Ernest quickly stood up and took my hand and tried to run, I pulled my hand away and asked "What are you doing?"

Ernest smiled and held out his hand "I'm sorry, where were my manners. Milady, may I have this dance?"

"Dance? Why would we dance? We are in a field, not an appropriate place to do so." As I said that, the ground suddenly changed into an elegant array of tiles, the trees into windows, bushes into fancy furniture.

"W-what?!" I shouted in shock. As classical music started playing in the background, Ernest's home garb changed into a black suit, as I noticed that I was now wearing an elegant dress with beautiful gloves.

Once again, Ernest reaching out his hand toward me, "May I have this dance, milady?"

What... just happened? I kept questioning as we are locked in this pointless waltz. I pulled away from Ernest and walked towards a window, suddenly I see clouds and birds flying outside, I looked down and saw that we had left the ground, we were airborne!

"where are we?"

Ernest grinned at my confused face and said "in my family airship," this vehicle isn't supposed to be owned by a civilian family, wait a moment... "who is driving?!" I asked in a panicked state,

"Someone you know and love."

"W-what?" flustered, I took a seat to process all this, as a butler walked beside me to offer some hors d'oeuvres, I see that he had some sort of tattoo on his hand and face, he was also tall and bulky, his hands and face were dark colored and he spoke with a deep voice "this ride will take a while, please take some madam," he says with a strange accent

I took a glass of juice... I hope, and a bit of cheese and crackers.

"Hey Mary... Do you know what the last supper is?"

"No? What is it?" I ask "It is a painting done by a prominent artist in Italy."

"A painting?"

"Yes! Here, let me show you." With a smile on his face he pulls out a large painting from behind the door and he held it with pride.

"I... see," the painting looked like it was a bit tattered and weathered, but I can see that there was a man in white robes red and blue robes sitting at a table with twelve men arguing about something. They were sitting around a table but only on one side... Why only one side? Is it like a photograph? Realistically they should be all around the table or is this just an artist's interpretation?

"There was supposed to be 13 apostles,"

"Thirteen what?" Confused about Ernest's statement, I took a sip from my glass and to my surprise it was wine. As I kept drinking, Ernest then says "One had to paint them." With a smirk he puts the painting down and sat down with me on the table.

"Thirteen apostles... To what?" I asked Ernest "Jesus Christ." He replies with a smug grin.

"Who?" I tilt my head with my question, Ernest laughed at me and I took some cheese and a cracker and ate some, "Of course you would not know him! Not yet anyways."

What did that even mean? His mood seems to be a bit more bright today.

"Ernest... How... Did we get in the airship? I don't remember boarding it." As he opens a window and walk out towards an open space, I follow in suit of him and see the clouds in the most glorious of patterns and birds flying freely.

"Where are we?" I utter a question behind Ernest, as he turns around with style and holds out his hand, "We, are in Eth R Nal." As he said that the ship started to rock around, "It seems we are docking," Ernest said as I lose my balance and I fall into Ernest's arms, we lock gazes and for a moment, time stood still as I looked into the black orbs that is Ernest's eyes and I ponder on more than just myself. "Are you okay?" I hear as I am dragged back into reality and I see myself in the arms of a man whom I don't treat as more than a friend.

My face turns beet red as I screamed and quickly stood up. "Don't do that... Please, what if your fiance sees?" I pout as I stood on both of my feet.

"And just let you fall and hurt yourself? I'd rather embarrass myself than to see my friend getting hurt." He says as a flag raises from one of the towers in the castle.

Cheers could be heard just below our airship. I went over to the edge of the ship and see countless people standing by the dock, it seems that they were waiting... For us?

I tug on Ernest's sleeve and asked "Hey Ernest... What... Are you?"

He took my hand in his arms and said "An acquaintance." showing a grin and looks down, "it seems that the people are excited,"

"Excited? People?" growing more and more confused to the situation, I just sat down and waited for something to happen, then Ernest said "haha, rather than calling them people, I call them... Spirits."

"So... Can you explain to me again as to why you are acquainted with spirits?" I asked Ernest, he responds with "A long time ago my ancestor befriended a strong sprite, then lo and behold, we were now deeply connected to these wonderful creatures."

"I see... Then may I once more?"

I said with a stern heart, "why are you showing me all of this?" a brief silence ate the atmosphere of the floor, you can only hear the wind and some birds in the distance.

"Pfft! Why wouldn't I show you this? You're my precious friend!" shocked at this revelation I said, "Ernest... Could it be... That you don't have many friends?" I asked with a smirk,

"N-no, of course I have plenty of friends!" As he raises his chin and crosses his arms, he turns around. With his back showing towards me, I grab his hand and pull him to the edge of the ship.

"What are we going to do here?" I asked as the wind blew my hair and my hand entwined with his, he raises our hands and says "to have fun."

"To have fun?" I asked, "I wanted to get more paint, since you wanted to learn,"

"Then can't we get paint at a normal store?!" I said with confusion.

"No, the paint sold here is extremely better than the ones others make."

With a smile, I pulled my hand away said "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get it then," with those words, Ernest and I went down to the dock to be greeted by three spirits, one was timid and shy, the other was proud and strong and the last one was indifferent to us.

They greeted us with a welcome and offered to guide us through the city, Ernest refused and we went out way. Going through the gates, there were two guards positioned in front to

"Excuse me Ernest but... Don't you think it was kind of rude to refuse their offer?"

And as I said that, Ernest glared back at me and said "Rude? To them? I wish."

"I'm sorry..." I said in a small voice as Ernest slapped himself on the face... What?

He stood there looking towards the ground, after a few seconds, he looked towards me and apologized.

"I'm sorry, this place... I just have some bad memories here."

Mary then asked, "then why are we here if you don't like it?"

As she said those words, a blushing Ernest grabbed her hand and said, "F-for you."

Mary, wide eyed at the timidness that Ernest showed only thought in her head, "How cute!" as she and Ernest walked through the city "it's easy to get lost, so follow me." they walked a bit and finally arrived at a house which looked worn down but cozy.

"I-Is this where we're going to get some paint?"

"yes..."

"say Ernest... Why do you insist on getting our paint here?"

"why do birds fly?" asked Ernest "it's because they wanted to." showing a grin, he pushes open the door and immediately, someone said "Welcome!!"

We walked into the stoor and there was this homely feel to this store, almost as familiar as my own home.

Ernest and Mary walked up to the counter and they greeted the receptionist.

"And what brings you here today sir and ma'am?" asked the receptionist, "We're just here to look for some colorful paint." as the receptionist gives a card to Ernest, he walked to a door and I followed in suit, what I saw there was definitely... Out of this world. Various vibrant colors greeted my eye, colors which I've never seen before.

"Pretty colors..." I said and I hear a laugh beside me and see Ernest grinning from ear to ear, I blush at showing my vulnerable side.

"I told you so," he says with a satisfied voice, "pick your favorite color." As he said that, my eyes were locked to this beautiful ruby like red pigment.

"are you sure you want that?" Ernest asked with concern, "why? Is it not a pretty pigment?" I question with haste, "then prepare yourself..."

"for what?" the walls and floor faded to black, and in just a few moments, I was standing in a battlefield. Corpses piled on every direction, the stench of decay and malice wafts through the air.

I see two beast-like creatures in the distance, one was rampaging, and the other was just stood still. I walk a bit closer to the two creatures and suddenly, time stopped. Everything was still, the sun, the people. Walking a bit further, I notice that the beasts had different characteristics.

The creature that was sitting had a more humanoid shape, but it has three eyes and two horns. Compared to the other one, this one was about three times smaller than the beast rampaging through the battlefield. It had a more fearful appearance. A large body with protrusions which seemingly had steam coming out of them, huge sharp teeth, and red glowing eyes.

Moments after I examined the other beast, I found myself standing back in the tavern with Ernest.

"How'd it go?" he asks with delight. "I... Don't know..." two creatures... Out of this world. Something only seen in fantasy books, I saw vividly with my own two eyes.

"Two beastlike creatures..."

"Oh, is That what you saw? Hehe."

His smirk made me want to know more. "what... Do you mean by that?"

Ernest's smirk grew even bigger "hoho? So you do want to know more?" annoyed with his expressions I said "cut to the chase. What... Was IT that I saw?"

He crossed his arms and sighed, and shaked his head... Why is he so adamant on not telling me?

An employee came towards me and asked "Pardon me miss, but I couldn't help but notice that you were distressed, what might be the issue?"

"Oh, um... I saw some weird visions while looking at this color... Is that normal?" I asked "oh, yes! Our pigments offer up the true color to the soul, so when you see it, the pigment will give a off a certain feeling. They are imbued with different materials with difference in scent, texture and saturation."

"Oh wow, I didn't know there were differences."

"The one you were looking at right now is a pigment produced from the blood of a certain creature called the "Chimera" and it tends to show the spectator the past of someone related to them!" the past huh?

I responded with "okay, I understand, thank you!" and the employee waved goodbye and walked out of the room, "hey Ernest." I said and I looked around the room, he was sitting on a chair and was reading a book. "what?" he asked, he seems a bit occupied... "I will go look at other colors, so... Stay there." "sure," with his response, I walk out of the room and go into another room, this one had more yellowish tones. The employee said different scents... I wonder what differences there are. I closed my eyes and just sniffed around the room. I could not really smell anything since I was not really close to the pigments, so I stepped a bit closer, and closer and closer, until I get a whiff of a certain scent, it had the scent of flowers and was very pleasant for my nose. I opened my eyes and see a bright yellow plastered throughout a plate, and just like before, I was suddenly standing in a flower field full of dahlias, and I see a caped person in the middle, looking towards the sky, he stretches out his hand and an orb of light appeared. He was whispering something to it...

After a few moments, he drops the orb and a human forms, "w-what?!" I screamed as I saw a naked person come out of a ball of light.

They both turn their heads towards me and I hold my breath and cover my mouth. The caped person walked over towards me and I closed my eyes just before he was one step away from me. I waited for a few moments and I take a small peep and notice that he has walked through me and is now behind me. I turned around and see this person in better detail, he was standing still so I examined his features, he had ashen hair and red eyes. He moved his arm atop his head and I was startled for a bit, but it seems as though he does not see me...

He equips a crown made of light and his cape illuminated, there was this aura he is emitting and he is preparing to jump?

And as he was about to jump, time froze again. Now that nothing is moving... I recognize this person...

"Theodore does not like peeping toms." I hear a voice behind me, startled, I screamed at the top of my lungs. It was the person that the caped man summoned

"Y-you can see me?!" I asked in shock "yes, I know everything." "you do?"

"yes, Mary."

As she said my name, I find myself standing back in the tavern.

The visions I saw kept giving more questions than answers.

I look at the yellow pigment again but to no avail, nothing was happening. I faced the other types of yellow and it was the same, I was just standing inside of a room filled with yellow pigments.

Grrr this is so frustrating, I finally found a lead on the whole orb fiasco and now I'm back to the start. I rush out of the yellow filled room and out of my anger, I just ran straight into a random room.

This space was filled with blue hues. Just like the other rooms, they were ever so slightly different from each other.

I walk slowly around the room, waiting for the vision to appear in front of me. But strangely enough, I looked at all of the pigments and nothing occurred. I was just standing... In the middle of a blue room. After a few seconds, I walk towards the door.

"Don't go... Please." I hear a voice of a child behind me. Turning around, I see a little girl in tattered clothes. And as I walk closer to the little girl, I notice her legs were bleeding.

"Father left me here and you are the only good company I've had, everyone else has been bad."

"W-what?" I ask. But a hooded woman walked beside me and embraced the girl.

"Hush now, it will be alright... Mary."