Free Web NovelChapter 9: “Best” Painters Assembly
Nuri scratched his right cheek, overwhelmed by the fairy’s effusive praise. Though his princely upbringing had made him vain, he wasn’t used to genuine compliments.
"...You must be Painty."
She fluttered down to eye level, her silky blond hair catching his attention.
"Yes. I’m so glad that you know me!"
Nuri tilted his head, clearly intrigued by the fairy.
"You will be my guide, right?"
The fairy bobbed in midair, nodding faster than her wings.
"Yes! I’ll be your guide, your artist, your advisor, your collaborator, your errand girl, everything that you need!"
He smiled.
"I see... Then I’ll make it quick. I need to draw something right now."
The fairy hummed.
"Right now? Ah, you’re in the Labyrinth, aren’t you?"
Nuri nodded, his face tightening with worry that something might be lurking outside.
The fairy nodded gravely too, mirroring him.
"I completely forgot! I was so excited when I saw you... Okay, no worries! Lady Rosaria instructed me, and I quote: ’If he comes here looking like he’s constipated, draw for him, and he’ll come back to edit once he’s safe,’ unquote."
"What!?"
He instantly wiped away any expression lingering on his face.
"Did she really say that? I don’t look like that, right?"
The fairy only stared at him, smiling innocently.
"Damn, Rosie," Nuri grumbled.
"Anyway," Painty interrupted, clapping her hands, "as Lady Rosaria said, I’ll draw for you! Just tell me your vision. What concept are you thinking of? What do you want to express? Which medium? Color scheme?"
"Whoa, relax!" Nuri raised his hand. "It’s been a while since anyone’s thrown that many questions at me!"
"Sorry, sorry, force of habit!" Painty bobbed apologetically. "Most artists love having their brains picked."
"Well, you’re not wrong, but usually the questions are more conceptual."
He dragged a hand through his hair.
"And Rosaria didn’t say much about Soul Canvas. It’s better to experience it on your own, she said. Are you sure you can execute my ideas?"
Painty snorted.
"Of course I can! Lady Rosaria did not just pick anyone, you know."
Nuri let out a sigh of relief, a hand on his chest.
"Okay, good. Right now, I don’t need much. Just give me a Painted with a Pure Essence and Imprints, and I’m happy."
Painty’s wings stuttered.
"Oh, oh, very practical! Yes, for your first run, it’s essential to have a starter Painted." She bobbed in approval. "Having an Imprint comes before everything else in the Labyrinth."
"That Baby Mantis Essence," Nuri said, pointing at the Reliquary. "Use that. Make another one similar to that mantis I killed—"
Nuri stopped mid-speech, realizing Painty might not be watching him all the time like Rosaria.
"You know what a Baby Mantis looks like, right?"
Painty nodded.
"Of course! It’s in the Labyrinth Bestiary!"
"There’s a... bestiary? Never mind, I’ll ask about it later. Just paint me one like that. Same look, same size, the whole thing."
Painty drooped instantly, her wings sagging.
"...That’s it? No tweaks at all? Not even one extra leg? A little crest? Slightly bigger mandibles? Ooh, ooh, what about wings, I can give her wings!"
"Hm, that’s actually a good idea. The wings. We can alter its anatomy and call it Baby Praying Mantis."
Painty’s wings shot back up.
"YES! Yes yes yes! Praying Mantis! Why didn’t I think of that?" She did a small loop in midair.
"Easy, easy."
Nuri waved her down. The generational painter’s gears in his head had started to grind for the first time since forever!
"In my old world, praying mantises had wings. Well, most of them. Only the males could fly. Babies and female mantises didn’t, so technically Baby Praying Mantis doesn’t make any sense, but it’s all imagination anyways — who cares!"
"Yes, yes," Painty cooed. She had already slipped on her glasses, pulled out her notes out of nowhere, and started writing things down.
Nuri ignored it and kept pitching:
"But we keep it tight. I want wings, but enough to float, not soar. Like, beetle-style. I want it tucked under the hard upper plate so they don’t get clipped in a narrow tunnel. Oh, and translucent membrane underneath."
"Why translucent?"
"For light to catch! Makes it pretty. But seriously, it serves a purpose. When it flares them open, prey will freeze for a second. Real predators evolved that trick on purpose. The buzzing will distract the prey as well."
Painty gave a thumbs-up.
"Pretty and functional, you’re speaking my language!"
Nuri cupped his chin.
"Mandibles and scythes stay untouched. I don’t want to mess with the weight. And those parts already almost killed me, so no reason to ruin a good thing."
"Got it, got it."
He tilted his head, the artistry in him fully awake now.
"...One more thing. Color."
"Ooh?"
"Don’t paint her pale green. That’s freaking boring. Make her dark. Like bruise-purple on the body, near-black, with the wings flashing a violet sheen when they flare. Same as my eyes."
"Very vain. I love it!"
Nuri proudly nodded.
"It’s practical too. If I’m flailing a sword around in the dark and see a green mantis, I’d instinctively stab first. I’d rather not skewer my own Painted."
Painty paused, then looked up from her notes.
"Actually, Nuri, you can’t harm your Painted! They possess an invisible field that protects them from your attacks."
Nuri looked up at the ceiling, confused.
"Huh, really? Rosaria never said anything—"
Then he remembered. He really had been too engrossed in trying to create a masterpiece.
"Right, I remember now."
"Mhm!" Painty bobbed.
"Well, it doesn’t change the fact that purple would look better on her!"
They had already given his first Painted a gender: a female praying mantis, at that. As Nuri had mentioned, they could not fly because they were larger and heavier, but this was imagination! Imagination had always been about the impossible. To defy the limits of reality — that was imagination. Otherwise, why should it even exist?
Painty nodded with seriousness.
"Yes, of course. Your impeccable creative sense never fails to deliver!"
Nuri held a hand up.
"Alright, don’t talk like that now. Reminds me of those snobby nobles who kissed my ass — pause — just to get discounts on my work."
Her wings slowed slightly.
"Ah... I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to..."
The fairy stooped to his knee, her head hanging as if the world were ending.
Seeing such sadness, Nuri waved it off instantly.
"Ah, no no, I’m joking. I’m joking!" He flapped his hand in the air. "You’re different from them, Painty. Yours are very sincere. I like to hear them from you!"
’Wait, why am I saying all of this!’
Painty looked far too precious to ever be down in the dumps. Her little slump, the way her wings dulled and her shoulders seemed to fold inward, tugged at something tender in Nuri’s chest. If someone had made her this way — so quick to blame herself, so easy to wilt because of one careless word — they would be the worst person alive! And Nuri didn’t want to become a fairy bully.
"R-Really?"
"Really! Keep them coming. Just speak your mind!"
Painty perked up immediately, like nothing had happened.
"Okay!"
Nuri shook his head with a small smile, then jabbed a thumb back at the ginormous canvas. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
"Anyway, you sure you’ve got everything?"
"Aye aye! I’ve got it all written down."
She tapped her tiny notepad with the eraser end of an even tinier pencil.
’Wait, that’s so cute!’
He wanted that pencil in his Super Odd Catalog back at his dorm.
Painty scanned the list once more, then held up her index finger.
"Don’t worry about a thing. Painty Doesn’t Forget!"
Nuri chuckled.
"Sounds like a slogan you came up with five seconds ago."
Her small eyes widened.
"It is! Do you like it?"
He stared at Painty for a moment.
"...I’m leaving."
"Wait, wait, one more thing!" She zipped in close, her hands clasped under her chin. "Can I sign her?"
Nuri narrowed his eyes, perplexed.
"...Sign her?"
"Like, you know, whenever a painter finishes their work, they sign it in the corner or something! I’m thinking of signing behind her left scythe joint, maybe. Just a small Painty, in cursive!"
He smiled.
"I mean... it’s your work, Painty. Do whatever you want."
Nuri had no qualms about it. She was the one doing the work, after all, so there was no need to even ask him. He was just freeloading off her.
Painty squealed and did another loop in midair.
"YES! Ah, you won’t be disappointed, Nuri. Leave it to me!"
He nodded, eager to see the results.
"Mhm. Get on it!"
"Yes, Master!" Painty saluted with mock military seriousness and zipped toward the canvas.
Nuri chuckled.
’She’s fun to be around. I’ll definitely visit her every day.’
Nuri took one last look around the studio, then he closed his eyes.
The world remade itself in a blink, just like when he entered, and he was back to a familiar scene.
’Let’s move. Time to kick some more ass.’
