Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 48: Painted Reality

It took them an hour, but they were nearly done painting the floor blue. Maruka wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Eory who was incredibly focused on his task. Maruka, who had been on all-fours, now sat up on his knees and waited for Eory to notice he wasn't painting.

Eventually, Eory's eyes darted the selkie's way and the fairy realized he had been staring at him. "What?"

"I was just wondering... How did your family come to be so close with P-Pollyanna? Why is she so loyal to you?" Maruka queried.

Eory leaned a cheek on his blue hand—not realizing the paint was still wet—and drummed his fingers on his leg. "It's a long story..."

Maruka wiggled his shoulders excitedly. "W-we've got time!"

Eory couldn't help but open up at Maruka's enthusiasm. "She... She had an absolutely miserable life, and my ancestor gave her suffering meaning... He gave her the power she wanted. She started out so weak and sweet..."

Eory bit his lip and murmured, "she became so powerful..."

Maruka lowered himself down on all-fours again and went back to painting—thinking the busywork would make his probing questions easier for Eory to answer. "I-i-it sounds like you have a crush on her."

The soothing, sweeping sound of Eory's own paintbrush briefly halted, and then resumed. "Goddesses, I love her so much... I can't even tell you what it is I love or want about her. She's a vile woman."

Eory's strokes sounded angry, hard, and imprecise.

"P-perhaps it's her power that you admire? Her ability to pick herself up after starting o-out so weak?" Maruka suggested.

Eory pulled himself into a sitting position. He tucked an errant hair behind his ear. "You know, when I was a child, my caretaker, Kori, convinced me that she was a grand hero who went against my parents' wishes and saved as many citizens of Maribel as she could. Slowly, I've come to realize she was the opposite of that. She's nothing but a killer. But... There's something about her—something inside her that's so..."

Eory sniffed and closed his eyes. "Deep down, I think she always just wanted to be loved, but when the world rejected her so cruelly, I hardly think it was love she wanted from it anymore."

"W-what did she want from it?" Maruka asked.

"Respect... And fear." Eory murmured sadly. "That's what my ancestor gave her; respect."

Eory's fingers tensed in anger.

A furious volcano was rising within him.

Eory threw his paintbrush. It stung the iron wall and clattered to the ground. "I would have given her..."

He sucked in a deep breath. "Why? Why couldn't she have waited? Why did she foolishly sell her soul to him? Now, if she loves any other, she will die. My ancestor carved his name into her like he owned her..."

"She s-sold her soul to your ancestor? I-is that why... She's invincible?" Maruka probed.

Eory's eyes widened, but he quickly turned his back to Maruka so he couldn't see.

You fool! Don't let him know the secret to her immortality! Taylor yelled.

"I don't know how she's invincible. My parents never told me, and Pollyanna won't tell me either." Eory whispered. Eagerly, he changed the subject. "How come you were so afraid of her when we first met? You struck me as so shy and scared when she threatened you in the bathing room, but you've turned out to be so confident and such a good instructor and leader."

Maruka gathered his thoughts. He stood up. "L-let's take a break. Come sit with me for a m-moment."

Maruka walked to a patch of iron at the edge of the room which they hadn't covered in blue paint yet. Eory stood up with disheveled hair, blue paint on his hands, and charcoal on his face. Maruka couldn't help but smile at it. The fairy walked around the paint that was still wet and eventually found his way to the selkie's side where he sat.

Maruka chose his next words very carefully. "I-I was s-scared of her because... I've known women like that before. They are unkind. T-that's why—I think it's a good thing that you can't be with Pollyanna. She would only hurt you."

Eory sighed heavily and kept his eye glued to his hands which he folded in his lap. He acts as if I don't know that. I can't stop wanting her.

You're so obsessed that it disgusts me. Taylor's clipped and clear voice overwhelmed his mind. If she offends you, you should cut her loose.

"You said you were a prisoner. Is this woman you knew the woman who was... Or is keeping you captive?" Eory changed the subject.

Maruka paused for a moment—like he was caught unawares—and then he cleared his throat. "Y-you remember me saying that before, h-huh? N-no, she doesn't have me captive anymore, but I still have the memory and scars to prove how hurtful she was to me. I-I used to not stutter like t-this, but I started doing it the first time she dragged her nails across my chest."

"Dragged her nails...?" Eory whispered in shock.

Maruka nodded solemnly. "I h-have a feeling... Pollyanna would be that kind of woman."

Eory looked at the clear, beautiful blue sky they had begun to paint with glassy eyes, wishing life could be like the fantasy they had painting.

"How did she hold you captive?" Eory asked.

Maruka shrugged. "I-it doesn't matter... I'm free now. Maybe I'll tell you about it some other time."

Maruka noticed Eory licking his lips with thirst. He smiled and handed him a water flask from the pouch hanging from his belt. "Thirsty?"

Eory nodded. "Very!"

He downed the whole bottle in no time and then handed it back to Maruka.

Eory glanced at Maruka nervously two times and twiddled his thumbs. Goddesses, just ask him!

Maruka turned his gaze toward Eory. "S-something y-you want to ask?"

"Well... Do you know if there's anyway at all to eliminate the doppelgangers? I don't think containing them is doing anyone any good..." Eory asked.

Maruka looked at Eory in surprise—his black eyes roaming Eory's face curiously. He chuckled a little. "You're so s-sweet. I know of no way, but if you would meet me again on a different night, I would gladly search the library with you f-for a way."

Eory gasped. "Oh, that's right! I should be going to bed! I have to fight tomorrow!"

Maruka shook his head. "I won't make you fight tomorrow. You n-need more t-time to learn, and more importantly, time to sleep."

"Really?" Eory's eyes lit up. "Thank you so much! But... That wouldn't be fair to the other recruits. I should go anyway."

"N-no. You know too little about fighting. You would only s-slow the other recruits down. I'll give you a few more sessions at night, and then I'll let you fight." Maruka said firmly.

Eory's shoulders tensed and his hands clenched. He nodded rigidly. The other recruits will be so mad... But he's right. I would be a burden.

A pleasant silence pervaded.

Eory suddenly laughed gaily as he looked down at his white hands which were coated in blue paint. He remembered how dirtied his face was with charcoal and was set to laughing even harder. "I'm such a mess!"

Maruka, wondering just how much the fairy understood about the world, decided to test how much he did. He looked the fairy up and down suggestively and smeared one of the charcoal patches on Eory's face with a thumb. "M-maybe we should get you cleaned up?"

"That's alright! I'll just wait until morning to bathe with the other recruits! We can paint more later!" Eory answered as he leapt to his feet and began running for the door. "I'll meet you at the library any time you want!"

Maruka chortled to himself. I suppose he knows very little.