Sienna hopped off the huge panther as they reached the wooden door of the drawing room.
"I'm still not tired, I can carry you all day and night!" The panther sighed as they went inside.
"Then just rest for me, hm? I feel guilty you two have to be always on your feet to help me out."Sienna said gently and kissed the panther's head. "This was "a sweet dreams kiss", don't get mad."Sienna chuckled.
Xander shook his head and lay under the big window as she told him. He tried to sleep.
Sienna quickly draw that golden scorpion before she would forget his face and then went to paint just for fun.
She painted for some time when the door opened slightly and Mathyas sneaked inside! His face was disturbed. He held a full linen packet in his hand.
Xander lifted his head worriedly. The panther woke up at the sound of opening doors and growled.
"I'm supposed to stay free of trouble, "Sienna glanced at Mathyas nonchalantly.
"Don't panic, I came to ask you for help," Mathyas said calmly.
Sienna watched in awe."Help? How can a dead queen help you?"
"Almost dead can help the dead!"Mathyas bit his lips. He came to the table and opened his packet. The three shiny skulls stood on the table!
"Your friends?"Sienna looked at the skulls surprised. She remembered them too well!
"I like to ask you to recreate their faces, "Mathyas asked seriously.
"Why?"Sienna furrowed her brows.
"I had 4 friends, but my mother swore she killed only 3, one escaped from her dungeon somehow, but she can't remember which one. I need to know." he bit his lips. "I almost forget their faces. If I can have at least a drawing of them." he clenched his jaws hardly.
Sienna looked at the skulls. She really felt sorry for the poor females." I will do it for them." she nodded."I am still dead to you."
"Thank you. How long do you plan to stay dead to me anyway?" Mathyas asked jokingly.
"Till you stop being dead." she looked at him seriously and took the white modelling clay."Help me to soften it," she gave him a big chunk of clay."We will need a lot."
"It is too stiff! "Mathyas complained.
Sienna looked at him pitifully and bit her lips."Here, have some more."She gave him an even bigger chunk of clay."Exercise."
"Do you think you can order me around?"Mathyas looked at her seriously.
"We are working on something now, it was your idea."She looked at him coldly."It will be faster if you help."
"Ok, then, if you are too weak to do it by yourself."Mathyas nodded.
"Hurry up, I will need it soon."Sienna made a space on the table. Then she turned to the shocked panther."Xander, please go fetch me a mirror!" she sent him out.
"Are you not afraid to stay by yourself with me?"Mathyas smiled cheekily.
"No, your father kissed me really well," Sienna licked her lips. "He is a man, I will be more worried to stay with him alone in a room." she chuckled seductively.
Mathyas bit his lips. He was angry inside and knead the hard clay strongly."At least I can vent on this clay." he raged in his mind.
Xander came back with a table mirror. He stood it on the table next to Sienna. Sienna sat down behind the table and stared into the mirror at herself!
"Yes, you are really beautiful."Mathyas frowned."Should you not start by now? The clay is soft already." he stood up and put a softened clay next to her on the table.
"Shush, little boy! I'm working." Sienna said as if in a trance. She touched her face and felt her facial muscles. Then she put the skulls next to her and started to model the facial muscles similar to hers. She stuck them to the skulls to match the size and shape of the skull!
It was taking some time and Mathyas knead more clay and watched her modelling. Sienna looked as if she was in her own world. She kept talking to the skulls softly as she modelled."The artists are crazy!"Mathyas nodded his head.
In a few hours, the skulls started to remind him of his friends. Mathyas get up and stood next to Sienna.
"This one had a slightly longer nose, "he said with a broken voice." And sharper ears," he remembered and started to give Sienna directions excitedly.
In the end, the three faces were finished. Sienna decided to add clay hair as well on them. She made their necks and shoulders too, they looked like antique busts, and no bones were visible!
"Done." she smiled at them and went to wash her hands. Then she stretched her back."I was sitting for too long."She said to herself.
"Why are you talking to yourself all the time?"Mathyas stared at her.
"Because that is the way I create," Sienna shook her shoulders.
"It is annoying. I prefer quietness."Mathyas nodded.
"Well, you are quite boring, I also talk to entertain myself." she lifted her eyebrow cheekily."We need to wait till the clay will dry now."Sienna pointed at the busts.
"No need, "Mathyas flicked his hand. The purple flame passed the busts in a second." All done." he nodded.
"What you just did?"Sienna stared.
"I took most of the moisture out, is rock hard. Try it," he said nonchalantly.
Sienna touched the busts carefully. They were really hard as a rock!" Ok, let's draw them now!" she nodded her head.
"Did I impress you?"Mathyas smirked at her.
"You did well, "Sienna nodded. She took 3 same-size canvases and got them ready for painting."Dry this too."She told him.
Then she took busts one by one and started to paint them as if they were alive.
Mathyas watched as Sienna painted the portraits, it was going deep into the night, but she did not ask to stop. "Is she really so kind? Or just crazy? Or am I crazy?"Mathyas stared at her.
Sienna did not feel tired at all. She was in her little creative cloud. It was really exciting to see those bones coming to life. She was curious to see their faces too.
Mathyas stood next to Sienna and watched how she painted. He started to pinpoint the hair, skin and eye colour and a few details. Sienna listened to his instructions and coloured them as he wished. He felt his heart clench painfully as the light of past memories came out to life again! Mathyas was really trying to behave and they worked quite well together.
In the end, Sienna stood the portraits on the long table and placed the skulls next to them." So do they match?" she asked gently.
"Yes, "Mathyas nodded."You did it really well. Thank you. I know now, who is missing."He bit his lips.
"Who? "Sienna asked.
"I had four friends, one with brown hair, two with black hair, "he pointed at the portraits. Then he took Sienna's hand carefully and led her to the mirror, which was next to the portraits also leaning onto a wall. Sienna looked into the mirror."And one with golden hair like yours."Mathyas stared at her reflection. Sienna stared too. It looked like 4 portraits now. It felt kind of creepy!
"Do you think she is still alive?" she asked him quietly.
"No, "Marhyas shook his head."I think I know what happened to her now. She is dead for sure."
"You will not try to find her?"Sienna asked.
"Well, maybe you will find her one day." he said a bit darkly." But I kind of wish you did not." he bit his lips.
"Well, what now?"Sienna asked.
"I will keep their portraits and bury their bones, I will ask my father to place them in our family tomb."Mathyas said thinking."Thank you."
"Ok. Have a good night."Sienna nodded.
"Night? Is already morning in a few hours!"Mathyas chuckled. He took the portraits and the busts and went out.
Sienna stretched her back and went to wash her hands again. It was still dark outside. "How should I know is morning soon?" she shook her head."He is just ridiculous!" she sighed.
"Why did you help him?"Xander finally asked.
"To keep something human in his heart and for these poor girls. At least they got a face for the last time."She bit her lips and teared up.
"Come here."Xander changed to a man and hugged her.
Sienna lay her head on his strong shoulder."I could end up as them, if not for you and Ramse, Xander."
" And Marath." he bit his lips.
Xander held Sienna in his embrace. She breathed deeply and let the pressure go away.
" Come, let's go back. The sun will be coming out soon." Xander petted her hair.
Sienna nodded and went down with him. She started to feel a bit tired suddenly.
Mathyas went to Marath. His father was still in his office studying old books.
"So?" Marath looked at him.
Mathyas picked the busts and paintings, he placed them at the table in front of his father."
"Does it match your memories?"Marath asked.
"Yes ."Mathyas bit his lips."You were right."
"I'm always right." his father nodded.
"Can I place them in the family tomb?" Mathyas pointed to busts.
"Sure," Marath nodded."Take your grandma there as well."He pointed at the golden skull at his table.
"Sure."Mathays nodded.
"I will keep their portraits in my room," Mathyas said.
"Good." Marath nodded.
"Thank you, father."Mathyas bowed his head.
"For what?"Marath asked.
"For saving Sienna."Mathyas bit his lips.
"She is mine."Marath nodded. "Don't cause her more trouble."
"How did you make her like you?"Mathyas asked.
"She is a woman. I'm a man. You are still a boy inside. Boy and a monster."Marath sighed.
"Good night father."Mathyas bit his lips and went. He placed the bust in the tomb. He sat there thinking for the rest of the night staring at his friend's faces.
The gentle wind eloped around the busts and Mathyas felt as if he could hear his friend's whispering voices!
"You did not protect us."
"You are weak."
"My face hurt, you did not knead the clay properly."
"Shush, he is just weak!"
"He is such a sweet boy."
"He was a sweet boy!"
"Now he is the monster."
"He killed the pretty queen."
"Pretending she is a mermaid."
"Little fool, when you will grow up?"
They seemed to be whispering between themselves and to him!
"You should be on my side, you were my friends!"Mathyas said a bit upset.
"She is our friend too, she talked to us sweetly."
"She smiled at us and held our bones with kindness."
"But we still like you, you are our friend, you kept us in your heart."
"A little black heart. We are the only red spot on it you have left."
"We and your mother."
"She was dead but not anymore."
"If you will forget us, you will stop being a boy."
"You will be a monster, only a monster,"
"Eating your own heart."
"We are your friends, long-dead friends."
"He needs his friend."
"Who is his friend?"
"The one who cares about him."
"Who cares about the monster?"
"The beast!"
"The beast and the monster."
"Get your heart back or come back to us."
"As a dead, living dead when you lose your heart."
"He doesn't see love, he doesn't see kindness, his future is in the darkness, he will live like a dark black cloud, the king of darkness you will fall." the voices chanted in Mathyas's head!
"Get free Mathyas, get free!" the wind stopped suddenly.
The deadly quietness ruled the tomb again. Mathyas could hear his own breathing. He listened to the sound of his heart pounding in his head.
"Get free? Her freedom song! I need her to get free!"Mathyas thought."I have to get Sienna back from my father at any cost!"
Meanwhile, Sienna got a quick bath and was ready to go to bed. She sat in front of the mirror and brushed her hair when Ramse came in."Let me do it," he smiled sadly."When Sarcos will come, I will be not able to brush your hair anymore." he sighed.
Sienna stared into the mirror, "Ramse, Marath told me, he will free Sarcos to the wind. Do you think he might be stuck in that dome and could not open the door?"
"Anything is possible here. "Ramse noted.
"I will check it out as well," Xander nodded.
"Ok, then let me know tomorrow morning."Sienna smiled.
"Well, you mean today morning, I have just a few hours left to watch."Xander chuckled and sneak out to the laboratory.