Xera and Pluto left town. They saw the tower rising in the distance. They met no resistance on their way there. When they arrived, the structure loomed above them. It was as though the makers were trying to reach the heavens. A plethora of windows, as well as rust and ivy, covered the entire structure. At the top of the building, a wild grove of greenery grew.

The pair equipped their weapons and took deep breaths to prepare them for the battle ahead. At the base of the tower was a metal door with a wheel. The wheel groaned as they used their strength to open it. Inside, there was a long staircase that rose the entire building. The door slammed behind them and they began to ascend the stairs.

They encountered their first monster as they completed the first revolution of the tower. Its head and torso were green; its limbs were black. Its left arm, longer than the right, dragged against the stairs as it lumbered toward them. Xera shot two arrows into the creature and then hit it with her daggers, making it melt into a puddle of black and green. The plash dripped off the edge of the stair, staining the stair when it was gone.

They made it up a few more steps before another monster appeared. That creature had a different-sized head, eyes, torso, arms, and legs. It was a patchwork of colors. It hopped on its tiny legs down the stairs. This time it was Pluto that went on the offensive. Quickly, the monster was defeated and melted into a multifold of colors.

They continued up the stairs, destroying monsters one after the other. The higher they rose, the more monsters appeared. Soon, they were overwhelmed as they continued their fight. There were more and more monsters when they heard a slam echo throughout the tower.

Eventually, the pair stood back to back, surrounded by monsters. It looked as though there was no way out. The group of monsters in the direction they had come from turned their attention away from the pair at the center. There were cries, screams, and growls as the number of monsters decreased. Pluto, facing that direction, saw through the crowd that Powehi had come to join the fight. Hope arose in Pluto and Xera as they were able to fight with more vigor.

The trio resumed their climb through the tower, working as a team without effort. Soon, they reached the pinnacle of the stairs. They stopped for a breath before continuing.

"So you decided to come help after all," Xera remarked.

"Yes," he said apologetically. "After you left, your words kept buzzing in my head. They reminded me of a phrase that’s used for encouragement when someone dies; 'Lu Afram.' It means 'light carries on.’

"You are strangers risking your lives for a foreign town. I've lived here my whole life. I should've gone with you; I can only atone now. My wife would want light to carry on."

"We are thankful, even if it doesn't show." Pluto told him.

They each smiled and shook hands. Above them, on the ceiling, was an open hatch door with a broken lock.

"I'll help you two up then you can lift me up." Powehi planned.

Powehi clasped his hands together. Xera stepped onto his hands then was launched through the hole above. She reached down to help Pluto up. When he was ready, the two of them reached down and helped Powehi up until all three were standing atop the tower.

There was moss covering the roof. There were gigantic, wild bushes surrounding the edges. Rotting yet chromatic fruit hung from the bushes. At the center of the circle was an easel with a blank canvas sitting on it.

The stone in Xera's pocket came to life and bounced around. She pulled it out and unwrapped it. It lifted itself into the air, hovered for a moment, then whizzed towards the easel. A ripple rippled across the canvas as the stone sank into it.

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"What in the world!" Pluto exclaimed.

The trio walked towards the easel. Powehi was the first to be brave enough to touch his finger to the canvas. The surface rippled again. He said, "That is one of the strangest things I've ever seen." He looked at his hand. "It felt like it was going to pull me in."

"Well, we need that stone back," Pluto panicked.

As he approached the canvas, he steeled himself. He plunged his arm through it and let it pull him in. Within seconds, the world he knew vanished behind him then he found himself somewhere else.

It was as though he were in an enormous room. The room was white but covered in a plethora of paint stains. Toward the end of the wall, a square hole held the stone. The image of Artsun came to life.

Colorful stains covered the intricately woven robes he wore around his whole body. He had slicked-back green hair and soft lavender eyes.

With a bow, he said, "thank you." His eyes darted to an object that lay on the floor at the center of the room.

"My brush!" He exclaimed. "Just what I would need to regain form."

He walked towards it. Artsun and Pluto both walked towards the brush. When Artsun reached for it, it flew off on its own. The paintbrush shook wildly as it spat out an array of colored droplets. The liquid splashed against the floor, creating patchwork monsters. The creatures were the ones that Pluto fought on his way up the tower; the ones that terrorized Titan.

As this happened, Xera and Powehi came through the canvas to the painting room. They rushed over to where Pluto and Artsun were.

"What's going on?" Xera inquired.

"My paintbrush is out of control!" Artsun cried. "It is creating creatures on its own."

Xera readied her bow and an arrow, but Artsun blocked her. "Any damage done to the paintbrush will have consequences. I won't be able to regain form. We need to find a way for me to get to it without damaging it."

"Alright," she grumbled. "Pluto and I will clear a path for Artsun. Powehi, can you watch our backs?"

Powehi spun his hammer in his hand. He smiled, "That shouldn't be a problem."

The trio went on the offensive. Xera and Pluto rushed forward and began destroying monsters left and right, making a path for Artsun. Paint splatters drenched the battleground, coating them in the process.

When the path was clear, Artsun leaped at the paintbrush only to miss. The object sensed its imminent capture and playfully flittered around the room, creating more and more monsters as it went. He cursed and then, with a smirk, chased after it. Even though he wasn't tangible when he swiped at the paint, it moved at his command. He chased the paintbrush around using a set of small, round, colorful platforms positioned around the room.

Pluto paused in his battle with some of the monsters and watched Artsun chase after the brush, smitten by the sight of it. A monster almost mauled him, but an arrow killed it.

"Will you pay attention?" she asked bluntly.

"Sorry," he blushed. "I thought if we chased after the paintbrush we might be able to lead it to Artsun so that he could easily retrieve it. Our weapons wouldn't harm it; it wouldn't be able to evade all of us."

"That's not a terrible idea," Powehi said, joining them.

Xera said, "Fine, let's give it a try, but try to take out the monsters while we do it."

Powehi and Pluto nodded. Xera shot an arrow at the paintbrush, causing it to fly toward Artsun. It tried to dodge the guardian when Powehi swung his hammer through a monster and up at the paintbrush. Pluto copied the attack as it flew his way. The three of them worked as a unit until the paintbrush had no option but to retreat into the path of Artsun.

Artsun's fingers solidified as they wrapped around the handle. The rain of paint splashes ended as the brush united with its master. He joined the trio on the ground.

"At last," he said with a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused."