Over the next few weeks, Marcus and Mikka get to know each other, which is how he learns that the girl is very enthusiastic, always full of this bright, bubbly energy, and he opens up to her much faster than he thought he would. 

He lets her make suggestions, on how he draws and shades the things he makes, however these suggestions sometimes feel like she means something else, helping him to draw more accurately faster, keeping the lines neat, and more lifelike.

He also finds himself thinking of William more, and mentions him a few times.

One day, she asks him about his lost brother.

"You mention this 'William' boy sometimes...who is he? Another friend?" He hesitates, then shakes his head.

Does he tell her or not?

It's not like it's exactly a SECRET, anyone in town can remember what happened.

"He's my brother. WAS, my brother." Mikka's face flickers for a second with an emotion he can't identify. "How'd he die?" She inquires quietly. "He died two years ago. He said he was going to this place he loved to go to all the time-an abandoned building, because it was quiet, and it was safe, fine, nobody went there but him, and then..he didn't come home."

Images start to come in, mixing with his current surroundings(A field, because they had taken a walk).

His parents pacing and continuously calling William's phone, then the police.

The drive to the station to set up a search.

Sirens, and a glowing light.

"He..he died in a fire." 

His parents terrified, then running up to the burnt mass that was once their son.

"Nobody ever found the cause, but oddly his sketchbook was left untouched, except for a few small scorch marks."

Marcus couldn't understand. 

He still doesn't.

How could William, his big brother, the coolest and smartest person he knew, die like this? He was always so careful.

So when he found his drawings, he kept them. The one thing of his that was safe. The last thing he had left of him. 

"Why was the drawing pad left alone?" Mikka muses aloud. "I don't know. The fire should have utterly destroyed it, by all accounts and logic. I sometimes swear it was like magic." Marcus sighs, wrapping his arms around himself. "You miss him alot?" He nods. "Every day. He was my best friend." He tries to blink back the tears. And then suddenly someone else's arms are around him, gentle but strong, comforting. "I'll be your new best friend." She assures him, and Marcus hugs her back gratefully. "Thank you." They stay like this for a few more seconds, which gives Marcus a moment to absentmindedly think of how she smells of paper up close. 

When they release, Mikka stands up. She looks at the sky, it's probably about 2:00 right now. "Well, we still have some more time..what do you wanna do now?" Marcus shrugs, inhaling sharply. "I don't know, maybe we could-" The sudden roar of something interrupts his words, and while he whips around, trying to locate the sound, Mikka seems to stiffen, then her eyes narrow as she mutters something. "What-" She puts a hand on his mouth, the most intense thing he's ever seen her do. "Shh." She growls. Somewhere, there can be heard an ANIMAL growl. Not TOO close, but definitely not FAR, either. She carefully takes her hand back, then grabs Marcus' sketchbook and a pencil. "Draw a bow, and a quiver of arrows. Now." She hisses, quietly thrusting the objects into his lap. Confused but complying, he sketches the item as best and fast as he can. When he's done, Mikka takes his wrist. She presses his palm into the drawing.

And it starts to move.

The paper does not rip, the lead does not smudge, but the sketch lifts into his hand, growing to the size a normal bow would have grown. She takes the weapon, and then the quiver when it comes.

The paper is now blank, and the inexplicable appearances have ACTUAL color.

WHAT?!

What just happened??

Mikka rises, expertly taking out an arrow and drawing back the string. 

She reminds him of that girl in the Hunger Games books. 

Kathryne or something, he doesn't remember. 

Except entirely different color scheme. 

"Mikka, what are you-" 

Another roar interrupts him again, and this is when a creature leaps at him. 

It looks like a tiger-bear thing, but still so unlike any animal he's ever seen, he doesn't even know if that's what it was.

Not a moment after, an arrow pierces its side, throwing the beast off-course as it crashes into the ground, snarling and still trying to reach Marcus, who backs away quickly.

Mikka shoots an arrow into its skull, and the beast goes still.

The color drains, and becomes like the bow and arrows, but in reverse. 

It's a fantastically detailed sketch, and as such, the lead has no paper to stay on, so it collapses on itself, blowing away in the wind.

Mikka sighs, lowering the bow, before doing some weird hand gesture and murmuring something. 

"What WAS that?" Marcus cries. Mikka winces. "You weren't supposed to find out this way." "find out WHAT?" He demands. She straightens herself, and looks him in the eye.

"That you're the way to end a war."