Morning Patrol

The Crayon Knight stepped onto the highest balcony of Crayon Castle's blue tower. His rainbow sword glinted in the morning sun as he surveyed the colorful land of Creativia below. Four crayon towers stretched toward the sky, each painted in bold primary colors that seemed to glow against the emerald hills.

"Another peaceful morning," he said, adjusting his crayon-box shield on his arm. The armor's blue surface reflected the sky perfectly.

Below in the courtyard, a group of humanoid gryphons practiced their morning flight routines. Their feathered wings caught the breeze as they soared between the towers. Near the castle gates, several humanoid unicorns tended to the rainbow gardens, their horns sparkling with magic.

The knight smiled and activated his flight power. He rose gently into the air, planning to make his usual patrol around the castle grounds. Everything looked normal from up here.

But as he flew past the art gallery tower, something felt different. The windows that usually sparkled with displayed masterpieces seemed oddly dark.

The Silver Witness

The Crayon Knight descended toward the art gallery tower, his heart beating faster. The windows that usually displayed colorful masterpieces stood completely empty. Dark frames held nothing but shadows.

He landed on the tower's entrance balcony with a soft thud. The heavy wooden doors stood wide open, which was strange. Gallery doors were always kept locked during the night.

"Hello?" he called, stepping inside. His voice echoed through the hollow space.

Inside, every single painting had vanished. The walls showed only faint rectangular outlines where frames once hung. Even the pedestals that held sculptured crayon figures were bare.

A soft humming sound drifted from the corner. The knight turned and spotted a small sparrow perched on an empty easel. Her feathers were an unusual silver color that seemed to shimmer.

"Oh!" the sparrow chirped, noticing him. "You're the Crayon Knight! I'm Melody. I was just... admiring the artwork." She glanced around nervously at the empty walls.

"What artwork?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Melody's silver wings fluttered. "Well, there was so much here yesterday evening. Beautiful paintings, sculptures... I come here often to appreciate art."

The knight activated his power sensing ability, but detected no magical traces of theft.