Kite's first painting made Reinhard actually squint.
The Vermillion Bird was surrounded by what appeared to be a miniature sun. It was colored brilliant yellows and oranges and whites so bright they seemed to glow off the canvas.
The bird itself was barely visible within that corona of light, just suggestions of form and feathers. A massive ball of light encompassed everything, radiating heat that Reinhard could almost feel despite knowing it was just paint.
The second showed the bird flying above an ocean.
But this wasn't a peaceful flight as the water below was turning barren as the bird passed. It displays multiple paintings of steam rising into the clouds. Fish floated belly-up as the ocean itself seemed to shrink, water evaporating under impossible heat.
Kite had captured the transition beautifully, showing healthy blue water on one side, gradually transforming to cracked, dry seabed on the other.
