Discovering her Destiny (Saffron, open)

[iuma]

It was night, the sky was pitch black with stars twinkling like small diamonds. A strong wind was causing waves to crash onto the surf of the small play island.
The wooden sheds and tree houses had an eerie appearance in the solitude of night. The sand was reflecting the little star and moonlight that was present. With the palm trees being dark silhouettes.

A small rowing boat docked at the small wooden pier. Inside was an old man with a sleeveless brown trench coat. Large messy brown hair and strapped in with bags and bulking out with papers. Mercator the Cartographer.
He hopped over to dry land and stretched himself out. The boats were meant for children. So for an old man like himself he found them uncomfortable and small.

After cracking some of his old bones back into place he turned to the other person that had traveled with him. Holding out his hand to help her on land he asked:
"Well we're here. What do you think of it, Saffron?"

[Kuri, Queen of Feels]

( my w key is acting up, so sorry if words are randomly missing them XD)

Saffron couldn't help but think that the boat ride over to the play island was kind of creepy. After all, it was very dark now; and it as ust the two of them in a small boat on the water, that could easily flip, and that just seemed really creepy!

Saffron was a bit happier when they arrived on land agian. The boat size haddn't really bugged her, so she wasn't sore or anythng, but she slightly giggle at Mercator as he helped her onto the land.

"Well, I think its dark right now." she said as an imidiate answer. This wasn't her serious answer, how was she suposed to know? she was more concered wth not getting wet just a second ago.
She looked around and she could definantly see that this island was used for children, there where visible tree houses and other play things that could be seen, even in the dark.

"Looks like a perfect place for kids." She said and was slightly confused.... hat di ths have to do with her "destiny"? She wasn't some little kid.

"I still don't really understand though... Why is a childs play ground so important?"

[iuma]

Mercator took in a deep breath through his nose and then walked off the little pier toward the sand. Meanwhile softly stating with a bit of an old weary tone in his voice:
"No heart can be more pure then that of a child. But with age comes worries, fear... scars. You lose your innocence and the world around you is affected by it.
Here children play without worries or fears. Here they live in innocence. And so the world around them is affected by it. It is here were we will find... the door."

Mercator halted as his boots reached the sand. Standing still and overlooking the dark abandoned resort. He scratched his head, causing his wild brown streaks of hair to bounce and get even more ruffed up.
Then he sighed in disappointment and started to reach into one of his many bags with maps. He couldn't quite remember where to go now in the dark.

But as he held out the handmade parchment in front of him. Trying to read it in the moonlight, dark spots started to form on the pearly white beach sand.
The familiar sound of antenna's twitching and tiny bodies sneaking caught the old man. Who saw a group of Shadow Heartless emerge from the ground.

[Kuri, Queen of Feels]

what Mercator said made sense. it was definantly true that no one case have such an innocent mind as a child does. She was just about to comment while Mercator was looking at his map, but she noticed the approaching heartless since she wasn't looking at anything else.

"Heh, really little heartless? You wanna play?" She teased them. Unlike usual, Saffron was fine with fighting these off. Mercator seemed to be distracted by his map.

Saffron charged after them and drew her knife, then slashed the small creatures down quite easily, exept for a little of the extrea stumbleing from not being used to moveing quickly on sand.
Hopefully there wouldn't be anymore of them, altough you could never be too sure, so she kept her knife out and waited.
"Stupid heartless" she said and smiled at Mercator.

[iuma]

Mercator recoiled himself back as Saffron leaped forward to dispose of the shadows. Being startled by their sudden appearance. He watched in silence as how skillfully she wielded her knife. Waiting until the last one dispersed into black mist.

The elderly wanderer frowned. The presence of Heartless was not a good sign. They should not be here on this island. Something was wrong, terrible wrong.
His face grew from surprised to serious as he started to stare down in the direction of Saffron and the beach. He said:
"Good work lass, but tell me. What are you planning to do about them blokes?"

Mercator raised his cane up and pointed behind her. Where again dark spots appeared on the ground. But bigger this time. And slowly, longer antenna's that were streamlined back and a more adult form of Heartless appeared. Much stronger, vicious and cruel looking.
Half a dozen Neo-Shadows now appeared.

[Kuri, Queen of Feels]

( Saffi is reeddddiiicccc XD )

Saffron turned her head back towards the heartless now appearing that Mercator was pointing at.
"Hmmm... Well I don't really have a choice exept for to fight these off as well now do I?" she said playfully in responce to his question.

Bigger heartless where definantly a problem... but luckily not too much of a problem, just required more work.

Saffron simply watched these heartless move for a moment, until they acctually started coming towards her.
She quickly readied herself agian and struck at the neo shadow that was about to leap at her, pretty much stabbing it in the face.
"whoops, knife in the face!" she said a little teasingly agian before kicking it backwards as it turned back into the dark mist here it came from.

Now there where only five, but they wheren't going to be as easy to take down; seeing as none of the others would allo themselves to be stabbed in the face.

Two of them decided to attack now, which was a little more difficult. Saffron ran at them, however sand being difficult on her, she tripped.
The neo shaddows where just about to lung at her as well, so they pretty much just switched opssitions.
"Hey! Get back here!" she said, then chased after the two that where attacking her.

"You may want to watch out Mercator, I dunno what the others are going to do. Its hard to keep track of five things at once!" she said while attempting to hit the two that previously evaded her.

[iuma]

The neo-shadows continued prowling around Saffron and attacking her. But two of them sank into a shadow on the ground and slithered over to Mercator. Rising back up in front of him, cutting him off from Saffron.

The other three made sure that the young girl was to busy to come to the old man's aid. His heart was not as alluring as hers but would make a nice appetizer before the main course.

Mercator narrowed his eyes as he got an angry look on his wrinkled face. His skin around his head and hands was starting to bleak white. Standing cautious to react to the actions of his two adversaries.
What seemed to be a fit of anger, the elder planted his cane firmly into the sandy beach. With shifting eyes the old man said:
"Now I must warn you lads..."

His hand now firmly grasped the handle of his cane, the fingers wrinkling around the wooden shaft as his tensed up his body.
With a more malicious voice then ever, the cartographer said:
"... I fight dirty."

With a quick jerk he lashed out the cane at them. But with the tip buried in the sand, he swooped up a line of sand that got thrown right into the neo-shadows faces. Temporarily blinding them. Both where caught of guard by the flying sand and recoiled as they rubbed their faces.

Mercator quickly took a step forward and to the side and struck with his cane at the legs of one of the neo-shadows.
Right after this he started to retreat from the menacing Heartless and hustle quickly over to a nearby palm tree where he awaited the rest of the fighting. Not being bothered or hampered at all by the loose sand.
Glancing over at Saffron to see how she was doing.

[Kuri, Queen of Feels]

This was acctually pretty amuseing for Saffron. It had been quite a while since she last faught, and didn't really have to think about right or wrong... or was just protecting herself.
Saffron saw Mercator retreat to a safer area so she wasn't so worried aout him anymore....

Now to just chase these heartless around.

Despite what most would say, these heartless where pretty smart. They knew well enough to avoid Saffron... while still trying to gang up and attack her; ending in Saffron chasing them around in circles for a while.
She used a few tricks of her own to dispose of the heartless, plainly haveing to do with quick movements like throwing her knife, or switching directions.

After the heartless where agian disposed of, Saffron walked over to Mercator agian, panting, and sat at his feet.
"I'm tired." she panted, looking up at him. She really hoped that that was the end of the heartless for a while.... she could use the time to catch her breath!

[iuma]

"It's alright now child."
Mercator said soothing as he placed his hand on her shoulder for a moment to comfort her. Showing a forced smile at her before gazing around with his serious look again.

The night was chill to the skin as the ocean's breeze rustled the palm leaves. The water looked like an black puddle of ink as the sound of the crashing waves kept rolling over the surf.

Mercator pulled out the parchment again as he studied it more closely. Then rolling it up as he said:
"Thirsty you say, how convinient. We need to find a small puddle of fresh water. It should be somewhere against the cliff side of this enormous mountain in the middle of this island."

[Kuri, Queen of Feels]

Saffrom was a little surprised to feel Mercators hand on her shoulder.
She was still panting, but she smiled at him as well; however hers was not forced. She was happy that she did well.

Saffron slightly laughed at when Mercator started with "thirsty you say"
She never said she was thirsty, but she wasn't going to argue, water sounded nice.

"Good Idea Mercator." she said, stood back up, and brushed herself off.
"lead the way since you know where we're going. I'll take care of any heartless that pop up."
she hoped that there would be no more heartless... but in case there where.

[iuma]

It was only a short walk up the beach to raised ground of sturdier making as the cool reflecting pool of fresh water greeted both of them. A lush greenery was sprouting around this oasis.
Mercator halted in front of it and started to examine his map closely. Saying distracted:
"Here we are, take your time lass. But do hurry up."

So far no Heartless or other creatures had appeared. But the dark knight was everything from inviting. Hanging over the tiny island like a gloaming blanket of shadow and doom.
No seagulls could be heard or seen flying overhead.
If what Mercator had explained earlier was true, then very recently somebody with an impure heart must have tainted this children's paradise.

[Kuri, Queen of Feels]

( wow, I'm a horrible person! I'm really sorry for makeing you wait this long O.o )

Saffron sat on the ground near the pool of water. All the fighting had made her tired, but, it wouldn't be time to rest for a while, at least not with the way things were going.

Saffron cupped her hands and drank some water, then washed off her face and looked up at Mercator, who was still examineing his map.

"Where to next Mercator?" she asked and got up to a kneeling position. She still sounded slightly out of breath, but not as bad.
She then realised somthing as well though, "Mecator you should probably drink some water as well dehydration is no fun." she said and smiled at him.