paixaorpg | Adventure Time! [OPEN]

The woman he'd talked to the journals had one thing right: information was one of the greatest commodities one could find, and, having grown up in a city where information determined your status in society, it was something Balthier himself could appreciate. Information was why he had wanted to come, really, the gil on the side was just a perk. A building outside the walls with a strange door in it... Normally, he wouldn't think twice, but in an already strange place, who knew where strange doors could lead?

The "structure" she had mentioned wasn't too difficult to spot, considering it was the only thing out there. Nothing had seemed too out of place when they had first walked in, and he was beginning to debate leaving the place when he finally caught sight of the door. "What have we here?"

It didn't look a thing like the rest of the surroundings; it was completely out of place. He took a few steps closer to it, examining it curiously. His hand hovered over the handle, but he turned to Fran instead. "Well... Shall we see where this oddity decides to lead us?"

Although Fran couldn't claim to have come from the same background as Balthier, she too knew the value of good information. After all, any number of the things she'd done over her years of wandering had relied on precisely that. She just hadn't seen a reason to bother herself with that aspect of the discussion.

A strange door in a stranger place. There was little doubt that it offered something. But of what that something might be, she couldn't say. All the same, it didn't seem that there was anything immediately threatening behind the door, from what she could hear.

"It seems safe enough," she answered with a nod.

Balthier looked back to the door, giving it a last once-over before he turned the handle. "Onto a new stage we go, then."

The moment the doors opened, the sky pirate's eyebrows shot up. Whatever he had been expecting to be behind the door, it was nothing like what lay before them now. "Isn't that interesting?" he half-whispered. Balthier turned toward Fran. Did she see the same thing he did or was this some sort of illusion?

Slowly, cautiously, he faced forward and took a few steps out into the strange, other world before them. It certainly didn't feel like an illusion. That was definitely sand beneath his feet, and he could feel the sun beating down on him. He looked up at the sky--there was one. There had been one while they were in the fields leading up to the church, but when one stood in a field of false grass, it was difficult to forget where they were.

Balthier frowned suddenly. "What do you make of this?"

Unless her eyes were playing tricks - which she rather doubted - she was, indeed, seeing exactly the same thing as he was. A door to another world. Who could have imagined such a thing would be here.

"There are stranger forces at work here then we first thought," she answered slowly. Whatever Paixao was, this was a normal island. It had proper grass, proper sand... everything one would have expected.

And yet, there was a strange sort of oddness to it. Why separate the two places? Why lock one away? They were questions she couldn't answer.

"I would wonder why this was locked away."

Balthier put a hand to his chin, his frown deepening. That was an excellent question. A tropical island such as this hardly seemed the thing one would want to lock away. What sort of secrets lay within this piece of paradise? It seemed as though this expedition would yield more than its share of intrigue. More than he had expected, at least.

Although... he couldn't help but wonder if there might be a similar door in this place. Not one that lead back to Paixao, as that one was right behind them now, but one that lead to yet another place. It seemed unlikely, but, then again, if there was one...

He nodded his head in the direction of a nearby building. "Let's see if this place has any natives of its own," he suggested.

What secrets indeed? They'd only just barely stepped out into this strange new world (if new it was, and not a continuation of the old). Who knew what they might find out here?

"Or if there are any," she answered, by way of agreement. She couldn't hear anything, but that didn't mean there were no inhabitants. Merely that they weren't precisely nearby.

Another good point, really. It was a little odd to see a wide expanse of beach and no one out enjoying it. It made the place seem... empty, somehow, and that realization made him feel that something about all this (something beyond reaching this place via door) was wrong. Perhaps they'd figure out just what that was.

Balthier began to walk toward the shed, opening the door and looking inside. Didn't seem like anyone was in there. In fact, it seemed more for storage than anything else, and there didn't seem to be very much of value in it.

"See anything of note anywhere?" He meant on the way up as well, of course. He trusted Fran's senses better than his.

It wasn't the emptiness that was bothering Fran. It was the quietness. If anyone was here they were as still as statues - and not breathing either. It gave the place a surrealness that not even Paixao managed. At least it had people.

Strange people and sometimes inconvenient people (she hadn't seen Cid lately though, which was likely a good thing) but it was still more than she could say of this place.

"I have not," she answered. Nothing on the way up, nothing here... something here, her ears pricking up and locating the sound almost on reflex; her head following in short order.

"Heartless."

Balthier stopped the second the word was spoken and turned around, reaching for his gun. Well then, the place wasn't quite as abandoned as he had thought, although he didn't exactly consider the company the ideal sort.

If these Heartless were here, he had to wonder what sort of fate met the original people of this island. On second thought, he had a feeling he didn't want to know.

He followed Fran's gaze, eyes eventually locking on a lone shadow gliding across the sand toward them, two points of yellow visible in inky black. The Shadow Heartless eventually arose from the shadow, leaping at them only to dissipate into the darkness that had created it once a bullet was lodged in its skull. "How many more?"

The question was answered for him as more Shadows arose from the ground around them. The corners of Balthier's mouth turned downward in a tight frown. Maybe he should have been a bit more demanding when it came to pay.

"An answer to where the people went, perhaps?" Fran asked. It made a certain amount of sense. The Heartless were not kind, and if the people had not fled then there was little they could do for them. It also offered a decent reason for why it had been locked away in the first place, although she couldn't really say it had helped. There were still Heartless in the city, although there hadn't always been.

Still, she wasn't about to let the Heartless get the better of her; one of her arrows neatly skewering one of the Shadows to the ground before it went the way of the one that Balthier had shot.

"Our course?" She knew what the answer would likely be, but that had rarely stopped her before.

Balthier nodded grimly. As much as he'd rather not know, that was beginning to look like the case. He shot two more from a distance before slamming the butt of his gun into the torso of another shadow that had managed to get a little too close to him for his liking. He was beginning to think leaving the door be was the better course of action.

He pushed himself through the attacking Heartless and out the door of the shed, quickly deciding that it was better to stay out of cramped quarters, especially when the door probably would probably not even be an obstacle to the strange creatures.

Balthier scanned the island once he had the opportunity. They could either take their chances and explore the island better, or they could leave with their lives. The choice wasn't a difficult one. They were being paid to look, weren't they? They had looked and found a place beyond what they had expected; as far as the sky pirate was concerned they had more than earned their gil. If there was something of greater value hidden somewhere on the island, they could always come back better prepared. Perhaps with more than two people.

The decision was helped along as the next wave came in--more Shadows, with strange, large, spherical creatures amongst them. "I think I'd rather live to fight another day. Let's be off."

A proper adventuring party would no doubt be of good use, should they wish to see what else could be found on the island. It was all well and good to risk life to acquire a treasure, but there was little to suggest there was any here and so there was little need to stay. They'd done as they'd been asked. A higher price would be needed to keep them longer.

Nor was there shame in leaving something of little value behind. Or great value, should it not be worth the trouble and she had to admit the Heartless seemed to be more than willing to offer a great deal of trouble.

There was a brief pause as she cast Immobilize on those that were in range, and then she turned to Balthier with a nod - the spell would give them at least a bit of a head start. "We go."

Well, that'd certainly make their getaway a lot easier. He nodded to Fran in kind and turned back in the direction they came from, putting his gun away in favor of speed. A gun was all well and good when attacking, but it was no more than a hindrance when one wanted to make a retreat.

And yet, as they ran, he couldn't help but wonder whether or not they should make their return. He couldn't deny that he was curious as to the other locations on the island, but, on the other hand, he still wasn't sure whether the risk was worth the reward or even if there was a reward at all.

Well, they could always see what others could make of it. For all he knew, someone in the city might be able to give them the information they need to find a spot of treasure.

Without a longer stay on the island, not even Fran could say for sure what there was. Well, apart from the Heartless, but they were not an uncommon sight. Just another of the inconveniences of the city.

But for now, she'd leave the Heartless to the other explorers headed this way. They had hardly been the only ones to be interested in the place. Perhaps someone else had a better idea of how to fend of the Heartless long enough to find something of value.

Should there be something of value. But none of that was anything she wished to mention just now, as she loped easily alongside Balthier.

Balthier shut the door behind them once they made it through, leaning on it a moment afterward to catch his breath and go over things once more in his mind. "So," he began, taking a few more breaths before standing up, "how do you suggest we contact our curious hirer?"

He did hope they'd be paid well. He was going to make sure to bargain for a greater sum of gil to say the least.

"There is always the journals," she answered with a shrug. There were other options, but that would likely be the fastest. The city was, after all, a very large place, even if the train system helped a bit and it wasn't like Fran knew where their employer could be most easily found.

Besides, negotiations over pay hardly had to be in person, although it helped.

"A sound plan if I ever heard one," Balthier replied, pulling out his journal. It was better to get these sorts of things taken care of as quickly as possible, wasn't it? The sky pirate typed up a quick message before shutting the journal again and storing it away.

"In the meantime, I think we've earned ourselves some rest and respite, don't you?"

"I do," Fran answered with a nod. They'd done what had been asked, after all and none could fault them for taking some time to rest after what they had found. Heartless and silence. Nothing she had any inclination to return to any time soon.

"Let someone else try as they may."

There was no way they were going to stop her from exploring this time. Something was hidden behind those doors, and Leslie had her mind set to find out what it was. If there was danger, she could outrun it. Of that she was more than confident.

Excited, she had run all the way to the church. If Harry caught her headed out the door, she was sure even he couldn't follow. Not at the speed she was going.

Running on pure and eager anticipation.

She didn't want to pause, but she did so, just outside. A moment to catch what breath she had lost on the way over. Ready for anything.

Rosette had gotten the message, and she had gone. She hadn't exactly told anybody where she was going - the Doctor was busy, Rose was out, and Donna and Chrno were missing (the latter of which she didn't really want to think about), so she'd come alone. It was a long walk and a long time to think, but by the time she arrived, she had nothing left to think about that wouldn't send her in circles and no conclusions to show for it, save one: she was none too fond of this city.

Once she got to the church, she was surprised to see a girl - she looked pretty young - standing outside the door. "Hey," Rosette greeted her with a wave as she approached. "You heading inside too?"

Time to stretch out a bit too, it felt like. Leslie leaned forward into a lunge--being cooped up in the city was really taking its toll, seemed like. The arrival of the other girl didn't break her out of her stretches, though she did smile and at least nod in her direction.

"Soon as I can." Switch. "I've been waiting for something like this for a while. A good adventure, y'know?"

Knuckles hadn't been doing much, aside from trying to get back to his island and his duty. This was really ticking him off; not only was the Master Emerald unguarded, but he was trapped here, unable to even catch a glimpse of the way back to his island. He'd heard a bit about this church, and decided to head over, just in case. Who knows? He might find something useful.

It had taken him awhile, but he'd gotten there, and who should he see but Sonic? "It figures," he chuckled wryly. "I'm not surprised you're here, Sonic." For some reason, though, he didn't really mind.

Okay, he hadn't expected anyone to show up about the same time he did. The voice wasn't unwelcome, though. He turned away from the sight beyond the door and flashed his buddy a grin. "Heya, Red. Wasn't expecting you this far out. Hey, check this out!" His mind was already back on the jungle beyond the door, and he stepped through, the sandy ground a nice change from the stone of the church." He turned that same grin back to Knuckles. "Y'ever seen a church with an island in it?"

Knuckles snorted. Why wasn't Sonic expecting it? Then again, he didn't know Knuckles terribly well. With no Master Emerald to guard and no Island to watch over, it seemed only natural to the echidna that he should wander until he found somewhere suitable to serve in its place until he could get back. He hadn't been interested in anything for a while - but this had definitely caught his attention. He moved through the door and onto the island, blinking. "I've never been to a church, period." At least not that he could remember off the top of his head. "This is really weird."

About the only time Sonic had seen the echidna, he'd been grumpy and guarding the Master Emerald like a jealous dog with a bone...so yeah, he was still figuring out how his buddy would act outside that context. "Me neither, before this one...but yeah," he agreed, "this probably ain't normal."

That didn't mean he was against exploring it - for all intents and purposes, it was a tropical island. Yes, please. "Let's check it out!" With that, he was off, running across the sands with a wide grin across his face.

Sonic's confusion was understandable; Knuckles was still trying to figure out how to act under these circumstances. This place had forced him out of his metaphorical box and dumped him out into a strange and entirely unfamiliar world. It wasn't exactly welcome in the least, but the echidna had to deal with his increasingly weird situation whether he wanted to or not.

"I doubt it's normal," he replied in a sort of agreement, racing behind Sonic. It wasn't a floating Island, but somehow it was familiar enough to keep Knuckles interested and put him in a relatively good mood, besides.

"Nah," Sonic agreed lightly, "but it's still pretty cool." Total understatement, but it worked. This was the first time Sonic had seen real vegetation on this place since the flowers had appeared on the buildings, and those had long since died. This island, on the other hand...

He spotted two palm trees close to one another and jumped at one, ricocheting his way up between the two and finally landing on top of one. He finally stopped there, turning in circles to see the island. "Hey, Red!" he called. "Get up here!"

Knuckles nodded in silent agreement. He hadn't seen any real plants after those odd flowers had wilted, save for the grass outside the city (which he spent quite a lot of time out of, considering he wasn't much one for cities and all). He climbed the other tree quickly and knelt at the top, looking around carefully with a chuckle.

"Well," he said, "it looks like this place isn't completely ridiculous." By that, of course, he meant that he'd been sick of all those stupid fake plants around the place and was glad to see some real ones besides the grass.

Hey, there was a smile. Looked like they were getting somewhere. "Not completely ridiculous?" Sonic laughed. "You kidding? I'm bringin' my hammock up and movin' here. It's great." He turned his grin up to the sun, a fresh change from the artificial light of the domes.

He'd caught sight of a wooden dock at one edge of the island. "Wonder who built that," he called, pointing towards it. That, of course, was all the warning he gave before heading at top speed down the tree and across the sands-

And right through something round and black, which disappeared into smoke. He screeched to a stop and whipped around, not quite sure what had happened but not liking it. "What-"

That was all he got out before several more of the creatures appeared, looking like black balloons with ears, mouths, and blank yellow eyes. If these things were anything like what they'd run into at Hades' party...

"Hey, Red! We got company!"

Knuckles laughed. "I guess great minds think alike," he replied. Sure, he and Sonic didn't always agree, but when they did, it was on important things - well, mostly. This wasn't as important as, say, saving the world, but they were definitely getting somewhere at last. Knuckles was getting bored outside of the city - and journals or not, he was sick of having to head into it every few days just to keep track of what was going on. It may have made more sense to others for the echidna to simply stay inside the city, but he'd never been much of a people person. Outside was where he belonged.

He noticed the dock around the same time that Sonic did - and, of course, he knew Sonic well enough to know that the hedgehog would go racing off again. Knuckles didn't bother following the other, however - at least not until he spotted a black, shadowy something - the same sort of something that had been at Hades' party. The guardian growled and hopped to the next tree, taking a couple of running steps before gliding over to Sonic. "I noticed!"

Although Prince had never seen a church before, he recognized the structure as soon as it appeared in the distance. As Sonic had warned him, the guards had attempted to stop his exit, but their efforts were futile and easily ignored. The map had been a great help as well, now that he knew how to find it, guiding him straight across the fields to the place he sought. Despite the warnings he'd received, the Prince had not seen any Lumens amongst the white grass, but anticipating an attack as he crossed the fields left him jumpy.

Now, he stood just inside the entrance to the church, scanning the inside carefully, looking for the 'door' Sonic had spoken of. When he saw it, he started, hand moving to his dagger before relaxing. The door was shut, but it was unmistakably out of place and drew the eye easily. Crossing his arms over his chest, the Prince took several more steps forward, towards it, wary.

Death had heard quite a bit about this church, but the one time he'd attempted to visit it, his trip had been rather forcefully abbreviated. After the discoveries he'd heard of (and some information he'd passed on himself), he'd decided it was well past time to see for himself just what the church had to offer.

A long walk, to start. He quickly found the room within the church that had been described, and watched silently as a man who had beaten him there approached it. There was nothing to be said, though the monster had not yet arrived - Death would warn the man if it did. In the meantime, he watched, interested to see what would be behind the door.

As focused as Prince was on the door, he did not notice that he was not alone. Instead he was occupied reaching for the handle, turning it, and cautiously swinging the door open.

Despite himself, the Prince had been expecting something somewhat similar to his experience with sand portals, and having the door swing open to reveal a completely different environment came as an unpleasant shock. Instantly, his left hand dropped to his dagger, and he tightened his grip around it as he stared through the doorway.

"What...what magic is this?" He spoke to himself, in an undertone, eyes scanning the landscape beyond the door. It was unmistakably a beach, but one unlike any he had ever seen; the sand was bright and smooth, stretching over to the ground, dappled with shade from the lurid green canopy above. The scene was almost too tropical, too inviting. "A mirage?"

AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, BUT NO. Death had watched silently as the door opened and the tropics were revealed. It seemed as though the Lost Continent (or something of its equivalent) had simply arrived at the room's doorstep. It was not, however, an illusion; he would have seen right through it if it were. WHATEVER CAUSED THIS IS VERY REAL.

He approached the door, coming to stand next to the man. I SEE NO REASON NOT TO EXPLORE. It was an invitation, plain and simple.

The Prince whirled around, hand on his dagger, surprised by the sudden voice. The sight that met his eyes did nothing to assuage his panic; some instinct, however, kept him from pulling his dagger from its sheath. Instead he watched, wide-eyed and unmistakably in his battle stance, as the skeletal figure approached, slowly, eyes (if they could be called as much) on the door.

"Not an illusion? How do you know?" His voice was perfectly steady, as tight as his grip around his dagger. Perhaps it was the memory of his first encounter with Timon that stayed his hand; either way, he felt uncustomarily unable to attack before attacked. Instead he stayed at the ready, unwilling to take his gaze off the creature for more than a second, casting quick sideways glances at the tropical island he could see beyond the door. Finally, the question burst out of him. "What are you?!"

SIMPLE, Death replied to the first question. ILLUSIONS DO NOT AFFECT ME, YET I CAN CLEARLY SEE THE ISLAND. It looked like a nice spot, too. Why were they still standing at the door?

Ah. Yes. With the number of people lately who hadn't been visibly fazed when meeting him, Death had just about forgotten how unnerving his presence could be. I AM DEATH. Which was likely not the most reassuring of responses. DON'T WORRY, he added after a pause, IT'S MY DAY OFF.

Death? Death? "Not...the Dahaka?" What was he asking? Of course not; if the figure was the Dahaka, he would already be dead. The Prince shook his head. Paixao was so unsettling; he was making the most foolish errors.

"My apologies," he tried instead, finding some of his usual sarcasm. "Why not, after all? A talking meerkat, a Genie, why not Death himself?"

He turned back to the door, arching an eyebrow at the scene. "For this place to be locked away and guarded, I can only assume there is something extremely important beyond it. Exploring sounds to me an excellent plan."

There was an unfamiliar word - possibly Klatchian, though Death was fairly certain he knew their entire language. I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT, he replied, IF I KNEW WHAT A DAHAKA WAS.

Oh, this was sarcasm. Death was beginning to get the hang of recognizing this particular turn of phrase. AND THOSE ARE THE FRIENDLY ONES, he added mildly. IT SEEMS THE CITY IS NOT CHOOSY.

WITH THE GUARD GONE, Death agreed, THIS MAY BE OUR BEST OPPORTUNITY. No further ado was needed - he stepped through the door, several long paces that took him out over the beach and near the shore.

This, he decided, was not like the Lost Continent at all. It was much nicer, and had far fewer errant wizards (from what he could see so far, at least).

The Prince shook his head. "No matter. I can see you are friend, not foe." He glanced briefly through the door again, hesitant to step through, despite the figure's--Death's--assurance that it was real. While he lingered, unsure, the figure--Death; let him think of it as no more than a name like any other--pre-empted him, stepping through easily. After one more moment of hesitation, the Prince followed him.

"By unfriendly, I assume you refer to the Organization?" Briefly, the Prince broke off, staring down at the sand beneath his feet, baffled by the realism of its texture. It certainly was no mirage. Having come to this conclusion, the Prince gazed around the area with different eyes. Real. A portal, then. But why would a portal leading to such a seemingly innocuous world exist within Paixao? Or was this assumption wrong; was this place an extension of Paixao, rather than another world, linked to it? If the former, why? And if the latter...

"Do you think this another world?" he asked Death, still looking around, shielding his eyes from the blinding sun with one hand. "I have heard rumours of people vanishing from Paixao just as the came, without explanation. Could this be where they go?"

Technically, Death was decidedly neutral, but that position was rapidly being eroded in this city. He'd not bother correcting his travel companion.

YES, was the simple answer. THEY AND THE TRIO AT CITY HALL, AMONG OTHERS. The list was likely too long to rattle off, and even Death didn't know everyone who was on it. It was all but impossible for those not in the Organization or the Trio to be "good" by default - there had been too many network posts to the contrary for him to ever believe that.

IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE, Death replied. The Prince brought up a valid point - where did the disappeared go, and had they just found the place? More exploration would be necessary to discern any answers, and he moved forward across the sands, expecting the Prince to do the same. DO NOT RULE ANYTHING OUT JUST YET.

Oh, yes--the 'trio' in 'City Hall'. Compared to the Organization, the Prince had heard little of them, but now did not seem the time to ask. Death was moving across the beach, and after a moment, the Prince followed, looking about in earnest.

Perhaps the most immediately noticeable thing was the foliage. At a glance, the Prince could tell it was real, as opposed to the strange, fabricated greenery of Paixao. Secondly, the island--for thus it seemed--appeared far from deserted. There were several obviously man-made structures nearby, although they blended well into the tropical surroundings: closest, a wooden platform extending out to the water, and to Prince's right, a sturdy-looking hut of some kind built near a small rock face. The latter seemed the most obvious area to begin exploring; with a quick, hopefully explanatory glance at Death, the Prince moved towards it.

The landscape was very different from what Death was used to, if only because it was tiny, a good deal smaller than the cities and continents Death had visited before. Depending on what (if anything) was found, this could well be a very short trip.

The Prince - from how Death interpreted the gesture, at least - was right, though. Better to explore, and better to start with the obvious, especially in an unknown place. He nodded and fell in step beside his companion, ready, he believed, for anything.

The hut-like structure, the Prince swiftly discovered, was empty, save for some wooden ledges. He ducked back out, scanning the shore once again for likely areas and finding none.

"Perhaps if we continue further?" he suggested to Death, eyeing the more intriguing terrain further away from the shoreline. The area seemed to grow rockier inland, darker, almost; from where he stood, the Prince could see a rocky façade shielded by a sheet of white water cascading into a pool below. Immediately, unquestioning, he moved towards it. "Any secrets this place holds will not be found on the outer edges."

[OOC: How would you feel about encountering some heartless? Or something? XD I'm sorry; I'm so terribly newbish at all of this. I have no idea how battles/etc. work D:

[If you want Heartless, let's do Heartless. Sounds like fun. :3]

PERHAPS. Looking deeper into the interior was certainly an idea, and likelier to reveal results than staying on the beach all day...though he couldn't help but think of a certain Patrician with a penchant for hiding the solution in plain sight, where it was often overlooked. Still, he followed the Prince (who seemed to have taken charge of this venture) towards the waterfall.

That was when the shadows began appearing on the ground. In broad daylight. That was not natural. Death's suspicions were confirmed when the shadows began to rise up and form creatures with beady yellow eyes. This was no longer a good place to be.

The blue-edged sword was out and ready in an instant, along with a warning to the Prince. IF YOU CANNOT FIGHT, I SUGGEST YOU STEP BACK.

[OOC: Awesome! Please tell me if I'm doing it wrong.]

As soon as the shadows rose from the ground, the Prince found himself drawing his sword and dagger, automatically, although his mind was whirring. Death's warning, welcome but unnecessary, drew his attention to his companion; the Prince glanced in his direction to see he had drawn his own weapon and was eyeing the shadowy creatures combatively. A fight, then.

"Are these what you call Heartless?" he asked sidelong as one of the creatures moved towards him. The Prince met it, slashing without hesitation.

They were similar to the creatures at Hades' party - smaller, certainly, but no less vicioius. They would go for the Prince, Death knew - they were never interested in him. That, of course, did not make him any less involved in the battle.

THEY ARE. He brought the sword down, slicing neatly through one of the Shadows before swinging it sideways to take out yet another. DON'T GIVE THEM ANY QUARTER.

"No," the Prince agreed, roughly, sidestepping another attack.

Heartless. The Prince fought them dispassionately, but with great curiosity, watching with narrowed eyes as they disintegrated with each swipe of his sword. They seemed weak, insubstantial, but they were numerous and new ones appeared to be spawning from a shadow cast on the ground beneath them. The Prince, with Death's help, dispatched these new additions with no great difficulty, although the odd springing of one of his opponents did require some degree of evasive action, but still more spilled from the darkness to attack.

"Why are there so many?!" the Prince exclaimed, turning to his companion. "They are not a difficult foe, but they are distracting enough to keep us from exploring the island further!"

The Heartless were not difficult - Death was beginning to recognize these small yellow-eyed ones as the weaker versions, yet they were proving to be persistent. The Prince was a skilled fighter and Death was no slouch himself, but two blades against dozens of respawning creatures was proving to be a pointless battle. Per Death's warning, they lost no ground, but they weren't gaining any either.

The Prince's comment made him think. THAT MAY WELL BE THEIR PURPOSE. He kept his sword slicing through the air, still destroying the creatures even as he spoke. WE MIGHT HAVE TO FALL BACK AND TRY AGAIN LATER, WITH A PLAN. AND MORE PEOPLE.

"That may be our best plan," the Prince agreed, turning grimly to face more of the diminutive opponents. Small, perhaps, but exhausting in large quantities, and their numbers showed no sign of diminishing.

Without turning his back on the Heartless, the Prince began to move away, slaying those that ventured close but no longer actively attacking. After a moment's thought, he sheathed his dagger, leaving only his sword bare, and glanced at his companion.

"I wonder what draws them to this place? I have not seen any elsewhere; I had begun to believe them a myth."

Adventure Time! [OPEN]

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