Crumbling Worlds (A Charlotte Cracker x OC story)

Chapter 1: Unusual Meeting

...Turns out that seperating from her family wasn't really such a brilliant idea after all. 

Only a few minutes after Michelle bid her (temporary) farewells and left shore, she was completely lost already. A few minutes, that's all it took. Her father really didn't lie when he said that Biscuits Island was one of the biggest places in all of Tottoland- their prior stop, Nuts Island, wasn't small by any means, but compared to this place it seemed tiny. The harbor alone was already bigger than any the young woman had seen before, and although she managed to find a billboard with a big map of the island shortly after departing from her family, it didn't really do her any good in the end. No map could help her navigate this huge place on her own.

Biscuits Island's port was enormous and had multiple roads that either lead to large warehouses, other docks, or into a nearby town. On top of that everyone was rather busy today, and the masses of people that scurried along the roads made finding the right way even more difficult. But of course Michelle wasn't going to throw in the towel just yet. Not that she had much of a choice either, considering that her parents' ship was already on its way to Jam Island. It was time for her to improvise.

Michelle quickly discovered that the only thing that seemed to offer her some sort of guidance was the gigantic cookie in the middle of the island, and by looking at it the young woman could at least estimate where the center of Biscuits Island was. This could help her remember where the port was located, so she might have a better chance at finding her way back later on. And perhaps it could even lead her to the town, and if she was in luck and ran into one of the smaller Chess Soldiers that usually patrolled the streets, she might be able to get herself a proper guide after all!

That thought helped her relax a little. After her initial worry Michelle managed to calm herself down again, and decided to focus on finding a nice hotel to stay at first. Luckily the town didn't seem too far away. She might be able to make the best out of this after all! And with that in mind, she went off into the unknown.

Although she had no idea of where exactly she was headed, the young woman did appreciate the nice environment she was currently in. Once again this island had its very own unique flair- instead of peanuts or chocolate, most of the buildings here were almost completely made out of cookies. Some of them even resembled gingerbread houses you would usually find in fairytale storybooks, and the air was filled with the scents of different spices and the smell of freshly baked biscuits. Everything felt warm and inviting, and usually Michelle would have taken her time to properly enjoy the nice atmosphere- but getting some sense of direction and a rough overview of her surroundings came first. Unfortunately though she soon realized that most of the houses and neighbourhoods were eerily similiar to one another, which of course turned into another prime reasons why she was having such a hard time keeping track of where she was going. Michelle quickly came to the conclusion that whoever was in charge here must be a huge fan of keeping things neat and tidy and strictly in order.

But eventually and after what felt like hours of aimlessly strolling around, she finally reached the inner districts of the nearby town. Streets were now filled with people running in and out of shops or cafes, and flower homies were chanting their happy songs at the corners of the road. All of this almost seemed like a scene straight out of a fairytale. Perhaps being a little lost isn't such a bad thing after all... at least I can truly explore this place at my own pace! And as long as I keep an eye on that huge cookie and remember where the harbor is, I should be fine. she mused, a small smile now on her lips. One thing was for sure, there were definitely worse places to lose your orientation in.

~*~

At the exact same time and only a few buildings away, another person was roaming through the streets as well. But unlike the young woman, this person knew exactly where he was heading to, and did so with utmost confidence. The man was someone so tall that he basically towered over the average-sized human and most citizens of the island. There was a certain air of danger surrounding him, and the people in his path quickly made way to give him more space. It was quite obvious that whoever this man was, he meant business. An unsettlingly large grin was plastered on his face as he tapped his fingers against the large hilt of an oversized sword he carried on his shoulders. Today was going to be a good day for him, he was sure of that.