Chapter Text
On a lonely boat in the Licorice Sea, off the coast of the chocolate shores, two cookies paddled along the coast, towards a place lost to time. The air was eerily silent, except for the bobbing of the boat and the screech of a licorice creature that echoed out into the night from time to time. The two cookies sat in silence, taking turns to row the oars so they could eventually reach their destination.
Water, food, small weapons, and some empty bags sat at their feet, all of the supplies that they collected for the journey. It all stayed there, untouched, unopened, unwrapped, for neither of them felt at ease enough to consume a single bit of food or drink.
The silence stretched on for what seemed like hours until eventually, one of them, Chocolate Frost Cookie, spoke up, slight amusement in his tone: “Tell me again… why are we going to the ruins of the ancient kingdom?”
The other cookie, Ganache Cookie, responded, with fervor in his voice, “We need to find something, anything, to help our families, our community. Our parents and mentors told us stories of how the ancient kingdom that used to rule these lands were able to protect the people within from the hellish sea, and the monsters within the forest. It was a beacon of unwavering strength.”
The young cookie had been an admirer of the ancient kingdom ever since he was a young cookie, always hoping that he could use the past to help change the present, to make sure his community would be forever safe from any monster and any famine that may come their way. Ganache had a dream, a wish, and he would do anything to stick to it. Choco Frost on the other hand, was not so hopeful. While he did not outright deny the idea that there may be something left in the ancient kingdom… he wasn’t too sure there would be anything nice waiting for them.
“Well I understand, but how could such a great kingdom have gotten destroyed then? If it was so strong, it should still be standing, right?” Choco Frost tilted his head, steading his oar as they moved.
“No no… no kingdoms can stand forever… Yet… I understand where you’re coming from.” Ganache hummed as he looked towards the coast, seeing the crumbled ruins of a dark chocolate wall up ahead on the shore.
“Look over there!” Ganache looked up, pointing at the ruins, “We have arrived! Let's land right before it.”
Choco Frost nodded and shifted the oars to slightly before where Ganache pointed. Silence covered the two cookies again as they rowed, slowly getting closer to the shore. Once the bottom of their boat hit the sand, the two cookies got their bags and clambered out of the boat.
As they got their supplies ready to go into the ruins, Choco Frost spoke up something that had been simmering in his mind: “I remember my mother telling me that the kingdom fell in darkness. That something lurking within the walls caused the downfall.”
The young cookie aired this out to the other cookie as he tried to shove a bag of cacao nibs into his bag.
Ganache hummed as he wiped a blade with a cloth he procured from his pocket, “That’s interesting, because my teacher told me that the Licorice Sea broke the kingdom’s wall and the creatures of that sea overwhelmed the kingdom.”
Choco Frost paused, looking at Ganache, “Huh. The stories don’t seem to align with each other.”
“Yeah, exactly. And to make it even more confusing, I heard even more differing stories. I overheard a story by one of the adults that the kingdom had collapsed when the king died.” Ganache continued on.
“Perhaps…” Choco Frost scratched his arm, some flakes coming off, “Maybe all the stories are true, and this all took down the kingdom. It is very possible.”
“Oh witches… that might be the worst luck ever. I would be trembling in my boots if I witnessed that with my own eyes!” Ganache laughed at the situation, before noticing the flakes coming off from Choco Frost’s itching.
The tone shifted in an instant, Ganache becoming concerned at the sight, “Hey… I think your… condition’s coming back.”
Choco Frost looked at his arm, where the flakes were coming off and sticking to his hand, "It's not a condition, I told you that. It’s just a reaction to the cold.”
Ganache sighed, “So… it’s frostbite?”
Choco Frost shook his head, “No- it ain’t frostbite. The healer said so. They said that if it were, I would first be flaking at my hands, and I’m not. It’s just this patch on my arm that itches.”
“Hm. Frostbite or not… I don't think scratching at it is a good idea. Maybe you should cover it so you don't get tempted?” Ganache tilted his head.
“I’ll just pull down my sleeve, that’ll be okay for now.” Choco Frost tugged his sleeve down for a bit to cover the itchy area before continuing on to packing.
“Okay…” Ganache also returned to packing, before gripping his blade and slinging the bag over his shoulder, “We should get moving. It’s already noon, and I wanna be out of the ruins before nighttime. I heard that a pack of Cream Wolves are around this area, and not very nice Cream Wolves.”
“Got it.” Choco Frost slung his bag over his shoulder as well, gripping a short sword in his left hand.
The two cookies walked away from the boat and towards the ruins, which seemed to tower over them with every step.
Choco Frost felt eyes pricking into the back of his head. He turned around to see what was watching them but found nothing but the land, the sea, and their boat. If he had looked long enough, Choco Frost would have noticed that the boat seemed to be sliding into the sea, by something… or someone… but he had no time to, for he returned his focus back to following Ganache towards the ruins.
Maybe if the cookie had looked a bit longer, he would have noticed a pair of eyes glowing like the violet flames lingering in the ruins, as deep a hue as the purple woven into the tapestries of the past. But perhaps that was best for the young cookie’s mind, for the eyes were sat among the harsh eyes of the Licorice Sea monsters, as if preparing to strike.