It was dark by the time Ranboo arrived at his destination, nightfall having fallen just a few hours prior. The starry sky had lit the being's way as he traversed the continent, careful to steer clear of any towns. The weary traveler finally crossed over the last mountain, and had nearly collapsed with relief when he saw it: The Cookie Shop.
At first glance, any onlooker would have mistaken the quiet bakery as a fortress, or an outpost ready for war. The Cookie Shop stood as a tall castle at the foot of a grassy mountain, an ode to the simpler, medieval times of the server. At the height of its turrets, the shop held a scenic view of the surrounding flora, as well as a small river.
In the middle of said river lay the ruins of Wilbur's new nation; what it would become still laid in the hands of its founder.
Beyond that lay Las Nevadas, a prosperous city built on diamonds and gambling. Presently, Ranboo's eyes lazily followed the bridge to the entrance of the famed jewel of the desert. He yawned. Las Nevadas was his ultimate destination, but the late hour seemed to be affecting him. The sentient settled on crossing that bridge when he got there; for now, he would stay in The Cookie Shop.
The entrance to the castle was veiled by a thick curtain of lava, warding off trespassers with the threat of fire and death. The being passed under said veil with ease, receiving only minor burns on his thick skin. Ranboo hummed; perhaps he should consider increasing security in the near future.
The humanoid grabbed a torch hung on the adjacent wall, and began to inspect the premises. With Dream's goal still a mystery, and the only lead pointing to Las Nevadas, Ranboo thought it better to rule out the bakery as a potential target of violence. Tubbo had always dreamed of opening a little pastry shop one day, shelves lined with cookies for all to eat. It'd be a sin if Ranboo let it all be destroyed by Dream.
The sentient walked the interior perimeter, his mind alert and his head on a swivel. Just when he finished inspecting the far corner of the castle, he froze. Maybe he was going crazy, maybe he was losing his mind, but Ranboo could've sworn that the shadows had just...moved.
It could've been my own shadow, the being thought. Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. He breathed out a sigh of relief. Don't be silly, Ranboo. You're just tired. And stressed. There's no one else in the castle with you-
"Oh, hey there, Ranboo."
Ranboo nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of another voice. He whirled around to find a familiar face: Fundy Soot, a fox hybrid and citizen of Las Nevadas. Ranboo clutched at his heart as he caught his breath. "Fundy! You scared me," he gasped. "I was just-"
"You were just what? Trespassing on our land again?" the fox hybrid accused.
Ooooohh what was that in the shadows?? Are Fundy and Ranboo gonna fight??
Vote to find the crazy beast that's lurking in the castle!!
And as always, your love and support means so much to me every day- thank you so much!! <33
[Image Credits] "Trim Castle Is A Large Norman Castle On The South Bank Of The River Boyne In Trim, County Meath, Ireland." (Cropped Slightly) by William Murphy (https://www.flickr.com/photos/infomatique/10668985805/)