Waltz of the Waves (Social /w Castor)

In a quiet knell beneath the town, overshadowed by high hills and peaks, was nestled a small cove. Littered with a few daring trees that grew from the sand, the deserted beach glimmered under the moonlight. A crisp chill cut through the night air, as the churning waters just past the rim of the cove formed frothing breakers that crashed against the shore with a rhythmic intensity, before reluctantly dragging tendrils of water through the jagged "teeth" of the shoreline that were briefly revealed before the next wall of blue water smashed over them. It was here, in this inconspicuous spot that the ocean "mercifully" spat out its sole survivor. A female giant of stocky build and fiery hair lay limply there on the beach, drenched in seawater and sand. With the spray of salt and the splintering of wood against rock, the last remnants of the damaged slaver's transport vessel shattered and was claimed by the sea.

Diana lay there for a few moments, breathing and wondering if she might have been better served having drowned. But then she thought of her father, whose whereabouts she did not know as they had been separated during their capture just before the transfer. And her mother and siblings waiting for her on Elbaf. She had too many things to do to die here in this shameful manner. She had experienced the weakening effect of water before, ever since she had consumed a Devil Fruit on one of her mother's hunting trips, but had never realized exactly how much this...well sucked. Drowning was a terrible way to die, simply drifting and sinking with ample time to contemplate the end. Ugh Diana thought and shook her head vehemently, trying to put such thoughts out of her mind. The night's chill sapping her strength provided ample motivation to find some shelter.

Diana's fingers left large grooves in the sand as she balled her hands into fists behind her back, trying to touch her restraints. While it was true that she didn't necessarily need to do so in order to activate her ability, Diana had always found that she had the best control over the ability with her hands. Regardless, after a few moments of awkwardly fumbling around, Diana felt the shackles binding her liquidize and trickle down her hands. The liquid shackles were quickly devoured by the thirsty sand below and Diana was free. Rising to her feet, Diana stood and began to glance around her surroundings. Ah, there's a town up on that ridge. I'll head that way, but first... She thought, taking a slight amount of satisfaction in seeing the flotsam and debris and scum of the earth smashed to bits against the rocks.

Spotting a glint of metal laying half buried in the sand, Diana gleefully tugged at it and freed her mace and pack from the earth's grip. Giving them a good shake to dislodge the sand, Diana sheathed her weapon and dug through her pack to ensure that everything had survived the journey. Besides some waterlogged bread at the bottom of the bag, it seemed that everything was more or less intact. Thank the gods for water-tight compartments.

Setting off towards the end of the cove, boots thundering with every step, Diana was thankful that she was so fortunate. Through some whim of fate, she'd managed to escape her captors. Now, she just had to make it to the town and everything would be fine. Somehow, she found herself singing and playing an old Giant's song to keep her strength up. The situation was even similar to her own, claimed to belong to another, and this small sliver of nostalgia gave her hope. Come on, you're a proud Elbafi warrior. You're going to collapse now of all times? When freedom is just in sight? Diana chided in self deprecation. In her exhausted state of surviving Mother Nature's wrath, Diana had not yet noticed that her presence had not gone unnoticed by multiple parties.

The song Diana sings:

Diana continued walking towards the end of the cove, where the rugged hills began. Behind her, deep indents left in the soft sand remained, to be slowly eroded by the tides. Diane shuddered feeling the bite of cool wind blowing over the beach, lifting up little puffs of sand that scattered against her form like stinging gnats. Pulling the leathers of her coat a little higher to shield her eyes, Diana pressed on having reached the coastline in a few long strides. Moving as quickly as she could with numbed limbs, Diana shuffled around the small trees that formed the barrier between coast and dense forest brush. Uprooting a few of them and liquidizing others as she stumbled and shuffled through the forest, Diana had started to make headway towards the town.

Diana was thankful that the trees nearby had managed to lessen the impact of the nightly sea wind.
Her clothes were slowly drying in the night air, though the persistent shiver that traveled through her was not abated. When I get to town, I'll ask for a hot bath... Maybe a drink too. Diana thought, feeling how parched her throat was on account of the saltwater. She paused a moment and leaned up against a tree to take a moment's respite. The mighty oak groaned as it bore Diana's weight, it's leafy boughs cushioning Diana's head while she closed her eyes for the briefest moment. As the water soaking her clothes dried, Diana could feel her strength returning. And with it the sensation of her body. A sensation that very quickly turned to a needling pain as she felt the salt soak in the abrasions she had received from the slave master's lashings and the currents when the sea had relinquished her. Oww...Ow. Okay, that's enough of a break. Diana thought, gritting her teeth lightly at the annoyance and continuing to trample and scrabble through the forest.

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Hibiscus Town (Knight's Outpost)

Meanwhile, the fluttering of rumors circulating Hibiscus town had not gone unnoticed. A Sea King riding a ship, was a ridiculous idea. Certainly no such thing could have possibly happened, right? But...if it were true... And what of the maiden's voice heard singing in an eerie melody? Singing and shipwrecks? All sailors knew of the myth of the Sirens. Beautiful maidens singing ships to a watery doom. Legends of course brought out many different things in people. They could inspire them to greatness, hope virtue. They could warn against the moral repercussions of heinous deeds. But there were also the reprehensible folk, who simply saw any possibility to exploit for personal gains.

In a dimly illuminated Knight's outpost, there were four figures sat around a central circular table. A den den mushi lay in the center of the table, modified with a small projector. In the image cast upon the wall, a small cove was displayed. The image zoomed in, narrowing like a telescope. Scattered pieces of flotsam littered the rocks and there were large indentations coming from the water. As if something massive, powerful, and heavy had pulled itself from the water. The indentations stopped after a while, transforming into what could only be described as massive footprints. A female voice murmured softly over the radio. "Observatory here. There might be some truth to those rumors after all. As you can clearly see, a creature dragged itself from the water before taking human-like form. Additionally, we've a secondary report of a creature with long red hair crashing through the forest. Perhaps the myths are true." The female voice mused.

In the severe shadows of the dimly lit room, the head figure smiled. It was a cold smile, and thoroughly chilling. "A Sea King that can take human form? The Celestial Dragon will pay handsomely for such a unique creature. Hah, we will be swimming in berries." Turning towards one of the other obscured figures in the room, the leader gave a short, indicative nod. "Why don't you dispatch some of your associates to give our Siren a warm welcome?"

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Hibiscus Town (The Forest - Diana )

As Diana continued to approach the town, she began to notice movement from the corner of her eyes. At first she had thought she had imagined it, due to the toll of the seawater, but her instincts had told her something wasn't right. Diana could recognize a hunt when she saw one, and this had all the telltale signs. Her pursuers were moving slowly so as to not give away their intention and spook their prey. And they were slowly drawing in, guiding Diana towards a location where the teeth of the "trap" waited. And so it was that Diana stepped around the trunk of a tree and found herself face to face with 30 or 40 humans. Though ruffians would have been the better description. Her foes' clothes were dirty rags, haphazardly thrown over their portly and thuggish bodies. They stank of alcohol, and definitely seemed of the unscrupulous sort. There was an awkward moment of silence as Diana stared down at the throng of people cluttering her ankles and mid calves and they stared up at the towering figure before them, dressing in her leathers and armor. Alarm bells were going off in Diana's head. This was reminiscent of the last raiding party that had stripped her away from home. And yet, the brutes hadn't actually attacked her yet. Diana didn't want to cause an incident by potentially misjudging the people of the town up ahead. Then one of them broke the silence, with a lick of his knife. "Right, Siren, why don't you come nice and easy? Our boss wants a look at you."

Indeed, silence was Diana's master now, as she stared at the band surrounding her. In fact, it seemed that silence had befallen this area of the forest as the traditional sounds of nighttime fauna had faded with the arrival of this many booted feet. The few animals that remained were likely hiding in crevices or nearby foliage, peering out at the confrontation in the clearing. Diana's lips pressed into a hard flat line as she heard the offer made to her. "I'd rather not. If it's all the same to you." She retorted, fingers twitching lightly as she tensed. Both sides searched for an opening. As the clouds obscuring the moons passed overhead, dim moonlight crept into the clearing. Diana's emerald eyes glinted softly, briefly flicking to one side as she noticed that the water dripping from her hair like heavy rain had given some of the opponents pause and had even caused them to jump backwards a bit.

That was her opening, and Diane moved quickly turning slightly to face the group immediately to her left. Her size belied her speed, as one of her hands wrenched a tree from the ground and liquidized it. The silence was broken by a loud "CAW CAW CAW" as a flock of crows burst from the foliage of that tree and very nearly avoided being pulverized by Diana's grasp as she swung her arm forwards powerfully. Droplets of liquidized tree streamed behind her hand from a midst her fingers. It appeared that Diana was going to splash them with most of the liquidized tree until the tree droplets solidified just before leaving her hand. The shrapnel flew forwards violently with the force of her push and...passed harmlessly over the now unconscious bandits careening and smashing into the trees behind them. "What?" Diana actually muttered aloud in puzzlement, noting that all of her foes were now unconscious save for a solitary figure who hadn't been there before. Diana remained wary, as she did not know if this person was responsible for assisting her or was the boss of the group. And then suddenly he wasn't where he had been standing.

As the figure landed on her shoulder, large, emerald eyes tracked him and studied him carefully. As he hadn't actually pulled a weapon, or attempted to attack her in any way, Diana did not react to his presence on her shoulder beyond a slight twitch of her shoulder in surprise. Of course, to the Masked Knight Bastion, this slight twitch would be akin to a ship rolling at sea over rough water. "Good evening. My name is Diana. And no, these are no associates of mine." Diana replied, still trying to gauge this stranger's intentions. And that is when she heard him yell about how high up they were directly into her ear. "Ah! Don't do that." Diana winced and cursed in a unladylike manner, raising a hand to her other ear as she restrained herself from trying to swat the stranger. He had helped her after all. Or, at least I think he did.

Diana raised an eyebrow as Bastion's apparent had acrobatic abilities. Diana's ears stopped ringing as Castor recognized he had made a mistake and adjusted his volume to a normal speaking voice. Diana's lip twitched and she retorted. "Maybe it was the fact you yelled into my ear? Would you like me to try the same?" After a moment, Diana gave Bastion a small grin to let him know she was teasing. As Bastion began to explain the situation of the island she had washed up on, Diana folded her arms. She listened carefully about how the island of Lvneel was a hub for slave trafficking rings and that Bastion was investigating. Though the statement of how it was a hell of an island Diana picked to land on seemed to prompt a rueful expression. "Ah, well to be fair, I didn't exactly have much of a choice in the matter. The decision was made for me. As far as I could tell, from what I overheard, the ship carrying me was to dock here. I would be transferred to another ship to take me to my destination presumably to serve some as some nobles'..." Diana leaves the sentence unfinished, the implication clear.

As Bastion jumped off her shoulder, Diana shifted to catch him before noticing that he seemed to slowly float to the ground. And with his jump, Diana felt a tingle run up her spine as all of her hair stood on end. Diana frowned, and slowly retrieved a small mirror and comb from her pack. The mirror and comb were crafted beautifully of a deep, dark cherry-wood. The comb was shaped like a crescent moon with teeth between its peaks. A pattern of wooden vines had been carefully whittled into the arc of the crescent moon. That same pattern of fines formed the handle on the "small" hand mirror that Diana had raised to check her appearance.

Diana stared into the mirror, her expression unreadable as she beheld what Bastion's little jump had done. Diana's eyebrows were lowered into a scowl, but a barely noticeable tremble in her lips indicated that she seemed on the verge of laughing as well. Finally it was the laughing side that won. "Ge-pfft-heehee" Diana giggled, exhaling a long sigh. How could she not laugh? Matted with seaweed, covered in sand, completely drenched excluding her hair which was now standing on end. I look like a walking landslide. Diana thought to herself. As she ran the comb through her hair to straighten it, Diana put the mirror away and glanced down to see that Bastion was already interrogating one of the bandits.

Bastion, the man, and most of the clearing would find a deep shadow eclipsed the moonlight. Looming over them was Diana, as she crouched down in an attempt to get as level with the man as possible. Those emerald eyes had become hard and steely now as she listened to the man blame the state of the kingdom on his decision to strip other's freedom away from them. Diana never participated in the actual interrogation beyond the intimidation, but she absorbed every scrap of into that this underling could give about their operation, their locations, and the puppet-masters. As Bastion informed her that it was some very shady individuals that Diana had attracted the attention of, Diana nodded. Though she hardly seemed surprised. "It's always those with little sense in the way of honor or morals that desire to reduce others to mere playthings." Fixing the interrogated man with a steely glare, Diana pressed one finger down upon his chest with just enough strength to cause pain and not squish him. "I will let Jord herself decide what to do with you this time. Should I find you again, I will not be so merciful."

The conversation then took a brighter note as Bastion informed her that the people of Hibiscus Town were good folk. A shower and food were also especially tempting. Diana's stomach rumbled just then, sounding like a small storm before she sheepishly crossed her arms over it. "I-I think I will take your offer, Bastion." Diana stood and stepped over the grunt, just barely missing his head with the heel of her boot as she continued to follow after the mounted knight with earth shuddering steps. Behind her, the sounds of night wildlife crept back into the forest as one could hear the fluttering of birds, the chattering of insects, and one very chilling howl in the distance.

As the two approached the aptly named village, Diana paused on the dirt path leading up the mountain to admire the fields of hibiscus flowers that surrounded the outskirts of the town. Like waves, this endless sea of red petals rolled gently with the night breeze bending ever so slightly and releasing a sweet scent that served to immediately relax Diana as she breathed deep of the fresh air. In the dim light of starlight, the warmth of the small town up ahead seemed even more inviting. Lanterns and lamps hung from small posts, casting a flickering glow over the town. People lazily strolled the streets, seemingly enjoying a quiet night. The scents of grilled fish and fresh noodles, and hibiscus or chamomile tea drifted through the air like a haze, permeating the air around the town. Diana's stomach couldn't help but rumble "quietly".

As Bastion stopped on the outskirts of town, Diana was happy to simply wait there. She could see the awe and exasperation written on the faces of the townsfolk. The cool demeanor of the adults, who were likely aware of what kind of attention her presence would bring the town, additionally tipped her off that her presence might be imposing on these people. Diana remained silent as Bastion mediated on her behalf with the townsfolk. She merely smiled, with some chagrin, and clasped one hand over the other in front of her. This nervous smile only seemed to grow as Diana was swarmed with the clamoring, endless questions of children that had swarmed around Bastion and her feet. Diana tensed, though not with the anticipation one might see in battle. No, this rather seemed to be a reaction to the shrinking space around her. If one paid close attention, there was now a calculated caution to each and every move she made.

Thankfully, after a few moments, it seemed as if the leader of the village had followed and asked the children to leave her alone. Diana nodded, agreeing with the leader's statement. "I would be happy to answer all your questions in the morning, little ones." Diana responded, waving her fingers lightly at the children as they all begrudgingly slunk back to their homes. The most curious of them being foisted away by their parents. And so the odd parade started to thin slightly. Diana then turned her attention to the leader and dipped her head slightly in recognition. "Thank you. You are very generous to have made such a kind offer." It seemed as if Bastion had been correct. The people of Hibiscus Town were good people, if they would offer their hot springs to a complete stranger. Diana understood the fact that there was Bastion's coin involved in the negotiations but it did not affect her perspective on this. In fact now she seemed to owe both the people of Hibiscus Town and Bastion for their kindness.

The scent of hibiscus that hung on the air was doubly refreshing as Diana was led to a series of pools surrounded by a small establishment. As a divisor between what were seemingly men's and women's bathing areas lay a small mountain of stone. Waterfalls poured on either side of this small mountain, constantly refreshing the steaming warm water below. Stepping over the fence of the bath-house into the women's bath, Diana began to disrobe utilizing the mountain as a divisor to retain as much of her modesty as she could. Diana could feel the gazes of some of the onlookers sharpen as they strained to catch a glimpse of her form. The town echoed with the sound of many angry slaps that night as those unfaithful were dragged back inside by their angry spouses.

Diana was oblivious to the attention she had gathered and simply followed Dixie into the bath, sighing with bliss. The feeling of pins and needles spread through her body as the warmth of the bath soaked into her frigid skin. Diana conversed casually with Dixie, wondering about life in the town and making introductions. "Perhaps might there be something that I can help you with? I feel indebted to your kindness." Diana asked, indicating the tools in her nearby pack. Until suddenly, the door burst open and the local seamstresses charged into the bath. Diana shrieked in surprise, inadvertently splashing Dixie as she folded her arms over her chest to preserve her modesty soon overwhelmed with a wave of offers and outfits. Diana held up her hands to quiet down the crowd of seamstresses and glanced towards her drenched clothes. She did need a few outfits and she did fancy the local fashion. But she didn't want to further impose on Bastion. Clothes in her size would likely be expensive. In the end, she settled on two of the seamstresses who had suggested outfits that she had liked. One shoulder-less, sheath dress with light, flowing elbow length sleeves, in a lovely light green, a cute, a dark green crop top with a hibiscus flower over the heart, a white crop top with a pattern of vines that formed the outline of a flower and a pair of matching skirts in forest green and black respectively.

As the seamstresses took her measurements and left, Diana relaxed and laid back down against the mountain with a light thump. "I've noticed." Diana replied, a smile in her tone. "Well, I wasn't exactly travelling by choice. I was to be sold as some noble's pet." Diana paused for a moment before continuing. "Though, I suppose my answer to that question now is... I wish to find my father. We were separated during our capture and I do not know his whereabouts."

The silence was inviting, and yet Diana found herself unwilling to break it first. Perhaps out of curiosity for what she might learn about the one who had rescued her from those attempting to enslave her. And so, Diana waited patiently resting against the mountain of stone between them while the water steamed lightly around her. As the warmth of the spring continued to soak into her body, Diana's patience was rewarded. Bastion told her of how his mother was captured to be a Noble's plaything as well. A sound like gravel grating came from the other side of the mountain as Diana gritted her teeth in angered disgust that people would treat others like that. Like toys, to be possessed and commanded at will. And who knows what else... Diana did not want to think of what she might have been subjected to, and what Bastion's mother likely was subjected to in that position.

Bastion's next statement snapped Diana's attention back to his words and she listened carefully. Bastion also sought to reunite with his father, but his intentions might be different than her own? What did that mean? The awkward silence persisted because Diana had become puzzled in attempting to read the intent in his words. And yet, Diana couldn't see him. And therefore couldn't know of the fierce glare and frightening smile upon his face.

In a way, Diana was thankful when Bastion brought his own awkward silence and coughed, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. "Ha ha, believe me. I won't underestimate you just because you are small. I will gladly accept your help. On the condition..." Diana had been about to say that her one condition was that she find a way to repay her debt but luckily Bastion had continued and cut her off. In fact, he was proposing the very thing that she had wanted to propose. That should Bastion ever require her help, he merely call on her for assistance. Diana smiled privately to herself, her obligation to the knight's extraordinary kindness nearly fulfilled. Diana Melvi always paid back her debts. "Of course. Should you ever feel the need to call upon my help, I will assist you." Diana agreed. "See you tomorrow, Knight Bastion." Diana bid him farewell as he left, raising a hand to wave him off.

Then after a few quiet moments of relaxation, Diana nodded towards Dixie and rose. A brief chill touched her skin as she set about toweling herself off, with the mayor acting as a monitor for any prying eyes. Those who dared look received a stern glance in return, and likely an earful or worse later. The seamstresses had done their work remarkably well, as Diana had found three outfits fully prepared from the clothes she had chosen. Diana slipped into one of the comfortable crop tops and skirts as she glanced towards where her wet clothes were drying. She'd have to leave them out overnight. Overnight? I guess that brings up another problem. Diana would turn sheepishly towards the mayor of Hibiscus Town and lower her head. "I don't suppose you might know of anywhere where I might find some lodging? If not, that is alright. I just thought to ask."  The old trader cast a discerning eye over Diana and squinted slightly. "I don't think you'll fit into any of the buildings here. The barn nearby might just work though. It will be a tight squeeze, but it'll be better than sleeping outside in a damp sleeping bag. You're welcome to try. It's that way." Dixie said, raising one finger to point towards the building.

Diana nodded her thanks and followed the woman's indicating finger in the direction where the barn lay. When she came across the simple red and white building, she examined it for a while. True, Diana still towered over the barn slightly in terms of height, as its highest point came up to about her stomach, but this building had a wider entryway than the other homes. Which meant that Diana might just be able to squeeze inside if she crawled in on hands and knees. And so she did, scooting herself backwards into the barn. It wasn't going to be a very comfortable sleep, but it did beat sleeping in the cold unprepared. So with a simple prayer to thank the people of Hibiscus Town for their generosity, Diana fell asleep amidst the bales of hay.

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Hibiscus Town (Morning)

It was a quiet evening as the residents of Hibiscus Town slept peacefully. Slowly the sounds of nightime fauna began to fade, as the horizon started to slowly grow brighter. Like grasping tendrils of light, the bright rays of the sun crept slowly over the floors of shops and homes as they shone through windows. The sun had barely risen up past the mountains, and with it the villagers of Hibiscus town had awoken, ready to apply themselves to hard work in the village's fields, spinning thread, etc, proclaiming their wares loudly over the din of their competitors. The streets were quickly filled with the sound of children's voices all shouting. "Nice lady, nice lady where are you?" They had been promised answers to the questions burning in their curious minds after all. Amidst all of the hustle and bustle, there was one individual in the village who was relishing a well deserved night's sleep, and likely the first one in a while. The barn vibrated with the soft sounds of Diana's snoring as she simply shifted slightly in response to the noises that had started to liven up the village.

Indeed, the sounds of frolicking children carried down the hill where the barn sat and into the village. And they were not to be denied. As a growing throng, they worked together to pull open the large, wooden barn doors just enough to where they could slip inside. As they opened the door, the morning sunlight crept in and caused Diana to stir. Emerald eyes opened to find the children clamoring and crowding around her, to Diana's sleepy surprise. "O-oh right. I did promise, didn't I?" Diana mumbled, rubbing at her eyes and gently nudging the children outside. "Well, let's go outside first. I don't want to accidentally break this lovely barn." As the children dutifully exited the barn, but remained within near vicinity just in case Diana was thinking of reneging on her promise, Diana shuffled out after them on hands and knees.

Squinting slightly as her eyes adjusted blearily to the morning light, Diana sat cross-legged on the ground as the children took to ushering around her and then subsequently climbing into her lap like playground equipment. Several brave souls even took to using her hair as rope and climbing up to her shoulders. Diana gently plucked them from her shoulders before they could fall, with a gently reprimand. "Be more careful, you could fall." She said, cupping their tiny forms in her palms before depositing them back on the ground before her. Several questions rang out as the children indulged their endless curiosity. "Why are you so big? Where do you come from? What do you do?" Diana bore everything with formidable patience, doing her best to answer the children's questions. "Well, I'm actually a Giant from Elbaf. To me, you're just so small." She laughed, tickling one of them with a gentle poke to the stomach.

At Bastion's arrival, Diana nodded towards him in acknowledgement of his presence. She watched as he sat down on a stack of hay outside the barn. Oddly however, Bastion's taunt didn't seem to phase Diana. She didn't react immediately, although whether that was due to the mask of indifference of the sleepy morning or for another reason remained to be seen. None the less, it did send the children into an uproar over her newfound "royalty", to which Diana responded with a slight raising of the hands in the universal motion for calm. "Now now, let's all calm down. This has to be our secret, okay?" She asked, and was met with several affirmations and promises from the kids. With a slight glint in her eyes, she stares towards Bastion questioningly.

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Hibiscus Town (Alleyway)

Having vented their frustrations and concluded their secret meeting, the three "townsfolk" nodded and shuffled down their separate ways. The Boss had been pretty pissed at the Giant's escape and had enacted phase 2 of the operation. Under the cover of nightfall, a small force had crept into the peaceful Hibiscus Town, and assumed the life of a member of the sleepy town. There were more farmers than usual today and far more street-ware shop owners than one might have spotted in town yesterday. Yet with such positions, the majority of people in Hibiscus town had not even noticed the sudden influx of population. And those who did innocuously thought that these were but poor folk living on the streets or what the land could provide.

Meanwhile these three set about notifying their fellow "villagers" of the plan. One of them, a portly man with a slightly reddened nose, headed off towards one of the street shops. He paused for a while, admiring one of the necklaces there. "Ah, yes. How much for this one?" He asked of the shopkeeper, causing the thin, reedy man to glance up from behind his newspaper. "Why, 120 berries of course." This was met with outrage. "A 120 berries?! Are you trying to cheat me, sir? I was considering buying it as a present for my daughter, but with such prices, I think I'll pass! The portly man said with a dismissive wave of the hand. The shopkeeper appeared to relent and placed a hand on the portly man's shoulder. Maybe you would be interested in today's daily sale? "Perhaps, will the shop be open tonight? The competition in the fields is growing intense. I hardly have time to rest before Marie undercuts the price of my crops." The merchant concluded with a slight dip of the head. "Why my shop is always open, good man. Why don't you go enjoy a morning cup of Hibiscus tea and we might discuss prices again at a more suitable time?" Of course, the raucous bantering was truly designed to hide the coded message innocently transmitted through the conversation. That the capture and transportation would happen tonight, and that it was confirmed they would be leading her into the bunker through tunnel 12. And to spread the message that the competition, the Masked Knight would need to be dealt with.

Little did the men know that someone was listening, and while the code remained obscured for now, it was only a matter of time and repetition before someone would key in to important clues about the plan that was to occur tonight.

Diana attempted to gently wave off the kids scrambling all over her, but she dared not move too much for fear of accidentally harming on of them. And so, as they all clung to her, Diana bore it with the patience of a mountain. Eventually however, it seemed that some of the children would shift their attention to Bastion and begin bothering him. And indeed, when asked if they could accompany them, and Bastion proposed and perhaps promised to reward them with Hibiscus Ice Cream the children began screeching all at once in excitement. The slightest flicker of annoyance crossed Diana's face as she winced slightly. Ah well, perhaps they'd settle down soon.

As the armada of children surged forwards towards the shop where presumably they would receive this ice cream treat, Diana and Castor lagged behind slightly. Diana took some interest in the craftsmanship that allowed the town to thrive, noticing that it all featured their namesake flower in some way. This was similar to her parent's occupation within their town although they worked in furs and leathers. "Ah really?" Diana responded with the slightest tick of a raised eyebrow when Bastion explained that the towns surrounding the outskirts of Lyneel were all named after flowers. And that travelling inwards would enter Viking territory, with the Five Shields being the main cities on the island. Diana absorbed this geographical information and nodded. It would indeed be wise to know the important locations and factions in play during her stay on this island.

Diana noted the dismissal of the children with another slightly raised eyebrow, and wondered what exactly the little knight was planning. The chuckling and laughs did nothing to alleviate Diana's private, and now rising suspicions. Did I make a mistake in trusting him? ...It certainly is a convoluted game he is playing to betray me now when he could have captured me in the forest. If that is his intention... Diana shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts and smiled at the children who happily ran off to go find their treat. This of course left Diana alone with Bastion who then began to drop information. Diana stretched her arms above her head. "Ah, it was not so bad. These people are very hospitable despite not possessing much." She replied, before Bastion continued and an icy glare settled over her features. Perhaps she had misheard him. Surely he did not just suggest that she willingly return to being a slave. And yet, that is precisely what he had proposed. "Why?" She questioned, with a slight bit more edge to her tone than she meant to add.

Diana's expession hardened slightly at that, but she suppressed any exclamations that she would normally have given. It wouldn't do to tip off the people no doubt watching them to her displeasure and hence draw further attention to their conversation. Instead she fidgeted slightly with smoothing out the creases on her armor. I really do not like willingly being captured. But then again, perhaps Bastion was correct. It was likely the only way to draw the snakes from their lair. They wouldn't try to take her from the village which loved her with witnesses present, which would necessitate the knight to subtly vanish. Diana ground her teeth, lip twisting into a frown as Bastion explained that he understood her trepidation but that hostages would not work out in their favor. That brought an entirely new fear rushing to Diana's mind. She imagined the children happily giggling inside the ice-cream store, restrained the way she had been on the voyage to this island. "No. You are correct. It is the best option that I can see." Diana admitted, and dipped her head slightly in Bastion's direction.

As the kids exited the store and immediately noticed the change in mood between Diana and Bastion, Diana swore that the air hung heavy around them. The tension permeating their mood so thick that it could be cut by a knife. She smiled a slight smile as Bastion explained that they were just thinking about a lot of things. Not an outright lie Diana found herself telling her own half truth as several of the kids tilted their heads to one side puzzled. "I was thinking about home." This of course brought a fresh wave of clamoring, as the kids scrambled onto her lap and begged for stories of her homeland. Diana chuckled and spent the time before the sun dipped into the blue regaling the gathered throng of children with tales of Elbaf. She told them of the time that she and her father had set to hunting one of the island's many giant beasts. Diana described trekking through the forest to come face to face with its furred hide, fearsome tusks and crimson, bulging eyes to the whooping delight of her crowd.

As the sun sank and shadows crept across the ground, Diana stretched up her arms and yawned. "Oh, sorry. Seems like it's time to turn in for me." This of course brought despairing cries from the children and other onlookers who had stopped in their tracks to listen. "Haha, don't worry. I will share more adventures with you tomorrow, little ones." Diana laughed, waving a hand pacifically at the pleading crowd. Turning to find Bastion amongst them, she shared a meaningful look with the little knight as she headed off towards the barn the villagers were so nice as to let her use.

Diana lay down for the night, but found she could not drift off to sleep. So instead, she closed her eyes and calmed her breathing, concentrating her senses on her surroundings. She did not know how long she lay like that before she heard the soft patter of footsteps approaching. There were also the soft thump of hooves and the rolling of wheels.  She counted at least 50 hirelings, with several carts. Diana tried to keep as still as possible and maintain the facade of being asleep as they started to unlock the barn door. The bar of wood keeping it closed thumped to the floor, as the double doors swung open with a creak.

@Castor O. Nox