Kindred Spirits

//Chapter 1: Rise and Shine//

You wake up early in the morning as you were told to. Looking outside, the sun had yet to rise but it would no doubt happen soon. The most of the other recruits in the barracks were sleeping, save for a few that were just waking up like yourself. Quickly getting right to preparation for the day, you begin doing push ups on the ground next to your bed. It was definitely painful, having to do such an intensive exercise almost immediately after waking up but it did get your body nice and ready for the day's activities to come.

An hour goes by, with a few more of the recruits joining in the physical exercises you were doing. By then, one of the watchers had come in and barked out "All recruits, please rise to your feet and face me!" You and the other early risers quickly do just that, with the rest of the recruits following soon afterward. In the short window where the watcher was waiting for everyone present to get up, you get a look at him. He looked old and experienced, no younger than 40. His mustache was grizzled and elongated, while being surprisingly well kept. His long, dark hair served only to emphasize his one good eye.

"To you cookies who were up and at it early, You'll be sailing right on through this training with that kind of attitude. Everyone else, follow their example! I am the second watcher, and for the next 2 months, you shall be shaped from ordinary villagers and nomads into watchers proud and ready to serve the king who split a dragon in two!" The watcher bellowed as he gestured for the recruits to follow him outside. It was cold, as expected, but nothing anyone hadn't seen before. It was late at night when you had gotten here, so this was your first proper look at the camp. Needless to say, the king spared no necessary expense when it came to training Watchers.

The day would fly on by as the Second Watcher began to drill you all on the various facilities as well as demanding completions of the course. You yourself had done most the courses with relative ease, but that was to be expected given this was only day 1 and the watchers required recruits to be in peak physical condition. In a couple of the courses, you had even come in as first to complete it with some distance between the rest of the recruits. Definitely a good way to get in the eye of the trainers.

By the time the sun was starting to set on this snow-covered land, you and the others had gone through practically every facility with scarcely a pause for any refreshments. A bitter pill to swallow, but one that need be swallowed if one was to be true watcher material. A few of the recruits had been cut out already for not being able to keep up with everything that was going on. At the camp's entrance, the second watcher gestured for you all to stop as he climbed up the wall. "To all of you who stand before me now, You're on the path of a true warrior. You saw adversity and challenge and persevered through it to where you are today. As an example of what this course may provide, I will now let our most recent addition to the greater watchers speak." He said, stepping back to let another watcher speak. Now this one was night and day compared to the second watcher. They looked young and spry, with long hair tied in a ponytail. Their robes similar to that of the second watcher's but without the cape, showing a more practical side. 

The watcher spoke up with a female's voice, declaring "Greetings, recruits. My name is Caramel Arrow Cookie, and I am the first watcher for the dark cacao kingdom. 5 years ago, I was in your shoes at this very training camp. I endured the hardships you just experienced and all the ones in future. I came from a humble background, like all of you. And if you put in the effort, train hard, work hard, bond with your fellow cookies, then maybe I and the second watcher here will be working with you much more closely when you succeed in this course. That being said, the day's training is over. You are all free to head to the dining hall and eat up. Good luck to your future days here at this camp." And so, you and the others did that very thing. 

Something about her, Caramel Arrow, spoke to you. You were just a lowly village hunter, here only to seek adventure and provide for your people. And from the way she spoke, it seemed that you two had that in common. Perhaps if you ever got the chance, you should ask her about that. See what's what with the first watcher. And her position there only motivated you further to do the best you could for the next 2 months of training. After all, a position as a Lesser watcher would be achieved by just simply making it to the end of the 2 month training period. But a position as Greater watcher would signify physical and mental prowess, a sign that your village and people were capable of spawning such great warriors. And it was this desire to prove that your village was worthy of spawning a greater watcher candidate that would drive you for the next 2 months.