Kindred Spirits

//Chapter 4: Through Thick and Thin//

You awaken in the recruit's quarters for the last time. You quickly get your morning exercises in before fulling equipping yourself with your new gear. Grabbing some quick breakfast was also on the agenda, as you'd need all the energy you could get for what was to come. A rather long hike through a valley pass that connected the camp to the citadel. Based on the conditions, it would be heavily snowing throughout the whole day. Not that this deterred you, far from it. Now was truly the time to impress people, to keep going through such horrid conditions and make it to the black citadel in only a day's travel.

Arriving at the camp gates for the last time in a long while, you see caramel arrow wearing a hooded cloak over her watcher attire so she would endure the cold easier. "Ah, you're here already, Y/N! That's good, you'll need this" She says as you approach, tossing you a hooded cloak for you to brandish as well. "Thanks. Reminds me of the cloaks they weaved back at my village, although they were usually made out of wild creme wolf hides." You remark, quickly getting the cloak on. It felt nice and cozy, adding to your already well fitting watcher's attire. Caramel Arrow replies as the few other watchers assigned to the black citadel began arriving "Hm, good on them. Just don't let crunchy chip hear that. He'll go into a frenzy. Anyway, Everyone grab a cloak! We set off momentarily!"

And set off shortly thereafter, you all certainly did. Everyone had gotten something to eat before leaving, so it was not like you'd have to go looking for food on your way to the citadel. About a third of the way through the trip, one of the other new watchers strikes up conversation with you. "Hey. I saw you go at it a few days ago, great work. Orange Choco Cookie, I'm sure we'll be working nicely together" he says in between breathes into his gloved hands and staring out into the wilderness. He extends his hand out for a handshake and you meet him in kind. "Y/N Cookie. Pleasure to meet you, as well. So, what weapon you going with?" You ask him after a simple introduction. He clears his throat and says "I went with a spear. Good idea to keep the enemy as far away as possible while still easily delivering unto them a sharp bit of sugar."

And So on and so forth. This bantering with Orange Choco would form a fast friendship between the two of you. It definitely helped to pass time during the arduous trek through the valley pass and several cliff faces. The poor weather conditions did not help matters much, several times a watcher had to be helped out after losing their grip or tripping on a concealed rock. Not that it was much of an issue to anyone, after all these people were like family to you all in some way. You had all endured the hardships of watcher training and were now taking on the first real test of your ability to work together with one another. And in that respect, you had all done admirably well.

After what seemed like an eternity of traveling through snow a foot thick and icy rocks, you set your eyes upon the imposing black Citadel. Officially, the capital of the dark cacao was a city south of here, but you and everyone else knew better. It was here that the real decisions were made, where the king resided and planned his next move. The imposing blackness of the syrup reinforced walls coupled with dim purple flames atop the ramparts definitely screamed a message of defiance. You whistle and say "The king spared no expense building this place, didn't he? When you're this close to the restless licorice sea, I guess it pays to not skimp on any cost." "A most astute observation, Y/N. His Majesty has financed the building of the citadel so many years ago by having warriors and watchers that were in waiting go out as mercenaries. The income definitely helped keep it's costs down, though the current batch of reinforcing is starting to dig into the coffers more than usual." Caramel Arrow quickly replied, segueing into a quick history lesson about the citadel and it's current situation.

The rest of the day would entail a brief tour of the citadel, and it was truly impressive how big this thing was. The tour also went over the basics of the facilities, like the armory, the kitchen, the main hall, and so on. During the tour, you had caught brief glimpses of a mysterious cookie, who wore a mix of black and purple and seemed to be important but you never could get close enough to ask before the tour moved on. It ended at the barracks, where you all choose a bed and after another hour of getting familiar with your new place of residence and getting a meal, you decide to clock out for the evening.

While I could end the chapter here, I have a part of a story I'd like to tell you. It's a local legend, a myth spread around both the isolated villages and Dark Cacao's warriors. How it spread, nobody truly knows, but it is a story worth telling. They call it "The Tale of the Dragonchild." So rest a spell, maybe get a drink of water, and enjoy the first part of this exploration into a kingdom's culture.

"Many centuries ago, long before this kingdom had a name, there lived a dragon with Two heads. One who bore pure white scales forged in sunlight, and the other with pitch black scales crafted in shadows. Equal and Opposite to one another. They ruled over this harsh land, taking from the helpless villages of cookies as they saw fit. This was their divine right after all, dragons had taken this land from the elementals who had persisted long before their time."

"Eventually, a brave cookie came to oppose the dragons. They laughed off this tiny crunchy thing's rebellion against them. They had crushed opposition before, and this would be no different. That was what they first thought, however. The cookie brandished a large greatsword, its hilt adorned with a deep purple gem. One single cut of this blade inflicted upon the dragon something it had not felt before: Pain. The dragon immediately fought with all its might and fervor, but it was not enough."

"The Cookie Hero had used his blade to split the dragons in two. The whole now separated into halves evermore. A fitting punishment for their arrogance and villainy. And yet... Something happened. In the brief moment after the dragons split apart, there existed the combined will of the two and the full light of resolution the cookie hero wielded. In all the chaos, neither had noticed the two powers merging, creating something that soon fell from the heavens down to the humble lands of earthbread."