Kindred Spirits

//Chapter 15: A Prelude to Battle//

It has been a strange few weeks now with the awakening of Caramel Arrow's latent power. Nobody's quite certain what it could even be, the possibilities were too broad based on what was displayed alone. Although, for you and for Taffy Belt, you both noticed something that changed in the Commander. It was her eyes, normally they were a shade of brown darker than her dough. But now, they were cut across with Vertical Pupils that were black. It was hard to see at first but once you saw it, you took it as confirmation of your belief. That she was a dragon, or at the very least related to them.

Whatever the case may be, there was still a war to win. With the sudden burst of strength from Caramel Arrow, Morale had shot straight up and further galvanized your growing resistance against Affogato's Cruel empire. Recruits came in from far and wide, among them was your comrade Fox. He told you "I first thought you were all delusional, trying to fight such a powerful threat. But now, I see the error of my ways and seek to assist you in reclaiming our home." You and Caramel Arrow accepted his apology and request for entry in your ranks. Even with more recruits, you needed every cookie you could get.

And with the soaring Morale and the influx of people willing to fight against a corrupt sorcerer with no claim to the throne, your resistance would surprise the empire by how fiercely they continued to fight on. No matter how bleak, how dire, nobody was willing to give in. There would be Victory or there will be no Dark Cacao Kingdom any longer. And it was this willingness of you, caramel arrow, and everyone else to potentially lay down their life for freedom that would make waves across the region. Because in true Dark Cacao fashion, you believed only one truth against this terrible foe: Hesitation is Defeat.

Today you, Caramel Arrow, Taffy Belt, and Fox met in the hastily made command room. Fox was an expert in all things espionage, his capture a few months prior to Affogato's Uprising was likely staged, as afterward he was never caught once by Affogato's Forces. Taffy Belt was the chief navigator, he had explored the region up and down and knew the terrain like the back of his hand. You were the Logistics person, figuring out how to train the small army before you and how to best utilize them all in battle. And Caramel Arrow was the Commander of it all, strategizing both Micro and Macro level to try and achieve victory against a common enemy. Your powers combined, Affogato's days are numbered. Although, right now, that number is in the triple digits at least. And none of you have that kind of time.

Enter: Fox's proposal. At this meeting, he presented a full on plan to quickly end the war before it dragged on too long and the resistance fizzled out. "We cannot keep skirmishing with Affogato's Army forever. He has better supplies than us, more men than us, more influence than us. If we want to destroy the beast, we must target its head and its beating heart. We must attack the citadel, breach the defenses, and kill Affogato. Once he is gone, his empire will implode as those Loyal to him bicker and fight with those who aren't breathing the cause." The long named cookie nicknamed Fox informed you 3, which got everyone's silent approval. You just had one thing to say, however. "A good plan, but there's a catch. We have only one chance to pull it off. If we fail to kill Affogato, we will never get such an opportunity again. We must do everything we can to prepare so that success is as possible as can be." You said, which also prompted the others to discuss.

Yes, quite the conundrum. But what other options do you have? Try to grind down Affogato's massive empire in a war of attrition? Laughable, your lack of raw numbers would lead to decimation of your resistance within a year. So began the preparations for this one in a million chance of success All Out Strike on the Citadel. You would need to take care of several factors, get as many supplies as possible, train your army to the best they can be, and eliminate a particular higher up in Affogato's Chain of command. That last one was more personal, but even that aside this was going to be tough on you. You were so young, a long life might be ahead of you, but here you are ready to throw it away for a cause you believe in. To say you were stressed was an understatement. How did you get caught up in all this? This madness of a traitorous plot that is about to reach its apex and the fight to stop it before it grows out of control.

But in your moment of nervousness teetering on a total breakdown, a comforting but firm hand graces your shoulder. "Who- Oh, Caramel Arrow. Hello." You said awkwardly, shifting around to keep your mind occupied. "Y/N, I can tell you're all stressed out from this war... And that's ok. I'm exhausted myself, I just want this to be over already." She says, taking a seat next to you. Spring is coming soon. When it comes, Affogato's army will likely start marching upon the neighboring territories to claim more land. "It's almost that time of year. When things get warm enough, Affogato's going to begin expanding outside the mountains. But we can't let him, you know? The villages are lucky he's ignoring them for not being a problem. If we don't stop him, he'll likely destroy the villages outside of here for their insolence against him." She tells you, perhaps trying to remind you of why you need to persist and keep going against seemingly insurmountable odds.

You place your hand in hers and say "Well, then let's double our efforts to prepare for the attack. It's all or nothing now. We will win, or we will all die. And I do not intend to die young." Caramel Arrow chuckles and says "I agree. That traitor will not have our heads, nor will he hold us captive. Dark Cacao Forever." You smile at the utterance of the watcher motto and reply in kind with "Yeah. Dark Cacao Forever."