The Crème Knights' airship was the first delegation to arrive at the Mountains of Trials and Harmony. The stunning landscape composed of white sugar mountains whose peaks scraped the sky was broken up by the lush and verdant forest nestles in its crags, clearings, and valleys. A towering castle of pristine white sugar and elegant spires topped with flags of the three Academies was built directly into the largest of the mountains. Below it, a colossal arena built of now-weathered brown sugar bricks was erected centuries ago in the steppe surrounding the mountains, its once pristine architecture broken up by the battles of Champions past. The three-dragon insignia representing the harmony between the three Academies was etched into its scarred and cracked floor. No matter the slashes, burns, or concentrated blasts of dessert magic inflicted upon it, the insignia shone brave and strong. Several smaller structures serving as the Headquarters for each school dotted the mountains surrounding the great castle.
Kouign-Amann Cookie took in its beautiful view as the airship docked soundly on the ledge of the great castle, which was dubbed the 'Main Hall'. A Serious Paladin Trainee joined her in her admiration.
"It's beautiful," Kouign-Amann Cookie breathed as she peered below at the colosseum beneath their great vessel. "after our victory, we should tour the airship around the mountains."
"Indeed, Champion Kouign-Amann Cookie. The best victories are celebrated with quiet reflection for the trials won, and anticipation for the battles to come" the Serious Paladin Trainee spoke, almost as if she was reciting a code drilled into her from innumerable sparring matches.
Still drinking in its serenity, Kouign-Amann Cookie was torn from her view as the airship doors gingerly opened and their Preceptor stepped off. That was the least of her distractions though, as the foul, eye-watering smell of spice drowned her senses in its savage fire.
"Ugh," she wrinkled her nose and blinked her eyes furiously, "that must be from the Scovillia delegation". Sure enough, a haze of red spice rose on the horizon as the students of Scovillia approached. Their volume increased with each step taken, and Kouign-Amann Cookie found herself unable to hear anything but the sound of electric guitar and loud students hollering.
The Cookie who seemed to be at the forefront of the approaching chaos and leader of the full-on assault on her senses approached the plaza: a towering, flaming hot cookie that she had never seen before. "He must be their Champion" she thought to herself dourly. His wrists were bound in shackles whose chains have lost their bulk, but they did nothing to dampen the sharp grin emblazoned upon the newcomer's face. "Odd…" she thought, eyes intent on his bound wrists. "But knowing Scovillia, it's most likely a fashion statement" she shook herself off from the airborne spice and reacquainted her senses with the smell of fresh air. A few steps behind the fiery Champion, she spotted Scovillia's Headmaster.
Her Preceptor, along with the other paladin trainees, exited the airship. The Preceptor regally walked towards the Scovillia Headmaster, with Kouign-Amann Cookie following him a few paces behind.
"Molten Magma Cookie," he addressed the Headmaster directly. "I take it the trek to the mountains was not too arduous?" the Preceptor spared a glance towards their own mode of transportation, a masterful creation of the Republic's greatest minds. A well-hidden smirk crossed his face.
Apparently, not so well-hidden. The Scovillia Headmaster clenched his axe and straightened his physique, leaning in ever so slightly.
"Hmph! As if my students need to be delicately transported by a floating carriage." The Scovillia Headmaster, Molten Magma Cookie retorted, his gruff voice did little to hide the disdain. "If you ask me, it seems like this generation's paladins are warriors in name only, Chouquette Cookie".
Kouign-Amann Cookie flinched slightly at the Headmaster's words. Momentary shock turned to righteous anger at the blatant insult to her and the Crème Knights. She took a step towards the Scovillia Headmaster, drawing her sword from its resting place and powerfully digging the tip into the earth before her. "This airship was created through the sweat, strawberry jam and tears of our Republic's top minds!" she shouted to the Headmaster. "Perhaps the fact that Scovillia hasn't managed to grasp the delicate art of air travel shows how uneducated your curriculum must be!" spitting out that last retort, she dug her sword out and turned her back to the inexplicable rudeness of the Headmaster. "Unbelievable!" she thought to herself sourly.
With the constant presence of the loud noise, Kouign-Amann Cookie didn't notice the sounds of the Scovillian students starting to fade. However, the tensing of her own paladin trainees was not so easily missed. Confusion crossed her face as she watched them rest their hands on their swords.
Suddenly, the air felt quite hotter than it did before! Turning to meet the source of this uncomfortable rise in temperature, Kouign-Amann Cookie came face-to-face with her competitor, the Champion Capsaicin Cookie. His stature towered over her, and he didn't seem too happy. A complete 180 from what she'd previously seen from the explosively passionate Cookie.
"OH, so you think Scovillians are UNEDUCATED, do you!?" He spat. His prideful and wide smile didn't seem to have the same ring to it as it did before. "If you think you bland NORMIES are SO MUCH BETTER THAN US, maybe you wouldn't mind havin' a little sparring match, huh?!". The chorus of Scovillia student cheering returned in full force as Capsaicin Cookie smashed his fists together, letting off a burst of fiery hot flames. The heat around her became slightly too unbearable, and she leapt a few paces back from the fiery inferno.
On instinct, Kouign-Amann Cookie drew her blade. The tension was thick and chaotic, with both Kouign-Amann Cookie and Capsaicin Cookie opposite eachother. Fists and greatsword ready to move against eachother at even a moments' notice. Capsaicin Cookie's sharp grin widened and his eyes narrowed, a clear signal of an impending charge!
However, that moment never came to pass, as a hearty, deep-throated laugh broke the tension like a rock thrown through a sugar-glass pane. Both Champions' heads snapped in the direction of the Scovillia Headmaster, who was belting out a hearty laugh.
Kouign-Amann Cookie started to blush in embarrassment as she realized her Preceptor was also chuckling alongside the Scovillia Headmaster.
"You sure picked well, HAHA!" The fiery Headmaster laughed, as if Kouign-Amann Cookie didn't just insult his entire school and almost get into a fight with his Champion.
"Yes, that is our Kouign-Amann Cookie, fiercely loyal and not afraid to speak her mind." he gave an approving nod and smile in her direction.
"W-whattt?" she thought to herself, a rosy blush firmly planted on both her cheeks at their words.
Capsaicin Cookie mirrored her reaction. His smile was wide and open, and his tangerine eyes shone with clear confusion and embarrassment. "H-HUH?" he said aloud to neither Headmaster nor Preceptor in particular.
Molten Magma Cookie and Chouquette Cookie continued as if there weren't two incredibly confused Champions in front of them. "And Capsaicin Cookie? I can see why your Academy is all worked up. If it weren't for our Kouign-Amann Cookie going up against him in the Trials, Scovillia would have won the Cup by a landslide" the Preceptor said approvingly, looking at the young Capsaicin Cookie. The rest of the paladin trainees seemed to relax at their Preceptor's words, albeit slightly.
The Scovillia Headmaster sauntered up to Capsaicin Cookie -who was still in a state of confusion- with his chest puffed out. He roughly put an arm around Capsaicin Cookie's neck and ruffled his flaming hair with his gauntlet-clad other. Capsaicin Cookie smiled widely at the Headmaster's affection.
"Ohhh, so that's why the Scovillia Headmaster wears gauntlets now!" Kouign-Amann Cookie thought to herself, a flashback reemerging from her mind of the time the Scovillia Headmaster visited the Republic. A grin of her own crept across her face at the antics of the two.
"YEP! Capsaicin Cookie here is the pride and joy of Scovillia!" the Headmaster replied while giving Capsaicin Cookie another fiery noogie. "He's the SPICIEST there is, and no student has EVER come close!" he loudly added.
"Wait, so you two AREN'T mad at eachother?" Capsaicin Cookie finally said, his confused, fiery eyes looking up at his Headmaster.
Kouign-Amann Cookie's eyes looked towards her Preceptor, her blush indicating that she, too, was waiting to ask that question.
"HAH! OF COURSE NOT!" The Scovillia Headmaster loudly laughed with his deep voice. "The BEST way to judge a competing Champion is to see how they react when I totally OWN their Head!" he turned the flaming eyes of his mask to Kouign-Amann Cookie. "AND YOU! HAVE! PASSED! THE! TEST!" he yelled, releasing his Champion from the death noogie and materializing his axe from Divine-Light-knows-where, letting rip an ear-splitting riff. Almost as if on cue, the students of Scovillia all cried cheers of encouragement to the tune of their Headmaster's guitar.
Kouign-Amann Cookie gave a polite smile at the explosive Headmaster before slowly backing away. Instead, she chose to focus on Capsaicin Cookie, who was basking in his fellow students praise. She quickly walked over to him and extended her hand out to the flaming Champion. "Sorry about earlier, Capsaicin Cookie." she said, a tinge of sheepishness to her voice. She'd rub the back of her head in embarrassment for her previous actions if she could, but her large greatsword prevented her from such a show.
Capsaicin Cookie stood and blinked at her for a second, before widening his grin and grabbing hold of her hand in a spicy Scovillian-style handshake. "HAH! No apologies needed!" he said in his naturally loud and up-beat voice as he shook her hand with a speed rivaling 7 shakes per second. "But don't think I'll forget about what you said! I look forward to the first Trial tomorrow to show 'ya what Scovillia is REALLY about!" he said while flexing his free arm.
Kouign-Amann Cookie gave him an auspicious look and let a grin of her own break out. "We'll see!" she said proudly.
He released his grip and Kouign-Amann Cookie resisted the urge to flap the over-heated hand in the cool breeze. "So hot!" she thought to herself, masking her mild pain with a smile she hoped Capsaicin Cookie didn't see through.
The two Champions' conversation was interrupted by a new voice that rang out away from either of their schools' delegations.
"My! What's all this commotion?"
The entirety of the Parfaedia Delegation materialized from their teleportation glyph. At the head of their dazed and strangely motion sick lot of wizard apprentices, a tall and well-dressed Cookie stepped out from the intricate design on the rocky floor. In one hand held a staff as long as she is tall, and a large, fruit-decorated cap with swirls of blue and white adorned her milk-white hair.
"Oh dear, it appears we're late for once!" the Parfaedia Principal said, dusting off her royal blue robes. "I do hope I didn't miss any excitement" she added, despite the rare mingling of Crème Knights and Scovillia students being clear evidence in of itself.
"We wouldn't have been so late if Prune Juice Cookie didn't spend an entire moon cycle getting to the courtyard!" an annoyed Berry Parfaedia Student groaned. "Ugh, this motion sickness...! I'll never get used to teleportation magic" she placed a palm to her head, as if the slightest breeze would knock her down.
The clink of a tincture was all the warning she got before Prune Juice Cookie appeared before her. "First timer, eh? I got just the brew for that. For five-thousand coins, I mean" his leather-bound hand waved the potion enticingly before the student.
"I... I'll pass on that" she said, taking her chances with the nauseous side-effects of the teleportation magic.
"Ah, never turn away from good will!" the Parfaedia Principal said cheerily, already fetching the necessary price. "I'll try that tincture if you would, Prune Juice Cookie." she said, depositing the coins in his free hand as the other relinquished the tincture to her grasp.
Downing the fruity liquid, she gave a satisfied sigh at its taste and texture. "My, what a refreshing taste! And the effects are apparent almost immediately," she gave a smile to Prune Juice Cookie, "a true Parfaedian indeed, Prune Juice Cookie". Her gaze wandered beyond her own students, seeking out two particular Cookies.
Eyes catching the familiar look of the two Heads of the competing schools, the Parfaedia Principal gave a wave in their direction.
She gingerly strode towards her two equals, the Headmaster and Preceptor, with one eyebrow cocked as she greeted them. "You two seem to have gotten re-acquainted, did it not occur to you to wait for all Heads to arrive before starting the show?" she said cheerily, but both Preceptor and Headmaster knew that smile meant business.
"You Parfaedians have never been late for a SINGLE Triple Cone Cup, I just assumed that your magic stick malfunctioned and sent you to the Dragon's Valley!" the Headmaster laughed while ignoring the look given to him by both the Preceptor and Principal. His fiery demeanor quieted down as he looked at what he suspected was Parfaedia's Champion. "Was it the work of your Champion?" his perceptive eyes locked onto the inky Cookie.
The Preceptor joined his academic comrade in analyzing Parfaedia's chosen Champion. "Certainly a different choice from your last Champion, Crème Fouettée Cookie" he said, directly addressing the Parfaedia Principal, Crème Fouettée Cookie.
Sensing that her comrades were underestimating her chosen Champion, the Parfaedia Principal merely gave a light chuckle. "Looks can be quite deceiving," she began, looking at her Prune Juice Cookie fondly. "... he is without a doubt the hardest working Cookie in the entire Institute. I'd warn your Champions not to underestimate him." and with that she separated from the two Academy Heads, taking a leisurely promenade past the two gathered schools back to her group of students and their Champion.
Sensing that as their cue, the two Heads bade farewell to eachother and rejoined their own group of students.
And not a moment too soon, as a detonation of sky-painting fireworks erupted from the center of the massive colosseum beneath them. All heads turned to look at the sparkling colors of blue, red, and yellow that decorated the sky.
A mechanical whirr zipped through the explosions of colors as a small, gumball-shaped device hovered before the three gathered schools. Almost immediately after reaching a stationary state, the two panels comprising the top of the strange machine snapped open.
The students looked on in amazement as a large, holographic screen was projected from the device into the sky. On the screen, a medium-sized cookie with a rich chocolate-colored dough appeared. His cream colored hair with two streaks of blue and pink was nestled beneath a graham-colored ice cream cone, and his mustache twitched as his mouth opened to recite well-practiced words.
"Welcome, Delegations!" he spoke through the screen. His voice was even but charming, and was able to grasp the attention of even the most inattentive of students. "I am honored to announce that this year's Triple Cone Cup Tournament has OFFICIALLY commenced!"
Upon those words being spoken, the students of Scovillia bellowed and cheered as the moment they have been waiting for all school year was finally officiated! Alongside them, the Crème Knights raised their swords and shields to the sky, with only few of their trainees breaking their normally stoic look with a smile. The Parfaedian wizard apprentices erupted in cheer, although many of their students were merely rooting for the stunning work of arcane engineering that was the projector.
The charming projected Cookie cleared his throat, signaling the three celebrating schools to halt their excitement for just a few moments longer.
"Academy Heads, please lead your students down the highlighted path towards the Colosseum!" he spoke with vigor, motioning with one hand to the massive staircase carved into the mountain which was well-decorated in red, blue and yellow.
The Scovillians were the first to charge down its well-worn steps, with their Champion leading them with his own explosive sprint towards the colosseum. The Headmaster took an unconventional route down, as he vaulted himself onto the sugar stone banister and slid down its surprisingly un-worn architecture. All the while providing his students with their own electric theme song, courtesy of his axe.
The Parfaedians betrayed their quiet habits by quickly speed-walking down the steps towards the colosseum, with each new inch of ground gained setting off exponential movement speed that left the group of students running after the Scovillians in no time.
The Crème Knights waited with stoic faces as their Preceptor calmly stepped down the staircase. Only after he had travelled a few steps down did they begin marching in unison after him.
At the colosseum, the air was full of cheers from the seated students that lined the raised stands of the colosseum's walls. Confetti bearing the colors of each school rained down around the arena, and at the center of the splendor, the host of the Triple Cone Cup Tournament stood in the middle of the insignia decorating the arena's floor.
Three magically-enhanced machines buzzed about the arena, with each of their projected holographic screens depicting the host of the Triple Cone Cup in real time. They took on a position in front of each gathered schools, with expectant eyes trailing their movements until they finally came to a hovering halt.
Tapping his microphone, he began his entrance speech. "Welcome students, to the Triple Cone Cup Commencement Ceremony!" his voice simultaneously boomed from each of the magical screens. "As you all know the story, the Triple Cone Cup is an event honoring the friendship between the three great Academies and their founders," he spoke, as if addressing each student personally. "Centuries ago, when the land before you was bathed in discord and dough-hungry dessert monsters... Three cookies lived."
Every student quieted their enthusiasm as Gelato Trio Cookie spoke of their history.
"One, a wizard whose mind and prowess shaped the land with the power of fruits. The other, a radiant knight whose noble dough and will to protect moved mountains. And the last, a warrior whose spice could burn even the most indominable of monsters!" he pivoted slowly to face each school with his own eyes. "You could not imagine three Cookies more dissimilar! However, even after countless adventures and battles, fate had brought those three together."
"But, one crucial question resonated between them: who was the strongest of the three?" Gelato Trio Cookie used his free arm to motion towards each of the gathered schools. "Thus! For three days and three nights, they fought eachother without rest. But when no Cookie could get the upper hand, at the end of their clash, when each of them was exhausted beyond belief, one Cookie spoke: If us three cannot find the answer, then let us take on apprentices. Let us see whose values, skill, and wit prove worthy of living on!" he recited, his voice somehow taking on the air of a seasoned hero. "Afterwards, they parted ways. Where they settled, the three schools were soon founded!" he raised his voice to meet the newfound cheering of the three schools gathered around him.
"The very schools whose Champions have gathered here on this day to compete in the Triple Cone Cup!" he yelled with vigor, the colosseum once again erupting in a new, fiercer wave of cheers, yelling, and school spirit. "And now, let us meet each Champion! The ones chosen by you to represent your school. The new generation to carry on the history of the Triple Cone Cup!" Gelato Trio Cookie turned to face the South entrance of the colosseum. "Introducing, the Champion of the noble Crème Knights, the Paladin who has never tasted defeat: KOUIGN-AMANN COOKIE!" His voice roared out to the amped-up crowd as Kouign-Amann Cookie made her entrance and approached the Crème Knights portion of the insignia.
She puffed out her chest and effortlessly raised her enormous greatsword to the Divine Light. The eyes of her fellow paladin trainees shone with pride as they cheered her along, with several of them standing up and enthusiastically mimicking her stance with their own noble blades. All were helpless to remain seated when their Kouign-Amann Cookie smiled and waved at them.
"The Light will bring me victory!" She boomed, sword still raised high to the sky. "Until the final crumb falls from my dough, I promise you all I'll bring honor to the Crème Knights!" she thought to herself as she basked in the trust of her fellow paladin trainees.
"We believe in your noble and true virtues, Kouign-Amann Cookie!" a Noble Paladin Trainee called from the Crème Knights side of the arena.
Gelato Trio Cookie bowed to the Crème Knights Champion as he turned his head to the North-East entrance. "Next, the Champion of the fiery hot Scovillia, the Cookie who wields the ultimate power of spice and fire: THE SPICE OVERLORD, CAPSAICIN COOKIE!" Gelato Trio Cookie's voice surged as the spicy Champion sauntered into the arena. He flexed his arms as he posed on the Scovillia portion of the insignia.
The students of Scovillia erupted in a deafening chant for their Champion.
"CAP! SAI! CIN! COOKIE!" They all cheered in unison. Somewhere in the crowd, the sound of an electrifyingly spicy guitar aided the school in their thundering cheers, praise and adoration for the spicy Cookie.
"WOOOO! CAPSAICIN COOKIE, YEAH!" a Scovillia Student Fan's distinguished voice rose from the monolith of sound.
"SPICE ABOVE ALL!" Capsaicin Cookie roared as he thrust one fiery, manacled arm into the air. A burst of spicy flames flickered off his body as his excitement overflowed. "This is it!" he thought to himself, grinning widely as his classmates continued to cheer him on. But a dour note quickly clouded his thoughts, "I just wish they didn't call me that..." but like a droplet of water falling into sizzling hot lava flow, the thought vaporized almost instantly.
Gelato Trio Cookie gave the fiery Champion an arm flex with his non-existent muscles before turning to the North-West entrance. Clearing his throat, he prepared to announce the final Champion. "And finally, the Champion of Parfaedia's most prestigious Magical Institute, the Master Potionmaker who has a brew for ab-so-lutely everything: PRUNE JUICE COOKIE!"
The students of Parfaedia mustered up their loudest voices to cheer for their Academy. "PARFAEDIA! PARFAEDIA!" they cried as Prune Juice Cookie entered the colosseum.
The milquetoast Champion approached the Parfaedia portion of the insignia with little show. He turned his head to face his two competitors, one of his sly eyes opening to analyze them. "Heh, so that's who I will be dealing with, huh!" he said with indifference in his voice. "I'll show them to look down on me," he thought to himself with contempt. "... I don't need any magic to prevail!".
Gelato Trio Cookie moved his microphone in a circular fashion with both hands, as if ad-libbing the brewing of a nefarious potion. He turned his attention away from the gathered Champions and once again addressed the not-so-seated students. "With the Champions introduced, the end of the Commencement Ceremony draws near" he said, the crowd quieting with evident disappointment. "BUT!" he enthusiastically began, "The Gelato Estate has prepared a banquet to celebrate the Tournament so that you and your Champions may fill your bellies with jellies to prepare for the first Trial tomorrow!".
The crowd perked up immediately at the mentions of a feast as pictures of traditional Scovillian, Parfaedian, and Crème Republican dishes replaced Gelato Trio Cookie on the holographic screens.
"Academy Heads, please escort your students to the Main Hall so that the feast can begin!"
Phew, that one took a while. I know, I know, no first trials this chapter. I wasn't expecting to write a whole scene about the Heads of the academies, but I always wanted them to interact more in-depth. They've totally been to more Triple Cone Cups together, so why aren't they more buddy-buddy? A concrete plan is never stuck to when writing, so I'm sad to say that your intro to angst scene with Capsaicin Cookie will unfortunately have to wait for next chapter. But hey, the three schools (and more importantly, three Champions) get to interact with eachother during an awesome banquet celebrating their friendship! Time to do some food homework for these signature and traditional dishes...