The out-of-control Spice Overlord roared in anguish as it became aware of the three Cookies standing before it. Its long, curved magmatic horns studded with fearsome obsidian spikes were set atop a blazing mane of fire as it approached the group with hostility.
The Headmaster stepped in front of the two young Champions as he stared down the rampaging beast. "CAPSAICIN COOKIE!" he bellowed as the two Champions blocked their ears to escape the volume. "COME TO YOUR SENSES YOU RASCAL!"
The Spice Overlord didn't even falter as it raised a shackled fist encased in cooled magma rock in anticipation to smash the group to smoldering cookie crumbs. "Ah, no dice" the Headmaster said matter-of-factly as he grabbed the two Champions and dashed out of the way just as the monster's fist impacted the ground, sending chunks of molten rock and lava airborne.
"THAT WAS YOUR PLAN!?" Prune Juice Cookie yelled in exasperation as the Headmaster ducked and weaved past the falling chunks of earth with the two youngsters still tucked under his arms.
"He's completely out of it- there's no reasoning with him when he's like that" the Headmaster thought aloud as the berserk Capsaicin Cookie readied himself for another attack.
Prune Juice Cookie facepalmed as he was being carried off again, a sensation that he was- to his annoyance- getting familiar with. "Headmaster, and I mean this in the most respectful way given the current situation, but you brought a high-risk bomb to the Tournament and didn't even have a PLAN for if he goes berserk!?" he yelled, appalled at the senior Cookie's lack of forethought.
"WELL SHOOT, KID. I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE GONNA TRUDGE UP HIS TRAUMAS FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE!" the Headmaster yelled in annoyance at the inky Champion clutched under his arm.
"Would you two STOP FIGHTING!?" Kouign-Amann Cookie boomed from her position under the Headmaster's other arm. Seems like she'd have to be the adult in this situation now. "Instead of bickering about who didn't think what through, start thinking about a plan to calm Capsaicin Cookie down!"
She looked up at the Headmaster as he continued to haul the kids away from the Overlord's impending strike. It let loose another barrage of screeches as it lunged after them. "At least he seems slow in this form" she thought to herself as an idea suddenly popped up. "Everything has a weakness, we just need to find Capsaicin Cookie's!" she said, her mind scouring the possible weak spots she might have noticed in her time knowing Capsaicin Cookie. She looked at Prune juice Cookie expectantly as the inky Champion scrunched his face as if deep in thought.
The Spice Overlord slashed a shackled arm through the air, sending bursts of flaming lava towards the fleeing group.
"Well, when I overloaded him with my brew during the celebratory feast, he DID burn himself out, and the flames died down unnaturally fast..." Prune Juice Cookie muttered to himself, deep in thought as the Headmaster swerved to avoid the falling debris. He suddenly craned his head up to look at the Headmaster. "Wait! You hauled Capsaicin Cookie off so nonchalantly when he burnt himself out. Did you see that happen before?" he asked, his mind racing with possibilities.
The Headmaster grunted with effort as he narrowly avoided having him and the two kids flattened under a flaming hunk of molten rock. "Of course -Oomph! That was a close one- with a temper like that I've seen him shivering from cold more than a dozen times! The hotter he flares, the bigger the chance for his flames to burn up all his fuel" he panted as the berserk Capsaicin Cookie lifted both magmatic gauntlets into the air in preparation for a devastating strike. "Whatever you're planning kid- Spit it out! We ain't got time to wait for him to tire himself out!"
"Need some help?" a voice from above called out, distracting the enraged Spice Overlord from his previous targets. The Headmaster and the two Champions looked up just in time to see Latte and Eclair Cookie flying down using the former's magic staff.
"Good to see you three unharmed!" Latte Cookie said cheerily as she touched down to release an air-sick Eclair Cookie before flying up to distract the irritated Spice Overlord.
Prune Juice Cookie breathed a sigh of relief as backup arrived. His mind worked feverishly to connect the dots with the information given and piece together some sort of a plan to get them all out of this mess. "The Headmaster said Capsaicin Cookie's flames uses him as its fuel... Which might mean...!" his eyes shot up to look at the fiery figure swatting at his ex-professor.
"Good timing, you two!" the Headmaster said gruffly as he released the two young Champions from his hold. Prune Juice Cookie and Kouign-Amann Cookie thumped to the ground and shot the Headmaster a look of annoyance.
Eclair Cookie quickly re-adjusted his monocle as he looked at the three singed Cookies. "Ah, you're unharmed, marvelous!" he said in his rich voice as he quickly unfurled his positively ANCIENT looking scroll that was held underneath his arm. "I've gathered all previous information pertaining to the existence of the Spice Overlord," he said as he began speedily scanning the rows of text. "... It appears that it was chained up sometime before Earthbread's crust hardened, although conflicting sources says by whom"
"If I send out an urgent message to Parfaedia's neighboring alliances, we may be able to lock the Spice Overlord away once more!" he said, extravagantly-plumed feather already beginning to scroll words onto a blank piece of parchment paper. Well, it was, until the Headmaster promptly yanked it from Eclair Cookie's grasp and tore it in two in front of the shocked scholar.
"We're not. Chaining. Up. My. Boy" he said in a low, dangerous voice as he let the two halves of the parchment fall to the ground.
Eclair Cookie looked at the Headmaster as his momentary shock turned to anger. "Are you out of your mind!? Ignoring the fact that you hid the existence of a dangerous monster; you're willing to risk the lives of everyone on these mountains for it!?" he yelled, unable to comprehend why ANYONE in their right mind would make the choices displayed in front of him.
The Headmaster took a menacing step towards the fuming scholar. "Capsaicin Cookie isn't a monster" he said in a low voice. "And I'm not going to stand here and watch as you even MENTION the thought of locking him away again..."
The two Cookies squared off, seemingly oblivious to the poor Latte Cookie singlehandedly distracting the berserk Capsaicin Cookie so they can have their little spat.
Kouign-Amann Cookie sighed as she watched the two senior educators argue. She turned to the muttering Prune Juice Cookie, hoping that he'd have some guidance. "Prune Juice Cookie, did you come up with anything?" she asked as the inky Champion still trailed the Spice Overlord's movements.
"I MAY have an idea..." Prune juice Cookie said, his eyes tearing their gaze away from the fiery monster and turning to look at Kouign-Amann Cookie. "From what the Headmaster described, it seems Capsaicin Cookie's fire utilizes him just as much as he utilizes THEM. If they use his body as a source of fuel..." he said, his voice trailing off as his mind focused on piecing the last fragments together.
He didn't need to think hard, as Kouign-Amann Cookie quickly understood what he was getting at and whipped her head around to look at the berserk Spice Overlord. She noticed something... Strange, embedded in the beast's chest. Past the shifting plates of rock floating haphazardly around his shoulders and chest, she spotted a silhouette floating in the lava composing the beast.
"Is that..." she breathed as her eyes fought to get a closer look. It was tough making out his shape, as his dark gray dough was all but replaced with spicy magma, but the unmistakable shackles and blackened cuisses and greaves solidified his identity. "... Capsaicin Cookie!?"
"Yep..." Prune Juice Cookie said as he looked at the unconscious figure within the Spice Overlord's chest.
Kouign-Amann Cookie quickly whipped her head to once more look at the bickering educators before grabbing her greatsword and hurrying to separate them.
"Stop! Prune Juice Cookie has a plan!" she said, holding the furious Headmaster and angry Eclair Cookie back.
The Headmaster, eager for a plan that doesn't involve chaining his Capsaicin Cookie away, quickly abandoned his standoff with the scholar and ran over to the inky Champion. "Well? What is it?!" he asked impatiently.
"Oof! I could use some help up here!" Latte Cookie cried as the berserk Capsaicin Cookie managed to get a lucky hit and send the airborne professor spiraling down to the ground.
Before any of the gathered Cookies could react, she was abruptly caught by one Financier Cookie who charged through the wall of blazing forest. "Much appreciated!" she said sweetly to her savior as she was gingerly put down.
The Spice Overlord, now undistracted, turned its attention to the crowd of Cookies opposing it. Narrowing its eyes, it let loose a pained screech as it readied its fists and prepared to strike the ground.
"I was just about to do that!" Madeleine Cookie panted as he finally caught up to Financier Cookie. His disappointment at not being the hero quickly evaporated as he saw Kouign-Amann Cookie; singed, but mostly unharmed. "Kouign-Amann Cookie!" he yelled with joy as he quickly ran over to the pink Champion as she stood there in shock at their arrival.
"M-Madeleine Cookie!" she said in embarrassment as the senior Paladin worriedly looked her over. Prune Juice Cookie snickered beside her as she shot him a look.
Their reunion was cut short as the Spice Overlord finally brought its fists down, smashing the ground and causing a trail of crackling earth aimed right at the gathered Cookies.
"OUTTA THE WAY!" the Headmaster bellowed as they all dodged out of the attack's path, narrowly avoiding being turned to dust as the ground where they once stood erupted in an explosion of fire.
"How did you two get here!?" Kouign-Amann Cookie said incredulously to the two senior paladins. She didn't remember leaving any fire-resistance potions past the blazing forest fire.
Financier Cookie looked at the young Champion and released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Kouign-Amann Cookie was unharmed. "Near your Mirror Hall was a stream cutting through the flames" she said, relief at the younger Cookie's safety bled into her normally monotone voice.
"Don't remind me, my cape is still soaking wet" an exasperated Madeleine Cookie sighed as he gave his once pristine ensemble a disappointing tsk.
"Cute reunion, but Capsaicin Cookie is still wreaking havoc" the Headmaster said to the two newly arrived senior paladins. Turning to Prune Juice Cookie, he fixed the inky Champion with an expectant stare. "ALRIGHT! LET'S HEAR THAT PLAN, PRUNE JUICE COOKIE!" the Headmaster yelled, causing the other Cookies to turn their heads and and attention onto the surprised Champion.
Prune Juice Cookie looked around surprised as all eyes turned to him. "Ah- Well, it's more or less a crucial OBSERVATION rather than a plan..." he stammered but went on. "If you look at the beast's chest, you can see Capsaicin Cookie within it. And you-" he said, looking at the Headmaster. "-said that his fire uses his body as a fuel source..."
The Headmaster's face lit up behind his mask as he grasped what the young Champion was getting at. "Remove Capsaicin Cookie from the molten body and everything goes back to normal" he said aloud to the gathered group. "If you all can get him to stay still for an instant, I can leap through the beast's chest and get my boy outta there"
"Hmm, simple enough. But how do we get that monster to stay still?" Madeleine Cookie wondered aloud in his regal voice as he looked at the monster thrashing about in the chaos caused.
Suddenly, Latte Cookie piped up. "I MIGHT be able to help you with that..." she said while bringing her stirring spoon wand closer to her body. "Here's the plan..."
Capsaicin Cookie felt warmth all around him as he floated in a dazed and dreamy state. His wrists no longer ached with the pain of his imprisonment and he felt oh so peaceful as the comforting heat wrapped around him.
It feels better like this, doesn't it? The soothing voice whispered in his ear. Yes... It felt so much better than being chained down and tortured for an eternity. Why did he ever put these shackles upon himself? He didn't open his eyes as he wondered.
"Oh... Right" he thought to himself hazily as That day came flooding back. "How could I ever forget..."
...
The ground around him was scorched and blackened from past fires and cooled lava as the young Spice Overlord looked around the charred wasteland of his making. "Awww, where did all the other Cookies go?" he pouted while crossing his arms. He was playing with a group of softies yesterday, but they all disappeared while playing Hide and Seek. It had taken the young Overlord all afternoon to track them down and declare himself winner of the game. Though... They didn't seem too keen on playing with him again for some reason.
"Humph! I'll just have to go find someone to play with" he huffed, bright tangerine eyes glowing as he scoured the barren terrain. Getting tired of all the sight-seeing, he hopped to his feet and set off past his domain to go look for some playmates. "Hmm, I remember there being a softie village close by!" he thought to himself happily as he neared the land past his own. There was a great divide between barren rock and verdant grass, with fiery slashes that had long since blackened crossing over into the verdant territory.
The trees were lush and overgrown, with soft grass gazing upwards at the sky above them. The young Spice Overlord gingerly hopped off the rocky earth and onto the green grass, causing it to smolder and blacken wherever he stepped.
"IS ANYONE OUT THEREEE" he bellowed in a loud voice. The sounds of leaves rustling was the only reply.
The young fiery Cookie continued promenading through the forest, leaving a trail of scorched footprints as he traversed the land. A familiar smell tickled his nostrils and he looked up excitedly to the sky.
"Fire!" he said happily as the blue sky was broken in two by a tall column of grey smoke. "There must be softies nearby!" he said while bounding through the forest. He ducked through branches and brambles as the flat visage of a clearing came into view. Bursting from the vegetation, his eyes grew wide in wonder as he took in the structures erected before him. They were made of chocowood, and Cookies peacefully went about their business in and out of them. "So cool..." he thought to himself as he watched the village Cookies.
Suddenly, their routine was broken as one of the villagers shrieked.
"FIRE!" a feminine voice cried as all the village Cookies turned to look at the Spice Overlord, who was now standing with a raging forest fire behind him.
"Ooh, when did that happen?" he said, turning his head around to look at the crackling flames. It was weird and green a moment ago!
The villagers ran in a panic as the fire leapt to their houses and tore through their pastures. Seeing them run, the young Spice Overlord gleefully joined them.
"Oh, are we playing tag now?" he yelled happily as he ran after the villagers. Singling one out, he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him and outstretched a fiery hand to tag the fleeing Cookie squarely on the back. "Gotcha!" he declared as the Cookie's clothing burst into flames.
The screams rose sharply as the blazing Cookie fell to the ground and began attempting to put out the flames engulfing him. However, the fiery flames of the Spice Overlord refused to be extinguished and continued to tear through the Cookie, burning his dough as it craved more fuel.
"Oh c'mon, you don't need to be so upset that you lost..." the young Spice Overlord said in annoyance as he watched the Cookie struggle.
The writhing and screaming turned still as the Cookie was consumed by the flames.
"Darling...! Where are you?" a voice called out through the deafening crackle of fire. A village Cookie ran through the blazing buildings as she desperately searched for someone. Her eyes locked onto the figure in front of the young Overlord and her eyes widened in horror.
She ran towards the smoldering figure whose dough was now burnt and blackened. "Darling..." she choked out as she touched a shuddering hand to the motionless Cookie's back.
The young Overlord stood there motionlessly as the Cookie before him wept. "Why... Why must you torture us...?" she said in a trembling voice, tearful eyes locking onto him with burning hatred.
"I just-" he stammered, unsure of what was happening. He was just playing!
"CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE US ALONE, YOU MONSTER!" she cried, clutching the body of her beloved tightly.
The young Overlord took a step back in shock. "Monster...?" he thought to himself, his eyes widening in horror. "Is that what I am...?!"
The fire around them surged, masking everything in its infernal heat as the young Spice Overlord stared in disbelief at what he had caused.
...
A terrible memory... It's not your fault they were baked soft and feeble. The voice said comfortingly as Capsaicin Cookie returned to his daze.
The group all chugged their 'I'll Be Back' potions distributed by the Headmaster and Kouign-Amann Cookie- minus Prune Juice Cookie and Eclair Cookie who'd give support from afar- as they turned to face the berserk Spice Overlord. The Headmaster held off on drinking his potion, as he'd need it later.
"Everybody know their parts?" the Headmaster said, eyes not moving from the approaching lava beast.
The group nodded in unison before they split apart and charged to surround the out-of-control Capsaicin Cookie. Latte Cookie separated from the group as she ran backwards away from the fray.
Stirring spoon in hand, she plunged the fiddle-shaped end of her wand into the ground and began to run as it traced the charred earth. "Oooh, I can't wait to tell my students about this..." she thought to herself gleefully as she ran in a calculated manner.
...
The Spice Overlord locked eyes with Madeleine Cookie and Financier Cookie as they approached the base of its fiery bulk.
"Phew, it's hot!" Madeleine Cookie said, thankful that the brew he had consumed barred him from burning to an ugly crisp upon reaching the berserk lava monster. "OVER HERE, YOU UNDIVINE BRUTE!" he yelled haughtily as the out-of-control Capsaicin Cookie narrowed his gaze and lifted a fist to strike.
The senior paladins dodged quickly as the monster swung his fist at them, causing tall flames to erupt from the ground where they once stood. Before he could pursue the paladins further, an electric guitar riff pulled its attention to the Headmaster and Kouign-Amann Cookie.
"Over here!" Kouign-Amann Cookie yelled as the Headmaster continued to shred lightning beside her. She had to admit, the fiery Head was killer on the axe.
The berserk Spice Overlord screeched as the ground below it crackled with rising magma, causing the two Cookies pursuing it to leap back as the ground erupted with geysers of spicy lava.
"BUT YOU LOVE MY GUITAR PLAYING!" the Headmaster yelled woundedly at being interrupted. He whipped his head to look at the bittersweet Latte Cookie who was still running around feverishly with her spoon to the ground. "Just buy more time!" he thought to himself as he ducked another one of the Spice Overlord's attacks.
"How are you holding up, kid?" he asked the ballgown-wearing Champion as she ducked under a fist that was heading straight towards her.
Kouign-Amann Cookie panted as the heat brushed against her dough. "Getting there, but the potion will wear off soon!" she thought as she wheezed. She looked over at the Headmaster. By the Light, how did he tolerate this much heat up close? She was sweltering even with the effects of the potion! "Are you sure you're alright, though?" she asked worriedly.
The Headmaster gave her a thumbs up. "With a Cookie like Capsaicin Cookie around, you get used to the heat" he said gruffly as the berserk Overlord screeched once more. He sent another glance towards Latte Cookie.
They tag-teamed with the senior paladins once more, getting a fleeting moment of respite. Kouign-Amann Cookie panted heavily as she wiped sweat from her brow. "I don't think we can keep doing this for long" she admitted through gasps of breath.
Another pained screech racked the air as she heard Madeleine Cookie yell another taunt. "BLACK AND ORANGE ARE SO OVERUSED!" the regal paladin scoffed. His taunts were starting to get a little... Personal.
She watched the berserk Capsaicin Cookie screech once more as he grabbed his head as if in agony and thrashed around. Kouign-Amann Cookie felt a sharp pang of pity for her friend; he looked like he was in so much pain. She turned her fatigued eyes to look at the Headmaster. She hadn't thought about it before, but the burly head honcho of Scovillia must be torn up at seeing his Champion like this.
The Headmaster caught her reaction and put a comforting hand on the exhausted Champion's shoulder. "Don't worry," he said, his voice betraying his true feelings. "Capsaicin Cookie may not be in a good place right now, but we're 'gonna save him" he said while watching his berserk Champion lash out at the senior paladins.
He sent another hurried glance towards Latte Cookie. The bittersweet professor caught his look and raised her dirtied wand to the sky.
"The signal!" the Headmaster thought to himself hurriedly. "ALRIGHT! EVERYONE RUN!" he bellowed as he, Kouign-Amann Cookie, and the senior paladins all bolted towards Latte Cookie and the others.
Seeing their retreat, the Spice Overlord followed in hot pursuit, leaving a trail of bubbling lava as he gained on the retreating Cookies.
The group continued putting on speed as they neared the waving professor.
Suddenly, the group all split individually, leaving the berserk Capsaicin Cookie confused as to which Cookie to pursue next. Momentarily stationary and not too observant in his berserker state, he didn't seem to notice the ground on which he stood.
"NOW!" the Headmaster roared as the glyph beneath the monster started to glow with the warm light of coffee magic. Before the beast could react, he was immobilized by the glyph activating fully. Warm tendrils of light snaked their way around the monster's body, paralyzing it. It roared in anger as it fought to regain movement.
"Now's our cue" Prune Juice Cookie said slyly as he and Eclair Cookie rushed to the circumference of the glyph, potions in hand. "I call this my 'Ice to See You' potion!" he said with vigor as he launched a bottle full of deep blue liquid at the base of the trapped monster.
Eclair looked at his student as he shook his head. "What an unfortunate name to go down in the history books" he said to himself disappointedly at his student's awful naming schemes.
Upon contact, the vial exploded, causing the Spice Overlord's magmatic corpse to grow patches of thorny obsidian as the potion extinguished its body. The Overlord roared with fury as he was further immobilized.
The Headmaster ran towards Latte Cookie as the professor dusted off the fiddle-shaped end of her stirring spoon and chuckled. "That was by far the BIGGEST glyph I've ever drawn!" she said cheerily to the Headmaster. "Are you ready?" she asked, her cheer turning to seriousness as the Headmaster nodded. Chucking his axe to the ground, he hyped himself up for what's to come.
Latte Cookie mounted her stirring spoon and the bittersweet wizard began to levitate.
The Headmaster grabbed hold of the spoon's silver surface as Latte Cookie brought them higher into the sky. One hand clutching the wand while the other clasped a fire-resistance potion, the Headmaster bit off the cork and chugged the liquid. "Ready!" he bellowed as Latte Cookie accelerated towards the immobilized Overlord.
It screeched in agony as it fought its restraints tooth and nail, but the magic and potions held long enough for the flying professor to zero in on her target.
"Here goes nothing...!" the Headmaster thought in anticipation as he let go off the spoon and struck the monster's chest head-on, diving into the swirling lava that composed the Overlord's body.
...
The rest of the group watched with unease and nervousness as they watched the Headmaster disappear underneath the bubbling mass.
"He's got 3 minutes" Prune Juice Cookie said matter-of-factly as he watched the struggling Overlord attempt to free itself.
There was a loud tearing and cracking noise as the Cookies gathered a ways away from the glyph's circumference.
Kouign-Amann Cookie's eyes widened as she watched the berserk Capsaicin Cookie start to tear itself free from the binds restraining it. "... Should we start running?" she inquired as the out-of-control Overlord screeched as thrashed around. The glyph's glow flickered out as the ground it was drawn on started to crack.
Suddenly, the Overlord roared and released a sizzling hot shockwave, causing the gathered Cookies to be thrown back with intensity. Kouign-Amann Cookie barreled into Financier Cookie as the latter paladin softened her impact.
"Let's just hope the Headmaster ends this before we're all burnt to a crisp" Prune Juice Cookie moaned, keenly aware that the Cookies' potions have all worn out. "You guys better watch yourself, because I'm all out of fire-resistance potions..." he gulped as he watched the berserk Capsaicin Cookie zero in on them once more.
Capsaicin Cookie heard a familiar voice call out to him. But where did he hear it before...? Right, it was the first voice he heard when he escaped his imprisonment...
...
An exhausted Cookie lay crumpled at the foot of an erupting volcano as spicy lava flowed from its crater. He lifted his arm weakly to gaze at the melted chain that no longer served to bind him in place. "Finally..." he thought to himself in relief. How long had it been? He stopped being able to tell the time- he'd spent so many years in agony it all melted into one incomprehensibly long millennia to him.
He had grown since his imprisonment, but all it served to do was tighten the shackles around his wrists. "Just don't think about it" he thought to himself hazily as his consciousness faded slowly. Suddenly, he felt rough hands shaking him in an attempt to pull him from his dazed state. Confused, he turned his head groggily to look at the Cookie who seemingly wasn't afraid to touch him.
"Napping next to an active volcano? I like your guts, kid" the voice said. It was gruff and gravely, but somehow optimistic as its speaker hauled the incapacitated Cookie over his shoulder.
His senses started to slowly grow sharper as he became aware of his surroundings and more importantly: the stranger carrying him. He was a muscular and tall Cookie with a deep maroon skull hiding his face. "What's...?" he managed to choke out as the stranger carrying him moved away from the volcano.
"Oh you're awake now? That's good!" the stranger said gruffly. "I'd recognize any of my students, but you're clearly not one of them. What's your name?" the stranger inquired.
"Name...?" he thought to himself, leaving the stranger with silence as his reply. "They used to call me the Spice Overlord... But... They called me that because they were terrified of me..." he thought to himself as he fought away bitter memories. "I... I don't have one" he said to the Cookie carrying him.
He was gently plopped down on some sort of a sitting place as the stranger knelt to look at him. "You don't have a name? How'd a kid like you go his whole life without one?" the stranger interrogated him. His gaze lingered as he took in the appearance of the odd-looking boy before him.
The stranger put a hand to his chin as if deep in thought. 'Well, what if I just call you 'Capsaicin Cookie'?" he said in his gravely voice. "You're by far the spiciest Cookie I've ever laid eyes on, so I think the name fits you well!" he said while roughly patting the Cookie's head.
The Cookie looked at the mask-clad stranger with rounded, tangerine eyes as he patted his head. He'd never felt something like this before... But it felt amazing.
"Capsaicin Cookie...?" he said to himself aloud, testing the word on his tongue. "...I like it" Capsaicin Cookie smiled to the stranger with a sharp-toothed grin.
"'Atta boy! I'm the Headmaster of Scovillia" the Headmaster said in an up-beat manner to the dazed boy. His shrouded eyes caught the strange appearance of shackles and melted chains around Capsaicin Cookie's wrists and he eyed them curiously. 'Where'd you come from?" he asked tentatively.
Pained memories flashed through his eyes and he shut them tightly in an attempt to subdue them. He didn't even want to think about his mind-numbingly long isolation as he fought back tears. Trembling slightly, he vehemently shook his head to the question asked.
At seeing the boy in clear distress, the Headmaster quickly put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, you don't need to tell me anything. Let's just get you inside..."
...
The Headmaster...? How was he...
".. ai... c... ie.." the voice called once more.
Ignore it. The soothing voice next to him said. It's better this way.
But... But the Headmaster was calling out to him. "I wonder what he wants...?" Capsaicin Cookie thought to himself hazily as the voice grew clearer.
"Cap...ai.. Coo... ie..!" the Headmaster roared.
This is who you are, remember? The comforting voice said.
'CAPSAICIN COOKIE SNAP OUT OF IT FOR THE RED DRAGON'S SAKE!" the Headmaster yelled as he grabbed hold of the unconscious Capsaicin Cookie.
Swimming through lava was a sensation completely alien to the Headmaster as he clutched his unconscious boy with one hand. Sure, he looked at it quite frequently and was warmed by its heat, but actually submerging oneself in its fire felt like wading through a thick bowl of curry sauce. It also didn't help that he was on a short timer to get him and Capsaicin Cookie out before he burned to a crisp and his berserk boy destroys everything.
"Ugh, this is taking forever to swim through" he thought to himself as he waded closer to what he presumed to be the lava monster's back. He could catch glimpses of the outside world as he slowly approached it.
...
"It's been over 2 minutes!" Kouign-Amann Cookie panted as she barreled into Madeleine Cookie, knocking the senior paladin away as the berserk Overlord struck her blade.
"Oomph!" the senior paladin exclaimed as he and his Champion were sent tumbling back.
Prune Juice Cookie rummaged through his dwindling potion sack as he sought something- ANYTHING- to buy them some more time before the Headmaster emerges. "Ah, don't mean to alarm you but I'm fresh out of useful potions!" he said in desperation. "Unless any of you accidentally looked at a basilisk fern, I'm utterly useless!"
Latte Cookie, still airborne, swept up her ex-student as the Spice Overlord sent the floor beneath him ablaze. "Thanks, Latte Cookie" Prune Juice Cookie sighed in relief at not being charred.
The berserk Overlord brought its fists in the air once more to deliver a devastating surge of magmatic spice, but froze mid-action as something erupted from its back.
The group all looked up in shock as the Headmaster, holding something that vaguely looked like a chunk of the magmatic monster's body, started falling to the ground.
The Headmaster twisted mid-air to protect the unconscious Capsaicin Cookie from the brunt of the impact as he landed on the ground and rolled a few feet away from the frozen Overlord's body.
Without Capsaicin Cookie's body to act as its fuel source, the monstrous tower of lava started to lose shape and dissolve into a puddle of quickly-hardening basalt.
Groaning, the Headmaster quickly came to his senses and looked at Capsaicin Cookie. Despite his horns looking more curved and... Pointy, and his fiery hair being longer than he remembered, the boy looked mostly unharmed. Save for the fact that his crispy dough was replaced with glowing lava, of course.
But something felt... Wrong. The Headmaster's eyes widened in fear as he chucked his signature mask off without hesitation and knelt down to press his ear to the unconscious boy's chest. He calmed his panicked breathing so he could listen for Capsaicin Cookie's heartbeat... His golden yellow eyes relaxed in relief as he locked onto the sound of a faint but rhythmic thumping.
He gave the unconscious Cookie a hug and gingerly rested Capsaicin Cookie's head on his knees as Prune Juice Cookie and Kouign-Amann Cookie approached.
"Where are the others?" the Headmaster asked them while keeping his gaze fixed on Capsaicin Cookie.
"They left to tame the forest fire and get more backup" Kouign-Amann Cookie replied as she looked at the Headmaster. She conveniently left out the fact that they didn't want to come within a 20 mile radius of Capsaicin Cookie and vehemently objected to the two Champions approaching.
Come to think of it, this is her first time seeing the Headmaster without his face covered up. He had lush maroon hair so dark that it almost appeared black, with a few streaks of gold punctuating its deepness. It was styled in a bun that rested against the burly Cookie's neck and his eyes were adorned with long eyelashes the same color as his hair, with a scar cutting through the leftmost one. Marking his forehead was the same scar that his mask bore. Surprisingly enough, it was quite similar to the description she had painted of the stocky Academy Head.
Prune Juice Cookie joined her in staring at the unmasked Headmaster.
"Quit ogling me" the Headmaster said in annoyance, causing the two Champions to quickly avert their eyes in embarrassment at being called out.
"Is he going to be alright?" Prune Juice Cookie asked, a rare tone of worry in his voice as he looked at the glowing, unconscious Capsaicin Cookie.
The Headmaster didn't move his gaze as he answered the inky Champion. "Physically? I think" he admitted, unsure whether to believe his own words. "... Can you two get help. My potion ran out minutes ago and I feel as if I suntanned with a telescope" he said through gritted teeth as the pain he'd been subduing overwhelmed him.
The two Champions quickly nodded before running to fetch the injured Academy Head some help. "Try not to move too much!" Prune Juice Cookie called over his shoulder as they both vanished into the charred remains of the forest.
Alone, the Headmaster looked up at the sky. The sun was setting now, painting the sky in an ironic shade of blazing orange. He looked down at his unconscious boy with sad eyes as he ruffled his flaming hair with a gauntlet-clad hand. "My poor Capsaicin Cookie... You must have been in so much pain" he thought to himself solemnly as he watched the unconscious Cookie's chest rise and fall evenly.
"You know, the happiest times in my entire life have always been the moments with you" he said aloud, breaking the silence. "And I never stopped worrying about you, even when you had that big goofy grin plastered on your face"
He looked fondly at the Cookie resting on his knees. His dough was starting to cool and regain its usual dark gray coloration. "Because when I first laid eyes on you, a young boy collapsed next to an erupting volcano... You just looked so lost and afraid" he continued as scenes that he's long since cherished reappeared. "So I took you under my wing and thought of you as my own. Even taught you how to read despite you burning every book handed to you" he gave a husky laugh as he remembered the young boy's insistence that reading 'was for nerds'.
"I tried not to pry too much into what kept you up at night every time a nightmare would rack you, but I'd always be there to comfort you until whatever you had locked away stopped tormenting you" he sighed and closed his eyes as his singed dough alerted him that yes, he was indeed still in excruciating pain. "And it pains me greatly to know that you're suffering inside"
They waited like that for a while until the Headmaster heard footsteps quickly approaching them. Turning his head despite the searing pain, his heart dropped as he saw who it was. Shifting himself so that he was in a semi-protective stance over his unconscious boy, the Headmaster narrowed his gilded eyes as the two Cookies approached.
"Aw, gimme a break..." he groaned as the Preceptor and Principal arrived.