Chapter Text
“Is everyone alright!?” Espresso poked their head out from underneath the desk they had dived under moments ago, searching frantically around the room for their coworkers.
Glass from bottles that had been thrown off the shelves littered the floor, glittering in the light shining through what remained of the windows. Papers had flown about in the chaos. Various reagents were now ruined, scattered onto the floor.
The mage hoped none of the reagents reacted. They did not need a chemical incident on top of whatever had just rocked the entire building.
“We’re okay!” Alchemist called from across the room, popping her head out from under the lab tables. The other researchers in the room were likely alongside her. A few mumbles echoing Alchemist’s reassurances confirmed that.
Espresso breathed a sigh of relief, quietly thanking Alchemist’s reflexes. She had likely saved the lives of their coworkers with her quick thinking.
“What was that?” One of their coworkers sputtered as they shakily stepped out from behind the table, their eyes wide in horror.
“Sounded like a spell gone very wrong,” Espresso hissed. They stood up fully, ignoring the crunch of glass under their feet. “Stay here, stay safe, and clean up the glass and reagents! Follow full safety precautions with the chemicals, we don’t know exactly what spilled. Check the building for anyone else who may be injured, perform a headcount as well! I’m going to go investigate.”
“Alone?” Alchemist questioned, frowning at him. Behind her, their coworkers were slowly crawling out of their hiding spots.
“I need you here, Alchemist,” Espresso replied, hanging their goggles on a hook and pulling their mantle back over their shoulders. “You’re in charge until I return.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it and nodded. The mage nodded back, lips drawn into a thin line, then turned and left the room.
They rushed out of the Institute of Thaumaturgy, mantle whipping behind them, cursing their morning outfit choice of their tallest heels. There was no time to fuss over such things, and so the mage forged onwards towards the source of the damage.
At first, the damage he saw along the way appeared similar to the Institute: broken windows, things thrown off shelves, lighter objects blown about. A broken branch here or there. The few Cookies they saw had very minor injuries, if any at all.
However, as they got closer to the site of the explosion, the damage grew worse and worse. Broken windows turned to walls with cracks along them, poles, statues, and trees knocked over. The injuries got worse as well. A few cookies were trapped under the rubble and were being helped by the paladins. Others lay still on the streets, looking as though they had been thrown across the pavement. Debris crunched under their feet as they hurried onwards, heart clenching over the destruction.
By the time Espresso reached the massive crater at the center of the destruction, there were no Cookies anywhere in sight. The surrounding cityscape looked like a wasteland. Entire buildings had crumbled under the force of the blast. They spotted an entire tree somewhere on the roof of a house.
The mana still leaching from the impact site was bordering on oppressive. Espresso stumbled as it slammed over them, nearly throwing them to the ground. They managed to stay on their feet, keeping a safe distance from the crater, and busied themself with taking in every detail they could manage. Scorch marks stretched across the ground from the still-warm crater in an all-too-familiar starburst shape.
“Espresso!” Espresso sucked in a breath as he heard Madeleine call to him from nearby. The commander was running alongside Financier towards the crater, both fully armored. The mage grimaced.
Espresso calmed himself. He could set aside his petty dislike for Madeleine for a while. This was a serious matter.
“Are you unharmed?” Madeleine asked as he and Financier reached him. Espresso nodded, taking in that they were both stained from dirt and dust. The commander’s main shield drifted beside him, scuffed and dented. Financier’s usually impeccable hair was tangled, dirt smudged across her forehead.
“I only just arrived myself,” they replied. “Do you know what caused this?” They gestured to the area around them.
“Not a clue,” Madeleine said. He frowned, falling quiet as he took in the destruction around them. He swallowed, taking a shaky step closer to the crater. He didn’t speak for several more seconds, needing to gather his thoughts. When he finally did speak again, his voice was soft.
“Who could have done such a thing?”
“I don’t think it was a Cookie,” Financier said. She had busied herself with scanning the area while Espresso and Madeleine talked, searching for any signs of other Cookies. Everyone had likely been evacuated from the area by other paladins before their arrival. The three were alone, though more paladins were bound to arrive eventually.
“If it was, the blast likely crumbled them,” Espresso said, a grim frown on their lips. Madeleine flinched from his blunt tone.
Financier hummed softly in acknowledgment, her eyes narrowing in thought as she scanned the ground. She visibly jolted when she noticed the pattern of the burn marks on the ground, slowly turning her gaze to Madeleine. Judging from how pale he had become, he had noticed it, too.
“The Divine,” he and Financier breathed.
“What reason would the Divine have for this? ” Espresso questioned, motioning again to the destruction around them. “I mean, really. The Divine are meant to be kind and caring to us Cookies, if not a bit distant, yes? I could hardly call this kind at all.”
“Maybe it was not on purpose,” Madeleine said. Espresso cast him a pointed look.
“Then, pray tell, what could have caused them to smite the Republic like this?” Espresso waited patiently for an answer he knew Madeleine could not provide.
“Now is not the time to be arguing…” Financier started, a warning in her tone.
“There must be a good reason for it!” Madeleine drowned out Financier’s attempt to calm the two with his shout. Without pausing, he immediately turned and slid down into the crater, kicking up more dust in the process.
“Ser Madeleine!” Financier rushed after him, intending to drag him back out before anything worse happened. Espresso sighed, looked around, and then carefully followed the two down. They swore as they nearly tripped, opting instead to float down to the base of the crater.
“You’re being foolish!” they hissed as they set their feet on the ground again. “We need to get out of here before- are you even listening to me!?”
Madeleine and Financier stood silently at the center of the crater, staring down at the ground. As Espresso neared them, he could see what it was they were staring at.
Four little gems of varying colors. Two were blue — one lighter, one darker — one was gold, and the last was purple.
The two paladins were staring silently down at the gems, their eyes glazed. Espresso frowned.
“Madeleine? Financier?”
Neither responded.
Espresso stepped closer to them, opening his mouth to call their names again. The words died on his tongue as his vision seemed to blur. He snapped his gaze down at the gems.
The purple one was glowing. The glow seemed to reach out to him, tethering him to it. Calling.
There was something at the edge of his vision, a phantom of some sort, in the same color as the gem. Its shape seemed to twist and warp, staying in the vague shape of a Cookie, but it was unable to keep itself together for long. It vanished whenever he tried to look directly at it. The gem’s glow grew brighter, pulling his attention back to it.
Espresso didn’t realize they had walked forward and picked up the gem until their head cleared. Madeleine and Financier had each picked up one of the gems as well. Madeleine held the lighter blue gem, Financier the golden one. The darker blue gem still lay on the ground.
Financier had the sense to look troubled by what had just happened. She recovered quickly, dropping the gem and stepping back, alarm spreading across her face.
“What was that?” she hissed, hand flying to the hilt of her sword.
“I’m not sure,” Espresso replied softly, stunned. They kept a tight grasp on their own shard, hand aching from the strain of their grip. There was something there, in the gem. A faint hum that they only seemed to hear.
Madeleine was silent for once, lips pursed.
“Down there!” The three looked up as they heard shouting. Espresso recognized the cookies approaching them as guards from House Custard.
“Is everyone alright?” One of the guards shouted, sliding down into the crater. “What happened?”
“These gems happened,” Espresso answered, holding up the one in their hand. “They’re what caused the explosion. They’re safe to handle now as far as I can tell. What they are exactly, I’m not sure.”
The guard muttered something under their breath and held out their hand. “I’ll take them. Consul Clotted Cream has called an emergency meeting with the Convocation of Elders. The elders will want to see these gems for themselves.”
Financier nodded and stepped aside so the guard could pick up the two gems on the ground. Espresso quickly handed his own gem over. Madeleine was a bit more reluctant, but handed over his gem without a fuss.
“No doubt Mulled Juice will have the rest of the Institute and I studying these gems,” Espresso sighed. “I need to return and help clean up the mess.”
“I’m going to visit my house,” Madeleine said. “I want to make sure my mother and aunties are alright. My house is quite a ways from here, but if the Institute of Thaumaturgy was rattled by the explosion, my house might have been as well.”
Financier’s face twisted in worry. “I hope the orphanage was far enough to avoid any damage,” she said. “I will swing by there and check on everyone before-”
A yelp made them whip around in alarm, all readying themselves for combat. Three of the gems flew back towards Madeleine, Financier, and Espresso. They were the same gems the three had picked up.
The gems floated in front of them, pulsating with light. Madeleine relaxed first, slowly held out his hand, and the blue gem fell back into his palm, the glow fading. He smiled, the tension in his shoulders vanishing.
Espresso was reluctant to do the same. But they were curious now. They held out their hand, and like Madeleine’s, the purple gem fell into it. Almost immediately, a sense of calm washed over them.
Financier remained wary. It was only after Madeleine nudged her that she held out her own hand and allowed her gem to fall onto her stained glove. While she seemed to settle as well, she still appeared troubled by the situation.
“I think you three need to come with me.” The guard was still standing at the edge of the crater, the dark blue gem still in their hand.
Espresso heaved a sigh. The last thing he had wanted to do that day was get dragged into a meeting with the council. He just hoped it would be over quickly, and he could get back to his experiments at the institute.
The Convocation of Elders was in complete chaos by the time the three arrived. Expresso, Madeleine, and Financier could hear the Elders’ shouting all the way down the hall. The shouting only grew louder the closer they got to the Convocation Room.
A Paladin with a spear stood guard just outside the room, wincing at some of the louder shouting. Financier nearly stepped towards them upon recognizing Palmier.
“Ser Palmier, are you alright?” Madeleine asked, having to speak up to be heard over the ruckus.
They nodded. “I am. I am glad to see that you all are in good health.” Another shout, and they grimaced. “I presume you are here for an audience with the Convocation.”
They stepped aside, locking eyes with Financier as she stopped beside them. The two exchanged a few soft words, lost beneath the chaos on the other side of the great doors.
Palmier then handed the other paladin a handkerchief, which she took with a nod. She quickly wiped at her face. The cloth was handed to Madeleine next, who swiped at the mess on his own face before handing it back to the spearman with a soft thanks. Espresso busied themself with straightening their robes and glasses, then nodded to the House Custard guard.
The guard nodded after the three were as presentable as they could be in such a situation. They glanced at the gem in their hand, grimaced, then opened the door to the meeting room with a practiced neutral expression on their face.
The tall columns of the Lyceum’s Great Convocation Hall greeted the newcomers. The quartet remained silent as they entered, stopping before the inner platform. Light filtered in from the glass dome above their heads, amplified by the planet-like light above the Convocation table. The light glinted off of the waterway separating the platform from the ring of walkway around it. The waterfalls between the columns were flowing today, but the sound of the water reaching the pool at the bottom of the room was barely registered amongst all the chaos inside.
“I can’t think of anyone else capable of such an attack!” Custard was glaring at Captain Caviar from his seat across the table from the captain’s.
“I agree with Custard Cookie!” Sablé piped up, robes shimmering as she tossed her hair. “The Cookies of the Lower City have been unruly lately! They’re losing their respect for the Cookies of the Upper City!”
“None of the cookies in the Lower City have the magical knowledge, nor prowess, to stage such an attack,” Oyster said, gray eyes narrowing. “However, those in the Upper City sure do have an extensive knowledge of the many forms of magic, and are certainly strong enough to pull off something like this.”
“Now, hold on,” Mulled Juice was trying to calm the council, presumably to help Clotted Cream, who appeared to be at his wits’ end. “How can we even be sure that this was even done by a member of our Republic? It could have been some outlaw mage of another country who was visiting. That certainly makes more sense to me!”
Mille-feuille and Canelé both nodded in agreement to Mulled Juice’s statement. Vanilla Sugar hummed and hawed, then eventually nodded herself.
“Yes, yes, I believe Elder Mulled Juice may be on to something,” she said. “Perhaps another country has become jealous of us and is attempting to weaken us, or it was just a single rogue mage.”
Madeleine became very aware that Espresso had stiffened beside him at some point. Neither of them said anything, nor did Financier. He still opted to shift slightly closer to the mage, hoping to offer some form of protection against the Elder’s words. Financier shuffled closer on the mage’s other side.
The House Custard guard stood beside the trio of guests, looking uncomfortable and rather bewildered. They weren’t sure if they should interrupt or not.
“Why have you dragged them in here!?” Custard barked, hand slamming onto the tabletop. He had finally noticed his guard standing with the three.
The council quieted incredibly fast as they turned to see who Custard was speaking to. Varying expressions settled onto the Convocation’s faces as they took in the state of the four unexpected guests.
“Well, um, sir,” The House Custard guard froze, eyes darting to Financier, Madeleine, and Espresso, before turning back to the Elders. They swallowed. “I had no choice, sir. The gems they found in the crater would fly back to them when I tried to bring the gems with me. The only way to bring the gems here was to bring these three as well.”
“What are you talking about?” Canelé asked, lips twisting. “Gems? Flying around?”
“Venerable Elders, Honorable Consul, if I may?” Madeleine stepped forward, voice projected to quiet the murmurs of the Elders. “We can explain that part.”
“Very well,” Clotted Cream nodded. “Go ahead, Ser Madeleine Cookie.”
“Ser Financier and I were partaking in a test for the new paladins,” Madeleine Cookie began, tone bright. “It was going incredibly well, by the way! The new paladins are very promising!”
Vanilla Sugar hummed, holding her head high.
“As to be expected,” she said. “Please, continue, Ser Madeleine Cookie.”
“Well, it was going well,” Madeleine repeated. The smile on his face fell, his tone darkening. “But then one of the trainees noticed that there was some odd light in the sky, like a falling star. We worried over it a bit. Meteors, of course, are unpredictable and can be dangerous, but the damage they cause is often easy to fix. It wasn’t a meteor, however. It was these four gems. And the explosion they caused was far bigger and destructive than any meteor.”
He held up his gem as he spoke. Financier, Espresso, and the House Custard guard showed the gems they were holding to the council as well.
“After the initial explosion, Ser Madeleine and I focused on ordering the paladins to help Cookies who had been injured, and to evacuate the citizens to safehouses in case this was an attack on the Republic,” Financier stepped forward and continued the story for the Commander. “Ser Madeleine and I went to investigate the site of the explosion itself. By the time we arrived, Mage Espresso Cookie had just made it there themself. We found the gems in the crater, and the burn marks surrounding the impact site were…” She trailed off, looking shaken.
“What’s so important about burn marks?” Canelé asked. “Surely the gems are more important?” She leaned forward, brows furrowing.
“The marks left behind can tell you a lot about the kind of spell used,” Espresso answered, stepping alongside the paladins with their back straight. “Spells from a specific type of magic tend to leave behind the same marks. The only exception to this rule being Wild Magic, of course.” They waved their free hand slightly with the last point.
“Ser Financier, what did these burn marks look like? We might be able to pinpoint what kind of mage caused the explosion. Which could rule them out as a member of either city, or of the Republic entirely.” Sablé cut off the mage as they went to continue. Espresso frowned and went silent.
“Go on, Ser Financier,” Mille-feuille said, smiling politely at the three. “What were the burn marks shaped like?”
“It. It was the Divine Star, ma’am.” Financier finally said, voice shaky. “Several other witnesses also confirmed that right before the explosion, they saw the light falling from the sky.”
“So the gods themselves are attacking us, now?” Caviar hissed, rising from his seat.
“No! ” Several other members of the council also scrambled to stand up.
“The Divine would never!” Vanilla Sugar protested, slamming her cane against the ground. “How dare you suggest they’d do such a thing!? Ser Financier, I expected better of you than to blame the Divine for an attack like this!” Her sharp gaze landed on the paladin.
“Perhaps they didn’t do it on purpose?” Mille-feuille offered, trying to placate the other Elders. “These gems were likely meant to be a gift, but they underestimated what would happen when these gifts reached us. The Divine could not have meant for this to happen!” Her eyes were wide, voice wavering slightly.
“All of you, please sit down and calm yourselves!” Clotted Cream shouted above the cries of the rest of the council. One by one, the elders quieted and sank back into their seats, though their anxiety was still clear on their faces. The Consul remained standing, folding his arms behind his back.
Clotted Cream paused to take a breath, waiting a few heartbeats to make sure everyone would remain quiet. “I think we can all agree that lights falling from the sky, followed by a burn pattern in the shape of the Divine Star, is a clear message. These gems were likely from the Divine themselves.
“However,” Clotted Cream rushed to continue as grumbles began to rise, holding up a hand to quiet the Elders. “I believe Elder Mille-fueille has the right idea. The Divine likely did not intend for such a disaster to occur. Why they were sent here, I have no idea, but rest assured, we will get to the bottom of this.
“Right now, we should focus on repairing the damage done, and helping those who were injured or lost family members during this event. Elder Baumkuchen has yet to arrive, but once he does, I will ask him to keep me updated on how many were injured, and how many were lost.”
“About that...” the House Custard guard shifted. “Elder Baumkuchen was one of the Cookies injured in the attack. He was close to where the lights fell.”
“What!? ” The council exploded into noise once more.
Clotted Cream sucked in a breath, collecting himself, before quieting everyone once more with another shout for order. He glanced about the room in mild irritation before focusing on the guard again.
“Is Elder Baumkuchen well?” he asked. The House Custard guard shook their head, gaze lowering to the floor.
“He was very badly injured,” they murmured, unable to meet the Consul’s gaze any longer. “I don’t know the extent of his injuries, but I know that he will likely not be returning to the council anytime soon.”
“I pray his recovery is as quick and painless as it can be,” Clotted Cream said, his voice soft. Silence filled the room. He frowned at the empty chair at the table.
Clotted Cream certainly felt the absence of Baumkuchen. The elder often helped him keep order between the rest of the council. Without Baumkuchen there, Clotted Cream was essentially alone in keeping the peace.
The silence was broken when the darker blue gem in the House Custard guard’s hand suddenly flew out of their grasp and towards Clotted Cream. It stopped right in front of the young Consul, hovering there, glowing faintly.
“Hello, Clotted Cream.” A faint voice echoed around the room. “I sincerely apologize for the damage that the fragments caused. We never intended for this to happen. We didn’t know having multiple fragments fall into one spot could cause such a reaction.”
“Who are you?” Clotted Cream asked softly. The Elders cast him a confused look.
“Boy, who are you talking to?” Custard questioned. Clotted Cream blinked at his father. He slowly turned his gaze back to the floating gem in front of him.
After a few heartbeats, he spoke again. “Is no one else hearing this?”
“Hearing what?” Canelé asked. “Clotted Cream Cookie, are you feeling alright?”
“I am,” Clotted Cream said, beginning to look troubled. “The gem, it’s speaking to me. Can no one else hear it?”
“I can,” Madeleine answered.
“Wait, your gem is speaking to you?” Espresso asked, gaze narrowing. “Mine did not speak to me.”
“Nor did mine,” Financier said, brows furrowing.
“Did they not…? ” The light emanating from the gem floating in front of Clotted Cream flickered. “They were supposed to speak to them! We discussed this…! Please hold on for a moment.”
Clotted Cream caught the gem when its glow faded entirely and it dropped. Seconds later, Financier and Espresso jumped, their eyes growing wide as their own gems began to glow and hover above their palms.
“We’re a little uncoordinated right now, my sincerest apologies.” The voice from Clotted Cream’s gem returned. Clotted Cream noticed that Madeleine’s gem began to glow again at the exact same time. “It’s been a while since we last had to do this. I know you have many questions, but there is not enough time to answer all of them.”
“What are they saying?” Sablé asked, eyes wide as she stared at the Consul. “Who sent them?”
“I will repeat what they are saying,” he said to the rest of the council. “And I must ask all of you to please remain quiet while I do so. I need to be able to hear them.”
That, at least, would keep the council silent for a while. He hoped. He then nodded to the glowing gem to let it know he was ready for them to continue.
“I am the Divine Truth,” the gem began. “The gem in front of you is a mana generator that has been granted my blessing. Your friend, Madeleine, currently has another one of the gems with my blessing. Financier carries the blessing of Glory, and Espresso the blessing of Resolution.”
Clotted Cream relayed Truth’s words, ignoring the hushed gasps as he responded.
“Why is it that we have been given these blessings?” Clotted Cream asked. “Ser Madeleine and Ser Financier, I can understand. They are paladins, after all. But Mage Espresso and I have no ties to your light like the paladins do.”
“This is different from the blessings we grant to the paladins,” Truth answered. “Every now and then, Cookies from all over the world are granted our blessing to fight an enemy that threatens all of Earthbread. You four are now part of the newest team of heroes.
“That is all I can tell you for now. You will find the answers you seek in the Creamcake Mountains, in a guild hidden between the Ginger Kingdom and the city-state of Parfaedia.”
Silence fell over the room again as Clotted Cream finished relaying what he was told. He grimaced as he mulled over the information he was given, the gem landing in his gloved palm again.
Despite the mounting realization of the enormity of his new task, the deep blue hue of the crystal soothed the more frantic thoughts attempting to bubble to the front of his mind.
“You can’t be serious!” Custard was the first to speak, pounding a fist on the table. “We may be able to spare a couple paladins and a mage for this quest, but our Consul!? He is needed here, in the Republic!” He stared pointedly at the gem in said Consul’s hand.
His outburst spurred whispers from the other members of the council. The whispers grew slightly in volume, a variety of expressions dancing across the Elders’ faces.
“Perhaps this is a good thing,” Vanilla Sugar mused aloud. “It is a chance to show the rest of Earthbread the might of the Crème Republic! Besides, we cannot just ignore the Divine!”
“I don’t like the idea of sending Clotted Cream away, either,” Caviar grumbled, frowning as he cast a look at the young Consul. “But maybe this will be good for him. Maybe seeing how other countries work will help us figure out how to get past our own shortcomings with helping our citizens.”
“I have no shortcomings to speak of,” Sablé huffed, crossing her arms. “My art is beloved around all parts of the Republic!”
“And what of places outside of the Republic, hm?” Oyster questioned, a smile spreading onto her lips.
Sablé sputtered and opened her mouth to retort, upper lip pulling back from her teeth.
A sigh slips past the Consul’s lips. He once again raised his hand for silence, forcing a wan smile onto his lips.
“I will go,” he said, straightening up fully. “As Elder Vanilla Sugar stated, I cannot ignore the Divines’ wishes. And, from the sounds of it, this great evil we are being asked to fight back against will affect all of Earthbread. Which includes our very own Republic. I will need to learn everything I can about this evil, so we can prepare in case it reaches the Republic.
“I promise that once I gather all of the information we need, I will return. I will also make sure to send letters as often as I can to keep the council updated.”
Finishing his statement, the Consul finally sat down, careful to force down a weary sigh. He glanced over at the two Elders to his left, shooting Oyster and Caviar a soft smile in hopes of reassuring them. A noise of discontent draws his attention back to the council.
“We cannot allow word of this to spread to the citizens,” Mille-feuille fussed. “If they know something like this is going on, they may panic! Or it may shake their belief in the Divine!” Her bracelets clinked against each other as she wrung her hands, her brows pinched.
Madeleine frowned at that. Surely they deserve to know the truth of what’s happened, though, right? Especially the ones affected by this disaster.
An urge to question such a decision popped into the front of his mouth. He glanced about the room and bit his tongue instead.
“We will inform the rest of the Republic that what happened here today was an unexpected attack from a rogue mage of foreign nationality,” Custard interrupted the other Elders before the chaos could continue. He mulled silently for a moment, then stood from his chair to draw the undivided attention of the Convocation to himself.
“As far as the citizens are concerned, Clotted Cream is being sent out on a diplomatic mission to speak to whoever is in charge of the nation the mage came from, with Ser Madeleine and Ser Financier acting as his guards. Mage Espresso is accompanying them for research purposes. In the meantime, the Crème Republic will rebuild and address this tragedy in full.”
Custard paused to look around, waiting for someone to protest. When no one spoke up, he continued. His gaze landed upon Financier, flowing over Espresso to Madeleine, then swiveling to look at Clotted Cream.
“You all will leave for this quest in three days. That will be plenty of time to prepare for your departure.” The Elder nods firmly, silencing any possible protests with a glare down at the other members of the room.
“I will send for my attendant so that we may create an appropriate press release to calm the citizens. Elder Caviar,” he turned, ignoring the grumbled correction of address from the captain. “I will need your assistance in working out how to calm the Lower City.”