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A lone cookie sat on top of a golden decorated throne. Letters from adoring citizens, critics, and impatient advisors were strewn across the floor.
Burning Spice Cookie was bored. He wasn't quite in the mood to read letters that might have been older than the average cookie, and he certainly didn't feel like moping.
He kept losing kingdom after kingdom. Though, under the care of the Heroes, most towns and cities prospered, Burning Spice always felt a deeper connection to the towns he cared for compared to his fellow heroes. He was the one who nurtured and watched over them from the beginning, only to see them fall from trivial things like war- war, a fascinating subject in Burning Spice Cookie's eyes. How could cookies shed dough of the innocent for something the elite most likely did? A shame, really. A waste.
The sound of shuffling feet interrupted his thoughts, and he turned to look at whoever had walked in. Burning Spice nodded and rested his head on his fist, his free hand gesturing to his desk. It was just one of his younger errand runners. Letting out a sigh, Burning Spice stared at the ceiling. War. War, war, war. It was as boring and predictable as this day. Although cookies themselves were creative, the way they and their civilizations met their ends, was not.
Deciding what he was currently doing to be futile, he slipped out of his throne and decided to walk around. Cheez birds fluttered around, Kulfi and cookies alike walked around freely in the open gardens. This was peace. He let the tips of his fingers brush the frosted leaves of the sugar bushes, small candy roses bloomed, delicate and soon to fall apart. Like an empire, all good things must come to an end. He looked back at his palace and shook his head.
“Not everything ends at the same time. Some things last longer than I'll ever be able to comprehend.” Burning Spice thought to himself before scoffing quietly under his breath. When did he get so philosophical? He knew his kingdom would out last him. If he ever even crumbled! Ha. The day he crumbled would be the day hell freezes over.
The Herald of Change was a cookie who made things happen. Who built things up from the ground and watched them tear themselves down all the same. It was a fact of life. He'd seen it so many times. It didn't even phase him. Doughshed didn't even make him flinch.
“Your highness!” A voice called from behind him, they seemed to be running, a scroll held tightly close to their chest. “Your majesty! An attack has been made on the Gulab Jamun District!”
Burning Spice glared at the messenger before he nodded silently and took the scroll. This was interesting. The Gulab Jamun District was one of the more peaceful growing towns he oversaw. A ruler with a competent head on his shoulders, a hard working population, plenty of jobs, and good education? They had done absolutely nothing to provoke any other kingdom…
Cookies. Picking fights for no real reason. Burning Spice grumbled something under his breath and turned sharply towards the messenger.
“Get someone to take me to the Gulab Jamun District by dawn tomorrow.” The larger cookie commanded. Maybe if he witnessed war firsthand again for the first time in centuries, he might understand why cookies are so drawn to it and fall victim to it so often.
*The Next Morning*
The click and shifting of the carriage had finally stopped and Burning Spice stepped out of it, parashu in hand, and a long now in one of the others. He could smell the spices in the air. Cookies had crumbled here already. He saw a few kulfi among the cookies hiding behind debris as they cautiously eyed the newcomer. He gave them a small, almost invisible smile to try and ease them. He put down his weapons to show he meant no harm.
“I am Burning Spice Cookie, Herald of Change, and one of the five Heroes. I am here to help you, not cause you any more harm.” The baritone hoped his words would be enough to sway them out of their hiding spots. Somehow, it worked. Slowly, the cookies started to come out and murmured among themselves.
“Sir? What are your plans here?” One of his advisors leaned closer from her spot beside him to ask. Burning Spice didn't turn to look back at her, instead addressing the frightened cookies.
“Cookies of the Gulab Jamun district! I am here to oversee you during your times of hardshi-” a loud explosion cut off the rest of his sentence. War. Destruction. How convenient, these were things he was just thinking about and here they were right in front of his eyes. A subtle amused smile crossed his lips.
“Are you not here to guide them?” The Light of Change called, confused at his reaction to the explosion.
“No. Not this time. I'm simply an observer for now.” Burning Spice Cookie's mind replied, normally he was eager to help settle the disputes between the two parties, but today he was a bystander.
“A bystander is just as bad as an offender.” The Light of Change replied, Burning Spice gave a short breath of laughter at its words.
“Slander.” The cookie thought with a hint of anger. He already did so much for so many kingdoms, would it really hurt if he just watched for once? After all he did for so many cookies…
The sound of screams and explosions drowned out the chastisement of the Light of Change and Burning Spice watched flames engulf buildings, crumbs mix with ash and debris. War and destruction was ugly, but it was the thing that gave way for the beautiful, the clean, new power. The weak would fall and the strong would prevail. That was the way the world worked. He bent down to pick up his weapons and smelt spices burning in the air.
It felt like the beginning of rebirth. To be born again you must die.
Slowly he walked closer to the battlefield, the warmth of flames and the cries of cookies engulfed him. Destruction. War. Destruction. Those same words kept on swirling through his brain over and over. He had power. He couldn't die. He was one of the Heroes. Handpicked cookies to keep the balance of Earthbread and cookiekind alike.
A few kulfi huddled into a corner, backed away by some cookie from another kingdom who raised their sword at them, preparing to strike. Burning Spice raised his parashu and slammed the end into the ground with a loud *Thud*. Spice flying everywhere, cracks forming in the ground. The sound of fighting stopped for a moment, all eyes falling on him. Burning Spice panted as he looked around, thick black hair falling over his eyes. The Kulfi from earlier moved closer in an effort to try and keep eachother safe from the debris and the soldier sent running for their life.
“So, this is what you mortals call war?” His words stopped everyone in their tracks. Everyone turned to watch the Hero momentarily forgetting about the battle. Sure, Burning Spice had seen the aftermath of plenty of wars, seen the damage it did and the cookies it crumbled, but he never went in the middle of a battlefield like this. To be so devoted to a kingdom that you would die for it? To follow a ruler and be so devoted to them that they would fight their battles? He supposed his subjects do that for him sometimes.
“I've seen enough.” He said dismissively, walking away like he expected everyone to pack it up as well. The cookies were too stunned to move. So they just watched as the strange cookie who had entered their District just an hour before, leave just as quickly and randomly as he came. Even his advisers looked a little shook by his actions but obeyed his commands and took off back to his kingdom.
Once again, as he entered the carriage, Burning Spice Cookie was bored, but at least now he had something to think about: war. It's all that's been on his mind since yesterday afternoon, like a puzzle he couldn't solve.
“Maybe give your mind a rest from war, hm?” The Light of Change asked, sensing his inner turmoil. “what's so intriguing about it anyways?” Burning Spice thought about his answer before replying.
“Because it's a stepping stone for power, glory, and strength. Survival is only meant for the fittest.” His thoughts replied, it was something his kingdom would never have to worry about as long as they were ruled by him. He decided to obey the Light of Change and instead decided to sleep through the whole ride back home.
*Some Hours Later*
War. A necessary evil to get to the top of the food chain.
Someone had just waged it on him. On him. Burning Spice Cookie, one of the Heroes. The outskirts of his kingdom were in shambles. He watched in mild horror as he passed through the streets, crumbs making the road back all the more awful. Those were his subjects. In all his time as a ruler he never lost this kingdom. The one kingdom he solely ruled over. This.. was war.