CHOCOLATE DESTINY, ARC 2

Gray takes the chance of Daliu crashing into him to dive into Ali's legs before he can move a single step forward, feasibly making Ali trip or at least breaking his stance not allowing him to swing.

Unfortunately Lee Gray's extraordinary flash of precognitive hindsight comes seconds too late, after he is knocked to the ground by Daliu. He grabs Ali's legs but is unable to move those RESOLVE infused calves.
Noire is not one step out of her roll when Lil' Prince Ali's chant takes hold and lays her prone on the ground.
Amos rushes forth as fast as he can but is mere feet away when Zulfiqar swings down on Noire's neck.
DECAPITATION
Her mouth moves, spitting one final curse, inaudible due to severed vocal chords, before going still forever.
A strange sense of foreboding washes over Ali for a moment.

@mos: https://churchofproz.forumotion.net/t1356-chocolate-destiny-amos-alone#26521

"My goodness!" Estelle exclaims, when she finally gets over the shock of witnessing the execution. "Was all that really necessary?"

Time moved slowly, as everything happened at once.

Women gained the strength of men.
Children flew through the air.
Trusted friends turned on their comrade.

As Ali's prey slipped out from Coterie's grasp, the Lil' Prince's eyes followed her whirling, her twisting, and her twirling. She slithered like a snake, demonstrating a measured grace that belied her soft, untested body. Ali's lips spat a curse to bind her. His sculpted legs, carved from unyielding stone, gathered force and sprung forth, closing the distance with each bound. His aching fingers, so eager to crush Noire's neck between them, gripped Zulfiqar with an unearthly strength, digging its golden hilt into his palm. Steel and flesh became one.

... ... ...

It is a flash of lightning, a clap of thunder. As his prey lies helpless on the ground, bound by a power greater than man, Ali's blade swings fast and true, striking off Noire's head in one blow. The head rolls, its fearful grimace smeared by blood and dirt. For a moment, the body flaps around, like a fish on the chopping board, before realizing that its master has left for good.

After the deed is done, Coterie apprehends Lee Gray for daring to touch their liege. Amos is too far away for them to give pursuit.

"Graybeard," says Ali, "I thought you was mah nigga. Same goes fo' A.D., but he stabbed he in da back too." Ali points a bloody Zulfiqar at Lee, but does not move to harm him. "You gon' get yo punishment in due time, nigga. Due time."

After his strange sense of foreboding passes, Ali wipes the blood off his blade and holds it up to the light. The intricate, swirling lines have stopped moving. The Swaggafid King was safe.

"Wow, dat was it?" exclaims Ali in surprise. "This bitch?" He kicks Noire's headless body. "I can't believe she was da assassin. Guess her power ain't nothin' ta fuck wit. How lucky fo' me dat I stumbled across her before she could stick a daggah in mah daddy's back."



As he walks back to the caravan to calm Estelle, a rain drop falls on Ali's nose. He looks up to see a horde of storm clouds circling the sky, when a blinding green light shines down from the center of the clouds, striking Ali and Coterie and freezing them in place. Chants resound from above, and a woman's laugh pierces through the heavens.

Ali panics. He cannot move. His glorious muscles are useless. His Spectacular Coterie is helpless. He can only watch as a wrathful goddess, 10 feet tall and clad in silk and jewels, emerges from the smoke.



"So, Ali. Or should I say, Aladdin," speaks the goddess, as she descends to meet Ali. "You, who came to the Cave of Wonders under the guise of a simple goat herd, have escaped my attention for far too long." She flies circles around her helpless toy, giggling like a maiden. "Do you remember your three wishes, Aladdin? We had formed an agreement, when you rubbed me out of that lamp. You would have two wishes for yourself, and then you would grant me freedom with your third wish. This mutually beneficial pact was the only reason I agreed to aid you. How foolish I was.

"Your first wish confined me to a human body. Your second wish forced me to bend over and let you fuck me like a dog. And your third wish trapped me in my lamp for all eternity...or so it seemed." The goddess slaps Ali's face, and grabs his chin. "Some miracle has freed me from my servitude, and given me the chance to enact my revenge."

The goddess raises her hand, sending Ali and his servants flying towards the dark thunderhead. "I know all about you, Aladdin," she says. "You were the only Swaggafid prince that didn't complete his Royal Trial. You lasted only eight years in the desert, and had to rely on The Princess of Strippers to save your life. The shame of failure must have been dreadful...horrible enough to plant an inferiority complex in your juvenile mind. You act tough in the fear that your father will discover your weakness, and squash you like the bug you are. Well, my prince...I have a surprise for you."

The goddess rips open a gap in the clouds, revealing a clone army of Swaggafid Kings. Thousands of copies of Ali's father dance in the nude, waving their huge schlongs from side to side. "They will violate you, the way you violated me," shrieks the goddess gleefully. "You will be constantly sodomized for as long as I was trapped in that lamp: 10 years. Enjoy your family time."

"NOOOO," screams Ali, as he is sent into the loving embrace of his incestuous, big-dicked fathers. The Cook strains to save his liege, but he is also sucked into the stormcloud for some unknown purpose.

Daliu sinks to his knees, reaching up at the sky where The Cook disappeared. He is spared of sodomy, but he has lost something irreplaceable for the second time in his life. Hateful tears fill his eyes.

The Sarong-clad woman watches with equal parts disgust and fascination as the man of her dreams is raped up the bum by his own father(s).

The goddess cackles and shoots up into the stormclouds. They dissipate moments later, and the sun gingerly feels its way back into the sky.

Only Estelle/Caravan, Lee Gray, Lucas, Daliu, and Sarong woman survive the encounter.

Tears of agony stream from the eyes of Lady Hylosiklon and her servants as they recover from cowering in primal fear, their sanity ruptured by the sudden extraplanar intrusion.
"No...my prince..." she whimpers.
"He must have incurred the Great Mother's wrath by killing that woman," a guard remarks while making a prayer sign.
"Lord have mercy on us all." The others make prayer signs as well.
Several pistols, 2 blunderbuss guns, and a small cannon clatter to the ground along with their bags of ammunition.

Gray, his mouth agape at the improbability of it all, is practically at his wits end after witnessing the manner of ascension that great prince was subject to. Not even in his wildest dreams could he have imagined how things could of ended this way, or if it was even possible at all and not just a delusion.

It was only a few moments though, before Gray regained control over his body in a great feat of will power. Realizing that perhaps, it was all just some sort of divine joke in the end, Gray stoops down upon Noire's corpse and loots all of her money and her equipment, before taking command of the situation.

"It was a passing of a great man," sighed Gray, shaking his head while making an empty grave marker for the prince's feats with Ali's trusted scimitar, "but we must move on in his memory. To Torean to spread the word, and then to the capital, the destination of his last journey."

From Noire Greenheart's corpse, Gray obtains the following loot:

• One(1) set of light leather armor and one(1) red dress, both sized for a woman and with the upper torso soaked in blood.
  
• One(1) strange looking crossbow that looks to be of Fei manufacture, with several good luck charms carved on the handle along with the words "Lady Luck is smiling"
  
• Fourteen(14) cartridges containing five(5) steel bolts each.
  
• One(1) coin purse containing one thousand(1000) gold rooks, approximately half of which are in platinum pieces.
  
• One(1) backpack containing a two person tent, a bedroll, a twenty(20) foot length of rope, box of matches, and box of smoke sticks.
  

Gray is overencumbered and cannot move carrying all of these items.

"How can you be so calm?" a bodyguard asks, "Didn't you just see whatever in the nine hells that was?"
"He- he must have known about it somehow!" Estelle shrieks, pointing an accusing finger. "Explain! Where has my prince gone?"

"Perhaps madam, if you were not cloistered in the comfort of wealth and status, and the safety of your family, then you could perhaps see and experience enough to be only a little perturbed by such." Gray frowns, reminiscing everything that has lead him here.
"Or perhaps I'm just a special person, who knows. Anyways, I swear that I didn't expect that to happen. After a while of seeing strange things though, you kind of just take such things and relegate them to a low enough importance that would not disturb your sanity."

Grays eyes emit a hollow stare at Estelle as if confirming his status as a seasoned man, although nobody could tell what he was truly thinking.
Gray stows all of his newly obtained gear in one of Estelle's wagons, keeping only his sword, his money, and two pistols on his self.

"J-just hold on!" Estelle stands in front of Gray after he packs his stuff in. "I only had an agreement with Prince Ali. Now that he's...gone, along with most of his protection, what reason do I have to continue hosting you and-" she looks at the blank faced Lucas "-whoever that is?"

"The guns are mine, and I don't mind lending them to your party temporarily if you allow us passage. Don't worry, we will pay for our own food and lodging."

She sniffs in disdain. "You think you're so special yet you couldn't keep your own blasted company from collapsing on itself, Mr. Gray. In my opinion they should have revoked your charter a year ago. Still, I suppose your terms are acceptable."

With half its former number, the caravan starts moving again. It is close to dusk when the town of Torean comes into sight.

It has the feeling of a rustic, peaceful village. The buildings are coated with a vibrant orange stucco decor. A large church looms in the distance, looking newly constructed.
A stout housewife with kindly wrinkles in her face waves at the caravan.
"Holla, travelers! Welcome to our holy town!"

"Holla. May I ask if you've seen other fellow travelers around here recently?"

The woman's expression darkens. "Why yes, we have. Where have you come from?"

"Enarou, a great misfortune has descend upon that city."

Gray takes the time to explain what had happened, before asking about Amos.

"Have you seen a traveler named Amos, or AD for short?"

The woman interrupts Gray mid-explanation. "Yes, we know about Enarou. Please follow me."

Gray follows the woman.

The woman leads you and the caravan over to the church, it's tall imposing stone walls having the smoothness of expert masonry.

"Just wait a moment," Estelle objects, "Why aren't you taking us to an inn?"
The woman shakes her head. "No, we must purify you first."
Lady Hylosiklon takes insult at this. "Purify? Absolutely not. I'm tired, it's getting dark, and I'd like to sleep on a proper bed, not a church pew."
"I cannot force you. But you will return, sooner or later."
"Hmph. Let's go find an inn, boys." She leaves with her staff and wagons.

Daliu Ayime slumps off the wagon, still in shock over the loss of his Father and his liege. He rubs his tear-streaked eyes and gazes up at the solid stone walls of the church.

"I never thought I'd visit God's house for the first time in this sorry state... But perhaps my suffering drives me to salvation." Daliu notes that it is a large, impressive church. If he's entrusted with such a church, the priest here must be a man of character. "Maybe he can sooth my soul," Daliu muses. He walks over to the woman.

"What does purifying mean, lady?"

Gray smiles.

"Of course, I shall see too it that no taint shall take hold of me."

He takes a step into the church to see the wonders inside.

Carved into the doorway is an upturned cresent with curls of flame streaming from its underside.
The ceiling is high and arched. Lit candles blaze from holders on the wall at regular intervals. The windows are initially plain, but as the woman leads you further in you see some of them have stained glass depicting scenes involving a variety of robed figures, some with halos, others holding strange looking rods. The group reaches a receiving room where several townsfolk are, who nod and continue their vigil. "Wait here," the woman instructs, then leaves the room.

She returns a few minutes later. "You will be the first to be cleansed," she says to Gray, "Go on down and enter the confessional."
The others wait as Gray descends a long set of stone steps alone, into a smaller hall that ends in an enclosed wooden booth.
Inside the booth stands a man with a tonsured head wearing robes dyed charcoal gray, black, and brown. The same symbol hangs from his neck in silver. The man closes the booth door and speaks.
"I am Father Mayhew, most humble servant of Torean's congregation. Please, be seated." He indicates an ornate chair that appears to be carved right out of the booth wall. "You may begin your confession."

"Well uh, I didn't take a bath in a week, but I can't really think of anything else I've done wrong."
Gray replies, testing the waters.
"Is there anything specific that you require?"

"That depends. When was the last time you confessed your sins to an ordained clergyman?"

"Uh, well not an ordained clergyman of your denomination."
Gray shrugs.

Mayhew arches his eyebrows. "Well then, you must have a whole life of sins to confess for. You'd better get started now."

"Actually, you know, I don't think this is gonna help me when I turn into a zombie. I don't see how telling you about my sins will relieve my symptoms in the future at all."

Gray turns away and exits the church, and makes his way to the northern edge of town to wait for any familiar people. (for 2 days)

Gray finds the door to the booth is locked.
"If you know about the plague, then you'll understand why we cannot allow you to go free," Father Mayhew chides. "Only by the grace of the Lord can you be saved from your plight. Now confess, and allow Him to cleanse you of evil."

"Look, I am as sinless as a baby, so I do not believe I have anything else to say. Or, perhaps, do you think you know me better than I do?"

Gray responds without a shred of doubt within his voice.

Father Mayhew's eyebrows rise even higher. "Do you truly believe your life is free of sin? No regrets, no guilt whatsoever?"

"Neither regret nor guilt, for I personally believe that I have done the best I could with my life. Although I cannot change the circumstances in which I am born, I can make best with what I have. Failure always happens, but I believe that we cannot let it get to our hearts, for it is on the foundation of trial and error that success happens, no? I believe then it is within each of our own abilities to live our lives without regrets, for it is the only path."

Gray attempts to nonchalantly walk out after giving his speech.

Mayhew chuckles."You mean the Chaos Emeralds?" "I see. In that case there is only one trial you must undergo. I promise it will not take much of your time or effort, and you will be free to go as you please afterwards." He opens the door. "Will you follow me? Or will you allow your sins to follow you wherever you go?"

"Once again, I have no sins, so where shall they go?"

Gray laughs, making his exit. After leaving the church, he makes his way towards the exit towards the capital to camp for people he knows.

Father Mayhew cries out in distress. "Stop him! He has not been purified!"
Gray makes it out of the church, but with several townsfolk in pursuit.

Gray slowly breaks into a sprint towards Estelle's caravan, and attempts to shake off the pursuers through some careful maneuvering.

Your maneuvering bears no fruit, as the townsfolk have the home turf advantage. They are gaining on you.
Up ahead, the two wagons come into view on the north road.

Gray makes sure its Estelle's group before jumping on and urging the group to leave before an angry religious mob catches them.

Seeing the angry mob coming she quickly ushers Amos and Ms. Hylosiklon into the wagons before hoping in herself, removing the steel club strapped to her back just in case.

Amos hops on the wagon and takes out his blade. "RUN ESTELLE RUN!"

Estelle is already seated in the front wagon. "Whatever for? If we rush, we might tire ourselves out before finding a good place to stop for the night."
Then she remembers the crowd chasing them. "Oh, I see what's going on. Get off my vehicle, Mr. Gray, and take your belongings with you! Whatever issue these people have with you is none of my concern."

"Are you really going to do this now, from my experience angry mobs don't distinguish between target and iinnocent."

"Well, they are coming for you too Estelle, I don't reckon you got purified at the church either? Even if you say its none of your business I will be sure to rat you out if you do kick me off."

Gray attempts to convince Estelle that its her problem too.

(speech check)

"SCREW IT. LETS GO!" Amos bolts past the wagon with low hopes for Estelle's continued living.

"Hmph." She thinks for a moment. "Well, if I'm to treat with this land's ruler it would put me in a good light if I ingratiated myself with his people. What does this purifying entail?"

She holsters her club and jumps out running after Amos, her body boosting it's strength to catch up.

(Chemical production in use to increase speed and strength using created drugs.)

"Whatever it is, I do not wish to find out, suit yourself Ms. Hylosiklon."

Gray gathers up all of his pistols and all of the pistol ammo along with Noire's backpack, throwing the club wielding girl the crossbow and bolts, and Amos the blunderbusses.
Afterwards he runs out after them.

"Hey, wait up!"

Amos catches one blunderbuss and tries to slip the other into a backpack strap, he is willing to let things fall to the ground if it means he can escape being captured by these townie creeps. "GRAY! Is this loaded?!"

By the time grey throws the items to her, she is no longer there, with her body filled with the unknown chemicals she catches up to Amos in no time and even starts to break away from him though she cuts off the ability before she gets too far, the drugs fading from her system instantly.

The crossbow and blunderbuss are dropped on the ground. Strangely enough, the townsfolk have all stopped their pursuit upon encountering Estelle's parked wagons. She and her bodyguards are disembarking to meet with them.

Gray makes a sharp left after running quite a distance, and makes his way into a place that can conceal him as he watches the events with Estelle unfold, he motions for Amos and the club girl to come hide with him.

She looks behind her once, then keeps going. She slows down a bit to let Amos catch up to her. "Well, guess you were right about them."