CHOCOLATE DESTINY, ARC 2

"I, wuh, I work for the trees! I work for the trees you see. Hahaha! Hahaha."

Gray starts flailing around and laughing maniacally.

"Treeeeeeeeesssss! Help! THE TREES ARE COMING!!!! HEEEEEELPPP!!!! SOMEONE HELP PLEASE!!!!! THE BEES, THE TREES HELP ME TREES!"

Gray screams for help in the guise of crazy talk, unknown if anybody can actually understand what he means.

"Wow, he's got full blown Durkon Syndrome, huh?" One of the sugoi shinobi stands beside the one holding down Gray. "Or wait, is it reverse Durkon syndrome?"
"Quiet down, both of you!" A cloth gag is stuffed into Gray's mouth.

The other three walk over to Touka and Jorah outside. "You've apprehended the traitor? Good, we can take it from here."

She nods and steps away from him when the shinobi have a hold on him. "What has he done anyway? I only heard stop him before I ran after him."

"dad rite we made him..."

*waves hips from side to side with the power of love and holds out a palm in a stop gesture while singing

She smacks him upside the head, making sure there it is coated with DMSO mixed with cactus juice.

Jorah goes into a fetal position, clutching his head. But after a few seconds he rises slowly singing how he loves the way it hurts

Daliu is stricken, and looks up at Touka in disbelief. Touka's compliment falls upon deaf ears, which closed upon hearing her frightening logic.

The cloaked-man is guilty until proven innocent? He might be put to the death at any moment, by the Swords of these Strange Seemingly Sugoi Shinobi. He might've been a family man, who stood up for his village when the government cracked down with harsh taxes. Who are these Seemingly Sugoi Shinobi anyways? There are too many questions.

Justice.


What is Justice? Is it the will of the strong? Is it baseless accusations in the name of an Empire? Does it even exist in our world?

Just then, Daliu hears Gray's crazed screams for help in the inn. He's not sure if Gray is still drunk out of his mind, or if he's actually in danger. Daliu peeks into the inn entrance to judge the situation.

After looking at Touka's expression, Jorah pats him on the shoulder.
"Yorikobe, Shounen (Rejoice, Boy), Henry will b k nao. If you're wondering about if he's still alive... well, hey, at least it wasn't you right?"

*Jorah yawns
"Amos should be done fucking himself by now. Lets go back to the inn, I wanna sleep. I need mah BEAUTY SLEEPS!"

She sees the conflicted expression on Daliu's face and makes a mental note to talk to him about it later. She heads back to the inn, remembering that there is a dead body in the building she tries to guide Daliu to her room so he doesn't have to see it.

They take hold of the cloaked man. "He is a fugitive from the Empire, and aided in treasonous activities."
The man is shaken awake. "Where is Henry?" the leader demands.
Despite being bruised all over, the man shakes his head. "Somewhere safe...out of your clutches."
They slap him, and slap him again. "I'll...never tell..."
"I'll ask you one last time, scum: Who do you serve?!"
The man makes an ugly smirk with swelling cheeks and crooked teeth.

"I- I serve....I SERVE THE EMPRAH!!"

The leader opens the man's throat with his dagger. "We're done here. Tell the others we're leaving."
They drop the blood gurgling corpse-to-be on the ground and walk away.
One of them heads over to the inn, where she and the other pair start dragging Gray out the door.

She tries her best to prevent Daliu from seeing the execution, though if one looks at her face one is easily able to tell that she is sad that it had to come to this.

Daliu shouts reflexively as the cloaked-man's corpse hits the ground. It is a long, drawn-out shout, that sounds throughout the street and into the inn. Daliu's muscles tense and he hyperventilates. He has seen death, but this is different:

There is no Mom and Dad to guide him, and only Saint Anthony knows where The Cook and Ali were taken. Without the calming presence of The Cook, or Ali's excellent swagger-based morality, Daliu is lost. His RESOLVE, though forged of the finest steel, is unable march forth without direction. Just when he had finally recovered from that fateful day, he lost everything again. The absence of a moral compass is overwhelming.

The cloaked-man's face did not lie. He seemed to genuinely care about this "Henry." Was Henry in danger? There are so many questions, and too many dishonest snakes in this world. Daliu can only rely in HIMSELF to answer them.

Daliu holds himself firm, holding onto his consciousness by clenching his teeth. He holds back his nausea with the anger boiling up inside of him. He pushes Touka's motherly arm away, and glares at the Seemingly Sugoi Shinobi.

Amos has finally finished his business. He puts away his papers in his bag, dons his glove, holsters his sheath & sword and leaves to the market. He makes sure to lock the room when he leaves.

He strolls down the sidewalks with relief. There is sanity and order in the streets. Amos doesn't fear that he will be hunted or have to endure yet another city being destroyed. He continues gleefully searching for a scribe's shop.

She kneels next to him placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "Answers can be gotten later, do not pick a fight with them unless you want to end up like that man." She whispers to him, getting up and trying again to lead him away.

Seeing Amos walking past without even noticing him, and a bunch of his comrades standing right outside of the inn staring aimlessly, Gray spits out the cloth from his mouth with his tongue and gag reflex.

(Stuff a sock into your mouth and see if anything stops you from spitting it out)

"HEEEEEELLLPP, GUISE! HALALALALP!"

Gray flails around wildly in conjunction with his screams, hoping his comrades notice the commotion.

"HAAAAAALALALAPALAP! HELP! HALP!"

Amos freezes. He slowly turns his head, afraid that what he'll see will rain on his parade of normalcy. And lo, he does.

"What is transpiring here? Are the lot of you beating a madman?"

Daliu once again pushes Touka's arm away and marches straight up to the Strange Seemingly Sinister Sugoi Shinobi.

"You spilled this mans blood. Now tell his story. All of it."

Daliu stoops down and soaks his hands in the blood that oozes from the cloaked-man's neck wound. When Amos walks past the shinobi, Daliu wipes the blood on Amos (anywhere on his body), not stopping until he wipes at least some of the blood on Amos. He then whispers in Amos' ear.

"Look upon this blood, Amos Daniels. This is most likely the blood of an innocent man, spilled by those hunters." He points at the Strange Seemingly Sinister Sugoi Shinobi. "Don't think for a moment that they'll leave this city peacefully. They're going to hunt through Belle's Cross until they find this Henry, who this man was protecting, and knowing your luck, you might find another arrow through your shoulder. Don't be so carefree. We mustn't let them out of our sight until we know their true purpose and origin.

"Even now, some of these Shinobi hold Lee Gray hostage in the inn."

Amos reels in shock from Daliu's newly developed personality. "Damn man, you are not at all the child that followed the swaggafid around. Whatever you learned in the church has changed you greatly." Amos pauses and takes looks around at the chaos again. He makes a stern face when he responds again. " 'likely' innocent means nothing. Whatever murder or 'sinful' activity is going on here it pales in comparison to what happened at Enarou. Furthermore, 'innocent' people are dying by the hundreds if not thousands every day at the hands of soldiers and famine. What makes this one death so much more significant than the death of ENTIRE NATIONS HUH!?" Amos is clearly enraged by the end of his last sentence.

She simply stands back watching the events unfold, though she keeps a hold on her club incase a fight breaks out.

"You said it yourself, the past weeks have been turbulent. Don't blame a child for changing. You speak of famines and nations, but you are just one man. Look at the death in front of you, Amos. That is what matters RIGHT NOW."

Daliu keeps his guard up, should he be attacked by anyone, including the Strange Seemingly Sinister Sugoi Shinobi or an uncharacteristically enraged A.D.

Amos steps back a few steps and faces the sinister sugoi ninja. "Can you do anything about this? Or is blood going to spill everywhere?"

Jorah leaves after hearing about his drinking buddy Gray.
Once he draws near the inn, he starts:

[singing Law the Second: Universal Entropy Increases]

Daliu moves towards the Surely Strange Seemingly Sinister Superior Sugoi Shinobi threateningly.

"Talk, cowards! Take responsibility for this life!"

Jorah's singing rings through Daliu's ears, but he is too focused on the Surely Strange Seemingly Sinister Superior Sugoi Shinobi to notice. Daliu has kept his guard up the entire time, and will automatically stop speaking and react to any movements by other people in the vicinity.

As Daliu steps forward to threaten the ninja, Touka roughly grabs his shoulder, preventing him from going over and shouting at the the ninjas. She looks him dead in the eyes, any warmth that was in her eyes and voice has vanished. "Boy, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"It is your choice whether more blood will be spilled," the leader replies, turning his chin up. "You have responsibility for your own life."

The street begins clearing of townsfolk as they begin to grasp the situation.

The three sugoi shinobi exit the inn, two carrying Gray over their shoulders. He has been gagged again, and this time the cloth is being held in place by the third. All three stop and make distraught expressions at the sight(and sound) of Jorah singing.

"Ah, there you are. Who is that?"
The leader's voice brings them back to reality. "This man is the one who fired the gun at us."
Gray's pistol is held up for display. "We asked how he obtained the weapon and who he served, but he answered us with lies and gibberish."
"He looks drunk," the woman adds.

The leader's eyes narrow in suspicion. "Hmmm, alcohol usually makes one more forthcoming with the truth. Ungag him."
"Sir?"
"If he tries to bite you or call for help, silence him for good."
Gray's mouth is unobstructed and he may speak freely.
"Are you willing to cooperate with the Empire now, and answer our questions?"

"Wuh? Wus happening, I wursh, huh?"

Gray can feel his IQ dropping by the dozen as he makes a fool of himself.

"Ah, ha question, ha ha ha, over there!"

Gray points towards the location of where Amos, Daliu, and Touka went.

The five direct intense stares at the people Gray points to. "He is with you?" the leader asks of them.

"I can promise you the rest of us ...besides Daliu... don't have malice towards you or your comrades."

She turns her attention from Daliu to the ninjas. "The drunk is with us, though I honestly can't understand how a man can get so drunk off of one mug of cheap alcohol?"

"Sir, we are losing time dealing with this. I doubt they are involved." The leader thinks it over for a moment.
"Hmph. You can have him back then." They perform a quick search of Gray's body and pack. After confiscating his other pistols and all of the ammunition, they toss him on the ground at Amos' feet.
"There. Tell him to keep his liquor under control in the future."

When Gray is thrown onto the ground, he recovers with surprising agility. With a deft roll all hint of drunkenness is instantly gone from Gray's eyes.

"Well, that's that, multiple Mr. Sugoi," Gray smiles standing in the relative safety of his party, "although I reckon it pains your heart to be separated from your adored child Henry, I do not believe it is sufficient reason to take my property is it? Truly, Fei is a long way from here."

Daliu sees that he has lost all momentum and stays his hand for the moment. He sears the image of the Suspicious Surely Strange Seemingly Sinister Superior Sugoi Shinobi into his mind.

[Waiting on detailed description from GM]

"I think they have every right to take away a murderer's property." She states flatly, her club rests at her side, though one is able to tell she is ready to strike at any moment.

[still singing]

Daliu analyzes the group of Feiren, consisting of three men, one woman, and one he can't tell. Their hair is cropped short. Their all black outfits are loose cloth near the wrist and ankle, and have leather padding at the shoulders, stomach, and thighs. They have sheathed knives strapped in numerous places. The leader is not distinguished by his outfit, which is the same as the rest, but by his disciplined stature, carrying himself like a lord.

The people with the excessively long and inaccurate nickname are only mildly surprised that Gray was pretending to be drunk.
"These weapons were crafted in Fei, and as such are the property of the Empire." the leader sneers. "Your filthy foreign hands are unworthy of wielding them."
"Don't worry, I'm sure your fellow cowards in Abatos will be happy to sell you their inferior copies," the woman taunts.
They turn their backs on the party and walk away.

Amos grumbles for half a minute and complains "Fucking weeaboos, thirty minutes in the future and is have just the stuff to give them a speckled run around of their own."

"Now that that's taken care of, what do we do about Lee? He will surely be wanted for murder."

"I assure you that I did not murder the innkeeper. You heard that Feiren woman didn't you, these firearm weapons are from Feiren apparently,"

Gray dusts off his shirt.

"So assuredly they were the ones who murdered the innkeeper."

Gray unrolls the bedroll, and takes out the last two pistols he hid inside of the pillow, and picks open the hidden pockets in his bag to reveal around a third of the ammo he took from Estelle's wagon.

"Good thing it was a quick search eh? What they don't know won't hurt them, although I do not see why you guys even helped those Shinobi catch that man, they didn't seem like good guys."

"Your point? The nation of Fei supply weapons across the world, unless you plan on killing all the patrons of the inn who witnessed you murdering someone, your a wanted man."

"I would be worrying less about myself when, you, Ms. Touka are in league with the agents for murdering that man who ran. Even if you believe that you are innocent, that man wouldn't have died if not for your intervention."

Gray shakes his head.

"I'm sure plenty of people saw you incapacitate that man, plenty more saw you hand him to those agents, getting him killed. Mind you this is the sovereign territory of Jaquim, so it makes no difference if those Feiren agents are on official duty or not."

"I'll admit my actions lead to his death, and I'll gladly own up to it, you on the other hand faked being inebriated and fired upon a group of people. When you got caught you kept up your act and ,from my point of view, tried to get us to go down with you. I'd like to a good reason as to why we shouldn't turn you in?"

As if on the cue of a sadistic director, a dozen town guards arrive on the scene just as the agents slip out of view.
"Now wot's causing all this here ruckus? We heard there was some evil magics used."

"Several Fei ninjas perused a fleeing man, I assisted and subdued the fleeing man thpugh regrettably leading to the leader killing the man after questioning him. While this man," she gestures to Lee. "pretended to be drunk and opened fire on the group of ninja killing the innkeeper."

"So, uh, do we get a prize? I want mah prize!"

"Wow, they were serious about ninjas, huh?"
"Why would we give you a prize?" a guard asks Jorah.
Another guard lays his hand on Gray. "Is what the wench says true? Did you see ninjas killing the innkeeper?"

"Yes, indeed they did kill the innkeeper, I tried to stop them but they shot him in cold blood. Not only did they kill the innkeeper, they killed this man too! Although I doubt they were ninjas by any stretch of the definition."

Gray gestures towards the corpse on the ground, which he notices has a wound on its throat.

(acting and speech check to seem genuinely stunned and shaken)

"As you can see this man was running away from a large group of people who proclaim to be from Feiren, but sadly he was apprehended and his throat slit. We were all witnesses of this heinous act of disregard for human life."

Gray shakes his head sadly.

"They ran away that way, their movements too fast for us to even follow with our eyes. Truly a bunch of trained killers."

"Ninjas didn't kill the innkeeper, the man your asking did, he even holds copies of the gun he used." She holds out her club to the authorities in a non threatening manner. "This was the weapon I used to subdue the man, there are hidden spikes within the club but they can't make the wound used to kill the man, not to mention there is no blood on them."

"Dangit, I wanted a prize for stopping tha running man. Oh, well. Dis guy" Jorah points at Gray "Did shoot the gun, but I don't think he hit anything. The Super Sugoi Shinobi Ninjas took the weapons, so I'd assume they killed the innkeeper... probably because he wanted them to leave."

"She must quite muddled to assume that I killed the innkeeper because I also own guns, BUT, those ninjas had firearms with them contrary to what their name would imply. I can understand the source of her misconceptions, as she was running out of the inn in a hurry at the time of the incident, but I would never murder another man!"

Gray points at the corpse on the ground.

"But they would."

The guard commander, a gaunt man with a bushy mustache, starts giving a flurry of commands. "Barnes, Mag, check the inn for bodies. You four, head the way the man pointed, see if you can find any traces of the "ninjas". Everyone else stand by."

He turns back to the group. "This is all very confusing. From what I understand, ninjas with guns were chasing the innkeeper, and you-" he points to Touka, "subdued him, so that this man here-" he points to Gray "could kill him. But then, he didn't kill him? And then, the ninjas ran away, so then who killed this fellow on the ground?"
He shakes his head. "Does anyone else here have an eyewitness account? It would help clear things up."