Chocolate Destiny ARC 2: A child's confession

Divergence from: https://churchofproz.forumotion.net/t1355p100-chocolate-destiny-arc-2#26763

Daliu Ayime waits patiently in the small receiving room of the Equinince Church with Lucas van Luft, the Swaggafid woman, and several residents of Torean. The elderly woman who lead them in did not tell him what purification was, and so he asked again.
This time he was answered by a holy brother, with a tonsured head and robes.
"Every man is born with a hidden kernel of evil, tempting us towards sin. Only a Saint can live their whole life without giving in to at least one temptation, and so the common man must seek forgiveness for his most grievous sins in order to save his soul. High ranking priests such as Father Mayhew are ordained by God to root out this hidden evil, and thus purify the people by turning them to the service of the Lord. Port Enarou had fallen so deeply into vice and sin that it manifested into a dark curse over the town, transforming the people into twisted man-eating monsters to match the evil contained within. You have likely seen this with your own eyes. The ones who fled carried the curse with them, waiting to burst like an overripe melon. And so they must be purified of their sins to lift the curse, lest they spread it to countless others."

Suddenly, Lee Gray briskly walks back up the steps, looks around, and continues straight through the doorway they came in through.
"Stop him! He has not been purified yet!" a voice shouts from below. The townsfolk snap out of their silent vigil, and run after Gray.
"Alas, we may have purified many of Enarou's sinners that came through this town," the holy brother remarks, "But even with the aid of Saint Anthony, some manage to slip out of our grasp."

"Go, child," the woman points at Daliu, "It is your turn to be cleansed."

Daliu enters the confessional booth and meets Father Mayhew, with his multicolored robes and holy symbol.
"That man fled in the face of his redemption, and denied his sin. I believe he was from pagan Abatos. But you, my son, you are of the faith, aren't you?"
Daliu nods. He has never been to a proper church like this, but while they were alive his parents taught him to pray to this God in times of need.
"You are young, and have not had as much opportunity as a grown man. Even so, are there sins you wish to confess?"

Daliu's head goes fuzzy, as he watches Lee Gray walk up the steps and out the door.

That sallow face. That slender frame. That soppy hair. Daliu had always thought that Lee Gray looked familiar, but now his synapses fire at full speed. A Shadow creeps into his mind, lurking around the corner: around the streets and alleyways of his beloved hometown of Enarou...

...The moment the flames struck, Daliu had seared Enarou's image into his mind. His parents' cozy home. The bakery across the street. The road to Little Timmy's house, where they teased girls and played with wooden swords. Those carefree times were burnt to ash that day, never to be relived again. Daliu's Mom and Dad were dead. So was the baker, and the girls that he and Little Timmy would tease.
But where was Little Timmy? He and his parents had left for Jaquim that day, to meet their uncle. Daliu makes a prayer sign, hoping that they left town before the ghouls struck.

Everything was normal that afternoon, except for one thing. There was a Shadow lurking around the town that day... A Shadow that crept between the angry mob of refugees, as they torched everything in sight.

A Shadow.
A Shadow.
A Shadow.
That-


Daliu gasps and grips his forehead. It burns, hot as the walls of his house when they collapsed on him. Only then does he realize that the woman is beckoning him towards the confessional. He shuffles toward the booth in a haze and scoots onto the bench, peering past the tattered grate into Father Mayhew's eyes.

Without realizing, Daliu shrinks back. Father Mayhew isn't scary at all. Daliu doesn't feel any hostility from him. But this priest still has a presence that makes the air in the cramped confessional feel thick and heavy. Daliu gazes back at the priest, trying not to lose against his presence. He nods mechanically to the Father's questions, and begins recounting his adventures since that fateful day...

...

"...but then The Prince stopped the caravan, and began shouting at the crossbow woman. I was confused, and didn't know what was going on. My father, the Cook, urged me to stand, and we ran together to defend The Prince." Daliu sobs; his tears flow freely by now. "Before I knew it, something fast hit me, and I was flying towards Lee Gray,
thatShadow

"and then The Prince...The Prince killed her!" says Daliu, struggling through the static to finish.

"But, don't you see, Father?! I killed her! I just...stood by while The Prince chopped her head off. The Prince was kind to me, but there must have been another way. And that wasn't even the worse part..."

Dark stormclouds, and the goddess' horrible, chilling laugh run through Daliu's mind.

"Something...took The Prince and my father. I don't even know how to describe it. The sky opened up...a green light shined down from the heavens...and some sort of demon..." Daliu breaks down, unable too finish recounting his memory. "You are right, Father. There is some great evil that lies over this land. How else could all these horrible things happen?" Daliu suddenly gasps and leans forward, hanging off the grate that separates him from Father Mayhew.

"I've seen it, Father! The 'hidden kernel of evil' that the holy brother says lies within each of us. Mine took the form of a hideous shadow, and haunts me as I wake and as I sleep. It's been bothering me since the day this all began. What does this mean, Father?"

Father Mayhew's face softens. "You have suffered much in your short life, my son. Yet do not blame yourself for what has happened. You are still a child, and had you tried to intervene your life would have been cut even shorter. God has other plans for you, that you must live to see them through."
He scratches his chin in contemplation, worry entering his expression. "This...shadow...it seems to be a different kind of evil, born not of simple neglect, but of active malevolence. I fear I cannot help you against it, and Saint Anthony deals mainly with monsters of the flesh. But I know now that you are destined for great things, my son, and someone or something wishes to prevent you from achieving them. Perhaps they are connected, this great evil befalling Jaquim and the shadow you wrestle with. If you defeat one, the other will surely follow. "

Daliu is crestfallen at the news that he must further endure the Shadow. But he remembers the RESOLVE that his father taught him, and refuses to shed one more tear.

"Thank you, Father Mayhew, for your kind words and comfort. I just wish my adoptive father and my parents were here with me as well... But who would interfere with my destiny? I never hurt anybody in my life. I don't even know what I'm destined for. Please father, give me guidance," says Daliu.

The gears turn in his mind, sharpening it prematurely. What does a young boy know of man's Greed, and the callous methods used to fulfill it? The Shadow brought him this lesson, quickly and cruelly.

Father Mayhew crouches down to Daliu's level.
"I will tell you what I have told many other children who have lost their way. You have no doubt heard it before, but it is important to remember: Do what is right. Kings and nobles may punish you for disobeying their laws, but in disobeying God's law you punish yourself. As a child, and even when you are grown, you may find yourself powerless to stop evil from occurring. But do not despair, and do not blame yourself. Take note of what has happened, so that God's servants may enact His justice later. See what makes the Shadow stronger, and reject it with all your heart. I have no doubt doing God's work will have the opposite effect, and in time you will gain the power to banish it completely. Who knows? You might even be one of the bringers of justice yourself."

He stands up. "Now, are you prepared to be purified of this paltry curse?"

"Yes Father, I am ready."

Father Mayhew touches his holy symbol, which begins to emit a soft glow. He presses it to Daliu's forehead, and an invisible wave of calm washes over.
"Let body bring forth its ails."
Mayhew presses the symbol to the boy's chest.
"Let soul bring forth its ails."
Daliu feels a strange constricting sensation gathering at the point of contact.
"The sins are gone, and evil laid bare."
There is a goblet filled with water in the priest's hand. With the other he reaches into his robes and takes out a small vial containing a brilliant orange liquid, swirling with streaks of yellow and red.
"In the Lord's name, by fire be purged."
He opens the stopper, allowing a single drop to exit the vial and dissolve into the goblet, turning its contents a duller shade of that same orange.
"Drink, my son."
As the solution pours down Daliu's throat it seems to grow warm and thin, then disappears entirely before reaching the stomach. The goblet is empty, yet it feels like he hasn't drunk a drop. He stares quizzically at Father Mayhew.

Then it hits him.

Wildfire. Coursing through every vein, invigorating every muscle, every ounce of his body. Daliu feels more alive than he has in years.
The constriction in his chest is gone, replaced by something lighter than air.
A powerful, primal force has taken hold of him, but he is not afraid.
What is its name? It burns like flame, yet he feels no pain.
And then...something he has never experienced before.
A flash of absolute clarity, absolute control.
For a moment, it is as if he is on top of the world, capable of anything.
For a moment, he is a giant looking down on tiny problems that seemed so large to a small child.
For a moment, he catches a glimpse of the Shadow's true nature. It is no insurmountable force, but a mortal creation.
The moment of clarity passes, as does Daliu's brief empowerment.
But he now knows the name of this force: it is RESOLVE, taken corporeal form.

"It is done," Father Mayhew declares. He gives Daliu a warm smile.

Daliu is momentarily overwhelmed by the sublime concoction, but recovers his composure and thanks the Father.

"You have been very good to me, Father Mayhew. I ask one more favor of you, kind sir. You have opened my eyes, and shown me that my fate is to vanquish evil in Jaquim, dealing with dangers unknown. May I have a holy symbol of the faith, and some of your holy elixir, so that I may give myself strength in hard times? Having the Lord's will by my side would be a godsend."

Father Mayhew chuckles.
"The Lord's will is always by your side, my son, so long as you know right from wrong. The holy elixir merely opened your eyes to His purpose. You must build up your own courage and strength rather than relying on the unreliable. Your enemies can take away a potion, but they cannot take away your faith."
He lifts the holy symbol from his neck and places it in Daliu's hands. "This is yours now. I have been raised to bishop, so I have no more need of it."
The symbol glows slightly.
"You may go now, and with it spread God's wisdom wherever you wander. Or if you wish, Saint Anthony might be willing to take you under his tutelage to become a paladin. If you prove yourself worthy in his eyes, you can then be trusted with the more...esoteric secrets of our order."
He shakes the vial.

Daliu takes the symbol and bids Father Mayhew farewell, starting on the long path to Jaquim.

[DALIU AYIME HAS ENTERED THE FRAY]

"Wait! It's dark out there, at least stay the night." Daliu spends the night in a cozy cot in a church backroom.


Come morning, Daliu sets out on the road to Domiente with a pack of supplies provided by the church. It is only a matter of time before he encounters someone.

Daliu hears some strange whistling. It is coming from the group of four people up ahead, two of which he recognizes as AD and Lee Gray.

Convergence Initiated: https://churchofproz.forumotion.net/t1355p150-chocolate-destiny-arc-2#26980