Chocolate Destiny ARC 2: A detour to Dorou

Daliu breathes a sigh of relief, and thanks the heavens for answering his wish.

"Step forward, slowly out of the circle. What is your name?"

She exits the circle. "Irma Pierce, sir?"

"Why did you run the first time, Irma Pierce?"

"My, my family is waiting for me at Belle's Cross! They have to know I'm okay!"

"So you're a traveler? I wish you had listened to the brothers at the edge of town. They warned you for your own good, so that your family wouldn't have to worry. We warn you for your own safety"

Daliu stresses his next point.

"We are in dark times, Irma. No doubt you have heard of the dreaded acid-spitters, and their murderous plans. If they take Dorou, Belle's Cross will be next, and you and your family will be dead within hours. What good will running do then?"

"If you are purified, Irma, and you take an oath, swearing to work diligently and to stay in Dorou until the war is won, you may live a long life with your family. But you must MEAN IT, every SINGLE word. There is no room for error here; our foe is too great. If you break your oath you will be hunted down and killed, lest the safety of our world be jeopardized."

Daliu looks straight into her eyes, searching for any sign of falsehood or guilt. He is not sure if he can spot it, but he sure as hell tries, hoping beyond hope that he can save this woman, and that she would hold true to her word. Lee Gray is wrong. There is...there MUST BE good in these people...

"What say you, Irma?"

"Yes, I swear I will work until the war is won."

Daliu feels the tears welling up in his eyes. For that moment, his fears and doubts are swept away.

"Good...good, Irma. You have made the right choice. Come here-"

Daliu motions excitedly for Irma to kneel before him. She complies, and Daliu can see up close the scars of a hard life on her face. She can't be older than twenty, yet work and hardship have worn her out. Toiling in a rich lord's household all day, only to come home and feed her starving family. The world is not yet just. Justice must still be fought for.

Daliu fumbles his Tricorv, clumsy in his eagerness to purify her, and the holy symbol begins to emit a soft glow. He presses it to Irma's forehead, and her face smooths out, all the wrinkles and worry-lines melting away in an expression of peace. She looks truly young again.
"Let body bring forth its ails."
Daliu presses the symbol to Irma's chest.
"Let soul bring forth its ails."
Irma's chest tightens as the Tricorv contacts her.
"The sins are gone, and evil laid bare."
Daliu thinks back to his time in Father Mayhew's church, and remembers the Wildfire. Unfortunately, he does not have any with him, but it can be improvised. He holds the Tricorv up to Irma's face, with the flames touching her lips.

"Drink through the flames. Take in the pure air, scorched clean by the Lord's fire."

A moment after Irma breathes in, her eyes widen and her pupils constrict. Her spine suddenly straightens, and a knowing smile graces her lips. Daliu remembers this feeling well, and he grins at her moment of clarity.

"It is done," Daliu declares, smiling as Father Mayhew did in that grand church of his.

"Now, you have sworn yourself to our cause. Contemplate the weight of your duty while I purify the others." Daliu bids Irma to lay down on the ground there until further prisoners are processed. He instructs her to hold the next person's ankles when they are purified, and lay down in a similar manner, thus forming a chain. Samwell reloads the pistol.

"Come forth, whoever's next."

A wiry young native man with spiky hair emerges, clad in a loose coat and beige linen pants. His eyes quickly dart over his surroundings.
He holds his arms out and smiles nervously. "Hey man, I'm alright. I'll help you fight the acid spitters," he says in a friendly tone.

"What is your name, and why did you run the first time?"

He briefly looks to the left before answering. "Cam Mitchell, at your service. I ran because I was scared to fight, but I'm not anymore."

Daliu follows Cam's gaze, trying to see what Cam was looking at, and watching for signs of treachery.

"Very good, Cam. And what changed your mind?"

To Cam's left is the nearest street intersection. He shrugs. "Oh, well I figure, if a kid your age ain't afraid to kill, then I guess I got no excuse, right?"

Daliu narrows his eyes. Every life is precious, but to allow mischief to rein free will jeopardize them all. Cam is not to be trusted. Daliu doubts his integrity.

Daliu holds his pistol at the ready. He keeps his guard up for any sudden movements.

"Crawl slowly out of the circle, Cam." Samwell restrains and gags Cam as soon as he crawls out of the barrier. Daliu takes the executioners axe while also keeping his pistol at Cam's back. Barlden continues guarding the entrance with the spear. Daliu and Samwell take Cam to nearby area where the prisoners cannot see them.

Daliu executes Cam with the axe.

Cam slips through the gap in the barrier with ease. But when Samwell tries to restrain him, Cam attempts to dodge.
[Sam, Cam]

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It does not work. Samwell scoops Cam up and carries him around the corner.
"HEY! WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! I SAID I WAS GONNA HELP YOU!" he screams, kicking and struggling in Sam's arms.
His mouth is then gagged by Barlden. Cam's screaming is greatly reduced in volume, but Daliu can make out the words due to his close proximity. "LET ME GO!"
After walking about a block away, Samwell plants him prostrate on the ground, pushing his head forward. Daliu raises the axe.
Cam's teeth are clenched, his eyes and forehead scrunched up in fury and disbelief.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU STUPID K-"
DECAPITATION
Cam is kill

Samwell shakes his head as he cleans up the mess. "I don't get it, why did you have to kill him?"

A bitter tear rolls down Daliu's cheek. "May Rhea forgive you," he mutters to Cam's corpse.

Daliu turns to Samwell. "He was not to be trusted. His betrayal would ruin everything. The fate of this village, and the world, rests in a gentle balance. I had to be absolutely sure he was telling the truth, and I wasn't. I will live with this decision for the rest of my life."

He beckons Samwell to return back to the barrier with him. "Leave the body. I will burn it myself when this is finished. I will...burn all the corpses when this is finished, and pray for their souls. Now, the prisoners must be calmed. You and Barlden will not speak when we return, lest the prisoners panick."

When they return to Barlden, Samwell whispers Daliu's command of silence in Barlden's ear as Daliu speaks to the prisoners.

"After further questioning, Cam confessed that he planned to escape after taking his oath. He was executed for treason." Daliu's voice grows as loud as his young lungs will allow, but it is reinforced by his RESOLVE. "You must mean every word you say as you take this oath. God is watching. God is listening. God will know. All pretenders will be executed. There is no room for lies. Next. Prisoner."

Daliu and Samwell return to see Barlden struggling to push an enraged man back through the gap in the barrier. Within the spear hedge a woman sits against the building wall, clutching at the spear half stuck in her chest. A third person appears to be crawling out from between the planks.

Daliu shoots the third person trying to crawl out from between the planks. If Daliu misses, he goes after the man with his sword. (This was OOC, due to misinterpretation of GM's description).

At the same time, Samwell helps Barlden contain the enraged man.

[Roleplay to come later]

Having too little space to maneuver, Samwell and Barlden let the man exit the barrier before grabbing him together and slamming him to the ground.
"RITA! I'LL SEE YOU IN-" He is quickly gagged.
Daliu takes aim at the escapee...

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'fudge' :

His shot hits the building instead, eliciting more screams from inside. Daliu draws his sword and moves into the barrier. The man stands up as Daliu takes a swing at him.

The member 'Corenat Rovarnus' has done the following action : Dice Roll\'d

'fudge' :

His sword inflicts a flesh wound, and the man drops back down, bleeding out next to the spear ridden woman.

Daliu hastily backs out of the spear barrier and executes the man that Samwell and Barlden are holding down, making sure to incapacitate him with a sword wound if he is struggling too much for Daliu to get a clean blow.

He then apologizes to the man that he inflicted a flesh wound on inside the barrier. "Apologies, I thought you were coming out of the barrier. A dark evil must be playing tricks on my eyes. Were you trying to escape?"

The man grits his teeth in a half smile. Ragged black hair obscures his eyes.
"No...not that I could have, on your watch." He coughs.

"Show me your eyes, stranger. Why did you exit the building without being told to come forth?"

He looks up, brushing away his hair. His eyes have a milky-white tint to them, and small scars cross them.
"I...I knew they were trying to escape. Tried to stop them...didn't want...their love to end this way." He coughs. "Too late now..."

Daliu is impressed by this man's commitment to stop the star-crossed lovers from making that mistake. Trace on.

"Good man. Pity they didn't listen. What's your name? Why did you run the first time?"

"Angelo Bastis," he replies. "I...didn't run...was sleeping here when this all started.."

"I will treat you, and you will explain."

Daliu bids Samwell bring Angelo out of the circle. Daliu then uses his medkit to treat Angelo's flesh wound. He further examines Angelo for race, accent, age, build, and perceived allegiances.

"Who are you, and what happened?"

Angelo has tan skin, and his accent suggests he hails from northern Jaquim. He looks to be in his late 20s.
His breathing and speech become more consist as Daliu patches him up.
"I...really don't know anymore. I've been 3 years banished from fief Serpiente. Been moving south, to get on a boat at Enarou and leave this country. Too many bad memories. I was holed up here when I heard what happened. Knew I had to turn round. Had a bad habit of drinking myself to sleep every night, and waking up late. Then just a couple days ago I woke up to find the place all boarded up. The holy brothers apologized, they couldn't let me out without letting the others out too."

Daliu nods, seeing a face of sin, but it is a face that can be saved. He could resolve these sins.

"Whatever demons were chasing you, Angelo, your soul is safe here with us," Daliu said. But was that true? Daliu's personal shadow demon had followed him all the way from Enarou. What was Angelo running from?

"What were you banished for? Confessing your sins can help the bad memories go away."

"Regardless, you cannot leave Dorou now. The acid-spitters threaten the existence of all mankind. Are you willing to swear service and secrecy?"

"I fell in love with the wrong man's daughter. The Dark Lord made me pay dearly. I'll swear, if only because I have no other purpose."

"Very well, your oaths are accepted."
Daliu performs the same purification ritual and bids Angelo lie down and Irma hold his ankles.

He complies, and the process goes without a hitch. Samwell and Barlden move the bodies away.
The next man to emerge is a dark skinned man of Tuong with a scraggly grayish beard. He wears only beige breeches and sits cross-legged on the ground.

"What's your name? Why did you run the first time?"

He holds his chin high, a defiant gaze in his eyes. "Ikembe Nugoc. I run because I refuse to serve another land's king or god."

Daliu waits until Samwell and Barlden are at the ready, and then makes that he has a clear shot towards Ikembe, without giving his intentions away. He then aims his gun at Ikembe and shoots.

The man does not move from his spot on the ground, giving Daliu the easiest shot he has had all day.
*BANG* Ikembe is kill

After that Daliu meets no more resistance. One by one, the remaining twenty-three all swear the oaths and are assigned to construction duty.

Daliu surreptitiously follows the newly sworn workers after they are assigned to construction duty, to test their loyalty. He keeps an eye out for Brother Gareth or the Dragon, as he wishes to speak with them.

The workers appear to have complete loyalty. Daliu runs into Brother Gareth, who is astonished at the measure of success.
"You've definitely earned the right to wear that Tricorv," he remarks. "But how did you do it? I'm sure some of them tried to escape."

Daliu thanks Brother Gareth.

"As I said before, brother, they were to choose between obedience and death. I will burn the dissenters' bodies today, to give them a proper funeral."

He then changes the topic.

"I would like to ask God's Messenger some questions tonight when the work is done. Could you interpret for me, as I am still learning the Holy Tongue?"

Gareth shakes his head. "Perhaps I should have clarified earlier. The work is not done simply because it is night. The half of us who have slept during the day wake up and continue. This great work will not be done for days yet, and God's Messenger does not rest. But I will ask if you can be heard."

"Yes. Please do, brother Gareth."

Daliu then works alongside Angelo, asking him more about this Dark Lord that pursues him.

"Ah yeah, what a cruel man. He rules all of Serpiente up north, I don't know how the King allows it. His left eye's an empty socket, which is probably why he likes to punish by blinding. Pray you never meet him."

"How did you come to know and love his daughter?"

A dreamy expression fills his eyes. "Ah, it was like that story, the one with the gnomes and everything? Well sort of, anyway. I was an up and coming man at arms, just rotated back from the Lymeshan border. One hallowed night I stumbled out of the hall after evening meal, when I heard the most beautiful thing. Like dragonsong it was, at least as close as a human could get to it. You ever heard a dragon sing?"

"If you haven't then you're outta luck," a lay brother says in passing. "Ol' Red's a fighter, not a lover."

"I followed the sound of the voice through twisting halls and stairs, some primal need driving me to seek the source.
In one of the private gardens I set eye upon a divine being taken human form. Red as a rose her hair was, and luscious lips to match.
I'm not a poet or sculptor, but I knew it was then that I'd found my muse, you know?

My heart sank when I found out she was promised to another, a Lord Knight come down from the capital.
I tried to visit her every day, but she was the Dark Lord's niece, and so closely watched by guards and other high-ups.
Serpiente's a big place, so we arranged to meet in secret in a different location every week.

It would have worked out too, if that miserable bard hadn't interfered. Quince damn that old bastard! Should've retired to the countryside years ago, before he started going bald. That's how we knew he'd seen us, when white locks dropped on the stones from above. We were in...a compromising position at the time. He went straight to her father, ratted us out. Wasn't long before I was dragged before the Dark Lord by the same men who'd fought by my side.”

"What did the Dark Lord do, when they dragged you before him? What is his name, and where does he rule?"

"The nobility call him Nicholas Flynnfield, the Mace Duke. His judgment was swift, allowing me only a few words before hauling me down to the dungeon, where his sadistic butcher took my sight. His domain lies to the northwest, stretching from the Ixiesh Mountains to the edge of the King's Reach."

"Daliu!" It's Brother Gareth. "God's Messenger has agreed to meet you at sundown. Take care of any business you have before then."
Samwell and Barldon help Daliu to pile up the bodies of all the dissenters and burn them.

The dragon lies curled up in the town square, observing villagers moving machinery about.
Daliu approaches, and it dips its head to stare. It growls a short phrase.
"You have ten minutes," the priest translates. "State your business."