MLII C7, P4- "By The Grace Of The Mountain"

"By The Grace Of The Mountain" is the fourth Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's seventh Chapter. It was released on 09.07.2021.
== Plot ==
Soon after leaving the safe confines of his encampment and shaking off the bad feeling of being controlled by a powerful force not far away from him, he comes across a large mountain, the next challenge that stands in his way. Once there, he starts to explore it, hoping to find the answers that he seeks. 
A chance to shine has presented itself. A light that illuminates everything that it touches. A clue that will allow our brave hero to solve the mystery of Life itself once and for all.
It is time for Jared to face his Destiny once again and gather yet another powerful item that will allow him to defeat the enemies that dare to stand in his path.
== Story ==
Once the torch illuminates the cave, Jared starts to blink a bit faster. Slowly but surely, his eyes adjust to the light.
When he does, he hears something suspicious. Thinking that it is just his imagination, he shrugs it off and decides to move on with his task.
But then, he hears it again. It is quiet, just at the edge of perception. But still audible.
"Exploring a cave like this is always a bad idea."- Jared says to himself as another memory is refreshed within his mind- "The last time I did this, I was almost crushed by the falling rocks. And I barely survived the fight against that... that... creature."
He shudders as he remembers how he had to fight his first Unbound not too long ago. He was by himself, alone... but not afraid.
At first, he feels afraid. What if one of the Unbound ran away and ended up here? What if he is walking right into a trap right now? 
If so, this could all be over. And, perhaps, sooner than he thinks.
But this is not the right time to be afraid of what you have to fight and he knows it. Moving on and fighting the enemies that stand in your way is of utmost importance. It must not be shunned.
At this moment, Jared remembers the advice that his grandfather gave him before he left his hometown. Lost in thought, he does not pay attention to the spirit that coalesces in front of him.
A moment later, he feels the energy that flows within her. An aura of kindness and determination that never wavers, no matter who she has to face and how many people she has to help.
Thinking that he will see his mother again, Jared looks up.
"Mom."- He mutters- "I appreciate the advice that you are giving me. I love you. I really do. But I am afraid that this is not the right ti-- "
Then, he looks closer. He sees an elderly woman, quite lively for her old age.
And she is smiling.
"Jared, dearie."- She says to him, slightly concerned- "You know who I am, don't you?"
Jared stares at her for a moment, confused. But then, a new memory seeps into his mind.
He finally remembers who she is. Without any hesitation, he runs to the old woman and embraces her.
"Grandma!"- He says as his eyes fill with tears- "So it is true! You came back!"
Tanya smiles.
"Oh. I never left, dear."- She says- "I was just waiting patiently for the moment when I could finally meet you. In person."
She looks down.
"Or, rather."- She adds- "As a spirit."
Jared nods.
"I was always thinking about you. The moment when I could finally see the person who saved my father and my grandfather. I never stopped believing that you would come to help me in my time of need."- He says solemnly- "I am glad that my prayers have finally been answered."
Tanya nods.
"I will always protect you, dear."- She says- "No matter what it takes, I will shield you from the forces of evil. All of you."
Jared remembers how he managed to defend himself from the evil that tried to take control of his mind. Even without mentioning it, it is clear that someone else gave him the strength to fight back and defeat it.
Could it be? Could it really be his own grandma?
"Grandma."- He says and embraces her again- "Thank you. Thank you for everything that you have done for us. Thank you for everything that you are still doing. You are a bright light that illuminates our lives and makes us realize that family is what truly matters for all of us."
He looks up.
"I will make a promise and do my best to keep it."- He continues- "Up until my last breath, I will continue to protect the people in this world, no matter if they are from our family or not. In your name, I will defeat our enemies and make a name for myself. A name that will allow everyone to know that there is still hope for them, that there is still a chance to drive away the aura of desperation, of despair that are trying to bring us down. Nothing will stand in my way, no matter how many foes I have to fight and challenges I have to face. I shall always emerge victorious. And it will all be done for you, dear grandma."
Even though she is a spirit, Tanya cannot help but shed a tear to Jared's determination and kind words.
"Jared. Let me tell you something that you have never heard before."- She says to him- "When I was at the docks, I had to make a decision. That night, someone had to die. But the decision was in my hands, whether it would be me... or your grandpa. One of us had to die to protect your father from those vagabonds. And, even though I was still angry at him for being such an evil person, I still loved him. I still cared about him and wanted to see him safe and sound. So, I made this decision without any hesitation. I stayed behind to ensure the safety of our future family, the legacy of Kaos that would be written on the stone, like a code of honor that will be remembered for generations to come. And, when I did, I cared only about the future ahead of us. Your father- he was the future. He was the one who was going to bring a new hope to this world. And bring life to a new generation of heroes who would uphold the law without any fear. At that point, I was a lost soul. A person with no future who would only remember the events of the past that led up to this. But... our family. It is the one that holds the future within its grasp."
She sighs.
"When I died, I regretted my decision. I wanted to see you. To hold you in my arms. To tell you that everything would be alright. To treat you like a kind and loving grandmother could. I knew that you would be the light in our lives... and that is what I told your grandfather before I passed."
She smiles.
"And I see that your family did a great job to guide you towards the path of a hero."- She finishes- "I'm very sorry about the friends and family that you lost along the way. I really am. But what I see here, it is different. You, my dear, are already perfect in every aspect. Becoming a true hero is indeed your destiny, but you don't need to fulfill it."
She looks up at him.
"Is it really what you want?"- She asks him- "Do you really want to become what you're meant to be, even if it means that you will not make it out in the end?"
Jared nods. Without any hesitation, he says:
"My life has always been a mess. Ever since I was born, I was struggling with my own demons, with my own problems."- He says- "However, being a hero is something that I was destined to do from the beginning. Most of the time, I risk my life for people that I do not even know. But it does not matter. Being a hero is a destiny that I am ready to fulfill at all costs. And I will not run away from my destiny, no matter who tries to stop me."
Tanya nods.
"It seems like you possess the true spirit of the Kaos family, after all. That's good. Your father taught you well."- She says- "But the path ahead of you is filled with dangers. It will not be easy to fulfill this sacred task. Not without the help of someone else."
She extends her left hand.
"So."- She continues- "Allow me to be your guide. Together, we shall defeat our enemies and let the world know that there are still people who truly care about them. What do you say?"
Jared nods.
"Grandma, I am always eager to call you my ally."- He says- "Well then. What are we waiting for? Let us proceed."
Tanya nods.
"Yes! That's the spirit, my dear!"- She exclaims as she disappears and becomes one with Jared's soul.
Jared closes his eyes. In the deepest confines of his mind, he sees her.
"I am never far away from you, dear."- She says- "Wherever you go, I will always be close. I will always help you fulfill this sacred task. You will never be alone. Now go and good luck."
Jared nods.
"I will, grandma."- He says- "I will win this fight."
Having said that, he continues to walk further into the cave, undisturbed by the constant rumbles coming from the ceiling above him.
Once he is far enough into the cave, he comes across a dead end. 
"This is not it."- He says to himself- "I am sure that there is more. There has to be!"
"Keep exploring, dear."- His grandma says within his mind- "I sense a powerful energy deep in here. A light that beckons you to come closer."
It takes our hero a few moments to find that one of the stones is not firmly in place. It seems to be slightly loose.
Remembering how he discovered a secret room not long ago, he pushes the button. Soon, an opening appears in front of him.
Jared manages to squeeze through. When he does, he discovers a small, white altar. On top of it rests a large, white gem.
"I recognize this gem!"- Tanya says- "It's a heavenly diamond!"
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"Heavenly... diamond?"- He mutters.
Tanya makes a reassuring noise.
"The heavenly diamond is one of the most powerful gems that has ever existed, a mystical vessel that holds a power of light that commoners can only dream of."- She says- "Having one in your possession means that you are a true hero. And it seems like this one has chosen you as its master."
Jared nods.
"Should I... take it?"- He asks his grandma.
Tanya sighs.
"To be honest, I'm not sure whether we should do this or not."- She says to him- "Taking such a powerful item is usually a bad omen, perhaps leading to an irreversible mistake. But I feel like it could be vital for us, so go ahead. Give it a try."
Jared sighs as well.
"Now that you are saying it, this really feels like a perfectly coordinated trap that would block our only way out."- He says- "However, something tells me that this instrument of pure light is too rare to leave behind in a cave like this one. So, let us take it out of here."
Knowing that it could be vital to completing his sacred task and finding his inner peace, Jared carefully pries the heavenly diamond out of its resting place and takes a look around, concerned that he might have triggered some sort of dangerous trap.
However, there is no such thing. At least for now.
"It seems like we have managed to avoid the altar's curse."- Tanya says to her grandson- "Let's get out of here before-- "
A few moments later, the ceiling starts to shake violently again. Chunks of rock start to fall down, getting bigger and bigger as time passes.
"This is the right time to leave."- Tanya says- "Hurry!"
Jared listens to his grandmother's advice. He dashes forward and leaves the cave just as a group of stone golems is created out of the magical rocks and starts to look around.
He also manages to narrowly avoid another group of golems and slay two of them before they can lay their hands on him.
On the way to the exit, however, a group of bandits blocks his way.
They laugh.
"Well, look who it is."- One of them says and laughs- "The mighty Jared Kaos. Hero of Avernum. Savior of the people. Trapped in a small cave with no way out."
They draw their weapon and point them at him.
"How does it feel to be cornered, hero?"- He asks him.
Jared shakes his head.
"Are you crazy?!"- He yells- "This whole cave is going to collapse on us. The only thing that you are doing right now is dooming yourself along with me!"
The bandits laugh again.
"It doesn't matter."- The first bandit says- "We want be the ones who kill you. We will make you pay for killing our leaders!"
Jared sighs.
"Another act of pure foolishness."- He mutters- "Very well. If you really want to fight, come and get me!"
As the bandit scream and charge toward him, Tanya sighs.
"Jared, this is not the time to be fighting those bandits."- She says to him- "Run!"
Jared smiles.
"Do not worry, grandma."- He says- "They will soon see the magnitude of their own mistake."
Tanya makes an assuring noise.
"Very well, then. Teach those vagabonds a lesson that they will never forget."- She says- "But please hurry up, will you?"
Jared nods.
"I know."- He says- "The danger is getting closer and closer. But I will not let it drag me down."
He draws Demonslayer and attacks the bandits.
The first one of them tries to stab him in the arm, but he manages to avoid the attack and stab it back.
As he tends to his fresh wound, the other bandit pounces on him and tries to knock him down. However, he is easily outplayed as Jared gets out of the way and forces him to hit a nearby wall and fall unconscious.
However, the larger group of bandits proves to be much more of a challenge for him. They easily knock him down and prevent him from using his weapon.
The first bandit laughs.
"Even if we die, we will still be content that we've killed you, Jared Kaos!"- He says- "Are you ready to meet your fate?"
Jared smiles.
"Actually, it is indeed lights out."- He responds- "But only for you."
As the bandits wonder what he is talking about, he leaps to his feet, grabs his weapon pushes two of them out of the way and leaves the cave in the last second.
Then, he turns back and watches as all of his attackers, dead or not, are crushed by the falling rubble. Their screams of pure terror are easily silenced by the sounds of the rocks that are falling from the ceiling.
Soon, the entire cave is blocked off. Anyone who was left inside is bound to suffer a quick, painful demise.
"You did it!"- Tanya says to her grandson- "You managed to defeat those bandits and escape from the cave with your life. You are truly a capable warrior!"
Jared smiles and shakes his head.
"No, grandma. We did it."- He corrects her- "Thanks to you, I was able to take that diamond and escape without suffering a fate worse than a death in battle. Your advice gave me the strength to fight and for that, I thank you."
Even though he cannot see her in person, Jared can still feel his grandmother's smile.
"The feeling of happiness. All this time, I came to ignore it myself. But today, I felt the joy of experiencing it again. With your help, of course."- She says- "But one thing still remains unclear. Where should we go next?"
Jared stares at the area below. He holds Demonslayer in one hand and the heavenly diamond in the other.
"North."- He says- "We shall go north."
Tanya makes a reassuring noise.
"Then let's go north."- She says.
With nothing left to do in this mountain, Jared decides to descend. He slowly climbs down and soon reaches the bottom of it.
"Yes. Let us go north."- He repeats his grandmother's words, eager to move on.