MLII C1, P5- "Old But Gold"

"Old But Gold" is the fifth Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's second Chapter. It was released on 05.10.2020.
== Plot ==
Jared, Aleks and John go through the portal to Avernum and begin their journey towards the ruins of the once mighty Fort Draco, knowing that the old man that has taken shelter right there is in grave danger and that they need to hurry up and help him before the Darkside Loyalists find him... or something even worse than that.
The fate of the legendary blade Demonslayer lays in the hands of our three heroes.
== Story ==
After passing through the portal to Avernum, Jared, Aleks and John find themselves in the city of Formello.
From there, they head to the north towards the gate that Ghall-Ihrno described to them. When they get close to it, the guards ask them if they are here with a certain permission. Jared quickly remembers that they are and tells them that they were sent here by Ghall-Ihrno.
The name of the mighty envoy has a lot of weight, even in Avernum. They quickly let them through without any hesitation or questioning.
Afterwards, our heroes head west, passing through a half-destroyed road that once used to lead towards Fort Draco.
However, since Fort Draco is no longer under the control of the Avernites, they saw that there is no point in keeping it intact for longer than they already have and dismantled most of it, leaving only a few thraces to mark the way to the fort.
This minor inconvenience is an obstacle for our heroes. However, they do not give up. 
After a dozen minutes of heading to the west without walking on a road, they finally pick it up again and follow its trail.
Eventually, they reach their final destination- Fort Draco.
Or... what is left of it, at the very least.
Once the fort was abandoned again after most of the Avernitess left for the Surface, the monsters and bandits teamed up and razed it to the ground, destroying almost everything within. Now, the fort lies on the exact spot where it was built centuries ago, seemingly undisturbed by the hostiles.
Even though the inside of the fort seems to be quiet, Jared cannot shake the feeling that he, his father and John are being watched. He hears snarling all around him for a few moments but when he turns around, there is nothing there.
"My mind is playing tricks on me... "- He says to himself, unsure why this is happening.
The three heroes approach the ruins of Fort Draco through the west gate and enter the ruins.
From the looks of it, this settlement was left behind in quite a hurry. Supplies are scattered everywhere- Extinguished torches, bags of meal and many other valuable objects.
There are also a lot of scattered weapons and armor. It looks like some of the soldiers in the fort dropped them so they could travel lighter and without any further problems related to being encumbered.
Quite a big mistake, from what it seems. Some of the enemies had managed to take down a few of them, along with a few civilians. The dried blood is still visible in the dirt in some places and torn pieces of clothing are clearly notable on the ground.
However, from a final inspection, it seems like the escape of the Fort Draco citizens was a success. There were minimal losses and the bodies of the deceased and wounded were dragged away before the monsters came in.
What is left after the escape of Fort Draco's final defenders is... another story.
However, this is not the most important thing right now. What our heroes have to do is contact the old smith known as Boutell, help him reforge the Demonslayer and retreat before the monsters that are lurking around the fort smell them and decide to attack.
As the three of them explore the ruins, they come across what looks like an old smith. Most of the building has been destroyed (Similar to almost every building in the fort, save for a few bigger ones) and the door is left open.
When they enter the smith, they look around. Seeing that there is almost nothing left, they decide to look elsewhere.
However, unbeknownst to any of them, an old man is hiding behind the huge anvil in the middle. He comes out and surprises Aleks, hitting him in the head in the hammer.
As John attacks the old man to defend Aleks, Jared gets a good look at him.
He realizes that this is no mere goblin or orc. No, this person... is an actual human.
"John, stop!"- He yells at his friend- "He is a human! Do not kill him!"
John looks closer. He gasps and sheathes his blade.
While Jared helps his father stand back up, the old man gets a good look at them as well. Or rather, tries to sense what they say, since he does not see quite well. Not in an advanced age like this.
"Humans? In Fort Draco?"- He says in a raspy voice and laughs bitterly- "I had never dreamed to see any of my kind again!"
Jared approaches him and bows down, a clear sign of how much he respects his elders.
"We are so sorry for startling you, sir."- He says- "We were just looking for a person named Boutell. We promise to leave you alone."
The old man laughs again.
"Boutell, eh?"- He says- "Well, you got him right here! I'm the ancient one that they call Boutell!"
Jared gets an even better look at him. The old man does indeed match the description of Boutell that Ghall-Ihrno told him about- A very, very old man, probably over 100 years old, irritable and... from what it looks like, he is also partially blind.
Boutell smiles.
"And I heard that three young heroes are coming to help me repair the mighty Demonslayer."- He continues in his raspy voice- "From what you look like, I think that you are matchin' that description. I hope that I'm not wrong."
Jared nods and smiles.
"Yes, sir! We are the ones who were sent to help you out!"- He responds- "Jared Kaos, at your service!"
He points at the people with him.
"The one to the left is my father- Aleks Kaos and the one to the right is my best friend- John Braveheart."
Aleks and John nod in greeting, but do not say anything. They are still shaken by the whole experience that they just had to endure.
Boutell nods.
"So, you are the kind that they've all been talkin' about!"- He says- "When I was passing through the city of Formello, I managed to hear the conversation between a bunch of soldiers. They were talkin' about you- Jared Kaos. And they were in awe of you, treating you with lots of respect and saying how smart and brave you are."
"I may not be able to see you clearly, my boy, but I can still sense the raw power that hides within that tiny soul of yours. Tiny, but incredibly powerful. You may still be young, but you are not incompetent. You are no fool when it comes to defendin' the good people from villains. Is that right?"
Jared nods.
"What can I say?"- He responds- "I am a person who fights for the good of everyone, to keep the honor of the nation intact and destroy the ones who are trying to disrupt it."
"This is what a true hero does."- He adds.
Boutell nods.
"Yes, yes."- He says- "I've seen and heard of a lot of mighty heroes when I was younger. I even reforged the Demonslayer for the heroes who killed the cruel Emperor Hawthorne. It was such an honor!"
"Trust me, you are not the first heroes to come before me and you will not be the last, but you will definitely be some of the bravest that I have ever met, perhaps even the most brave."
"Lysstak and Dorikas are dangerous ones."- He adds- "And it takes only the best heroes to destroy such troublemakers for good."
John interrupts the old man.
"So, we came here to help you restore the Demonslayer. Can we get along with it, please?"- He asks him.
Boutell laughs.
"Oh, how impatient you are!"- He says- "Alright. I understand that you want to continue your mission. I won't slow you down anymore with my blabbering."
"However... "- He sighs- "... There is one problem that has to be solved before we start. Quite a big one, as well."
He pulls something out of his pocket. On closer inspection, it looks like the three parts of the Demonslayer are in the palm of his left hand.
When he hands them to Jared, the boy feels a powerful, dark energy emanating from each one of them. Malevolent energy that prevents the parts from ever being put together again, even by the most skilled smith.
Normally, this would be a problem that a regular person cannot solve by themselves. However, Jared is no fool. He sees the energy as something that should be pulled out... and he has the powers to succeed in doing so.
He motions for Boutell to step aside. When he does, the boy sets the three parts of the Demonslayer on the huge anvil in the smithy without another word.
Once they are both on the anvil, he begins to cast a spell. Tiny motes of light run down his fingers and it looks like his eyes are pure white for a single moment.
When he is done with preparing the spell, he casts it on the three parts, illuminating them in a brilliant white light in the process.
Everyone watches as he continues to cast the spell on the parts for a few seconds.
When the spell is done, he steps back triumphantly and looks at the parts. They look mostly the same, on the outside.
However, the dark energy that was set within them is no longer gone. It was successfully cleansed by the spell.
"The deed is done."- Jared says to Boutell- "The curse that was cast on the blade by those vagabonds... has been lifted. You are free to work on it."
Boutell smiles and happily shakes Jared's hand out of gratitude. He is surprisingly strong for his age.
"I knew it!"- He says- "I knew that, when they told me that you would come, you would make things right."
He clears his throat.
"But our work is not done yet. Our enemies are still alive and our greatest weapon that we will use against them is still in pieces."
"So, let's ge to work, shall we?"
Boutell grabs a bunch of tools from nearby and starts to work on repairing the Demonslayer.
A few seconds later, he turns around.
"Say."- He mutters to his new friends- "I am glad to work on this mighty blade right now, but I would be even more glad if you could make sure no monsters attack me while I do so. Fair deal, right?"
Jared, Aleks and John nod.
"You got it, sir."- Aleks responds- "We will ensure your safety while you work on the Demonslayer. Rest assured of that."
Boutell nods and smiles.
"Very well. Then get along with it."
Jared, Aleks and John scan the perimeters around Boutell's smithy, watching for any signs that there is enemy activity in the area. Meanwhile, Boutell himself is calmly working on repairing the legendary blade, not paying attention to what is going on outside.
About two hours later, he calls the heroes back into the smithy and presents the Demonslayer to them- now fully repaired and ready for battle.
"I never imagined that I would repair this blade ever again."- He says- "But today, I have made this dream of mine come true. And I am very happy."
He hands it to Jared.
"You were the one who removed the curse from its pieces. Therefore, you are the one who is worthy enough to use this legendary blade. I just hope that you will be wise enough not to use it for any bad deeds."
Jared nods and stares at the blade in awe while speaking.
"I am honored to be the one to whom the mighty Demonslayer is bestowed upon."- He says- "I promise that I will only use it for good, for the peace and prosperity of Avernum and the rest of the world. And, most importantly, for bringing justice upon those who would be foolish enough to attempt to disrupt this peace."
"Now that we have this powerful weapon, we are ready to fight!"
Aleks and John cheer. Boutell smiles.
"Then it is time for good ol' me to pack his things and get out of here as soon as possible."- He says- "Thank you, Jared, for bringing such a bright light in this world full of darkness. You truly are one of a kind!"
As he packs his things, the three heroes bid him farewell and begin to leave the fort.
However, before they can do so, they hear growling and howling coming from nearby. They run back into the fort and draw their weapons.
"Did you hear what I just did?"- Boutell says behind them.
Jared nods.
"Yes, Mr. Boutell."- He says- "And it looks like we are not the only ones who are currently in this fort."
"Even worse, I think that whatever is going to attack us right now, they have been patiently waiting for our arrival and eventual departure."
While Jared speaks to Boutell, Aleks and John look around their surrounding, attempting to catch at least a single glimpse of what is going to attack them before it (or they) get too close.
When the attackers finally come in sight, everyone gasps. They are simultaneously surprised and horrified by what they are seeing.
== Trivia ==
* The name of the Part is a reference to the legendary blade known as Demonslayer- that it is an old weapon, but it is very powerful nonetheless.
* The same goes for the one who repaired it- Boutell himself. He is a very old man, but still very precious to those who are around him.