MLIII C5, P1- "Back For Blood"

"Back For Blood" is the first Part of "Miracula Luxia III" 's fifth and last Chapter.
It was released on 01.04.2022.
== Plot ==
Tragedy!
Once again, our heroes have been separated from each other. Adam was forced to flee from his hometown to save his newborn nephew, despite the destruction that is still happening inside.
Now, he has reunited with Donovan and Sharla and agreed to allow the dragon Melanchion to take them to the capital of the evil kingdom- the city of Underfall.
Soon, they will arrive at their destination and disperse justice, as it is intended. But will it be enough to stop the darkness?
== Story ==
While flying to the lands of evil, Adam stares at the lands below. He sees the destruction that Darkthrop's servants have caused and hears the screams of the doomed as it happened, pleading the denizens of darkness to spare their lives.
"What a shame."- He mutters- "So many people used to live there. And now, they are gone. Reduced to nothing, but ashes and tears."
He shakes his head.
"If only I had tried a little harder... "
Donovan listens to Adam as he mutters to himself. He leans closer and shakes his head.
"I understand that you're worried about what happened down there."- He says to him- "But you shouldn't do that. Even though we are responsible for keeping them safe, those people still had to protect themselves from evil. Sadly, they failed and their homes were destroyed."
Adam shakes his head.
"I am sure that it could have been different. That we could have saved them."- He says- "However, all this time, I have been blaming and secluding myself. Being a prisoner of my own guilt. I never realized how much those people truly mean to me until their lives were taken away."
Sharla sighs.
"Every hero has his own periods of guilt and despair."- She chimes in- "Trust me, I felt the same way when I was separated from my sister. Her name was Amelia and we fought those creatures together... until their numbers increased and overwhelmed the capital. I was forced to leave her there after the assault was over and travel with Donovan instead. But the guilt of leaving the person dearest to me never went away. I always felt something missing in my heart, felt like I would see her when I turned around. And yet, she wasn't there. I knew that I made my decision for the good of everyone, so I'm sure that you did the same."
Donovan sighs as well.
"I'm sure that Adam understands how hard it is to leave a loved one behind to achieve a greater goal. And so do we."- He says and turns to Adam- "And yet, sometimes, family and friends can be a weakness. I always felt this way when I stayed with my father and Aiden. And yet, we still care about them. They are our greatest weakness. We would do anything for them, just to keep them safe and sound. As for those people out there? I feel like they're like a large part of our family. Our true family. They're the people who define us, the ones whom we fight for. And, just like our real families, they are much more than just individuals who are close to your heart."
Adam looks down.
"But how can I ignore the pleas of those tortured souls?"- He wonders aloud- "If they trust me so much, why should I just ignore them."
Donovan shakes his head.
"That's the answer. You shouldn't stop caring about them."- He says- "However, you shouldn't feel bad when someone dies. It's just the cycle of life that unfolds before your eyes. Everytime we feel bad about someone, the guilt simply drags us down. It's what our enemies want us to do, so they can weaken us and prevent us from doing the right thing."
Donovan smiles.
"And don't forget to smile!"- He adds- "Don't let the darkness prevent you from living a happy life!"
Adam smiles sadly and nods.
"I guess that you are right."- He responds- "All this time, I have always believed that I would free those people from the shackles of darkness. And yet, I never saw how my care for them always dragged me down."
He sighs.
"I will continue to fight for them. To show them that there are still true heroes in this world."- He says- "But I will focus on my sacred task instead of lamenting how much better the world used to be. I will fight until the end!"
Melanchion emits a dry laugh.
"You remind me of my son."- He says- "When he was younger, he always wanted to help people. He was naive enough to believe that they will always trust and revere him. That they will always consider him superior because he is a dragon. But he never made his dream come true. Instead, he simply remained in our home, becoming the pawn of a greater creature and serving a greater power. He still dreams of making a difference, though. He wants to remain the same kind, caring little reptile, and that is what I truly appreciate, as a father and as a guardian."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"So, you have a son?"- He says and smiles- "Now I see why you are so motivated to help humankind. You wish to make a good example and show the your son that humans can be your friends, just like the drakes and lizards out there."
Melanchion smiles.
"My son means everything for me."- He says- "And I'm sure that every proud and responsible father would say that."
Donovan nods.
"I can confirm that."- He says- "My father- the King of Goznor- always praised me and my brother for stepping out into the world and becoming common soldiers instead of lavish nobles, like the rest of the rich fools around us. I saw the excitement in his eyes as he listened to the tales of our numerous adventures. The gleam in his eyes always betrayed how proud he was of us and I'll never forget that."
He wipes a tear from his eye.
"I miss him so much."
Sharla wipes a tear from her eye as well.
"I miss my dad, too."- She says- "He was such a good man. So helpful. So kind. And yet, life took him away from us. Me and my mom want to see him again, but it's clearly impossible."
Adam sighs.
"My aunt is also among those unfortunates."- He says- "Even though I never came to see her, I always felt her warmth. I knew that she was a hero and I listened intently as my father told me stories of her. I admired the courage that she showed during that time and I was amazed by the way she risked her life to bring grandma and grandpa back to life. She is the reason why I am here, why I am still fighting evil and not blaming myself for my past mistakes in some secluded cave."
He smiles.
"People who are dear to us never die. No matter what happens to them, they always stay in our hearts. And, when we talk about them, we cherish the memories that we spent with them."- He adds- "The darkness never took aunt Mari away. It may have dragged her away from the human world, but it never erased those pleasant memories. And, as long as there are people who still love her, she is still alive and well."
Melanchion feels that his eyes are filled with tears. However, he makes no effort to wipe them away, as he knows that they are fragments of his own memories, unleashed by Adam's words.
As Adam talks about his aunt, he remembers how he lost his own life partner in a similar way. When he lived with her and their son in the Abyss, she was always the head of the family- a brave dragon who went out into the wilderness and hunted the various animals, killing them in order to feed her family and ensure their survival. However, tragedy befell the father and his son when the Barghan army attacked their home and put a swift (and bloody) end to this beloved creature. In just a few seconds, they watched her land in front of them and become the prime target of a rain of tainted arrows, saving her loved ones in the process and allowing them to escape from the Abyss with their lives, at the cost of her own.
For many decades, Melanchion has been trying to find her corpse and take her to his lands, to honor her sacrifice and allow his son to see his mother again. Unfortunately, those efforts have been in vain, as the Abyss is still filled with thugs and miscreants and her corpse is located in an old lair of the Darkside Loyalists- a land filled with wild beasts and remnants of an old, broken empire. He decided to give up in order to take care of his own people, though it is crystal clear that he deeply regrets this decision.
"We've all lost ones who were dear to us, children."- He says to them- "It's just a matter of how long it takes to move on."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"What do you mean by that?"
Melanchion breathes a gout of flame.
"Denial is like a poison to your body. It either chips your sanity away like an acid or taints your thoughts with guilt, just like the darkness itself."- He says- "Even mighty creatures such as yours truly are not immune to the pain that is nested within our hearts. But I still accept it and move on. And do you know why I do that?"
He smiles.
"Well, it's simple."- He continues- "There are people out there who still care about you. People who are truly alive and well. And, as long as those people remain this way, I will never forget my true purpose. And I think that it should be the same for you."
Adam nods.
"Everyone says that."- He says- "And yet, the question regarding my true intentions still remains unanswered. Am I truly worthy of being what I am right now? Do I deserve to be loved and revered by everyone, after failing to protect some of my loved ones?"
Melanchion smiles.
"That, my friend, is up to you."
As they fly higher up in the air, Donovan sees something in the distance. He tells Melanchion and watches as the mighty dragon swoops forward to take a look.
"It looks like the darklings have been expecting us."- He says- "How amusing. If only they knew how doomed they truly are."
Adam shakes his head.
"We must not be overconfident."- He says- "Proceed, but only with caution. We cannot afford getting seen by them. Not yet."
Melanchion nods.
"Trust me, young one."- He says- "When Melanchion is asked to do something for his friends, he always does it right. I never turn down a fight, no matter how hard it may be for us."
Sharla sighs.
"Um. I think that Adam is right."- She says- "It looks like there are many of them down there."
Melanchion looks down and, sure enough, notices that a huge army of them is waiting near the gates.
"So, you say that a frontal assault seems unlikely."- He says- "Interesting. Perhaps my calculations turned out to be incorre-- "
Suddenly, a rain of arrows flies toward them, forcing Melanchion to swerve closer to the land below and avoid them.
"Blasted humans!"- He roars- "They saw us!"
Sharla looks down, surprised.
"But... how?!"- She asks- "We're too high up for them to hear us!"
Donovan looks around, searching for clues to this mystery. Then, he sees the darklings flying toward them.
"Those fiends had spies in the sky!"- He yells- "That's why they saw us so easily!"
Adam stands up and draws his weapon.
"Come on, everyone."- He says- "Let us fight back!"
The four of them fly high up in the air, avoiding a combination of arrows and flying darklings until they have gone high enough for Melanchion to hurl a massive fireball and crush their attackers within a matter of seconds.
Despite the fact that they are higher, the arrows fail to cease. And soon, one of them pierces Melanchion in the leg.
The dragon feels its tainted tip pierce its way past his scales and into his skin. He roars in anver and prepares to descend.
"That is enough!"- He roars- "I've had enough of those fools!"
As Melanchion prepares to make his move, Adam tries to stop him.
"Wait, Melanchion!"- He says to him- "There must be another way! Trying to rain destruction from above will only cause-- "
Melanchion silences him.
"There is no time to make decisions. It is futile to wait while the people down there suffer because we're late."- He says- "Now is the time to act!"
Having said that, he swerves down and flies toward the ground. The speed of descent gets higher with each passing second, 
"Melanchion, no!"- Donovan yells- "We're going to die!"
Sharla closes her eyes.
"Please, don't do this!"- She yells- "I'm scared! I don't want this!"
Melanchion shakes his head.
"We will survive!"- He roars- "I shall make sure of it!"
At the same time, he gets much faster.
"Prepare to die, you sinners!"
With that, he crashes into the ground and causes a massive shockwave, instantly obliterating the darklings who were close enough to the crash site.
Amazingly, everyone survived. They are a little shaken by the experience, but otherwise unharmed.
As they get off the dragon and draw their weapons, more darklings arrive to avenge their fallen brothers.
"And yet, they still try to kill us."- Melanchion mutters- "What a pathetic lot, they are."
He joins Adam and his allies as they fight the creatures, providing backup and incinerating those who get too close with his magical fire.
"Thank you, Melanchion."- Adam says- "With your help, we might be able to win this war."
As Melanchion easily takes down a small group of darklings, he looks at Adam and smiles.
"I made a promise to your father many years ago. And now, I am keeping it alive."- He says- "The old man will be truly proud of us."
The battle continues for nearly half an hour as more and more darklings arrive to replace their numbers. Some of the creatures who join the fight also seem to be demons- former members of Arzen's army.
However, it does not take long for our heroes to mobilize and form a powerful defense and, very soon, offense, striking back at their opponents and crushing them with no hesitation.
Soon, the entire army of creatures who attacked them are dead.
Adam looks around and surveys the wreckage. He sees the destroyed gates that lead into the city of Underfall and hears the screams of the shocked darklings as they hide into their homes and pathetically whimper for somebody to help them.
Melanchion sees the sadness in his eyes and places his massive claw on his shoulder.
"It's not your fault, kid."- He says to him- "Those fiends brought this upon themselves. They are a bad omen to the entire world and thus, they condemned themselves and sealed their inevitable fate. There's no need to feel pity for those who destroyed so many homes and killed so many innocent civilians. Trust me when I say that they would never do the same."
Adam nods.
"I know that very well."- He says- "And yet, I still know that they have families, just like I do. It feels bad to separate them from those who love them, but I know that I have no choice than to fight until they are dead. Or vice versa."
Melanchion snorts.
"There's no room for family in their hearts. They make them only because they want more creatures to become like them."- He says- "And yet, maybe those young fools can still learn how to be humble."
Having said that, he steps forward.
"Let's go."- He says- "We may have defeated this group of fiends, but there's still lots of them in there. And I won't rest until they're gone."
The four of them enter the city as the darkling warriors prepare to make their last stand. Some of them rush forward to attack them, but are easily gunned down by Adam's arrows of light.
"Well, we made it."- Adam says as he guns down another group of darklings- "After a long ride through the darkest corners of this world, we finally reached the one that is, undeniably, the darkest. Underfall- the City of Evil."
Melanchion breathes a stream of fire at some darklings and shakes his head.
"Is this the place that the heroes have been fighting to keep alive? The capital of their so-called "mighty" empire?"- He wonders aloud- "How amusing. They think that this small city will resist the onslaught of heroes that try to stop them... though it is still very interesting that none of them dared to get close."
Sharla looks around.
"Umm. Maybe they... got scared?"- She says- "It's always the case for wannabe heroes. They pretend that they're not afraid, yet always run away when a situation's too dire for them."
Donovan nods.
"Or maybe there is something in here. Something that is preventing them from doing anything, that is drawing them away."- He suggests- "Normally, there's nothing to be afraid of. Just a bunch of megalomanical creatures who wish to succeed where other villains have failed. And yet, I feel like we-- "
Suddenly, he stops in his tracks and looks up. 
At the top of a nearby tower, he sees the silhouette of a massive creature. Although its features are not visible from this distance, it feels like it is staring straight at him.
"What... is that?"
He stares at the silhouette. It stares back, but does not make any suspicious moves.
Finally, Donovan gives up and decides to rejoin his allies.
"It must have been my imagination."- He says to himself- "I mean, there's no such thing as a living statue!"
He looks around, confused.
"Or... is there?"
Adam and his allies reach the gates that lead into the keep, slaying all who would dare to stop them.
Finally, they stare at the huge army of darklings that is preventing them from entering, effectively blocking their way into their last bastion.
"We don't know who you are, but rest assured that we'll make you pay for what you did!"- One of them yells- "You killed our people and this calls for vengeance! Blood for blood!"
Adam sighs.
"How naive of you to assume that you do not have a blood debt to pay yourselves."- He says- "Listen up, denizens of the dark. We came here to find your master and we will stop at nothing until his reign of tyranny is over for good!"
The darklings draw their weapons.
"We're not afraid of you!"- One of them says- "Even if you have a giant dragon on your side, we'll still win this fight!"
Melanchion leans forward, amused.
"Oh. Is that so?"- He asks them and smiles- "And how do you plan to do that?"
He looks back at his allies and smiles. Then, he glares at them.
"Right now, you are not facing a group of ordinary heroes. You will fight a team of well-prepared warriors. Heroes and true upholders of the good."- He says- "Plus, most of your army is already gone. How do you plan to replace that?"
The darkling stare at each other for a moment. Just a glance in their eyes reveals how terrified they truly are.
Then, they remember something. It is as if they have another plan, should something like this happen to them. They look at Melanchion, unfazed and unafraid.
"Because we also have a giant dragon on our side!"
Adam and his allies are shocked.
"A giant dragon?!"- Adam yells- "But that is impossible! No self-respecting dragon would dare to help a dying empire!"
Donovan nods.
"I stand with my friend!"- He says- "This is foolish! You are trying to distract us from reality!"
The darklings grin.
"You think that we're lying?"- One of them says and points at the sky- "Look up, you fools!"
Adam and Donovan look up and notice a massive dragon on top of a nearby tower. It is staring down at them, covered in black scales and armed with razor-sharp teeth. Scales line its massive body and signify his many years of fighting humans. It is a formidable, tall wall of muscle. A creature made for war and destruction, not a neutral witness, like most of his kind.
Donovan recognizes the creature immediately. It is the silhouette that was staring at him a few minutes ago.
"Oh, no! This is not good!"- He says to himself- "I feared that something like this might happen. But... a dragon? In this place? It is truly unthinkable! Impossible!"
The massive creature flaps its wings and rises into the sky. Then, it flies forward and prepares to land.
Adam and Donovan get away just in time as the dragon lands close to its allies.
Melanchion stares at the dragon, trying to determine whether he knows it or not. Then, he sees its numerous scars and realizes that he does.
Even worse, the vile creature seems to be a relative of his.
"Dorgen! You unworthy fool!"- He roars- "You have returned!"
Dorgen looks down at Melanchion and smiles. It is clear that, just from looking at him, that he feels superior to him, both in brains and in brawns. And, undisputably, in size.
"Ah, brother. It has been way too long."- He says and grins- "I've been waiting for the time when I could finally tear you apart."
Melanchion flaps his wings menacingly.
"You have no place here! Dragons are not supposed to help creatures like those!"- He roars- "And yet, you still disobeyed our sacred laws, just like you always have. But why? Why would you do such a thing?!"
Dorgen smiles again.
"It is simple, my dear Melanchion."- He says- "I came here, because I know that you would arrive soon enough. And here you are, alive and well. Allied with those foolish creatures that we call humans."
Adam glares at him.
"So, you claim that we are like insects to you?"- He asks him- "Then how about you fight us like the mighty creature that you are?!"
Donovan prepares to cast a spell.
"Maybe a little beating will knock some sense into its small brain."- He suggests- "If so, I'm ready to make it happen!"
Dorgen smiles and flaps his wings.
"You dare to challenge me, mortals?"- He says to them- "Very well. Then you shall die alongside my brother- worthless and forgotten."
== Trivia ==
* This Part was released on 01.04.2022- April Fools Day.
** Interestingly, Chapter V of "Miracula Luxia III' was announced on the same date.