MLII C6, ExP 0.1- "Lost Soul"

"Lost Soul" is the Extra Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's sixth Chapter. It was released on 24.05.2021.
== Plot ==
As the world recovers from the pain caused by Ess-Kalyn and the Slithzerikai under her command, the gears change in many, unexpected ways.
While everyone wonders what to do next, a young man escapes from his hometown, hoping to find his grandfather, with whom he lost contact around a year ago. A brave warrior who got himself in trouble with the wrong band of brigands and is now exploring the world, running away from his enemies as he tries to find out what is going on. Little does he know that he will soon find out what happened to the one whom he loves the most.
His adventures lead him to the hometown of Jared and the Kaos family- the glorious city of Paris. There, he will find the help and protection that he needs, at the cost of discovering what happened to his grandfather.
These times are hard for everyone. For this young, determined man- it is not an exception.
== Story ==
"Come back here, you annoying brat!"- A voice booms in the dark forest just outside the city of Paris.
A large pack of bandits are running after someone. However, it is not immediately sure who they are.
After a few minutes, they stop and look around.
"You said that he's somewhere in here!"- One of the bandits says to what seems like the leader of the group- "Why did you lie to us?"
The leader shakes his head.
"He's gotta be around here... somewhere. He can't run away this easily, not after we wounded him so badly."- He says to his group- "Keep your eyes open. The forest's dark and he might jump out of any corner."
The bandits nod and start looking around. However, their search appears to be futile. There seem to be no traces that would indicate that there is someone in this area.
Or maybe they are just not looking hard enough.
Soon, the bandits give up and decide to speak with their leader for new instructions.
They don't go far. As soon as they approach the way from which they came in, they hear a click.
One of the bandits looks down. He notices that he has unknowingly stepped on a small pressure plate, well-hidden in the lush, verdant grass.
All of the bandits try to get away from the area, but it is too late. Soon, all but one of them are shot to death by automated arrow dispensers.
The last of the bandits, their leader, looks around in shock and notices that he is completely alone in the forest.
"Kid, I know that you're in here!"- He yells- "Step out and fight me already!"
One of the bushes behind him rustles. He draws his weapon and looks around, seeing a young man jump out of it and calmly look at him.
"So."- He says- "You've been looking for me, haven't you?"
The bandit grins.
"Finally!"- He exclaims- "The bounty for your head will be mine! All mine!"
As the bandit leader carelessly rushes forward and tries to stab him to death, the young man gets out of the way and watches as he slams his head in the trunk of a nearby tree.
Suddenly, he takes a long bow from his shoulder and aims it at the unsuspecting bandit. Less than a second later, he shoots him in the back, not willing to give him a proper chance to react.
The leader falls to the ground and coughs up some blood. He turns around and looks at the young man, who is carrying a small dagger in his hand, his bow now sitting firmly on his back.
"You're aware that our gang will hunt you down, aren't you?!"- He yells at him- "They'll make you pay! Mark... mark my words!"
The young man smirks and points the dagger at his forehead. It is a small, pointy tool of destruction, should it fall in the right hands.
And that seems to be the case here. 
"Words cannot describe how angry I am at you."- The young man says to the bandit- "So, I will let my weapon do the talking."
The bandit grins as he struggles to breathe.
"Ah. You're no different from your uncle, Allister."- He says, mocking him- "He also fought us and tried to kill us all. He failed. You're gonna meet the same fate as him, sooner or later."
The mention of Allister's uncle causes him to become very angry.
"You killed him! You killed my uncle!"- He yells at him- "They may call you bandits, but you're just a bunch of monsters! Coldhearted, selfish, foolish monsters! You are no different from the lizards!"
He points his dagger at him.
"I will kill your gang! Every single one of you will pay for your crimes, one way or another! Justice will prevail and we will avenge those innocent people whom you harmed, just because you wanted to expand your pathetic little empire!"- He continues to yell- "And I will start with you!"
Before the bandit leader can taunt him again, he lunges forward and sinks the small blade into his skull, mercilessly killing him and throwing his corpse on the ground.
Allister looks around, making sure that he has killed all of the bandits. Satisfied with the results, he puts the dagger back in his pocket and shakes his head.
"It's been nothing, but trouble for me ever since I left my honetown."- He says to himself- "Every single moment, I spent trying to find their leader, to no avail. When they tried to hunt me down, I ran away from them, hoping to slow down their pursuers as much as I possibly can."
He sighs again.
"But they always seem to find a way to locate their enemies. They never give up, no matter how hard you try to fight back."- He continues- "Sooner or later, they will track me down again. This time, however, I may not be able to fend them off. I may become a victim of their wrath. I... I will never be able to see him again."
He looks at the exit hopefully.
"If only I could find someone who can help me defeat them and find my grandfather... "
Allister picks up something from the dead leader's pocket. It is a small locket.
He opens the locket and reveals a small picture inside. It is of a younger Allister and what looks like a young man who is in his late 30s.
"Uncle."- Allister says and wipes a tear from his left eye- "Why did you have to fight them? Why did you have to die like this?"
He looks down and sighs.
"I... I miss you, uncle."- He continues- "Rest in peace. I will finish the job."
He closes the locket and puts it in his pocket. Then, he leaves the forest and looks at the surrounding countryside.
In the distance, he sees the lights of a large city. He smiles.
"This must be it."- He says to himself as he prepares to approach it- "The city of Paris. The place where my grandpa went after he was exiled. Maybe... maybe I'll be able to find him, after all."
Not long after, he gets close to the southern gates of the city. There, two guards notice him and wal out to greet him.
After telling him to watch out for Slithzerikai that might have sneaked into the city in their absence, they allow him to enter the city and continue to watch the gate for intruders.
As Allister enters the city, he cannot help but notice that some of the people who are walking on the streets are staring at him. Visitors after the war are very rare and they are surprised that someone is willing to take the risk and pay a visit.
"It's a good idea to keep a low profile while I'm in here."- He says to himsef as he nervously looks away from them- "They might be everywhere, for all I know."
A few hours pass, but Allister is not able to find any information about his grandfather's whereabouts. He asks some of the people on the streets whether they have seen him or not, but his efforts turn out to be in vain.
He decides that it is wiser to rest before exploring the rest of the city. As he tries to sit on a bench, however, he is grabbed from behind and pulled into a dark alley.
As he looks around, he notices a small pack of bandits. All of them are staring at him and one of them is holding him firmly in place.
They laugh.
"Look what fell off the back of the wagon!"- One of them says as he gets a good look at him- "You must be Allister White."
He points a wicked-looking dagger at his throat and smiles.
"We've been warned about you. Our boss told us everything."- He continues- "Well, it's time we finally get rid of you."
All of the bandits laugh again. Unbeknownst to them, someone sneaks into the valley.
Allister gets a good look at the person as he aims his bow at what seems to be him. However, he soon realizes that it is actually otherwise.
As the bandits gloat about their supposed victory, the man carefully aims his bow at their leader and shoots an arrow...
*BAM!*
The arrow sticks into the man's head, immediately killing him.
As Allister's assailant tries to find out what is going on, he is shot in the head as well, freeing Allister in the process.
The bandits realize that they are under attack and prepare to defend themselves. This gives Allister enough time to get away from them and meet the person who saved him from them.
It is Aleks- Jared Kaos' father.
He notices that the young man is looking at him, nods and smiles.
"I'm Aleks Kaos."- He says- "Nice to meet you, kid."
Allister smiles back.
"The pleasure is mine, sir."- He says- "My name's Allister White."
Before they can engage in a conversation, however, they are attacked by the rest of the bandits.
Aleks grabs two arrows and successfully shoots two of the bandits with them, leaving only a single survivor left. However, he proves to be too hard to hit with an arrow and manages to knock the man down.
As he tries to kill him, he is stabbed in the back by Allister.
After making sure that they are completely safe, he helps Aleks up and tries to drag him away from the alley.
"Thank you for the help, sir."- He says to him- "Without your help, I would have been a goner!"
Aleks smiles.
"Of course. I am glad that I managed to help a person in need."- He says.
He looks at the area behind him and notices a bandit running towards Allister, dagger in hand.
"Kid, watch out!"- He warns him and tries to fend off the intruder.
He fights him, but is pushed away. Moments later, the bandit approaches an unsuspecting Allister and tries to stab him in the back.
However, before he can succeed, he is pulled away and pushed into a corner by another person.
The person is revealed to be Aleks' son- Jared Kaos. He hastily pulls the bandit's mask down and points his sword, Demonslayer, at him.
"The enemies of my father are my enemies as well."- He says- "Die, you fool!"
Before the bandit can react, he is stabbed in the head. His corpse falls on the ground, lifeless.
Jared shakes his head and looks away. He notices that his father is sitting in a corner and rushes to help him out.
"It seems like there's still danger in this city."- Aleks says as he stands up- "What a shame. We fought so hard to help it out."
Jared shakes his head again.
"It is not your fault, dad. You are doing your best."- He says- "Some people just cannot learn that they are on the wrong side of the conflict."
He turns to Allister and shakes his hand.
"I am sure that my father introduced himself to you, so I will do the same."- He says and smiles- "My name is Jared Kaos. I am one of the heroes of this city and I tirelessly protect it from evil. Day and night, I fight those foolish villains and keep the innocents safe from them."
Allister nods and briefly stares into his eyes.
"Jared Kaos? Your name's familiar to me."- He says- "Are you, by any chance, a relative of Lethal Kaos."
Jared nods and smiles.
"Yes, I am."- He responds- "Lethal Kaos is my grandfather. The four of us live in the city of Paris."
Allister raises his eyebrow.
"The four of you?"- He asks- "You and who?"
Jared points at Aleks.
"This is my father. Me and him are working on keeping the city safe."- He says- "We work as a team."
He points at the area behind Allister.
"Further into the city lies the Kaos residence."- He says- "There, the two of us live with my grandfather and my sister."
Allister raises his eyebrow again. This time, he is genuinely surprised to hear that the two of them are related.
"You... you are a family?"
Aleks smiles and pats his son on the shoulder.
"This young hero has saved many lives, but he has never done it completely alone."- He says- "We've always been there for him. And we always will."
He sighs.
"But... I fear there's no time for small talk."- He continues- "Whoever those bandits were, there's sure to be more of them around here. And, if we don't get out of here as soon as possible, they'll swarm us."
He starts to walk forward. Then, he looks back at Allister.
"Come with us, kid."
The three of them leave the dark alley and slowly approach a nearby residence.
As they get close to the front door, Aleks turns around and smiles.
"This is our home- the Kaos residence."- He says- "Here, we rest and contemplate the choices that we have made so far. It's the only place where we cannot be interrupted."
As Allister opens the door, he steps back just in time to see a two-tined spear being pointed at him.
The creature that is holding it is revealed to be one of Jared's newest allies- Treviass, who has moved into the city after the end of the war between the Humans and the barbaric Slithzerikai.
"Stop right there, intruder!"- He says to him- "Identify yourself immediately and be warned that we're not going to tolerate any traitors inside this home!"
Allister puts his hands in the air.
"I... I'm not a bad person! I swear!"- He responds, trying to calm the Slithzerikai warrior down- "I mean no harm!"
Treviass stares coldly into his eyes, making him shudder.
"Don't think that you can trick me, farlander!"- He says- "That troubled look in your eyes, it says it all. You're not an ordinary person!"
Jared sees that the situation is getting worse with each passing second. He steps forward and taps Treviass on the shoulder.
"Treviass, leave him alone."- He says to him- "He is a friend of mine. I promise that he will behave."
The moment he sees Jared, Treviass' attitude towards Allister immediately changes. He steps aside and allows him to enter.
"Any friend of Jared is a friend of mine."- He says- "Feel free to join us, but be warned. Any signs of treachery will be met with blades."
Once again, he stares into his eyes. This time, however, his gaze is more relaxed and focused.
"And we are true to our word."- He hastens to add.
As the four of them climb the stairs and reach the second floor, Jared's sister runs forward and hugs him.
"Thank God! You made it!"- She says- "We saw the fight from up here. How many enemies were there? Did they hurt you?"
Jared shakes his head and smiles.
"A true hero never backs down, dear sister."- He responds- "Sure, they gave us a hard time, but we managed to defeat them."
Marinette emits a sigh of relief.
"Then that means there's one less problem for us to solve. Great."- She says- "Only a thousand more to go."
Jared sighs.
"Sister, you need to be more optimistic."- He says to her- "The war is over. Only small packs of enemies are left in the city. We will take them all down, sooner or later. Mark my words."
Marinette smiles.
"I believe in you, little brother."- She responds- "Let's hope that we can succeed."
She notices Allister and looks at him.
"So."- She says- "You found a new friend?"
Jared nods.
"This is Allister."- He says- "We saved him from a small pack of bandits out there."
Marinette gasps.
"Bandits?!"- She exclaims- "But... but this means that he's being hunted by them!"
Jared sighs.
"I am aware of that."- He says- "But this does not mean that we have to leave him out there! He will stay with us for now."
Marinette looks at her brother. She seems worried.
"Jared, I know that you want to help as many people as you can."- She says to him- "However, we don't know where he came from. We don't know what he has done before. Even worse, we don't know whether he's on our side or not! We're letting a complete stranger enter our house! This might lead to terrible consequences!"
Jared shakes his head.
"Consequences or not, Allister needs our help!"- He responds- "If you do not trust him, I will. I know that he is a stanger, that he is not a person whom you can immediately trust. It does not matter. If a person needs our help, I will not refuse to aid them!"
Allister takes a step forward and looks at Marinette.
"Jared let me in here and I'm not going anywhere until I find answers to my questions!"- He says- "My grandfather is in this city and I must find him as soon as possible!"
Marinette looks at Allister again. Something seems to be on her mind.
After thinking about what to do next, she simply says:
"Come with me. There's someone who can tell you about him."
Jared, Allister and Marinette enter Aleks' study. There, Lethal sits on his desk, patiently waiting for his grandson to return.
When he sees him enter, he is overjoyed. He quickly stands up and approaches him.
"Jared! I told you that it would be dangerous out there!"- He says to him- "Why? Why didn't you listen to me?"
Jared looks down.
"I am sorry, grandpa."
He points at his new friend.
"This is Allister White."- He says- "He came here, looking for his grandfather. He needs our help."
Lethal gets a good look at the newcomer and immediately recognizes who he is. He takes a step forward, unsure what to do next.
Finally, he places his hand on Allister's shoulder.
"My boy, I... I'm glad that you came to us."- He says.
Allister nods.
"Nice to meet you, sir."- He says- "Do you know anything about my grandfather's whereabouts?"
Lethal sighs and looks down. Then, he shakes his head.
When he looks back up, his eyes are filled with guilt and despair. He clearly does not want to strain Allister's soul by telling him about what happened to his grandfather, but he knows that he will find out, sooner or later.
Regretfully, he decides to tell him.
"I... I'm so sorry, child."- He says, tears falling from his eyes- "Your grandfather, he... he is no longer with us."
Allister gasps.
"W-what do you mean, sir?"- He asks him- "What happened to him? What happened to my grandpa?!"
Lethal notices the pain in his own heart. He feels as if he was just struck by sharp spikes. Quickly and painfully, memories start to appear in his mind.
He sees his best friend, in the last moments of his life. He also sees himself, holding his hand and telling him that everything will be alright.
Then, he looks at his grandson- the boy who has been trying to reunite with him for so long. The boy who is about to be scarred for his entire life.
Moments later, he begins to stutter. His speech becomes harder to understand. And yet, what he says to the boy is still crystal clear to the ears of everyone around him:
"He did not make it."- Lethal says- "Your grandfather... did not make it."