MLII C6, P6- "Wildfire"

"Wildfire" is the sixth Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's sixth Chapter. It was released on 04.06.2021.
== Plot ==
While the rest of our heroes were hiding in the Kaos residence, hoping to fight again soon, Aleks managed to formulate a plan. A plan that would eventually lead towards an unexpected success.
After hiring a small band of well-trained warriors from the lands of Avernum, he discovers that a small group of bandits is attacking a nearby fort and rushes to the aid of his fellow warriors. There, he discovers the true location of the leader and the rest of the gang- the city of Paris.
Now, it is the time to make a move. Time is of essence and our heroes must make their move immediately if they want to defeat the bandit leader within his own territory and survive another attack that is directed against them.
Once again, an inevitable battle is about to commence. The forces of good and evil shall fight against each other, hoping to turn the tables once and for all. Soon, one of the sides shall triumph over their fallen enemies.
But who will it be this time?
== Story ==
Jared looks his father in the eye. He immediately notices the dedication within them, realizing that he is serious.
Yes. It seems like Aleks has a plan.
"I have never seen you so excited, dad."- Jared says to him- "Did you find a way to defeat our common enemies?"
Aleks nods and smiles.
"Of course I did!"- He says- "Or, shall I say, we did!"
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"We?"- He asks him- "You and who?"
Aleks smiles again.
"Though I am indeed powerful and capable of defeating enemies like those bandits, I was still very outnumbered by them. I needed help."- He says- "So, I brought a small band of heroes with me to complete this quest."
He looks at the door behind him and nods.
"You may enter."- He says.
Suddenly, a small band of soldiers enters the room, suprising everyone. Everyone except for Aleks himself.
He notices that everyone is confused and decides to explain.
"Don't be afraid of them."- He says- "My new friends may look serious, but this is just a part of their job. They mean you no harm."
Jared takes a step forward and analyzes each one of the soldiers. Then, he shakes their hands.
"If my father trusts you, then I shall do the same."- He says- "Welcome to the family."
The soldiers nod in greeting, but don't say anything.
"Dad is right. They are very serious about their job. So much that they do not wish to waste their energy making small talk."- Jared says to himself as he continues to analyze them carefully- "Allies like those are hard to find nowadays and I am proud that I will be fighting alongside them."
Aleks notices Jared's interest and decides to continue.
"When I talked to His Majesty, he immediately realized how powerful our enemies are and how dangerous they can be to both Avernum and the Surface."- He says- "So, he sent me to investigate an area west of the Castle, but not before choosing some of the capital's most valiant defenders and allowing them to join me in this struggle."
He sighs.
"The area that we searched was indeed besieged by bandits. A small fort was under attack and we defended it from them."- He continues- "Most of the bandits died in the battle, but a few of them tried to run away, We killed most of them and left one alive. We questioned him about the location of their headquarters and the reason why they are trying to hunt Allister down. Surprisingly, the man told us everything before he died. How far it is from us. What they are planning. And, most importantly, why they chose Allister as their prime target."
He sighs again.
"Fear, everyone."- He mutters- "Fear is what makes those cowards terrified of you. Fear is what makes them sing their heart out, in the hopes that you will spare them from something inevitable. And it is, in fact, something that will lead to their eventual downfall. It is truly unfortunate, but that's how it is."
Allister clenches his fist.
"You don't need to tell them, sir."- He says to Aleks- "I will explain."
Aleks steps back as Allister takes his place.
"The bandits are hunting me, because they despise our family."- He says- "For decades, we have been hunting them down, preventing them from causing destruction, from ruining the lives of hundreds of people around us. That's why they despised us so much. My uncle, he died because of them, because they wanted to get their revenge on us... and he was the perfect target. When they killed him, I came to their camp and killed their people. The cycle continues... and revenge is what keeps the fire burning. The battle will never stop until one of us is dead. Either my entire family... or their entire gang. There is nothing in-between. Nothing."
Everyone shakes their head. Aleks sighs.
"Just as I feared. The mistakes of your own family have brought more problems for you."- He says- "We will eliminate them, but it will take time."
He turns to the rest of his allies.
"So."- He continues- "Allow me to explain what I have discovered."
He talks about the moment when he and his new allies discovered evidence that points out to a certain place that is very close to them. It turns out that the place that he is talking about is actually the city of Paris.
Jared is angered by this.
"They have been here the whole time, hiding away from us and hoping that we will simply leave them alone?"- He mutters- "How pathetic of them."
Aleks nods.
"It shows that we're not dealing with a dangerous group of bandits, no matter how powerful they claim to be."- He says- "Still, we should proceed with caution. Their leader is dangerous and we must focus our attention on him."
He looks at Allister.
"My boy. You're the one that they want dead. You're the one that they've been hoping to eliminate in a manner that would prevent you to get help from anyone around you."- He says- "However, their plan backfired. Now, the hunters have become the hunted."
He looks him in the eyes.
"So, tell us."- He continues- "What would you like to do with their settlement?"
Allister takes a step forward. His left hand is still clenched into a fist. It is clear that he is angry... and that he wants to unleash all of his anger upon the bandits.
"Burn it."- He mutters- "Burn it all."
Aleks nods.
"And that's what we shall do."- He says and turns to the soldiers- "Friends, show them what we have obtained on our way home."
Each one of the soldiers presents a cocktail. Something is burning within them.
"Are those Molotovs?"- Jared asks his father- "Isn't this... dangerous?"
Aleks nods.
"Indeed they are."- He says- "Those bandits have harmed too many people. Now, it is time for them to feel the pain."
Jared takes one of the Molotovs and inspects it. From the looks of it, the fire that rests behind the glass is magical. There are traces of it that our hero can notice. Though only at the edge of perception.
He hands the Molotov back to the soldier he took it from.
"I see. Those Molotovs are very dangerous. They might be powerful enough to penetrate through the bandits' defenses and allow us to turn the tables of this battle."- He says- "But I am still wondering. How do you know that fire will work well against them?"
Aleks smiles.
"Well, let's just say that we have been very busy recently."- He says- "During the time when you stayed in the residence, we found their headquarters and watched them from a distance. A bunch of hastily built wooden huts and tents, but not much of a defense. Still, their choice of materials leaves them vulnerable to a large fire. Even the lighting of a single cigarette can be devastating for them. So, I decided to store a small amount of magical fire into those vials. Sure, they may be makeshift Molotovs, but they will be effective. Maybe twice as much, who knows?"
He sighs.
"Still, we must strike fast."- He says- "Eventually, they will find out that we know where they are. And when they do, well... let's just say that it won't be quite easy to defeat them."
Jared nods.
"I agree."- He says- "Taking your enemies by surprise is a key element that allows you to win a battle like this."
He looks at the Molotovs and sighs.
"Also, I want to get rid of those weapons as soon as possible."- He adds- "They are very dangerous."
Aleks nods.
"Well. There's only one thing left to do, then."- He says- "Let's leave this place and fight our enemies while we still can."
As everyone leaves the building, Jared and Marinette stay behind with their father.
"Dad, Mari is still wounded. It would not be wise to take her with us."- Jared says to him- "Please, let her stay at home. She will protect the residence while we are absent."
Aleks looks at his daughter and nods.
"Very well. She can stay behind."- He responds- "I would never risk the life of someone who is unable to fight, let alone you or your sister."
Marinette hugs both of them.
"Good luck, dad, little brother."- She says- "You will succeed. I'm sure of it!"
Jared hugs his sister back.
"Stay safe, sister."- He says to her- "We will be back soon. I promise."
A few minutes later, everyone is walking away from the residence and towards the place where the bandits are supposed to be.
On their way there, Jared notices a large piece of discarded clothing. He picks it up and analyzes it.
"Um, Jared."- Meggy says- "I don't think this is the right time to look at this thing."
Aleks shakes his head.
"Leave him alone, Meggy."- He says to her- "It might be important."
Soon, all of them stop and wait for Jared.
Meanwhile, he takes another look at the clothing and shakes his head.
"It is not in acceptable condition."- He says- "Torn, filthy and dirty. No self-respecting warrior would ever wear something like this."
He turns to his allies and says:
"The bandits are not far away."
It does not take our heroes too long to find them. They are out in the open, planning their next move and unaware of what is going to happen.
As soon as they are in fighting range, the soldiers pull out their Molotovs.
"Is it time already?"- Jared says to his father.
Aleks nods.
"It is."
He turns to the soldiers.
"Fire!"- He yells.
Soon, the entire settlement is engulfed by the magical flames. Bandits run around, screaming as their homes are burned down.
Allister watches this scene of chaos and disarray with glee.
"Yes! That's right!"- He yells- "Burn, you fools! Feel the everlasting fire!"
As our heroes enter the still-burning settlement, they notice a hooded bandit who is trying to run away.
"Do you... do you think... ?"- Allister stutters.
Jared draws his weapon.
"This is the bandit leader who escaped from us last time."- He says- "Get him!"
Our heroes focus their attention on the fleeing bandit. Soon, he is outnumbered by them.
As they step forward to attack him, a large bandit jumps out of a nearby tent and gets in their way.
"You! You burned our homes down! You killed our people!"- He yells- "I'll kill you!"
He draws his blade and swings it at them.
Meanwhile, the bandit leader tries to escape.
Aleks sighs.
"I'm afraid that you're on your own, children."- He says to Jared- "Can you handle him without our help?"
Jared nods and smiles.
"A bandit like him?"- He says- "Bring it on! We are ready!"
Aleks smiles.
"Then go ahead."- He says- "Make us feel proud."
Jared and Allister manage to get away from the fight. Just as they are about to reach the bandit leader, however, the same bandit leaps in front of them and prevents them from attacking.
"That's not gonna happen!"- He yells- "I'll kill all of you. No exceptions!"
Allister draws his weapon and steps forward.
"Get out of our way, you monster!"- He yells and stabs him in the stomach.
He stands up and tries to attack them again. However, Jared bashes his head with a piece of wood and forces him to fall on his knees. This gives them the chance to escape and confront the bandit leader.
Meanwhile, the rest of their allies catch up with him. Aleks steps forward and angrily shoots him in the leg with an arrow.
"You... you haven't won yet, hero."- The bandit gasps.
Aleks glares at him.
"Then how about you fight back?"- He says- "Maybe then you will see how weak and foolish you are."
The bandit leaps to his feet.
"I... I will defeat you! All of you!"- He yells and attacks.
He tries to stab Aleks, but he manages to avoid his attack.
Then, he tries to attack again, but is bashed in the head by Meggy.
As he stumbles back, she shakes her head.
"Man. This guy's really pathetic."- She says to Aleks.
Aleks nods.
"It almost makes me feel bad about having to fight him."- He says- "Almost."
The bandit looks up at them. It is clear that he loathed them before the battle, but now, his loathing turns into an insatiable desire to defeat his enemies. Even though he is outnumbered.
"You can't defeat me!"- He yells- "I am the general of our mighty army. I'll show you that you can't win this battle! Not at all!"
Just as he is about to attack again, he feels a pain in his chest. He looks down and sees that he is bleeding.
"I-impossible."
He looks back and sees Lethal. He is shaking his head.
"Farewell, bandit."- He says and picks up a piece of wood.
Before the bandit can react, he is bashed in the skull. He tries to get up, but is bashed again.
Lethal drops the wood onto his head, but realizes that he is dead. He picks it up and throws it away.
"Some people cannot realize that they are too weak to fight."- He says- "But it doesn't matter. He's dead."
Aleks nods and looks at his son. He and Allister are facing the bandit leader.
"Come on."- He says- "Jared needs our help."
When they get close to the battlefield, they hear what the two of them are saying to each other.
"I gave you a chance to run away, but you didn't take it."- The bandit leader says to Jared- "Why? Why didn't you run away? Is it because of him?"
Jared nods.
"Yes. Yes, it is. I am not going to let you and your gang of foolish bandits to do anything to him."- He says- "He will not fight you alone. I will stay by his side."
He draws his weapon and points it at him.
"And when we win this battle, your tyrannical reign will be over."- He adds- "We will destroy the Darkness of Duskwood, once and for all."
The bandit leader smiles.
"We'll see about that, young one."- He responds and begins to cast a spell- "Now, how about you stop talking... and start fighting?"
Jared nods and points his weapon at him.
"Get ready, Benedict."- He says as he prepares to strike- "Because I am coming for you!"
== Trivia ==
* The title of this Chapter is a reference to a song by a band known as "Sonata Arctica" that has the same name.
* "Burn it. Burn it all."- is also a reference to the same song, namely the text that is shown before the actual lyrics themselves. Those are the last words before the beginning of the song itself.
*Originally, there was a Part in "Miracula Luxia II" 's third Chapter whose title was "Wildfire". However, on 08.06.2021, it was changed to "Dungeons And Dragons" for two reasons, the first one being the fact that it is more suitable for it (Since a dragon appearance in said Part) and the second one- that it would be a better idea not to have any Parts, whose titles are the same.