MLII C6, P3- "Without A Doubt"

"Without A Doubt" is the third Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's sixth Chapter. It was released on 30.05.2021.
== Plot ==
Our heroes decide to visit the lands of Avernum once again. A place that they have been seeing as their homeland for a long time, now the home of one of its most dangerous enemies, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
As they look for a way to defeat their old enemies once and for all, they witness petty tricks than none of their enemies have used before. Loyalties are tested as the Darkness of Duskwood gang tries to win all of them at their side and force them to abandon the one that they swore to protect.
Little do they know... that things won't be as easy as they seem to be.
== Story ==
As the rest of Jared's allies step out of the portal, he takes another good look at the lands of Avernum.
"Once again, destiny brought us here."- He says- "The sacred lands that we protected from so many enemies, now endangered by another pack of madmen with visions of grandeur. Will it ever end?"
Aleks shakes his head.
"Those are the duties that a hero has to endure. To kill his enemies... or be killed by them."- He says- "We mustn't shy away from them, even if it means that we won't make it out."
Jared nods.
"I am aware of this."- He responds- "Now, let us find those vagabonds. Every second that we spend away from them is a wasted chance to make a difference in this meaningless battle."
And so, our heroes leave the outskirts of the city of Formello and decide to take the road to the west.
There, they decide to visit Fort Monastery- the place where Annie's father, Arlen Mitchell, resides.
"Good to see you again, friends!"- Arlen says as he approaches them- "Where's my dear Annie? I thought that she's travelling with you."
Jared shakes his head.
"Sir, I am afraid that we are on a dangerous mission."- He says to him- "Taking Annie with us will only endanger her, so I decided to leave her in Paris. She will be safe there."
Arlen nods.
"Of course. Thank you for taking care of my little girl."- He says- "But... why are you here?"
Jared looks down.
"Our enemies, they are hidden somewhere to the west."- He says- "We need to reach them as soon as we can. However, going by land will only give them the chance to prepare for our assault. Thus, we need to find a way to infiltrate their fort faster. Time is of essence and help is appreciated."
He gives Arlen a brief description of the Darkness of Duskwood gang, in an attempt to inform him about them.
Arlen thinks about this for a few seconds. His eyes clear up. Thoughts stir up within his mind as he decides how to help his friends.
Finally, he decides what he wants to do. He nods again.
"I don't know anything about the enemies that you're talking about. I don't know how powerful or crafty they are."- He says- "It does not matter. I will help you, even if it costs my life to do so."
He takes Jared outside the fort and further to the south. Then, he looks at a small dock to the west of them.
"There's a dock out there. It was built shortly after we won the war with the Slithzerikai, a gift that the dragon Melanchion gave to us after Avernum allied itself with him."- He says- "Most of the boats there were taken by foolhardy adventurers. However, Fort Monastery reserved a single boat, in case something like this ever happened to us. I will give you and your allies permission use this boat, but be wary that you'll be alone out there. The Abyss is a wild land, uncontrolled by anyone. It could be dangerous for someone as young as you."
Jared smiles.
"Fear not, Mr. Mitchell!"- He says to him- "I have faced far worse than a bunch of rebellious, foolish miscreants. I will take care of them."
Arlen nods.
"See that you do."- He says- "If you do so, the Abyss will be far safer than it is now."
He watches as Jared gathers his allies and heads towards the docks. Then, he decides to accompany them and make sure that they are not attacked in the process.
Once they reach the sole boat on the docks safely, he looks around. Seeing that nobody is going to attack them, he smiles.
"It looks like our paths will diverge. Again."- He says- "Still, I'm glad that there are people like you. People who fight to keep the world safe and do their best to eradicate the evil within."
He salutes them.
"I wish you a good journey, my friends."- He continues- "Keep your eyes open. No matter how docile those bandits may seem at first, looks can be deceiving. Sometimes, the situation may become very dangerous. So, be on your guard."
Aleks nods.
"We will win this battle, Arlen."- He says- "Rest assured of it."
As the heroes bid him farewell, they enter the boat. It drives off as he watches silently.
"Aleks."- He mutters- "I believe in you and your son. Make me proud."
Half an hour later, the boat reaches its destination- the eastern shore of the Abyss. When they try to land there, they witness a small group of bandits approach them. Their blades are drawn.
As they disembark and prepare to defend themselves, the bandits waste no time to surround them and cut their only way out... and in.
"Look, heroes. We came here looking for the boy. And we're not going to stop until he lies dead in front of us."- One of them says- "You don't need to die with him. Leave, and we'll spare your life."
As Jared stares at them angrily and rests his hand close to his weapon. Aleks takes a step forward. He glares menacingly as they inspect him.
"And what will you do to win us at your side?"- He asks the bandit- "Your threats do not scare us. Your warriors can't do anything to harm us. If anyone is cornered over here, it is you."
Some of the bandits start to sweat. They were not expecting their prey to actually fight back with words. Now that they witness how the tables are turning, they suddenly become nervous.
The first bandits grins and looks at Aleks slyly. Although most of his allies are ready to run away, he does not seem to be scared himself. Not at all.
Perhaps he is foolish. Perhaps he underestimates his enemies and thinks that they are not as strong as they seem...
Or perhaps he is more bite than bark. Who knows?
"The Darkness of Duskwood has many rewards to offer. Our allies will find out that it's always worth helping us out."- He says- "If you hand the boy over to us, you will find yourself richer than you've ever been befo-- "
Suddenly, Aleks draws his bow and shoots the bandit in the chest.
"Thank you for the offer... but I have to refuse."- He says stoically- "Foolish brigands like yourselves are harming our society and no one in their right mind will be willing to help you out. One by one, you will die and your group will fall apart. And we will make sure of that."
He looks at the rest of the bandits. They are terrified.
"I will not let this boy die. I will protect him with my life, from monsters who try to harm him... and from humans who try to exact their revenge upon him."- He continues- "I don't care what he has done before. I don't know how the world will treat him. I promised that I will protect him... and I will be true to my word."
He turns to his allies.
"Kill them."- He says stoically.
It only takes three minutes for our heroes to shoot down the rest of the attacking bandits and clear a path towards the rest of the Abyss.
As they proceed to explore the lands ahead of them, Allister stays with Aleks.
"Mr. Kaos."- He says- "Thank you for standing up for me. Even if I face a few of them, they will still take me down. Your help gave me hope that I will succeed. And I will keep fighting them... until they see how foolish it is to fight us."
Aleks nods.
"Don't mention it, kid."- He responds- "Heroes like us always help each other. It's a trait that separates us from those, who are cowardly enough to leave their allies behind. Your willingness to fight an enemy like the Darkness of Duskwood, it shows that you're a true hero, just like my son."
He notices that the rest of their allies are waving at them and stands up.
"I think that they discovered something."- He says to Allister- "Let's go."
As they approach their allies, they notice a small encampment. It seems like the attacking bandits set it up shortly before their arrival and have been waiting for them ever since.
Jared approaches a backpack and pulls something out of it. It is a small tablet, cracked and ancient. He hands it to his father.
"We found this tablet within their leader's backpack."- He says to him- "Can you make any sense of it?"
Aleks inspects the tablet briefly. He reads the ancient text and attempts to decipher it.
Surprisingly, he succeeds.
"Interesting."- He says- "Whoever those bandits are, they are tapping into raw, uncontrolled magic. Either they are very foolish... or they are trained in the ways of the unknown, something that means trouble for all of us, no matter how hard we try to get rid of them."
He sighs and puts the tablet in his pocket.
"And I know who is responsible for this madness."
As he stares at the boat behind them, he mutters:
"Benedict."
== Trivia ==
* The title of this Chapter, contrary to what it was intended to be, has three meanings: 
**The first one describes Jared's dedication to find and eradicate the Darkness of Duskwood gang once and for all.
**The second one involves Aleks' loyalty towards those that he loves and his actions towards those who want to harm them. 
**The third (and final) one is shown when he acknowledges the name of the one who is responsible for the numerous attacks on Allister and his allies.