MLTP Part 7- "Meant To Be"

"Meant To Be" is the seventh Part of "Miracula Luxia: The Prequel". It was released on 08.01.2020.
== Plot ==
After getting a good night's sleep our heroes find themselves in a land where they have to actually use their skills to get away from their enemies.
It's time for our heroes to get their game on and show the bandits who captured them while they were asleep that they aren't just ordinary adventurers.
== Story ==
A few hours passed. Kayla and James were also asleep.
They slept the whole night, too sleepy to move on. So sleepy that they didn't notice the bandits who barged in the outpost and quietly took them away.
Aleks woke up from his sleep 10 hours later, only to find himself in a small isolated room with Kayla.
Seiko and James were nowhere to be seen.
Aleks tried to scream for Seiko and run outside to find her, but realized that his arms and legs were tied up with ropes. So were Kayla's.
It seemed like she was unconscious.
Aleks tried to wake her up, but a bandit entered the room and kicked Aleks in the abdomen, causing him to fall down.
Three more bandits appeared. They laughed at him.
"What now, weaklin' ? You gonna try to stand up and kill us?"- One of the bandits said mockingly.
Aleks looked at them angrily.
"You! What did you do to my girlfriend? And my friend? Tell me!"
"The girl? Hah! We'll never tell ya! Well, maybe when you're dead, that's when she'll see ya."
"Yah! Dead!"- Another bandit giggled and grinned at him.
All of the bandits pulled out their weapons with the intent of killing him and Kayla.
Suddenly, an uncontrollable rage awakened in Aleks.
"You what?!"- He screamed at them- "I'll make you pay!"
He managed to evade one of the bandits's attacks. He also used some of his energy to empower himself.
A white flame engulfed his body for a few seconds. The flame did not hurt him, but it managed to burn the ropes and free him, just like a normal flame would.
He stood up and drew his weapon, killing two of the bandits with stabs in the head.
The third bandit screamed and charged at him, only to receive a kick in the groin and a stab in the chest, being left to bleed to death.
The last bandit tried to run away and warn the other bandits, but was shot down by Aleks who managed to pick up his bow from a nearby table.
He fell to the ground, screaming in pain.
Fortunately, his screams did not alert any hostiles.
Aleks looked at him with unrestrained loathing.
"Tell me where she is! Tell me where is my girlfriend!"
The bandit smirked.
"Go find her yerself, chump. If she's still alive... "- He grumbled and died from his wound.
Aleks kicked him in the head.
"Jerk."- He muttered.
He noticed that Kayla was now awake. He freed her from her restraints.
"Thanks."- She said- "Did you kill them?"
Aleks nodded.
"There are no survivors. I killed them all."
"Good job. Those fools managed to capture us while we were asleep. I tried to stop them, but I was knocked unconscious by a big one. If he's still around, I want to have a word with him."
"I see."- Aleks said and looked at the dead bandits. 
He felt bad about killing them, because they probably had families of their own, but he also despised them, because they captured him and his friends just to torture and kill them.
He and Kayla left the room and found themselves in a small ruined Inn. Looks like this place is used by the group of bandits as their place of operations and also serves as a place where they keep their prisoners. They could hear the dying screams of some from miles away.
One interesting feature was the room to the west of them. Aleks heard yelling coming from inside and tried to break in, but was stopped by Kayla.
"Hold on. Let's listen to what they have to say first."- Kayla suggested.
Aleks liked the idea and eavesdropped the conversation.
"You're pregnant? Why didn't ya tell us?"- One of the voices said.
"Are you stupid? Of course I am! Didn't you hear what I said earlier?!"- Another answered.
"Well, if you have a baby there, we're just gonna make sure it doesn't pop out alive. Right, Buck?"
"Yah, man! Let's kill 'em both!"- "Buck" yelled.
Aleks and Kayla slowly opened the door, seeing two bandits preparing to stab Seiko.
"Sei... "- Aleks tried to say, alerting the bandits. Kayla managed to pull him away before they could have the chance to see him.
The bandits looked around, startled by the sound.
"What was that?"- The first said.
"Don't know, man! Ghosts?"- The other answered.
Seiko saw Aleks and tried to get his attention, but he stopped her so she couldn't give up their position to the bandits.
"We'll rescue you soon, honey. Trust us."- Aleks whispered and smiled to reassure her that everything would be okay.
Seiko nodded and looked at the bandits who were now brandishing their knives, ready to kill her.
"Ne'ermind that."- The first mumbled- "Let's kill 'er!"
They tried to stab her baby first, forcing her to yell in pain.
Aleks and Kayla sneaked behind them while they were distracted.
Kayla motioned for Aleks to kill the first while she takes care of his backup.
Aleks nodded and headed towards the bandit who tried to plunge his blade in Seiko's abdomen.
"No! Stop!"- Seiko yelled- "Please! Somebody! Help me!"
The bandit laughed as he continued trying to stab her in the abdomen.
"It's pointless, young lady! You're gonna die. Face it with at least a drop of dignity, ya hear me?!"
He almost succeeded. 
As he thought that he won the confrontation, he realized that there was someone behind him, but it was too late for him to turn around.
Aleks angrily stabbed him in the back and kicked him on the ground while Kayla stabbed the other bandit in the side of the head.
The first bandit looked at the person who stabbed him and cursed him, only to be kicked in the abdomen.
Aleks pointed his knife at the bandit's abdomen.
"You think that you can mess around with us, huh?! Well, wrong! We will not die to a bunch of filthy lackies like you!"- He yelled at him and stabbed him in the neck, making him choke to death.
He looked around the room and found a fireplace nearby.
"Kayla?"- Aleks looked at his friend.
"Yes? What is it?"
"Should we... do it? What do you say?"
Kayla looked at the dead bandits. Then at the fireplace.
She nodded.
"They deserve it. Let's do this."
Aleks nodded and picked up the first bandit's corpse. He threw it in the fireplace, but not before taking anything useful from his pockets.
Kayla did the same with the other bandit.
She watched with satisfaction as their corpses burned in the fire.
"Good riddance."- She said as Aleks freed Seiko from her restraints.
Seiko sat on the ground, barely breathing.
"Did... did he make it?"- She said to Aleks.
"Who?"
"Our son? Do you think... he's still alive?"
Aleks scratched his head and pressed his head on her tummy.
He heard something inside and smiled.
"Don't worry, honey."- He said- "He's alive and well. The bandits didn't manage to kill him."
Seiko sighed, a clear sign of relief.
"My... our baby is safe."- She said and hugged her boyfriend.
"Thank you, Aleks. I knew that you would come and save me."
Aleks smiled and hugged her back.
"Of course, honey. Anything for you and our son. And our daughter."
Seiko pressed her head on his shoulder and looked at Kayla.
"Thank you Kayla, for helping him."
"Don't thank me, dear."- Kayla responded- "Thank him."- She looked at Aleks.
"It's thanks to him that you survived this. His rage after he realized that you might be dead was the one which helped him free himself, kill our captors and free me. He loves you so much that he cannot bear not having you with him."
Aleks nodded.
"Yes, Seiko. You're like a sun to me. You've always illuminated my life with your beautiful smile and made me actually believe in myself. If anything, I'll gladly die to keep you alive."
Seiko looked at him angrily.
"Oh, come on! Don't say it! I want you to live as well. What would our children do without a father to advise them?!"
Aleks looked down.
"Good point. I will."
Seiko patted him on the head.
"Good boy. Good boy."
He smiled and closed his eyes for a while.
"So, where might James be?"- Kayla wondered.
Aleks looked at her and shaked his head.
"I have no idea. He might be anywhere around us."
"Well, we should go outside. We can't just sit here and wait for him to appear out of nowhere and save us!"- Seiko suggested.
Aleks nodded.
"Wise as always, my love. Let's go. James might be around here as well. And he needs our help."
Seiko and Kayla agreed with the statement.
After leaving the room the three of them noticed that the rest of the Inn was eerily quiet. No talking. No clanging of boots on the ground. Not even the sqeaking of rats.
It was way too quiet. Just like a graveyard.
Aleks shaked his head.
"Cowards. They fled when they realized that we killed their friends. What a shame that we didn't have time to kill all of them."
"Yeah. The more of them dying- the better for this world of ours."- Kayla said.
They looked around the Inn. Seeing nothing interesting, they departed without their friend, wondering where he is.
Just as they were about to hit the road they heard a familiar voice begging them to stop.
They looked back and were surprised by the person who was quickly approaching them.
It was James! 
He came near them and stopped to gasp for air.
"I'm so sorry that I couldn't help you. Those bandits knocked me unconscious and left me on the road to be killed by goblins."
"James! Thank goodness!"- Kayla exclaimed and hugged him- "I was so worried about you!"
James smiled and sighed.
"It took me so long to find you, friends. But I'm glad that I actually did. You're all okay, right?"
Aleks and Seiko nodded.
"I made it without a scratch, but Seiko was almost killed by those vagabonds."- He said.
"Oh dear."- James yelped- "Seiko, did they hurt you? Or the baby?"
Seiko sighed.
"Not really. They were close to do so, but Aleks and Kayla saved us."
"Well done, my friends. I'm glad that they didn't manage to hurt the poor girl. The worst thing was for her to lose her unborn child."
"Or her life."- Aleks added coldly.
"Yes. Or that."
"Anyway, it's time to go. I think that there are only five days left for us to reach Paris. We're very close!"
They started walking on the road together.
"So, how were we taken here?"- Kayla wondered- "It's pretty far away and not very far from Paris."
"Well, from what I learned with the help of nearby farmers, those bandits have been harrassing them and stealing their livestock for a while now. Sometimes they even head to Paris to wreak some havoc and flee before they get slain."
"Interesting. A filthy bunch that knows how to annoy the good people around them."- Aleks said.
"Indeed. They're gone, right?"
Aleks nodded.
"We killed a few of them. The rest fled like complete cowards. They won't be bothering us now."- Aleks said, smiling.
"Good. So our adventure may continue without any more worries. Let's roll!"- James said and ran forward.
"Last to reach the tree over there is a filthy sock!"- He yelled jockingly.
Aleks ran after him.
"Not if I reach it first!"- He yelled.
Kayla and Seiko smiled.
"Those two are such great friends. Right, Kayla?"- Seiko told her friend.
"Yes, Seiko. They are great friends. Just like us."
"Mhm."- Seiko replied, her head still in the clouds.
Kayla looked at her.
"Why are you looking up? Is something wrong?"
Seiko snapped back to reality.
"Oh! Sorry. I was just thinking about how much I had to suffer to find the perfect man and have him in my life."
"You're not telling me something."- Kayla noted- "I can see it in your eyes. It's okay. You can tell me. I won't tell anyone."
Seiko looked down.
"Well, before Aleks came into my life, I was a perverted type. You see, there was this one girl I loved. She had a very cute face and big... well, you know. A shy type. So I tried to talk to her, eventually becoming her best friend and acting weird around her. But we were getting along. Until we were sent in an unknown land where our friendship was strained. She cursed me and told me that we would never get out alive. I tried to reassure her, but she was out of her mind."
"So I had to leave her there. But... when I was in danger, she came to my rescue and risked her own life so Aleks could free me from my restraints. She was killed in that land and she didn't come back with us, the survivors. Now I really miss her and wish she could be with us."
Kayla placed her hand on Seiko's shoulder.
"It's okay, dear. You always lose someone important to you, whether it's in a natural way or not. But we have to move on, so we can take care of the loved ones who are still alive. So... she might be dead, but her memory still rests inside you."
"She isn't truly dead. Seiko. She may not be here in body, but she's here in soul. She's here, Seiko. And I'm sure about one thing- were she still alive, she would have wanted you to adjust your focus on your family of three (soon four) instead on her, because... well, family matters."
Seiko sighed.
"You're right, Kayla. I have to move on. Naomi wouldn't want me to grieve for her forever."
"So her name was Naomi?"- Kayla said- "What a cute name for a girl!"
"Indeed. Very cute."- Seiko blushed, but came back to her senses after a few moments.
"But now I have to take care of my family. My man and my children need me and I must be there for them 24/7."
She looked at Aleks who had stopped near the tree, talking to James.
"Soon the man over there will be my husband and we will take care of two children. Together."
Kayla smiled.
"Lucky you! I wish I had so many children!"
"Of course you will!"- Seiko exclaimed- "Look at you, girl! You're so perfect for a wife and a mother. I'm sure that you'll be both strict and caring. As a mother, of course."
"I will do my best!"- Kayla answered and moved on.
Satisfied that the two of them have finally settled their differences and were now fully trusting each other, Seiko did the same.
== Trivia ==
* This is the only Part in the prequel where a fully antagonistic party appears and is a huge threat to the heroes's lives, unlike the other enemies they have faced so far.