MLTP Part 12- "Lone Wolf"

"Lone Wolf" is the twelveth Part of "Miracula Luxia: The Prequel". It was released on 21.01.2020.
== Plot ==
After getting separated from his group by the forest fire, Aleks is left alone and has no other choice than to push forward all by himself.
His goal still remains the same, though- finding Paris. Armed with both a weapon and his knowledge, he has to overcome a few challenges before entering the fabled safe zone.
Will he survive the journey alone?
== Story ==
Aleks realized that his friends weren't going to wait for him and decided to spend the night in another nearby forest (which was untouched by the forest fire to the east).
He set up camp in a quiet, dark spot and opened his tent. After having a good meal, he fell asleep.
That night, he couldn't sleep. He thought about all the troubles which befell him lately- about the new enemies he had to defeat, about the arrival of Kayla and James in his life and, most importantly, about Seiko's pregnancy.
Yes. Seiko was going to give birth soon. And he had to be there for her.
He was going to become a father for the second time.
"Seiko... "- He said to himself- "If only this didn't happen. This journey. If only we stayed at my sister's village. We could have taken care of both our son and our daughter without a worry. But now? Now we're almost always in danger. Why did I fool myself? Why did I let you come to Paris with me and Kayla?"
"Everything was going to be okay. We could have been safe. We could... have... "
He quickly fell asleep.
In his dream, he saw a young woman. Her skin was emitting a beautiful, white light.
She was holding something in her arms.
It was a baby.
The woman smiled, warmth radiating from her.
"Hello, dear husband."- She said.
Aleks looked at her, confused.
"Husband?"- He asked her.
She nodded.
"Well, maybe not yet, but soon. You know me, right? Honey?"
Aleks gasped.
"S-Seiko?!"
Seiko smiled.
"It's me."
"But how... ?"
She looked down.
"Well, let's say that I'm an image of your future. I'm not a reality. Yet. And neither is this sweet creature... "- She stared at the child in her arms.
"Is this... our son?"
"Yes. Quite a beautiful child, isn't he?"
Aleks looked at his future son. The child has long, black hair and soft, pale skin.
"So."- He turned to Seiko- "How does my "future me" look like? And, more specifically, is he a good father."
Seiko giggled.
"Oh, he's quite a charmer! Best husband a woman could ever have. And a very protective father."
"Interesting."- Aleks said and looked down.
"What about our daughter?"
"Mari? Oh, she's such a helpful little girl. Always wants to help her father with the chores. Maybe in the future she'll be able to, who knows?"
Aleks smiled.
"It was nice talking to you, but... "
"Oh."- Seiko said- "I understand. You need to get back to your friends. Go. Find them before it's too late. Don't let me slow you down."
Aleks nodded.
"As you say. Maybe I'll see you again?"
"In the future, yes. Good luck!"
With that, she told him to wake up.
He did so and found out that it was now early morning.
He looked at his watch. At this point, it wasn't working anymore. Its batteries have exhausted all of their energy.
"Ugh!"- He exclaimed- "Looks like I need to fix it when I get to Paris."
With that said, he placed his watch in the backpack, for safekeeping.
"It's time to go."- He said and packed up everything that he had around the camp.
Five minutes later, he was finally done. 
He left the forest, but not before eating a few berries that he found on a nearby berry bush.
Having left the safe confines of the forest, he was exposed to the dangers of the road to Paris once again.
He looked around, wondering if something would attack him.
Aleks knew that monsters mostly stayed away from the roads, but he wasn't foolish enough to wander away from them.
However, he wasn't afraid to fight any foes, if he was forced to do so.
He looked around once again and proceeded to walk towards Paris.
It looks like the city was about four days away. There were still quite a few miles to walk and not that many supplies to sustain the one who walks.
Aleks felt his stomach rumbling and his legs shaking because of the fatigue. The boy clearly needs a rest after he arrives in Paris. A comfortable bed with a nice breakfast, sleeping for at least ten hours.
Yes, it is a good thing to dream. It drags you away from the harsh double-edged blade known as "Reality" (You never know what it might offer you. Sometimes, it might give you a hand and sometimes it might throw you in the mud). However, eventually you have to stop dreaming and face the reality, no matter how harsh it may be.
Aleks knew it, deep within himself, that reality is often disappointing, but he had to take it. Just like his father said a few years ago- "Smile and move on. Correct your past mistakes as best as you can."
And this was what Aleks was intending to do now. He was going to fix those past mistakes and show his friends and family that he is a responsible young man who cares about everyone and everything.
With that in mind, Aleks moved on with his head down, not noticing a small band of goblins approaching him. Until one of them pointed its dagger at his shoulder.
"Huh?"- He said and looked up, only to see five big goblins watching him warily and pointing their weapons at him.
Those creatures weren't your ordinary goblins- mostly neutral creatures which avoid human company.
No, those goblins were much more different.
They were very muscular, almost unlike any goblins Aleks has ever seen in his life and holding various weapons.
Some were holding spears, others- daggers. All of very high quality.
Aleks smiled.
"Ah, a challenge. I like challenges. But first... "
"Dear goblins, can you please let me by? I have a family to meet in a city nearby."
The goblins laughed.
"We do not let stupid humens near city. They not good. Kill all goblins and scare others. Not good. Not good."
"But a band of those jerks escaped us. They left towards city and laughed at us. There was a humen girl with big belly."
"Hehe. Big belly."- Another goblin laughed.
Aleks stopped for a second. He realized that the people who passed the area with the goblins were his team!
"So."- He continued- "Do you know where the woman with the big belly and the other people with her went?"
"To west. But why do you wanna know?"- One of the goblins grumbled- "You aren't gonna reach those humens anyway. 'Cuz you're gonna die here."
"Yeah."- The goblin at the front line grinned- "We're gonna take the loot of this lone humen and save it for other goblins."
"Alright brothers, get 'im!"- The lead goblin barked orders at them and they began their attack.
Aleks drew his sword and managed to stab one of them in the chest. Another one tried to attack him from behind, but failed due to its large size (Twice as large as a normal goblin would be). The young hero pulled it in front of him and began clanging his sword into the goblin's.
*clang!* *cling!* *tuff*
After a small struggle between the two of them, Aleks managed to stab the huge goblin in the neck. It fell to the ground and bled to death not long after.
He turned around, only to find one of the goblins pouncing at him (despite its size). He fell to the ground and the creature stepped on his sword.
It laughed.
"Yeah! What you gonna do now, hero?"- It mocked the injured Aleks.
As a response, he kicked it in the ankle, stood up and punched it in the face. But not just once. Ten times.
After making sure that it's unable to stand up and attack him again, Aleks looked at his last opponent- the leader of the small band.
The lead goblin smiled.
"Looks like you're tougher than what we expected. Doesn't matter. You humens always go down, no matter how much you fight."
"But that's all you do. You fight. And fight. And fight. So predictable. We killed many of you before."
He waved around, revealing the corpses of many dead humans, slain by his little band of goblins (And possibly himself).
"But, there is one last thing foolish humen did not realize. Even though he defeated my brothers, there are still many more, hiding in the shadows. We can never be defeated. Never!"
As he looked at him, Aleks realized that the goblin was distracting him, long enough for its remaining allies to attempt an (almost successful) ambush.
They grabbed his arms and threw him on the ground, managing to break his arm.
Ouch. Looks like he has to heal that after he gets in Paris. If he ever gets there alive.
He was now almost paralyzed. And stunned by the fall.
The goblins laughed.
"That's it for this humen. Finish 'im boys!"
The goblins prepared to stab Aleks and kill him.
However, in the last second he realized what was happening. He grabbed a nearby polearm and used it to block their attacks.
This parry took quite a toll on his broken arm. He stood back and tried to scream in pain.
However, no sound came out. It seems like he managed to withdraw it.
"No. I won't scream. I won't show my weakness, even if those are my last moments. I will not."
"But... what am I talking about? I won't give up on living, not while my loved ones are still alive!"
The goblins were surprised by his desire to live, even though he was very weak at this moment.
"Not yet...!"- Aleks mumbled- "I'm not... going to surrender. Not... to you!"
He stood up and grabbed his sword, swinging it with his healthy hand at one of the goblins.
After two swings, he managed to decapitate it.
The other goblin tried to attack him, but was kicked in the leg and immobilized.
Instead of killing it, Aleks cut its leg off. He let it live, but at a cost, to even the scale of what they did to him.
As the goblin screamed in pain, he approached the lead goblin (which was now utterly terrified by the young man's bravery).
"It's your turn, you wicked creature."- He said and charged at him.
The goblin finally realized that it was outmatched and tried to run away. It was close to the nearby forest, but before it could go inside, Aleks pulled his bow out of his backpack an shot it in the head with a well-aimed shot.
"What a pathetic coward."- He said to himself, still panting from the long battle- "He tried to stay in the shadows, protected by those who served him. In the end, he tried to run away and this proved to be his undoing. He might have had a quarter of a brain, but that definitely doesn't beat the full brain which we humans have. Nice try, goblins."
He looked at his broken arm and sighed.
"Looks like I have to fix that soon. Until then, it will be a burden to my adventure."
Having said that, Aleks looked at the dead goblins and noticed multiple pouches hanging from their belts.
He carefully picked the brown ones up, knowing that the other ones surely contained hidden traps in them, waiting to be unleashed (Something that his father told him to be careful not to open a few years ago when he was still a child).
After picking up everything that is not glued to them (money, food, water and other similar supplies), he began walking towards the city again.
Soon he was only three days away from Paris. 
He sighed and stared towards the direction where the city was located.
"I'm almost there, everyone. Wait for me."
He looked back and smiled.
"Maybe being alone is not that bad, after all."- He said to himself- "It fits my personality. But I still have people to protect and I must do my best. I can't let them stay in a big and unfamiliar city alone, no way!"
He looked back one last time, sighed and began walking forward, toward the city of Paris.
His adventure was almost complete. Now he just had to reach his final location.
This should be an easy task.
== Trivia ==
* "Reality Is Often Disappointing" is a sentence said by the popular Marvel character Thanos. It is also a meme.