MLTE P5- "Our Purpose"

"Our Purpose" is the fifth and last Part of "Miracula Luxia: The Envoy". It was released on 05.09.2020.
== Plot ==
With Ghall-Ihrno's help, our heroes manage to defeat the rest of the invaders and secure the city, saving its residents from evil once again.
Realizing that they won't achieve anything by staying in the city and trying to defend their friends against the evil Vahnatai, they question Ghall-Ihrno and learn about the location of a powerful item that can weaken the strength of Rentar-Ihrno and her worshippers at the same time. And only one person is allowed to find it.
It is up to our heroes to choose who will take on the dangerous mission to find the incredibly powerful artifact. And whether they will survive or not.
== Story ==
As John and Farrar reinforce the doors, Jared, his sister and Ghall-Ihrno talk about the situation that they have gotten themseves in by helping the Vahnatai envoy.
"Maybe you should have just left me where I was."- Ghall-Ihrno says, guilt burning like a fire in his eyes- "Maybe we would have avoided this disaster if I died back there. The council was going to send another envoy anyway, someone who is not as clumsy as I am."
Marinette shakes her head.
"Don't blame yourself, alien!"- She responds- "Sure, you may have made mistakes, but you're with us now. And it is our responsibility to keep you alive."
Jared nods.
"My sister is right, Ghall-Ihrno."- He adds- "It is too late to blame yourself for what you have done in the past. Instead, you must think about the future that lies ahead of us. And fight to make it happen."
He draws his sword and looks at the door.
"And I won't just stand here, hiding away from danger. I will show it that I am not afraid."
Before anyone can stop him, Jared jumps out of a nearby window and goes downstairs.
As Marinette shakes her head in disbelief, Ghall-Ihrno nods.
"I see what you mean, Jared. And I will do the same."
It jumps from the window as well.
Seeing that she has no other choice, Marinette decides to join her brother and Ghall-Ihrno.
"So."- She says- "What's our grand plan?"
Jared smiles and points at something ahead.
Marinette and Ghall-Ihrno stare ahead and see that there are Vahnatai at the Paris fountain- one of the greatest attractions in the city.
"Do you see the man in the center of the group?"- Jared continues- "That one is the leader. Vahnatai come to him, asking him from instructions."
Ghall-Ihrno nods.
"So, what should we do about him?"- He asks.
Jared smiles again.
"Well, it is very simple. We slay their leader and make them panic. In the chaos that ensues, the soldiers can easily clear the rest of them out."
Marinette looks at the leader and sees that he is well-protected. There is no way that they will be able to succeed in this task.
Unless...
"Come with me."- Jared says and walk forward.
He sneaks behind one of the nearby Vahnatai scouts and stabs him in the nape with his knife.
As he falls to the ground, he liberates him of his armor.
"He won't need it anymore."- He says.
Ghall-Ihrno raises his eyebrow.
"What are you going to do with this armor, my friend?"
Jared smiles.
"Well, the plan is that you will put this armor on instead of your robe and go near the leader. Convince him that the scouts have discovered our location, give him another location. Anything other than our real location. Then watch all the Vahnatai, aside from the leader will rush in to kill us."
Marinette gasps. She really didn't expect her brother to say such a thing.
However, Ghall-Ihrno seems to agree with the plan. He nods and smiles.
"Give me the armor."- He says- "I know the perfect way to distract them."
Jared and his sister watch as the Vahnatai envoy puts on the armor and approaches the leader.
At first, the guards think that he is an invader. However, when they look closer, they see that he is on their side.
"He's one of us."- One of them whispers to the leader- "Seems like he is a scout. Should we let him speak."
The leader stares at Ghall-Ihrno suspiciously. Then he smiles and shake his head.
"No, no. It is alright."- He says- "If the soldier has come here, he has something to say for sure."
"Let him come closer."
The vahnatai guards bow their heads and step aside, allowing Ghall-Ihrno to come closer to the leader.
He bows down.
"Sir, the forces at the northern quadrant have been destroyed. The remaining soldiers say that they need a lot of help."
Hearing that their allies are in danger, all of the Vahnatai guards (save for only one) decide to leave and help their comrades out.
As the leader tries to figure out what is going on, Jared and Marinette appear behind him. Before he and his guard have a chance to react, both of them are killed with stabs in the back.
The three heroes look around for any witnesses. None are in sight.
"Good job, my friend."- Jared says- "You were a great help right now."
Ghall-Ihrno nods and smiles.
"You know, I could have killed this fool myself. But I decided that it is better off if you did it. You are the hero, after all."
Jared nods.
"So you can defend youself!"- He says.
Ghall-Ihrno grins.
"Did you think that the council would send someone who cannot protect himself?"- He says and pats something on his side- "My weapon is always sitting here, ready to be used against both unsuspecting and suspecting foes."
Jared smiles and stares at something in front of him.
He realizes that the Vahnatai warriors are returning.
"Oh no, they're coming back!"- Marinette says- "Let's skidaddle out of here!"
Jared and Ghall-Ihrno nod, clearly agreeing with the girl. The three of them leave moments before the warriors come back.
As our heroes leave the area, they hear the screams of the despairing Vahnatai behind them, grieving for the unexpected death of their leader.
"This cannot be! We were tricked!"- One of them says.
"And now there is no one who can lead us!"- Another adds- "We are doomed! Doomed!"
The three heroes go back to the residence, only to find that the Vahnatai that were trying to enter are gone and the door is wide open.
"Could it be... ?"- Jared says.
Marinette shakes her head in disbelief.
"No. No. They... "
She falls to her knees.
"What have they done... "
As she stares at the residence in disbelief, she is unable to notice a Vahnatai warrior sneaking up behind her.
Jared and Ghall-Ihrno see him, but do not have the chance to attack him as he throws one of his razordisks at her back and severely wounds her.
This action greatly angers Jared. Without thinking twice, he swiftly runs toward the Vahnatai and grabs him by the neck.
"You fool!"- He yells- "You will pay for what you have done! Not even your precious Rentar-Ihrno can help you now!"
Instead of mercifully killing him, Jared decides to choke him to death. As the creature slowly dies, he throws its corpse to the ground and starts to kick his skull.
He does so until he is stopped by Ghall-Ihrno.
"Jared, she is still breathing!"- He says.
Jared leans closer to his unconscious sister and listens for a heartbeat. He soon finds out that she does indeed have a heartbeat and smiles warmly.
He turns to Ghall-Ihrno.
"Ghall, today you proved yourself as a hero by helping us defeat a dangerous enemy. However, we are not out of danger yet. And that is why I want to ask you about something. To do something important for me."
Ghall-Ihrno listens intently.
"What do you want me to do, my friend?"- He asks him.
Jared looks down at his sister and sighs.
"I want to keep her safe and drag her away to safety, but I also want to find my friends. So, I want you to find a safe place to stay and help her recover."
"Do you understand what I want from you?"
Ghall-Ihrno nods.
"Very well. Then shall be on my way. Good luck to you."
Ghall-Ihrno smiles.
"Same to you, my friend."- He says and drags Marinette away with him.
Jared goes closer to the house and hears screams coming from inside. As he goes upstairs, he sees that a large band of hostile Vahnatai has surrounded John and Farrar and have seriously injured them.
Jared whistles and gets their attention.
"Hey, weaklings!"- He yells- "You want me, right?!"
"Well, I'm right here. So come get me, if you can!"
The Vahnatai scream and attack him. 
Jared manages to kill two of them while tripping two more with his sword.
Two more Vahnatai try to attack him, only to be slain by John, who has decided to provide aid to his dear friend, despite being injured.
The two of them take out three more Vahnatai together. The last Vahnatai are taken out with stabs in the vack from the two boys.
As our heroes stare at the carnage, they sigh.
"Why did you leave us here?"- Farrar asks Jared- "We were so worried about you!"
Jared sighs.
"I am so sorry, but I had to take out the Vahnatai party's leader."
John looks around for something. Not seeing what he is looking for, he turns to Jared.
"Where are your sister and Ghall-Ihrno?"- He asks his friend.
Jared shakes his head.
"It is... very complicated. We can talk about it when we find them."
John looks down the stairs and sees more Vahnatai climbing them, wanting to avenge their fallen comrades.
"Looks like we've got more company!"- He says- "The fight is not over!"
As our heroes prepare to defend themselves, they hear footsteps behind the Vahnatai invaders.
Moments later, they are attacked and slain by a band of pale soldiers, leaving no survivors behind.
Jared immediately recognizes the soldiers. They are from Avernite origin.
One of them gets closer to Jared and recognizes him. He shakes his hand.
"Once again, fate has decided that we should fight on the same side. It is such an honor, Jared!"
Jared nods and smiles.
"It is an honor for me too, Barin!"
Barin smiles back and looks at someone who is climbing the stairs.
Jared recognizes the man. It is his grandfather, Lethal.
Barin kneels as Lethal reaches the top of the stairs.
"Your Majesty, we have managed to find your grandson."- He says- "What should we do next?"
Lethal looks at his grandson and smiles.
"Take them somewhere safe."- He says to Barin- "This place is too dangerous, even for a band of experienced heroes."
Before Jared could leave, however, he approaches his grandfather, intending to ask him something.
"But grandpa!"- He says- "I cannot leave until I find my sister and the Vahnatai envoy!"
Lethal raises his eyebrow.
"There is an envoy of the Vahnatai here?"- He says- "And your sister... is in danger?"
He sighs.
"I would not care so much about this envoy, but if your sister is currently with him... "
"We need to save them. Let's go."
He turns to Barin.
"My boy, take John and Farrar somewhere safe. We'll be back very soon."
Barin nods and bows.
"As you wish, Your Majesty. Your wish is my command."- He responds and leaves, along with almost everyone else.
Lethal looks at what is left of the floor he and his grandson are standing on.
"What a ruin."- He says quietly- "It didn't look like this when I left."
Jared looks at his grandfather.
"Grandpa! There's no time left to waste!"- He says- "We need to save my sister and the envoy!"
Lethal sighs and shakes his head.
"I know, I know."- He responds- "I'm just infuriated how I couldn't save the most precious and sacred place for all of us- our home."
He turns to Jared.
"But... I am angrier at the fact that I wasn't here to protect any of you. That I was trying to survive myself. If I came earlier, your mother would still be alive. And so would be your uncle."
"However, I was a fool. I didn't understand the most important thing in my life- my family. And I threw it all away, in a futile attempt to become stronger, forgetting about how much I love all of you."
He shakes his head. Tears start to appear on his eyes.
"I had a purpose. And I lost it."- He continues- "Our family will never be the same. Never."
Jared smiles and shakes his head.
"Grandpa... I beg to differ."- He says quietly- "If it weren't for you, none of us would still be here. We would all be confused, unable to act properly, defeated."
"Grandpa, you are the voice of reason. You are the one who has always shown us the right way. The one who has kept us alive for so long. And you still have a purpose in your life, no matter how much you deny it. You still care about us, wish to protect us, keep us safe from the evil around the world."
"You may have been a villain once, but now, you are a hero. And you should know that very well."
Lethal hugs his grandson.
"Jared, I know that well. But the reason why I'm still here is because of both you and our sister. You are the only important things left in my life to protect and I want to keep you safe from your father. That... unpredictable person who doesn't know how to love a child properly, show them love and affection, care for them, not to work on different tasks to save his own skin."
"And I will make sure both of you are safe and sound. As long as I am still alive, I won't allow anyone to hurt you. I promise that."
Jared nods and smiles.
"I know, grandpa. You are such a good person. The best grandpa a grandson could ever want."
Lethal smiles warmly. For a second, Jared sees that there are tears in his eyes. He wipes them off.
"In that case, I... "
He stands up.
"... will help your sister. And I'm sure that you will do the same."
He walks by the door of the residence.
"Let's go."
Jared nods and joins his grandfather in trying to find his sister and Ghall-Ihrno.
Soon, they manage to find them. However, there is a small group of hostile Vahnatai waiting for them outside, patiently waiting to see if one of them will open the door.
Ghall-Ihrno sees them through the window and waves at them. Jared waves back and quietly tells him to step back so the hostiles outside don't see him.
Ghall-Ihrno nods and steps back.
"I think that it is time, grandpa."- Jared whispers.
"Time for what, child?"
"Time to show those fools what happens when you mess with the Kaos family!"- He yells and jumps on one of the Vahnatai, stabbing him in the nape.
Lethal sees what his grandson is planning and immediately joins him.
The Vahnatai are clearly surprised. They were expecting an attack from inside, but now from outside. This is quite a surprise for them.
However, they are left no time to react as grandfather and grandson kill all of them, except for the weakest.
As Jared starts to choke him, it grins.
"Our forces will defeat you, Jared Kaos. And then, they will kill your friends and family as well. None will be left alive!"
Jared smiles and shakes his head. Instead of lashing out at the creature, he decides to act passively and show it the error of its ways before it dies.
"You are quite a fool if you think that will actually happen."- He responds- "Your leader is dead. Most of your friends are dead. Soon, your beloved Rentar-Ihrno will also die."
"What you are doing right now is a futile effort to assert dominance, which you have never had before. You are just a bunch of worthless insects who must be swatted. Villains with visions of grandeur. You are nothing more than that, you hear me?!"
As he speaks, Jared gets angrier and angrier with each passing second. And, as he does, his grip slowly tightens further and further, making the creature unable to fight back.
Soon, the Vahnatai dies.
Jared looks at it coldly. Its eyes are empty. There is no life left in them anymore.
"What a fool."- He mutters and throws it to the ground.
Lethal looks at him quietly as he opens the door.
"You've become a very hardened person, Jared."- He says- "I've never seen you so confident before in my life."
Jared looks back at his grandpa and sighs.
"Life has changed me, grandpa."- He responds- "I am no longer the sweet, innocent child that I used to be. Now, I am a hardened person who will do anything to keep the world safe from evil."
"Anything?"
Jared nods.
"Anything."- He responds- "Even if it means killing someone else... "
Suddenly, Jared steps back and quietly stares at the ground. Even if he is able to kill now, he still regrets every second of it. He clearly wishes that he could stop this war in a more peaceful way. A way that could save the lives of those foolish warriors.
However, there is no way for a peaceful solution to happen. Rentar-Ihrno's worshippers and angry, bloodthirsty and not listening to what their enemies have to say.
In this case, Jared and his allies must fight them and hope that this war will be over soon.
Jared and his grandfather enter the house and see Ghall-Ihrno standing over Marinette.
Lethal draws his blade and points it at the creature.
"Stay away from my granddaughter, you monster!"
Jared tries to stop his grandpa.
"No, grandpa!"- He yells- "He is our friend! Don't do it!"
Lethal does not listen to him. Instead, he steps forward, intending to kill the Vahnatai, friend or not.
In response to this, Ghall-Ihrno draws his blade and tries to defend himself.
It looks like a battle is imminent. All that Jared can do is stand back and watch helplessly.
Suddenly, Marinette stands up weakly.
"Grandpa, don't... hurt him."- She says- "He kept me.. alive. He doesn't deserve to die."
Lethal watches his granddaughter, surprised by what she is saying. He finally realizes what Jared was saying to him and drops his weapon to the ground.
"I... I made a mistake again."- He says- "I'm sorry. I never realized that some of their kind can be our friends."
Ghall-Ihrno nods.
"I am here to help, not harm. I promise that."
Lethal nods, clearly impatient.
"Yes, yes. I know that now."
He kneels and looks at Marinette.
"Sweetie, are you okay?"
Marinette nods.
"I'm doing okay, but... I'm a little hurt. Ghall-Ihrno is taking care of me."
Lethal gasps.
"We... we need to take you to a hospital! Immediately!"
The three of them immediately take Marinette to the nearest hospital for treatment.
Outside, they talk about what they should do next.
Lethal sighs.
"Fine. I will listen to what you have to say, but only because my grandson wants me to!"
Ghall-Ihrno looks at Jared.
"You have done a great job so far, Jared."- He says- "However, Rentar-Ihrno is still here. She is still growing stronger and waits for a moment of weakness that we will eventually show. And the only way to stop her is to find a powerful artifact, hidden far away from us. Far away from the human eyes. And only a true hero can discover it and use it."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"An artifact? What artifact could be powerful enough to defeat someone who has lived for so many years, her heart filled with hatred for humanity?"
Ghall-Ihrno smiles.
"It is the legendary Crystal of Truth, the item that helped a band of Vahnatai adventurers seal the evil Daros-Ihrno away forever centuries ago. We feared that we have to use this item against Rentar-Ihrno and it looks like this time has finally come."
"However!"- He continues- "Only one hero may start the adventure to find this precious crystal. Only the Chosen One may pass through the challenges required to find it. A lone wolf, who can fight alone and is not afraid of doing so."
Jared shows no emotion to this. He nods.
"Very well."- He responds- "I will accept your challenge, Ghall-Ihrno. I will find this crystal and stop Rentar-Ihrno once... and for all."
Ghall-Ihrno smiles.
"I would expect nothing less from a powerful hero such as yourself."- He says- "I can see it in your eyes, Jared. Your confidence. Your desire to keep everyone safe. Your dedication to the task that you were given."
He shakes his head.
"But let us speak no more of this nonsense. Let us begin the hurt. But before I send you on your way... "
He touches Jared's forehead with his fingers.
Suddenly, Jared feels a weird sensation circulating in his bloodstream. A feeling of purpose, of hope.
"What have you done to my grandson?!"- Lethal yells.
Ghall-Ihrno smiles and shakes his head.
"Calm down, old one. Your grandson is fine."- He responds- "I have marked him as the Chosen One. The one who is a friend of us, the Vahnatai of Olgai."
He turns to Jared.
"When you are near the crystal, you are going to get a feeling of agony. But do not shy away from it. Instead, embrace it. Feel the pain of a thousand souls, and you will find the artifact you are looking for."
He sighs.
'However, the adventure to that place will be truly perilous. You must be prepared for the worst to happen if you want to survive."
Jared looks at his grandfather. He sighs.
"There is no other way, child."- He says- "We must find that item at all costs."
Jared looks around.
"So... this means that I must train... alone?"
Lethal nods.
"As much as I hate to say it, I must leave you alone. The people of Avernum need me and your sister needs you."
Suddenly, he opens up a portal and starts to step through it.
Before he fully does, however, he looks back and smiles.
"I would want nothing else than to keep you safe and help you achieve your goals. Help you become stronger and more confident in yourself. However, as long as I am the King of that land, I cannot help you. Instead, you must help yourself."
He places his hand on his grandson's shoulder.
"Jared, you are the man of the family now. You are the one who is responsible for its ups and downs. Its happy and sad moments. You are the one who can change evil to good."
He sighs.
"And you better make every second of your life count, you got it?"
Jared nods.
"Very well. I will be back soon. Don't think that you've gotten rid of me, okay?!"
Jared nods again.
"You got it grandpa."- He responds- "Stay safe!"
Lethal smiles.
"Same for you, kiddo."
He steps through the portal, leaving the boy and Ghall-Ihrno alone in the area.
Ghall-Ihrno sighs.
"Well, it is time for me to rest from this huge ordeal that we have just passed."- He says- "If you need my help, I will be staying in the residence of your family. Good luck!"
Having said that, he leaves Jared alone.
He looks at his sword and sighs.
"All this time, I have been fighting for the good of everyone, to keep them safe from harm. To make them at least a little bit happier. To give them hope that this life is going to get better."- He says to himself- "But I am doing this all by myself."
"Sure, I do receive help from my friends and family, but no one understands how I truly feel. How much pain I have in my heart. Pain that will never go away, no matter how much I want it to."
"The pain of losing people that were... are very important to me."
He sighs again.
"But that does not matter anymore. Now, I have a purpose to fight. A purpose that helps me remember who I really am. Why I am here. Why I am fighting those fools in the first place."
He swings his sword a few times.
"That purpose keeps the holy fire in my heart burning. And I will never let it go away! I will fight to keep it intact... at all costs!"
He closes his eyes for a second.
"Just like grandpa said, we may may have made mistakes, but they do not matter in the ever-changing world. In the current time, you must forget about your dark past and think about the bright future. The one that we will always fight for... until our last breaths."
"We have a purpose that keeps us together, fighting for a righteous cause. We will never surrender."
He opens his eyes and stares ahead.
"Let us go."- He says- "The time has come for me to prove myself. Once again."
He walks forward towards the nearby training grounds. Sword in hand and purpose in mind.
Once again, Jared has to save the innocent souls around the world from an immensely powerful evil. One that could easily wipe out the entire human population from the face of the earth, if it has its full potential.
However, he won't be alone. Even if they aren't with him in flesh, his friends and family will always support him, even if it is from very far away.
It is time for Jared to save the world once again... and show Rentar-Ihrno that he is not afraid of anything (Or anyone) that she sends at him, Vahnatai or otherwise.
Onward!