MLII C8, P6- "The Little Imp"

"The Little Imp" is the sixth Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's eighth Chapter.
It was released on 08.08.2021.
== Plot ==
Now that they are separated from the rest of their allies, our heroes are unable to get any help from them. Their supplies are limited and their time is running out.
Nevertheless, the final mission remains the same- to find and defeat Grah-Hoth before he can harm anyone with his evil deeds. It is what Jared promised to the world and it is what he is going to do, in order to keep it safe.
It is time to fight evil once again. Even if it means that it might be the last time.
== Story ==
Jared, Aleks and Lethal run further into the city, making sure that none of the demons that roam the streets are going to attack them.
Soon, they reach the center of the city. 
Having defeated a lot of demons on their way to this destination of choice, they sit near a fountain and decide to cool down for the time being.
"So."- Jared says, panting- "Which way do you think we should go?"
Aleks shakes his head.
"I'm not that sure anymore."- He says- "There's too many portals around here. And who knows where we might end up instead?"
Lethal nods.
"I agree with your father."- He adds- "It would be a bad idea to try something at random. We should devise a plan and try again."
Jared says.
"Well, our best bet would be sneaking up near one of the portal and inspecting the troops that emerge from it."- He says- "Maybe some of them are more important than the others."
Lethal nods again.
"Sounds like a plan."- He says- "Let's see if we can get close enough."
Having said that, he carefully approaches a nearby portal and inspects it from a distance. Seeing that nothing of interest is happening right now, however, he turns back and sighs.
"This will be an arduous task, but it beats sitting ducks and waiting for something to happen to them."- He says- "We shouldn't waste any time. Let's get moving."
Jared and his father stand up and join Lethal in inspecting the rest of the portals while avoiding the incoming troops.
It turns out that Lethal was right. It is indeed a very arduous task. However, their patience is soon rewarded with some success.
As they inspect another portal, they notice a smaller figure emerging from it. They step back and attempt to get out of sight, but it is too late. 
The mysterious figure has already seen them.
"Stop right there, humans."- It says- "Step forward. I want to see who you are."
Confused, they do as they are asked.
When the figure finally coalesces, our heroes notice that it is an imp. With a pickaxe in its left hand.
Thinking that it is going to attack them, they draw their weapons and prepare to defend themselves.
"Woah! Woah! Calm down, please!"- The imp yells- "It's not what I came for. I swear!"
A few moments later, our heroes sheathe their weapons, still unsure whether to trust the creature or not.
"What do you want, fiend?"- Aleks says to it- "Tell us."
The imp smiles.
"Our mighty lord and savior, Grah-Hoth, invites you into his home- the Castle of Hundred Tears."- It begins- "He has asked for you to meet him... to be defeated and to burn in the mighty fires of the Underworld!"
Jared draws his weapon and points it at the imp.
"Okay, monster."- He says- "Give us a good reason not to split you and your kind into a million pieces. Now."
Suddenly, the imp's cheerful attitude is replaced by sheer terror. It takes a step back and shakes uncontrollably.
"I-I'm sorry for insulting you, mighty hero! I am just a messenger of our lord and savior."- It says- "Please spare me. I have a wife and kids to feed. I'm a working man and they will miss me. I promise not to tell anyone else that you arrived to meet our leader. I swear!"
Jared looks at it suspiciously. Then, he remembers a page in a book that he read about the underworld and how it mentioned that imps and other creatures that dwell within it get married only on special occasions.
And it is clear that no imp females would want this imp wimp as a husband, no matter how handsome and smart he might pretend to be.
"You are a good liar."- He says to him- "But not good enough."
The imp gasps.
"Oh no!"- It exclaims.
Jared points his blade at it again.
"Using your imaginary family as an excuse to be spared is very foolish of you, little fiend."- He continues- "Having a family is a huge responsibility. And it is clear that you are not dedicated enough to have one. You just use the same excuse to get out of bad situations and you think that it would work? Think again!"
The imp gasps again.
"I... I'm sorry."- It says- "But it's not a lie that I'm just a messenger! Please believe me!"
Jared continues to point his weapon at it.
Meanwhile, Aleks decides to step in and convince his son to spare the creature.
"I know that it's hard for you to spare fiends like those, but some of them are just not worth spending energy to kill them."- He says to him- "Just leave him alone. He will find another way to get in trouble soon enough."
Jared sighs and slowly sheathes his weapon while glaring at the terrified imp.
"Normally, I kill foolish creatures like you."- He says- "However, my father's advice is more important than nearly everything else, so I have decided that you shall be spared. At least for now."
The imp jumps up and down and yelps in joy.
"Hooray! I have been spared!"- It yells- "Thank you! Thank you!"
Then it tries to hug Jared, but our hero takes a step back, disgusted.
"Know your place, little imp."- He says to him- "We will spare your life. However, we would like something in return."
The imp looks at him curiously.
"I will do anything."
Jared nods.
"Very well."- He says- "We know that it will not be that easy to reach your master. So, we want you to come with us and show us the right way that will not get us incinerated, smashed by falling rocks or worse. I am sure that it would be fine for you since we spared you from a certain demise and we gave you the most important thing that few heroes would let you part ways while still being with it- the gift of Life."
The imp nods slowly. At first, it is unsure whether to just run away and risk getting slain by the heroes.
However, it soon notices that Jared is much more capable than he seems to be and that it would be very unwise to underestimate him, like many other enemies did before it. It looks down and nods again.
"Yes, honored guests."- The imp says- "I shall guide you to my master, as an exchange for the kindness that you've showed to a lowly messenger like me."
It takes a step forward.
"Come with me."- It says- "I will guide you through the fortress."
Having said that, it steps through the portal and onto the other side of it.
Jared and his allies do the same and find themselves on top of a huge bridge.
Ahead of them lie the massive gates of a castle and below their feet- bubbling lava.
"This place looks very intimidating. And dangerous."- Jared says to himself- "We should be very careful."
He turns to his father.
"This feels like bad news, dad."- He says to him.
Aleks nods.
"I'm aware of that, but it's okay."- He responds- "Just keep moving forward. I will watch your back."
The three of them start to step forward. Soon, they are on the end of the bridge and near the massive gate.
They notice that the imp is standing next to it, waiting for them.
"Stay here."- It says to them- "The gargoyle will respond only to those who have been attuned to it."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"Gargoyle?"- He asks- "You mean, one of the creatures that exist in the legends?"
The imp nods.
"Don't worry about it."- It continues- "Just stay back. When it sees me, it will find out that I am worthy and deactivate itself. For a while."
Having said that, it takes a step forward.
Soon, a huge creature steps out of the shadows and takes a look at it.
"What is it, little morsel?"- He says to it- "Are you lost?"
The imp nods. However, it is clear that it is very scared of the creature.
And it has the right to be scared. The gargoyle is a massive beast, a seven feet tall, muscular wall of solid stone that is ready to intercept anything and anyone that tries to attack its master. Truly a mighty enemy that a hero should not trifle with.
"Y-yes, Mr. Gargoyle."- It says- "I was working on the fields outside and I got lost. I barely found my way out. Can you please let me back in?"
The gargoyle looks around, suspicious of something. Fortunately, our heroes have managed to step into the shadows nearby and have effectively hidden themselves from anyone who might be watching them- from the land and from the sky.
Convinced that no one else is with the imp, the gargoyle nods.
"As you wish."- He says- "The master has granted you entry. You may go in. That is all."
Having said that, it snaps its fingers and opens the massive gate. Then, it steps back into the shadows and deactivates itself temporarily.
"Psst."- The imp whispers- "It's safe for you to join me. Come on."
Our heroes step out of the shadows and find out that the imp is true to its word. The gate is open, allowing them to explore the rest of the castle.
"See?"- It says to them- "Once a creature like me reaches those gates, it's child's play to convince its guardian and to enter."
It smiles.
"You will soon realize that I am capable of much more than this."- It continues- "Now, let's go. There's still a long way to the master's hall."
Our heroes enter the giant castle near the bridge. Soon, they find themselves lost in its giant hallway.
Fortunately, the imp that they spared proves himself as a valuable companion once again. It scouts the area and finds out where the way towards the hall is located.
"It's that way."- It whispers- "Be careful, though. There are many guards patrolling the area."
Having said that, it goes silent and joins our heroes in sneaking past the guards.
Soon, they find themselves on another floor. However, this one seems to be much smaller than the previous one.
Jared stares at the area ahead and sees two gates. Nearby, two imps stand guard and stare at them suspiciously.
"Yes."- He says- "It seems like we are in trouble."
The imp shakes its head.
"No, no. It's okay."- It says- "Those are just the guardians of the hall. They guard two separate passages. One of them leads towards my master's hall. And the other one- towards a certain, fiery demise."
It clears its throat.
"Sorry about that. Thought it might be a good idea to sound a little overdramatic."- It continues- "Anyway, those jerks are in our way. Let us deal with them."
Jared nods.
"I agree with you."- He says- "Let us see what we can do."
Having said that, Jared approaches the two imps.
Suddenly, their tiny bodies spring to life. Their tiny brains notice that there is someone standing in front of them.
"Welcome, visitor, to the Fields of Despair."- The one to the left says to Jared- "We are the Imps of Destiny- the ones who have been placed here to test you and to see whether you are worthy of seeing our mighty leader or not."
The imp to the right nods.
"One of us guards the switch that will open the gate to freedom. And the other- to a life of pure, fiery pain."- It says- "Make your choice, for there will be no way back for you once you make your decision."
Jared nods.
"How am I supposed to know which one of you might be lying to me."
The left imp grins.
"Well, let's just say that my brother is lying."- It says- "And I am the one who is telling the truth, which is right here."
The right imp nods.
"I agree with my brother."- It adds- "His lever is the one that will lead you to freedom."
The left imp thinks about this for a single second. Then, it says:
"But what if one of us is actually lying? What if you are tricked into believing what we are saying?"
Jared sighs and shrugs.
"All of you are weird to me, to be honest."- He says- "I see no difference."
The imp that stands behind him glares at him, as if it feels insulted by his words.
Jared and Aleks talk to each other for a few minutes. 
"Those imps are not going to back down that easily."- Jared says- "What should we do?"
Aleks nods.
"I saw something weird behind them. Placed between the two levers."- He says- "I think that it might be a button. However, I'm not sure whether it's safe to find out more about it."
Jared sighs.
"There is only one way to move forward."- He says and approaches the imps.
The left one grins.
"Is this challenge too hard for you?"- It says to him- "Perhaps we could make a deal that would allow you to proceed. Five thousand gold coins and the key to the way forward is yours for the taking."
The little imp shakes its head.
"Don't trust them, visitor!"- It says to Jared- "They're trying to trick you out of your money!"
Jared smiles and draws his weapon.
"And I am not going to let them fool me."- He says- "Your challenge is indeed very interesting, but we have no time for your tomfoolery. We have a mission on our hands and we are going to find the way to pass this puzzle by force."
The left imp takes a step forward. Suddenly, it becomes much larger.
A few moments later, the right imp does the same.
"Ha-ha! I'd like to see you try!"- The left imp says- "Come on, brother. It's feeding time!"
The right imp, now much larger than before, nods and charges at Jared. And so does the left one.
Before they can reach him, however, they are struck by a single fireball from nearby.
The little imp steps forward and grins.
"How could you do that, little brother?"- The left imp says as its body slowly melts into ash- "We thought that there are no traitors inside these walls. Why did you just prove us otherwise?"
It shakes its head.
"Maybe you think that you wouldn't be betrayed by anyone."- It says to them- "But I'm better than all of you. Because I'm different!"
Soon, both of the imp guardians melt even further until there is only ash.
Jared approaches the wall and sees two switches on both sides.
"Aha!"- He exclaims- "So the imps were right! There are two switches.
He pulls the first one and sees that the left gate opens. It is searingly hot on the other side.
Then he pulls the other one and sees that the result is exactly the same.
"There was no choice in this matter."- He says to himself- "Both of them lead to the wrong place!"
Finally, he sees that there is a small, white button. Neatly placed between both levers.
He also remembers how the imps were trying to hide something when they were still alive.
"They were trying to hide this button, weren't they?"- He asks the small imp.
It nods.
"Indeed."- It says- "They are very tricky and they would stop at nothing to prevent you from making the right choice. It is the way that they were intended to be, created by my mighty master."
Jared sighs.
"And it still lead to their eventual downfall."- He says- "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."
He pushes the button. Unsurprisingly, it opens the gate to the right of him.
It is surprisingly chilling down there.
"We don't have another choice."- Aleks says- "Let's go. We have a Haakai to meet and greet."
The little imp nods.
"Indeed."- It says- "The mighty master is lying in wait. Let's not keep him waiting!"
Before they can move forward however, Jared looks at the creature and smiles.
"You know what? Back then, I was not sure whether I should trust you or not."- He says to it- "However, now I see that not all members of demonkind are inherently evil. Some are even willing to help people in need. In exchange for being spared, of course."
He smiles again.
"Even better, I think that I grew to like you."- He continues- "As a valuable asset in our team. And as an actual ally."
The little imp grins.
"I'm doing whatever I can to stay alive. Even if it means that I must help heroes like you."- It says- "It's the way of our kind. We ally ourselves with those who are the strongest. And help them, in exchange for small prices like money and freedom. Both are things that we really enjoy to have around."
It takes a step forward.
"Anyway, it's time for us to go."- It says- "We're getting very close. Let's keep moving."
The four of them step through the gate. 
A few moments later, the lights go out completely.
"Ah!"- Lethal exclaims- "It's dark!"
Jared nods.
"Do not worry, grandpa."- He says- "I have got this!"
He spawns a small orb of light and throws it in the air.
Soon, the entire area around them is illuminated by the light.
"It is not much, but it will do the job."- Jared says- "Let us keep moving."
As the four of them step forward, the light makes sure that no stone is left unturned. It illuminates the passages around them and allows them to see what is waiting for them.
Finally, after a few minutes of exploration, they find a small passage that doesn't have any monsters waiting for them at the end of it.
"It seems like we've found our way towards the goal."- Aleks says- "Let's go."
Soon after arriving at the end of the passage, the light fades away. Fortunately, so does the darkness around them.
"Well, that's a nice change of pace."- Lethal says- "We don't have to walk through that nightmarish honeycomb anymore."
Aleks nods.
"I agree."- He says- "We're finally out of the shadows and pacing towards the light."
However, they don't manage to get very far. Soon, they are discovered by a patrolling band of demons and nearly attacked by them.
Fortunately, a familiar voice interrupts them before they can make their first move.
"That's enough, boys. Leave our honored guests be."- It says- "Let them come into my hall. After all, I was the one who invited them to come here."
The demons sigh, glare at Jared and his allies and motion for them to step forward and join them.
A few minutes later, they guide them towards a massive door. It is five feet tall and made of dark steel.
"Our master is waiting for you."- One of the demons says and steps out of the way- "Move along, hero."
Somewhat insulted by the way the demon just used the word "hero", Jared glares at him and nods.
"Thank you."- He says stoically and slowly opens the door that leads to Grah-Hoth's hall.
Inside, he sees that the mighty Haakai is sitting on his throne, waiting for the chosen one to arrive and meet him face to face.
"The m-master is here."- The imp whispers quietly- "I am scared. I am scared."
When he sees that Jared has arrived, he grins, but does not stand up to greet him.
"I have been waiting for you, young one."- He says to him- "Now, how about we drop the pretense and talk about our differences, like a mighty hero to a mighty demon lord? I'm sure that there's much to talk about before our final confrontation."
He grins.
"So."- He continues- "Shall we begin?"
Jared nods and sheathes his weapon.
"Bring it on, lord of the Underworld."