Miracula Luxia C4, P4- "Road to Nowhere"

"Road to Nowhere" is the fourth Part of "Miracula Luxia" 's Chapter 4- "Estavius". It was released on 05.10.2019.
== Plot ==
Jared and his father walk along the road to the mysterious Tower of Magi with a goal in mind- to find out more about the deadly rogues and learn new abilities to fight them.
But... before they can do so, they have to handle one last challenge.
Will they survive?
== Story ==
Annie runs along the road, trying to find Jared.
Eventually, she comes across some footsteps. Not the usual merchant footsteps. Footsteps of heavier boots.
"There aren't many guards around here, so this could only mean one thing... "
That the tracks are either Jared and his father's or of some other warrior.
Annie kneeled to look further. She noticed that the tracks were quite fresh and ideed human, but... something was near them.
Another pair of footsteps, much bigger than those.
"Wh-what? Those aren't human footsteps!"- Annie exclaimed, afraid of their origin.
Yes. Those were the footsteps of a large humanoid. Not as big as those of a Giant, but not as small as those of an Orc.
Something in-between.
It was at that moment that Annie looked up and saw two figures walking down the road... seemingly walking towards her.
"Hey!"- She screamed- "Over here!"
No response.
Then, the silhouettes started walking away, further to the west.
"No, wait!"- Annie said and ran after them.
She reached them and saw two familiar faces.
Annie tried to yell to get their attention, but stopped when she noticed something walking behind them.
It was a brutish creature, a big humanoid with a club in its hand.
And it was aiming it right at Aleks's head...
Annie knew she had to act fast, as Jared and his father were unaware of its presence. And, in this situation, it could seriously hurt Aleks. Or worse...
"They need my help. It's time for me to be the hero that grandpa always wante me to be!"- She said to herself in an encouraging voice and drew her weapon out. But not the weapon she came out of Formello with.
Before, it was a good steel dagger. Now, it's a durable (albeit a little rusty) iron sword.
She found it on the ground near a dead guard not long ago. Seems like there isn't anyone who is kind enough to remove the corpses (and their possessions) from the roads.
But it's probably because of the rogue threat. Dead soldiers and civilians are left behind. They will bury them after the hostiles are defeated completely.
But for now. they just lie there, their supplies still on them.
Annie had to take advantage of that. She hated stealing things from the dead, but now this was an emergency.
"Maybe I'll return those things to the person later. I feel bad for taking them ithout permission."- Annie said to herself, still regarding the person as someone who is alive.
But... at least she respects the dead. Kind of.
She also took a few Health Potions from the dead man. He won't be needing those anymore!
Anyway, Annie sneaked behind the humanoid as silently as possible.
Just as it was about to make its move, she made hers.
She jumped on its back and drove the sword through its head.
Surprisingly, it didn't die. It roared and shook Annie off its back.
This alerted Jared. He and his father looked back.
"Annie!"- Jared recognized his friend.
"What is she doing here?"- His father asked.
"I don't know, but she's in danger. Let's help her!"
The Ogre looked at Annie and aimed its club right at her head.
Just as it was about to strike, Jared hit it in the back with an Ice spell.
Fortunately, the Ice spell froze the creature on the spot.
"Now! Annie! Finish it!"- Jared tried to convince his friend to kill the creature.
Annie nodded and grabbed her sword.
"Let me help you."- Said Aleks and came close to her with a flame in his hand.
He put it on the sword. It was now blazing hot.
"It will do much more damage now. And set the foe ablaze. Strike forth!"
Annie swinged her sword at the helpless humanoid.
The blow shattered the delicate Ice and set the creature ablaze.
It noticed that it was burning and tried to run to the nearby river. It failed to do so, as the flames consumed it before it could do so.
It died in a final fiery explosion.
All that was left of it was a small key. It fell to the ground with a satisfying *clang*.
Jared picked it up and gave it to his friend.
"Here. You deserve it more than I do."- He said to her.
She blushed. Even though he probably needed the item, he gave it to her instead. What a kind jesture!
Definitely the jesture of a true man.
Then he inspeted her.
"Are you hurt?"- He asked.
"Um, n-no, it's fine!"- She tried to reassure him that she was fine, but failed to cover the wound she received from the fall.
Aleks looked at it.
"Doesn't look too dangerous, but it might become a problem (or at least a nuisance) to you later if we leave it untreated. We need to cure it soon."
"Maybe they have a medic at the Tower Colony"- Jared added.
"Brilliant idea, son! It may be a magical tower, but they probably someone who treats the injured there."
"Let's hurry up before it starts to sting. According to my calculations, the tower due south and then a little bit to the east."
The three of them started to travel to the south, but noticed a distortion in the air.
"Be careful!"- Jared yelled.
Suddenly, the air started to fill with mist until the vision of everyone became hazy.
Soon they found themselves in a mysterious place. Well, most of them.
Jared woke up only to find that his father was not there with him.
"Where... am I? Is this... a dream?"- He mumbled.
He heard a familiar voice in the distance. It was...
"Annie!"- He yelled.
"Jared, help me! I can't-- "
Then he noticed a bunch of Heartless chasing her. They took her down and proceeded to finish her off.
"NO!"
To his surprise, his Keyblade was in his hand.
"What is this sorcery?!"- He wondered.
Jared tried to kill the Heartless. He succeeded, but not without a tragedy.
Annie was dead.
"No... no, no, no, no, no, no!"
"ANNIE!!!"
He fell to his knees and started to cry, so much that he didn't notice the familiar figure behind him.
Vanitas looked at him and laughed.
"Oh, the almighty Jared Kaos! Crying because of a simple friend. It's just a death-- "
"SHUT UP! She was more than a friend to me!"
"More than a friend, huh?"
"I loved her as if she were my sister! And your wretched creatures took her life... just like that."
"I hate you, Vanitas. I hate you SO MUCH!"
He drew his Keybade out and tried to attack the wicked man, but he simply faded out of existence and reappeared again.
"Don't you see the truth, you fool? We lose someone important to us from time to time. The only things that matter... are where it happened and why."
Jared cut him off.
"Don't you see it?! When you lose people... you lose yourself."
Suddenly, a powerful voice boomed in the air:
"Enough, Vanitas!"
Then a mysterious figure approached the two of them.
Jared recognized it immediately.
"Mr. Ansem!"
Yes. This is Ansem the Wise- the man who taught Jared when he was younger.
He was an amazing teacher and Jared was eager to learn from him.
"Cr*p"- Said Vanitas and tried to fade away, but Ansem stopped him from doing so.
"You have done enough damage, you wretched creature! Master Xehanort made a huge mistake when he created you. It is time for me to correct it, for the good of everyone!"
He pressed his palm onto the man's head. He screamed in pain.
"AAH! STOP IT, YOU SON OF A---"
And then... he disappeared.
"He will be back soon."
Then he turned to Jared.
"Are you okay, Jared? This man was a danger to everyone, but I managed to banish him to another realm."
"At least for now."- He added.
"Mr. Ansem! I thought you were dead!"- Jared exclaimed as he remembered how his teacher sacrificed his own life to protect a little Jared from a horde of Heartless ten years ago.
"Heroes never die, my child. We just fade away from the real world, but not from the minds of our loved ones."
"Maybe I will be able to come back to the real world soon. But first, let me tell you of the danger that threatens our world."
"Danger? Bigger than Vanitas?"
"Vanitas... was just a tool of a bigger villain."
"The real villain is Master Xehanort. He was once a wise student of mine, but the power of Darkness corrupted him and my other students and took them away from me."
"Now he is an evil Master with the intention to destroy all Keyblade Wielders and take their Keyblades for himself. And my other students... they are the ones who formed Organization XIII."
Jared recognized the name.
"Organization XIII! The ones who almost destroyed Paris!"
"Indeed. It was them who directed the attack on your hometown and sent the Heartless and Nobodies to kill people."
"But when you showed up... they became aware of the existence of a new Keyblade Wielder. They're still planning what to do with you, but maybe soon they will come to a decision. So be careful."
"Anyway, Xehanort now sits in the Keyblade Graveyard- One of the most sacred places for us, the Keyblade Wielders. But I cannot send you to defeat him, because you are not powerful enough."
"Not powerful enough?"
"Not yet anyway. Train, make new friends, find new equipment, learn new spells. Then maybe we will be able to defeat him once and for all and save the world. Hopefully."
"I will do my best, Sir."
Ansem hugged Jared.
"I am proud that you are my student, my child. From the moment when your mother and father brought you to me, I knew that you would become a hero someday."
"And not, I see a great hero standing in front of me. Someone who will save the world and make me proud (And his family, of course)."
"So rise and shine, Jared. Do not be afraid to learn more than you already have. Because Knowledge is Power and Wisdom."
"Continue to train in the Tower of Magi. I will contact you soon. You may not be able to save the world yet, but try to save Avernum, please. The poor land is already troubled by monsters, the rogues are just finishing it off while it's weakened and divided."
"Yes, Sir! Avernum will be saved and I will make sure of it!"
Ansem smiled.
"Fortunately for you, this was just a simulation, a virtual test. And you passed it."
"But... why?"
"Do not worry. This is not your friend. The real Annie is still in the real world, alive and well."
"And the Keyblade?"
"I gave it to you so you could remember who you are in the first place- A Hero whose task is to protect the people and stop the villains at all costs. Do not forget that."
"Goodbye for now, my child. I will contact you very soon. But... nobody, but you will hear what I'm saying, so don't bother telling them about them. They probably won't believe you."
"I guess not. But maybe they will."
Ansem smiled again.
"Maybe they will who knows? But that remains to be seen."
"But now, I have one last item for you."
He took Jared's hand and put something in it.
He opened it and found a white charm with blue stone inserted into it.
"This. This is... "
"Yes. This is your Aunt's charm. She gave it to you when you were a baby, but you lost it 5 years later. Fortunately, I found it a little before I died. I didn't give it to you back then, because I knew that the power does not lie within it. No, it lies in here."
He pointed at his heart.
"And here."
He pointed at his soul.
"But... it was a family heirloom, so I took it upon myself to return it to its rightful owner."
"Thank you, Mr. Ansem. I am so happy."
"I am glad to hear that, Jared. I like to see you smile. Because when you smile, I smile as well. And everyone around you."
"But now, it is time for you to return to the real world. Goodbye, student!"
He started to fade away.
"Wait! Mr. Xehanort! Don't leave me, please!"- Jared tried to stop him.
But it was too late. He faded away.
And then... the place started shaking violently.
Jared slipped and started falling down.
He tried to hold onto a ledge, but failed and fell down into the dark depths below.
And then... he woke up.
He looked up and saw his father and his friend smile.
"He's alive."- Aleks said.
"Thank God! Jared!"- Annie exclaimed and hugged him- "I was so worried about you!"
"I am so sorry for worrying you. But now I am back."
"Where were you? You were unconscious for about two hours and we had to protect you from Orcs."- His father wondered.
"I saw Mr. Ansem. He talked to me while I was dreaming."
"Ansem the Wise?"
"Yes. He told me that I shouldn't fear the need to learn more and warned me about someone named Master Xehanort."
"No, not him!"- Jared's father exclaimed.
"What about him?"
"I defeated his Nobody, Xemnas many years ago. And now, he's here. He wants revenge. And he wants to kill me."
"Then we should stick together. He won't be able to defeat all of us!"- Annie exclaimed.
"Indeed. But for now, we must get stronger. Let's go. The Tower Colony is just ahead."
They started to go further ahead, but Jared stopped them.
"So... this was all a dream?"
"Yes. But it was an educational dream. I felt that Ansem taught you a lot today, son. I am so proud of him."
"Just... a dream."- Jared mumbled while looking down.
He noticed a charm on his neck. The same charm that Ansem gave him in his dream.
"That necklace... where did you get it?"- Aleks asked his son.
"Oh! Well, Mr. Ansem gave it to me."
"So it wasn't a dream after all."- He said to himself while eyeing and admiring the beautiful item.
"Your Aunt gave it to you when you were a baby. I thought you lost it!"
"Well, it's back on my neck now. And I'm not going to lose it ever again."
"I hope so. Anyway, let's head to the Tower Colony."
Jared nodded and walked down the road along with Aleks and Annie.
The Colony was in the distance. It stood there, in all of its glory, welcoming all visitors who wished to learn and get stronger.
Soon, Jared and his allies will learn more about the rogues and how to defeat them. They just had to enter the Colony.
== Trivia ==
* The phrase that Jared said to Vanitas- "I lose people... I lose myself." is a reference to Fear The Walking Dead's episodes "I Lose People... " and "... I Lose Myself".
Originally, the words were said by Morgan Jones when he talked to Althea about why he left Virginia- "I lose people, and then I lose myself."