MLIII C4, P4- "Angels and Demons- Part 1"

"Angels And Demons- Part 1" is the fourth Part of "Miracula Luxia III" 's fourth Chapter, as well as the first Part that carries this name.
It was released on 06.03.2022.
== Plot ==
The deed has been done. Adam and his allies have left the relative safety of Canonia and are now on their way to the border that separates the Kingdom of Goznor from the rest of the world around it.
To reach the safety of Paris is a noble, yet tiresome goal. If they want to make it happen, they have to overcome their fears and work together. 
Hunger. Pain. Exhaustion. Hordes of enemies on the roads. All of them will attempt to drag them down and forget their true purpose... but this will not happen. Our heroes will fight for their people until the very end. There is no doubt in that.
== Story ==
As Adam and his allies fall asleep, the caravan continues to move towards its destination- the Goznor Border.
Once there, some of the merchants get off to speak with the guards. It takes about half an hour to reason with the soldiers. To prove that they are not a bunch of blatant bandits in disguise, they reveal the true intentions of their journey. Then, they introduce the guards to the heroes who are travelling with them, making the soldiers regard them with both awe and jealousy. In the end, however, they succeed and the guards let them go, not wanting to interfere with the merchants' plans to leave the kingdom.
Now a fair distance away from the Kingdom of Goznor, the merchants waste no time to escape a group of orc bandits who are trying to waylay them and move toward their intended destination.
But the creatures' intend to kill them and rob their caravan is clear. Instead of simply letting them go, they run after the caravan, forcing the merchants to whip the horses and make them move faster.
As the horses wildly dash forward, they fail to notice a single orc, who stands in their way and prepares to kill them.
The screams coming from both parties force Adam to wake up. Just as the horses get close to the vile creature, he jumps down and steers them away from the road. Then, as the orc wonders what to do, he grabs it by the neck and mercilessly stabs it in the head.
"This is what you get for messing with us."- He mutters and returns to the caravan.
Once there, he notices that the vehicle has crashed into a nearby tree, forcing the merchants to leave and try to pull it away.
"Is everyone alright?"
The merchants nod.
"Just a small problem."- One of them says- "We'll be done soon."
Adam tries to help them out, but they shake their heads.
"It's not safe for you here. If the tree falls down, we'll be easily crushed by it. So, we don't want this to happen to you or your friends."- The merchant says- "There are many dangers in this area. Maybe it's better if you try to protect us instead?"
Adam draws his weapon and nods.
"With pleasure!"
Then, he joins his father and Aalia in scouting the area around the crash.
"What a mess!"- Aalia says- "Our transport's gone and now, we're trapped!"
Jared sighs.
"The attacked that occured back then... it must have been intentional."- He says- "Someone must be conspiring against us."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"Could it be Mordred Darkthrop?"- He asks him- "He is clearly capable of something like this!"
Jared shrugs.
"Maybe. Perhaps he was waiting for us to leave Canonia and made his move."- He says and glares at the dead orcs- "Or perhaps it is someone more dangerous than him."
Aalia nods.
"Morded Darkthrop has powerful allies."- She says- "I think that one of them wants to prevent us from reaching Paris."
Adam takes a step forward.
"Well, that will not happen."- He says- "I will not rest until our people are safe from the clutches of evil."
Jared and Aalia nod.
"And neither will we."
The trio faces the remaining orcs and swiftly slays them before they can harm anyone else.
"This is it."- Adam says after stabbing the last orc in the head- "Once again, we are safe."
Jared sighs.
"Far from it."- He says- "Until we reach our hometown, trouble is just around the corner."
Adam smiles.
"Come on, dad. Do not be so pessimistic."- He says to him- "Just because we were attacked by those orcs does not mean that we will be attacked again in the future."
Jared sighs.
"I wish that your hopes and prayers are justified, son."- He says to himself- "However, I have seen many enemies before you did. And, judging from my encounters with them, it is unlikely that we will be simply left alone."
Having said that, he draws his bow, returns to the caravan and speaks with the merchants about their current situation.
"How much longer must we stay here?"- He asks them- "Me and my son are getting worried. As for those orcs, they seem to be more aggressive than usual."
One of the merchants decides to speak with him. He takes a step forward and shakes his head.
"We're very sorry, Mr. Kaos."- He says to him- "As long as this caravan is stuck in this tree, we can't go anywhere else. Travelling on foot is not an option, as we'll be easy targets for our enemies."
He smiles.
"Our guards say that you can handle this threat with a firm hand."- He says- "We hope that they're right."
Jared nods.
"Rest assured that we will not let anything happen to you."- He says to him- "If those creatures want to get rid of you, they have to get through us first."
Having said that, he leaves the merchants alone and joins his son and Aalia in protecting them.
Thinking that he will find them a few steps ahead, he looks around, but fails to find them.
"Where could they be... ?"
It does not take him long to find the problem. When he gets closer, someone draws their gun and points it at his temple.
"Don't move, Kaos."
Jared looks around and sees a mysterious-looking man. His face is covered by a black mask and any facial featured that might reveal who he really is are easily obscured by it. 
The only way he can recognize that he is being held at gunpoint by a man is his deep voice.
"There's nowhere left to run."- The man says- "Come with me."
Seeing that he's got no other choice than to comply, Jared sighs and lets the man lead him back to the crash site.
There, he realizes that the entire group of merchants has been captured by the man's group, Aalia standing alongside them. There are too many for him to fight alone or convince the captives to fight back against them.
"What do you want?"- He asks his captor.
The man lifts his mask, revealing the face of a black-haired youngster with a wild look on his face, who seems to be in his mid 20s. He smirks.
"You and your buddies crossed the wrong line."- He says to him- "This here's our land. And you made a huge mistake."
Jared shakes his head.
"We... did not know that."- He says- "Give us another chance. We will leave this place as soon as possible. I swear it."
The merchants and Aalia nod in agreement.
"Many have asked us for mercy, but we ain't that type of gang."- The man responds- "No. When your caravan entered our lands, you became our prime targets. And when someone dares to slip past us unnoticed, they soon find their heads far away from their shoulders."
Defeated, Jared tilts his head down.
"Please. Let those people live."- He says to the bandit leader- "I am the one who wanted to travel with them and I will take for responsibility for their actions."
The merchants try to stop him, but he tells them to stand back.
"Do not try to stop me."- He says to them- "It is nature's way. I must be your hero."
One of the bandits reminds their leader of what he said earlier. He smiles and points his gun at him again.
"And let you free to do whatever you want? Of course not!"- He responds- "You and your buddies are gonna die. And when that happens, we'll burn you to a crisp. Nobody will ever know what we've done to you. Rest assured of that."
To prove his point, he draws his gun away from Jared and shoots a nearby merchant in the chest.
As the unfortunate man falls on the ground and quickly bleeds to death, he points his gun back at Jared and laughs.
"You monster!"- Jared yells at him- "How could you do this?!"
The man smiles.
"You brought this upon yourselves."- He says to him- "Now that you're here, your entire team will fall victim to Brian Nox- the legendary outlaw!"
Jared shakes his head.
"You are no outlaw, kid."- He says to him- "You are just a foolish child with futile dreams. Even if you manage to waylay a few innocent travelers, you will never become like your predecessors."
He glares at him.
"But you can still die like them."- He adds- "If we fail to kill you, then someone else will surely finish the job."
Brian growls and presses the barrel of his gun against Jared's temple again.
"Nobody makes fun of Brian Nox and his friends!"- He yells at him- "You insulted me. For that, I've decided that you're gonna die first!"
He prepares to pull the trigger.
"Farewell, Kaos."
Just before Brian can do anything to Jared, Aalia punches her captor in the face, rushes forward and knocks the gun out of his hand.
"I will not let you harm Mr. Kaos, you monster!"- She yells at him.
Infuriated, Brian turns to her and orders his bandits to capture her.
"You sniveling brat!"- He yells back- "How dare you ruin my moment of glory?!"
As the bandits restrain Aalia, Brian picks up his gun and points it at her forehead.
"So."- He says and grins- "What're you going to do now, chick?"
Aalia spits at him.
"Screw you."- She mutters- "Adam will make you pay."
Brian prepares to execute her, but soon realizes that Jared is still watching. He turns back to him and smiles.
"I want you to watch closely."- He mutters- "What we're about to do to this girl will be... unspeakable."
Having said that, he orders one of the bandits to throw her on the ground.
Jared realizes what they are going to do. However, he is too weak to stop them and is forced to watch helplessly as Brian kneels and prepares to do the inevitable.
"Just because I'm a good guy, I think that I'll let you go. But just you."- He says to her- "However, we can't just let you go unpunished, can we?"
He smiles.
"I'll leave a huge scar on that pretty body of yours.
Jared takes a step forward. He tries to stop him, but one of the bandits restrains him as well.
"Don't you know how much this poor girl has suffered, you fool?!"- He yells at him- "Leave her alone! She does not deserve to be treated like this!"
Brian turns back and smiles.
"Try to stop me, then."
Jared tries to free himself from his restraints. It is hard, but he soon realizes that it is not completely impossible.
However, he fears that he might not free himself. If that happens, Aalia will never be the same.
"Please! No!"- Aalia screams and tries to get away- "Have mercy!"
Brian smiles again.
"Mercy?"- He says- "I don't know what that means!"
Having said that, he steps on her neck with one of his feet.
"Sorry, girl. Nothing personal."- He says mockingly- "Just doin' my job."
Meanwhile, Adam stands on a nearby tree and watches as Brian prepares to choke her.
Before the vile creature can harm her, he jumps down on one of his bandits. Then, he stabs him twice, in the neck and chest.
As the man falls on the ground, Adam rushes forward and slices Brian's leg, forcing him to let Aalia go.
"Who are you?"- Brian asks him- "What do you want from me?"
Adam grabs him by the neck.
"I am the light that will burn you to death, you fiend!"- He yells at him- "I will make you pay for hurting those people!"
At the same time, his bandits are shocked by Adam's appearance. This makes them vulnerable to a counterattack, allowing the merchants to set themselves free and kill most of them.
"We do not care if this road is yours or not."- Adam continues- "What you tried to do to my father and Aalia was unspeakable. And it ends now."
Although weakened, Brian manages to free himself and try to reach for his gun. However, Adam easily disarms him and forces him to run away from him.
"Please... please... "- He begs- "I just wanted to protect what's mine! That's all!"
Adam does not believe this nonsense at all. He knows that this gang is a threat to anyone nearby and that they will gladly slaughter anyone they are paid to get rid of.
"This one is for my friend!"- He yells and fires an arrow.
The projectile strikes Brian in the leg, forcing him to fall on the ground.
Adam pulls him up and prepares to execute him, but is stopped by Jared.
"Back off, son."- He says to him and grabs him by the neck- "He is mine!"
Seeing how infuriated his father is, Adam steps back, afraid that he might lash out at him as well.
"Please... I beg you... "- Brian mutters- "Have... mercy... "
Jared shakes his head.
"Did you have mercy when you tried to kill that poor, defenseless girl?"
Brian is speechless.
"Do you realize that you beg us for mercy only because we bested you?"- He asks him- "Because we killed your team? Because you are its sole survivor?"
Brian shakes his head. 
"Do you know how we deal with heartless villains like you?"
Now, Brian's eyes are filled with fear. He swiftly frees himself and tries to limp away, but Jared catches him again.
"Threatening our friends and trying to kill Aalia was enough of an insult!"- He yells at him- "But, when you killed that poor merchant, you and your friends have crossed the line!"
Deciding that it would be very unwise to let such a coldblooded killer go, Jared tightens his grip and watches as Brian struggles to breathe.
"I don't want... to die... "- Brian mutters- "I don't... want to... "
Moments later, his entire body falls limp. He is dead.
Adam tries to put him down, but Jared pats him on the shoulder and shakes his head.
"There is no need to bother."- He says to him- "Letting him turn will be the worst punishment."
Adam watches as Brian's skin turns deathly pale. However, he refuses to simply let him become one of them.
Deciding to go against his father's wishes, he lifts his gun and shoots Brian in the skull, putting him down before he can reanimate.
"Nobody deserves to turn into an undead."- He mutters- "Even blatant villains like him."
Jared looks at his son and sighs.
"As you wish."- He says to him- "It is your choice. I cannot stop you."
The two of them rejoin the merchants and help them pull the caravan away from the tree.
As they get close to succeeding, the merchant who was killed earlier reanimates and tries to kill them. However, he is swiftly executed by Jared, who fires a single bullet into his head without thinking twice.
Adam is surprised that his father did such a thing, considering that he wanted to let Brian turn not too long ago.
Jared smiles.
"Sometimes, parents must learn from their children, listening to what they have to say."- He says- "Thanks to you, I understand that no one deserves to become one of them. So, I thank you, my son. For pointing me toward the right path and letting me see the light."
Adam smiles and hugs him.
"No, dad."- He says to him- "Thank you for becoming a better person."
As the two of them share an emotional moment, Aalia joins them and smiles.
"Adam, may I have your attention for a minute?"- She asks him- "I... want to speak with you."
Adam turns to his father. He nods and sends them away.
Once they are far away from the group, Aalia learns close to Adam and kisses him on the cheek.
"That's for saving me back there."- She says and smiles- "You're a real hero!"
Adam smiles and pats her on the back.
"I have done it once and I am ready to do it again."- He says to her- "I will always protect you, Aalia."
Aalia blushes and hugs him.
"You're my only hope left."- She admits- "But that's enough. As long as I have you by my side, I have everything."
Adam smiles and sighs.
"Yes."- He says- "I guess that you are right."
He turns to the rest of the group.
"Shall we go back there?"- He asks her- "I think that they are worried about us."
Aalia nods. 
"Very well."- He says- "Let us finish the job and get back on the road."
As Adam works to pull the caravan away from the tree, Aalia sits next to a nearby tree and looks down. She finally realizes how lucky she was back then and vows to care about Adam as much as he cares about her. 
"I miss Bartholio and Vennie, but Adam is more than enough to replace them."- She says to herself- "Still, I will always cherish the memories that we had."
She sighs.
"And I will never forget what Adam did for me."
Meanwhile, Adam and his father watch as the caravan is pulled back on the road.
"I want you to remember this, Adam."- Jared says to his son- "Whatever happens next, never lose your hope, your purpose. In a time like this, heroes are always needed to breathe faith into the hearts of our fellow exiles, to make them smile. Never change the way you see this world. You are so pure, so innocent. Many people will try to taint your heart, but I am sure that you will make it past them."
Adam nods and smiles.
"Thank you, dad."- He says- "I cannot make any promises, but I will try my best."
Jared smiles.
"That is all that I wanted to hear."- He responds- "My faith has been restored. And I have you to thank for that."
Adam starts to respond, but soon gives up and simply hugs his father.
"I know what you are thinking, dad. You want to see our family again."- He says to him- "Rest assured that we will reunite with them. I will make sure of that."
Jared smiles again.
"I am sure that you will, my boy."
The two of them look back and realize that the caravan is waiting for them. They approach the vehicle and climb into it.
"Well, we did it. More or less."- Adam says and sighs- "The villains have been defeated. We are free to go."
Jared leans forward.
"Did you manage to bury the merchant's body?"- He asks the caravan master- "I do not want to leave this place when it is still exposed to the vultures outside."
The caravan master nods.
"Don't worry, sir. The deed has been done."- He assures him- "Our guards made a grave for him and buried his corpse. There's no need to be concerned about him."
Jared lets out a sigh of relief and smiles.
"Thank you."- He says and leans back.
As the caravan drives away, Adam and Jared stare at the lands ahead of them.
"Once again, we are on the road."- Adam says- "Away from civilization."
Jared nods.
"Yes, but not for long."- He says- "As soon as this caravan reaches its destination, we will be home. Civilization will be thriving and people will be glad to see us again."
Aalia overhears this and looks down.
"Again?"- She says to herself- "Have they been there before?"
Adam nods and smiles.
"I know, dad."- He responds- "We will be back home in no time."
He leans back.
"Until then... "- He says and smiles again- "... we must prepare."
Jared nods.
"And prepare we shall."
Having said that, he leans back as well and watches the road ahead of them.
Adam sighs and stares at the sky.
"Mom, I miss you so much."- He says to himself- "I hope that you are doing alright."
He smiles.
"Stay strong, mom."- He continues- "We are on our way."