MLII C5, P1- "Painful Decision"

"Painful Decision" is the first Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's fifth Chapter. It was released on 02.04.2021.
== Plot ==
Jared begins his search for the leader of the barbaric Slithzerikai, responsible for the attacks on both Avernum and the Surface after the fall of Rentar-Ihrno. Meanwhile, he remembers how he had to send his friends and family away in order to keep them safe and deeply regrets every moment that he has to spend away from them.
== Story ==
Jared finds a small camp of Slithzerikai. He hides behind a rock and watches their warriors patrol the surrounding area.
He cautiously approaches one of them, pulls out a small dagger from his pocket and stabs it in the neck.
Sadly, this seems to get the attention of the other warriors. They soon pick up his scent, draw their weapons and charge.
As Jared prepares to fight the Slithzerikai scouts, a spirit appears and stands behind him.
It is the spirit of his late mother, who seems to be very worried.
"I told you that this is not a good idea!"- She says- "What were you thinking, child?"
Jared does not seem to be worried about the fact that he is swarmed by hostile warriors. He smiles.
"Do not worry, mom. Even if your initial plan does not work, even if you are trapped without a way out, there is still a way to turn the tables. There always is, mark my words."- He says- "Remember: One hero can make an army. And this is more than enough to defeat a band of treacherous lizards like them!"
Having said that, he draws Demonslayer and swiftly stabs one of his attackers.
Without wasting any time, he throws him on the ground nearby and proceeds to fight against the rest of the Slithzerikai.
True to his word, he shows his mother how much he has changed ever since she left this world behind. Like a cheetah pouncing towards its unsuspecting prey, he charges towards the confused warriors and slays them without giving them the chance to fight back.
A few minutes later, all of the Slithzerikai scouts are either dead or dying. Either way, they are no longer a threat to our hero.
Meanwhile, the boy inspects the dead warriors, looking for evidence that could lead him towards the central culprit. Unsurprisingly, he finds nothing.
He turns to his mother and smiles again.
"You know that I am a different person now, mom?"- He says to her- "I am no longer the child that I was before. Now, I am a warrior who is ready to fight every kind of evil. Without hesitation!"
Seiko smiles and nods.
"Yes, yes. I know. You're no longer my little, defenseless sweetheart."- She responds- "Still, you have a gentle nature under the wall of determination and bravery that forms your soul. And that makes me happy."
She looks at the dead Slithzerikai and sighs.
"Now, back to the reason why we're here."- She continues- "Did you find anything useful on them."
Jared shakes his head.
"I am afraid that I did not. Those warriors only had items of basic necessity, like food, water and weapons to defend themselves."- He says- "However, I think that their base of operations must be nearby. There is no other way for them to stay so far away, unless... "
A few seconds later, he hears a scream coming from nearby and turns around.
He sees a small fort and notices some fleeing Slithzerikai. It seems like its residents witnessed the deaths of their comrades and decided to make a run for it, not risking an encounter with the boy.
However, he does not make a move to stop them from doing so, mainly because they are too scared to fight back. It would be cruel to fight an enemy that is surrendering or running away.
Instead, he patiently waits for the large crowd to dissipate. Soon, his efforts are rewarded as the last Slithzerikai leaves the fort.
Seiko sighs. She clearly does not want any of those events to happen.
"If only those Slithzerikai were wiser, they would learn to respect us, not fear us."- She says- "Nothing will be achieved by fighting those who have been living near their lands."
Jared shakes his head.
"They brought this upon themselves, mom. Now, they face the consequences of their own, cowardly actions."- He responds- "Sure, I wish that things could be different. However, trying to reason with a band of savages like them is like talking to an inanimate rock- completely pointless."
He sheathes his sword and enters the abandoned fort without another word.
There, he finds abandoned shops and small homes. Not wanting to be disrespectful, even to savages, he leaves the huts alone and searches the shops instead.
There, he finds a variety of suppiles that will help him on this journey. Potions. Herbs to make potions himself. Food and water. A pair of Slithzerikai boots that will keep him warm.
A more thorough search rewards him with a small wand. It seems to be magical, inscribed with runes all over its wooden surface. Truly an interesting item.
After making sure that he has not missed anything, he enters a small castle- the place where the leaders of this miserable settlements used to live.
There, he discovers a small library. He finds out that, in their haste, the Slithzerikai left most of the papers behind. 
Unfortunately, none of them are important enough to him. Or relevant to his mission, at the very least.
Suddenly, Jared hears a sound coming from nearby. He opens a door to the right and finds a young Slithzerikai trying to gather some papers from an ornate chest.
The sounds of our hero's footsteps alarms it. It turns around, sees that he is standing in front of it and panics.
It stuffs the gathered papers quickly within its pockets, pulls out a glass orb and says:
"You'll never take me alive!"
Jared decides that this Slithzerikai is too dangerous to be left alone. He motions for his mother to stop him from running away and she does so, without hesitation.
He grabs the orb from the confused creature's hands and gently places it on the ground.
The Slithzerikai shrieks and tries to attack him. However, a stab in the chest with Demonslayer ends its struggle.
Soon, the pitiful creature bleeds out, unable to protect what it came here for.
Jared watches it expire, shakes his head and gently closes its eyes.
"Rest in peace, young warrior."- He whispers- "Your struggle is over."
He turns around and looks at his mother. Her ghostly eyes betray no emotion.
However, he senses a wave of unease course within her body. Even though she is unable to show it, she is saddened that he had to kill the creature.
"I am sorry, mom."- Jared says- "I am so sorry."
Seiko looks at him, sighs and shakes her head.
"No. It... it had to happen. There was no reason to hesitate."- She says and looks up, trying to look as serious as possible- "Those papers, they might contain useful information. Should we read them?"
Jared sighs.
"It seems like we have no other choice."- He responds- "Trapped or not, they might be crucial to us. We cannot just leave them behind."
He picks up one of them and analyzes its contents. Seiko tries to make sense of them, but to no avail.
"Do you have any luck in deciphering them?"- She asks her son.
Jared nods.
"Well, not entirely, but it seems like I can understand most of the words within."- He responds- "It says that this very room is the place where the most important records are kept, including the location of the Slithzerikai's main base of operations and their "greatest invention", whatever that means."
Curious, he checks the records nearby, trying to find their latest information. Soon, he finds what he needs.
He tells his mother about this. She seems to be surprised, but it is hard to tell.
"So, this is not their central settlement?"- She asks him.
Jared shakes his head.
"Not at all, it seems."- He says- "However, the records contain information about a massive fortress that is to the north of us. It is mentioned that it is under construction, but I am unsure whether it is still true or not until we find that out."
He looks at his mother.
"The fortress is located deep within Slithzerikai lands, somewhere to the north of this place."- He continues- "From what I learned, it is based on a small island in the middle of a large lake, protected by four forts all around it. The only way to get to the island is by using a boat from one of those forts and taking it towards the northernmost peninsula. It is going to be a perilous journey, but I think that we can manage."
He starts to leave the fort. Steps away from the gate, he turns around and sees that his mother is still beside him.
"Also, it is rumored that the region is very cold."- He adds- "We must find some decent clothing to stay warm."
Seiko smiles.
"Well. That's up to you, sweetie!"- She says.
Jared smiles and sighs.
"I know, I know."
Jared and his late mother leave the fort behind them and begin their journey towards the island to the north. On the way, they discover small bands of Slithzerikai spies and fight them, side by side. It seems like Seiko is not going to let her son, her special child, fight alone. Her promise to protect him at all costs is carried beyond the grave and into her life as a ghostly maiden.
A few hours later, they finally find a safe place to stay. They set up a small camp and silently watch the Slithzerikai forces father away from them.
Suddenly, Seiko remembers something that she has been thinking about for a long time. She turns to her son.
"Sweetie."- She says- "I... want to talk to you. About something."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"What is on your mind, mom?"- He asks her.
Seiko sighs and looks at the sky.
"Although I forced you to leave those cowards behind, I still feel bad for them. After they took our dear friends and family away from us, even more so."- She continues- "Do you... do you still miss them?"
Jared sighs.
"Yes. More than anything. Even when they are scared to fight the incoming enemies, they still care about us. They only wanted to protect us from the inevitable."- He says- "I miss all of them. Every single moment I spend separated, my heart aches. My soul wishes this did not happen. My mind thinks about the future that we could have experienced, were it not for the Slithzerikai."
He shakes his head. A moment later, he notices that there is a tear in his right eye and wipes it.
Unable to control his emotions, he looks down. His eyes begin to fill with tears. 
However, he does not cry. He knows that it is a sign of weakness and that he does not want to show it, even to his dear mother.
"I regret my decision, mom."- He continues- "I regret the fact that I am away from them. I regret the fact that I treated them so badly. And, worst of all, I regret the fact that we are forced to endure those neverending trials. I just want them to be safe... and sound."
He looks at the sky.
"Is it really impossible to be truly safe?"- He says- "Has every good deed that I have done until now been in vain?"
Seiko notices how worried her son is and hugs him. Even though she is a ghost, he can still feel her warm embrace as if she were still alive.
"It's okay, my dear. Everything will be fine."- She whispers to him- "Soon, we will defeat those wrongdoers and you can reunite with all of them. Mark my words, the smile on your beautiful face shall return. I will never let it fade away."
Jared nods.
"Thank you, m-mom... "- He mutters.
His eyelids get heavy. He is tired by the endless wandering through the lands of the Empire.
Moments later, he falls asleep on the grass. 
Seiko fades away. However, a small part of her remains connected to reality, ready to protect her dear son at all times.
Fortunately, none of the Slithzerikai dare to attack the young hero. A few hours later, the sun rises and he wakes up, refreshed and ready for another day of roaming into the wilderness of Valorim.
He stands up, looks at the sun and smiles as the spirit of his mother comes into view once again.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"- She says- "This is what we are fighting for. It's both the present... and the future."
Jared smiles and turns away.
"I missed the Surface, my home, so much."- He says- "Now that we are back, I am ready to protect it and keep it the way it is- lush and green."
He looks at a Slithzerikai settlement in the distance. He sees the activity within. 
"Our enemies may be strong."- He continues- "But we... are stronger."
He draws his sword and cautiously approaches the settlement, his mother trying to keep up with his pace.